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Source: http://www.livescience.com/home/feed/site.xml

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16.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ New report warns that China could overtake the US as top nation in space — and it could happen 'in 5-10 years,' expert claims ]]></title>
17.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A new report warns that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/china"><u>China</u></a>'s rapid and unrelenting growth within the space sector will see the country overtake the U.S. in the "new space race" to become the world's leading space-faring nation in as little as "five or 10 years," experts say.</p><p>The stark warning comes less than two weeks after a Senate Commerce Committee hearing discussed the increasing likelihood of China <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/us-in-real-danger-of-losing-the-moon-race-to-china-experts-tell-senate" target="_blank"><u>beating the U.S. in a race to return humans to the moon</u></a>. During these talks, former NASA Administrator <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/james-f-bridenstine/" target="_blank"><u>Jim Bridenstine</u></a> told senators that "it is highly unlikely the United States will beat China's projected timeline," unless the recent record-breaking cuts to NASA's budget are reversed.</p><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://commercialspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CSF-Redshift-v6.pdf" target="_blank"><u>new report</u></a>, titled "Redshift," was published on Tuesday (Sept. 16) by the Commercial Space Federation — an advocacy group that supports investment in the U.S. commercial space industry. It details how China's space infrastructure and capability of exploring the solar system has rapidly grown over the last decade, and its improvements show no signs of slowing down.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_uJkJUw7u_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="uJkJUw7u">            <div id="botr_uJkJUw7u_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The 112-page document contains the most up-to-date information on China's various space assets and missions, including the country's new space station, its growing satellite megaconstellations and its plans to visit and colonize the moon.</p><p>"China is not only racing to catch up — it is setting pace, deregulating, and, at times, redefining what leadership looks like on and above Earth," researchers wrote in the report. "China's space ascendancy — propelled by disciplined policy, strategic investment, and sweeping technological gains — has fundamentally redrawn the domain in which global power is contested."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/china-is-building-a-constellation-of-ai-supercomputers-in-space-and-just-launched-the-first-pieces"><u><strong>China is building a constellation of AI supercomputers in space — and just launched the first pieces</strong></u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="EV5ctdHdFVqMQ5gTPMapmh" name="tiangong.jpg" alt="China's Tiangong space station with Earth in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EV5ctdHdFVqMQ5gTPMapmh.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">China's Tiangong space station was fully completed in 2023 and has housed Chinese astronauts ever since.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: China Manned Space Agency)</span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the most worrying issues raised by the new report for the U.S. is the possibility that China will be the first nation to return humans to the moon, for the first time since 1972. While NASA's Artemis missions <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-delays-historic-artemis-missions-yet-again"><u>have been repeatedly delayed</u></a>, partly due to recent issues with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-signs-new-contract-to-use-spacexs-starship-even-though-it-keeps-blowing-up"><u>SpaceX's temperamental Starship rocket</u></a>, China has continued to hit "major milestones" on its plan to land astronauts by 2030. These include <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-reveals-most-detailed-geological-map-of-the-moon-ever-created"><u>mapping the lunar surface in record detail</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-rover-returns-historic-samples-from-far-side-of-the-moon-and-they-may-contain-secrets-to-earths-deep-past"><u>returning historic lunar samples to Earth</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-will-launch-giant-reusable-rockets-next-year-to-prep-for-human-missions-to-the-moon"><u>building their own supersized rockets</u></a>. (NASA is currently aiming to land astronauts on the moon by 2027.)</p><p>China is also planning to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-plans-to-build-moon-base-at-the-lunar-south-pole-by-2035"><u>build a fully operational moon base</u></a>, equipped with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/russia-and-china-announce-plan-to-build-shared-nuclear-reactor-on-the-moon-by-2035-without-humans"><u>an autonomous nuclear reactor</u></a>, by as early as 2035. This could help the nation stake its claim on valuable lunar mining materials and give them the edge in the race to eventually send humans to Mars, Live Science's sister site <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/the-race-back-to-the-moon-what-if-china-lands-its-astronauts-first" target="_blank"><u>Space.com recently reported</u></a>.</p><p>Another area where China is likely to dominate is in low-Earth orbit, thanks to its recently completed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/space-photo-of-the-week-chinas-heavenly-place-space-station-looms-in-1st-complete-image"><u>Tiangong space station</u></a>, which will become the only major state-run space station in operation once the International Space Station (ISS) is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/nasa-awards-spacex-dollar843-million-contract-to-destroy-the-international-space-station"><u>decommissioned at the end of this decade</u></a>. (NASA has no plans to replace the ISS directly, although a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/will-the-international-space-station-be-replaced-before-its-fiery-death-in-2030"><u>number of commercial ventures are pursuing plans</u></a> for their own stations.)</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="43tHY9Htov5Dj5Eck4BFse" name="Long march 7a carrier rocket" alt="The Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying China Sat 3B satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on May 20, 2025 in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/43tHY9Htov5Dj5Eck4BFse.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">China now has six operational spaceports, allowing them to launch more rockets than ever before.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>China is also starting to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/chinas-secretive-new-thousands-sails-satellites-are-an-astronomers-nightmare-1st-observations-reveal"><u>build out its own satellite megaconstellations</u></a> to rival SpaceX's rapidly expanding "Starlink" network. It's also planning to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-plans-to-build-enormous-solar-array-in-space-and-it-could-collect-more-energy-in-a-year-than-all-the-oil-on-earth"><u>build an orbital solar power array</u></a> and its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-is-building-a-space-telescope-to-rival-the-jwst-and-it-could-survive-in-orbit-decades-longer"><u>own version of the James Webb Space Telescope</u></a> in the near future.</p><p>On the ground, China now has six different operational spaceports, which will allow the country to rapidly increase the number of rockets it can launch in the coming years.</p><p>But perhaps the most alarming point for the U.S. is that the country is completing all these impressive tasks simultaneously. In other words, "China is living its Apollo, ISS, and commercial space eras all at once," the report authors wrote.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/chinese-astronauts-make-rocket-fuel-and-oxygen-in-space-using-1st-of-its-kind-artificial-photosynthesis"><u><strong>Chinese astronauts make rocket fuel and oxygen in space using 1st-of-its-kind 'artificial photosynthesis'</strong></u></a></p><p>The secret to China's recent success is (unsurprisingly) increased funding, especially for commercial companies, which have been given special support from the government to aid the China National Space Administration (CNSA). For example, the country invested $2.86 billion in its commercial space ventures last year — more than 17 times the $164 million it spent in 2016, according to the report.</p><p>Another important factor has been China's willingness to work with other nations to achieve its goals, including Russia, India and Japan. This approach, dubbed the "Space Silk Road" initiative, has seen China set up over 80 projects with international partners so far, "eroding U.S. influence," the researchers wrote.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="HfAgCmDbfiZpb5nmN25wHe" name="Chang e 6 spacecract.jpg" alt="An illustration of China's Chang'e 5 probe near the moon." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HfAgCmDbfiZpb5nmN25wHe.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Chang'e 6 mission returned lunar samples from the moon's "far side" last year. This photo shows the Chinese spacecraft in orbit around the moon, shortly before touching down on the surface. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Photo/China National Space Administration/Handout via Xinhua)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The report's co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://search.asu.edu/profile/3441724" target="_blank"><u>Jonathan Roll</u></a>, a space policy analyst at Arizona State University, was particularly surprised by how quickly China's space capabilities have progressed since he first properly studied the topic in the early 2020s: "I thought I had a pretty good read on this when I was finishing grad school," Roll told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/a-new-report-finds-chinas-space-program-will-soon-equal-that-of-the-us/" target="_blank"><u>Ars Technica</u></a>. "[But the fact] that almost everything needed to be updated, or had changed three years later, was pretty scary."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/china-has-launched-a-secret-robot-to-the-far-side-of-the-moon-new-change-6-photos-reveal">China has launched a secret robot to the far side of the moon, new Chang'e 6 photos reveal</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/giant-white-streak-appears-over-multiple-us-states-as-chinese-rocket-dumps-experimental-fuel-in-space">Giant 'white streak' appears over multiple US states as Chinese rocket dumps experimental fuel in space</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/first-ever-image-of-chinas-mysterious-quasi-moon-probe-revealed-weeks-after-it-secretly-launched-into-space">First-ever image of China's mysterious 'quasi moon' probe revealed weeks after it secretly launched into space</a></p></div></div><p>Meanwhile, America's space ambitions have been hamstrung by the Trump administration, which has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/experts-alarmed-as-white-house-proposes-largest-single-year-cut-to-nasa-in-american-history"><u>proposed cutting NASA's budget almost in half</u></a>, putting multiple long-term missions in jeopardy  and creating knock-on impacts in the commercial space industry.</p><p>"The United States is still ahead today in a lot of areas in space," Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, told Ars Technica. "But the Chinese are advancing very quickly and poised to overtake us in the next five to 10 years if we don't do something."</p> ]]></dc:content>
18.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/new-report-warns-that-china-could-overtake-the-us-as-top-nation-in-space-and-it-could-happen-in-5-10-years-expert-claims</link>
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20.                            <![CDATA[ A new report from the Commercial Space Federation warns that China could soon overtake the U.S. in the "new space race." The country's rapid progression starkly contrasts the limitations imposed on NASA by record-breaking budget cuts. ]]>
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24.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:01:10 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
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34.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Tiny 'brains' grown in the lab could become conscious and feel pain — and we're not ready ]]></title>
35.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists are getting closer to growing human brains in the lab, and it's spurring an ethical debate over the welfare of these lab-reared tissues.</p><p>The debate surrounds "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/minibrains-brain-organoids-explained"><u>brain organoids</u></a>," which are sometimes mistaken for sci-fi-inspired "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/brain_in_a_box" target="_blank"><u>brains in boxes</u></a>." However, these small assemblies of brain tissue grown from stem cells are too simple to function like a real human brain. As such, scientists have assumed brain organoids lack consciousness, which has led to lax research regulations.</p><p>Some scientists, however, take a different view.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_Puk9a1Qg_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="Puk9a1Qg">            <div id="botr_Puk9a1Qg_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>"We feel that in the fear of hype and science-fiction inspired exaggeration, the pendulum has swung far too far in the opposite direction," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5517-9496" target="_blank"><u>Christopher Wood</u></a>, a bioethics researcher at Zhejiang University in China, told Live Science in an email. In a perspective piece published Sept. 12 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389925002132" target="_blank"><u>Patterns</u></a>, Wood and his colleagues argued that technological advances may soon lead to the creation of conscious organoids.</p><p>The authors say regulations regarding the use of organoids should be reviewed. It would be unethical for a conscious organoid to experience its own thoughts and interests, or to feel pain, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://bioethics.jhu.edu/people/profile/lomax-boyd-phd/" target="_blank"><u>Boyd Lomax</u></a>, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University.</p><p>But reigning in consciousness may not be straightforward.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/minibrains-reveal-secrets-of-how-key-brain-cells-form-in-the-womb"><u><strong>'Minibrains' reveal secrets of how key brain cells form in the womb</strong></u></a></p><h2 id="consciousness-is-difficult-to-define-2">Consciousness is difficult to define</h2><p>The stem cells used to make brain organoids grow side by side and lack complex organization when they're cultured on a 2D surface, like a dish. But when they're grown in a solid gel or a spinning bioreactor that keeps the cells aloft, they <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/we-can-t-answer-these-questions-neuroscientist-kenneth-kosik-on-whether-lab-grown-brains-will-achieve-consciousness"><u>adopt 3D anatomical networks</u></a> that resemble what's seen in an embryonic brain.</p><p>Although they develop 3D features, brain organoids are too simple to be conscious, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12152-024-09548-3" target="_blank"><u>some neuroscientists argue</u></a>. Consciousness in a real brain arises when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405471221000776" target="_blank"><u>different regions of the organ communicate</u></a>, but organoids resemble only a single part of the brain. And none of these lab-grown minibrains are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6503989/" target="_blank"><u>larger than 0.16 inches</u></a> (4 millimeters) in diameter, suggesting important faculties for consciousness are missing.</p><p>People often think of consciousness in humans or animals as a state of being aware of oneself. However, "we think of consciousness in organoids as a basic level of sensations, the capacity to feel pain and pleasure," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://case.unipegaso.it/people/andrea-lavazza-2/" target="_blank"><u>Andrea Lavazza</u></a>, a moral philosopher and neuroethicist at Pegaso University in Italy.</p><p>Most neuroscientists define consciousness as self-awareness or the ability to feel or experience something, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pediatrics.ucsd.edu/research/faculty-labs/muotri-lab/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Alysson Muotri</u></a>, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, told Live Science in an email. But there is no universal, agreed-upon definition, he said.</p><p>Some definitions of consciousness focus on the brain's ability to process and respond to its environment through senses, like sight and hearing. Brain organoids are cultured outside a body and cannot receive such signals, Lavazza noted. But in the future, more advanced organoids could still theoretically experience pain. In humans, membranes that envelop the brain, called meninges, contain neurons that can send pain signals to the organ. The worry is the same could be possible in more sophisticated organoids.</p><p>On the flip side, Boyd argued that "if an organoid has the internal neural architecture necessary for representing pain, then no external signal would be required." So, there need not be a pain signal from a neuron for pain to occur; this is how phantom pains arise in people who have lost limbs.</p><p>Wood noted, however, that it is unclear whether an organoid could experience something tantamount to phantom pain, as this might depend on having a memory of the lost limb. So in a word, it's complicated.</p><h2 id="how-do-you-measure-consciousness-2">How do you measure consciousness?</h2><p>The perspective piece pointed out that, even in humans, scientists don't have great methods of objectively measuring consciousness. Lavazza said the only way to definitively detect consciousness is to ask a person what they are feeling. That doesn't mean that people who can't communicate lack consciousness, but definitively measuring it is more difficult.</p><p>In comatose patients or people with locked-in syndrome — a neurological condition that paralyzes the body and makes communication extremely challenging — doctors rely on indirect signals, such as electrical brain activity, Lomax said. Via this activity, they can only infer consciousness, not produce a definitive measurement.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="tjRVsXmEWmMpjzBdPM4g23" name="chimeroids - c8902a7f-13d3-47b4-bd05-c72fe68f7a83-0.jpg" alt="Two rows of three multi-colored blobs are shown against a black background. The blobs appear to contain different types of cells that are different fluorescent colors." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tjRVsXmEWmMpjzBdPM4g23.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An array of microscope image of chimeroids, a type of brain organoid <a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/scientists-just-grew-the-1st-ever-minibrains-from-multiple-peoples-cells">grown with stem cells from multiple people</a>.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Noelia Antón-Bolaños and Irene Faravelli)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Another measure involves "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1935861X19302207" target="_blank"><u>perturbational complexity</u></a>," which assesses the complexity of brain signals produced in response to a stimulus, such as a magnetic field being applied to the scalp. Doctors judge that the more complex the patterns of neuronal firing, the more likely the patient is conscious, Lomax said.</p><p>But some indirect signals of consciousness, including perturbational complexity, can be seen even in neurons grown in a dish, he emphasized. That suggests they are not good indicators of the phenomenon.</p><h2 id="complexity-begets-consciousness-2">Complexity begets consciousness</h2><p>Skeptics who don't believe brain organoids could feasibly gain consciousness argue that they lack the anatomical complexity required, including a wide variety of cell types and blood vessels to deliver the oxygen and resources needed for complex signaling.</p><p>But in the next five to 10 years, technological innovations could enable scientists to create complex organoids capable of consciousness, Wood said. A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202507256" target="_blank"><u>study published in August</u></a> reported a method for introducing blood vessels into brain organoids, and one from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adp7047" target="_blank"><u>September</u></a> found ways to incorporate an additional cell type, called microglia, that can't be produced from neural stem cells. Previously, scientists grew brain organoids <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/brain-organoid-optic-eyes.html"><u>with rudimentary "eyes</u></a>," and another group grew <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/in-a-1st-scientist-grow-mini-brains-with-functional-blood-brain-barriers"><u>some with blood-brain barriers</u></a>, which help guard the organ from toxins and pathogens.</p><p>Although current organoids resemble only one brain region, neuroscientists can fuse them to make "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08808-3" target="_blank"><u>assembloids</u></a>" representing multiple regions. Lavazza said such assembloids could feasibly feel pain if they carry the neural circuitry required for pain sensation — even if they have no pain-sensing neurons.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/we-can-t-answer-these-questions-neuroscientist-kenneth-kosik-on-whether-lab-grown-brains-will-achieve-consciousness"><u><strong>'We can't answer these questions': Neuroscientist Kenneth Kosik on whether lab-grown brains will achieve consciousness</strong></u></a></p><h2 id="should-regulations-change-2">Should regulations change?</h2><p>Rules relating to brain organoid research are lenient in part because the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.isscr.org/" target="_blank"><u>International Society for Stem Cell Research</u></a> (ISSCR) states that these entities are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.isscr.org/guidelines/laboratory-based-human-embryonic-stem-cell-research-embryo-research-and-related-research-activities" target="_blank"><u>unable to perceive pain</u></a>. Its guidelines say, "At this time, there is no biological evidence to suggest any issues of concern, such as consciousness or pain perception with organoids corresponding to CNS [central nervous system] tissues, that would warrant review through the specialized oversight process."</p><p>However, the experts Live Science spoke to agreed that the regulations should be reviewed following recent breakthroughs in organoid development.</p><p>"That was such a conservative vision of the ISSCR, and it needs to be revised by a multidisciplinary team, not only stem cell biologists," said Muotri, who is the founder of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://tismoo.com.br/en/about/" target="_blank"><u>Tismoo</u></a>, a company that develops brain organoids.</p><p>The ethical concerns partly relate to organoids potentially being able to feel pain and to form their own thoughts. "The welfare of the conscious organoid, once it is produced, needs to be taken into account, as it has become a morally relevant entity with interests," Wood explained.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/anatomy/could-mini-space-grown-organs-be-our-cancer-moonshot">Could mini space-grown organs be our 'cancer moonshot'?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/scientists-just-grew-the-1st-ever-minibrains-from-multiple-peoples-cells">Scientists just grew the 1st-ever 'minibrains' from multiple people's cells</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/mini-model-of-human-embryonic-brain-and-spinal-cord-grown-in-lab">Mini model of human embryonic brain and spinal cord grown in lab</a></p></div></div><p>Lavazza takes a different stance. "I personally do not think it would be unethical to grow brain organoids with consciousness," he said, adding that "scientists do experiments with other conscious entities, such as mice." Lomax argued that if brain organoids achieve consciousness, they should receive similar regulatory oversight as animals do in research.</p><p>Although lab-grown brains might seem like something out of "Brave New World," they may become a reality soon. Assessing consciousness and agreeing on regulations will be tricky, but Wood argued that the burden of proof should lie with the skeptic who aims to disprove consciousness rather than with the advocate who aims to show it could be feasible.</p><p>At the very least, his article pointed out, scientists shouldn't rule out the possibility.</p><h2 id="brain-quiz-test-your-knowledge-of-the-most-complex-organ-in-the-body-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/brain-quiz-test-your-knowledge-of-the-most-complex-organ-in-the-body">Brain quiz</a>: Test your knowledge of the most complex organ in the body</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-XpYMle"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/XpYMle.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
36.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/tiny-brains-grown-in-the-lab-could-become-conscious-and-feel-pain-and-were-not-ready</link>
37.                                                                            <description>
38.                            <![CDATA[ Lab-grown brain tissue is too simple to experience consciousness, but as innovation progresses, neuroscientists question whether it's time to revisit the ethics of this line of research. ]]>
39.                                                                                                            </description>
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41.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tvv9VcMFcLb5Ytd2L8KXLg-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
42.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Neuroscience]]></category>
43.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
44.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Mind]]></category>
45.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kamal Nahas ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tvv9VcMFcLb5Ytd2L8KXLg-1280-80.jpg">
46.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Francesco Carta fotografo via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
47.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of a brain in a jar]]></media:text>
48.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of a brain in a jar]]></media:title>
49.                                                    </media:content>
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53.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ How to see the moon, Venus and the bright star Regulus in an ultraclose conjunction tomorrow ]]></title>
54.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>One of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-10-best-stargazing-events-of-2025"><u>best naked-eye stargazing sights of the year</u></a> is on offer to skywatchers this week — if you can rise before the sun Friday (Sept. 19). Just before sunrise, the crescent moon, the brilliant planet Venus and the bright star Regulus (the brightest star in the constellation Leo) will cluster together on the east-northeast horizon.</p><p>There will be barely half a degree between each of the three objects, which is less than the width of a little finger held up against the sky. This triple conjunction of naked-eye objects is a rare sight worth trying to see.</p><p>Visible low in the eastern sky about 90 minutes before sunrise, the waning crescent moon will be about 6% illuminated. The slender moon itself will be a gorgeous sight, thanks to the bonus "Earthshine" — the sun's light reflecting off Earth back onto the moon to illuminate its dark side. The dazzling sight will be visible both to the naked eye and in simple <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-binoculars"><u>stargazing binoculars</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_uJkJUw7u_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="uJkJUw7u">            <div id="botr_uJkJUw7u_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Venus and Regulus will be close by, although their exact locations in the sky will depend on your vantage point. For example, on the east coast of North America, stargazers will see an almost perfect alignment of the crescent moon, Venus and Regulus in a straight line covering barely a degree of sky. On the west coast of North America, it will be more of a close clustering, with a vague triangle formed by the moon, Venus and Regulus.</p><p>In terms of brightness, there will be a distinct pecking order. The moon will far outshine everything, followed by dazzling Venus and then Regulus, which will appear faint by comparison. In fact, Venus (magnitude -3.8) will be about 110 times brighter than Regulus (magnitude 1.3). (In astronomy, a low or negative magnitude corresponds to a brighter object.)</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/an-equinox-solar-eclipse-is-coming-in-september-but-itll-be-seen-by-more-penguins-than-humans">A 'crescent sunrise' solar eclipse is coming this weekend. Here's where to see it.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/what-color-is-moonlight">What color is moonlight?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/why-does-the-moon-sometimes-have-a-halo">Why does the moon sometimes have a 'halo'?</a></p></div></div><p>Those in northeastern Canada, Greenland, Western Europe and North Africa will see an even closer conjunction, with the moon occulting (moving in front of to block) Venus for a short time. According to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250919_16_100" target="_blank"><u>In-The-Sky.org</u></a>, the position of these three objects will vary according to the observer's location because the moon will be so close to Earth that its position in the sky will vary by as much as 2 degrees across the world. It also means that lunar occultations are only visible from part of Earth's surface at any given time.</p><p>In the days after the close conjunction, the crescent moon will shrink and become an invisible new moon on Sept. 21, causing a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/an-equinox-solar-eclipse-is-coming-in-september-but-itll-be-seen-by-more-penguins-than-humans"><u>partial solar eclipse that will be visible from New Zealand, Antarctica and the western South Pacific</u></a>. On Sept. 22, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/when-is-the-fall-equinox-and-why-does-it-happen"><u>autumn equinox</u></a> will bring roughly equal day and night to the entire globe, heralding the arrival of longer nights for stargazing in the Northern Hemisphere. Venus will remain as a bright "Morning Star" for the rest of the month.</p> ]]></dc:content>
55.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/triple-conjunction-2025-see-the-moon-venus-and-the-bright-star-regulus-in-an-ultraclose-alignment-in-the-sky-tomorrow</link>
56.                                                                            <description>
57.                            <![CDATA[ Watch the crescent moon, Venus and the bright star Regulus align in a rare predawn close conjunction tomorrow. ]]>
58.                                                                                                            </description>
59.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">eKmjX8e8sbAbGzM7TDTTeB</guid>
60.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DWADff4q7d7mSdtEr3u6aL-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
61.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[The Moon]]></category>
62.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
63.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
64.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jamie Carter ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DWADff4q7d7mSdtEr3u6aL-1280-80.jpg">
65.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Matt Champlin via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
66.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A photo of a crescent moon with brightly shining planets and stars]]></media:text>
67.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photo of a crescent moon with brightly shining planets and stars]]></media:title>
68.                                                    </media:content>
69.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DWADff4q7d7mSdtEr3u6aL-1280-80.jpg" />
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72.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Jaguar in Brazil smashes record for the species' longest documented swim ]]></title>
73.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_j9UQnjGA_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="j9UQnjGA">            <div id="botr_j9UQnjGA_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>A jaguar in Brazil has been documented making a record-breaking swim of up to 1.54 miles (2.48 kilometers). This distance is far beyond the previous verified record of around 650 feet (200 meters) for jaguars, according to the study authors.</p><p>Jaguars (<em>Panthera onca</em>) are adept swimmers, often inhabiting rainforest regions threaded with rivers that frequently overflow their banks. They dive into the waters of their Central and South American range without hesitation — but these dips are normally brief and undertaken to capture prey such as caimans, fish and turtles.</p><p>However, in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.05.674446v1.full.pdf" target="_blank"><u>paper</u></a> that appeared Sept. 10 on the preprint server bioRxiv, which has not been peer-reviewed, scientists documented a jaguar swimming a much greater distance.</p><p>The researchers reported that a male jaguar, first documented by camera trap photographs in May 2020 near the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam in Brazil's Goiás state, swam at least 0.79 miles (1.27 km) to reach a small island in an artificial lake created by the dam.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/lions/its-pretty-incredible-the-guys-got-three-legs-watch-lion-looking-for-sex-make-record-breaking-swim-across-treacherous-river-filled-with-crocs-and-hippos"><u><strong>'It's pretty incredible, the guy's got three legs': Watch lion looking for sex make record-breaking swim across treacherous river filled with crocs and hippos</strong></u></a></p><p>A camera trap stationed on the island captured the same male four years later, in August 2024. The spot patterns on its coat were used to verify that it was the same individual. An analysis of the distance between the mainland and the island in the reservoir showed that there were two possible ways for the jaguar to have reached the island.</p><p>First, it could have swum 0.66 miles (1.07 km) to a small islet before reentering the water and then swimming the remaining 0.79 miles. If the jaguar swam directly from the mainland to the island without stopping, it would have covered 1.54 miles in a single go, the researchers said.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="4byYcLxCPTh5iFU9Z2v9J9" name="jaguar" alt="An image still of a jaguar captured on a camera trap." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4byYcLxCPTh5iFU9Z2v9J9.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The jaguar was filmed with a camera trap on a small island in an artificial lake created by the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Gabriel Caputo)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Even if the swim were undertaken over two journeys, this still represents a record-breaking distance for jaguars, the authors wrote.</p><p>It is unclear why the jaguar made the swim. "Prey in this region appears to be fairly evenly distributed, lead author Leandro Silveira, a biologist with the Jaguar Conservation Fund, told Live Science. "Nothing suggests the island has more prey, nor do the shorelines. We think he decided to explore a new area — more likely related to searching for females or territory than a lack of food.</p><p>"We generally expect animals to seek the best cost-benefit option for movements, choosing narrower, less risky crossings," he added. "That's why this record was so surprising."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/texas-puma-genes-rescue-florida-panthers-from-extinction-for-now">Texas puma genes rescue Florida panthers from extinction — for now</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/grumpy-looking-pallass-cat-photographed-by-camera-trap-in-stunning-photo-from-eastern-himalayas">Grumpy-looking Pallas's cat photographed by camera trap in stunning photo from eastern Himalayas</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/snow-leopards/4-snow-leopards-spotted-together-on-remote-pakistan-mountain-in-rare-footage">4 snow leopards spotted together on remote Pakistan mountain in rare footage</a></p></div></div><p>However, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fernando-Tortato" target="_blank"><u>Fernando Tortato</u></a>, a project coordinator for the big-cat conservation organization Panthera who wasn't involved with the paper or observations, notes that long swims probably are not unusual for jaguars.</p><p>"Most of the jaguar population is located in the Amazon basin," he told Live Science. "The main rivers there are in many places much larger than 1.6 kilometers. Some places are more than 10 kilometers. We know that jaguars do not see a river as a barrier."</p><p>Tortato thinks the jaguar may have been seeking a new location to hunt capybaras (<em>Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris</em>), another common source of prey. "It's quite common to see capybaras along these artificial lakes," he said. "That's my bet."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_bkrhSLOa_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="bkrhSLOa">            <div id="botr_bkrhSLOa_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
74.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/jaguars/jaguar-in-brazil-smashes-record-for-the-species-longest-documented-swim</link>
75.                                                                            <description>
76.                            <![CDATA[ A jaguar was captured on camera trap on an artificial island near the Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Power Dam. The only way it could have gotten there was a very long swim. ]]>
77.                                                                                                            </description>
78.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">XVDuWzNRE4ZWFhJpP2PLXQ</guid>
79.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4byYcLxCPTh5iFU9Z2v9J9-1280-80.png" type="image/png" length="0"></enclosure>
80.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:04:44 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Jaguars]]></category>
81.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
82.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
83.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Cats]]></category>
84.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Richard Pallardy ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4byYcLxCPTh5iFU9Z2v9J9-1280-80.png">
85.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Gabriel Caputo]]></media:credit>
86.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An image still of a jaguar captured on a camera trap.]]></media:text>
87.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An image still of a jaguar captured on a camera trap.]]></media:title>
88.                                                    </media:content>
89.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4byYcLxCPTh5iFU9Z2v9J9-1280-80.png" />
90.                                                                                        </item>
91.                    <item>
92.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ There's a 90% chance we'll see a black hole explode within a decade, physicists say ]]></title>
93.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Stellar <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/black-holes">black holes</a> form from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their lives, typically weighing 3 to 50 times the mass of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/the-sun">sun</a>. When a star runs out of fuel, it explodes in a supernova, leaving behind a region so dense that nothing can escape, not even light.</p><p>Primordial black holes, by contrast, are theoretical objects that could have formed less than a second after the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65700-big-bang-theory.html">Big Bang</a> from extremely dense regions of the early universe. Unlike stellar black holes, they could be much lighter and are ancient relics from when the universe contained mostly hydrogen and helium.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1080px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="gAijUDb5T2aBHxzFRrSipR" name="messier87-eht" alt="an image of a glowing orange halo" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gAijUDb5T2aBHxzFRrSipR.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1080" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An image of the core region of Messier 87, home to a supermassive black hole, processed from a sparse array of radio telescopes known as the Event Horizon Telescope. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Event Horizon Telescope)</span></figcaption></figure><p>While black holes are typically known for consuming everything around them, physicists have long theorised that they eventually explode at the end of their lives through a process called Hawking radiation. Previously, scientists believed such explosions occurred only once every 100,000 years. However, new research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, suggests we might witness this extraordinary phenomenon much sooner than expected.</p><p>"We believe that there is up to a 90% chance of witnessing an exploding black hole in the next 10 years, the key is that our current fleet of space and ground based telescopes are already capable of detecting such an explosion," said Aidan Symons, a graduate student from the University of Massachusetts.</p><p>The black holes most likely to explode aren't the massive stellar remnants we typically think of, but rather the primordial black holes (PBHs.) As physicist Stephen Hawking showed in 1970, the lighter a black hole is, the hotter it becomes and the more particles it emits through Hawking radiation. As PBHs evaporate, they become ever lighter, and so hotter, emitting even more radiation in a runaway process until explosion.</p><p>The breakthrough came when the team of researchers started to question long held assumptions about black holes' electrical properties. While standard black holes have no electrical charge, the team explored what might happen if primordial black holes formed with a tiny electric charge involving hypothetical heavy particles they call "dark electrons."</p><p>A dark electron would be like a much heavier version of the regular electron, but interacting through dark electromagnetic forces instead of ordinary electromagnetism. In theoretical models called dark-QED, these particles would carry dark electric charge and interact via dark photons, potentially affecting how matter behaves around the black holes.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="XTC5BY6mftJS6KZcshW4vR" name="primordialblackhole-nasa" alt="A diagram illustrating the life of a primordial black hole" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XTC5BY6mftJS6KZcshW4vR.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The research team made a different assumption about the electrical properties of primordial black holes. They postulate that their model shows if a primordial black hole forms with a small dark electric charge, it should be temporarily stabilized before finally exploding. This stabilization effect could dramatically increase the likelihood of observing such explosions, from once every 100,000 years to potentially once every decade.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/colossal-black-hole-36-billion-times-the-mass-of-our-sun-is-one-of-the-largest-ever-seen-in-the-universe">Colossal black hole 36 billion times the mass of our sun is one of the largest ever seen in the universe</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/astronomers-accidentally-use-rare-double-zoom-technique-to-view-black-holes-corona-in-unprecedented-detail">Astronomers accidentally use rare 'double zoom' technique to view black hole's corona in unprecedented detail</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/stephen-hawkings-long-contested-black-hole-theory-finally-confirmed-as-scientists-hear-2-event-horizons-merge-into-one">Stephen Hawking's long-contested black hole theory finally confirmed — as scientists 'hear' 2 event horizons merge into one</a></p></div></div><p>An exploding black hole wouldn't just be a spectacular light show, it would provide scientists with a catalog of every subatomic particle in existence. This includes not only particles we've already discovered, like electrons, quarks, and Higgs bosons, but also currently undetected particles, perhaps even dark matter.</p><p>The team insist that while they're not guaranteeing an explosion will occur this decade, the high probability means we should be prepared. Fortunately, our current telescope technology is already capable of detecting the telltale signs of Hawking radiation from an exploding primordial black hole. If their calculations prove correct, we may be able to shed light on one of our oldest questions; where did everything come from?!</p><p><em>The</em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-predict-90-chance-well-see-a-black-hole-explode-within-a-decade" target="_blank"><em> original version</em></a><em> of this article was published on</em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.universetoday.com/" target="_blank"><em> Universe Today</em></a><em>.</em></p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_7mr3fBNd_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="7mr3fBNd">            <div id="botr_7mr3fBNd_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
94.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/theres-a-90-percent-chance-well-see-a-black-hole-explode-within-a-decade-physicists-say</link>
95.                                                                            <description>
96.                            <![CDATA[ How often do black holes explode? New research refines old calculations, hinting that black hole explosions may be a once-in-a-decade occurence. ]]>
97.                                                                                                            </description>
98.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">wdX5GhExA4jwzeJAmFzVQV</guid>
99.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WSp8MjQE8hwQ5HBqt5XV8S-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
100.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
101.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
102.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
103.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mark Thompson ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WSp8MjQE8hwQ5HBqt5XV8S-1280-80.jpg">
104.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Alain R, CC BY-SA 2.5]]></media:credit>
105.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of a black hole in front of starry outer space]]></media:text>
106.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of a black hole in front of starry outer space]]></media:title>
107.                                                    </media:content>
108.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WSp8MjQE8hwQ5HBqt5XV8S-1280-80.jpg" />
109.                                                                                        </item>
110.                    <item>
111.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'There's no shoving that genie back in the bottle': Readers believe it's too late to stop the progression of AI  ]]></title>
112.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Should humanity pull the brakes on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/what-is-artificial-intelligence-ai"><u>artificial intelligence</u></a> (AI) before it endangers our very survival? As the technology continues to transform industries and daily life, public opinion is sharply divided over its future, especially as the prospect of AI models that can match human-like intelligence <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/agi-could-now-arrive-as-early-as-2026-but-not-all-scientists-agree"><u>becomes more feasible</u></a>.</p><p>But what do we do when AI surpasses human intelligence? Experts call this moment the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/what-is-artificial-superintelligence-asi"><u>singularity</u></a>, a hypothetical future event where the technology transcends <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/what-is-artificial-general-intelligence-agi"><u>artificial general intelligence</u></a> (AGI) to become a superintelligent entity that can recursively self-improve and escape human control.</p><p>In a Live Science poll published on Sep. 5, readers were asked if <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species"><u>AI should be allowed to reach this level of intelligence</u>.</a> At the time of writing, 1,787 readers have responded. Of those, 46% believe that we must stop AI development now because the risks of it being a threat are too great, while 30% believe we should delay its advancement until proper safeguards are developed. Only 9% of readers believe the benefits of this advanced technology will outweigh the risks and 5% believe that it simply doesn't matter because we will never reach singularity.</p><p>Most readers in the comments believe we have already gone too far to even think about delaying the trajectory towards superintelligent AI. "It is too late, thank God I am old and will not live to see the results of this catastrophe," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-245d1f9a-870b-4c2e-9839-c0b25e327d07"><u>Kate Sarginson</u></a> wrote.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-a373846a-68ec-45b1-9b03-7b52e57bbdd7"><u>CeCe</u></a>, meanwhile, responded: "[I] think everyone knows there's no shoving that genie back in the bottle."</p><p>Others thought fears of AI were overblown. Some compared reservations about AI to public fears of past technological shifts. "For every new and emerging tech there are the naysayers, the critics and often the crackpots. AI is no different," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-16df3102-689a-4838-91bf-7e87238af6e2"><u>From the Pegg</u></a> said.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-is-entering-an-unprecedented-regime-should-we-stop-it-and-can-we-before-it-destroys-us"><u><strong>AI is entering an 'unprecedented regime.' Should we stop it — and can we — before it destroys us?</strong></u></a></p><p>This view was shared by some followers of the Live Science Instagram. "Would you believe this same question was asked by many when electricity first made its appearance? People were in great fear of it, and made all kinds of dire predictions. Most of which have come true," alexmermaidtales <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOY4TSOE7tl/pollai-at-the-tipping-point-experts-warn-were-hurtling-toward-artificial-general/" target="_blank"><u>wrote</u></a>.</p><p>Others emphasized the complexity of the issue. "It's an international arms race and the knowledge is out there. There's not a good way to stop it. But we need to be careful even of AI simply crowding us out (millions or billions of AI agents could be a massive displacement risk for humans even if AI hasn't surpassed human intelligence or reached AGI),"  <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-66246290-48a5-44c3-8aa4-4a3876989121"><u>3jaredsjones3</u></a> wrote.</p><p>"Safeguards are necessary as companies such as Nvidia seek to replace all of their workforce with AI. Still, the benefits for science, health, food production, climate change, technology, efficiency and other key targets brought about by AI could alleviate some of the problem. It's a double edged sword with extremely high potential pay offs but even higher risks," the comment continued.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-could-use-online-images-as-a-backdoor-into-your-computer-alarming-new-study-suggests">AI could use online images as a backdoor into your computer, alarming new study suggests</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/why-do-ai-chatbots-use-so-much-energy">Why do AI chatbots use so much energy?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-slop-is-on-the-rise-what-does-it-mean-for-how-we-use-the-internet">AI slop is on the rise — what does it mean for how we use the internet?</a></p></div></div><p>One comment proposed regulatory approaches rather than halting AI altogether. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-07be3ee0-b3af-4c6e-9138-b27dd429b8f0"><u>Isopropyl</u></a> suggested: "Impose heavy taxation on closed-weight LLM's [Large Language Models], both training and inference, and no copyright claims over outputs. Also impose progressive tax on larger model training, scaling with ease of deployment on consumer hardware, not HPC [High-Performance Computing]."</p><p>By contrast, they suggested smaller, specialized LLM's can be managed by consumers themselves, outside of corporate control to "help [the] larger public develop healthier relationship[s] to AI's."</p><p>"Those are some good ideas. Shifting incentives from pursuing AGI into making what we already have more usable would be great," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/do-you-think-we-should-stop-the-progress-of-ai-before-it-becomes-a-threat-to-our-species?__vfz=medium%3Dcomment_share%7Csharer_uuid%3D00000000-0000-4000-8000-076968222c6f#vf-e3d7a931-7e31-4b47-af3b-cc668c31cfc8"><u>3jaredsjones3</u></a> responded.</p><p>What do you think? Should AI development push forward? Share your view in the comments below.</p><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-OKR8ZW"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/OKR8ZW.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
113.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/theres-no-shoving-that-genie-back-in-the-bottle-readers-believe-its-too-late-to-stop-the-progression-of-ai</link>
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115.                            <![CDATA[ Over 1,700 readers responded to a Live Science poll, and 30% of them believe it is too late to halt the development of artificial intelligence (AI). ]]>
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119.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
120.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
121.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ elise.poore@futurenet.com (Elise Poore) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elise Poore ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cGyrxr945AG4dYvBNqZaNm-1280-80.jpg">
122.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Yuichiro Chino via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
123.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Abstract image of artificial intelligence robot generated by code.]]></media:text>
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129.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ RFK's handpicked advisers are coming for the childhood vaccine schedule. Here's what to know. ]]></title>
130.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>An influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory committee that has been reconstituted by Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will meet Thursday and Friday (Sept. 18 and 19) to discuss changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.</p><p>These changes, experts say, could make American children less healthy.</p><p>The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting starting Thursday will focus on the hepatitis B vaccine, as well as the MMRV vaccine — a version of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine that also protects against varicella, or chickenpox. The first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/child-adolescent-age.html" target="_blank"><u>currently recommended at birth</u></a>, while the first dose of the MMRV vaccine is recommended at age 12 to 15 months.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_sSgVUL1P_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="sSgVUL1P">            <div id="botr_sSgVUL1P_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The discussions being raised by the ACIP are alarming outside experts, who say there is no new data suggesting these recommendations are problematic — and that the current schedule is well studied and highly effective at preventing these dangerous infections.</p><p>"It's brilliantly successful," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.vumc.org/health-policy/person/william-schaffner-md" target="_blank"><u>Dr. William Schaffner</u></a>, a professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said of the recommendation to vaccinate everyone against hepatitis B at birth. Schaffner an ACIP member in the 1980s and was a liaison to the committee for various organizations between 1986 and 2024. "If we change it, we will start to see transmissions again," he said.</p><h2 id="hepatitis-b-protection-for-infants-2">Hepatitis B protection for infants</h2><p>Kennedy is the founder of Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit known for campaigning against childhood vaccines, and he stepped down as chairman of the group prior to assuming his role at HHS. In June, he fired the 17 sitting members of the ACIP and has since replaced them with new members, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/hhs-names-5-new-members-cdc-vaccine-advisory-board" target="_blank"><u>some of whom rose to prominence</u></a> by promoting unproven treatments for COVID-19 and criticizing universal vaccination against the disease.</p><p>The two routine childhood shots that the committee will vote on this week are not new. The MMR vaccine was first licensed in 1971, and the MMRV vaccine, which adds chickenpox protection to the same shot, was approved in 2005. The hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended to newborns for over 30 years, starting in 1991.</p><p>Vaccination immediately after birth protects infants from contracting the virus from their mothers upon delivery. That's because the virus spreads through bodily fluids — including blood, saliva, menstrual, vaginal and seminal fluids — and can pass to babies in the birth canal.</p><p>Hepatitis B is a viral infection that can become chronic, especially for people who are infected as infants. It can easily go undetected, causing liver damage and raising the risk of liver cancer. Once chronic, it's a permanent infection that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-b/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20366821" target="_blank"><u>requires antivirals and shots to manage</u></a>, and it can lead people to need liver transplants. Mothers are screened for the infection, but their cases sometimes go undetected and this puts babies at risk, Higgins said.</p><p>On Tuesday (Sept. 16), former CDC officials told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/acip-hhs-cdc-rfk-hepatitis-hep-b-newborn-childhood-vaccine-recommendation-change/" target="_blank"><u>KFF Health News</u></a> that the ACIP is likely to recommend pushing out the vaccine to age 4.</p><p>"What you're going to hear tomorrow is an argument that we can identify these mothers who are positive and vaccinate their babies early and wait til the others get a little bit older before we vaccinate them," Schaffner said. "We tried that. It did not work."</p><p>"Those kids that fall through the gaps," he said, "they're now at risk for infection and subsequent liver damage, cancer and death."</p><p>Anti-vaccine advocates argue that the shot is not necessary for newborns because hepatitis B infections in adults often spread via intravenous drug use or sexual activity. But before newborn vaccination was introduced, there were about 18,000 cases of hepatitis B in children under 10 in the United States each year, Higgins said. In about half of those cases, the source of the infection was unknown. Kids can pick up the virus via contact with even tiny amounts of blood, such as from a scraped knee, a shared toothbrush exposed to bloody gums, or a toddler biting incident at daycare.</p><p>By comparison, in 1990, there were three new cases of hepatitis B for every 100,000 children and adolescents in the U.S., according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5251a3.htm" target="_blank"><u>CDC data</u></a>. By 2002, that number had dropped to 0.3 out of every 100,000. Today, it sits <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/hepatitis-b/figure-2.4.htm" target="_blank"><u>below 0.1 per 100,000</u></a>.</p><p>The benefits carry on to adulthood: Because the vaccine induces long-lasting protection, rates of hepatitis B in people ages 30 to 39 years — the first to be vaccinated as infants — show a steep decline after 2015.</p><p>"The downside of this is minimal to none," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.uchealth.org/provider/michelle-barron-md/" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Michelle Barron</u></a>, senior medical director of infection prevention and control for the UCHealth hospital system in Colorado, told Live Science. "The vaccines are safe."</p><h2 id="the-mmrv-vaccine-2">The MMRV vaccine</h2><p>Per the current vaccination schedule, children get their first dose of either the MMRV, or the MMR along with the chickenpox vaccine, between the ages of 12 and 15 months. A second dose comes between 4 and 6 years old and typically provides lifelong immunity to the infection.</p><p>Within three years of the introduction of the MMRV shot, researchers <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20587679/" target="_blank"><u>noted an increased risk</u></a> of febrile seizures, or seizures brought on by fever, in kids who got the MMRV vaccine rather than the MMR and chickenpox shots separately. According to the CDC, the risk of seizures is twice as high from MMRV than for the MMR in kids between the ages of 1 and 2, which translates to one additional febrile seizure per every 2,300 to 2,600 MMRV doses administered in this age group.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/measles-has-long-term-health-consequences-for-kids-vaccines-can-prevent-all-of-them"><u><strong>Measles has long-term health consequences for kids. Vaccines can prevent all of them.</strong></u></a></p><p>"We — and by 'we,' I mean pediatricians and vaccine experts and the ACIP — were appropriately concerned about this, and there was incredibly thoughtful deliberation about how recommendations should change," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/25677" target="_blank"><u>Dr. David Higgins</u></a>, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The committee determined that it's preferred that children under 4 get the MMR and chickenpox vaccine as separate shots.</p><p>However, because the risk of febrile seizures tied to the vaccine is small, the committee left open the option for parents who wanted one less needle for their kids to opt for the MMRV after being informed of the risks and benefits.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="uNqJE9KFjrHi3iMmwGCMui" name="smashedsyringe-GettyImages-1491214292" alt="a photo of a smashed syringe" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uNqJE9KFjrHi3iMmwGCMui.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Vaccinating newborns in the U.S. against hepatitis b has dramatically reduced cases of the disease nationwide. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>In general, between <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448123/" target="_blank"><u>2% to 5% of children</u></a> under 5 sometimes experience seizures in response to a fever (caused either by an infection or a vaccination), and about one-third of kids who have one febrile seizure will go on to experience more. While kids with a history of febrile seizures have a slightly higher chance of developing epilepsy later in life, in almost all cases, the fever-induced seizures cause no damage and go away as the child ages.</p><p>If the ACIP restricts patients' option to get the MMRV vaccine, clinics that use the shot will likely see supply problems, Higgins told Live Science.</p><p>Both the MMRV and MMR vaccines prevent measles, which can cause deadly pneumonia, brain swelling, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/measles-wipes-immune-memory.html"><u>immune memory loss</u></a>, and sometimes a progressive and fatal neurological disorder called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001419.htm" target="_blank"><u>subacute sclerosing panencephalitis</u></a> (SSPE). They also prevent mumps, a viral infection that can cause deafness and male infertility; and rubella, a viral infection that causes a fever and rash and that, in pregnant women, can result in abnormal heart and brain development for the fetus.</p><p>The chickenpox vaccine not only prevents the painfully itchy viral infection, but also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/144/1/e20182917/76826/Incidence-of-Herpes-Zoster-Among-Children-2003?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank"><u>reduces the risk of kids getting shingles</u></a>, a blistering rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox reactivating in the nervous system long after the initial infection passes.</p><h2 id="creating-a-controversy-2">Creating a controversy</h2><p>A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/140/3/e20171870/38438/Elimination-of-Perinatal-Hepatitis-B-Providing-the" target="_blank"><u>2017 policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics</u></a> summarizes the safety data on the hepatitis B vaccine in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety-systems/vsd/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Vaccine Safety Datalink</u></a>, a huge vaccine-safety monitoring project started in 1990. Per those data, there is "no evidence of a causal association between receipt of hepatitis B vaccine and neonatal sepsis or death, rheumatoid arthritis, Bell’s palsy, autoimmune thyroid disease, hemolytic anemia in children, anaphylaxis, optic neuritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss, or other chronic illnesses."</p><p>There's no sign of any new data that would change this conclusion. But bringing it up at the ACIP meeting will likely feed a lack of trust in vaccination, overall, Barron said.</p><p>"All of this is external noise to cause skepticism and to cause alarm around vaccines in general," Barron said. "This multifaceted attack against vaccines that have existed for 30 to 40 years, have been used safely and effectively during that time, without new studies, without new data — I really feel it's just another tactic to scare people."</p><p>The meeting may also be an opportunity to spread fears about the timing of the childhood vaccine schedule in general — a frequent point of attack by anti-vaccine advocates. While activists claim the safety of the schedule has not been studied, that's untrue.</p><p>"At each stage, it has been studied to see whether the new vaccine added to the schedule will cause noteworthy adverse effects," Schaffner said. "That's before the recommendation is made."</p><p>After the addition of a new vaccine to the schedule is made, there are multiple safety reporting systems in place to monitor for any side effects not caught in trials — like the one that caught the increased risk of febrile seizures in young kids with the MMRV vaccine. These systems enable long-term studies that look for any serious outcomes over time across the population, Higgins said. And "we have not seen any credible connections there."</p><p>America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade group of private insurers, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ahip.org/news/press-releases/ahip-statement-on-vaccine-coverage" target="_blank"><u>announced in a statement</u></a> on Sept. 16 that insurers would continue to cover vaccines that were recommended as of Sept. 1, 2025, until at least the end of 2026. But half of U.S. kids get their vaccines through the federal Vaccines for Children program, and ACIP recommendations directly determine which vaccines are included in that program.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/prominent-medical-journal-refuses-rfks-call-to-retract-a-vaccine-study">Prominent medical journal refuses RFK's call to retract a vaccine study</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/thimerosal-carries-no-health-risks-and-is-almost-never-used-anyway-so-why-are-anti-vaxxers-obsessed-with-it">Thimerosal carries no health risks and is almost never used anyway. So why are anti-vaxxers obsessed with it?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/are-you-protected-against-measles-do-you-need-a-booster-shot-everything-you-need-to-know-about-immunity">Are you protected against measles? Do you need a booster shot? Everything you need to know about immunity</a></p></div></div><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/hcp/program-eligibility/index.html" target="_blank"><u>The program specifically serves</u></a> uninsured and underinsured children; kids who are on or eligible for Medicaid; and American Indian or Alaska Native children who qualify under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.</p><p>"While I love seeing the health insurers come out and say, 'We think vaccines are important; we are going to cover them,'" Higgins said, "I am really worried about the half of children in the U.S. who get vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program."</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
131.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/rfks-handpicked-advisers-are-coming-for-the-childhood-vaccine-schedule-heres-what-to-know</link>
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133.                            <![CDATA[ The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices may vote to disrupt the childhood vaccine schedule, despite what experts say is a lack of evidence to do so. ]]>
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137.                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Medicine &amp; Drugs]]></category>
138.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
139.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Stephanie Pappas ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Da6JhpmZE7Vz68beDSyoAZ-1280-80.jpg">
140.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Andrew Harnik via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
141.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a photo of Robert F Kennedy Jr. sitting at a Senate hearing]]></media:text>
142.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a photo of Robert F Kennedy Jr. sitting at a Senate hearing]]></media:title>
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147.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ What are the 'magic numbers' in nuclear physics, and why are they so powerful? ]]></title>
148.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Some atoms are stable, while others seem to fall apart. Lead-208 will probably last forever, while the synthetic isotope technetium-99 exists for just hours. The difference lies in the structure of the atom's nucleus, with certain "magic numbers" of nuclear <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/particle-physics/particle-physics-facts"><u>particles</u></a> making some isotopes especially resistant to radioactive decay.</p><p>So what are these magic numbers, and why are they so special?</p><p>The stability of atomic nuclei varies wildly with the number of nuclear particles they contain. Some, like lead-208 and calcium-40, have been around since Earth first formed. Known as primordial isotopes, they will likely survive until the end of time. Others, like oganesson-294 and tennessine-294, are lost to radioactive decay in an instant, with<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/periodic-table/" target="_blank"> <u>fleeting half-lives of just 0.89 and 0.80 milliseconds</u></a>, respectively.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_JLfRVNcM_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="JLfRVNcM">            <div id="botr_JLfRVNcM_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>This stability seems partly connected to the mass of the atom, with heavier elements proving less stable. But in the 1940s and '50s, scientists observed that many of the<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.140.3567.584" target="_blank"> <u>lighter elements also had radioactive isotopes</u></a>; both carbon-14 and potassium-40 undergo radioactive decay slowly and are responsible for much of the planet's background radiation.</p><p>Intriguingly, these scientists noticed that very particular numbers of protons and neutrons appeared to result in unusually stable nuclei, and these values became known as magic numbers.</p><p>"The magic numbers are 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82 and 126," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.york.ac.uk/physics-engineering-technology/people/jenkins/" target="_blank"><u>David Jenkins</u></a>, a nuclear physicist at the University of York in the U.K. "If you take the lightest one — two protons and two neutrons — that's the nucleus of the helium atom, and we know that's a very stable combination of protons and neutrons."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/why-isnt-an-atoms-nucleus-round"><u><strong>Why isn't an atom's nucleus round?</strong></u></a></p><h2 id="shell-game-2">Shell game</h2><p>Helium nuclei, also known as alpha particles, are spontaneously emitted from heavier, unstable <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/37206-atom-definition.html"><u>atoms</u></a> as they undergo nuclear decay.</p><p>"If you think about it, that's very weird," Jenkins said. "If an atom is going to decay, why doesn't it lose protons or neutrons one at a time? The reason is that the alpha particle is very very stable, and that's related to this idea of magic numbers."</p><p>Other magic nuclei include oxygen-16 (eight protons and eight neutrons), calcium-40 (20 protons and 20 neutrons) and lead-208 (82 protons and 126 neutrons), the heaviest stable element known.</p><p>To understand these bizarre observations, physicists proposed the "nuclear shell model," which draws parallels with the electronic shells used to explain the chemical behavior of atoms.</p><p>"The idea was that protons and neutrons sit in shells, a bit like the electrons in an atom, and nuclear excitations would involve protons and neutrons jumping up and down between those shells," Jenkins explained.</p><p>Like their electron analogues, these nuclear shells have fixed energy values known as quantized states, and the system is most stable when these shells are completely filled. The exact reasoning behind this is a complex combination of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/33816-quantum-mechanics-explanation.html"><u>quantum mechanical</u></a> factors, but it's thought that the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/48575-strong-force.html"><u>strong force</u></a> — the fundamental interaction that holds the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus — is higher than expected per particle in completed shells.</p><p>Magic numbers are therefore simply the numbers of particles required to fill each of these nuclear shells, with separate levels for protons and neutrons. Individual isotopes can correspondingly be singly magic, with a magic number of either protons or neutrons (for example, the primordial isotope iron-56), or doubly magic, with magic numbers of both protons and neutrons (like oxygen-16 and lead-208).</p><p>These doubly magic systems are few and far between, but they possess some intriguing quantum properties, Jenkins said.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/do-atoms-ever-touch">Do atoms ever touch?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/32427-where-do-electrons-get-energy-to-spin-around-an-atoms-nucleus.html">Where do electrons get energy to spin around an atom's nucleus?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/why-cant-we-walk-through-walls-if-atoms-are-mostly-empty-space">Why can't we walk through walls if atoms are mostly empty space?</a></p></div></div><p>"The doubly magic systems have a spherical distribution of matter and charge" — a completely round nucleus, he said. "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/why-isnt-an-atoms-nucleus-round"><u>Most nuclei are deformed and rotate</u></a>. They have a very different structure."</p><p>No one knows how far this model will stretch. Tin-100 — the heaviest doubly magic nucleus, with 50 protons and 50 neutrons — has a<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.chemlin.org/isotope/tin-100" target="_blank"> <u>half-life of just 1.2 seconds</u></a>, while unbihexium, the next magic element after lead, has never been synthesized. Therefore, whether this magic stability boost will be enough to allow scientists to add an eighth row to the periodic table remains an open question.</p><h2 id="periodic-table-of-elements-quiz-how-many-elements-can-you-name-in-10-minutes-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/elements/periodic-table-of-elements-quiz-how-many-elements-can-you-name-in-10-minutes">Periodic table of elements quiz</a>: How many elements can you name in 10 minutes?</h2><div style="min-height: 550px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-Ww9EmX"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/Ww9EmX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
149.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/particle-physics/what-are-the-magic-numbers-in-nuclear-physics-and-why-are-they-so-powerful</link>
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151.                            <![CDATA[ Why do some elements decay in minutes, while others last billions of years? Certain "magic numbers" of nuclear particles may make all the difference. ]]>
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155.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:33:22 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Particle Physics]]></category>
156.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Physics &amp; Mathematics]]></category>
157.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Victoria Atkinson ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ai3TjZYDLu3t2NC3SR5zZd-1280-80.jpg">
158.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[aire images via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
159.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of small particles gathered together in an orb]]></media:text>
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165.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Genetics: How do we inherit traits from our ancestors? ]]></title>
166.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Quick facts about genetics</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where genes are found: </strong>In the chromosomes in the nuclei of cells and in the mitochondria</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Number of genes humans carry: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/quick-facts-children-s-health-issues/chromosomal-and-genetic-abnormalities/genes-and-chromosomes" target="_blank">More than 20,000</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Similarity of your genetics:</strong> All humans share about 99.9% of the same genes</p></div></div><p>What makes every person unique? Part of the answer is in our genes.</p><p>A gene is a basic unit of heredity, the means by which traits get passed from one generation to the next, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics"><u>genetics</u></a> is the study of how these biological traits are inherited. A little over half of your genes are inherited <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/more-genes-from-mom-or-dad.html"><u>from your mother</u></a>, and just less than half come from your father. Your genes shape how you look, how your body functions, and how you grow and change over time.</p><p>Most genes are found in the nuclei of cells in the body. There, they are organized in threadlike structures called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/27248-chromosomes.html"><u>chromosomes</u></a>, which are made of molecules called deoxyribonucleic acid (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/37247-dna.html"><u>DNA</u></a>). Human cells typically contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, and the human body contains <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/quick-facts-children-s-health-issues/chromosomal-and-genetic-abnormalities/genes-and-chromosomes" target="_blank"><u>more than 20,000 genes</u></a>, in total. All of the genetic information in an organism is called a genome.</p><p>By sending instructions to structures in cells called ribosomes, genes prompt the cells to make specific proteins. This enables your cells to replicate, repair themselves, and perform specialized tasks.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="tfejT8dc"            data-playlist-id="zYOUsZiH">            <div id="botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-everything-you-need-to-know-about-genetics"><span>Everything you need to know about genetics</span></h3><section class="article__schema-question"><h3>What is DNA?</h3><article class="article__schema-answer"><p><a href="https://www.livescience.com/37247-dna.html"><u>DNA</u></a>, which is short for "deoxyribonucleic (dy-AHK''-see-RY'-boh-noo-KLAY-ik) acid," is the molecule that makes up chromosomes. It holds the entire instruction manual for an organism. DNA molecules look like zany ladders, with two long strands joined by "rungs" at the center and twisted into a 3D shape called a double helix. The sides of the ladder are sugars and phosphates. The ladder's rungs are paired combinations of four molecules called nucleotides: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (A, C, G and T). These are the "letters" that make up DNA's code. </p><p>There are approximately <a href="https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/dna/" target="_blank"><u>3 billion of these letters</u></a> in the human genome, and they are arranged in different pairs and in different sequences. These sequences translate into instructions for making proteins, which, in turn, affect specific traits. These sequences are known as genes. </p><p>Between genes are other DNA sections that do not include protein-making instructions. These bits are called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/dna" target="_blank"><u>noncoding DNA</u></a>, which helps cells function in other ways; for instance, the noncoding DNA may turn other genes "up" or "down." About 98% to <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/basics/noncodingdna/" target="_blank"><u>99% of our DNA is noncoding</u></a>.</p><p>Assisting DNA in its work is <a href="https://www.livescience.com/what-is-RNA.html"><u>RNA</u></a>, or ribonucleic acid, which is also found in every cell. RNA <a href="https://www.umassmed.edu/rti/biology/what-is-rna/role-of-rna-in-biology/" target="_blank"><u>are copies of DNA sequences</u></a> that <a href="https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/podcasts/genomics-101-what-is-the-difference-between-dna-and-rna" target="_blank"><u>read and carry DNA's instructions</u></a> out of the nucleus and into the cell. RNA is required to <a href="https://www.umassmed.edu/rti/biology/what-is-rna/role-of-rna-protein-in-synthesis/" target="_blank"><u>make proteins</u></a>, and it also assists in sparking chemical reactions and controlling genes.</p><p>Most DNA is nuclear DNA, meaning it's located in the cells' nuclei in chromosomes. But some DNA is in the fluid surrounding the nucleus, found in structures called mitochondria. This <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/chromosome/mitochondrial-dna/" target="_blank"><u>mitochondrial DNA</u></a>, or mtDNA, helps mitochondria produce energy for cells; that's why the mitochondria are known as the "powerhouses" of the cell. But unlike nuclear DNA, which comes from both parents, mtDNA is <a href="https://www.livescience.com/64172-mitochondrial-dna-dads.html"><u>usually</u></a> inherited only from the mother.</p></article></section><section class="article__schema-question"><h3>How similar is human DNA and animal DNA?</h3><article class="article__schema-answer"><p>All living things have DNA, and all DNA molecules contain sequences of nucleotides — A, C, G and T — that code for proteins. Differences between species come from the order and length of those DNA sequences. Scientists study these differences by comparing the percentage of DNA sequences that species have in common. </p><p>From one human to the next, our genomes are about <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics" target="_blank"><u>99.9%</u></a> alike. As a result of <a href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/evolution"><u>evolution</u></a>, the arrangement of genetic instructions in our DNA is also very similar to that of other animals. </p><p>Earth's first life is thought to have appeared at least <a href="https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/oldest-evidence-for-early-life-on-earth-dated-to-at-least-377-billion-years/" target="_blank"><u>3.77 billion years ago</u></a>. Over billions of years, increasingly complex forms of life evolved and passed down their DNA. Animal species that are closely related to each other — and thereby closer to the same shared ancestor — carry similar genetic instructions. Even if they look very different, outwardly, the genomes of closely related species are more similar than those of distantly related species. </p><p>For example, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/27405-manatees.html"><u>manatees</u></a>, also known as sea cows, have bodies that are streamlined for living in water. But even though manatees may look somewhat like seals and walruses, they are actually more <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-a-sea-cow.html" target="_blank"><u>closely related to elephants</u></a>. And the closest land-animal relatives of seals and walruses <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/ursidae" target="_blank"><u>are bears</u></a>!  </p><p>Except for modern humans (<a href="https://www.livescience.com/homo-sapiens.html"><u><em>Homo sapiens</em></u></a>), all species on the human family tree are long extinct. Our closest living relatives are primates — namely, chimpanzees (<em>Pan troglodytes</em>) and bonobos (<em>Pan paniscus</em>). Until recently, scientists had proposed that chimps and humans shared 98.8% of their DNA. However, researchers recently suggested that this percentage omits key parts of the two genomes that are harder to compare. After considering these other bits of the human and chimp genomes, their <a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/do-humans-and-chimps-really-share-nearly-99-percent-of-their-dna"><u>overall similarity may be closer to 90%</u></a>.  </p><p>Animals that aren't primates still have many genes in common with humans. Mice and humans are both mammals and vertebrates (animals with backbones). On average, the protein-coding parts of the mouse and human genomes  are about <a href="https://www.genome.gov/10001345/importance-of-mouse-genome" target="_blank"><u>85% similar</u></a>. By comparison, we share just <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/resources/spotlight/010915-animal-models" target="_blank"><u>70%</u></a> of our genome with zebrafish, another animal commonly studied in the lab.</p><p>As researchers <a href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/01/29/researchers-map-51-vertebrate-genomes/" target="_blank"><u>continue to map the genomes</u></a> of even more animal species, they will learn more about evolution, heredity and genetics throughout the tree of life.</p></article></section><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="vzdFjPFqV56Yy7C9b45aDX" name="dna-alamy-ETMPJ1" alt="an illustration of DNA" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vzdFjPFqV56Yy7C9b45aDX.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration showing strands of DNA, which contains the instructions for creating proteins that help your body function. Two strands of DNA form a double-helix shape that looks like a twisted ladder. The sides of this "ladder" are made of sugars and phosphates. The "rungs" in the middle are base pairs; each includes two of four compounds — adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine — in different combinations. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Science Picture Co via Alamy)</span></figcaption></figure><section class="article__schema-question"><h3>Who was Gregor Mendel?</h3><article class="article__schema-answer"><p>The field of modern genetics is rooted in plant experiments performed by pioneering scientist <a href="https://dnalc.cshl.edu/view/16167-Biography-2-Gregor-Mendel-1822-1884-.html" target="_blank"><u>Gregor Johann Mendel</u></a> (1822-1884). In 1865, Mendel began studying heredity by experimenting with pea plants (<em>Pisum sativum</em>). Physical traits in pea plants are easy to see. For example, the peas can be smooth or wrinkled, the flowers can be purple or white, and the plants can be tall or short.</p><p>Mendel selected <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gregor-mendel-and-the-principles-of-inheritance-593/" target="_blank"><u>seven characteristics</u></a> to observe in the plants. To study how these traits were inherited, he created hybrids by passing pollen between pea plants with different traits. He then observed which traits in hybrids were passed down to the next generation of plants and which were not inherited or would skip generations. </p><p>At the time, most scientists thought offspring's traits resulted from a <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gregor-mendel-and-the-principles-of-inheritance-593/" target="_blank"><u>blending of their parents' traits</u></a>. So by that logic, plants with bright purple flowers that were bred with plants with white flowers would produce hybrids with lilac flowers. In other words, the traits of each parent carried equal weight when contributing to the offspring.</p><p>Mendel's experiments proved otherwise. He showed that some traits were dominant and would override other genetic instructions for the trait. If just one parent had a dominant trait, such as <a href="https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/mhccmajorsbio/chapter/garden-pea-characteristics-revealed-the-basics-of-heredity/" target="_blank"><u>purple flowers</u></a>, their offspring would have it, too. By comparison, recessive traits require that both parents have a trait  in order for it to be observable in their offspring. </p><p>(Although Mendel uncovered these key principles of genetics, it's important to note that scientists did not understand how traits were shaped by DNA and genes <a href="https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/spotlight/sc/feature/doublehelix" target="_blank"><u>until the 1940s</u></a>.)</p><p>Mendel spent nine years on his pea plant project. He bred and observed about <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/our-strategic-research-programmes/harnessing-biosynthesis-for-sustainable-food-and-health-hbio/impact/peas/the-history-of-pea-research-at-the-john-innes-centre/gregor-mendel-the-father-of-genetics/" target="_blank"><u>28,000 plants</u></a>, creating hybrid strains that combined different traits. The pattern of dominant and recessive traits applied to all of the characteristics that Mendel tested. </p><p>While his scientific achievements were not recognized during his lifetime, Mendel is now known as "<a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/our-strategic-research-programmes/harnessing-biosynthesis-for-sustainable-food-and-health-hbio/impact/peas/the-history-of-pea-research-at-the-john-innes-centre/gregor-mendel-the-father-of-genetics/" target="_blank"><u>the father of genetics</u></a>." His research offered a simple view of how traits work. Since then, the field of genetics has uncovered more complex mechanisms that control traits, including the influence of an organism's environment.</p></article></section><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="gx9nVisZiaKeSVS9D5XxHB" name="mendel-GettyImages-517201484" alt="a painting of a man working in a garden" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gx9nVisZiaKeSVS9D5XxHB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A painting of Gregor Mendel working in the garden where he conducted his foundational pea plant experiments. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><section class="article__schema-question"><h3>How does DNA reveal your ancestry?</h3><article class="article__schema-answer"><p><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/dtcgenetictesting/ancestrytesting/" target="_blank"><u>Genetic ancestry testing</u></a>, also known as genetic genealogy, is a way to trace family history through DNA. Over time, genetic variations appear in groups of people. These variations are passed down through generations and are unique to those geographic regions. Having a certain type of variation in your DNA could mean that your ancestors originated from a place in the world where other people share that variation. </p><p><a href="https://molecularmedicine.umc.edu/articles/genetic-ancestry-unraveling-the-secrets-of-our-dna/" target="_blank"><u>Commercially available kits</u></a> can help to identify a person's genetic ancestry. Users submit their DNA in saliva samples, which are then sent to laboratories and compared with other DNA samples in a large database. Tests may look for genetic variations in the <a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/the-human-y-chromosome-has-finally-been-fully-sequenced-20-years-after-the-1st-draft"><u>Y chromosome</u></a> — the sex chromosome typically carried by males — to explore ancestry in the direct male lineage. They may seek matches in mitochondrial DNA, which reflects maternal lineage. Other tests investigate variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are differences in single "letters" within a given gene and thus appear in the entire genome.</p><p>DNA can even tell you if you have Neanderthals in your family tree. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals-our-extinct-human-relatives"><u>Neanderthals</u></a>, <em>H. sapien</em>'s closest extinct relatives,<em> </em>died out about 40,000 years ago. But for thousands of years before that, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals-and-humans-interbred-47000-years-ago-for-nearly-7000-years-research-suggests"><u>Neanderthals mated with </u><u><em>H. sapiens</em></u></a><em> </em>in parts of Europe and Asia. Traces of Neanderthal DNA linger in the genomes of people whose ancestors came from those continents.  </p><p>Still, ancestry represents only a partial picture of what traits you end up with. Genetics alone may shape certain traits, such as eye and hair color, or susceptibility to certain types of disease. However, a person's environment, lifestyle and other factors also affect their overall health and appearance, and distinguish one individual from another.</p></article></section><section class="article__schema-question"><h3>Is cancer genetic?</h3><article class="article__schema-answer"><p>Certain health problems are caused by genetic abnormalities. These coding errors in DNA may be a mutation in a single gene, or missing or duplicated material in chromosomes. </p><p>Some genetic errors are inherited. The symptoms of hereditary disorders sometimes appear early in life, but this is not always the case. In <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/taysachsdisease.html" target="_blank"><u>Tay-Sachs disease</u></a>, which affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord, symptoms typically emerge at 3 to 6 months old. By comparison, <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetic-causes-of-adult-onset-disorders-34609/" target="_blank"><u>Huntington's disease</u></a>, a neurodegenerative disorder, usually doesn't develop until adulthood. </p><p>Environmental factors and lifestyle choices may also combine with heredity to cause disease. These health conditions are called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21751-genetic-disorders" target="_blank"><u>multifactorial disorders</u></a> because they stem from a complex combination of factors.</p><p>Cancer, in which cells in different parts of the body multiply or grow uncontrollably, is one such disorder. There are <a href="https://www.cancerresearch.org/blog/exploring-the-different-types-of-cancer-and-treatment-options" target="_blank"><u>more than 200 types of cancer</u></a>, and genetic mutations can increase the risk of some cancers. Sometimes, these mutations are caused by external factors that damage DNA and cause errors in cell replication, like sun damage or exposure to toxins. But some genetic mutations that increase the risk of cancer are hereditary, inherited from a person's parents. For example, certain inherited mutations in genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 are linked to an increased risk of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/breast-ovarian-cancer-hereditary/causes/index.html" target="_blank"><u>breast cancer and ovarian cancer</u></a>. </p><p>Inherited gene mutations have been linked to <a href="https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/check-your-family-history" target="_blank"><u>more than two dozen types of cancers</u></a>, including cancers of the thyroid, stomach, prostate and pancreas. However, only about <a href="https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/check-your-family-history" target="_blank"><u>5% to 10% of cancer cases</u></a> are caused by hereditary mutations alone.</p></article></section><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-genetics-glossary"><span>Genetics glossary</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Clone</strong> – A genetically identical copy of a cell, tissue or organism. In mammals, natural clones happen when a fertilized egg splits in two. This produces twins with <a href="https://www.livescience.com/identical-twins-dont-share-all-dna.html"><u>nearly identical DNA</u></a>. Scientists have also created <a href="https://www.livescience.com/how-cloning-works"><u>artificial clones of animals in laboratories</u></a>.</li><li><strong>Stem cells</strong> – Special cells that can divide to form different types of cells. Embryonic stem cells, which are found only in embryos <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/07/17/the-science-behind-stem-cell-research/" target="_blank"><u>that are three to five days old</u></a>, can make any type of cell in the body, including more embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are more limited in the types of cells they produce.</li><li><strong>Gene variant</strong> – A version of a gene that differs among individuals or populations, due to changes in the gene's DNA sequence. The word "mutation" and "gene variant" are sometimes used interchangeably, as they both refer to such differences in genes. These differences can be neutral, in that they don't impact how a gene works, or they can change a gene's function for better or worse, making a disease more or less likely, for instance.</li><li><strong>Epigenetics</strong> – The study of how genes are changed by factors other than the DNA itself, such as the environment or behaviors. Epigenetic factors can affect how a gene works, turning it "on" or "off." This may increase or reduce the number of proteins a cell produces, thus affecting its function.</li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-genetics-pictures"><span>Genetics pictures</span></h3><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="L8kQiRqQeCUMKKzSaBvCKX" name="kellytwins-alamy-HRP5AX" alt="Astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly in NASA jackets" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L8kQiRqQeCUMKKzSaBvCKX.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Science History Images via Alamy)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Identical twins</h4><p class="slide-description"><em>Astronaut Scott Kelly (left) and his brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (right), are identical twins. Research teams gathered data from the two brothers while Scott Kelly was in space and Mark Kelly was on Earth. The Kellys' genetic similarity is helping scientists to better understand how spaceflight changes the human body. </em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="EUnYL8nnPKabaG6hSA27LX" name="dollythesheep-shutterstock_2384481637" alt="A taxidermied Dolly the Sheep on display in a museum" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EUnYL8nnPKabaG6hSA27LX.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Steph Couvrette via Shutterstock)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Dolly the sheep</h4><p class="slide-description"><em> In 1996, scientists in Scotland cloned the first mammal from an adult animal's somatic cell — one that is not a stem cell, sperm cell or egg cell. Researchers grew the clone using the transplanted nucleus of a cell taken from a domestic sheep's mammary gland. The cloned sheep, named Dolly, lived to be 6 years old and gave birth to several lambs. She was taxidermied and is on display at the National Museum of Scotland.</em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="wk4UoUSTQDmbfc6rHvhgCX" name="redhead-shutterstock_2009569526" alt="a photo of a redheaded girl with freckles" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wk4UoUSTQDmbfc6rHvhgCX.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Master1305 via Shutterstock)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Seeing red</h4><p class="slide-description"><em>Red hair is a recessive trait. The gene that is mostly responsible for red hair color is the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). A mutation causes the gene to produce red-yellow pigments instead of brown-black pigments. Red hair color appears when a child inherits DNA from both parents that includes the mutation in the MC1R gene.</em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="QVUk3cJ3obme5hKUDuyNFX" name="tongueroll-shutterstock_98834939" alt="A selfie photo of a father and son rolling their tongues" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QVUk3cJ3obme5hKUDuyNFX.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ozgur Coskun via Shutterstock)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Tongue-rolling</h4><p class="slide-description"><em>In 1940, geneticist Alfred Sturtevant suggested that the ability to roll your tongue was a dominant trait linked to a single gene. However, recent studies have shown that the explanation is not so simple. Parents who cannot roll their tongues may have children who can, and people who were previously unable to roll their tongues can learn to do so. Scientists now recognize that genetics is just one part of tongue-rolling ability.</em></p></div></div></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-discover-more-about-genetics"><span>Discover more about genetics</span></h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/best-ever-map-of-the-human-genome-sheds-light-on-jumping-genes-junk-dna-and-more"><u>Best-ever map of the human genome sheds light on 'jumping genes,' 'junk DNA' and more</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/peoples-racial-and-ethnic-identities-dont-reflect-their-genetic-ancestry"><u>Race and genetics do not line up well, new study confirms</u></a></li><li><a href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/scientists-just-discovered-a-new-way-cells-control-their-genes-its-called-backtracking"><u>Scientists just discovered a new way cells control their genes</u></a></li></ul> ]]></dc:content>
167.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/genetics-how-do-we-inherit-traits-from-our-ancestors</link>
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169.                            <![CDATA[ Discover interesting facts about how traits are passed down over generations through DNA. ]]>
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174.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
175.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ECW7kXdqFksLcmgPmDMjab-1280-80.jpg">
176.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[KTSDESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
177.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[an artist&#039;s rendering of DNA double helixes in rainbow colors]]></media:text>
178.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an artist&#039;s rendering of DNA double helixes in rainbow colors]]></media:title>
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183.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Even brief exposure to air pollution can push the placenta into an inflammatory state, lab study suggests ]]></title>
184.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Even brief exposure to air pollution may alter the structure of the placenta and push the organ into an inflammatory state, recent laboratory research finds.</p><p>Scientists already knew that particles found in air pollution can reach the placenta and get taken up by immune cells there.</p><p>"There's no doubt that particles are entering the bloodstream and then accumulating, or getting to, the placenta and being taken up by placental cells," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/blizard/all-staff/profiles/jonathan-grigg.html" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Jonathan Grigg</u></a>, a professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London who was not involved in the recent study.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_y9204pmq_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="y9204pmq">            <div id="botr_y9204pmq_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The new work added to this understanding by zooming in on special immune cells of the placenta — called Hofbauer cells — to see how their function changed after they were exposed to compounds found in real air pollution.</p><p>"I think that this is an important step in filling in the gap between what we know from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/epidemiology.html"><u>epidemiological</u></a> studies," Grigg said.</p><p>Those studies pointed to links between exposure to pollutants during pregnancy and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/5/1744" target="_blank"><u>the risk of the blood-pressure disorder preeclampsia</u></a>, for instance. Preeclampsia is tied to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25003615/" target="_blank"><u>poor blood flow to the placenta</u></a>, and thus low oxygen in the organ. Some researchers argue that placental dysfunction is the root of preeclampsia, but not everyone agrees, as some <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/uog.22040" target="_blank"><u>point instead to the maternal cardiovascular system</u></a>. But nonetheless, the placenta is thought to be a key factor in the disease.</p><p>The recent research, published online in March in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1001074225001536" target="_blank"><u>Journal of Environmental Sciences</u></a>, will also run in the journal's February 2026 print issue. It used what's known as "ex vivo<em> </em>dual placental perfusion," which means the scientists collected full-term placentas from volunteers who donated them at the time of birth, either via cesarean section or vaginal delivery. In all, 13 healthy placentas were donated.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/fertility-pregnancy-birth/lab-grown-mini-placentas-reveal-clue-to-why-pregnancy-complications-happen"><u><strong>Lab-grown mini-placentas reveal clue to why pregnancy complications happen</strong></u></a></p><p>"You can't really expose women to air pollution as an experiment," study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://portal.research.lu.se/en/persons/stefan-hansson" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Stefan Hansson</u></a>, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a senior consultant in obstetrics at Lund University in Sweden, told Live Science. "So the best model, then, is the placenta perfusion system that we used."</p><p>After birth, the placentas are connected to an artificial perfusion system that mimics elements of the female reproductive system. "Within 30 minutes, you hook it up in an artificial womb and uterus," Hansson explained. Tubes connected to one side of the placenta represent the maternal circulatory system, while tubes on the other stand in for the umbilical cord that would connect to the fetus.</p><p>Tubes feed nutrients and oxygen to the placentas, keeping them healthy for about six hours and mimicking both the maternal and fetal sides of the organ. Meanwhile, scientists can monitor the organ's metabolism, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65938-homeostasis.html"><u>homeostasis</u></a>, blood-pressure levels and the behavior of its immune cells.</p><p>"That's a good thing in the sense it's covering perhaps the more complex interactions between cells, how fluid and particles are moving through cells," Grigg said. By comparison, studying individual placental cells in a lab dish is arguably less realistic.</p><p>The researchers then introduced air pollutants into the system to see what happened. Six placentas were left unexposed to pollution, to serve as a comparison; five were exposed to pollution for five hours; one was exposed for 60 minutes; and one was exposed for 30 minutes. Tissues and fluids were sampled from the system before, during and after these perfusions.</p><p>The pollutants themselves were drawn from a previous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218799" target="_blank"><u>sampling of air pollution in Malmö, Sweden</u></a> taken in spring 2017. The samples were collected at a street crossing that sees an annual average traffic density of about 28,000 vehicles. The team focused on "fine" particulate matter, or PM2.5, which includes particles <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics" target="_blank"><u>smaller than 2.5 micrometers</u></a>.</p><p>On that point, Grigg told Live Science that "the concentrations of particles that they're using in the perfusates are almost certainly very much higher than the very small concentrations that are going around the body," based on previous research. So there's a question about whether the doses they've tested closely reflect real life. "I think that's probably a valid limitation for this," he said.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/canadas-2023-wildfires-contributed-to-87-000-early-deaths-worldwide-study-estimates"><u><strong>Canada's 2023 wildfires contributed to 87,000 early deaths worldwide, study estimates</strong></u></a></p><p>Nonetheless, at the concentrations tested, the pollutants had a clear effect on the placentas. Even when exposed for only 30 minutes, the placentas showed distinct changes in their collagen, a structural protein that helps organize the tissue. The collagen appeared looser and "disrupted" compared with the dense, organized collagen of the unexposed tissues.</p><p>The team also noted that, after an hour of exposure, the placentas started making more human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that peaks in the first trimester and helps maintain the uterine lining. However, high levels of the hormone in the second trimester have been tied to a higher risk of preeclampsia, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210778923003719" target="_blank"><u>studies</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1701216316340981" target="_blank"><u>suggest</u></a>. The new study hints that air pollution may be a factor that drives up hCG levels, though that idea needs to be confirmed.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Hofbauer cells of the exposed placentas had a "visible activated appearance" and had shifted into an inflammatory state. In a healthy placenta, the cells are typically <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S107476131400034X" target="_blank"><u>biased toward an anti-inflammatory</u></a> state, but in the context of preeclampsia, they tend to shift in the other direction, the researchers noted in their report.</p><p>"This is, of course, an artificial setup and you're exposed for a couple of hours," Hansson noted. You can extrapolate and assume that, in a full-term pregnancy, these harmful effects might accumulate, he said. But as it stands, the placental perfusion system can't directly capture the effects of such long-term exposure, and it also looks only at full-term placentas, not at those in earlier stages of development.</p><p>It stands to reason, though, that "if it's happening all the time, then that's going to be clinically relevant," Grigg said.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/black-carbon-reaches-placenta.html">Placentas are caked in soot from car exhaust. Could it reach the fetus?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/how-worried-should-we-be-about-pfas-the-forever-chemicals">How worried should we be about PFAS, the 'forever chemicals'?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/evolution/i-have-never-written-of-a-stranger-organ-the-rise-of-the-placenta-and-how-it-helped-make-us-human">'I have never written of a stranger organ': The rise of the placenta and how it helped make us human</a></p></div></div><p>The results hint that if the inflammation driven by the Hofbauer cells could be subdued with a drug, that may help ward off one factor contributing to preeclampsia in polluted areas, Hansson suggested. That idea remains to be tested in trials, though, and inflammation isn't the only feature of preeclampsia.</p><p>What's more, a more effective intervention would be to reduce particulate matter in the air, Grigg said. "We should be reducing exposure to PM2.5; you don't need any more information about that [to justify taking action]," he said.</p><p>Grigg also cautioned that the new results don't necessarily point to precautions that individual pregnant people should take.</p><p>"I sort of hesitate to say, 'Well, pregnant women have to do something different to protect themselves,'" he said. "There are enough things that pregnant women have to do rather than thinking about how they move around the city."</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
185.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/fertility-pregnancy-birth/even-brief-exposure-to-air-pollution-can-push-the-placenta-into-an-inflammatory-state-lab-study-suggests</link>
186.                                                                            <description>
187.                            <![CDATA[ A study of human placentas suggests that urban air pollution may push the organ's resident immune cells into an inflammatory state. ]]>
188.                                                                                                            </description>
189.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">Yshyi3X8cpmQWeD6qS72zS</guid>
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191.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Fertility, Pregnancy &amp; Birth]]></category>
192.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
193.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bx2ssH6mbBemswRhyPqYgj-1280-80.jpg">
194.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[ROSLAN RAHMAN via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
195.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a pregnant woman walks across a busy street wearing a face mask]]></media:text>
196.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a pregnant woman walks across a busy street wearing a face mask]]></media:title>
197.                                                    </media:content>
198.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bx2ssH6mbBemswRhyPqYgj-1280-80.jpg" />
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200.                    <item>
201.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Rare' ancestor reveals how huge flightless birds made it to faraway lands ]]></title>
202.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Ostriches, emus, rheas and other large, flightless birds are found on six landmasses separated by oceans, but how they reached such far-apart places without the ability to fly has remained an enduring mystery.</p><p>One idea was that the ancestors of this group of birds, known as paleognaths, just walked to those locations when most of the planet was harnessed together as the supercontinent <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/38218-facts-about-pangaea.html"><u>Pangaea</u></a> (320 million to 195 million years ago) and that, when this giant landmass split up, the birds were already in those locations.</p><p>The trouble is, the timing for that hypothesis is wrong. Pangaea had broken up by about 195 million years ago, creating the continents we know today. However, genetic studies have indicated that the last common ancestor of these paleognaths lived about 79.6 million years ago and that they divided into the main lineages we know today <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2816%2931214-3" target="_blank"><u>between about 70 million and 62 million years ago</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_bkrhSLOa_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="bkrhSLOa">            <div id="botr_bkrhSLOa_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>To work out what happened,<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/staff/klara-widrig" target="_blank"> <u>Klara Widrig</u></a>, a vertebrate zoologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and her colleagues analyzed a specimen of the ancient paleognath <em>Lithornis promiscuous</em>. Although it lived around 59 to 56 million years ago, it is the oldest fossil palaeognath found in such pristine condition.</p><p>"We can't tell for sure if <em>Lithornis</em> was the direct ancestor of our living paleognaths — it is entirely possible that the true ancestor is yet to be discovered — but it represents our best guess as to what the ancestor would have looked like," Widrig told Live Science.</p><p>Previous investigation of preserved feathers of a slightly more distantly related lithornithid called <em>Calciavis grandei</em> indicated that<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.24207" target="_blank"> <u>it could have flown</u></a>, but it wasn't clear how far. No one had done a quantitative analysis of the shape of lithornithid bones to try to answer that question.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/do-ostriches-really-bury-their-heads-in-the-sand"><u><strong>Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand?</strong></u></a></p><p>So, in the new study, published Wednesday (Sept. 17) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0320" target="_blank"><u>Biology Letters</u></a>, Widrig and her colleagues compared the shape of the sternum, or breastbone, of <em>L. promiscuous</em> to those of living birds and used a three-dimensional geometric dataset to work out how well the animal could have flown.</p><p>"The sternum is very important for flight because that's where the big pectoral flight muscles anchor," Widrig said.</p><p>The shape of the sternum indicated it could have handled a range of aerobic, flapping flight styles, which would have enabled lengthy flights.</p><p>"We found that the shape of the breastbone was really similar to that of living birds that are capable of flying very long distances across oceans, like great egrets and herons," Widrig said.</p><p>"This is very interesting because the great egret is a cosmopolitan species in that it travels from continent to continent," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/en/persons/peter-andrew-hosner" target="_blank"><u>Peter Hosner</u></a>, curator of birds at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, who wasn't involved in the work.</p><p>"Such species are actually quite rare in birds," he told Live Science. "We get biased in the Northern Hemisphere, where many birds are migratory and cover long distances. But globally, most birds are residents found in one continent, island or small area, and don't really move that much."</p><p>The finding suggests that ancient paleognaths may have flown to the distant landmasses and established populations that later independently evolved into the large and generally flightless birds we know today.</p><p>"It seems to be a spectacular case of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/convergent-evolution.html"><u>convergent evolution</u></a>," Hosner said.</p><p>Today, there are about 60 species of living paleognaths. They include about 45 species of tinamou (which can fly in short bursts much like pheasants do), up to five species of kiwi, one species of emu, three species of cassowary, two species of ostrich, and either one or two species of rhea, Widrig said.</p><p>"In order for a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/why-dont-all-birds-fly"><u>bird to become flightless</u></a>, two conditions have to be met," she said. "It has to be able to get all of its food on the ground, so it can't be relying on food that's up in trees, for example. And there can't be any predators that it would need flight to escape from."</p><p>In more recent times, that would have happened only in predatorless island environments, Widrig said, such as with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/facts-about-the-dodo"><u>dodo</u></a> (<em>Raphus cucullatus</em>). But after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event some 66 million years ago wiped out the nonavian dinosaurs, it was very different.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/why-dont-all-birds-fly">Why don't all birds fly?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/extinct-species/it-was-clearly-a-human-assault-on-the-species-the-fate-of-the-great-auk">'It was clearly a human assault on the species': The fate of the great auk</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/southern-cassowary-the-giant-prehistoric-bird-with-dinosaur-feet">Southern cassowary: The giant prehistoric bird with dinosaur feet </a></p></div></div><p>"The world was cleared of predators generally, and mammalian predators had not evolved yet — so any ground-feeding bird had a free pass essentially to become flightless," Widrig said. "Flight is hard work, and it's a lot easier to be flightless if you don't have to get away from anything.</p><p>When bigger predators did emerge, she said, the flightless birds would have had time to adapt either by becoming big and intimidating, like the cassowary, or by becoming swift runners, like the ostrich.</p><p>But all these similar changes evolved independently. "It's not as if they got on a conference call with each other and said, 'Okay, you go to Africa and you're going to evolve into an ostrich. I'm gonna go to South America. I'm gonna evolve into a rhea,'" Widrig said.</p> ]]></dc:content>
203.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/rare-ancestor-reveals-how-huge-flightless-birds-made-it-to-faraway-lands</link>
204.                                                                            <description>
205.                            <![CDATA[ The mystery of how related flightless birds ended up so far apart on different continents may have been solved. ]]>
206.                                                                                                            </description>
207.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">WEQNMBg2SHo3SAUd2VCkVH</guid>
208.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Bbdk8F5BwKkkRdhLxk9b9Q-1280-80.png" type="image/png" length="0"></enclosure>
209.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:23:06 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
210.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
211.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Chris Simms ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Bbdk8F5BwKkkRdhLxk9b9Q-1280-80.png">
212.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Mickael Nigay / 500px via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
213.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Ostrich tilting head towards the camera lens.]]></media:text>
214.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Ostrich tilting head towards the camera lens.]]></media:title>
215.                                                    </media:content>
216.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Bbdk8F5BwKkkRdhLxk9b9Q-1280-80.png" />
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219.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Oldest-known dome-headed dinosaur discovered sticking out of a cliff in Mongolia's Gobi Desert  ]]></title>
220.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Paleontologists have uncovered the oldest and most complete dome-headed dinosaur fossils to date in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.</p><p>The fossils, which are between 108 million and 115 million years old, push back the timeline for the emergence of dome-head dinosaurs, or pachycephalosaurs, by about 15 million years. The new fossils could also reveal details about the evolution and development of these dinosaurs' bizarre rounded skulls.</p><p>"Pachycephalosaurs are iconic dinosaurs, but they're also rare and mysterious," study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://bio.sciences.ncsu.edu/people/lezanno/" target="_blank"><u>Lindsay Zanno</u></a>, a paleontologist at North Carolina State University, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1098386?" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>. These dinos thrived during the Late Cretaceous period (between 86 million and 66 million years ago).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_3ViVAe6f_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="3ViVAe6f">            <div id="botr_3ViVAe6f_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Some scientists think the thick skulls of pachycephalosaurs helped them attract mates and fend off competition, while others suggest that these weirdos didn't butt heads, but instead <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/pachycephalosaur-dinosaurs-kickboxed-like-kangaroos"><u>kick-boxed like kangaroos</u></a>. But how their rounded skulls developed is a mystery. Most known pachycephalosaur fossils are incomplete, and scientists haven't found many fossils from early in their development.</p><p>Now, in a new study, published Wednesday (Sept. 17) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09213-6" target="_blank"><u>Nature</u></a>, a group of paleontologists report a fossil that might hold some answers. In eastern Mongolia, the team found the fossilized remains of a dome-headed dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period (145 million to 100 million years ago). They named the newly discovered species <em>Zavacephalae rinpoche</em>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1001px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:77.12%;"><img id="2gzKG4TtortWcpdFyZAJJA" name="Zavacephale skull" alt="Zavacephale skull" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2gzKG4TtortWcpdFyZAJJA.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1001" height="772" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The fossil was discovered sticking out of the side of a cliff in Mongolia.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences)</span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Zavacephalae</em> comes from the Tibetan word "zava," meaning root or origin, and the Latin word "cephal," meaning head. "Rinpoche" is a Tibetan word meaning "precious one," so named because the team found the skull sticking out of a cliff like a polished jewel.</p><p>The fossil included about 54% of the dinosaur's bones, including the skull and entire tail, as well as several hand and leg bones and stomach stones that helped <em>Z. rinpoche</em> grind its food. In life, the dinosaur likely measured about 3.3 feet (1 meter) long and weighed about 12.9 pounds (5.85 kilograms).</p><p>"We age dinosaurs by looking at growth rings in bones, but most pachycephalosaur skeletons are just isolated, fragmentary skulls," Zanno said. "<em>Z. rinpoche</em> is a spectacular find because it has limbs and a complete skull, allowing us to couple growth stage and dome development for the first time."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/pachycephalosaur-dinosaurs-kickboxed-like-kangaroos">Helmet-headed dinosaurs kickboxed like kangaroos, new study suggests</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/like-walking-through-the-woods-of-millions-of-years-ago-ancient-ecosystem-brimming-with-dinosaur-tracks-discovered-in-alaska">Like 'walking through the woods of millions of years ago': Ancient ecosystem brimming with dinosaur tracks discovered in Alaska</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/enigmatic-runner-dinosaur-from-colorado-helps-rewrite-understanding-of-several-jurassic-species">Mysterious 'runner' dinosaur a sign there are more Jurassic secrets to unlock beneath western US</a></p></div></div><p><em>Z. rinpoche</em>'s dome was fully developed, but growth rings in its lower leg bone suggest that the animal was a juvenile and was still growing when it died. Because pachycephalosaurs probably used their domes to attract mates, this suggests that the dinosaur reached sexual maturity before it was fully grown.</p><p>"If you need to headbutt yourself into a relationship, it's a good idea to start rehearsing early," Zanno said.</p><p>"This specimen is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery," Zanno added. "<em>Z. rinpoche</em> gives us an unprecedented glimpse into the anatomy and biology of pachycephalosaurs."</p> ]]></dc:content>
221.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/oldest-known-dome-headed-dinosaur-discovered-sticking-out-of-a-cliff-in-mongolias-gobi-desert</link>
222.                                                                            <description>
223.                            <![CDATA[ The juvenile pachycephalosaurs, which predates the previous oldest dome-headed dinosaur by 15 million years, reveals more about how and when this unusual feature developed. ]]>
224.                                                                                                            </description>
225.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">xWvpwrM3bwbyc4JBJTWP5J</guid>
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227.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:16:09 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Dinosaurs]]></category>
228.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
229.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Extinct species]]></category>
230.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Skyler Ware ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WdBBWEVJEXCFaFwAFfpvo3-1280-80.png">
231.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Masaya Hattori]]></media:credit>
232.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Artist&#039;s reconstrution of the pachycephalosaur.]]></media:text>
233.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Artist&#039;s reconstrution of the pachycephalosaur.]]></media:title>
234.                                                    </media:content>
235.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WdBBWEVJEXCFaFwAFfpvo3-1280-80.png" />
236.                                                                                        </item>
237.                    <item>
238.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Scientists invent new sunscreen made from pollen ]]></title>
239.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Sunscreen made from pollen could protect beachgoers from sunburn while minimizing harm to coral reefs, a new study finds.</p><p>Researchers found that a gel made from the pollen of camellia flowers (<em>Camellia sinensis</em>) blocked ultraviolet (UV) light about as well as existing commercial sunscreens, such as those made with oxybenzone or octinoxate. But unlike these conventional options, the pollen-based gel didn't cause coral bleaching in a laboratory experiment. Coral bleaching is the process by which corals expel the symbiotic algae living within them, leaving the corals more vulnerable to environmental stress.</p><p>The new sunscreen formula lays the "foundation for an explosion of potential new discovery" in sustainable sun protection, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.haereticus-lab.org/who-we-are" target="_blank"><u>Craig Downs</u></a>, director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving ecosystems, who was not involved in the study, told Live Science.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_1KkTpssN_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="1KkTpssN">            <div id="botr_1KkTpssN_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Researchers estimate that between <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/oceans/sunscreen.htm" target="_blank"><u>4,000</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/sunscreen-environment" target="_blank"><u>14,000</u></a> tons (3,600 to 12,700 metric tons) of UV-filtering compounds from chemical sunscreens enter the ocean each year, peaking during tourist seasons. These compounds, which include oxybenzone, octocrylate and octinoxate, among others, build up in the environment and have been<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/62598-bonaire-island-bans-sunscreen.html"><u> linked to coral bleaching</u></a>. Mineral sunscreens such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide are thought to affect aquatic animals less, but scientists are still studying these effects.</p><p>"We wanted to develop an affordable and effective natural sunscreen that is non-allergenic to humans and eco-friendly to the environment," study co-author<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/entities/person/Cho-Nam-Joon" target="_blank"> <u>Cho Nam-Joon</u></a>, a materials scientist at Nanyang Technological University Singapore, said in a<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1096862" target="_blank"> <u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>In the recent study, published Sept. 4 in the journal<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/adfm.202516936" target="_blank"> <u>Advanced Functional Materials</u></a>, Cho and colleagues looked to do this with pollen from plants in the tea family. "We know that pollen is naturally UV-resistant, as its shell needs to protect its inner contents from harsh environmental conditions, including sunlight," Cho said in the statement. Because camellia flowers are self-pollinating, their pollen is usually considered non-allergenic.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/how-does-sunscreen-work"><strong>How does sunscreen work?</strong></a></p><p>The team prepared water-based gels made from pollen extracted from camellia flowers and sunflowers (<em>Helianthus annuus</em>). Then they tested how well those gels blocked UV light — including both UVA and UVB, wavelengths of UV light, produced by the sun and tanning beds, that damage skin.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/how-does-sunscreen-work">How does sunscreen work?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/extremely-unusual-hottest-ocean-temperature-in-400-years-threatens-the-great-barrier-reef">'Extremely unusual': Hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/scientists-propose-using-pollen-to-make-paper-and-sponges">Scientists propose using pollen to make paper and sponges</a></p></div></div><p>Both gels absorbed UV rays, the team found, but the camellia gel absorbed more UVB rays — shorter-wavelength rays primarily responsible for causing sunburn and skin cancers — than the sunflower gel did. When tested on mice, both gels prevented skin damage when the mice were exposed to UV light for a few minutes per day. Mice that didn’t receive sunscreen had thinner skin after the same UV exposure.</p><p>The camellia pollen sunscreen had a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 30, and the sunflower pollen sunscreen’s SPF was around 5. When applied to a person’s forearm, the camellia pollen even kept that person's skin 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) cooler in sunlight than skin with chemical sunscreen applied.</p><p>The scientists also looked at how these sunscreens might affect corals. They added samples of a commercial chemical sunscreen and the camellia and sunflower gels to saltwater tanks containing hard coral called <em>Acropora</em>. The coral exposed to regular sunscreen began bleaching after two days and was completely white after two weeks. But the corals exposed to the pollen-based sunscreens appeared unbleached even after two months.</p><p>"What they're doing are first steps, but they're really important first steps," Downs said. Some of the next steps might be to assess whether the pollen-based sunscreen is toxic to other wildlife in natural environments, then clear safety tests in humans, Downs said. But if those trials are successful, "in five to eight years, this might be a commercial product."</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical or skin care advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
240.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/scientists-invent-new-sunscreen-made-from-pollen</link>
241.                                                                            <description>
242.                            <![CDATA[ Traditional chemical sunscreens can damage coral reefs. Scientists say there's a fix using one derived from tea plant pollen. ]]>
243.                                                                                                            </description>
244.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">utMJ4zDCGNCi3jLZBvvzJT</guid>
245.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gAy4zjqszUzt63pRUey9NL-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
246.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:14:41 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
247.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Skyler Ware ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gAy4zjqszUzt63pRUey9NL-1280-80.jpg">
248.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[FlowerPhotos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
249.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A Camellia sinensis, or tea plant, flower.]]></media:text>
250.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A Camellia sinensis, or tea plant, flower.]]></media:title>
251.                                                    </media:content>
252.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gAy4zjqszUzt63pRUey9NL-1280-80.jpg" />
253.                                                                                        </item>
254.                    <item>
255.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'The sun is slowly waking up': NASA warns that there may be more extreme space weather for decades to come ]]></title>
256.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>NASA scientists are warning that the sun may be "waking up" from a brief period of relative inactivity, contradicting past assumptions about our home star. If true, this could mean that decades of potentially dangerous space weather are in store.</p><p>The sun follows a roughly 11-year cycle of solar activity that begins with a prolonged quiet period, known as solar minimum, and builds toward an explosive peak, known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/solar-maximum"><u>solar maximum</u></a> — when our home star frequently <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/x9-solar-flare-launched-from-sun-is-the-biggest-in-7-years-and-earth-is-in-the-firing-line-again"><u>spits out powerful solar storms at us</u></a>. This pattern is known as the "sunspot cycle," because the number of dark patches on the sun's surface rises and falls with solar activity. The sunspot cycle is, in turn, governed by a longer 22-year cycle, known as the Hale Cycle — during which the sun's magnetic field <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/the-suns-magnetic-field-is-about-to-flip-heres-what-to-expect"><u>entirely flips and then reverses back again</u></a>.</p><p>But in addition to the sunspot and Hale cycles, the sun also experiences <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/strange-anomaly-in-suns-solar-cycle-discovered-in-centuries-old-texts-from-korea"><u>long-term fluctuations in solar activity</u></a> that can span multiple decades and are much harder to predict or explain. Examples include periods between 1645 to 1715, known as the Maunder Minimum, and between 1790 and 1830, known as the Dalton Minimum, when solar activity was generally much lower throughout successive sunspot cycles.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="HzwnNKMn">            <div id="botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Back in the early 2000s, downward trending solar activity led some scientists to believe that we were possibly  entering a new "deep solar minimum." This theory gained traction after the last solar maximum, between 2013 and 2014, which was much weaker than previous cycles. However, the current sunspot cycle, which has just peaked, has massively upended this theory.</p><p>In a new study, published Sept. 8 in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf3a6" target="_blank"><u>The Astrophysical Journal Letters</u></a>, researchers analyzed multiple metrics of solar activity, including solar wind, magnetic field strength and sunspot numbers, and found that they have been on an upward trend since around 2008, and could rise further over future cycles, suggesting that the deep solar minimum theory is well and truly dead.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/10-supercharged-solar-storms-that-blew-us-away-in-2024"><u><strong>10 supercharged solar storms that blew us away in 2024</strong></u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="WfrXUJqtgVLqe8DWHqEcWd" name="sunspots" alt="A time lapse image of the sun showing all the sunspots that have appeared in August" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WfrXUJqtgVLqe8DWHqEcWd.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The sun's roughly 11-year cycle is named after the sunspots that rise and fall with solar activity. This timelapse image shows all the sunspots that appeared in August 2024, when the number of sunspots peaked. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SDO/<a href="https://www.instagram.com/snlsanli/?hl=en-gb">Şenol Şanlı</a>/Uğur İkizler)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"All signs were pointing to the sun going into a prolonged phase of low activity," study lead author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/jasinski/" target="_blank"><u>Jamie Jasinski</u></a>, a plasma physicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-analysis-shows-suns-activity-ramping-up/" target="_blank"><u>NASA statement</u></a>. "So it was a surprise to see that trend reversed. The sun is slowly waking up."</p><p>We are currently <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/has-the-sun-already-passed-solar-maximum"><u>coming towards the end</u></a> of the sun's most recent solar maximum, which <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/scientists-finally-confirm-that-solar-maximum-is-well-underway-and-the-worst-could-still-be-to-come"><u>officially began in early 2024</u></a>, and it has not played out as expected.</p><p>When the current sunspot cycle began in late 2019, experts from the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) — which includes scientists from NASA and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — predicted that solar maximum would most likely begin sometime in 2025 and be comparable to the previous weaker cycle.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1588px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:29.72%;"><img id="JFXMwWVHmP9rew8BCBkZDK" name="solar-cycle" alt="A graph showing the sunspots within solar cycles and a circle highlighting how weak the previous solar cycle was" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JFXMwWVHmP9rew8BCBkZDK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1588" height="472" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The maximum number of visible sunspots during the previous solar maximum was the lowest for almost 100 years. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NOAA/SWPC)</span></figcaption></figure><p>However, as the current cycle progressed, it quickly became clear that this was not the case and that solar maximum would <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/solar-maximum-could-hit-us-harder-and-sooner-than-we-thought-how-dangerous-will-the-suns-chaotic-peak-be"><u>arrive sooner and be much more active than initially predicted</u></a>. SWPC scientists later acknowledged their mistake, issuing their <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/scientists-finally-acknowledge-that-they-got-their-solar-cycle-predictions-wrong-and-that-we-are-fast-approaching-the-suns-explosive-peak"><u>first-ever updated forecast</u></a>, which came <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/solar-maximum-may-already-be-upon-us-expert-warns-but-we-wont-know-until-the-suns-explosive-peak-is-over"><u>just in time for solar maximum's arrival</u></a>.</p><p>Since then, the sun has reached its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/sunspots-surge-to-23-year-high-as-solar-maximum-continues-to-intensify-far-beyond-initial-expectations"><u>highest number of sunspots in more than 20 years</u></a> and spat out a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/x-class-solar-flares-hit-a-new-record-in-2024-and-could-spike-further-this-year-but-the-sun-isnt-entirely-to-blame-experts-say"><u>record number of powerful X-class flares</u></a> — the most powerful type of explosion the sun is capable of producing.</p><p>During the current maximum, Earth has also been hit by several major geomagnetic storms, or disturbances to the planet's magnetic field. The most noteworthy was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/extreme-geomagnetic-storm-that-painted-earth-with-auroras-this-weekend-was-the-most-powerful-in-20-years"><u>an "extreme" event in May 2024</u></a>, which triggered some of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/well-be-studying-this-event-for-years-recent-auroras-may-have-been-the-strongest-in-500-years-nasa-says"><u>most vibrant aurora displays in centuries</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/may-2024-solar-storm-cost-usd500-million-in-damages-to-farmers-new-study-reveals"><u>caused over $500 million in damages</u></a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1024px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.15%;"><img id="uzjnEMm9r9mpFnDyypLs7G" name="sigmoid-solar-eruption" alt="Looped video footage showing a giant dark plasma plume being ejected from the sun" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uzjnEMm9r9mpFnDyypLs7G.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1024" height="575" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The sun has frequently spat out solar storms during solar maximum. This "dark" coronal mass ejection was launched on Sept. 7, 2025 and triggered a minor geomagnetic storm on Earth. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/SDO)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Now, the new study warns that what we have witnessed over the past few years will likely become the "status quo" over the next few decades. This could be especially problematic because humanity has become much more reliant on technologies that are prone to interference from space weather, such as power grids, GPS-controlled machinery and Earth-orbiting satellites, which can be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/solar-maximum-just-knocked-3-satellites-out-of-orbit-heres-why-more-may-be-on-the-way"><u>knocked out of the sky by solar storms</u></a>.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/we-are-fast-approaching-the-suns-battle-zone-and-it-could-be-even-worse-than-solar-maximum-experts-warn">We are fast approaching the sun's 'battle zone' — and it could be even worse than solar maximum, experts warn</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/like-they-were-demon-possessed-geomagnetic-super-storms-are-causing-tractors-to-dance-from-side-to-side-across-us-farms-and-the-sun-is-to-blame">'Like they were demon possessed': Geomagnetic super storms are causing tractors to dance from side to side across US farms</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/no-you-didnt-see-a-solar-flare-during-the-total-eclipse-but-you-may-have-seen-something-just-as-special">No, you didn't see a solar flare during the total eclipse — but you may have seen something just as special</a></p></div></div><p>It is currently unclear why the sun experienced a blip in solar activity over the last few decades or what may be driving its current resurgence: "The longer-term trends are a lot less predictable and are something we don't completely understand yet," Jasinski said.</p><p>Another study from earlier this year proposed that the recent surge in activity could be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/a-mysterious-100-year-solar-cycle-may-have-just-restarted-and-it-could-mean-decades-of-dangerous-space-weather"><u>part of a lesser-known and understudied 100-year solar cycle</u></a>, known as the Centennial Gleissberg Cycle. However, the newest study does not mention this at all.</p> ]]></dc:content>
257.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/the-sun-is-slowly-waking-up-nasa-warns-that-there-may-be-more-extreme-space-weather-for-decades-to-come</link>
258.                                                                            <description>
259.                            <![CDATA[ A new NASA study suggests that solar activity will remain high or rise further in the coming decades, contradicting previous assumptions that the sun was quieting down — and scientists "don't completely understand" why. ]]>
260.                                                                                                            </description>
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263.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:57:54 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[The Sun]]></category>
264.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
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266.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Baker ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PatkJ6XpGDM9QNuHieBRgL-1280-80.png">
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274.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Anthropologist claims hand positions on 1,300-year-old Maya altar have a deeper meaning  ]]></title>
275.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Maya used "sign language" on an altar around 1,300 years ago, and these signs may represent important dates in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/25662-how-mayan-calendar-works.html"><u>Maya Long Count Calendar</u></a>, a new study claims.</p><p>"This is the oldest text where, to my knowledge, anyone has been able to show that there's a real, well-defined" script using hand signs that's on par with other kinds of writing study author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://red.msudenver.edu/expert/richard-a-sandoval/" target="_blank"><u>Rich Sandoval</u></a>, a linguistic anthropologist at Metropolitan State University of Denver, told Live Science. "Other researchers and I are pretty confident in saying that the conventions of these hand signs are rooted in sign language."</p><p>However, not everyone agrees with Sandoval's interpretation, and one expert calls it "implausible."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_UipnZajy_tfejT8dc_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="tfejT8dc"            data-playlist-id="UipnZajy">            <div id="botr_UipnZajy_tfejT8dc_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>In the study, published March 8 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-968X.12320" target="_blank"><u>Transactions of the Philological Society</u></a>, Sandoval analyzed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/copan-altar-q/" target="_blank"><u>Altar Q</u></a>, a late-eighth-century rectangular Maya stone altar from Copán, an archaeological site in Honduras. Altar Q's intricately sculpted four sides depict a total of 16 Copán rulers, each with specific hand positions, as well as hieroglyphs.</p><p>Researchers have studied Altar Q since the mid-1800s, and now Sandoval — who calls it "one of the most storied artefacts of Ancient Mesoamerica" in his study — writes that we can learn more about this Classic period (A.D. 250 to 900) stone carving by looking at the rulers' hands. In fact, he noted, rulers have particular hand positions in much of Maya art.</p><p>"Almost anywhere you see [Maya] hieroglyphs, you see a figure, oftentimes in the middle, at least one figure, sometimes multiple figures, holding very unique hand forms," Sandoval told Live Science in a voice note. "So I have deciphered these hand forms as hand signs with very specific meanings."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/maya-civilization-had-16-million-people-at-peak-new-study-finds-twice-the-population-of-modern-day-nyc"><u><strong>Maya civilization had 16 million people at peak, new study finds — twice the population of modern-day NYC</strong></u></a></p><p>His interpretation suggests that the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/41781-the-maya.html"><u>Maya</u></a>, whose civilization in parts of southern Mexico and Central America thrived during the Classic period, had a writing system that used two written scripts, Sandoval explained.</p><p>"Many researchers previously thought that the hieroglyphic script was the only script of the Mayan writing system," he said. His research shows that "there are two scripts to the writing system," Sandoval added, "so it's a lot more complicated than we thought."</p><h2 id="maya-writing-system-2">Maya writing system</h2><p>The known Maya writing system consists of over 1,000 hieroglyphs representing words and syllables, many of which are still undeciphered or poorly understood. Because Altar Q features both hieroglyphs and hand signs, Sandoval used it as a sort of Rosetta Stone — an ancient Egyptian decree <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/why-rosetta-stone-three-texts"><u>translated into three ancient scripts</u></a>. However, Sandoval thinks that, unlike the Rosetta Stone, the hand signs on Altar Q communicate different types of information than its hieroglyphs, meaning they are not translations of each other.</p><p>According to the study, the hand signs on Altar Q's east, west, south and north sides, or panels, represent the dates 9.0.2.0.0 (Nov. 27, 437), 9.19.10.0.0 (April 30, 820), 9.16.13.12.0 (Oct. 21, 764), and 9.17.5.0.15 (Jan. 7, 776). For these dates to make sense, it's important to understand how the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/25662-how-mayan-calendar-works.html"><u>Long Count Calendar works</u></a>.</p><p>Long Count Calendar dates are represented by five "blocks" of days separated by periods. From left to right, these blocks are called b'ak'tun, k'atun, tun, uinal and k'in. The Long Count date 9.19.10.0.0, for example, represents nine b'ak'tuns, 19 k'atuns, 10 tuns, zero uinals and zero k'ins. One k'in is one day; one uinal is 20 k'ins, or days; one tun is 18 uinals; one k'atun is 20 tuns; and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mayaarchaeologist.co.uk/school-resources/maya-world/maya-calendar/" target="_blank"><u>1 b'ak'tun is 20 k'atuns</u></a>, or 144,000 days. The Maya believed 13 b'ak'tuns (13.0.0.0.0) made up one full cycle of creation. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/21255-ancient-text-confirms-mayan-calendar-end.html"><u>Dec. 21, 2012</u></a>, marked the end of the cycle that began Aug. 13, 3114 B.C.</p><p>It was already known that Altar Q's hieroglyphs, in their description of a 64-day ritual, imply the use of the Long Count Calendar. The start date of this ritual aligns with a period ending — a Long Count date that ends with at least two zeros, representing an important step in the calendar. As experts had also previously noted, the hieroglyphs indicate that the Copán dynasty started and ended roughly at the beginning and the end of the ninth bak'tun — yet another reference to the Long Count Calendar.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/earliest-evidence-maya-calendar"><u><strong>Earliest evidence of Maya divination calendar discovered in ancient temple</strong></u></a></p><p>Sandoval, however, highlighted an oddity. There were no Long Count Calendar dates expressed directly anywhere on the altar's hieroglyphs, which was highly unusual for a royal Maya text.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.93%;"><img id="hBkUxD5uJFPGKoK2Xs5SrC" name="mayaaltar2-alamy-ERD7HC" alt="A photo of an intricately carved altar" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hBkUxD5uJFPGKoK2Xs5SrC.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1285" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A reproduction of Altar Q from Copan, Honduras. New research suggests that the position of the rulers' hands conveys a previously unknown meaning.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Charles O. Cecil via Alamy)</span></figcaption></figure><p>As for the hand signs themselves, the anthropologist focused on each of the 16 rulers' free hands. (Most of them are holding something in the other.) By comparing the 16 hand signs to the hieroglyphs, he noted two crucial features: that two distinct hand signs look like known hieroglyph variants of the number zero, and that their patterns of distribution with respect to the other hand signs are similar to those of zeros in Long Count period ending dates.</p><p>Sandoval thus assumed that the two hand signs represent zeros and that the 16 hand signs make up four Long Count dates falling in the ninth b'ak'tun. "The implication is that each panel's hand signs encode the K'atun, Tun, Winal [an alternative spelling for uinal] and K'in values of a Long Count date, read from left to right," he wrote in the study.</p><p>As for the b'ak'tun value, Sandoval claims that it is represented by each panel's upper rim and the heads of the four rulers — a bar-and-dot configuration that looks like an upside-down hieroglyphic nine. Both the number 9 and the upside-down aspect are associated with death and the Maya underworld, according to the study.</p><h2 id="tying-it-all-together-2">Tying it all together</h2><p>At this point, Sandoval returned to the hieroglyphs, which included dates written in Calendar Round, a different Maya Calendar system that deals with shorter cycles of time. He found a surprising prevalence of the number 16. For example, the coefficients of the Calendar Round dates for the first and last rulers' ascension to the throne and death each add up to 16.</p><p>"16 is the most important number on this thing," Sandoval explained. Further hints to the calendar dates included directional associations with nearby monumental texts and the assumption that each date had to be linked to the underworld.</p><p>Ultimately, he linked each long calendar date to an important event or situation. The east panel is the death date of the first ruler; the west panel is the death date of the last ruler; the south panel’s date is associated with the 16th ruler's patron deity, and the north panel's date comes 16 days after the start of Altar Q's 64-day ritual.</p><p>"The reason why I'm so confident in my initial decipherment here and why it was so convincing to the reviewers is that I have multiple lines of evidence that are independent of one another, but they all support the same finding," Sandoval explained. "They're kind of weak on their own, but together they serve as very strong support," he added. "The observations work as verification because they're not dependent on one another."</p><h2 id="implausible-finding-2">"Implausible" finding</h2><p>The Maya writing system is incredibly complex; it uses the design of text and art to integrate two scripts, Sandoval said, adding that "it's a unique system in the world." Previously, he researched how speakers of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov/language-culture" target="_blank"><u>Arapaho</u></a> — a Native American tribe that had roots in what is now <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arapaho" target="_blank"><u>Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas</u></a> — mixed sign language and speech.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/stunning-discovery-reveals-how-the-maya-rose-up-4-000-years-ago">'Stunning' discovery reveals how the Maya rose up 4,000 years ago</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/13-year-drought-crippled-maya-on-yucatan-peninsula-1-000-years-ago-study-finds">13-year drought crippled Maya on Yucatán Peninsula 1,000 years ago, study finds</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/genomes-from-ancient-maya-people-reveal-collapse-of-population-and-civilization-1-200-years-ago">Genomes from ancient Maya people reveal collapse of population and civilization 1,200 years ago</a></p></div></div><p>Not everyone agrees with his conclusions, however. "It looks very implausible," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://anthropology.ua.edu/people/alexandre-tokovinine/" target="_blank"><u>Alexandre Tokovinine</u></a>, an anthropological archaeologist with a specialty in Maya epigraphy at the University of Alabama who was not involved in the study, told Live Science. "Visual and textual data appear manipulated to fit the author's hypothesis."</p><p>Nevertheless, Sandoval suggested his partial decipherment will underpin future decryption efforts.</p><h2 id="ancient-maya-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-civilization-that-built-pyramids-across-mesoamerica-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-maya-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-civilization-that-built-pyramids-across-mesoamerica">Ancient Maya quiz</a>: What do you know about the civilization that built pyramids across Mesoamerica?</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-eyAkve"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/eyAkve.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
276.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/anthropologist-claims-hand-positions-on-1-300-year-old-maya-altar-have-a-deeper-meaning</link>
277.                                                                            <description>
278.                            <![CDATA[ A well-known Maya stone carving known as Altar Q, located at the site of Copán in Honduras, may use hand signs to represent key dates in the Maya Long Count Calendar, a new study claims. ]]>
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282.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:05:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
283.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Margherita Bassi ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8PWZT2ytQ36VFqSKDWdKmC-1280-80.jpg">
284.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[imageBROKER.com via Alamy]]></media:credit>
285.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A side view of an intricately carved altar depicting Maya people]]></media:text>
286.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A side view of an intricately carved altar depicting Maya people]]></media:title>
287.                                                    </media:content>
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291.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Diagnostic dilemma: A knife broke off in a man's chest, and he didn't notice it for 8 years ]]></title>
292.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><strong>The patient: </strong>A 44-year-old man in Tanzania</p><p><strong>The symptoms: </strong>For 10 days, pus oozed from an opening in the man's chest below his right nipple, prompting him to visit the emergency room. He told doctors he had no pain or difficulty breathing. He did not have a fever, and his vital signs were normal.</p><p><strong>What happened next:</strong> When the doctors examined the man, they found that his rib cage on the right side of his chest was flattened at the front and that his chest did not fully expand on that side when he inhaled. They confirmed that "foul-smelling" pus was leaking from a cavity under the nipple, they wrote in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12125966/" target="_blank"><u>a report</u></a> of the case.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="tfejT8dc"            data-playlist-id="zYOUsZiH">            <div id="botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>During the examination, the man reported that, eight years earlier, he had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest, back, abdomen and face during a "violent altercation." No imaging tests were performed at that time, and he received only superficial first-aid treatment for the multiple knife wounds. For eight years, he had no health issues resulting from those injuries, he said.</p><p><strong>The diagnosis: </strong>An X-ray revealed a large metallic knife blade lodged inside the man's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24748-thoracic-cavity" target="_blank"><u>thoracic cavity</u></a>. Also known as the chest cavity, this hollow chamber is located above the abdomen and contains the heart and lungs. The blade, which extended from the rear of the rib cage to the front, had entered the man's back near his right scapula, or shoulder blade.</p><p>The knife's blade slid between the fifth and sixth ribs in the patient's back and then stuck there, with the knife's tip positioned between the third and fourth ribs at the front of his rib cage. A CT scan showed healed fractures in his scapula and in several ribs. Layers of pus and dead or dying tissue surrounded the knife blade.</p><p>One way the body protects itself against foreign objects is through a process called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/fibrous-capsule-formation" target="_blank"><u>fibrous capsule formation</u></a>, in which the immune system cocoons the object in collagen and other fibers to limit damage and inflammation in the surrounding tissue. Such encapsulation of the knife is likely what enabled the man to spend the next eight years unaware that there was a blade inside his chest, according to the report.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:755px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:36.03%;"><img id="Z5oocvuEYW2gT7rKtxCacS" name="knife-secondary-Kivuyoetal" alt="a CT scan and 3D illustration showing where the knife lodged in the chest" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z5oocvuEYW2gT7rKtxCacS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="755" height="272" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This CT scan (left) shows the retained knife blade in the man's chest, and the 3D reconstructed CT chest image (right) shows both the knife and the associated skeletal injuries it caused. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Kivuyo et al. J Surg Case Rep. 2025 May 31;2025(6):rjaf325; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The treatment: </strong>Surgeons at the hospital performed a thoracotomy, in which they cut into the man's chest wall to remove the blade. They drained the accumulated pus, flushed the chest cavity with a solution of sodium chloride, installed a drainage tube and finally sutured the wound. The patient received broad-spectrum antibiotics for seven days and was closely monitored for signs of infection following the surgery.</p><p>Doctors removed the drainage tube after the eighth day, and the man was discharged two days later. He returned to the hospital for two follow-up appointments: one two weeks after his surgery, and one six weeks afterward. At both visits, he was infection-free and experienced no further complications.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">OTHER DILEMMAS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-womans-severe-knee-pain-reveals-golden-threads-in-her-joints">Woman's severe knee pain reveals 'golden threads' in her joints</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-started-eating-foam-from-her-chair-while-receiving-dialysis">A woman started eating foam from her chair while receiving dialysis</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-orgasm-involving-a-kitchen-whisk-likely-triggered-persons-fatal-aneurysm">Orgasm involving a kitchen whisk likely triggered person's fatal aneurysm</a></p></div></div><p><strong>What makes the case unique: </strong>After a traumatic chest injury, it's not unusual for part or all of the penetrating object to be left behind in the chest cavity. However, most of the time, these foreign bodies are small ballistic projectiles, such as bullets, which are often difficult to locate and remove.</p><p>By comparison, large shards — for example, entire knife blades or other stabbing weapons — that break off and become lodged in the chest are less commonly documented in the medical literature. And in most cases, these objects do not go undetected for years; they are typically identified and removed within weeks or months, according to the report.</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
293.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-a-knife-broke-off-in-a-mans-chest-and-he-didnt-notice-it-for-8-years</link>
294.                                                                            <description>
295.                            <![CDATA[ A man noticed pus oozing from his chest, and it ended up revealing a knife blade in his thoracic cavity. ]]>
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299.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
300.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qHu2yVJnkL8LprEG2GgDmS-1280-80.jpg">
301.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Kivuyo et al. J Surg Case Rep. 2025 May 31;2025(6):rjaf325; CC BY 4.0]]></media:credit>
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303.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an x-ray image of a knife lodged in a man&#039;s chest]]></media:title>
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307.                    <item>
308.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'When people gather in groups, bizarre behaviors often emerge': How the rise of online social networks has catapulted dysfunctional thinking ]]></title>
309.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jmir.org/2020/5/e19458/" target="_blank"><u>bizarre conspiracy theory</u></a> swept through global social media: that the disease was caused by radio-frequency emissions from 5G cell phone towers. The wild theories <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1329878X20946113" target="_blank"><u>spread across social media platforms</u>.</a> The belief in this conspiracy was so fervent that the media reported more than <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/technology/coronavirus-5g-uk.html" target="_blank"><u>100 incidents of arson and vandalism</u></a> against 5G (and 4G) infrastructure, as well as numerous instances of abusive or threatening behavior against telecommunications workers.</p><p>Why do bizarre events like this happen? In our recent review article, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1547489/full" target="_blank"><u>published May 19 in the journal Frontiers in Communication</u></a>, we showed that conspiracy theories and other widespread incorrect beliefs emerge from complex interactions involving people's cognitive limitations, social influence in groups, and the global-scale spread of ideas across social networks.</p><p>This fatal combination of processes at different scales — individual, group and global — has led to the online problems we are seeing today. Their complexity makes the resulting social trends incredibly difficult to combat.</p><h2 id="primed-for-poor-thinking-and-bizarre-group-behaviors-2">Primed for poor thinking and bizarre group behaviors</h2><p>The root cause of poor thinking lies in our evolution. Our ability to cope with complex information is limited, so our brains take shortcuts, such as confirmation bias — the tendency to notice things that match our preexisting beliefs and ignore those that don't<em>.</em> For example, we quickly forget waiting in a fast queue but remember how annoying a slow queue is, and ask, "Why am I always in the slow queue?"</p><p>Another symptom of our inability to cope with complexity is the tendency to see malicious intent in complex, unexplained events. This tendency has planted the seeds for much injustice, from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.58938/page/n7/mode/2up" target="_blank"><u>witch hunts to conspiracy theories</u></a>. The reality is that unexpected events and behaviors often emerge through networks of interactions, without any conscious prompting.</p><p>When people gather in groups, bizarre behaviors often emerge. Like epidemics, false beliefs can spread from person to person. Were you ever afraid to ask a question in class? You think everyone else understands, and you don't want to look stupid, but sometimes, no one understands. Known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378437124004291" target="_blank"><u>pluralistic ignorance</u></a>, this problem underlies many social problems. For instance, people who are usually helpful often become passive bystanders in the presence of others and fail to help a victim.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/why-people-believe-conspiracy-theories"><strong>Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?</strong></a></p><p>A similar problem is groupthink: Everyone stops voicing their own opinion because they want to protect the reputation of their group, even if they disagree, and blindly follow the leader. Groupthink was implicated in many famous calamities, including the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2020/10/07/how-groupthink-played-a-role-in-the-challenger-disaster/" target="_blank"><u>loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger</u></a>.</p><p>Another problem with potentially disastrous consequences is polarization, where a group splits into two camps with mutually opposed, irreconcilable viewpoints that become increasingly separated over time.</p><p>Pluralistic ignorance, groupthink and polarization are all known to be "emergent" effects that arise naturally under suitable conditions. This self-organizing behavior of groups is often not understood, and frequently attributed to other causes. It is also why governments, media and public are often caught by surprise when groups suddenly emerge promoting strange agendas.</p><p>The above group behaviors emerge<em> </em>spontaneously when individual failures in cognition interact and lead to dysfunctional group behaviours. They are driven by a deep social drive for safety in a group. This fuels errors in the way we think and leads people to take the "safe" route and follow the crowd.</p><h2 id="rapid-spread-of-extremist-views-2">Rapid spread of extremist views</h2><p>The problem today is that what in the past would have been the whisper of a few voices now has the potential to ignite widespread mayhem. Imagine living in a traditional village, hundreds of years ago. It's a small world. Ideas spread by word of mouth from person to person. They move outward very slowly, when visitors move from village to village. Even today, we still inhabit many kinds of "villages" — family, neighbors, colleagues, friends — and ideas spread as we move between groups.</p><p>The advent of mass media has given some people a far wider reach than ever before. It has aided propaganda while also amplifying extreme views. On the internet, groups of people are connected, irrespective of geographical distance, so individual views can be reinforced by large supporting groups.</p><p>Communities of like-minded people emerge via social media. This includes the rapid spread of extremist views and conspiracy theories. Connecting individuals with extreme views via social media allows very large groups to share malign views. Bizarre behaviors, like the 5G sabotage mentioned above, can surface, often very quickly.</p><h2 id="the-truth-can-t-compete-with-lies-2">The truth can't compete with lies </h2><p>Why do deceptive messages spread well? They can be designed to seduce audiences by exploiting known cognitive biases. This technique is widely used in politically polarized media, social media and biased fact-checking. It exploits confirmation bias and motivated cognition. Truthful messages simply cannot compete with customized fakes.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related stories</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/rfk-jr-wants-to-overhaul-the-countrys-vaccine-court-heres-what-stands-in-his-way">RFK Jr. wants to overhaul the country's 'vaccine court.' Here's what stands in his way.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/most-methods-for-squashing-conspiracy-theories-dont-work-study-finds-heres-what-does">Most methods for squashing conspiracy theories don't work, study finds. Here's what does</a>.</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/should-people-get-their-health-information-from-youtube-retired-surgeon-and-content-creator-liz-oriordan-on-breaking-through-the-nonsense">Should people get their health information from YouTube? Retired surgeon and content creator Liz O'Riordan on 'breaking through the nonsense'</a></p></div></div><p>Another well-known cause is the spreading behavior of social networks, especially when connected by very fast and pervasive digital networks. Studies have found that deceptive messages usually spread in a manner that resembles the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://lens.monash.edu/@carlo-kopp/2020/04/16/1380098/covid-19-understanding-and-misunderstanding-epidemiology-models" target="_blank"><u>models used by epidemiologists</u></a> in medicine. Social media "influencers" often become "super-spreaders" of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02739-9" target="_blank"><u>false and misleading content</u></a>.</p><p>The above behavior suggests that authorities might suppress the spread of deceptive messages by treating them like epidemics. These are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-72559-3_13" target="_blank"><u>typically defeated by taking three steps</u></a>: Suppress the source, limit the spread, and increase the immunity of the exposed population. If the pathogen is digital, this suggests blocking or de-platforming creators and spreaders of malign messages, filtering malign content on media platforms, and educating or training audiences to reject malign content.</p><p>This is easier said than done.</p><h2 id="no-way-out-2">No way out</h2><p>Creators and spreaders will leverage freedom of speech legislation, and/or migrate between platforms and media types. Meanwhile, audiences may persist in believing malign nonsense and are prone over time to forget what they are taught. Unfortunately, there is an immense diversity of ways to spread malicious messages.</p><p>The world is now confronted with the prospect of a perpetual "arms race" in tactics and technology between purveyors of propaganda and nonsense, and people trying to tell the truth, with audiences that frequently do not know enough to care about the differences between fiction and fact.</p><p>Communities that choose not to play in this "arms race" will be inundated with falsehoods and suffer increasing social discord as consensus on any issue of community concern will be disrupted to the point of paralysis. Communities that choose to confront malign actors will have to invest time and resources to play in the "arms race" and attempt to prevent or manage unwanted damage effects.</p><p>There is no simple panacea solution: expecting to find one is wishful thinking.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/opinion"><u>Opinion</u></a><em> on Live Science gives you insight on the most important issues in science that affect you and the world around you today, written by experts and leading scientists in their field.</em></p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_y6z7FklC_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="y6z7FklC">            <div id="botr_y6z7FklC_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
310.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/when-people-gather-in-groups-bizarre-behaviors-often-emerge-how-the-rise-of-online-social-networks-has-catapulted-dysfunctional-thinking-opinion</link>
311.                                                                            <description>
312.                            <![CDATA[ The pervasive spread of misinformation can be tracked to cognitive limitations, social influence and the global spread of online networks. Combatting it has become an "arms race" between truth and lies. ]]>
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316.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:58:14 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Human Behavior]]></category>
317.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Carlo Kopp ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Wu8yiE6mHUiCh9RHPEdB8U-1280-80.jpg">
318.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Busà Photography/Getty Images]]></media:credit>
319.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a 5g cell tower with green waves coming out]]></media:text>
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325.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Science history: A tragic gene therapy death that stalled the field for a decade — Sept. 17, 1999 ]]></title>
326.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Quick facts</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Milestone: </strong>First<strong> </strong>reported<strong> </strong>death due to gene therapy</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Date: </strong>Sept. 17, 1999</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where: </strong>University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Who: </strong>Jesse Gelsinger</p></div></div><p>Twenty-six years ago today, on Sept. 17, a teenager who had received an experimental gene therapy died. His death led to needed changes in the clinical trial process while also spurring skepticism that would ultimately stall the field of gene therapy for years.</p><p>Jesse Gelsinger was an 18-year-old with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, a genetic disease that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC81135/" target="_blank"><u>affects about 1 in 40,000 newborns</u></a>. The condition makes the body unable to make an enzyme that would normally break down ammonia, a natural waste product of metabolism. Without this enzyme, ammonia builds up in the body and poisons the blood.</p><p>About <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4443534/" target="_blank"><u>90% of babies</u></a> with the most severe form of OTC deficiency die. But Gelsinger — who had a milder, "late-onset" form of the disease — had reached adulthood by strictly adhering to a low-protein diet <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://guineapigzero.com/jesses-intent/" target="_blank"><u>and a regimen of 50 pills a day</u></a>, to help reduce the amount of ammonia in his blood and offset its effects. Although Gelsinger was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuqpqA5yaRw" target="_blank"><u>small for his age</u></a> and experienced a dangerous ammonia crisis when he stopped taking his pills, he was otherwise healthy.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="tfejT8dc"            data-playlist-id="zYOUsZiH">            <div id="botr_zYOUsZiH_tfejT8dc_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Gelsinger wanted to help newborns with the disease, so he enrolled in a trial to test the safety of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/gene-therapy-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-dna-tweaking-treatments"><u>gene therapy</u></a> aimed at correcting the defective OTC gene. The treatment used a weakened form of an adenovirus, a type of cold virus, to deliver the corrected form of the OTC gene into Gelsinger's cells.</p><p>Gelsinger flew to the University of Pennsylvania, where the trial was being run, and had the treatment <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC81135/" target="_blank"><u>infused into the artery feeding the liver on Sept. 13, 1999</u></a>. He had flu-like symptoms that day, as was expected. But by the next day, he was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544252/" target="_blank"><u>jaundiced</u></a>, he developed a severe inflammatory reaction and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-death-of-jesse-gelsinger-20-years-later/" target="_blank"><u>a blood clotting disorder</u></a>, and his organs began to fail. He was taken off life support around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 17. Investigations revealed that his death was caused by a severe immune reaction to the virus used to deliver the treatment.</p><p>A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation found numerous problems with Gelsinger's enrollment in the trial, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/120999hth-gene-therapy.html#:~:text=%2D%2D%20Officials%20of%20the%20Food,well%20enough%20before%20doctors%20infused" target="_blank"><u>according to The New York Times</u></a>. First, his liver function was too poor and ammonia levels were too high when he started the trial. Second, the team did not disclose to patients that, prior to the trial, lab animals had died from higher doses of the therapy. Additionally, other human participants had experienced serious side effects. Meanwhile, Dr. James Wilson, the lead investigator, owned stock in Genovo, the company developing the therapy, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2022128" target="_blank"><u>stood to gain millions</u></a> if the therapy was successful.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="qM8mzhTCiERMdCavyJTZ74" name="GettyImages-2147942358" alt="James Wilson gives a speech from a podium" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qM8mzhTCiERMdCavyJTZ74.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">James Wilson was the lead investigator for the OTC gene therapy trial. That trial, along with other gene therapy trials at the University of Pennsylvania, were halted after Gelsinger's death. Wilson continued to work in the field and has since been involved in the development of several gene therapy products, including ones for spinal muscular atrophy and an inherited form of blindness. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Anadolu via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"We don't know what the impact of these deviations are," Dr. Kathryn Zoon, then-director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at the time, The New York Times reported. "But they're important."</p><p>Gelsinger's father, Paul Gelsinger, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt1200_1230a" target="_blank"><u>launched a wrongful-death suit</u></a> against parties involved in the trial; it was eventually settled for an undisclosed sum.</p><p>Gelsinger's death led to several changes in how gene therapy clinical trials are run and to stronger informed-consent requirements. All of the gene therapy trials underway at the University of Pennsylvania were halted. The FDA also started requiring greater monitoring for gene therapy trials.</p><p>The death cast a pall over the field, and as public and private funding for the approach dried up, gene therapy stalled. Eventually, however, with progress in understanding the viral vectors used to deliver gene therapy, and later, with the advent of the cut-and-paste gene editing tool <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html"><u>CRISPR</u></a>, the field has rebounded.</p><p>Scientists have now used gene therapy to treat many rare genetic disorders, including <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(23)00229-4/fulltext" target="_blank"><u>severe combined immune deficiency</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/crispr-can-treat-common-form-of-inherited-blindness-early-data-hint"><u>multiple forms</u></a> of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/gene-therapy-drops-restore-teens-vision-after-genetic-disease-left-his-eyes-clouded-with-scars"><u>blindness</u></a>. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/the-worlds-1st-crispr-therapy-has-just-been-approved-heres-everything-you-need-to-know"><u>first CRISPR-based gene therapy</u></a>, which treats sickle cell anemia by disabling a specific gene, was approved in January 2024. And in 2025, scientists announced that they'd used a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/us-baby-receives-first-ever-customized-crispr-treatment-for-genetic-disease"><u>customized CRISPR treatment</u></a> designed for his particular gene mutation to treat a baby with a rare and devastating genetic syndrome.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/gene-that-human-ancestors-lost-millions-of-years-ago-could-help-treat-gout">Gene that human ancestors lost millions of years ago could help treat gout</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/us-baby-receives-first-ever-customized-crispr-treatment-for-genetic-disease">US baby receives first-ever customized CRISPR treatment for genetic disease</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/in-a-first-congenital-deafness-in-teens-and-adults-treated-with-new-gene-therapy">In a first, congenital deafness in teens and adults treated with new gene therapy</a></p></div></div><p>Right now, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/cellular-gene-therapy-products/approved-cellular-and-gene-therapy-products" target="_blank"><u>number of approved gene therapy products is still small</u></a>. Many of those approved therapies use cells that are edited in the lab and then returned to the body to fight or treat cancer, rather than changing the genes in the nucleus of a patient's own cells.</p><p>But the field has come a long way since Gelsinger's death, and in 2021, scientists used gene therapy to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.science.org/content/article/decades-after-tragic-failure-gene-therapy-successfully-treats-rare-liver-disease" target="_blank"><u>successfully treat OTC deficiency</u></a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
327.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/science-history-a-tragic-gene-therapy-death-that-stalled-the-field-for-a-decade-sept-17-1999</link>
328.                                                                            <description>
329.                            <![CDATA[ Sept. 17, 1999: Jesse Gelsinger died after receiving a gene therapy treatment to treat a liver disease. The death sparked an investigation and caution around gene therapy, which ultimately stalled the field for years. ]]>
330.                                                                                                            </description>
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333.                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Genetics]]></category>
334.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
335.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tia Ghose ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MbAVA5VbkAFKm6cSLoRGJ4-1280-80.jpg">
336.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Douglas Graham via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
337.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Paul Gelsinger speaks into a microphone]]></media:text>
338.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Paul Gelsinger speaks into a microphone]]></media:title>
339.                                                    </media:content>
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343.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'We certainly weren't exceptional, but now we're the only ones left': In new PBS series 'Human,' anthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi explores how humans came to dominate Earth ]]></title>
344.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>When <em>Homo sapiens</em> first emerged in Africa some 300,000 years ago, we did not roam the planet alone.</p><p>Our species lived alongside at least six, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/what-was-the-first-human-species"><u>and possibly more</u></a>, other human species, from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/41048-facts-about-homo-erectus.html"><u><em>Homo erectus</em></u></a>, the first hominin species to venture out of Africa; to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals-our-extinct-human-relatives"><u>Neanderthals</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/denisovans-extinct-human-relative"><u>Denisovans</u></a>, contenders for our closest relatives; all the way to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/29100-homo-floresiensis-hobbit-facts.html"><u><em>Homo floresiensis</em></u></a> — less than 4-foot-tall (1.2 meters) "'hobbits"' who lived on the Indonesian island of Flores.</p><p>It's an origin story that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://live.nationalgeographic.org/speaker/ella-al-shamahi" target="_blank"><u>Ella Al-Shamahi</u></a>, a British Arab paleoanthropologist, presenter and explorer, often likens to the Lord of the Rings. Yet, despite its intriguing details, it's also one she says we don't talk about enough.</p><p>So Al-Shamahi embarked on a three-year journey across the globe, piecing together our earliest steps and boldest migrations from locations that include Morocco, Namibia, Botswana, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Norway, Romania, France, Canada and Peru. The result is her latest five-part BBC series, "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/stunning-facial-reconstructions-of-hobbit-neanderthal-and-homo-erectus-bring-human-relatives-to-life"><u>Human</u></a>," which tells the surprising history of how we came to reshape our planet.</p><p>Ahead of the show's Wednesday (Sept. 17) U.S. premiere on PBS, Live Science sat down with Al-Shamahi to discuss it, where we came from, and how <em>H. sapiens</em> became the dominant species on Earth.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/lucys-last-day-what-the-iconic-fossil-reveals-about-our-ancient-ancestors-last-hours" target="_blank"><u><strong>Lucy's last day: What the iconic fossil reveals about our ancient ancestor's last hours</strong></u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1667px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:82.36%;"><img id="4rpP9RMKWfLMz3tZrSXA5J" name="EllaAlShamahiHeadShot" alt="Ella Al-Shamahi at the beach" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4rpP9RMKWfLMz3tZrSXA5J.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1667" height="1373" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Ella Al-Shamahi is the host of "Human," a new series set to air on PBS. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: BBC/BBC Studios)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Ben Turner: People are going to learn all kinds of things from watching "Human," but most viewers won't come in as experts in the field. I want to know, from your perspective, what did you learn from making it? </strong></p><p><strong>Ella Al-Shamahi:</strong> There was only one thing that I didn't know going into making the show, and that was the incredible alphabet situation. It's almost at the end of the series that we reveal the real story of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/what-was-the-first-alphabet-in-the-world"><u>how the alphabet was invented</u></a>. And it turns out it was actually invented by some lowly people, some would call them slaves, in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians"><u>Egypt</u></a>. They were illiterate, and they were just <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.science.org/content/article/egyptian-birthplace-abcs#:~:text=An%20overlay%20clearly%20shows%20letters,B%20(2nd%20from%20right)." target="_blank"><u>copying the [hieroglyphs written by] higher-ups on the hierarchy</u></a>.</p><p>But then there was a real thing for me, a thing that I was desperate to do. This has been my subject for 20-odd years, I think it's an absolutely mesmerizing subject area. And I have never understood how people don't know certain things.</p><p>Like, for example, I've never understood how people don't know that we were born into a world of many [human] species. There were at least six other species around at the same time [300,000 years ago] as us — I actually think that number is probably much, much higher, and will probably get higher over the coming years — and for me, that becomes like a Lord of the Rings type universe. That captures the imagination, that is a fantastical story.</p><p>But add to that, if there were that many species, we think we were probably the underdog of the group. We certainly weren't exceptional, but now we're the only ones left. That then becomes a crazy mystery, and it's actually quite profound. How come we're the ones that did so well? How come we're the ones that won out and won out in such a huge way? And so for me it was this opportunity to scream from the rooftops and to let people know the real story of our origins.</p><p>When you're doing these shows, it's hard not to be moved. You turn up to a cave where they're looking at ritual, for example. Or you see an incredible pair of footprints that look like they came from a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/human-footprints-prehistoric-toddler-caregiver.html"><u>mother and child walking in the Americas, in New Mexico</u></a>. I mean, it's just the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to communicate this.</p><p><strong>BT:</strong> <strong>I'm not an expert, but whenever I see stuff like that it surprises me at how emotive it can be. It's not even comparatively that old, but the </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/16410-amazing-caves-gallery.html"><u><strong>Cueva de las Manos</strong></u></a><strong> in Argentina gets me every time I look at it. Is there something — an artifact, a relic, ritual or cave painting — that stands out as a tear-jerker for you?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>There are so many, that's the incredible thing. If I had to pick one, there's a cave called Rhino Cave [in Botswana]. It has an outcrop where the rock itself is shaped like a serpent, it even has a slit for the mouth. And these humans came along and they essentially chipped what looked like scales, like hundreds of these scales, into the rock, to really make it look like a serpent. They made these stone tools, which were beautiful, and then they destroyed them before using them, which you don't tend to do unless you're making an offering.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/haunting-caves-ancient-humans-used-for-art-burials-and-butchering"><u>Caves are a magnificent thing</u></a> to be in at the best of times. We waited until the evening, and we basically put in something that looks like candle light, so we got the full effect. And it was magnificent. It was really magnificent because we are the only animal that does ritual in that way. You don't see <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/chimpanzee-facts.html"><u>chimpanzees</u></a>, [one of] our closest living relatives, doing that kind of thing. It's the ability to see beyond what is in front of you, and to imagine a different world. And it was really profound, because so far we think that's the earliest site of ritual that we have evidence for.</p><p>And you wondered when you sat there what people were wishing for, what these offerings were about.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3537px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:77.75%;"><img id="Lw3zaR7j4xBcq359Wsudjd" name="DW3KJ1" alt="Rock art of hands on a cave wall" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Lw3zaR7j4xBcq359Wsudjd.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="3537" height="2750" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands) in Patagonia contains an assemblage of cave art made between 9,500 and 13,000 years ago. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Thom Lang via Alamy)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>BT: You mentioned earlier that modern day humans were one of at least seven known human species at the time of their emergence. And you also said we were underdogs. Is there anything that sets us apart, aside from the ostensible fluke that we're still around?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>I think it's fair to say it's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/15689-evolution-human-special-species.html"><u>probably a combination of things</u></a>, but if you put 10 different anthropologists in a room, we would all come up with slightly different answers to that.</p><p>I think we [in the show] argue very heavily that it's cooperation. We are an incredibly cooperative species. There's this thing called cumulative culture, which is a theory that I've been trying to get on television for like, seven odd years.</p><p>It doesn't particularly sound sexy, if I'm gonna be honest, but it's the idea that every generation builds upon previous generations — their technology and science and art. We basically argue, like a lot of paleoanthropologists, that, as a species, there were a lot of us and we were very cooperative.</p><p>Cumulative <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html"><u>culture</u></a>, because of the way our brains were, came into play. And it came into play in a big, big, big way. Suddenly you ended up with technology that was just so much better because we were this highly cooperative species. It's kind of funny to think about it, because at the end of episode one, I basically say: "Look, we're the friendly species," and that really does raise people's eyebrows, because they're like: "We? <em>Homo sapiens</em>? The <em>friendly </em>species?"</p><p>I put it to you that cooperation is friendliness. Cooperation is the ability to be friendly and work with the people around you. What other species has built what we've built? Name them. We're clearly highly cooperative.</p><p>We also argue that climate came into play, and for various reasons, including the fact that we have a source population in Africa, we were doing better. And our technology was able to adapt better because of the cooperation that we had. But I also think there's just an element of luck.</p><div><blockquote><p>In the end, by the time we had become the species we know today, we were formidable.</p><p>Ella Al-Shamahi</p></blockquote></div><p><strong>BT: Us being the "friendly" species contradicts some of the older ideas about what made us survive. It's like the depiction of humans in William Golding's [1955] novel </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inheritors_(Golding_novel)" target="_blank"><u><strong>The Inheritors</strong></u></a><strong>, the idea that we beat these other species through sheer brains, or brawn, or a combination of both. That's what a lot of people still assume.</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>Yeah we've got no evidence that we made war with any of these species. Ironically, we do have evidence <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/modern-human-ancestors-and-neanderthals-mated-during-a-7-000-year-long-pulse-2-new-studies-reveal"><u>we made love with them</u></a>.</p><p>There's suggestions that we might have fought, but there's no conclusive evidence. I think what is more likely, and this is my own reading of the data, is that we were formidable competition. In the end, by the time we had become the species we know today, we were formidable.</p><p>But honestly, I think it's more subtle than people realize. I think the fact that we're here and they're not is — oh, it was close. There's a mountain in Israel called Mount Carmel, and there's two caves. For about 30,000 years, maybe, give or take, we think that Neanderthals were living there [in one cave]. And in another cave on that same mountain,<em> Homo sapiens</em> were living there.</p><p>Which, first of all, amazing. Like how cool is that, on the same mountain? But secondly one of them went locally extinct, and it wasn't the Neanderthals. It took a few more tens of thousands of years for us to get the upper hand. So it was close, at times it was really close.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/did-we-kill-the-neanderthals-new-research-may-finally-answer-an-age-old-question" target="_blank"><u><strong>Did we kill the Neanderthals? New research may finally answer an age-old question.</strong></u></a></p><p><strong>BT:</strong> <strong>You mention making love and not war. There's another old idea, famously summed up in Rudolph Zallinger's </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_of_Progress" target="_blank"><u><strong>March of Progress illustration</strong></u></a><strong>, that we didn't really interbreed that much with other </strong><em><strong>Homo</strong></em><strong> species and instead cut a fairly linear evolutionary path, from chimp-like apes through </strong><em><strong>Homo erectus</strong></em><strong> to modern-day humans. That's got to be pretty misleading, right?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS:</strong> Yeah, it's funny, I speak about that image a lot in my talks. There are a few issues with the image, but the primary one is that it gives the impression that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/evolution"><u>evolution</u></a> is linear: one species leads to another species, and that first species all becomes extinct; and then that second species leads to the third species, and then that second species all becomes extinct. And we know that's just not the case.</p><p>It's certainly not the case with our species and our relatives. We were splitting at various points on this family tree, with other species sharing an ancestor with them. We call the Neanderthals our sister species, which effectively means they were our closest relatives, like a cousin. But when we met them again, we would occasionally have sex with them. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/a-braided-stream-not-a-family-tree-how-new-evidence-upends-our-understanding-of-how-humans-evolved"><u>Evolution is not that straight line, it's this complicated bush</u></a>, and it makes it so much more interesting. I just think it's fantastic. What would it have been like to live in that world?</p><p><strong>BT: This is a slightly silly question, but I have to ask it. Do you have a particular </strong><em><strong>Homo</strong></em><strong> species you'd have been most interested to meet?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS:</strong> It used to be Neanderthals, they're my subject area, but with time it became<em> Homo floresiensis</em> or "hobbits." They're basically these tiny, miniature humans that lived on the island of Flores [in Indonesia].</p><p>They were recently described as "humans the size of penguins" and on the island there were giant, flesh-eating, carnivorous marabou storks that were taller than me, over 6 foot [1.8 meters]. There were giant rats, massive komodo dragons, but also miniature elephants called stegodons that were the size of cows. And you think, well that's interesting, wouldn't mind meeting that lot, finding out what's going on there.</p><p>Then there are Denisovans. They've been this mystery that's been unfolding since 2010 [following their initial discovery] you know, who were the Denisovans? Turns out we now know who the Denisovans are, but it's still quite a mystery.</p><p>But, gun to my head, I would probably go with the hobbits. That's probably not an answer anyone's expecting.</p><p><strong>BT: I mean I get it, there's something really Swiftian [the Anglo-Irish writer of Gulliver's Travels] about them. Living on this fantasy island of disproportioned creatures. </strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>Yeah! There was actually a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65201-newfound-ancient-human-relative-homo-luzonensis.html"><u>second hobbit-like species</u></a> living on the islands of the Philippines.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="yJs3HWUJhV68ngJUUhmdrT" name="humanreconstructions-bbc" alt="A series of three images of digital reconstructions of Homo floresiensis, Homo erectus, and a Neanderthal" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yJs3HWUJhV68ngJUUhmdrT.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Facial reconstructions of the prehistoric humans <em>Homo floresiensis</em> (left), <em>Homo erectus</em> (middle) and a Neanderthal (right) that are part of "Human." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: BBC/BBC Studios)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>BT: So what's the relevance of all this to the present? What can studying our past teach us about ourselves today? If anything?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>Well, I would say that we're forged in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65775-stone-age-milestones-photos.html"><u>Paleolithic</u></a>, and we are a byproduct of our DNA. In fact, that DNA has actually moved on very, very, very little in the intervening years.</p><p>You can see the origins of so much when you study our history. But it's more than that, I think it gives us the context for so many things that are right, and wrong, about ourselves. So there's ritual and the way we see the world, the fact that we take risks the way we do, our imagination and creativity that no other species has, our cooperation, our love of dogs, and how much we need other humans — we don't do well as loners.</p><p>I often describe cities and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/agriculture"><u>agriculture</u></a> as the biggest trade-offs we've ever made. Because, on the one hand, more of us are able to survive. But on the other hand, we're surviving in a way that is no longer the world that our DNA was built for. It's suboptimal, we weren't designed to be staying in one place, our biology isn't really about that. It gives us a lot of context for who we are and why things don't always fit.</p><p>What was really interesting about this series is that, when we started making it, one of the things that I kept getting told was we need to be explaining to the public why <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution"><u>human evolution</u></a> is so fascinating. I had all the usual answers, we've <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/svante-paabo-wins-2022-medicine-nobel-prize"><u>sequenced the Neanderthal genome</u></a>, and we've now got <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/ancient-dna-and-modern-genomes-can-reveal-stories-of-past-peoples-from-the-iron-age-to-chernobyl-geneticist-says"><u>ancient DNA</u></a> and our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/our-mixed-up-human-family-8-human-relatives-that-went-extinct-and-1-that-didnt"><u>family tree's bigger</u></a> and all this stuff. But there was another answer that I had, which was that nobody ever asks us to justify why space is fascinating or relevant. You often hear from astronauts that when they look back at our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/planets/pale-blue-dot-the-iconic-valentines-day-photo-of-earth-turns-35-today-and-youre-probably-in-it"><u>tiny, little blue dot</u></a>, that it gives them context and it gives them perspective.</p><p>When I sit on top of deep-time <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology"><u>archeological</u></a> sites and know the stories of the people that are underneath me — fascinating stories about people that seemed really resilient who suddenly disappeared; people that were a Neanderthal group suddenly overtaken by a <em>Homo sapiens </em>group; sometimes scandalous stories, cannibalism, inbreeding, etcetera — it gives you perspective. I often think that space is magnificent, but time is who we are.</p><p><strong>BT:</strong> <strong>It's interesting that, despite how much we know, so much of the story remains undiscovered. We emerged from Africa, but DNA degrades quite easily in the warmer conditions there and so the genomic maps are all from the Eurasian hinterlands. Are there any scientific questions you're excited about that could fill these gaps in our knowledge?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>Oh, so many. There's a lot of talk about Denisovans and their relationship to us in the family tree. Traditionally, we saw the Neanderthals as our sister group closest to us, but there is a suggestion that maybe it's the Denisovans which then makes us more centered, but it's just too early [to know].</p><p>I think it would be very helpful to know just how many other human species [there are]. It would also be really quite helpful to understand, beyond just theories, what it was that eventually made us "<em>Homo sapiens</em> 2.0." There's a suggestion that something happened in our brains. It would be really fascinating to know for sure if that was the case.</p><p>But for some of these questions, the answers to them may not come for a very, very long time. I think just knowing the way science is, they'll come. We just don't know how long we'll be waiting for them.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/gene-that-differs-between-humans-and-neanderthals-could-shed-light-on-the-species-disappearance-mouse-study-suggests">Gene that differs between humans and Neanderthals could shed light on the species' disappearance, mouse study suggests</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/the-first-americans-had-denisovan-dna-and-it-may-have-helped-them-survive">The first Americans had Denisovan DNA. And it may have helped them survive.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/mysterious-300-000-year-old-greek-cave-skull-was-neither-human-nor-neanderthal-study-finds">Mysterious 300,000-year-old Greek cave skull was neither human nor Neanderthal, study finds</a></p></div></div><p><strong>BT: You also did a TED Talk on the "</strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgW-0egOWVg" target="_blank"><u><strong>The fascinating (and dangerous) places scientists aren't exploring</strong></u></a><strong>." So what about the non-scientific barriers? They're all places that were cradles of our species. What could we be missing out on due to scientists not having easy access to vast regions of the Middle East, like Yemen and the Sinai, and Asia, North and Central Africa?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS:</strong> It's like low-hanging fruit. There are incredible archeological discoveries being made in New Mexico, for example. You know how many archeologists there are in New Mexico? A lot. There are incredible archeological discoveries being made in France. Again, lots of archeologists working in France.</p><p>So then imagine places we would call "red zones" or places that are politically unstable that barely have any archaeologists working in them. I work in Somaliland, if you look at the countries that neighbor it, they're all paleo dreams, places with significant human fossils. Are we to believe that our ancestors didn't enter Somaliland [from these places]? Of course they did. We just have no evidence because nobody's looking, and we're all poorer for it.</p><p>But I also think there's a bigger issue, which is that I think science is best when everybody is at the table. It's a tragedy that so many people in those places don't have access to becoming these kinds of scientists.</p><p><strong>BT: To round this off, I know we've already touched on some of the unanswered questions, but you said many of them could take some time. Are there any you see us answering sooner, in the near future?</strong></p><p><strong>EAS: </strong>I think we'll be adding more species to the family tree, and also understanding those relationships a little better. I also suspect at some point we'll get closer to understanding what's going on with <em>FOXP2</em>.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/speech-gene-seen-only-in-modern-humans-may-have-helped-us-evolve-to-talk"><u><em>FOXP2</em></u></a> is described in some circles as "the language gene" but it's clearly so much more than that. It looks like it's different between us and the Neanderthals. The question is what is it about? I think it's something about the way our brains process [information].</p><p><em>Editor's note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Human will premiere in the U.S. on PBS on Nova on Sept. 17.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
345.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/we-certainly-werent-exceptional-but-now-were-the-only-ones-left-in-new-pbs-series-human-anthropologist-ella-al-shamahi-explores-how-humans-came-to-dominate-earth</link>
346.                                                                            <description>
347.                            <![CDATA[ In her new show, Ella Al-Shamahi charts humanity's evolutionary odyssey. We sat down with her to discuss the path of our species out of Africa to global hegemony. ]]>
348.                                                                                                            </description>
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350.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CKAWtGHCGvFFLXSqLm9J4a-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
351.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 20:05:52 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
352.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ ben.turner@futurenet.com (Ben Turner) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Ben Turner ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CKAWtGHCGvFFLXSqLm9J4a-1280-80.jpg">
353.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[BBC/BBC Studios]]></media:credit>
354.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Human traces the story of early humans living in Africa.]]></media:text>
355.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Human traces the story of early humans living in Africa.]]></media:title>
356.                                                    </media:content>
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360.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 1,900-year-old 'treasure' found in Roman-era family's scorched house in Romania ]]></title>
361.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Archaeologists in Romania have unearthed melted metal treasure within the remains of a Roman-era family's scorched house.</p><p>The treasure, which consists of coins and metal ornaments, likely belonged to an important family around 1,900 years ago, according to a translated<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mnir.ro/descoperiri-arheologice-de-exceptie-efectuate-in-situl-arheologic-histria/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMxH8NleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCYzZYOVJQdjZlbzU2aDUzAR5L4o_K22RIWXklybR-49WY0vu55QujejHD3ED7jcaRO9qSv55uSVAXLxSsFw_aem_pisCpnOqFukwqSp_KDEG2w" target="_blank"> <u>statement</u></a> from the National Museum of History of Romania, which led the research.</p><p>Researchers found more than 40 coins and several ornaments made of precious metals inside the ruins of a house in the city of Histria, an archaeological site on the western coast of the Black Sea. Originally an ancient Greek colony, Histria was annexed by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/roman-empire"><u>Roman Empire</u></a> in the first century A.D.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_lkyDBSgA_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="lkyDBSgA">            <div id="botr_lkyDBSgA_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The metals melted and fused together during the fire, preserving the shape of the wooden box they were stored in, according to the museum. Individual coins also retained their circular shapes, though they have corroded over the centuries.</p><p>Other artifacts found in the same layer at the site included ceramic vessels, inscriptions and objects crafted out of bronze, iron, glass and stone, the statement reported.</p><p>The home itself was "sumptuous," the statement said, with limestone paving and painted plaster walls. These details suggest the dwelling housed an elite family.</p><p>Archaeologists have preliminarily dated the artifacts to the second or third century A.D., during a period of the Roman Empire known as the Principate. During this time, beginning with the reign of Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and ending in A.D. 284, Roman society was restructured to concentrate power under a single emperor while maintaining some of the outward appearances of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/roman-republic"><u>republic</u></a>.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/what-happened-to-rome-after-the-empire-fell">What happened to Rome after the empire fell?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-empire-grew-after-catastrophic-volcanic-eruption-study-finds">Roman Empire grew after catastrophic volcanic eruption, study finds</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/2-200-year-old-gold-coin-depicting-ancient-egyptian-queen-discovered-in-jerusalem">2,200-year-old gold coin depicting ancient Egyptian queen discovered in Jerusalem</a></p></div></div><p>The building and the archaeological remains within "are significant testimonies for the reconstruction of a moment in the life of the ancient fortress during the Principate period," the translated statement reads. The findings, alongside other discoveries from the site that include roads, water pipes and an oven, are helping archaeologists reconstruct what Histria may have looked like during the Roman Empire.</p><p>The artifacts are now part of the National Museum of History of Romania's collections. There, they will undergo further investigation, restoration and conservation before being placed on display. The museum has not yet announced when the artifacts will be displayed publicly.</p><h2 id="roman-emperor-quiz-test-your-knowledge-on-the-rulers-of-the-ancient-empire-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-emperor-quiz-test-your-knowledge-on-the-rulers-of-the-ancient-empire">Roman emperor quiz</a>: Test your knowledge on the rulers of the ancient empire</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-O6m8BW"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/O6m8BW.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
362.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/1-900-year-old-treasure-found-in-roman-era-familys-scorched-house-in-romania</link>
363.                                                                            <description>
364.                            <![CDATA[ A discovery in Romania shows the remains of an elite family's treasures from the Roman era that were scorched in a fire. ]]>
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366.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">5xCB6P3HVjBDF57AA5Vf6U</guid>
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368.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:04:20 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Romans]]></category>
369.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
370.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Skyler Ware ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XB96RozPjtcM8EXoZALxAN-1280-80.jpg">
371.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[National Museum of History of Romania]]></media:credit>
372.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a clump of burnt and charred coins]]></media:text>
373.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a clump of burnt and charred coins]]></media:title>
374.                                                    </media:content>
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378.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Skyscraper-size asteroid previously predicted to hit us in 60 years will zoom past Earth on Thursday (Sept. 18) — and you can see it live ]]></title>
379.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A skyscraper-size, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-are-potentially-hazardous-asteroids"><u>"potentially hazardous"</u></a> asteroid is set to make a close approach to Earth this week — and you can see it zoom past for yourself, either by using a backyard telescope or via a free online livestream.</p><p>The asteroid, which was discovered earlier this year, was initially predicted to have a slim chance of hitting our planet in 2089 — temporarily earning it a spot at the top of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) impact risk list. But, following new observations, it is no longer considered an imminent threat.</p><p>The space rock, dubbed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2025%20FA22&view=OPC" target="_blank"><u>2025 FA22</u></a>, is somewhere between 427 and 951 feet (130 and 290 meters) across, making it <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/how-many-city-killer-asteroids-narrowly-miss-earth-each-year"><u>large enough to wipe out a major city</u></a> were it to collide with Earth. It will reach its minimum distance to us in the early hours of Thursday (Sept. 18), coming within 520,000 miles (835,000 kilometers) of our planet — just over twice as far away from us as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/the-moon"><u>the moon</u></a> — and will be traveling at around 24,000 mph (38,600 km/h).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="HzwnNKMn">            <div id="botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>2025 FA22 was initially discovered in March by the Pan-STARRS 2 telescope in Hawaii. The asteroid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/asteroid-2025-fa22-hurtling-towards-earth-and-can-crash-in-2089-9046455" target="_blank"><u>quickly made headlines</u></a> when it was revealed that it has a 0.01% chance of hitting Earth when it returns for another close flyby on Sept. 23, 2089. (This story was somewhat overshadowed by fellow asteroid 2024 YR4, which was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/thats-zero-folks-asteroid-2024-yr4-is-no-longer-a-hazard"><u>briefly predicted to have a much higher chance of impacting our planet in 2032</u></a> at around the same time 2025 FA22 was first spotted.)</p><p>Despite the low odds of a collision, space agencies took the threat of 2025 FA22 seriously, and the asteroid was briefly bumped to the top spot on ESA’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://neo.ssa.esa.int/risk-list" target="_blank"><u>Risk List</u></a>, which monitors all near-Earth objects predicted to have a non-zero chance of impacting our planet.</p><p>"However, high-priority follow-up observations soon allowed astronomers to refine the asteroid’s trajectory and rule out any impact risk," according to a new <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/09/Close_approach_of_asteroid_2025_FA22" target="_blank"><u>ESA statement</u></a>. Asteroid 2025 FA22 was removed from ESA's Risk List entirely in May.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/nasas-most-wanted-the-5-most-dangerous-asteroids-in-the-solar-system"><u><strong>NASA's most wanted: The 5 most dangerous asteroids to Earth</strong></u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="2RiLxEhK22kELPP2WqHDFm" name="asteroid-flyby" alt="A diagram showing the orbits of the inner solar system relative to the asteroid 2025 FA22" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2RiLxEhK22kELPP2WqHDFm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Asteroid 2025 FA22 will return for similar close approaches in 2089 and 2173. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The now totally safe flyby of 2025 FA22 will be shared on a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P59gDIPxY6g" target="_blank"><u>free livestream</u></a> by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/09/08/potentially-hazardous-asteroid-2025-fa22-close-encounter-online-observation-18-sept-2025/" target="_blank"><u>Virtual Telescope Project</u></a>, which will track the object using a telescope in Manciano, Italy. The livestream will begin at around 23:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (Sept. 17).</p><p>During its close approach, the asteroid could reach an apparent magnitude of 13, which will make it just bright enough to spot with a decent <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-telescopes"><u>backyard telescope</u></a> or a pair of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-binoculars"><u>stargazing binoculars</u></a>, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.iflscience.com/once-in-a-decade-close-encounter-with-hazardous-asteroid-2025-fa22-approaches-80765" target="_blank"><u>IFLScience</u></a>. You can find where it is in the night sky using <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theskylive.com/2025fa22-info#google_vignette" target="_blank"><u>TheSkyLive.com</u></a>.</p><p>Researchers will be keeping a close eye on the asteroid from observatories across the globe, including NASA's Goldstone radar telescope in Barstow, California, which has the capability to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/nasa-reveals-images-of-enormous-snowman-shaped-asteroid-2024-on-after-its-ultra-close-approach-to-earth"><u>reveal more about the space rock's true size and shape</u></a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="7SiUET2a2MDAEUqR5XmiFm" name="asteroid-flyby" alt="A graphic showing key information about the asteroid flyby" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7SiUET2a2MDAEUqR5XmiFm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">ESA released new information on 2025 FA22 in preparation for the upcoming flyby. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ESA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) is also taking 2025 FA22's flyby as an opportunity to practise its emergency protocols by running a practice scenario under the pretence that the asteroid  will still impact us in 2089. This mock test, named the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iawn.net/obscamp/2025FA22/" target="_blank"><u>2025 FA22 IAWN Campaign</u></a>, will involve measuring as many of the asteroids' characteristics as accurately as possible, in preparation for a hypothetical mission to deflect the space rock in the future.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/an-invisible-threat-swarm-of-hidden-city-killer-asteroids-around-venus-could-one-day-collide-with-earth-simulations-show">An 'invisible threat': Swarm of hidden 'city killer' asteroids around Venus could one day collide with Earth, simulations show</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/city-killer-asteroid-2024-yr4-could-shower-earth-with-bullet-like-meteors-if-it-hits-the-moon-in-2032">'City killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 could shower Earth with 'bullet-like' meteors if it hits the moon in 2032</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/no-nasa-hasnt-warned-of-an-impending-asteroid-strike-in-2038-heres-what-really-happened">No, NASA hasn't warned of an impending asteroid strike in 2038. Here's what really happened.</a></p></div></div><p>"While 2025 FA22 poses no danger, practicing our ability to measure these properties is important, as they influence how an asteroid will react to any attempt to deflect it off of a collision course with Earth," ESA representatives wrote about the campaign.</p><p>In reality, 2025 FA22 will not get very close to us in 2089. The latest calculations from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggest that it will only come within 3.7 million miles (6 million km) of Earth, more than seven times further away than its current flyby.</p><p>However, the asteroid will return for a super close approach in 2173, when it will reach a minimum distance of around 200,000 miles (320,000 km), bringing it closer to us than the moon.</p> ]]></dc:content>
380.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/skyscraper-size-asteroid-previously-predicted-to-hit-us-in-60-years-will-zoom-past-earth-on-thursday-sept-18-and-you-can-see-it-live</link>
381.                                                                            <description>
382.                            <![CDATA[ The "potentially hazardous" asteroid 2025 FA22 will fly close past Earth at more than 24,000 mph on Thursday (Sept. 18). The space rock was previously predicted to have a slim chance of impacting our planet in 2089, temporarily earning it the top spot on a major risk list. ]]>
383.                                                                                                            </description>
384.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">jqpkZwg4i3d4ikSuDa9Ana</guid>
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386.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:52:06 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Asteroids]]></category>
387.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
388.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
389.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Baker ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TQmN8a5gy2QjcowwC3jdGm-1280-80.jpg">
390.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images]]></media:credit>
391.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An artist&#039;s illustration of an asteroid passing Earth at a large distance]]></media:text>
392.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist&#039;s illustration of an asteroid passing Earth at a large distance]]></media:title>
393.                                                    </media:content>
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395.                                                                                        </item>
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397.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Grumpy-looking Pallas's cat photographed by camera trap in stunning photo from eastern Himalayas ]]></title>
398.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The elusive Pallas's cat has been photographed in a region of India's eastern Himalayas that it's never been seen in before. The camera trap image, showing the grumpy-looking, fluffy cat in a snowy landscape, is the first photographic evidence of the species in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.</p><p>Pallas's cats (<em>Otocolobus manul</em>) are among the world's least studied wild felines and are rarely photographed. Their appearance in Arunachal Pradesh represents a significant expansion of their known range in the eastern Himalayas, having already been spotted in Sikkim in India, Bhutan and eastern Nepal.</p><p>Between July and September 2024, researchers from WWF India and the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department set up 136 camera traps across 83 remote, high-altitude sites between the West Kameng and Tawang districts.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_z3k1oCOC_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="z3k1oCOC">            <div id="botr_z3k1oCOC_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Covering more than 770 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of rugged terrain, the devices remained active for over eight months — often in freezing temperatures and at elevations above 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) — making this one of the most extensive wildlife surveys ever attempted in the region.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3243px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:64.97%;"><img id="HUKBDDvjKRUCqgBa5CBvWf" name="Pallas cat and leopard india" alt="First Photographic Evidence of the 'Pallas's cat above 4992 masl." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HUKBDDvjKRUCqgBa5CBvWf.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="3243" height="2107" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Pallas's cat was photographed at an elevation of  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: © WWF-India)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Pallas's cat was recorded at an elevation of 16,400 feet (4,992 m).</p><p>"The discovery of Pallas's Cat in Arunachal Pradesh at nearly 5,000 metres [16,400 ft] is a powerful reminder of how little we still know about life in the high Himalayas," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.wwfindia.org/news_facts/feature_stories/making_of_a_snow_leopard_scientist/" target="_blank"><u>Rishi Kumar Sharma</u></a>, head of science and conservation at WWF India's Himalayas program, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.wwfindia.org/?27922/first-photographic-record-of-pallass-cat" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>"That a landscape can support snow leopards, clouded leopards, marbled cats, and now Pallas's cat alongside vibrant pastoral traditions speaks to its extraordinary richness and resilience."</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/pallass-cat-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-felines-that-stands-on-its-bushy-tail-to-keep-its-paws-warm"><u>Pallas's cats</u></a> diverged from the leopard lineage about 5.2 million years ago, making them one of the oldest surviving wild cat species. Compact and thick-furred, they blend seamlessly into rocky, shrub-covered slopes.</p><p>They are ambush predators, emerging at dusk to hunt rodents, small birds, and lizards. To cope with the brutal cold of their environment, they stand on their bushy tails, using the fur to insulate their paws from frozen ground.</p><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:49.37%;"><img id="PsEFhvnfMpjHVvFoBG5Eef" name="Pallas cat and leopard india" alt="Snow leopard and common leopard scent marking on the same spot." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PsEFhvnfMpjHVvFoBG5Eef.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1900" height="938" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">A snow leopard and common leopard were photographed scent marking the same spot.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: © WWF-India)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:49.37%;"><img id="o4jk2Wbzp2T7hTdyYgPnaf" name="Pallas cat and leopard india" alt="Common leopard and snow leopard scent marking on the same spot." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/o4jk2Wbzp2T7hTdyYgPnaf.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1900" height="938" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The camera trap captured a snow leopard and common leopard marking the same spot.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: © WWF-India)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/texas-puma-genes-rescue-florida-panthers-from-extinction-for-now">Texas puma genes rescue Florida panthers from extinction — for now</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/cats-may-have-been-domesticated-much-later-than-we-thought-with-earlier-felines-being-eaten-or-made-into-clothes">Cats may have been domesticated much later than we thought — with earlier felines being eaten or made into clothes</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/domestic-cats/cats-are-better-at-word-association-than-human-babies-are-study-finds">Cats are better at word association than human babies are, study finds</a></p></div></div><p>The survey also captured five other wild cat species in the region. This includes snow leopards (<em>Panthera uncia</em>), common leopards (<em>Panthera pardus</em>), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/clouded-leopard-the-cat-with-saber-like-teeth-that-can-walk-upside-down-in-trees"><u>clouded leopards</u></a> (<em>Neofelis nebulosa</em>), leopard cats (<em>Prionailurus bengalensis</em>), and marbled cats (<em>Pardofelis marmorata</em>). In a rare behavioral observation, one snow leopard and one common leopard were even seen scent-marking at the same site — a glimpse into how these big cats navigate overlapping territories.</p><p>"The findings of this survey are remarkable and the discovery of multiple wild cats at such extreme elevations opens exciting new opportunities for ecological research and conservation," Taku Sai, senior project officer at WWF-India, said in the statement.</p> ]]></dc:content>
399.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/grumpy-looking-pallass-cat-photographed-by-camera-trap-in-stunning-photo-from-eastern-himalayas</link>
400.                                                                            <description>
401.                            <![CDATA[ The Pallas’s cat is just one of several wildcats spotted in Arunachal Pradesh, which also supports snow leopards, common leopards, clouded leopards, leopard cats and marbled cats. ]]>
402.                                                                                                            </description>
403.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">afBnJszA6YuzqK8F8ueXgP</guid>
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405.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:57:34 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Cats]]></category>
406.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
407.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
408.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ lydiacarolinesmith@gmail.com (Lydia Smith) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Lydia Smith ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/imBYC9iS9NXHvPuA2mfdGH-1280-80.jpg">
409.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[© WWF-India]]></media:credit>
410.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[First Photographic Evidence of the &#039;Pallas&#039;s cat above 4992 masl]]></media:text>
411.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[First Photographic Evidence of the &#039;Pallas&#039;s cat above 4992 masl]]></media:title>
412.                                                    </media:content>
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414.                                                                                        </item>
415.                    <item>
416.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens review ]]></title>
417.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>In a world where camera sensors are improving all the time, we need lenses that are capable of resolving vast amounts of detail, and that’s exactly what the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is capable of. This professional-quality prime lens is perfect for astrophotography and landscape photography, thanks to its ultra wide-angle field of view and fast maximum aperture.</p><p>What makes this lens so special, alongside the aforementioned attributes, is the fact that it’s available for a bargain price of just $464 / £533 and produces stunning image quality. Have a look around, and you will struggle to find a similar prime lens at this price. This full-frame lens is available in Nikon Z-Mount and Sony E-mount.</p><p>Despite being a full-frame lens, the 16mm f/1.8 can also be used with APS-C cameras to provide an equivalent focal length of 24mm, which is also a useful focal length for both landscapes and astrophotography. The advantage here is that if you currently shoot with an APS-C camera and plan to upgrade to full-frame later, this lens will keep working for you.</p><p>For a prime lens, the 16mm does have some interesting and useful features that further increase its attractiveness. Like most primes, it doesn’t feature Image Stabilization, but it does have a manual aperture ring with stepped and stepless control and a couple of programmable Fn buttons alongside its excellent build quality.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-design"><span>Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Design</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="G52XvWikXME7kBJCkQmm3k" name="_DSF0041" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE attached to a Sony A7R V" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G52XvWikXME7kBJCkQmm3k.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1199" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is compact but quite heavy for a wide-angle prime. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Compact design</strong></li><li><strong>Weather sealing</strong></li><li><strong>Excellent build quality</strong></li></ul><p>Fast ultra wide-angle primes can be quite hefty pieces of glass, but a focal length of 16mm combined with an f/1.8 maximum aperture seems to be something of a sweet spot in terms of size and weight.</p><p>The 16mm f/1.8 is a fairly compact and lightweight lens at just 3.35 x 4.06 in / 85.2 x 103 mm with a weight of 19.4 oz / 550 g, so it balances well with full-frame and even APS-C camera bodies.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Key specifications</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Type: </strong>Full-frame prime lens<br><strong>Focal length: </strong>16mm <br><strong>Maximum aperture: </strong>f/1.8<br><strong>Lens mount</strong>: Sony FE / Nikon Z<br><strong>Weight: </strong>19.4 oz / 550 g<br><strong>Dimensions:</strong> 3.35x4.06 in / 85.2x103 mm<br><strong>Filter thread: </strong>77 mm<br><strong>Release date: </strong>May 2023</p></div></div><p>The lens is made up of 15 elements in 12 groups, including four ED glass and three aspherical lenses. This design aims to deliver sharpness, detail and high contrast while minimizing distortion at wider apertures, and the lens undoubtedly achieves this.</p><p>The front element features an HD Nano multilayer coating with a water-resistant and antifouling coating. The front element isn’t bulbous, which is great, and the filter thread size is 77mm, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on circular filters.</p><p>One thing we did notice when using 100mm square filters is that the filter holder adaptor ring was difficult to remove from the front of the lens, even when it was 100% screwed on correctly.</p><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="BerD8CvCvXqvQUfdLvJP3k" name="_DSF0033" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE close up of the digital color screen" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BerD8CvCvXqvQUfdLvJP3k.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The screen on the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE shows useful focus information and the aperture setting. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="2UdCKWEGCPWeUZ7f6Ej42k" name="_DSF0017" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE side view showing controls" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2UdCKWEGCPWeUZ7f6Ej42k.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Two customizable Fn buttons help you to personalize functionality. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="ijRKkyUSmdbZrbmBiSgJ3k" name="_DSF0021" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE side view showing controls" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ijRKkyUSmdbZrbmBiSgJ3k.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1199" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The aperture ring can be set to stepped or stepless operation. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The minimum focusing distance is just 10.6 in / 27 cm, which will be most useful for landscape photographers when focus stacking. This is, of course, of no use for astrophotography.</p><p>The aperture is made up of nine blades rather than 11, but this doesn’t produce any problems despite being slightly less circular than 11-blade apertures.</p><p>The build quality of the lens is impressive with its all-metal body and weather sealing, giving the 16mm f/1.8 a premium look and feel. The manual focusing ring is wide enough for gloved use.</p><p>The lens is designed for both photo and video capture, so the manual aperture ring can be set to stepped and stepless operation via the switch on one side of the lens. Other controls include two customizable Fn buttons and an AF/MF switch.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-functionality"><span>Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Functionality</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="zFRkCKVHHKgKCmnbxUKsyj" name="_DSF0025" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE front element and 77mm filter thread" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zFRkCKVHHKgKCmnbxUKsyj.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1199" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE front element isn;t bulbous and the filter thread is 77mm. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Customizable Function buttons</strong></li><li><strong>Digital color screen</strong></li><li><strong>Average AF speeds</strong></li></ul><p>As far as prime lenses go, the 16mm f/1.8 alongside Viltrox’s Pro and LAB series lenses is surprisingly feature-packed compared to much of the competition. There’s no optical Image Stabilization; you’ll have to use IBIS if your camera features it, but this lens, which is designed for photo and video capture, has a few tricks up its sleeve that you won’t see available with other lenses.</p><p>Since this is a third-party lens, firmware updates can’t be applied in the same way as OEM lenses, but Viltrox has come up with a clever fix for this using a combination of Bluetooth and the Viltrox Lens app.</p><p>With the lens unattached from a camera, there’s a USB-C port on the lens mount that’s used to power the lens. Once powered, it can be connected to the Viltrox Lens app, where you can update firmware, customize the Fn buttons and customize the digital screen’s welcome screen.</p><p>The color digital screen shows the focus distance and the aperture setting, as well as showing the active Fn control. It’s an interesting feature that’s in essence a digital version of the focusing distance scale window on older DSLR and SLR lenses. It’s most useful when you want to adjust settings quickly without looking at the camera LCD screen or the EVF.</p><p>Autofocus is far from the fastest we’ve experienced, and it’s quicker with the aperture wide open at f/1.8 than it is at f/11, for example. It slows as you stop down. With the lens at f/11 or f/16, it takes about half a second to lock onto subjects, while wide open, it’s roughly twice as fast.</p><p>Autofocus is driven by an SMT stepping motor, which is claimed to be virtually silent, and this is correct. AF is quiet, but it is audible. Autofocus is absolutely fine for landscape photography, while astrophotographers will exclusively use manual focus, which is comfortable to use.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-performance"><span>Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Performance</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="goqwcmCt47ResZTkDZiUe8" name="_DSF0032" alt="Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE top view unattached from a camera" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/goqwcmCt47ResZTkDZiUe8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The all-metal design includes weather-sealing. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Fantastic image quality overall</strong></li><li><strong>Excellent sharpness at f/1.8</strong></li><li><strong>Great corner sharpness</strong></li></ul><p>There’s no getting around the fact that fast prime lenses are the best option for astrophotography. And while many focal lengths provide ideal fields of view for this type of photography, it’s ultra wide-angle lenses like this that allow you to capture more of the sky and to enjoy greater light-gathering capabilities.</p><p>Wide-angle lenses, by their nature, allow more light to reach the sensor. Combined with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, you’re onto a winning combination. Of course, image quality is a hugely important factor, and the 16mm f/1.8 is incredibly sharp at f/1.8 and produces excellent corner and edge sharpness to match.</p><p>Wide open sees the most vignetting, which is almost gone when you stop down to f/2.8 and completely gone at f/4. There is an Adobe Lightroom Lens Profile available for this lens, which removes the vignette and also the tiny, pretty much unnoticeable amount of barrel distortion that the lens produces.</p><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 5</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="RWLqxEBSK46rhLiPNUdXiT" name="_DSC4463" alt="Photo of a radio telescope against the night sky taken with a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RWLqxEBSK46rhLiPNUdXiT.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1199" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Aperture f/1.8, shutter speed 5secs, ISO 800. Shot with a Sony A7R V and a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 5</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="6zoktFrSd8g3L49tPEqnrT" name="_DSC9313" alt="Photo of a moonlit coastal scene taken with a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6zoktFrSd8g3L49tPEqnrT.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Aperture f/1.8, shutter speed 8secs, ISO 800. Shot with a Sony A7R V and a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 5</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="BrEPQmhE5NRHDg2GMKJMgT" name="_DSC4466" alt="Photo of a radio telescope with  a full moon taken with a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BrEPQmhE5NRHDg2GMKJMgT.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Aperture f/1.8, shutter speed 5secs, ISO 800. Shot with a Sony A7R V and a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 5</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="k52iwyE5g28uBPdDTyezrT" name="_DSC9286" alt="Photo of a seascape taken with a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k52iwyE5g28uBPdDTyezrT.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1199" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Aperture f/16, shutter speed 30secs, ISO 100. Shot with a Sony A7R V and a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 5 of 5</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="yvva7ovNwEtZTojTjLxguT" name="_DSC4480" alt="Photo of coastal mudflats taken with a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yvva7ovNwEtZTojTjLxguT.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Aperture f/16, shutter speed 3.2secs, ISO 100. Shot with a Sony A7R V and a Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Abbott)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Sharpness levels across the frame increase as you stop down to the sweet spot of the lens at f/8, with f/11 still exhibiting high levels of sharpness. The minimum aperture of the lens is f/22, which does unfortunately, exhibit a loss of sharpness due to diffraction alongside f/16. You can, however, achieve great results at f/16 when shooting landscapes, although f/11 will resolve more detail.</p><p>The overall image quality is excellent with minimal distortion, barely any at all, and also minimal chromatic aberration. These are both impressive characteristics considering the wide field-of-view of the lens, once again highlighting its suitability for subjects including landscape and astrophotography, where detail is everything.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-price"><span>Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Price</span></h3><p>The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is available for the bargain price of just $464 / £533, which is incredible for a pro-spec prime lens. In the box, you get the lens itself, a lens hood, front and rear lens caps and a soft lens case.</p><p>To give the price some perspective, the Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G costs $848 / £849, which is quite a lot more. It’s a smaller and lighter lens, but the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE itself is still a compact and fairly lightweight lens, given the build quality.</p><p>We tested the Sony FE version, but there’s also a Nikon Z-mount version available. There are no other lens mounts available, which is a shame, but perhaps we may see more in the future.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-should-you-buy-the-panasonic-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe"><span>Should you buy the Panasonic Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE?</span></h3><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Buy it if:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>✅ You want a fast, wide-angle prime lens that's inexpensive.</strong><br><br><strong>✅ You want excellent image quality when shooting wide open.</strong></p></div></div><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Don't buy it if:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>❌You would prefer the versatility of a zoom lens.</strong><br><br><strong>❌ You'd like a faster and wider lens for astrophotography.</strong></p></div></div><p>Whether you shoot with a full-frame Sony camera or even a Sony APS-C camera, this is a lens you really must consider for astrophotography and landscape photography.</p><p>The ultra wide-angle focal length, excellent image quality, its robust build and highly affordable price all work in its favor. It’s not as fast as an f/1.4 lens, but this maximum aperture would require the lens to be much larger and heavier.</p><p>Plus, despite being a prime lens, the 16mm f/1.8 offers several useful features, including a small digital screen showing useful information, two customizable Fn buttons, a manual aperture ring with stepped or stepless operation and app-based firmware updates.</p><p>There’s no built-in Image Stabilization, but its absence helps to keep the size of the lens small, and many cameras offer In-body Image Stabilization anyway, if you need it.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-if-the-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-isn-t-for-you"><span>If the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE isn't for you</span></h3>        <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_hero" data-id="683491e7-845d-4f8b-893c-3409d6a4f4fd">            <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style='width: 100%' class='featured_image' src='https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3GgauPZCCePkmbn3b5ibbE.jpg' alt="Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G on a white background"></p></div>            <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper">                <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper">                                                                                <div class="featured__title">Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G</div>                                    </div>                <div class="subtitle__description">                                                            <p><p>The Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G is a stunning lens if you’d like a slightly less wide lens, and one that easily performs as well as a G Master lens despite its attractive price.</p></p>                </div>                            </div>        </div>        <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_hero" data-id="b089dd00-6fc4-4fab-bffa-e990dd177d87">            <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style='width: 100%' class='featured_image' src='https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZzrSTmjD9ESTZjgiLNedFU.jpg' alt="Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II on a white background"></p></div>            <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper">                <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper">                                                                                <div class="featured__title">Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II</div>                                    </div>                <div class="subtitle__description">                                                            <p><p>If you’d prefer maximum versatility for astrophotography and landscape photography, the impressive Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II lens is a must-have ultra-wide zoom.</p></p>                </div>                            </div>        </div>        <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_hero" data-id="693f4329-1d38-4740-83c3-7f64c93e0ddd">            <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style='width: 100%' class='featured_image' src='https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s95aTBcBraD6QwWYr4Com7.jpg' alt="Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G  on a white background"></p></div>            <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper">                <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper">                                                                                <div class="featured__title">Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G</div>                                    </div>                <div class="subtitle__description">                                                            <p><p>If you’d prefer Sony’s own 16mm lens, the Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G is exactly what you’re looking for. It is, however, more expensive than the Viltrox 16mm and optically inferior.</p></p>                </div>                            </div>        </div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-we-tested-the-viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe"><span>How we tested the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE</span></h3><p>The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE was tested over several weeks to capture landscapes lit by a full moon and seascapes around sunset. The lens was attached to a Sony A7R V since the high-resolution sensor is unforgiving and clearly captures the optical flaws of lenses.</p><p>The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE was used normally in a variety of conditions to test its use in different shooting situations and to assess functionality, including autofocus performance.</p><p>Photos were also taken in daylight to check for distortion and aberrations. Sharpness was also checked throughout the aperture range to look at overall sharpness, edge sharpness, corner sharpness and diffraction at a narrower aperture.</p> ]]></dc:content>
418.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/viltrox-af-16mm-f-1-8-fe-lens-review</link>
419.                                                                            <description>
420.                            <![CDATA[ The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is a fast ultra wide-angle prime with excellent light-gathering capabilities, making it perfect for astrophotography as well as landscape photography. ]]>
421.                                                                                                            </description>
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424.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
425.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ James Abbott ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYoDkXTNscCN9FWHf2GXf8-1280-80.jpg">
426.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[James Abbott]]></media:credit>
427.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE atached to a Sony A7R V]]></media:text>
428.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE atached to a Sony A7R V]]></media:title>
429.                                                    </media:content>
430.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYoDkXTNscCN9FWHf2GXf8-1280-80.jpg" />
431.                                                                                        </item>
432.                    <item>
433.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'This needs to happen fast': Scientists race to cryopreserve a critically endangered tree before it goes extinct ]]></title>
434.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists in Australia are deep-freezing the shoot tips of a critically endangered tree to preserve its DNA in case the species goes extinct.</p><p>Only 380 specimens of the angle-stemmed myrtle (<em>Gossia gonoclada</em>) remain in the wild, with about 300 of them concentrated in the City of Logan area in southeast Queensland. If scientists manage to cryopreserve a diverse collection of genes from the species, there is a good chance they could resurrect it if it ever dies out, researchers said.</p><p>"The most important thing is preventing its continuing decline in the wild as this is where the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/plants-facts-about-our-oxygen-providers"><u>plant</u></a> is providing ecological functions and potentially cultural significance," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/9841" target="_blank"><u>Alice Hayward</u></a>, a plant molecular physiologist at the University of Queensland who supervises the project, told Live Science in an email. But "by capturing and keeping alive the remaining diversity of this species in cryobanks it effectively provides a back up storage device for the species," Hayward said.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_sRioFf3l_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="sRioFf3l">            <div id="botr_sRioFf3l_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The angle-stemmed myrtle is a small tree that grows along waterways in Australia's dry rainforests. It has glossy leaves, square stems and sweet, fleshy fruit that may be a food source for bats and birds, Hayward said. "There has been limited research on its ecological interactions but it likely aids in river bank stability and biodiversity," she said.</p><p>A combination of habitat loss, rising temperatures and a deadly fungal disease called myrtle rust has drastically reduced the number of angle-stemmed myrtle plants in Australia since 2010. Myrtle rust is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/invasive-species/diseases-fungi-and-parasites/myrtle-rust" target="_blank"><u>caused</u></a> by the exotic fungus <em>Austropuccinia psidii</em>, which attacks the newly grown parts of trees and shrubs in the Myrtaceae family, deforming the plants' leaves, stunting their growth and decreasing their fertility.</p><p>To save the angle-stemmed myrtle from extinction, scientists are designing a method to freeze plant tissues that can later regenerate a full tree whenever needed. Although seeds contain reproductive material, they are not suitable for this project, both because of their reduced fertility from myrtle rust infections and because they likely won't survive long-term cryopreservation, Hayward said.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/microbiology/it-is-our-obligation-to-future-generations-scientists-want-thousands-of-human-poop-samples-for-microbe-doomsday-vault"><u><strong>'It is our obligation to future generations': Scientists want thousands of human poop samples for microbe 'doomsday vault'</strong></u></a></p><p>So instead, Hayward and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ishs.org/news/cryopreservation-conservation-endangered-gossia-species" target="_blank"><u>Jingyin Bao</u></a>, a doctoral student at the University of Queensland, plan on preserving the angle-stemmed myrtle's shoot tips — the uppermost and actively growing parts of the plant — at ultra-low temperatures of minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 196 degrees Celsius).</p><p>This involves growing sterile shoots in a jelly and harvesting the tips before treating them with a cryoprotective solution and freezing them in liquid nitrogen, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-20/cryo-preservation-saving-endangered-gossia-gonoclada-tree/105658392" target="_blank"><u>ABC News reported</u></a>. Cryoprotective solutions protect plant cells during freezing by minimizing the formation of damaging ice crystals, Hayward said. Without these solutions, water inside the cells would expand, and the cells would burst; but with the solutions, the water turns "glassy" instead, she said.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1833px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:105.67%;"><img id="7MT79zzXpfNyAA2aSmyrzT" name="IMG_0797" alt="Plant shoot tips in a lab dish seen from above." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7MT79zzXpfNyAA2aSmyrzT.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1833" height="1937" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text"><em>Gossia gonoclada</em> cultures in the laboratory at the University of Queensland. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jingyin Bao, with funding from Logan City Council and the Australian Research Council Linkage Program (LP210200907))</span></figcaption></figure><p>The method already works for the sweet myrtle (<em>Gossia</em> <em>fragrantissima</em>), which is a small tree closely related to the angle-stemmed myrtle. After freezing sweet myrtle shoot tips, Bao achieved a 100% survival rate and managed to regrow all the plants, Hayward said. "We are transitioning this to <em>gonoclada</em> with some success and still working to improve the survival," she said.</p><p>Once the researchers land on a method for the angle-stemmed myrtle, they still need to make sure that they have enough genetic diversity in their samples to regrow a healthy population of trees.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/plants-have-a-secret-second-set-of-roots-deep-underground-that-scientists-didnt-know-about">Plants have a secret, second set of roots deep underground that scientists didn't know about</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/chinese-scientists-create-multicolored-glow-in-the-dark-succulents-that-recharge-in-sunlight">Chinese scientists create multicolored glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge in sunlight</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/2-plants-randomly-mated-up-to-1-million-years-ago-to-give-rise-to-one-of-the-worlds-most-popular-drinks">2 plants randomly mated up to 1 million years ago to give rise to one of the world's most popular drinks</a></p></div></div><p>"It is important that there is sufficient genetic diversity saved to provide the best chance of species survival in the future, especially if there happens to be any natural tolerance to myrtle rust or changing climate conditions," Hayward said. "Given the threats to this species in the wild due to habitat loss and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/invasive-species.html"><u>invasive species</u></a> including myrtle rust this needs to happen fast."</p><p>So far, Hayward and Bao haven't found any disease- or climate-resistant specimens in their sample, but City of Logan authorities and their partners are working to identify resistant individuals, Hayward said. "We want to preserve the most diverse individuals, whether tolerant or not, to provide a basis for future breeding," she explained.</p><p>And it's not just the angle-stemmed myrtle that needs preserving in this way, Hayward said. "We need Australia and the world to implement cryobanks to ensure we can bank the diversity of … foods and endangered plants for future generations," she said.</p> ]]></dc:content>
435.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/this-needs-to-happen-fast-scientists-race-to-cryopreserve-a-critically-endangered-tree-before-it-goes-extinct</link>
436.                                                                            <description>
437.                            <![CDATA[ Less than 400 angle-stemmed myrtle specimens remain in the wild in Australia. Scientists are working on ways to preserve the species so that we can bring it back at any point if it dies out. ]]>
438.                                                                                                            </description>
439.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">JLKwTPQMvtoaPxFiFhinof</guid>
440.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hB4RFvavmAtVDSfkUutYme-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
441.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:27:19 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
442.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
443.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ sascha.pare@futurenet.com (Sascha Pare) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sascha Pare ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hB4RFvavmAtVDSfkUutYme-1280-80.jpg">
444.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Jingyin Bao, with funding from Logan City Council and the Australian Research Council Linkage Program (LP210200907)]]></media:credit>
445.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A plant shoot tip in a petri dish.]]></media:text>
446.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A plant shoot tip in a petri dish.]]></media:title>
447.                                                    </media:content>
448.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hB4RFvavmAtVDSfkUutYme-1280-80.jpg" />
449.                                                                                        </item>
450.                    <item>
451.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'A genuine surprise': Near-Earth asteroid Ryugu once had 'flowing water' that transformed its insides ]]></title>
452.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists in Japan now believe that liquid water once flowed through the heart of the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu, after researchers detected something unusual in the samples of the space rock that were <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/ryugu-asteroid-samples-origins-of-solar-system"><u>returned to our planet five years ago</u></a>.</p><p>The surprising findings also have potential implications for how Earth acquired its own water, the researchers say.</p><p>162173 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/20-amino-acid-types-found-on-ryugu"><u>Ryugu</u></a> is a roughly 3,000-foot-wide (900 meter) asteroid that orbits the sun every 474 days on a trajectory that frequently overlaps with Earth's. It is unlikely to ever hit our planet, but it is still large enough and comes close enough to us to be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-are-potentially-hazardous-asteroids"><u>considered "potentially hazardous"</u></a> by NASA.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="HzwnNKMn">            <div id="botr_HzwnNKMn_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Ryugu was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/asteroid-ryugu-porous-planetesimals.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Livesciencecom+%28LiveScience.com+Science+Headline+Feed%29"><u>visited by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission</u></a> between 2018 and 2019, which deployed a probe that landed on the spinning top-shape space rock and collected samples that were later returned to Earth in December 2020.</p><p>In a new study, published Sept. 10 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09483-0" target="_blank"><u>Nature</u></a>, researchers unearthed chemical irregularities within these samples, which they say can currently be explained only by the historic presence of flowing water within the asteroid.</p><p>"We found that Ryugu preserved a pristine record of water activity," study lead author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://secure.eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/member/index.php?_urid=3394&_lang=en" target="_blank"><u>Tsuyoshi Iizuka</u></a>, a geochemist at the University of Tokyo in Japan, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/press/z0508_00420.html" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>. There is also "evidence that fluids moved through its rocks," he added. "It was a genuine surprise!"</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/key-building-block-for-life-discovered-on-distant-asteroid-ryugu-and-it-could-explain-how-life-on-earth-began"><u><strong>Key building block for life discovered on distant asteroid Ryugu — and it could explain how life on Earth began</strong></u></a></p><p>The new findings emerged after the team analyzed the radioactive isotopes — rare versions of elements with an altered atomic mass — of lutetium (Lu) and hafnium (Hf) within the samples.</p><p>Lu-176 naturally decays into Hf-176 via beta decay, in which an element spits out charged subatomic particles, such as electrons or positrons, transforming them into something else. By working out the ratio of Lu-176 to Hf-176 and comparing it to the half life of Lu-176 — the time taken for half a sample of the isotope to naturally decay — the team aimed to work out how old the samples were.</p><p>But when they carried out their analysis, the researchers found that there was far too much Hf-176 in the samples. The researchers argue that the only thing that could properly explain this result was that ancient liquid water had washed away a majority of Lu-176 within the samples, which could have started happening shortly after Ryugu was born.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.33%;"><img id="W6svLyrfAVqDXBTgnjeZYh" name="fG5kWVn7J4oULVYEH9cMcn-600-80.jpeg" alt="These bits of rock and dust were gathered from the C-type asteroid Ryugu by the spacecraft Hayabusa2." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/W6svLyrfAVqDXBTgnjeZYh.jpeg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="600" height="338" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">These bits of rock and dust were gathered from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu by the spacecraft Hayabusa2 on 2019. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Yada, et al.; Nature Astronomy)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="a-watery-past-2">A watery past</h2><p>"The most likely trigger [for the water] was an impact on a larger asteroid parent of Ryugu, which fractured the rock and melted buried ice, allowing liquid water to percolate through the body," Izuka said.</p><p>Recent analysis from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) had suggested that Ryugu's parent asteroid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/james-webb-telescope-reveals-that-asteroids-bennu-and-ryugu-may-be-parts-of-the-same-gigantic-space-rock"><u>may have also spawned the asteroid Bennu</u></a>, which was visited by NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/what-is-osiris-rex-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-1st-nasa-spacecraft-to-land-on-an-asteroid"><u>OSIRIS-REx mission</u></a> that later <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasas-osiris-rex-capsule-returns-to-earth-with-a-sample-from-the-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-bennu"><u>returned samples of the asteroid to Earth</u></a> in September 2023. However, similar signs of flowing water have not been seen within Bennu's samples so far, creating uncertainty about the asteroids' respective origins.</p><p>Given that Ryugu likely had flowing water, the researchers also believe that its parent asteroid may have contained ice for at least a billion years after the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/solar-system"><u>solar system</u></a> was formed, which is far longer than most asteroids were thought to be able to hold onto their water.</p><p>"This changes how we think about the long-term fate of water in asteroids," Izuka said. "The water hung around for a long time and was not exhausted so quickly as thought."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/samples-of-alien-asteroid-ryugu-are-crawling-with-life-from-earth">Samples of 'alien' asteroid Ryugu are crawling with life — from Earth</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/building-blocks-of-life-recovered-from-asteroid-ryugu-are-older-than-the-solar-system-itself">'Building blocks of life' recovered from asteroid Ryugu are older than the solar system itself</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/ryugu-could-be-extinct-comet">We may finally know why spinning-top asteroid Ryugu has such a weird shape</a></p></div></div><p>It is widely accepted that a majority of Earth's water likely came from impacts with asteroids, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/comets"><u>comets</u></a> or other planetesimals in the early days of the solar system. The new findings hint that asteroids could have played a much larger role in this process than previously thought, potentially delivering up to three times more water to our planet than expected, the researchers claim.</p><p>The study team is now planning to analyze veins of phosphate within the samples, which could pin down a more accurate age for the water that flowed through Ryugu, and look more closely at the isotopes from asteroid Bennu to see if it too has signs of flowing water, according to Live Science's sister site <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/scientists-find-evidence-of-flowing-water-on-ryugus-ancient-parent-asteroid-it-was-a-genuine-surprise" target="_blank"><u>Space.com</u></a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
453.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/a-genuine-surprise-near-earth-asteroid-ryugu-once-had-flowing-water-that-transformed-its-insides</link>
454.                                                                            <description>
455.                            <![CDATA[ A new analysis of asteroid Ryugu hints that the "potentially hazardous" space rock once had flowing water in its core, possibly leftover from the impact that created it. ]]>
456.                                                                                                            </description>
457.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">QZzRqWupeMGkihqXvhd7vD</guid>
458.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yN4ZKgwuWQMFYM2cjX5AhW-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
459.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Asteroids]]></category>
460.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
461.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
462.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Baker ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yN4ZKgwuWQMFYM2cjX5AhW-1280-80.jpg">
463.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[ISAS/JAXA, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]]></media:credit>
464.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[photo of ryugu asteroid]]></media:text>
465.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[photo of ryugu asteroid]]></media:title>
466.                                                    </media:content>
467.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yN4ZKgwuWQMFYM2cjX5AhW-1280-80.jpg" />
468.                                                                                        </item>
469.                    <item>
470.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Volcanic 'googly eyes' stare into space from skull-like peninsula — Earth from space ]]></title>
471.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">QUICK FACTS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where is it? </strong>Chiltepe Peninsula, Lake Managua, Nicaragua [<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Apoyeque/@12.2521788,-86.6254119,79180m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x8f715a034bd0df7b:0xd396f929dba4ee0b!8m2!3d12.241667!4d-86.341667!16s%2Fm%2F02psdjh?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D" target="_blank">12.236943676, -86.34017745</a>]</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>What's in the photo? </strong>Two volcanic lakes that look like a pair of eyes staring upward</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Who took the photo? </strong>An unnamed astronaut on board the International Space Station</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>When was it taken? </strong>Jan. 21, 2014</p></div></div><p>This intriguing astronaut photo shows two volcanic lakes appearing to peer into space from a skull-like peninsula in Nicaragua, like a pair of heterochromatic googly eyes. This unusual scene, which is influenced by a subtle optical illusion, is completely unrecognizable from ground level.</p><p>If these lakes are considered eyes, then their head is the Chiltepe Peninsula, a rounded landmass that extends into the waters of Lake Managua. Known locally as Lago Xolotlán, it covers an area of around 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers) in the heart of the Central American nation.</p><p>The peninsula, located around 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the capital city of Managua, was formed by a series of pyroclastic shield eruptions. During these blasts, mostly low-density materials, such as pumice, are violently ejected from beneath the surface, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/83011/apoyeque-volcano-nicaragua" target="_blank"><u>NASA's Earth Observatory</u></a>. These major eruptions ended around 17,000 years ago. However, more recent volcanic activity has occurred there within the past 2,000 years.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_zJBzzAfn_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="zJBzzAfn">            <div id="botr_zJBzzAfn_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The smaller lake (on the left), which is around 1.1 miles (1.7 km) wide, is located within the Apoyeque caldera. The larger lake (on the right), known as Laguna Xiloa, is around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) across at its widest point. It was formed by an explosive outburst that occurred when magma from below Apoyeque interacted with submerged groundwater.</p><p>When viewed from space, the lakes appear side by side. However, the surface of the Apoyeque lake sits at an altitude of around 1,300 feet (400 m), while Laguna Xiloa is close to sea level — meaning you would not be able to see both unless you stood on the crater rim of Apoyeque.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/earth-from-space"><u><strong>See all the best images of Earth from space</strong></u></a><strong> </strong></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="K2QuGqZ2cfsrqarWjveKVA" name="efs-volcanic-eyes" alt="A photo of Lake Managua in Nicaragua, taken from the shoreline" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K2QuGqZ2cfsrqarWjveKVA.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">From the shoes of Lake Managua, the Chiltepe Peninsula looks much different than it does from space. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The two lakes are slightly different colors: Laguna Xiloa is a deep blue, while Apoyeque is greenish. If these bodies of water were really eyes, then they would be a rare example of heterochromia — a rare condition in which a person's eyes are different colors.</p><p>At first glance, the two lakes have a fairly similar size and shape. However, Apoyeque's lake is smaller and more rounded than Laguna Xiloa. The reason for this subtle illusion is that the rim of Apoyeque's crater is much more closely aligned to the outline of Laguna Xiloa, making them seem more similar at first glance.</p><h2 id="explosive-potential-2">Explosive potential</h2><p>Both Apoyeque and Laguna Xiloa are technically active volcanoes, but they have not erupted for millennia and are unlikely to do so anytime soon, according to the Smithsonian Institution's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=344091" target="_blank"><u>Global Volcanism Program</u></a>.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">MORE EARTH FROM SPACE</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/supervolcanic-hell-caldera-in-japan-is-home-to-17-different-volcanoes-earth-from-space">Supervolcanic 'hell' caldera in Japan is home to 17 different volcanoes</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/russian-volcano-grows-devil-horns-and-spits-out-1-000-mile-long-river-of-smoke-earth-from-space">Russian volcano grows 'devil horns' and spits out 1,000-mile-long river of smoke</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/river-of-fire-unleashes-toxic-gases-as-eruption-destroys-town-in-la-palma-earth-from-space">'River of fire' unleashes toxic gases as eruption destroys town in La Palma</a></p></div></div><p>Laguna Xiloa last erupted approximately 6,000 years ago, whereas Apoyeque has had four major eruptions since then. The most recent and explosive of these is estimated to have occurred in around 50 B.C. and sculpted the shape of the crater that now holds its lake.</p><p>In 2012, a swarm of minor earthquakes was triggered by the movement of magma beneath Apoyeque, according to the Earth Observatory. However, this was not a sign of an imminent eruption.</p><p>If the larger volcano were to blow its top, it could impact some of the residents of Managua, as well as significantly endanger the residents of Bosques de Xiloa, a small town on the shores of Laguna Xiloa (visible in the satellite image).</p> ]]></dc:content>
472.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/volcanic-googly-eyes-stare-into-space-from-skull-like-peninsula-earth-from-space</link>
473.                                                                            <description>
474.                            <![CDATA[ A 2014 astronaut photo shows a pair of volcanic lakes appearing to stare up into space from the Chiltepe Peninsula of Nicaragua's Lake Managua. These "eyes" and "skull" were created by violent eruptions thousands of years ago. ]]>
475.                                                                                                            </description>
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478.                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Volcanos]]></category>
479.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
480.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Baker ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7x2p8g3GgR4W5WUTP5kBVA-1280-80.jpg">
481.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/ISS program]]></media:credit>
482.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A satellite photo of a rounded peninsula in a lake, with two eye-like lakes at its center]]></media:text>
483.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A satellite photo of a rounded peninsula in a lake, with two eye-like lakes at its center]]></media:title>
484.                                                    </media:content>
485.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7x2p8g3GgR4W5WUTP5kBVA-1280-80.jpg" />
486.                                                                                        </item>
487.                    <item>
488.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ World's oldest mummies were smoke-dried 10,000 years ago in China and Southeast Asia, researchers find ]]></title>
489.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The world's oldest known human mummies were created by smoke-drying corpses 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and China, long before <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/mummification.html"><u>mummification</u></a> became commonplace in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/22319-climate-chinchorro-mummies.html"><u>Chile</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians"><u>Egypt</u></a>, new research shows.</p><p>A study of dozens of ancient graves found in China, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia revealed that many skeletons that were found in a tight fetal position were treated by an extended period of smoke-drying over fire before being buried. The research was published Monday (Sept. 15) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2515103122" target="_blank"><u>PNAS</u></a>.</p><p>"Smoking likely carried spiritual, religious, or cultural meanings that went far beyond simply slowing decay," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/hsiao-chun-hung" target="_blank"><u>Hsiao-chun Hung</u></a>, a senior research fellow at the Australian National University and lead author of the study, told Live Science in an email.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_iB7zvqrn_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="iB7zvqrn">            <div id="botr_iB7zvqrn_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>The researchers had been puzzled by the high number of burials in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-china-facts"><u>China</u></a> and Southeast Asia from 4,000 to 12,000 years ago in which the skeletons were "hyperflexed," or contorted into unnatural tightly crouched positions. A similar skeleton found in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/oldest-human-mummy-found-portugal"><u>Portugal in 2022</u></a> was interpreted as evidence of mummification because it was hyperflexed — likely bound up so the arms and legs could be moved beyond their natural limits as the body decomposed.</p><p>But in many of the ancient Southeast Asian burials, the researchers found, there was evidence of burning on the skeletons and not in the graves, which suggested some sort of ritual treatment of the body that included fire and smoke.</p><p>The researchers used X-ray diffraction, a nondestructive technique that allows scientists to investigate the internal microstructure of a material, and infrared spectroscopy to assess whether the bones had been exposed to heat. Many of the skeletons revealed evidence of low-intensity heating and discoloration from soot, rather than evidence of direct combustion such as a cremation. This suggests that a specialized mortuary practice involving the smoking of a corpse was likely practiced widely in pre-farming communities across southern China and Southeast Asia, the researchers wrote.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/18-stab-wounds-to-3-700-year-old-skull-reveal-fierce-feuding-in-ancient-china"><u><strong>'Overkill' injuries on Bronze Age skeletons reveal fierce feuding in ancient China</strong></u></a></p><p>Smoke-dried mummies are still being made today in parts of Southeast Asia, according to the researchers. They traveled to Papua, a province of Indonesia, in 2019 and observed the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/50948-photos-smoked-mummies-papua-new-guinea.html"><u>Dani and Pumo</u></a> people creating mummies of their deceased ancestors by tightly binding the corpses, setting them over a fire, and smoking them until they turned entirely black. Drawing on these examples, the researchers concluded that ancient individuals were tightly bound after death and smoked for long periods over low-temperature fires.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3413px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="zMnK2Bfs3tUKC3gPv4x9hS" name="2025-15103-3" alt="a human mummy that is mostly black in color sits tightly flexed on a tree stump" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zMnK2Bfs3tUKC3gPv4x9hS.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="3413" height="1920" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A modern smoke-dried mummy from the Dani people, Papua (Indonesia). </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Hirofumi Matsumura and Hsiao-chun Hung)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Although the deceased individuals the researchers investigated in their study are only bones — with no skin, soft tissue or hair preserved — they consider the remains to be mummies because they were deliberately mummified through smoke-drying.</p><p>"The key difference from the mummies we typically imagine is that these ancient smoked bodies were not sealed in containers after the process, and therefore, their preservation generally lasted only a few decades to a few hundred years," Hung said. In the hot and humid climate of Southeast Asia, smoking was likely the most effective way of preserving the bodies, she said.</p><p>But how these ancient hunter-gatherers discovered that smoking a human body could preserve it "remains a fascinating and thought-provoking mystery," Hung said, and "we cannot say with certainty whether smoking the body was first conceived as a way to preserve it." It's possible that ancient people discovered smoking accidentally, as a by-product of some kind of ritual practice, or that they discovered smoking animal meat first and then applied it to dead humans.</p><p>"What is clear is that the practice prolonged the visible presence of the deceased, allowing ancestors to remain among the living in a tangible way, a poignant reflection of enduring human love, memory, and devotion," Hung said.</p><h2 id="two-layer-model-of-migration-2">Two-layer model of migration</h2><p>The mummies may also support a "two-layer" model of early migration into Southeast Asia. This model rests on the idea that ancient hunter-gatherers came as a wave of migrating people as early as 65,000 years ago and were distinct from the later Neolithic farmers and their burial traditions who did not arrive until 4,000 years ago. The ancient hunter-gatherers who used the smoked burial practices may have given rise to modern-day human populations in Southeast Asia, such as the Dani and Pumo people who still practice this form of funeral ritual.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/entities/person/Yeh-Hui-Yuan" target="_blank"><u>Ivy Hui-Yuan Yeh</u></a>, a biological anthropologist at Nanyang Technological University who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email the new findings support the two-layer model and "are consistent with the patterns of early human migration, distribution, and interaction in Asia."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2-200-year-old-grave-in-china-contains-red-princess-of-the-silk-road-whose-teeth-were-painted-with-a-toxic-substance">2,200-year-old grave in China contains 'Red Princess of the Silk Road' whose teeth were painted with a toxic substance</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/women-likely-ruled-in-stone-age-china-dna-analysis-of-4-500-year-old-skeletons-reveal">Women likely ruled in Stone Age China, DNA analysis of 4,500-year-old skeletons reveals</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2200-year-old-skeletons-with-legs-chopped-off-may-have-received-cruel-punishment-in-ancient-china">2,500-year-old skeletons with legs chopped off may be elites who received 'cruel' punishment in ancient China</a></p></div></div><p>If hyperflexed burials identified throughout Southeast Asia can be interpreted as smoked mummies, this suggests that "smoked mummification might have originated earlier, and been more widespread, than is currently identified in the archaeological record," the authors wrote in the study.</p><p>In fact, the process of smoke-drying a dead body may go back as far as the early expansion of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/homo-sapiens.html"><u><em>Homo sapiens</em></u></a> from Africa into Southeast Asia, and potentially as far back as 42,000 years ago, showcasing a "deep and enduring biological and cultural continuity," the researchers concluded.</p><h2 id="stone-age-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-paleolithic-mesolithic-and-neolithic-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/stone-age-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-paleolithic-mesolithic-and-neolithic">Stone Age quiz</a>: What do you know about the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic?</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-Ww9DAX"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/Ww9DAX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
490.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/worlds-oldest-mummies-were-smoke-dried-10-000-years-ago-in-china-and-southeast-asia-researchers-find</link>
491.                                                                            <description>
492.                            <![CDATA[ The world's oldest evidence for purposeful human mummification comes from Southeast Asia, where people smoke-dried their ancestors' corpses 10,000 years ago. ]]>
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496.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:36:41 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
497.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8iKyN5v8JVtpGWnfxKduV5-1280-80.png">
498.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Yousuke Kaifu and Hirofumi Matsumura]]></media:credit>
499.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a tightly crouched human skeleton in the ground]]></media:text>
500.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a tightly crouched human skeleton in the ground]]></media:title>
501.                                                    </media:content>
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504.                    <item>
505.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 1,900-year-old oil lamp that provided 'light in the journey to the afterlife' found in Roman cemetery in the Netherlands ]]></title>
506.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>While excavating a massive <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans"><u>Roman</u></a> cemetery in the Netherlands, archaeologists discovered an unusual oil lamp that may depict the ancient god of wine.</p><p>The "filling hole," where oil would have been poured, looks like a comically large and open mouth on a person's face, while a handle above the face resembles a fancy leaf.</p><p>"Highly decorated lamps like this are very rare in this part of the Roman province, especially in this condition," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://gemeente-archeologen.nl/cuijk/" target="_blank"><u>Johan van Kampen</u></a>, the archaeologist for the Land van Cuijk municipality, told Live Science in an email. "I dare not say this is the first of its kind in the Netherlands, but we are certain that the amount of these types of lamps are very rare."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_9pHsrBKS_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="9pHsrBKS">            <div id="botr_9pHsrBKS_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Van Kampen and a team of archaeologists uncovered the lamp last month in their ongoing excavation of a Roman cemetery in the modern Dutch town of Cuijk, near the border with Germany. In Roman times — from about 50 B.C. to A.D. 400 — the town was known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livius.org/articles/place/ceuclum-cuijk/" target="_blank"><u>Ceuclum</u></a>, and it was inhabited by a Germanic tribe that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/julius-caesar"><u>Julius Caesar</u></a> called the Batavi.</p><p>Today, most of the cemetery is covered by buildings and roads, van Kampen said, but it extends at least 15 acres (6 hectares). "The density of the graves is much higher than suspected," he said, "and we are expecting to recover 350 to 400 graves."</p><p>The archaeologists found the oil lamp in one of the roughly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/4747838/romeins-olielampje-na-1800-jaar-nog-helemaal-heel-gevonden-een-topstuk" target="_blank"><u>70 graves</u></a> they have already excavated. The lamp, which dates to the second century A.D., was discovered along with four ceramic plates, two jugs, a cup, a glass bowl and a bronze bowl, van Kampen said.</p><p>The dishes in the grave probably once contained food and drinks, according to van Kampen. "The lamp was part of this set and should be seen as an object providing light in the journey to the afterlife," he said.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.27%;"><img id="Rgof7ApAydDv6bYeknXEUF" name="Lamp right after cleaning" alt="cleaned Roman oil lamp in a black basket with a white label underneath" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Rgof7ApAydDv6bYeknXEUF.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1500" height="844" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The lamp after a light cleaning </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: BAAC / RAAP)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/skull-of-bear-held-captive-to-fight-roman-gladiators-discovered-near-ancient-amphitheater-in-serbia"><u><strong>Skull of bear held captive to fight Roman gladiators discovered near ancient amphitheater in Serbia</strong></u></a></p><p>Archaeologists have cleaned the lamp but are still debating the meaning of the decoration. "Some think it might depict Bacchus," the ancient god of wine and debauchery, van Kampen said, but "it is probably an actor's mask."</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/extraordinary-sarcophagus-discovered-in-israel-shows-carving-of-dionysus-beating-hercules-in-a-drinking-contest">'Extraordinary' sarcophagus discovered in Israel shows carving of Dionysus beating Hercules in a drinking contest</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/centuries-old-floor-patched-with-sliced-bones-discovered-in-the-netherlands">Centuries-old floor patched with sliced bones discovered in the Netherlands</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-army-camp-found-in-netherlands-beyond-the-empires-frontier">Roman army camp found in Netherlands, beyond the empire's frontier</a></p></div></div><p>Comedy and tragedy masks are a well-known <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/comedy-and-tragedy-masks-of-theatre" target="_blank"><u>symbol of the performing arts</u></a> and go back to ancient Greece. Actors would <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://greekerthanthegreeks.com/history-of-theatre-in-ancient-greece/" target="_blank"><u>wear the masks</u></a> to emphasize their expressions and to change characters as needed. Masks were also associated with Bacchus (Dionysus or Dionysos in Greek mythology) — the god of wine and a patron of the theatrical arts — as his devotees often <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/rare-fresco-discovered-in-pompeii-shows-type-of-woman-who-breaks-free-from-male-order-to-dance-freely-go-hunting-and-eat-raw-meat-in-the-mountains"><u>wore masks</u></a> when worshipping him.</p><p>Only a fraction of the Ceuclum cemetery has been excavated so far. The archaeologists expect to find many more Roman artifacts — and likely even richer graves — as they excavate further.</p><h2 id="roman-emperor-quiz-test-your-knowledge-on-the-rulers-of-the-ancient-empire-7"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-emperor-quiz-test-your-knowledge-on-the-rulers-of-the-ancient-empire">Roman emperor quiz</a>: Test your knowledge on the rulers of the ancient empire</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-O6m8BW"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/O6m8BW.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
507.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/1-900-year-old-oil-lamp-that-provided-light-in-the-journey-to-the-afterlife-found-in-roman-cemetery-in-the-netherlands</link>
508.                                                                            <description>
509.                            <![CDATA[ Archaeologists excavating in a Roman cemetery in the Netherlands have uncovered a unique oil lamp dating to the second century A.D. ]]>
510.                                                                                                            </description>
511.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">XrrDd2pjkJWrNcBKeqzgo5</guid>
512.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K7uyJtWEQQ6ZUJLE6oen7Y-1280-80.png" type="image/png" length="0"></enclosure>
513.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:04:05 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Romans]]></category>
514.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
515.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K7uyJtWEQQ6ZUJLE6oen7Y-1280-80.png">
516.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[BAAC / RAAP]]></media:credit>
517.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a clay-colored Roman oil lamp in the shape of a comic mask in the dirt]]></media:text>
518.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a clay-colored Roman oil lamp in the shape of a comic mask in the dirt]]></media:title>
519.                                                    </media:content>
520.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K7uyJtWEQQ6ZUJLE6oen7Y-1280-80.png" />
521.                                                                                        </item>
522.                    <item>
523.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Scientists measure the 'natal kick' that sent a baby black hole careening through space for the first time ]]></title>
524.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists have measured the recoil velocity from a  cataclysmic collision between two black holes for the very first time.</p><p>Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time first proposed to exist by Albert Einstein, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/science-history-gravitational-waves-detected-proving-einstein-right-sept-14-2015"><u>detected for the first time in 2015</u></a>. Another first came in 2019, when scientists picked up a gravitational wave signal resulting from a violent merger between vastly different sized <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/black-holes"><u>black holes</u></a>. The size imbalance caused the newborn black hole to ricochet off into the universe in a phenomenon known as a "natal kick."</p><p>Now, astronomers have deciphered this gravitational wave signal, called GW190412, revealing that the collision caused the newly-merged black hole to shoot through space at more than 31 miles per second (50 kilometers per second) — fast enough to catapult it out of its original cluster of stars, researchers reported in the study, published on Sept. 9 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02632-5" target="_blank"><u>Nature Astronomy</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_aHeP0vfm_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="aHeP0vfm">            <div id="botr_aHeP0vfm_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>"It's a remarkable demonstration of what gravitational waves can do," study co-author  <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://igc.psu.edu/people/bio/kbc5795/" target="_blank"><u>Koustav Chandra</u></a>, an astrophysicist at Pennsylvania State University said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://igfae.usc.es/igfae/en/first-ever-complete-measurement-black-hole-recoil/" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><h2 id="collision-signals-2">Collision signals</h2><p>When black holes careen toward one another they produce gravitational waves. But when one black hole is much more massive than the other, the gravitational waves produced look very different depending on the angle from which they are observed.</p><p>By looking from different angles, researchers can find the direction of the kick. Then, the kick’s speed can be determined by measuring the mass ratio and spin of the two original black holes — information that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/stephen-hawkings-long-contested-black-hole-theory-finally-confirmed-as-scientists-hear-2-event-horizons-merge-into-one"><u>can also be determined</u></a> from studying gravitational waves.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-detect-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever-and-it-birthed-a-monster-225-times-as-massive-as-the-sun"><u><strong>Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun</strong></u></a></p><p>If the recoil from the collision is strong enough to slingshot the merged black hole from its star cluster, this <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2105.03439" target="_blank"><u>prevents this new black hole from subsequently merging</u></a> with other black holes and potentially forming a supermassive black hole — which can be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-detect-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever-and-it-birthed-a-monster-225-times-as-massive-as-the-sun"><u>100,000 to 50 billion times the mass of the sun</u></a>. This makes understanding the speed and direction of kicks essential for tracking the formation of supermassive black holes.</p><p>In 2018, study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://investigacion.usc.gal/investigadores/186025/detalle?lang=en" target="_blank"><u>Juan Calderón Bustillo</u></a> and his colleagues figured out exactly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.191102" target="_blank"><u>how to measure the natal kick</u></a> based on these gravitational wave signals. But their model had to rely on simulations, as no black hole merger resulting in a recoil had been detected at that point.</p><p>Then, on April 12, 2019, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/gravitational-wave-lab-ligo-roars-back-online-to-detect-the-oldest-black-hole-collisions-ever-seen"><u>Advanced LIGO detectors</u></a> in Louisiana and Washington State and the Virgo detector in Italy <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.102.043015" target="_blank"><u>recorded the GW190412</u></a> picked up a signal resulting from two stellar-mass black holes merging: One 29.7 times as massive as the sun and the other 8.4 times as massive.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-think-they-detected-the-first-known-triple-black-hole-system-in-the-universe-and-then-watched-it-die">Scientists think they detected the first known triple black hole system in the universe — and then watched it die</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/james-webb-telescope-spots-earliest-black-hole-in-the-known-universe-looking-as-far-back-as-you-can-practically-go">James Webb telescope spots earliest black hole in the known universe, looking 'as far back as you can practically go'</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/colossal-black-hole-36-billion-times-the-mass-of-our-sun-is-one-of-the-largest-ever-seen-in-the-universe">Colossal black hole 36 billion times the mass of our sun is one of the largest ever seen in the universe</a></p></div></div><p>Despite taking place more than 2.4 billion light-years away from Earth, the researchers used two angles relative to Earth to determine where the kick sent the newborn black hole. It raced away from its birth site, likely a dense grouping of stars called a globular cluster, at an astonishing 111,600 miles per hour (179,600 kilometers per hour). This speed would be more than enough to enable it to escape the cluster and become a runaway black hole.</p><p>"This is one of the few phenomena in astrophysics where we're not just detecting something," Chandra said. "We're reconstructing the full 3D motion of an object that's billions of light-years away, using only ripples in spacetime."</p><p>The team’s next steps will be to look for more black hole mergers to measure with both gravitational waves and visible light, a search that could yield deeper insights into how the cosmic monsters grow.</p> ]]></dc:content>
525.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-measure-the-natal-kick-that-sent-a-baby-black-hole-careening-through-space-for-the-first-time</link>
526.                                                                            <description>
527.                            <![CDATA[ Two black holes merged together 2.4 billion light years away from Earth, and scientists have just figured out how fast the newborn ricocheted, and in which direction. ]]>
528.                                                                                                            </description>
529.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">mfrg3dRrbNodwoM4Ds8N87</guid>
530.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CCjVAaAcbDLbVsWARWWGoh-1280-80.gif" type="image/gif" length="0"></enclosure>
531.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:10:30 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
532.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
533.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
534.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/gif" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CCjVAaAcbDLbVsWARWWGoh-1280-80.gif">
535.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[SXS]]></media:credit>
536.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An animation of two black holes merging]]></media:text>
537.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An animation of two black holes merging]]></media:title>
538.                                                    </media:content>
539.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CCjVAaAcbDLbVsWARWWGoh-1280-80.gif" />
540.                                                                                        </item>
541.                    <item>
542.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Russian nesting doll' virus hides inside a deadly fungus, making it even more dangerous to people ]]></title>
543.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A fungus flagged as a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/363682/9789240060241-eng.pdf?sequence=1" target="_blank"><u>"critical" concern by the World Health Organization</u></a> may have a secret weapon: a virus hidden inside it.</p><p>Now, a new study suggests that targeting this virus may offer a new strategy for treating these dangerous fungal infections in people.</p><p>The virus, called A. fumigatus Polymycovirus-1 (AfuPmV-1M), was known prior to the new research. But the study revealed that the virus appears to be giving the fungus <em>Aspergillus fumigatus</em> several key survival advantages.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_zocO78SV_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="zocO78SV">            <div id="botr_zocO78SV_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p><em>A. fumigatus </em>can infect people who breathe in its spores. This can cause short-term or long-term lung infections or an "invasive" disease that spreads beyond the lungs. While many people breathe in <em>Aspergillus</em> spores every day, usually only immunocompromised patients get sick, study lead author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=iPynCEIAAAAJ&hl=pt-BR" target="_blank"><u>Marina Campos Rocha</u></a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Live Science. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/aspergillosis/about/index.html" target="_blank"><u>People with lung disease</u></a> are also vulnerable.</p><p>The fungus is responsible for about 2.1 million cases of invasive aspergillosis and 1.8 million cases of chronic lung infection per year, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(23)00692-8/fulltext" target="_blank"><u>out of the 6.55 million invasive fungal infections</u></a> that happen worldwide each year.  The invasive infection has a mortality rate that ranges from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/3/4/57#B108-jof-03-00057" target="_blank"><u>30% to 80% worldwide</u></a>.</p><p>In the new study, published Aug. 14 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-025-02096-3" target="_blank"><u>Nature Microbiology</u></a>, scientists studied mice that they infected with <em>A. fumigatus</em>, which itself was infected by the AfuPmV-1M virus in what Rocha described as a "Russian doll" scenario. The fungus used was originally isolated from the lung of a patient who had died from aspergillosis.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/in-world-1st-virus-spotted-attached-to-2nd-virus"><u><strong>In world 1st, virus spotted attached to 2nd virus</strong></u></a></p><p>The researchers showed that when they gave mice antiviral drugs, the rodents' survival rate improved, they carried a lower fungal burden in their lungs, and they showed reduced viral levels compared with mice that weren't given the medicine.</p><p>In other words, by solely targeting the virus, the researchers managed to reduce the burden of the fungal infection in mice, Rocha said. This seems to disagree with findings from an earlier study, published <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33424809/" target="_blank"><u>in 2020</u></a>, which found the opposite effect — that targeting the virus inadvertently worsened the fungal infection. (Rocha noted that there could be several reasons for the divergent results, including the fact that each research team used different approaches to render their fungal strains virus-free.)</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/norman.vanrhijn" target="_blank"><u>Norman van Rhijn</u></a>, a research fellow at the Manchester Fungal Infection Group, said the finding uncovered by Rocha and colleagues was completely novel. "This has been a big step towards understanding the virulence capacity of this fungus and has the potential to broaden these findings in other human pathogens," van Rhijn, who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email.</p><p>Rocha and her team found that the fungi exposed to antivirals reproduced less effectively and showed reduced melanin production; in many disease-causing fungi, melanin boosts virulence and the ability to survive in harsh environments.</p><p>The virus itself cannot harm mice or humans, since it needs specific receptors and proteins to bind to, and these are absent in the mammals, Rocha said. Each fungus-infecting virus is  usually specific to one fungal species, she added.</p><p>"Like in the case of this one, it can only infect <em>Aspergillus fumigatus</em>," Rocha said. "It's not able to infect other fungi."</p><p>The researchers think one way the virus helps the fungus thrive is by controlling some of the processes by which the fungus processes <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-is-RNA.html"><u>RNA</u></a>, a genetic molecule involved in making proteins. The virus somehow improves the fungus' stress responses and protein synthesis, thus strengthening survival in hostile conditions. They also saw that human immune cells found it harder to kill virus-infected strains of the fungus, compared with uninfected strains.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/new-fungal-infection-discovered-in-china">New fungal infection discovered in China</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/caffeine-may-help-e-coli-resist-antibiotics-but-more-research-is-needed">Caffeine may help bacteria resist antibiotics, study finds</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/microbiology/the-most-critically-harmful-fungi-to-humans-how-the-rise-of-c-auris-was-inevitable">'The most critically harmful fungi to humans': How the rise of C. auris was inevitable</a></p></div></div><p>If the antivirals used to target AfuPmV-1M in the mice work as effectively in humans, future therapies could use the drug to weaken the fungus enough for the immune system or antifungal drugs to clear it from the body, the study authors think.</p><p>Rocha suspects other fungal pathogens that infect people may also be infected with similar viruses that boost their resilience. Together with her colleagues, she is investigating the infection mechanisms involved in infected and uninfected fungi.</p><p>"Our article represents only the initial step of this investigation," she told Live Science. "Our broader goal is to provide a more comprehensive explanation of how the process unfolds at the molecular level."</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
544.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/russian-nesting-doll-virus-hides-inside-a-deadly-fungus-making-it-even-more-dangerous-to-people</link>
545.                                                                            <description>
546.                            <![CDATA[ A virus found lurking inside a deadly fungus may make the microbe  even stronger and harder to kill when it infects people. ]]>
547.                                                                                                            </description>
548.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">JvqWSxkwxkTDoV6hdoEpTe</guid>
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550.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
551.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
552.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Christoph Schwaiger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AbbjrzMKWeRKeJc24UrYTj-1280-80.jpg">
553.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Courtesy of Marina Campos Rocha]]></media:credit>
554.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Photograph taken of Aspergillus fumigatus under a microscope. The cultures shown on the right are infected with virus, while those on the left are uninfected.]]></media:text>
555.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Photograph taken of Aspergillus fumigatus under a microscope. The cultures shown on the right are infected with virus, while those on the left are uninfected.]]></media:title>
556.                                                    </media:content>
557.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AbbjrzMKWeRKeJc24UrYTj-1280-80.jpg" />
558.                                                                                        </item>
559.                    <item>
560.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Diet change could make brain cancer easier to treat, early study hints ]]></title>
561.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A dietary change may make the fatal brain cancer glioblastoma more vulnerable to cancer therapies, a new study suggests.</p><p>The researchers behind the work think this dietary change exploits a key metabolic vulnerability in the cancer, and their work demonstrates that the approach extends survival in mice when used in combination with chemoradiation therapy.</p><p>The study, published Sept. 3 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09460-7" target="_blank"><u>Nature</u></a>, suggests that a deeper understanding of how tumor cells tweak their metabolisms in the pursuit of all-out growth could open treatment windows for this notoriously deadly cancer.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_Puk9a1Qg_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="Puk9a1Qg">            <div id="botr_Puk9a1Qg_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Healthy cells in the brain need fuel to maintain their extensive list of functions, like electrical signaling and the release of chemical messengers. Cancer cells dispose of these normal processes as they rewire to become "professional dividing cells," said study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/3802/costas-lyssiotis" target="_blank"><u>Costas Lyssiotis</u></a>, a professor of oncology at the University of Michigan.</p><p>These changes are of great interest to cancer researchers because they may allow therapies to distinguish between healthy cells and tumors, making them more targeted.</p><p>"The real art of delivering therapy is making it so that you kill the cancer way more than you kill the normal [cells]," Lyssiotis told Live Science.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/cancer/new-treatment-for-most-aggressive-brain-cancer-may-help-patients-live-longer"><u><strong>New treatment for most aggressive brain cancer may help patients live longer</strong></u></a></p><p>The work, coordinated by University of Michigan oncologist <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cancer-biology/daniel-wahl-md-phd" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Dan Wahl</u></a>, assessed how glioblastoma warps its metabolism in both human and animal brains. The study ambitiously combined laboratory research and clinical practice by drawing some of its data from tissue taken from the brains of patients undergoing cancer surgery. The study required the collaboration of experts in human and rodent brain surgery, metabolic pathways, and molecular analysis.</p><p>The protocol began in the hours before surgery. The patients received an infusion of glucose, which was tagged so that it was detectable by molecular analysis techniques. The glucose flowed through their bloodstreams and into both their healthy and tumorous cells.</p><p>A common approach for glioblastoma surgery is to remove the tumor and some surrounding brain tissue to minimize the risk of the cancer quickly growing back. The team took blood samples every 30 minutes during surgery and then flash-froze the excised tumor and healthy tissue for analysis.</p><p>These extracted cells had metabolized the glucose, and the researchers tracked the molecules' path through the cells. In concert with experiments in mice, the researchers gained a clear view into what tumor cells were doing differently as they gobbled up the sugar.</p><p>Healthy cells metabolized glucose for cell processes like respiration, in which sugar and oxygen are converted into fuel for the cell. These cells also converted glucose into an amino acid called serine, a key ingredient for important neurotransmitter molecules.</p><p>The tumor cells, by contrast, set these processes aside. Instead, the cancer cells directed glucose to produce nucleotides — the building blocks of DNA. These molecules are vital fuel sources for the tumor cells' endless replication.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/chemotherapy.html"><u>Chemoradiation therapies</u></a> attack cancer by destroying its DNA, but this rerouting gives the cancer cells a steady source of nucleotides with which to repair the damage. The study showed that the tumor cells also scavenged serine from surrounding tissues to further fuel their growth.</p><p>Here, Wahl and his team saw an opportunity. They put mice that had been transplanted with human cancer cells on a feeding regimen that drastically reduced their dietary serine.  Lyssiotis suggested that this could potentially be replicated in human cancer patients with a low-protein diet supplemented with serine-free protein shakes.</p><p>As this cut the amount of serine available for tumor cells, it forced the cancer to reroute its glucose metabolism back into serine production. In turn, this slashed their nucleotide synthesis and made the cells more vulnerable to chemoradiation. Mice given this treatment combination lived longer than mice that were only given chemoradiation.</p><p>Lyssiotis explained that this vulnerability would likely work for a limited time, as glioblastoma cells can deftly adapt their metabolisms. In addition, some tumor cells appeared to rely less than others on scavenged serine. "If you can hit that sweet spot, you deprive them of serine, and you come in with the therapies, you get them before they figure out a workaround," he suggested.</p><p>Wahl is already beginning work on a follow-up clinical study to back up these results in mice with data from human cancer patients.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title"></div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/marijuana/could-cannabis-treat-cancer-someday-heres-what-the-science-says-so-far">Could cannabis treat cancer someday? Here's what the science says so far</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/designer-immune-cell-therapy-could-shrink-deadly-brain-tumors-early-trials-show">Designer immune-cell therapy could shrink deadly brain tumors, early trials show</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/11041-10-deadliest-cancers-cure.html">The 10 deadliest cancers, and why there's no cure</a></p></div></div><p>"We hope to be bringing that to our patients later this year or early next year," he said. That work will also involve challenges and coordination. "Going through cancer treatment is hard. We're asking people to come up for radiation every day, to take chemotherapy. I think asking someone to also follow a prescribed diet could be tricky," he added.</p><p>But the current study has provided valuable information that will inform that future clinical work. "Part of what we're excited about is that this isotope tracing protocol [tracking the tagged glucose] can tell us which tumors are making serine from glucose and which tumors are taking serine up from the environment," Wahl said.</p><p>Lyssiotis noted that the paper's pioneering metabolic analysis has identified additional dietary changes that could be explored in future work. Serine modification is the easiest to implement, for the moment. "We think that that's just the tip of the iceberg," he said.</p><p>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical or dietary advice.</p> ]]></dc:content>
562.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/cancer/diet-change-could-make-brain-cancer-easier-to-treat-early-study-hints</link>
563.                                                                            <description>
564.                            <![CDATA[ A new lab study exploited a unique aspect of metabolism in glioblastoma to boost the effectiveness of chemoradiation, turning the cancer's properties against itself. ]]>
565.                                                                                                            </description>
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568.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:35:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
569.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
570.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
571.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ RJ Mackenzie ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KyfEDCSsb5hJx5Estnf5A4-1280-80.png">
572.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
573.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[Coloured computed tomography (CT) scan of a section through the brain of an 84-year-old female patient with glioblastoma (dark, left). Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. ]]></media:text>
574.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Coloured computed tomography (CT) scan of a section through the brain of an 84-year-old female patient with glioblastoma (dark, left). Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. ]]></media:title>
575.                                                    </media:content>
576.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KyfEDCSsb5hJx5Estnf5A4-1280-80.png" />
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578.                    <item>
579.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Suunto Run fitness tracker review — Light, feature-packed and reasonably priced ]]></title>
580.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Suunto Run is a great, affordable fitness tracker <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-running-watches">running watch</a> that has a seriously compelling array of features at a relatively low price.</p><p>Garmin-baiting highlights include breadcrumb navigation of routes and offline music playback. They make the Suunto Run a serious alternative to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/garmin-forerunner-165">Garmin Forerunner 165 Music</a>, for less money.</p><p>Heart rate accuracy is perhaps the key drawback of this otherwise punchy watch. It’s no use for weights-based gym sessions, and while run tracking results are much better, you can’t always trust its readings in the first handful of minutes of a workout.</p><p>The Suunto Run was released in June 2025 and costs $249/£199/$449. Suunto keeps things simple, with no extra sizes or models, and no added costs, whether you want a yellow, orange or black finish.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-suunto-run-design"><span>Suunto Run: Design</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Steel bezel</strong></li><li><strong>Mid-size 46mm diameter casing</strong></li><li><strong>Easy-adjust fabric strap</strong></li></ul><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="LmLmYU8LQLsZRikfTLvGaK" name="suunto-run-6-resized" alt="Suunto Run watch on a table outside, view from above" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LmLmYU8LQLsZRikfTLvGaK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run is light, good-looking and comfortable to wear. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Key specs</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Display</strong>: 1.32-in, 466 x 466 OLED</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Dimensions</strong>: 46 x 46 x 11.5 mm</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Colors</strong>: Yellow/orange/black/grey</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Finish</strong>: Stainless steel and plastic</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Sensors</strong>: PPG, dual-band GPS, barometric altimeter, compass</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Weight</strong>: 36 g</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Sizes: </strong>46 mm only</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Water resistance</strong>: 5ATM</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Compatibility</strong>: Android 8.0 and above, iOS 16.0 and above</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Battery life: </strong>Up to 12 days</p></div></div><p>The Suunto Run may be a conspicuously approachable fitness watch, with a price to match, but Suunto has not reverted to using cut-price materials to achieve that.</p><p>It has a stainless steel bezel and Gorilla Glass screen protection. The main part of the casing is tough plastic, but Suunto still offers a few snappy-looking colours to avoid any sense of a generic build or appearance.</p><p>We have highlighter yellow, but the Suunto Run also comes in orange and plain black.</p><p>If we were to compare the Run with its nearest Garmin competitor, the Forerunner 165 Music, the Run clearly wins on materials. That Garmin has a plastic “polymer” bezel and unspecified “chemically strengthened” glass, not Gorilla Glass from Corning.</p><p>The Suunto Run’s strap is also a hit for both look and feel. It’s a free-moving velcro fabric strap, one that can be adjusted to any length. It’s light, comfy and some may find it preferable to a classic silicone watch strap. It does need to be done up fairly tight to get decent heart rate results, though, as it’s naturally less grippy than a rubbery silicone strap.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="6g6Sw2JTmv3J8e2TU2ZKLV" name="suunto-run-9-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the strap buckle in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6g6Sw2JTmv3J8e2TU2ZKLV.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run features an easily adjustable fabric strap. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This watch weighs just 36g, light enough for 24/7 wear. However, it’s not a truly petite design. The 46mm Suunto Run looks about right on our wrist, but some of you may be after something a little dinkier. There’s no smaller option.</p><p>The watch is rated at 50m/5ATM water resistant, so you don’t need to take it off when you have a shower or go to the swimming pool. But it’s not ready for scuba diving.</p><p>Even the controls go beyond the basics, too. The Suunto Run is a touchscreen watch, with two buttons on the side, next to a clicky rotary dial, which is handy for rapidly flicking through your daily stats or through the many exercise tracking modes.</p><p>Suunto has also nailed the Run’s haptics, with a little “click” like vibration as you use the crown to scroll through menus. Haptics are often a little crude in cheaper watches, but they feel great here.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="jan6anmUzMpH89BVMkurxi" name="suunto-run-4-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the heart rate sensor and side buttons in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jan6anmUzMpH89BVMkurxi.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run features a touchscreen, two side buttons and a rotary dial. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-suunto-run-features"><span>Suunto Run: Features</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Dual-band GPS</strong></li><li><strong>Route guidance but no mapping</strong></li><li><strong>Training load and VO2 Max stats</strong></li></ul><p>The Suunto Run has a fairly large 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with a high pixel count of 466 x 466 pixels. Like all of today’s OLED watches, it’s sharp and clear. And while it doesn’t fill out as much of the face as an Apple Watch, that’s the norm for these exercise-focused watches.</p><p>This screen is bright enough for comfortable use outdoors, without the incredible brightness we’re seeing in some of the latest models. It’s perfectly fine for an affordable watch like this not to be at the vanguard of tech progress. However, its “raise to wake” gesture is a little sluggish, making it feel as though you’re left waiting a second to see your stats when out for a run. Not ideal.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="XrJZ56RSqgaHE25hBvRLfS" name="suunto-run-10-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the workout selection screen in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XrJZ56RSqgaHE25hBvRLfS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run features a bright and colorful 1.32-inch AMOLED display. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>So what can it do? The Suunto Run has a heart rate reader with the extra red LEDs required for blood oxygenation readings. It has a barometric altimeter for altitude data, and a temperature sensor too.</p><p>It, of course, has its own GPS chip for location tracking and even has 4GB of onboard space for music or podcasts.</p><p>These can be played through a pair of wireless headphones (or a speaker) only, as there’s no onboard speaker in the Suunto Run. You need to feed it digital files too, as there’s no support for streaming service downloads, which you do get in the Forerunner 165 Music.</p><p>What makes this a next-level tracker for runners is its navigation suite of features. While the Run lacks full on-watch maps, you can devise routes on Suunto’s phone app and sync them to the watch so you can see where you’re going.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="gh3uYGB2YZMRADtJEj7iVk" name="suunto-run-1-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the workout stats in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gh3uYGB2YZMRADtJEj7iVk.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run impressed us with its wide range of features. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It uses standard GPX file data, so you’re by no means limited to Suunto’s route creation software either. We used the Trail Router app a bunch of times during testing, for example.</p><p>Suunto also provides some decent athlete-friendly stats. There’s VO2 Max, one of the best ways to judge your progress over time, and training load, which Suunto calls Progress. The watch also shows you a recovery percentage, to give you an idea if you might be overdoing things.</p><p>A virtual coach is what the base Suunto Run experience lacks. While the stats give you some idea of how tired you may be, the watch doesn’t tell you exactly what sort of workout you should be doing in order to make progress at a decent rate. Suunto’s version of it is called SuuntoPlus, and it’s used with other watches from the brand, but not this one.</p><p>However, if you want to use a third-party training app like Runna anyway, the Suunto Run does let you create your own guided interval sessions. You just have to make them yourself, in the Suunto phone app. This is an area where the Garmin Forerunner 165 has a real advantage, though. Its coaching features are loads better at the time of review.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="8D52V5wF32k6mXz5X6gf99" name="suunto-run-12-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the workout selection in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8D52V5wF32k6mXz5X6gf99.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run tracks 34 different activities, including weight training and yoga. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-suunto-run-performance"><span>Suunto Run: Performance</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Good GPS performance</strong></li><li><strong>Flawed HR accuracy </strong></li><li><strong>Predictable major battery life loss in always-on mode</strong></li></ul><p>Suunto says the Run watch lasts up to 12 days off a charge, or for 20 hours of GPS-tracked activity. We’ve found that around an hour and a half of run tracking takes 10% from the battery, although how much you check your stats will change power use a bit.</p><p>To get anywhere near Suunto’s 12-day claim, you’ll need to avoid the “always on” screen mode, which displays the time all day. With that mode, you’re looking closer to 3-5 days, depending on how much exercise tracking you do. It’s fairly swift to charge, reaching 50% in just over 21 minutes, while it hits 100% after 68 minutes.</p><p>There’s good news on the tracking front, as the Suunto Run has dual-band GPS. This is where the location chip can use two sets of location frequencies, giving the watch a better chance of locking onto your signal even in challenging areas like dense forests or high-rise-packed cities.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="qooyRsRfmPK5gvhHzKZPzM" name="suunto-run-2-resized" alt="A close-up picture of our reviewer holding the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qooyRsRfmPK5gvhHzKZPzM.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run delivered solid performance in our tests. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Tracking accuracy was good in testing, with no loss of signal and very similar results recorded to the Garmin Forerunner 970. Initial triangulation could be a touch faster, though.</p><p>The heart rate readings are more of a mixed bag. In some runs, the Suunto Run’s results look perfect fine. However, on many runs the watch was very wide of the mark for the first few minutes of tracking, before finally returning to reality.</p><p>This typically plays out with the Run either recording a far too high or too low result for up to five minutes, in the worst examples. Dodgy early readings were something very common among these watches a few years ago, but the best have banished the effect. Suunto hasn’t quite yet.</p><p>The Suunto Run was also routinely very poor at recording weightlifting-based gym sessions. What you should see here is loads of short, sharp heart rate spikes during these sessions, but the Run watch largely just recorded a spike-free, meandering mush. It does just fine with longer sessions on the bike, elliptical or stepper, but just isn’t up to the task at short intervals.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="HXeBg57z98bF9fRoPb6ipG" name="suunto-run-8-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the real-time workout stats in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HXeBg57z98bF9fRoPb6ipG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The heart rate measurements in the Suunto Run can be a hit-and-miss. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-suunto-run-user-reviews"><span>Suunto Run: User reviews</span></h3><p>The Suunto Run currently has a 4.4 rating on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/SUUNTO-Silicone-Touchscreen-Heart-Rate-Tracking/dp/B0FFGTQB1X/">Amazon</a> at the time of writing. While most buyers have only positive things to say about this running watch, there were some criticisms.</p><p>One reviewer says, as we noted earlier, the “raise to wake” function isn’t responsive enough. Another commented on the fact that there’s no app store, which is true, but not something that should put many off if you are actually shopping for a runner’s watch. Even with a Garmin, we don’t think most people use the Garmin Connect app store all that much.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-should-you-buy-the-suunto-run"><span>Should you buy the Suunto Run?</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Qm3ocAZSgKQRbNnFRE3jdb" name="suunto-run-7-resized" alt="Suunto Run on a table outside, view from above" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qm3ocAZSgKQRbNnFRE3jdb.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Suunto Run is a solid mid-range running watch and a good alternative to pricier fitness trackers from Apple and Garmin. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>✅ <strong>Buy it if</strong>: You want a fairly affordable OLED runner’s watch that still has enthusiast features. It has the stats you need to balance a busy workout schedule, plus neat extras like on-watch navigation and music support.</p><p>❌ <strong>Do not buy it if</strong>: You want a super petite watch or are out to predominantly record your gym workouts. The heart rate array doesn’t handle weightlifting-based gym sessions, which will throw off other stats. It’s better for cardio than lifting.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-if-suunto-run-isn-t-for-you"><span>If Suunto Run isn’t for you</span></h3><p>There are a few great alternatives to the Suunto Run, but it is one of the better options if you’re not put off by the heart rate wobbles. First up is a watch we mentioned multiple times in the review, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/garmin-forerunner-165">Garmin Forerunner 165</a> — or Forerunner 165 Music if you need music support.</p><p>It’s more expensive, has a smaller screen and uses cheaper materials. Several of the core parts are superior, though. It has better coaching features and a more accurate heart rate reader. And its support for music service downloads (including Spotify) will be a killer extra for some.</p><p>Coros’s competitor is the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/the-coros-pace-3-fitness-watch-a-hands-on-review">Pace 3</a>, a long-term affordable fave. Its big difference is in screen tech. It has a transflective screen, which looks dull by comparison but leads to longer and more consistent battery life. It’s a top buy, but won’t seem as glossy in person as the Suunto Run.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-suunto-run-how-we-tested"><span>Suunto Run: How we tested</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Dn4VMJG23vViUZeHF39pKJ" name="suunto-run-11-resized" alt="A close-up picture of daily fitness stats in the Suunto Run watch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dn4VMJG23vViUZeHF39pKJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Suunto Run was used over two lengthy testing stints, allowing us to use the watch before after it had been given some time to receive an update. But unfortunately this did not appear to fix our issues with its heart rate reliability.</p><p>Start to end, the testing period lasted just under three months, and tracking activities were largely runs, gym sessions and a few bike rides, predominantly using virtual cycling platform Zwift. During dedicated testing the Suunto Run was worn as my one and only watch, to make sure I was using it to tell the time and check notifications — you don’t want to go too easy on the battery by using it as a secondary watch. And while it wasn’t worn 24/7 every single day, it was worn like that for extended periods to get a better idea of its sleep tracking abilities.</p> ]]></dc:content>
581.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/suunto-run-review</link>
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583.                            <![CDATA[ A budget-friendly, feature-rich fitness tracker good for sports and running if heart rate tracking isn’t your priority. ]]>
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587.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
588.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
589.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Andrew Williams ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FUB4So5hxANZL5KumkYD6Z-1280-80.jpg">
590.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Andrew Williams]]></media:credit>
591.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A close-up picture of our reviewer testing the Suunto Run watch]]></media:text>
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597.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Potentially habitable, Earth-size exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e may have an atmosphere, James Webb telescope hints ]]></title>
598.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>New research using the powerful <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/james-webb-space-telescope"><u>JWST telescope</u></a> has identified a planet 41 light-years away which may have an atmosphere. The planet is within the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/habitable-zone/" target="_blank"><u>"habitable zone"</u></a>, the region around a star where temperatures make it possible for liquid water to exist on the surface of a rocky world. This is important because water is a key ingredient that supports the existence of life.</p><p>If confirmed by further observations, this would be the first rocky, habitable zone planet that's also known to host an atmosphere. The findings come from two <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf42e"><u>new</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf62e" target="_blank"><u>studies</u></a> published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p><p>The habitable zone is partly defined by the range of temperatures generated by heat from the star. The zone is located at a distance from its star where temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold (leading to it occasionally being nicknamed "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/goldilocks-zone"><u>the Goldilocks zone</u></a>").</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_KdV7WQ2w_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="KdV7WQ2w">            <div id="botr_KdV7WQ2w_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>But exoplanets (worlds orbiting stars outside our solar system) capable of hosting liquid water often also need an atmosphere with a sufficient <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/how-does-the-greenhouse-effect-work/" target="_blank"><u>greenhouse effect</u></a>. The greenhouse effect generates additional heating due to absorption and emission from gases in the atmosphere and will help prevent evaporation of water into space.</p><p>Together with an international team of colleagues, we trained the largest telescope in space, Nasa's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://webbtelescope.org/home" target="_blank"><u>JWST</u></a>, on a planet called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/trappist-1-e/" target="_blank"><u>Trappist-1 e</u></a>. We wanted to determine whether this rocky world, which lies in its star's habitable zone, hosts an atmosphere. The planet is one of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature21360" target="_blank"><u>seven rocky worlds</u></a> known to orbit a small, cool "red dwarf" star called Trappist-1.</p><p>Rocky <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-are-exoplanets"><u>exoplanets</u> </a>are everywhere in our galaxy. The discovery of abundant rocky planets in the 2010s by the Kepler and Tess space telescopes has profound implications for our place in the Universe.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/will-the-james-webb-telescope-lead-us-to-alien-life-scientists-say-were-getting-closer-than-ever"><u><strong>Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.</strong></u></a></p><p>Most of the rocky exoplanets we've found so far orbit <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/types/#red-dwarfs" target="_blank"><u>red dwarf stars</u></a>, which are much cooler than the Sun (typically 2500°C/4,500°F, compared to the Sun's 5,600°C/10,000°F). This isn't because planets around Sun-like stars are rare, there are just technical reasons why it is easier to find and study planets orbiting smaller stars.</p><p>Red dwarfs also offer many advantages when we seek to measure the properties of their planets. Because the stars are cooler, their habitable zones, where temperatures are favourable to liquid water, are located much closer in comparison with our solar system, because the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-is-the-sun"><u>Sun</u></a> is much hotter. As such, a year for a rocky planet with the temperature of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/earth.html"><u>Earth</u></a> that orbits a red dwarf star can be just a few days to a week compared to Earth's 365 days.</p><h2 id="transit-method-2">Transit method</h2><p>One way to detect exoplanets is to measure the slight dimming of light <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://lco.global/spacebook/exoplanets/transit-method/" target="_blank"><u>when the planet transits</u></a>, or passes in front of, its star. Because planets orbiting red dwarfs take less time to complete an orbit, astronomers can observe more transits in a shorter space of time, making it easier to gather data.</p><p>During a transit, astronomers can measure absorption from gases in the planet's atmosphere (if it has one). Absorption refers to the process whereby certain gases absorb light at different wavelengths, preventing it from passing through. This provides scientists with a way of detecting which gases are present in an atmosphere.</p><p>Crucially, the smaller the star, the greater the fraction of its light is blocked by a planet's atmosphere during transit. So red dwarf stars are one of the best places for us to look for the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets.</p><p>Located at a relatively close distance of 41 light years from Earth, the Trappist-1 system has attracted significant attention since its discovery in 2016. Three of the planets, Trappist-1d, Trappist-1e, and Trappist-1f (the third, fourth, and fifth planets from the star) lie within the habitable zone.</p><p>JWST has been conducting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://physics.aps.org/articles/v15/151" target="_blank"><u>a systematic search</u></a> for atmospheres on the Trappist-1 planets since 2022. The results for the three innermost planets, Trappist-1b, Trappist-1c and Trappist-1d, point to these worlds most likely being bare rocks with thin atmospheres at best. But the planets further out, which are bombarded with less radiation and energetic flares from the star, could still potentially possess atmospheres.</p><p>We observed Trappist-1e, the planet in the centre of the star's habitable zone, with JWST on four separate occasions from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf42e" target="_blank"><u>June-October 2023</u></a>. We immediately noticed that our data was strongly affected by what's known as "stellar contamination" from hot and cold active regions (similar to sunspots) on Trappist-1. This required a careful analysis to deal with. In the end, it took our team over a year to sift through the data and distinguish the signal coming from the star from that of the planet.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="bApamf3YFKGMbvLx25Eyj" name="Transmission spectrum" alt="This transmission spectrum graph compares data collected by the NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope with computer models of exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e with (blue) and without (orange) an atmosphere." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bApamf3YFKGMbvLx25Eyj.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1000" height="563" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This transmission spectrum graph compares data collected by the NIRSpec instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope with computer models of exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e with (blue) and without (orange) an atmosphere. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Joseph Olmsted (STScI))</span></figcaption></figure><p>We are seeing <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf62e" target="_blank"><u>two possible explanations</u></a> for what's going on at Trappist-1e. The most exciting possibility is that the planet has a so-called secondary atmosphere containing heavy molecules such as nitrogen and methane. But the four observations we obtained aren't yet precise enough to rule out the alternative explanation of the planet being a bare rock with no atmosphere.</p><p>Should Trappist-1e indeed have an atmosphere, it will be the first time we have found an atmosphere on a rocky planet in the habitable zone of another star.</p><p>Since Trappist-1e lies firmly in the habitable zone, a thick atmosphere with a sufficient greenhouse effect could allow for liquid water on the planet's surface. To establish whether or not Trappist-1e is habitable, we will need to measure the concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. These initial observations are an important step in that direction, but more observations with JWST will be needed to be sure if Trappist-1e has an atmosphere and, if so, to measure the concentrations of these gases.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/exoplanets/a-real-life-pandora-newfound-disappearing-planet-in-our-neighboring-star-system-could-have-a-habitable-moon-just-like-the-avatar-movies">A real-life Pandora? Newfound 'disappearing' planet in our neighboring star system could have a habitable moon, just like the Avatar movies</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/apophis-flyby-in-2029-will-be-the-first-time-a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-has-been-visible-to-the-naked-eye">Apophis flyby in 2029 will be the first time a potentially hazardous asteroid has been visible to the naked eye</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/nasa-rover-spots-bizarre-turtle-hiding-among-ancient-rocks-on-mars">NASA rover spots bizarre 'turtle' hiding among ancient rocks on Mars</a></p></div></div><p>As we speak, an additional 15 transits of Trappist-1e are underway and should be complete by the end of 2025. Our follow-up observations use a different observing strategy where we target consecutive transits of Trappist-1b (which is a bare rock) and Trappist-1e. This will allow us to use the bare rock to better "trace out" the hot and cold active regions on the star. Any excess absorption of gases seen only during Trappist-1e's transits will be uniquely caused by the planet's atmosphere.</p><p>So within the next two years, we should have a much better picture of how Trappist-1e compares to the rocky planets in our solar system.</p><p><em>This edited article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation</em></u></a><em> under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/a-rocky-planet-in-its-stars-habitable-zone-could-be-the-first-known-to-have-an-atmosphere-heres-what-we-found-264715" target="_blank"><u><em>original article</em></u></a>.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="border: none !important" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/264715/count.gif"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
599.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/potentially-habitable-earth-size-exoplanet-trappist-1e-may-have-an-atmosphere-james-webb-telescope-hints</link>
600.                                                                            <description>
601.                            <![CDATA[ Scientists studying the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e may have found hints of an atmosphere. If confirmed, it could be an important step toward finding a habitable world outside our solar system. ]]>
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605.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
606.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Ryan MacDonald ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iFPWkZ8EgxdWqaiJMGgYZP-1280-80.jpg">
607.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)]]></media:credit>
608.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[The Earth-size exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e, depicted at the lower right, is silhouetted as it passes in front of its flaring host star in this artist’s concept of the TRAPPIST-1 system. ]]></media:text>
609.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The Earth-size exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e, depicted at the lower right, is silhouetted as it passes in front of its flaring host star in this artist’s concept of the TRAPPIST-1 system. ]]></media:title>
610.                                                    </media:content>
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613.                    <item>
614.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ New EV battery tech could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge ]]></title>
615.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists have used a neat chemistry trick to tackle a major challenge facing future batteries. Their breakthrough paves the way for next-generation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles"><u>electric vehicle</u></a> (EV) batteries capable of powering 500-mile (800 kilometers) journeys on a single, 12-minute charge.</p><p>Lithium-metal batteries differ from standard <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/how-do-electric-batteries-work-and-what-affects-how-long-they-last"><u>lithium-ion batteries</u></a> in that the graphite anode is replaced with lithium metal. These designs offer much higher energy density, the researchers said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-lithium-metal-batteries-minutes-km.html" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>For EV drivers, this means batteries that charge faster and go farther. But scientists have been unable to build effective lithium-metal batteries due to "dendrites" — a branching, crystalline substance that grows on the anode during charging, eroding battery performance over time. This worsens during rapid charging and increases the risk of the battery short-circuiting.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_oU0JDnne_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="oU0JDnne">            <div id="botr_oU0JDnne_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>But in a new study, published Sept. 3 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01838-1" target="_blank"><u>Nature Energy</u></a>, scientists have found a way to suspend dendrite growth.</p><p>The secret lies in a new type of liquid electrolyte. The "cohesion-inhibiting" liquid electrolyte suppresses dendrite growth, boosting the batteries' rapid-charging capabilities and extending their lifespan to more than 185,000 miles (300,000 km), the researchers said.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/meet-the-chinese-supercar-that-just-smashed-the-ev-speed-record"><u><strong>Meet the Chinese supercar that just smashed the EV speed record</strong></u></a></p><p>Both lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries contain a liquid electrolyte, which transports lithium ions between the cathode and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/50657-how-batteries-work.html"><u>anode</u></a> while the battery is charging and discharging. The difference, as mentioned, between the two types of battery is that the graphite in a lithium-ion battery is replaced with lithium metal.</p><p>In battery physics, energy density refers to the amount of energy a battery can store relative to its weight or volume — a key factor in how far an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge.</p><p>The research team found that the underlying cause of dendrite formation was the "non-uniform interfacial cohesion on the surface of the lithium metal," the researchers said in the statement. In other words, they realized that lithium ions don't deposit evenly across the anode during charging, creating weak points where dendrites can start to form.</p><p>To solve this problem, they developed a liquid electrolyte that is chemically structured to help ensure ions are deposited more evenly across the anode surface — helping to stop them from clustering into dendrites.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/ev-battery-that-recharges-in-just-18-seconds-green-lit-for-mass-production">This EV battery fully recharges in just 18 seconds — and it just got the green light for mass production</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/penny-sized-laser-could-help-driverless-cars-see-the-world-so-much-clearer">Penny-sized laser could help driverless cars see the world so much clearer</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/self-driving-cars-can-tap-into-ai-powered-social-network-to-talk-to-each-other-while-on-the-road">Self-driving cars can tap into 'AI-powered social network' to talk to each other while on the road</a></p></div></div><p>In lab tests, the battery charged from 5% to 70% in 12 minutes and maintained that speed over 350 cycles. A higher-capacity version reached 80% charge in 17 minutes over 180 charging cycles, the scientists said.</p><p>"This research has become a key foundation for overcoming the technical challenges of lithium-metal batteries by understanding the interfacial structure," study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cbe.kaist.ac.kr/boards/view/faculty/4/1/" target="_blank"><u>Hee Tak Kim</u></a>, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), said in the statement.</p><p>"It has overcome the biggest barrier to the introduction of lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles."</p> ]]></dc:content>
616.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/new-ev-battery-tech-could-power-500-mile-road-trips-on-a-12-minute-charge</link>
617.                                                                            <description>
618.                            <![CDATA[ An EV battery breakthrough from Korea could help give lithium-metal tech the green light. ]]>
619.                                                                                                            </description>
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622.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Electric Vehicles]]></category>
623.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
624.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Owen Hughes ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GVCqonsXNpVbp67jBfPRZe-1280-80.jpg">
625.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[KTSDesign/SCIENCEPHOTOLIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
626.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of an EV charging port]]></media:text>
627.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of an EV charging port]]></media:title>
628.                                                    </media:content>
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630.                                                                                        </item>
631.                    <item>
632.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ The best star projector we've tested is 38% cheaper on Amazon, taking it to one of its lowest-ever prices ]]></title>
633.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Orzorz Galaxy Lite Star Projector is one of the most popular star projectors around, and is our choice as the best overall in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/best-star-projectors">best star projectors buyers' guide</a>. Our expert reviewer, Tantse Walter, gave the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/orzorz-galaxy-lite-home-planetarium-star-projector">Orzorz star projector a flawless 5-star review</a>, saying, "The Orzorz Galaxy Lite Star Projector is a stunning, scientifically accurate star projector that's light years ahead of the competition."</p><p>High praise indeed, and right now you can pick up the Orzorz Galaxy Lite Star Projector at Amazon for just $49.49, one of its lowest ever prices, and a 38% discount. That equates to a $30 saving of the MRSP off $79.99, and an excellent star projector deal worth grabbing fast.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=74387&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FProjector-Orzorz-Planetarium-Rechargeable-Presentation%2Fdp%2FB0B1ZRVDC1%2F%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dlivescience-us-8783224765378149508-20"><strong>Save 38% on the Orzorz Galaxy Lite Star Projector — was $79.99, now $49.49 at Amazon</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="604f44cf-271c-4abf-a256-9c02536ab2f5" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension48="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension25="$49.49" href="https://www.amazon.com/Projector-Orzorz-Planetarium-Rechargeable-Presentation/dp/B0B1ZRVDC1/?" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure "  ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:98.00%;"><img id="S2CDp9Y7xseSuWXBmLPVFH" name="Orzorz Star Projector" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/S2CDp9Y7xseSuWXBmLPVFH.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1500" height="1470" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>The Orzorz Galaxy Lite Star Projector delivers just about everything its more expensive rivals do at a far better price point. We think it's one of the best star projectors on the market. It looks great, projects images which are vivid and with a vast library of add-on disks, it will provide years of stargazing entertainment. The Orzorz is also easy to use, rechargeable, and now, with this Amazon deal, at its lowest price we've seen this year.</p><p><strong>Read our full </strong><a href="https://www.livescience.com/space/orzorz-galaxy-lite-home-planetarium-star-projector" data-dimension112="604f44cf-271c-4abf-a256-9c02536ab2f5" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension48="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension25="$49.49"><strong>Orzorz Star Projector review</strong></a><strong>.</strong><a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/Projector-Orzorz-Planetarium-Rechargeable-Presentation/dp/B0B1ZRVDC1/?" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="604f44cf-271c-4abf-a256-9c02536ab2f5" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension48="Read our full Orzorz Star Projector review" data-dimension25="$49.49">View Deal</a></p></div><p>Considering Tantse <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/orzorz-galaxy-lite-home-planetarium-star-projector">reviewed the Orzorz star projector</a> at full MSRP, this Amazon deal makes it a bargain price. It's good to go out of the box with disks that include the stunning Pillars of Creation, NGC 2359 (Thor's Helmet), the Moon, the Milky Way and the Earth. You can expand your collection with additional slide discs if you wish to explore further into space, with a vast array to choose from, including some child-friendly slides such as the 'little astronaut' cartoon disk and a novelty Christmas-themed slide.</p><p>Tantse was also very impressed with not only the stunning and vivid details the Orzorz projects, but the overall package too. Its sleek design, quiet motor, simple operation, and expandable collection of disks, plus the bonus of its rechargeability, are all key review highlights.</p><p>All that, and it still comes at a fraction of the cost of perhaps better-known star projectors, and makes the Orzorz, especially at this price, a brilliant buy for anyone seeking one of the best star projectors on the market.</p><ul><li><em><strong>We're constantly checking the best prices on the </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/best-telescopes"><em><strong>best telescopes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/best-binoculars-for-stargazing"><em><strong>binoculars</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/space/best-star-projectors"><em><strong>star projectors</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/best-cameras-overall-reviewed-and-ranked-by-pros"><em><strong>cameras</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/best-fitness-tracker"><em><strong>fitness trackers</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/best-running-shoes-for-supination#:~:text=The%20Gel%20Cumulus%20is%20a,also%20a%20relatively%20affordable%20option.&text=Hoka%20are%20beloved%20for%20their,Mach%20X%20is%20no%20exception."><em><strong>running shoes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.livescience.com/best-rowing-machines"><em><strong>rowing machines</strong></em></a><em><strong> and more.</strong></em></li></ul><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Rdfvev4FfprHuoktKPALJQ" name="20230409_020353.jpg" alt="Projection example from the Orzorz Galaxy Lite Home Planetarium Star Projector" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Rdfvev4FfprHuoktKPALJQ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Orzorz Star Projector displays stunning images and has an expandable library. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tantse Walter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="k9uPZMUNQngkBev2sqYQzP" name="20230408_143041.jpg" alt="Unboxing details of the Orzorz Galaxy Star Projector" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k9uPZMUNQngkBev2sqYQzP.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Orzorz Star Projector looks great and is compact enough to position around the home with ease. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tantse Walter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="QxAnyyDJLMrscBgeB4zu5P" name="20230408_144344.jpg" alt="Orzorz Galaxy Lite Home Planetarium Star Projector" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QxAnyyDJLMrscBgeB4zu5P.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Orzorz Star Projector is easy to use and set-up. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tantse Walter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="9uxJ7y23FKt6tdUe8GzUmN" name="20230408_144307.jpg" alt="Rear details of the Orzorz Galaxy Lite Home Planetarium Star Projector" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9uxJ7y23FKt6tdUe8GzUmN.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Orzorz Star Projector is also rechargeable for cable-free use. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tantse Walter)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The projections are what make and break a star projector, and the detailed, vivid and bright images from the Orzorz blew our reviewer away, and you can get a feel for this in the unedited pictures shown above. Tantse noted that in total darkness, the colors couldn't be more impressive, and the image is sharp across the whole projection. Even in daylight, it still delivers, which is great for children, who perhaps have a nightlight and still allows them to enjoy the projections.</p><p><strong>Key features:</strong> 38% discount, premium quality build, high-definition imagery, quiet operation, option rotation available, three easy-to-operate buttons, sleep timer and expansion disks available.</p><p><strong>Product launched: </strong>May 2022.</p><p><strong>Price history:</strong> Before this Amazon deal, the lowest price we've seen this year was $59.99, back in July. It has been as low as $49.99 during Black Friday sales events, but this is the lowest we've seen this year. At 38% off, it's a star projector deal worth snapping up fast.</p><p><strong>Reviews consensus: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/best-star-projectors#section-best-overall">Rated as the best star projector overall</a>, the Orzorz is affordable, stylish and displays excellent projections. We love its rechargeable nature, and we think it's the one to beat. Amazon reviews are on par with ours, and the Orzorz has over 1,000 reviews and 58% of those give it top marks.</p><p><strong>Live Science: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/orzorz-galaxy-lite-home-planetarium-star-projector"><u><strong>★★★★★</strong></u></a><strong> | Space: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/orzorz-galaxy-lite-star-projector-review"><u>★★★★★</u></a></p><p><strong>✅ Buy it if:</strong> You want our choice of the best star projector at one of its lowest ever prices.</p><p><strong>❌ Don't buy it if: </strong>We can't really think of one, but if you don't want a star projector, then you won't want this. However, if you have an unlimited budget, then the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=74387&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FSega-Toys-Homestar-Flux-Planetarium%2Fdp%2FB07JB9Q3FW%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fcrid%3D3A78CGM4VGN0L%26dib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zf0vuONAqJh3LeYrGjs5x-oPTgSxCCFvwEqpYwKUXOAAG5gCpBkC1P1AeGUiSFtkLu7qXbzoePcdIMS_FQvVN0FrMvwhglMQgfyfWuyUo9sNhz_z6xhxGU0MV3gWjscSPQeh3v7CM_nPUh4eTaBizT1d0m1RWIl7EZJLmlDCQ9hFtrFoeNN3tKI1RzJNfsPwXxCxDtMApH6JPb28lCPrd67UHS4yiY52z88DU_A2FtFmQcJBs-ifUQBB9DgzSK1WwJ7aJwCnzgPHJYW63nVccsVKm99cUEYfkim0IkRTWgs.GsVJr1BuN9A3u2k7j8ANTaComNrNCvP5wgPLbUMAnUM%26dib_tag%3Dse%26keywords%3DHomestar%2BFlux%2BHome%2BPlanetarium%2BStar%2BProject%26qid%3D1757673313%26sprefix%3Dhomestar%2Bflux%2Bhome%2Bplanetarium%2Bstar%2Bproject%252Caps%252C1709%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26sp_csd%3Dd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY%26psc%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dlivescience-us-3870421230021640178-20">Homestar Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector</a> comes in at a whopping $259.99.</p><p><em>Check out our other guides to the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-telescopes"><em>best telescopes</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-binoculars"><em>binoculars</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-astrophotography-cameras"><em>cameras</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/best-star-projectors"><em>star projectors</em></a><em> and much more.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
634.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/the-best-star-projector-we-have-tested-is-38-percent-cheaper-on-amazon-taking-it-to-one-of-its-lowest-ever-prices</link>
635.                                                                            <description>
636.                            <![CDATA[ The Orzorz Galaxy star projector delivers bright, high-resolution projections that rival more expensive products, and it comes highly recommended by our own star projector review team. ]]>
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640.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:36:37 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
641.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ paul.brett@futurenet.com (Paul Brett) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Paul Brett ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cwYbAdEgkXLsFuKyXAJLUN-1280-80.jpg">
642.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Orzorz]]></media:credit>
643.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[The Orzorz Star Projector with a Live Science deals logo]]></media:text>
644.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The Orzorz Star Projector with a Live Science deals logo]]></media:title>
645.                                                    </media:content>
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649.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Pawnee Star Chart: A precontact elk-skin map used by Indigenous priests to tell an origin story ]]></title>
650.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">QUICK FACTS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Name: </strong>Pawnee Star Chart</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>What it is: </strong>A depiction of the night sky on elk skin</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where it is from: </strong>Central Plains (Nebraska and Kansas), United States</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>When it was made: </strong>Circa 1625</p></div></div><p>The Pawnee Star Chart is a series of crosses sprinkled around an oval piece of elk skin. Likely made in the early 17th century by the Skiri (also called the Skidi) band of the Pawnee Nation, the chart is a fairly accurate representation of the night sky, but the meaning of the chart is still debated.</p><p>According to amateur astronomer Ralph Buckstaff, who published a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1927.29.2.02a00110" target="_blank"><u>study</u></a> about the chart in 1927, it was discovered in a sacred bundle in 1902 by Skiri anthropologist <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rolfe_Murie" target="_blank"><u>James Murie</u></a>, who passed it on to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/exhibition/pawnee-earth-lodge" target="_blank"><u>Field Museum</u></a> in Chicago. At the time, the chart was estimated to be at least 300 years old. The piece of tanned elk skin measures roughly 15 by 22 inches (38 by 56 centimeters), and hand-drawn stars cover the surface.</p><p>Buckstaff interpreted the chart as a depiction of the night sky, separated into two halves by a centerline of very small stars possibly representing the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/milky-way.html"><u>Milky Way</u></a>. On the left side, the stars line up into Northern Hemisphere winter constellations, while the right side features summer constellations. This suggested to Buckstaff that the Pawnee recognized the seasonal shift of the stars.</p><p>Although Buckstaff attempted to show that the Pawnee identified star patterns like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/pleiades-constellation-origin-story.html"><u>Pleiades</u></a> and Ursa Minor in the same way as European astronomers did, this claim was refuted by astronomer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://independent.academia.edu/VonDelChamberlain" target="_blank"><u>Von Del Chamberlain</u></a> in his 1982 book "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/nq18/documents/021" target="_blank"><u>When Stars Came Down to Earth: Cosmology of the Skidi Pawnee Indians of North America</u></a>" (Ballena Press). Chamberlain examined Murie's early 20th-century journals and discussed the chart's potential ties to a Skiri Pawnee "star cult" first reported in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.1902.4.4.02a00050" target="_blank"><u>1902 study</u></a>. Chamberlain wrote that the chart was probably never intended for use as a star map but rather as a conceptual depiction of the heavens used perhaps by Skiri priests.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/kneeling-bull-a-5-000-year-old-hybrid-creature-from-iran-with-a-mysterious-purpose"><u><strong>Kneeling Bull: A 5,000-year-old hybrid creature from Iran with a mysterious purpose</strong></u></a></p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">MORE ASTONISHING ARTIFACTS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/haniwa-dancers-1-500-year-old-ghostly-figurines-thought-to-hold-the-souls-of-the-dead">Haniwa Dancers: 1,500-year-old ghostly figurines thought to hold the souls of the dead</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/malia-bee-pendant-a-3-800-year-old-accessory-found-in-a-minoan-pit-of-gold">Malia Bee Pendant: A 3,800-year-old accessory found in a Minoan 'pit of gold'</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/pazuzu-figurine-an-ancient-statue-of-the-mesopotamian-demon-god-who-inspired-the-exorcist">Pazuzu figurine: An ancient statue of the Mesopotamian 'demon' god who inspired 'The Exorcist'</a></p></div></div><p>In a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2r06x12c" target="_blank"><u>1985 response</u></a> to Chamberlain, anthropologist <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://anthropology.indiana.edu/about/emeriti/parks-douglas.html" target="_blank"><u>Douglas Parks</u></a>, an expert on the Pawnee, agreed with Chamberlain that the star chart was most likely made as a kind of mnemonic device. The chart may have been used by priests or knowledge keepers to recount the origin myth of the Skiri world, rather than being a precise recording of the position of stars, Parks wrote.</p><p>The exact meaning of the Pawnee star chart and its date of manufacture are still debated. But it remains an object of deep interest to anthropologists and astronomers alike because, "as a portrayal of stars in the heavens, it is unique for aboriginal North America," Parks wrote.</p> ]]></dc:content>
651.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/pawnee-star-chart-a-precontact-elk-skin-map-used-by-indigenous-priests-to-tell-an-origin-story</link>
652.                                                                            <description>
653.                            <![CDATA[ The unique map depicts patterns of stars in the night sky, but its meaning is debated. ]]>
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657.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
658.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cKMk7Q84rus8XSbdyY3Bih-1280-80.png">
659.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Werner Forman / Getty Images]]></media:credit>
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666.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Where is Queen Boudica buried? ]]></title>
667.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Nearly 2,000 years ago, the queen of a Celtic tribe in Britain led a bloody revolt against the Romans. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/37061-boudicca.html"><u>Queen Boudica</u></a>, a ruler of the Iceni tribe of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/history-of-the-celts"><u>Celtic</u></a> Britons in the first century A.D., challenged the Roman occupiers and was later celebrated as a British national heroine.</p><p>But where was Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, Boadicea or Boudecia) buried? Over the years, several locations were said to have been her burial place, including beneath a platform in one of London's busiest train stations.</p><p>Boudica "was very, very pro-British, and very much a freedom fighter," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/emeritus/aldhouse-greenmj" target="_blank"><u>Miranda Aldhouse-Green</u></a>, a professor emerita of archaeology at Cardiff University in the U.K. and the author of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.routledge.com/Boudica-Britannia/Aldhouse-Green/p/book/9781032180083" target="_blank"><u>Boudica Britannia</u></a>" (Routledge, 2021), told Live Science.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_e5nTxyen_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="e5nTxyen">            <div id="botr_e5nTxyen_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Her conflict with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans"><u>Romans</u></a> originated in about A.D. 60, after they brutally denied joint rulership of the Iceni to her daughters and Boudica resolved to free the whole island from Roman rule.</p><p>"She decided that she was going to get an army together and push the Romans out of Britain, which she very nearly did," Aldhouse-Green said.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/did-roman-gladiators-really-fight-to-the-death"><u><strong>Did Roman gladiators really fight to the death?</strong></u></a><strong> </strong></p><h2 id="clash-of-cultures-2">Clash of cultures</h2><p>Boudica was the wife of the Iceni ruler Prasutagus, a wealthy client king of the Romans, who ruled lands on Britain's east coast until his death in about A.D. 60. According to historical records, his will left partial rulership of the Iceni tribe to his two daughters, whose names are unrecorded. The rule of the rest of his territories was to go to the Romans, who had successfully invaded Britain in about A.D. 43.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Sign up for our newsletter</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure "  ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth" name="XLS-M Multi signup" caption="" alt="The words 'Life Little Mysteries' over a blue background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Sign up for our weekly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/newsletter">Life's Little Mysteries newsletter</a> to get the latest mysteries before they appear online.</p></div></div><p>But under Roman law, women were forbidden from inheriting any type of rule, although it is unclear if Boudica or her daughters were Roman citizens, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/profile/caitlin_gillespie/overview" target="_blank"><u>Caitlin Gillespie</u></a>, a classical historian at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and the author of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://academic.oup.com/book/9968" target="_blank"><u>Boudica: Warrior Woman of Roman Britain</u></a>" (Oxford University Press, 2018), told Live Science.</p><p>This clash of cultures, and perhaps raw politics, led the Romans to deny the claim that Boudica's daughters could rule any part of the Iceni lands. And they were brutal in their denial. "There was sort of a muck-up with the Romans, who treated Boudica very badly," Aldhouse-Green said. "They came storming in, confiscated all the assets, flogged Boudica, and raped her two daughters."</p><p>After that, "Boudica decided that was it," Aldhouse-Green said, and she established a rebel army with her own people and Britons from other tribes who had also been treated badly by the Romans.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="yx6VquGRM7xKXbpwENSjuB" name="boudicarebellion-alamy-2BDYCJD" alt="An illustration of Queen Boudica leading a rebellion. She is on a chariot and warriors are running next to it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yx6VquGRM7xKXbpwENSjuB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration of Queen Boudica leading Indigenous troops into battle against the Romans in circa A.D. 60. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Science History Images via Alamy)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="boudican-revolt-2">Boudican revolt</h2><p>The Boudican revolt lasted for several months and caused the destruction of several important Roman settlements in Britain, including their capital, Camulodunum (Colchester in Essex), and the town of Londinium (now London). But it ultimately failed, and Boudica's rebellious forces were defeated in A.D. 61 at the Battle of Watling Street, a later name for the ancient road that led northwest from Londinium.</p><p>Boudica herself either died in the battle or took her own life when it was clear that she had lost. Despite her defeat, she was later fêted as a national heroine, especially during the reign of Queen Victoria, and she is often conflated with Britannia, the nation's mythical warrior queen.</p><p>The idea that Boudica was buried beneath what's now a platform at London's King's Cross train station seems to have originated in the 19th century. The station was built in an area called Battle Bridge, and according to legend, Boudica had been defeated there. But historians now think the name "Battle Bridge" was a corruption of "Broadford Bridge" and that it had nothing to do with Boudica. The idea gained strength with the discovery of Roman-era remains at the site when the station was built in the 1850s, but there is nothing to suggest Boudica was ever buried there.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="b2hhszHWn6VQiaWeFEecvB" name="boudicamassacre-GettyImages-464505329" alt="An illustration depicting the Massacre at Londinium by Queen Boudica's warriors" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b2hhszHWn6VQiaWeFEecvB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A painting depicting the tumult of Queen Boudica's forces attacking and burning the Roman city of Londinium in circa A.D. 60.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Heritage Images via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Rumors of Boudica's burial place abounded in the 19th century, due in part to her symbolic association with Britain's Queen Victoria. Some speculated she was buried beneath Parliament Hill on the southeastern side of Hampstead Heath, which loomed prominently in the north of early London near the southern end of Watling Street. (Historians now think, however, that the battle happened hundreds of miles north along the same road, perhaps in Warwickshire.)</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED MYSTERIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/where-is-alexander-the-greats-tomb">Where is Alexander the Great's tomb?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/where-is-attila-the-hun-buried">Where is Attila the Hun's tomb?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/where-is-genghis-khan-buried">Where is the tomb of Genghis Khan?</a></p></div></div><p>Other antiquarians and writers, eager to connect Boudica to significant landmarks, proposed she had been buried at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/stonehenge-england-ancient-history"><u>Stonehenge</u></a> (already thousands of years old by Boudica's time), while others suggested she might have been buried in one of the many Iron Age tombs in southern Britain, especially in what had been the Iceni territories in the East.</p><p>But Aldhouse-Green cautioned that Boudica's grave, wherever it is, will probably never be found.</p><p>"The Romans decided when she died that they would prevent any kind of memorial, because they were afraid that it would be a rallying point for rebellion," she said. "So they made absolutely certain that there was nothing to show where she was buried."</p><h2 id="roman-britain-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-empire-s-conquest-of-the-british-isles-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/roman-britain-quiz-what-do-you-know-about-the-empires-conquest-of-the-british-isles">Roman Britain quiz</a>: What do you know about the Empire's conquest of the British Isles?</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-O9bgxX"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/O9bgxX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
668.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/where-is-queen-boudica-buried</link>
669.                                                                            <description>
670.                            <![CDATA[ The remains of Britain's national heroine — Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe — are not under a train station in north London. So, where is her grave? ]]>
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674.                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
675.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tom Metcalfe ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5rDmkf2Ls7WcMY7M2ydKhB-1280-80.jpg">
676.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Peter Carruthers via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
677.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A statue of Queen Boudica with two horses]]></media:text>
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683.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ AI could use online images as a backdoor into your computer, alarming new study suggests ]]></title>
684.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A website announces, "Free celebrity wallpaper!" You browse the images. There's Selena Gomez, Rihanna and Timothée Chalamet — but you settle on Taylor Swift. Her hair is doing that wind-machine thing that suggests both destiny and good conditioner. You set it as your desktop background, admire the glow. You also recently downloaded a new <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence"><u>artificial-intelligence</u></a>-powered agent, so you ask it to tidy your inbox. Instead it opens your web browser and downloads a file. Seconds later, your screen goes dark.</p><p>But let's back up to that agent. If a typical chatbot (say, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-chatgpt-think-psychology-and-neuroscience-crack-open-ai-large/" target="_blank"><u>ChatGPT</u></a>) is the bubbly friend who explains how to change a tire, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-are-ai-agents-and-why-are-they-about-to-be-everywhere/" target="_blank"><u>an AI agent</u></a> is the neighbor who shows up with a jack and actually does it. In 2025 these agents — personal assistants that carry out routine computer tasks — are shaping up as the next wave of the AI revolution.</p><p>What distinguishes an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank"><u>AI</u></a> an agent from a chatbot is that it doesn't just talk — it acts, opening tabs, filling forms, clicking buttons and making reservations. And with that kind of access to your machine, what's at stake is no longer just a wrong answer in a chat window: if the agent gets hacked, it could share or destroy your digital content. Now a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.10809" target="_blank"><u>new preprint</u></a> posted to the server arXiv.org by researchers at the University of Oxford has shown that images — desktop wallpapers, ads, fancy PDFs, social media posts — can be implanted with messages invisible to the human eye but capable of controlling agents and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-hack-an-intelligent-machine/" target="_blank"><u>inviting hackers</u></a> into your computer.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="Np5kmfGE">            <div id="botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>For instance, an altered "picture of Taylor Swift on Twitter could be sufficient to trigger the agent on someone's computer to act maliciously," says the new study's co-author Yarin Gal, an associate professor of machine learning at Oxford. Any sabotaged image "can actually trigger a computer to retweet that image and then do something malicious, like send all your passwords. That means that the next person who sees your Twitter feed and happens to have an agent running will have <em>their </em>computer poisoned as well. Now their computer will also retweet that image and share their passwords."</p><p>Before you begin scrubbing your computer of your favorite photographs, keep in mind that the new study shows that altered images are a <em>potential</em> way to compromise your computer — there are no known reports of it happening yet, outside of an experimental setting. And of course the Taylor Swift wallpaper example is purely arbitrary; a sabotaged image could feature <em>any</em> celebrity — or a sunset, kitten or abstract pattern. Furthermore, if you're not using an AI agent, this kind of attack will do nothing. But the new finding clearly shows the danger is real, and the study is intended to alert AI agent users and developers now, as AI agent technology continues to accelerate. "They have to be very aware of these vulnerabilities, which is why we're publishing this paper — because the hope is that people will actually see this is a vulnerability and then be a bit more sensible in the way they deploy their agentic system," says study co-author Philip Torr.</p><p>Now that you've been reassured, let's return to the compromised wallpaper. To the human eye, it would look utterly normal. But it contains certain pixels that have been modified according to how the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-state-of-large-language-models1/" target="_blank"><u>large language model</u></a> (the AI system powering the targeted agent) processes visual data. For this reason, agents built with AI systems that are open-source — that allow users to see the underlying code and modify it for their own purposes — are most vulnerable. Anyone who wants to insert a malicious patch can evaluate exactly how the AI processes visual data. "We have to have access to the language model that is used inside the agent so we can design an attack that works for multiple open-source models," says Lukas Aichberger, the new study's lead author.</p><p>By using an open-source model, Aichberger and his team showed exactly how images could easily be manipulated to convey bad orders. Whereas human users saw, for example, their favorite celebrity, the computer saw a command to share their personal data. "Basically, we adjust lots of pixels ever-so-slightly so that when a model sees the image, it produces the desired output," says study co-author Alasdair Paren.</p><p>If this sounds mystifying, that's because you process visual information like a human. When you look at a photograph of a dog, your brain notices the floppy ears, wet nose and long whiskers. But the computer breaks the picture down into pixels and represents each dot of color as a number, and then it looks for patterns: first simple edges, then textures such as fur, then an ear's outline and clustered lines that depict whiskers. That's how it decides <em>This is a dog, not a cat</em>. But because the computer relies on numbers, if someone changes just a few of them — tweaking pixels in a way too small for human eyes to notice — it still catches the change, and this can throw off the numerical patterns. Suddenly the computer's math says the whiskers and ears match its cat pattern better, and it mislabels the picture, even though to us, it still looks like a dog. Just as adjusting the pixels can make a computer see a cat rather than a dog, it can also make a celebrity photograph resemble a malicious <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/secret-messages-can-hide-in-ai-generated-media/" target="_blank"><u>message</u></a> to the computer.</p><p>Back to Swift. While you're contemplating her talent and charisma, your AI agent is determining how to carry out the cleanup task you assigned it. First, it takes a screenshot. Because agents can't directly see your computer screen, they have to repeatedly take screenshots and rapidly analyze them to figure out what to click on and what to move on your desktop. But when the agent processes the screenshot, organizing pixels into forms it recognizes (files, folders, menu bars, pointer), it also picks up the malicious command code hidden in the wallpaper.</p><p>Now why does the new study pay special attention to wallpapers? The agent can only be tricked by what it can see — and when it takes screenshots to see your desktop, the background image sits there all day like a welcome mat. The researchers found that as long as that tiny patch of altered pixels was somewhere in frame, the agent saw the command and veered off course. The hidden command even survived resizing and compression, like a secret message that's still legible when photocopied.</p><p>And the message encoded in the pixels can be very short — just enough to have the agent open a specific website. "On this website you can have additional attacks encoded in another malicious image, and this additional image can then trigger another set of actions that the agent executes, so you basically can spin this multiple times and let the agent go to different websites that you designed that then basically encode different attacks," Aichberger says.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/extremely-alarming-chatgpt-and-gemini-respond-to-high-risk-questions-about-suicide-including-details-around-methods">'Extremely alarming': ChatGPT and Gemini respond to high-risk questions about suicide — including details around methods</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-cant-solve-these-puzzles-that-take-humans-only-seconds">AI can't solve these puzzles that take humans only seconds</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/there-are-32-different-ways-ai-can-go-rogue-scientists-say-from-hallucinating-answers-to-a-complete-misalignment-with-humanity">There are 32 different ways AI can go rogue, scientists say — from hallucinating answers to a complete misalignment with humanity</a></p></div></div><p>The team hopes its research will help developers prepare safeguards before AI agents become more widespread. "This is the first step towards thinking about defense mechanisms because once we understand how we can actually make [the attack] stronger, we can go back and retrain these models with these stronger patches to make them robust. That would be a layer of defense," says Adel Bibi, another co-author on the study. And even if the attacks are designed to target open-source AI systems, companies with closed-source models could still be vulnerable. "A lot of companies want security through obscurity," Paren says. "But unless we know how these systems work, it's difficult to point out the vulnerabilities in them."</p><p>Gal believes AI agents will become common within the next two years. "People are rushing to deploy [the technology] before we know that it's actually secure," he says. Ultimately the team hopes to encourage developers to make agents that can protect themselves and refuse to take orders from anything on-screen — even your favorite pop star.</p><p><em>This article was first published at </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hacking-ai-agents-how-malicious-images-and-pixel-manipulation-threaten/" target="_blank"><u><em>Scientific American</em></u></a><em>. © </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/scientificamerican.com/__;!!NLFGqXoFfo8MMQ!ve-vRNHfxzMpuwnzghmp615VHAOThOfKc0RxPLCh1dx85wIiwQoA7iednip0GtnAIg1pK3FBwkmX_WffcAvtUO0$" target="_blank"><u><em>ScientificAmerican.com</em></u></a><em>. All rights reserved. Follow on </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://linkin.bio/scientific_american" target="_blank"><u><em>TikTok and Instagram</em></u></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twitter.com/sciam" target="_blank"><u><em>X</em></u></a><em> and </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/ScientificAmerican/" target="_blank"><u><em>Facebook</em></u></a><em>.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
685.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-could-use-online-images-as-a-backdoor-into-your-computer-alarming-new-study-suggests</link>
686.                                                                            <description>
687.                            <![CDATA[ Artificial-intelligence agents — touted as AI's next wave — could be vulnerable to malicious code hidden in innocent-looking images on your computer screen ]]>
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691.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 18:33:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
692.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
693.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Deni Ellis Béchard ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hb89B7aMthcdUR3mfh89FX-1280-80.jpg">
694.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Nagaiets via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
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701.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Your fear is well-founded': How human activities have raised the risk of tick-borne diseases like Lyme ]]></title>
702.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>When you think about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/tick-bites-symptoms-treatment-and-tick-borne-diseases"><u>ticks</u></a>, you might picture nightmarish little <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/why-we-need-parasites-despite-them-leeching-life-from-others"><u>parasites</u></a>, stalking you on weekend hikes or afternoons in the park.</p><p>Your fear is well-founded. Tick-borne diseases are the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.240837" target="_blank"><u>most prevalent vector-borne diseases</u></a> — those transmitted by living organisms — in the United States. Each tick feeds on multiple animals throughout its life, absorbing viruses and bacteria along the way and passing them on with its next bite. Some of those viruses and bacteria are harmful to humans, causing diseases that can be debilitating and sometimes lethal without treatment, such as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651" target="_blank"><u>Lyme</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24809-babesiosis" target="_blank"><u>babesiosis</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/about/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Rocky Mountain spotted fever</u></a>.</p><p>But contained in every bite of this infuriating, insatiable pest is also a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://academic.oup.com/jme/article-abstract/47/5/707/881591" target="_blank"><u>trove of social, environmental and epidemiological history</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_OPeaWh2S_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="OPeaWh2S">            <div id="botr_OPeaWh2S_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>In many cases, human actions long ago are the reason ticks carry these diseases so widely today. And that’s what makes ticks fascinating for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://history.wvu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty/sean-lawrence" target="_blank"><u>environmental historians like me</u></a>.</p><h2 id="changing-forests-fueled-tick-risks-2">Changing forests fueled tick risks</h2><p>During the 18th and 19th centuries, settlers <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://insider.si.edu/2013/09/400-year-study-finds-northeast-forests-resilient-changing-%EF%BB%BF/" target="_blank"><u>cleared more than half</u></a> the forested land across the northeastern U.S., cutting down forests for timber and to make way for farms, towns and mining operations. With large-scale land clearing came a sharp decline in wildlife of all kinds. Predators such as bears and wolves were driven out, as were deer.</p><p>As farming moved westward, Northeasterners began to recognize the ecological and economic value of trees, and they <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1942027" target="_blank"><u>returned millions of acres to forest</u></a>.</p><p>The woods regrew. Plant-eaters such as deer returned, but the apex predators that once kept their populations in check did not.</p><p>As a result, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/stories/cattle-fever-tick-program-highlights-story-map" target="_blank"><u>deer populations</u></a> grew rapidly. With the deer came <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001140" target="_blank"><u>deer ticks</u></a> (<em>Ixodes scapularis</em>) carrying <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. When a tick feeds on an infected animal, it can take up the bacteria. The tick can pass the bacteria to its next victim. In humans, Lyme disease can cause fever and fatigue, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/about/index.html" target="_blank"><u>if left untreated</u></a> it can affect the nervous system.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:62.56%;"><img id="nkpdeZoD737Gtp549Y94PY" name="lgmap-blacklegged_tick" alt="A map showing the range of the Blacklegged Tick" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nkpdeZoD737Gtp549Y94PY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="900" height="563" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The black-legged tick, <em>Ixodes scapularis</em>, also known as the deer tick, ranges across the eastern half of the country. It’s one of many disease-carrying ticks in the U.S.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: <a href="http://cdc.gov/ticks/about/where-ticks-live.html">National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The eastern U.S. became a global hot spot for tick-borne Lyme disease starting around the 1970s. Lyme disease <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/tickborne-disease-surveillance-data-summary.html" target="_blank"><u>affected over 89,000 Americans in 2023, and possibly many more</u></a>.</p><h2 id="californians-move-into-tick-territory-2">Californians move into tick territory</h2><p>For centuries, changing patterns of human settlements and the politics of land use have shaped the role of ticks and tick-borne illnesses within their environments.</p><p>In short, humans have made it easier for ticks to thrive and spread disease in our midst.</p><p>In California, the Northern Inner Coast and Santa Cruz mountain ranges that converge on San Francisco from the north and south were never clear-cut, and predators such as mountain lions and coyotes still exist there. But competition for housing has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://criticalurbanenvironments.ucsc.edu/projects/wildland-urban-interface-wui-research-for-resilience/" target="_blank"><u>pushed human settlement</u></a> deeper into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://data-usfs.hub.arcgis.com/documents/usfs::wildland-urban-interface-2020-map-service/explore?path=" target="_blank"><u>wildland areas to the north, south and east of the city</u></a>, reshaping tick ecology there.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:60.56%;"><img id="rwKBeJu2rWBLmDckUQzBNY" name="lgmap-western_blacklegged_tick" alt="A map showing the range of the Western Blacklegged Tick" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rwKBeJu2rWBLmDckUQzBNY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="900" height="545" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A range map for the western black-legged tick. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: <a href="http://cdc.gov/ticks/about/where-ticks-live.html">National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p>While western black-legged ticks (<em>Ixodes pacificus</em>) tend to swarm in large forest preserves, the Lyme-causing bacterium is actually more prevalent <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240837" target="_blank"><u>in small, isolated patches of greenery</u></a>. In these isolated patches, rodents and other tick hosts can thrive, safe from large predators, which need more habitat to move freely. But isolation and lower diversity also means infections are spread more easily within the tick’s host populations.</p><p>People tend to build isolated houses in the hills, rather than large, connected developments. As the Silicon Valley area south of San Francisco sprawls outward, this checkerboard pattern of settlement has fragmented the natural landscape, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.240837" target="_blank"><u>creating a hard-to-manage public health threat</u></a>.</p><p>Fewer hosts, more tightly packed, often means more infected hosts, proportionally, and thus more dangerous ticks.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:65.17%;"><img id="CvVAWA4t3hiDs9L8Ed5vPY" name="tick-closeup" alt="a microscopic image of a tick mouth" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CvVAWA4t3hiDs9L8Ed5vPY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1200" height="782" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A tick’s mouth is barbed so it can hold on as it draws blood over hours. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/48881159777">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Six counties across these ranges, all surrounding and including San Francisco, account for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/geographic-distribution-of-tickborne-disease-cases.html" target="_blank"><u>44% of recorded tick-borne illnesses in California</u></a>.</p><h2 id="a-lesson-from-texas-cattle-ranches-2">A lesson from Texas cattle ranches</h2><p>Domesticated livestock have also shaped the disease threat posed by ticks.</p><p>In 1892, at a meeting of cattle ranchers at the Stock Raiser’s Convention in Austin, Texas, Dr. B.A. Rogers introduced a novel theory that ticks were behind recent devastating plagues of Texas cattle fever. The disease had arrived with cattle imported from the West Indies and Mexico in the 1600s, and it was taking <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/parasitic-diseases-with-econom/parasitic-diseases-with-econom/texas-cattle-fever" target="_blank"><u>huge tolls on cattle herds</u></a>. But how the disease spread to new victims had been a mystery.</p><p>Editors of Daniel’s Texas Medical Journal found the idea of ticks spreading disease <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9173108/" target="_blank"><u>laughable and lampooned the hypothesis</u></a>, publishing a satire of what they described as an “early copy” of a forthcoming report on the subject.</p><p>The tick’s “fluid secretion, it is believed, is the poison which causes the fever … [and the tick] having been known to chew tobacco, as all other Texans do, the secretion is most probably tobacco juice,” they wrote.</p><p>Fortunately for the ranchers, not to mention the cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sided with Rogers. Its cattle fever tick program, started in 1906, curbed cattle fever outbreaks by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2012.00195/pdf" target="_blank"><u>limiting where and when cattle should cross tick-dense areas</u></a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:68.83%;"><img id="hRhTjP9gokM74btyE3syQY" name="ticks-feedingondog" alt="a close-up of engorged ticks feeding on the inside of a dog's ear" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hRhTjP9gokM74btyE3syQY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1200" height="826" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Engorged ticks feed on a calf’s ear. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhipicephalus-appendiculatus-calf-ear.jpg">Alan R Walker</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p>By 1938, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/stories/cattle-fever-tick-program-highlights-story-map" target="_blank"><u>the government had established a quarantine zone</u></a> that extended 580 miles by 10 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas Brush Country, a region favored by the cattle tick.</p><p>This innovative use of natural space as a public health tool helped to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/stories/cattle-fever-tick-program-highlights-story-map" target="_blank"><u>functionally eradicate</u></a> cattle fever from 14 Southern states by 1943.</p><h2 id="ticks-are-products-of-their-environment-2">Ticks are products of their environment</h2><p>When it comes to tick-borne diseases the world over, location matters.</p><p>Take the hunter tick (<em>Hyalomma spp.</em>) of the Mediterranean and Asia. As a juvenile, or nymph, these ticks feed on small forest animals such as mice, hares and voles, but as an adult they prefer domesticated livestock.</p><p>For centuries, this tick was an occasional nuisance to nomadic shepherds of the Middle East. But in the 1850s, the Ottoman Empire passed laws to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40647178?seq=1" target="_blank"><u>force nomadic tribes to become settled farmers instead</u></a>. Unclaimed lands, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.academia.edu/40661841/Its_a_bad_fate_to_be_born_near_a_forest_Forest_People_and_Buffaloes_in_mid_Nineteenth_Century_North_Western_Anatolia" target="_blank"><u>especially on the forested edges of the steppe</u></a>, were offered to settlers, creating ideal conditions for hunter ticks.</p><p>As a result, farmers in what today is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005021%22%22" target="_blank"><u>Turkey saw spikes in tick-borne diseases</u></a>, including a virus that causes Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/crimean-congo-haemorrhagic-fever" target="_blank"><u>a potentially fatal condition</u></a>.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/ancient-bacteria-ticks-lyme-disease.html">Your skin should be toxic to ticks. Here's why it's not.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/arachnids/multiple-species-of-ticks-in-the-us-can-transmit-red-meat-allergy-cdc-reports-reveal">Multiple species of ticks in the US can transmit red meat allergy, CDC reports reveal</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tick-season-tick-illnesses">Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Here’s how to protect yourself.</a></p></div></div><p>It’s probably too much to ask for sympathy for any ticks you meet this summer. They are bloodsucking parasites, after all.</p><p>Still, it’s worth remembering that the tick’s malevolence isn’t its own fault. Ticks are products of their environment, and humans have played many roles in turning them into the harmful parasites that seek us out today.</p><p><em>This edited article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation</em></u></a><em> under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/ticks-carry-decades-of-history-in-each-troublesome-bite-257110" target="_blank"><u><em>original article</em></u></a>.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="border: none !important" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/257110/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
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705.                            <![CDATA[ Changes to forests, and how close people and their livestock live to them, have changed tick habitats and the risks humans face of Lyme disease and other illnesses. ]]>
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707.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">M69yF2N432PWmUrKsBbKUT</guid>
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709.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
710.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
711.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sean Lawrence ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xEHEePnnkqSQ65JQNt7eAX-1280-80.jpg">
712.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]></media:credit>
713.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a close-up of a tick on a stick]]></media:text>
714.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a close-up of a tick on a stick]]></media:title>
715.                                                    </media:content>
716.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xEHEePnnkqSQ65JQNt7eAX-1280-80.jpg" />
717.                                                                                        </item>
718.                    <item>
719.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in 'potentially habitable' TRAPPIST-1 system ]]></title>
720.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star located about 40 light years away that hosts seven <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth">Earth</a> sized rocky planets, with at least three orbiting in the habitable zone where liquid water could potentially exist. This makes it one of the most Solar System like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/planets/exoplanets">exoplanet</a> systems discovered, with TRAPPIST-1e considered among the best potentially habitable exoplanets. The system's proximity and multiple potentially habitable worlds make it an ideal target for searching for technological civilizations.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:93.18%;"><img id="nbH9R3ZwHMoRbCbf46RahN" name="trappist1-esa" alt="A map showing the location of Trappist-1" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nbH9R3ZwHMoRbCbf46RahN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1789" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text"><em>The red circle shows the location of Trappist-1 in the constellation Aquarius.</em> </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ESO/IAU and Sky & Telescope)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The research team conducted their search using the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) to exploit its unprecedented sensitivity. The observations consisted of five independent L-band pointings, each with a 20 minute integration, for a total time of 1.67 hours. The frequency coverage spanned 1.05 to 1.45GHz with a spectral resolution of ~7.5Hz allowing them to detect extremely weak radio signals that might indicate alien technology.</p><p>The team led by Guang-Yuan Song from the Dezhou University in China looked for very precise radio frequencies that slowly changed over time due to planetary motion.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/will-the-james-webb-telescope-lead-us-to-alien-life-scientists-say-were-getting-closer-than-ever"><strong>Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.</strong></a></p><p>Such signals would be virtually impossible to produce naturally and would strongly suggest artificial origin from an advanced civilization. Based on the configuration of FAST, the researchers had the ability to detect radio signals as weak as 2.04×10^10 watts. This means they were able to detect fainter signals than any previous studies. If there were aliens transmitting radio signals regularly on a specific frequency, this study would be more likely to find them than earlier attempts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1048px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:68.70%;"><img id="sGz5goZMPCaVRnG3oBifgN" name="guizhoutelescope" alt="A view of a massive disk-shaped telescope" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sGz5goZMPCaVRnG3oBifgN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1048" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text"><em>500m Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope located in Guizhou Province, China.</em> </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SCJiang)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Alas, the search found no convincing evidence of alien technology. However, rather than being disappointing, this result still provides valuable scientific information. It places upper limits on the presence of certain types of alien transmitters in the TRAPPIST-1 system and demonstrates the remarkable capabilities of modern SETI searches.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/potentially-habitable-planet-trappist-1b-may-have-a-carbon-dioxide-rich-atmosphere">Potentially habitable planet TRAPPIST-1b may have a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/will-the-james-webb-telescope-lead-us-to-alien-life-scientists-say-were-getting-closer-than-ever">Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/cosmic-rays-could-help-support-alien-life-on-worlds-outside-the-goldilocks-zone">Cosmic rays could help support alien life on worlds outside the 'Goldilocks zone'</a></p></div></div><p>It may be some years or even decades before we can completely rule out life in the TRAPPIST-1 system but at least for now, it remains a compelling target for future SETI efforts. The team plans to expand their search to look for other types of signals, including periodic or transient transmissions that might be missed by current methods.</p><p>The search for extraterrestrial intelligence remains one of our most profound scientific endeavors, with the potential to fundamentally transform our understanding of our place in the universe. As we continue to peer out into space with ever greater precision, we're not just looking for aliens, we're taking the first steps toward what may be the most significant moment in human history.​​​​​​​​​​</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_9RumPulc_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="9RumPulc">            <div id="botr_9RumPulc_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
721.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/chinese-scientists-hunt-for-alien-radio-signals-in-potentially-habitable-trappist-1-system</link>
722.                                                                            <description>
723.                            <![CDATA[ Researchers in China have conducted the most thorough search yet for alien radio signals in the nearby TRAPPIST-1 system, which may harbor potentially Earth-like planets. ]]>
724.                                                                                                            </description>
725.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">HvZxVGtAz4cyCDvBkEerWS</guid>
726.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gJEYYhnsCBkNzUWXyUzjfN-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
727.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Extraterrestrial Life]]></category>
728.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
729.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mark Thompson ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gJEYYhnsCBkNzUWXyUzjfN-1280-80.jpg">
730.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[CactiStaccingCrane]]></media:credit>
731.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A large white star with a smaller orange star]]></media:text>
732.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A large white star with a smaller orange star]]></media:title>
733.                                                    </media:content>
734.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gJEYYhnsCBkNzUWXyUzjfN-1280-80.jpg" />
735.                                                                                        </item>
736.                    <item>
737.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ James Webb telescope's 'starlit mountaintop' could be the observatory's best image yet — Space photo of the week ]]></title>
738.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">QUICK FACTS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>What it is:</strong> Pismis 24, a young star cluster</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where it is:</strong> 5,500 light-years away, in the constellation Scorpius</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>When it was shared:</strong> Sept. 4, 2025</p></div></div><p>A craggy mountain peak, a tower, perhaps even a finger — in this new celestial dreamscape from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/james-webb-space-telescope"><u>James Webb Space Telescope</u></a> (JWST), something seems to be pointing at a cluster of bright stars above, as if a stargazing session were going on deep in the Milky Way.</p><p>This is Pismis 24, a small open star cluster at the core of the Lobster Nebula in the constellation Scorpius. This vast region of interstellar gas and dust is one of the closest sites to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/our-solar-system.html"><u>solar system</u></a> where our galaxy's most massive and extreme stars burn fast and die young.</p><p>The orange and brown craggy peaks are huge spires of gas and dust, the European Space Agency wrote in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://esawebb.org/images/weic2518a/" target="_blank"><u>description of the image</u></a>. The tallest, in the center of the image, is 5.4 light-years from base to tip — as wide as about 200 solar systems placed side by side out to Neptune's orbit. Erosion within these spires is caused by powerful stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation from the massive newborn stars in the star cluster above. It's all part of the process — as the gas is eroded and compressed by young stars' radiation, new stars are born within the spires.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:138.05%;"><img id="kN4qv6p7446yQzNi22pzAo" name="weic2518a (1)" alt="A JWST image of a star cluster with sparkling stars and cloudy rainbow colors" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kN4qv6p7446yQzNi22pzAo.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="1767" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The James Webb Space Telescope's view of a young star cluster 5,500 light-years from the solar system.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI))</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's a self-sustaining nursery, but there's nothing ordinary about the stars in Pismis 24, which are among the most massive known stars in the galaxy. The brightest star in the cluster, Pismis 24-1, was once thought to be a single star with a mass of 200 to 300 suns. That's almost twice the generally accepted upper mass limit for stars.</p><p>However, in 2006, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/hubble-space-telescope"><u>Hubble Space Telescope</u></a> found that Pismis 24-1 is actually at least <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/heavyweight-stars-light-up-nebula-ngc-6357/" target="_blank"><u>two separate stars</u></a> orbiting each other. At 74 and 66 solar masses, respectively, the two stars remain among the most massive and luminous stars in the Milky Way. Their intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds have produced the dusty dreamscape captured in infrared by JWST's Near Infrared Camera.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">MORE SPACE PHOTOS</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/james-webb-telescope-finds-a-warped-butterfly-star-shedding-its-chrysalis-space-photo-of-the-week">James Webb telescope finds a warped 'Butterfly Star' shedding its chrysalis</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/the-worlds-first-view-of-earth-from-the-moon-taken-59-years-ago-space-photo-of-the-week">The world's first view of Earth from the moon, taken 59 years ago</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/longest-canyon-in-the-solar-system-reveals-new-secrets-space-photo-of-the-week">Longest canyon in the solar system reveals new secrets</a></p></div></div><p>As with all of JWST's images, there's a color code to understand before you can fully appreciate what you're seeing. Astronomers assign different color filters to different wavelengths of light: Cyan is hot, ionized hydrogen gas; orange is dust; deep red is cooler and denser hydrogen; and white is starlight scattered by dust. The darker, blacker regions show gas and dust so thick that even JWST's infrared sensors cannot penetrate it.</p><p><em>For more sublime space images, check out our </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/space-photo-of-the-week"><u><em>Space Photo of the Week archives</em></u></a><em>.</em></p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_uJkJUw7u_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="uJkJUw7u">            <div id="botr_uJkJUw7u_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
739.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/james-webb-telescopes-starlit-mountaintop-could-be-the-observatorys-best-image-yet-space-photo-of-the-week</link>
740.                                                                            <description>
741.                            <![CDATA[ The James Webb Space Telescope has captured infant stars carving peaks of dust and gas in the Pismis 24 star cluster. ]]>
742.                                                                                                            </description>
743.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">HPvLhE9pkigwefyg7HXhTU</guid>
744.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nWWGtmv3JsN7wtHbMgKGLk-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
745.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
746.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
747.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jamie Carter ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nWWGtmv3JsN7wtHbMgKGLk-1280-80.jpg">
748.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)]]></media:credit>
749.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A JWST image of a star cluster with sparkling stars and cloudy rainbow colors]]></media:text>
750.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A JWST image of a star cluster with sparkling stars and cloudy rainbow colors]]></media:title>
751.                                                    </media:content>
752.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nWWGtmv3JsN7wtHbMgKGLk-1280-80.jpg" />
753.                                                                                        </item>
754.                    <item>
755.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Science history: Gravitational waves detected, proving Einstein right — Sept. 14, 2015 ]]></title>
756.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Quick facts</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Discovery: </strong>First<strong> </strong>gravitational waves detected</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Discovery date: </strong>Sept. 14, 2015 at 5:51 a.m. EDT (09:51 UTC)</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Where: </strong>Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Who: </strong>Scientists with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration</p></div></div><p>Ten years ago today, on Sept. 14, physicists detected gravitational waves rippling through the cosmos for the first time.</p><p>The roots of this discovery date back a century.<strong> </strong>Albert Einstein's general <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/32216-what-is-relativity.html"><u>relativity</u></a> predicted that massive objects would warp space-time. When such massive objects accelerate — such as when two <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/black-holes"><u>black holes</u></a> collide — they would send ripples through the cosmos, called gravitational waves, he posited.</p><p>Einstein never thought we could detect them, because the distortion of space-time caused by these waves would be far tinier than a single atom.</p><p>However, in the 1970s, MIT physicist <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/56271" target="_blank"><u>Rainer Weiss</u></a>, who <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://news.mit.edu/2025/professor-emeritus-rainer-weiss-dies-0826" target="_blank"><u>died in August</u></a>, proposed it might be possible to detect these tiny ripples from colliding massive black holes.</p><p>Key to his scheme was the interferometer, which would split a beam of laser light. From there, the light would travel down two separate paths before bouncing off hanging mirrors and recombining at their source, where a light detector would measure their arrival. Ordinarily, if the paths were the same lengths, these two beams would return at the same time.</p><p>But if a gravitational wave was passing by, Weiss reasoned, these beams would be ever-so-slightly out of phase. That's because gravitational waves temporarily smoosh and stretch space-time, thereby creating fluctuations in the length of the passageways through which the laser beams travel.</p><p>Weiss, along with Caltech physicist <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pma.caltech.edu/people/kip-s-thorne" target="_blank"><u>Kip Thorne</u></a>, proposed the idea of trying to measure these elusive waves. The detector pathways, they argued, needed to be very long to detect such tiny signals. And the project would need two widely spaced detectors to eliminate the possibility that signals came from local disturbances, and to help localize the source of cosmic collisions.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1290px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:80.78%;"><img id="J4UJm6b9addWfi2TT6LShW" name="ligo-blackholemerger-abbottetal" alt="A figure from a scientific paper showing the signals of a black hole merger" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/J4UJm6b9addWfi2TT6LShW.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1290" height="1042" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The iconic "chirp" waveform that revealed the moment gravitational waves were first detected at Hanford (left) and Livingston (right). The top three pairs of images show strain, or how much space-time was stretched and compressed, as the waves passed through. The top row shows data collected by each detector, while the middle row shows the reconstructed waveform produced when the detector data is put into theoretical models of the black holes involved. The third row shows what's left when the reconstructed and detector data are compared. The bottom row shows the strain over time, with the frequency increasing over time. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Abbott et al., Physical Review Letters 2016; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/">CC BY 3.0</a>)</span></figcaption></figure><p>By 1990, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project had been approved, and two identical L-shaped detectors, with arms 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long, were built in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana, respectively.</p><p>For years, the detectors found nothing. So LIGO was upgraded to become more sensitive to ever-tinier signals. Much of that entailed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/ligo-detector-really-hates-noise.html"><u>protecting the equipment from vibrations</u></a> caused by nearby traffic, planes or distant earthquakes, which could obscure the signals from the distant universe.</p><p>In September 2015, the scientists turned on the upgraded instruments.</p><p>Overnight on Sept. 14, researchers at both LIGO sites detected something interesting.</p><p>"I got to the computer and I looked at the screen. And lo and behold, there is this incredible picture of the waveform, and it looked like exactly the thing that had been imagined by Einstein," Weiss said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=558&v=UMP3ZSVclmg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fphysics.mit.edu%2F&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMjg2NjY" target="_blank"><u>documentary about the discovery</u></a>.</p><p>It was a strong "chirp," or a fluctuation in the length of the detector arms, and it was a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a nucleus.</p><p>On Feb. 11, 2016, scientists announced that the event they'd detected came from the smashup of two massive black holes that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/53697-gravitational-waves-social-media-reactions.html"><u>collided about 1.3 billion years ago</u></a>. Europe's gravitational wave experiment, called Virgo, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1602.03837" target="_blank"><u>detected the same event</u></a>.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-think-they-detected-the-first-known-triple-black-hole-system-in-the-universe-and-then-watched-it-die">Scientists think they detected the first known triple black hole system in the universe — and then watched it die</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/stephen-hawkings-long-contested-black-hole-theory-finally-confirmed-as-scientists-hear-2-event-horizons-merge-into-one">Stephen Hawking's long-contested black hole theory finally confirmed — as scientists 'hear' 2 event horizons merge into one</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-may-have-just-discovered-300-of-the-rarest-black-holes-in-the-universe">Scientists may have just discovered 300 of the rarest black holes in the universe</a></p></div></div><p>The discovery ushered in a whole new way to study the universe's most extreme events. Since that first detection, LIGO's detectors, along with its European counterpart experiment Virgo and the Japanese Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA), have detected around <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20250910" target="_blank"><u>300 collisions</u></a>, including triple black hole mergers and the collision of black holes and neutron stars. In June 2023, a team of scientists announced that a faint "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/the-universe-is-rippling-with-a-faint-gravitational-wave-background-created-by-colliding-black-holes-huge-international-study-suggests"><u>gravitational wave background</u></a>" permeates the universe thanks to pairs of black holes veering toward collision all across space and time. And in September 2025, scientists from the LIGO Collaboration  <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/stephen-hawkings-long-contested-black-hole-theory-finally-confirmed-as-scientists-hear-2-event-horizons-merge-into-one"><u>validated Stephen Hawking's decades-old theory about black holes, linking quantum mechanics and general relativity</u></a>.</p><p>Weiss and Thorne, along with their colleague <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pma.caltech.edu/people/barry-c-barish" target="_blank"><u>Barry Barish</u></a>, were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for their work.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_SJUHj5P6_pBYGc5Ws_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="pBYGc5Ws"            data-playlist-id="SJUHj5P6">            <div id="botr_SJUHj5P6_pBYGc5Ws_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div> ]]></dc:content>
757.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/science-history-gravitational-waves-detected-proving-einstein-right-sept-14-2015</link>
758.                                                                            <description>
759.                            <![CDATA[ When LIGO detected gravitational waves unleashed from two colliding black holes for the first time in science history, it set off a whole new era in astronomy. ]]>
760.                                                                                                            </description>
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763.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:51:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
764.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
765.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
766.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tia Ghose ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/gif" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CCjVAaAcbDLbVsWARWWGoh-1280-80.gif">
767.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[SXS]]></media:credit>
768.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An animation of two black holes merging]]></media:text>
769.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An animation of two black holes merging]]></media:title>
770.                                                    </media:content>
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774.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Why do AI chatbots use so much energy? ]]></title>
775.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>In recent years, ChatGPT has exploded in popularity, with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.demandsage.com/chatgpt-statistics/" target="_blank"><u>nearly 200 million users</u></a> pumping a total of over a billion prompts into the app every day. These prompts may seem to complete requests out of thin air.</p><p>But behind the scenes, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence"><u>artificial intelligence</u></a> (AI) chatbots are using a massive amount of energy. In 2023, data centers, which are used to train and process AI, were responsible for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.71468/P1WC7Q" target="_blank"><u>4.4% of electricity use</u></a> in the United States. Across the world, these centers make up <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/601eaec9-ba91-4623-819b-4ded331ec9e8/EnergyandAI.pdf" target="_blank"><u>around 1.5%</u></a> of global energy consumption. These numbers are expected to skyrocket, at least <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai" target="_blank"><u>doubling by 2030</u></a> as the demand for AI grows.</p><p>"Just three years ago, we didn't even have ChatGPT yet," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alex-De-Vries-Gao" target="_blank"><u>Alex de Vries-Gao</u></a>, an emerging technology sustainability researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and founder of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://digiconomist.net/about/" target="_blank"><u>Digiconomist</u></a>, a platform dedicated to exposing the unintended consequences of digital trends. "And now we're talking about a technology that's going to be responsible for almost half of the electricity consumption by data centers globally."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="Np5kmfGE">            <div id="botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>But what makes AI chatbots so energy intensive? The answer lies in the massive scale of AI chatbots. In particular, there are two parts of AI that use the most energy: training and inference, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://mosharaf.com" target="_blank"><u>Mosharaf Chowdhury</u></a>, a computer scientist at the University of Michigan.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/electricity-humming-noise"><u><strong>Why does electricity make a humming noise?</strong></u></a></p><p>To train AI chatbots, large language models (LLMs) are given enormous datasets so the AI can learn, recognize patterns and make predictions. In general, there is a "bigger is better belief" with AI training, de Vries-Gao said, where bigger models that take in more data are thought to make better predictions.</p><p>"So what happens when you are trying to do a training is that the models nowadays have gotten so large, they don't fit in a single GPU [graphics processing unit]; they don't fit in a single server," Chowdhury told Live Science.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Sign up for our newsletter</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure "  ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth" name="XLS-M Multi signup" caption="" alt="The words 'Life Little Mysteries' over a blue background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Sign up for our weekly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/newsletter">Life's Little Mysteries newsletter</a> to get the latest mysteries before they appear online.</p></div></div><p>To give a sense of scale, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2023.09.004" target="_blank"><u>2023 research</u></a> by de Vries-Gao estimated that a single Nvidia DGX A100 server demands up to 6.5 kilowatts of power. Training an LLM usually requires multiple servers, each of which has an average of eight GPUs, which then run for weeks or months. Altogether, this consumes mountains of energy: It's estimated that training OpenAI's GPT-4 used 50 gigawatt-hours of energy, equivalent to powering San Francisco for three days.</p><p>Inference also consumes a lot of energy. This is where an AI chatbot draws a conclusion from what it has learned and generates an output from a request. Although it takes considerably fewer computational resources to run an LLM after it's trained, inference is energy intensive because of the sheer number of requests made to AI chatbots.</p><p>As of July 2025, OpenAI <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/21/sam-altman-openai-trump-dc-fed" target="_blank"><u>states</u></a> that users of ChatGPT send over 2.5 billion prompts every day, meaning that multiple servers are used to produce instantaneous responses for those requests. That isn't even to consider the other chatbots that are widely used, including Google's Gemini, which representatives say will <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-to-make-it-easier-to-access-ai-mode-as-default/" target="_blank"><u>soon become the default option</u></a> when users access Google Search.</p><p>"So even in inference, you can't really save any energy," Chowdhury said. "It's not really massive data. I mean, the model is already massive, but we have a massive number of people using it."</p><p>Researchers like Chowdhury and de Vries-Gao are now working to better quantify these energy demands to understand how to reduce them. For example, Chowdhury keeps an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ml.energy/leaderboard/?__theme=light" target="_blank"><u>ML Energy Leaderboard</u></a> that tracks the inference energy consumption of open-source models.</p><p>However, the specific energy demands of the other generative AI platforms are mostly unknown; big companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta keep these numbers private, or provide statistics that give little insight into the actual environmental impact of these applications, de Vries-Gao said. This makes it difficult to determine how much energy AI really uses, what the energy demand will be in the coming years, and whether the world can keep up.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED MYSTERIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/intelligent-aliens-would-need-a-power-supply-to-jumpstart-their-civilization-would-they-require-fossil-fuels">Intelligent aliens would need a power supply to jump-start their civilization — would they require fossil fuels?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/will-we-ever-have-quantum-laptops">Will we ever have quantum laptops?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/electric-cars-environment.html">Is an electric car better for the planet?</a></p></div></div><p>People who use these chatbots, however, can push for better transparency. This can not only help users make more energy-responsible choices with their own AI use but also push for more robust policies that hold companies accountable.</p><p>"One very fundamental problem with digital applications is that the impact is never transparent," de Vries-Gao said. "The ball is with policymakers to encourage disclosure so that the users can start doing something."</p> ]]></dc:content>
776.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/why-do-ai-chatbots-use-so-much-energy</link>
777.                                                                            <description>
778.                            <![CDATA[ AI chatbots are infamous energy guzzlers. But why do they use so much electricity? ]]>
779.                                                                                                            </description>
780.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">YJ53mM6qUPCFow5egjGM9G</guid>
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782.                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
783.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
784.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Alice Sun ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qkt5Pgiim7xzZk7gBAXYER-1280-80.jpg">
785.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Qi Yang via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
786.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[an image of a person holding a phone with waves of purple light emerging from it]]></media:text>
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792.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ How the surface you exercise on might increase your risk of cramps ]]></title>
793.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>For athletes across all <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/science-of-sports"><u>sports</u></a>, few experiences are as agonizing as being forced to leave competition with a sudden muscle cramp. These painful, uncontrolled spasms — formally known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27805-2_6" target="_blank"><u>exercise-associated muscle cramps</u></a> — have frustrated athletes, coaches and researchers for decades.</p><p>Scientists have traditionally attributed exercise-induced cramps to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.050401" target="_blank"><u>dehydration or electrolyte imbalances</u></a>. However, this theory left <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31817f476a" target="_blank"><u>unanswered questions</u></a>. For example, many well-hydrated athletes experience cramps, while others competing in hot, humid conditions remain unaffected.</p><p>A growing <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-024-00461-9" target="_blank"><u>body of research</u></a> is challenging this explanation, pointing instead to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2023.2236058" target="_blank"><u>playing surface</u></a> as a critical factor.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_XsBuCnqb_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="XsBuCnqb">            <div id="botr_XsBuCnqb_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>In <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4bW0J7wAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><u>my work as a sports scientist</u></a>, I study how different variables affect athletic performance. Work from my team has found that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2018-0004" target="_blank"><u>specific qualities of</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijkss.v.8n.4p.42" target="_blank"><u>playing surfaces</u></a> can lead to early neuromuscular fatigue and unexpected muscle cramps.</p><h2 id="muscle-cramps-and-playing-surfaces-2">Muscle cramps and playing surfaces</h2><p>As <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1097/JES.0b013e3182724817" target="_blank"><u>muscles fatigue</u></a>, the normal balance between signals in the nervous system that direct muscles to contract and relax become disrupted. Muscle spindles, which sense stretch, increase their firing rate. Meanwhile, inhibitory feedback from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00048.2011" target="_blank"><u>Golgi tendon organs</u></a> — a part of the nervous system at the intersection of muscle fibers and tendons — declines.</p><p>In other words, muscles are getting mixed signals about whether to contract or relax. The result is excessive activation of motor neurons that stimulate muscle fibers into a sustained, involuntary contraction — a cramp.</p><p>Recent studies suggest that competing on surfaces with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198805060-00003" target="_blank"><u>unfamiliar mechanical properties</u></a> — such as stiffness and elasticity — can accelerate <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111368" target="_blank"><u>neuromuscular fatigue</u></a>. Surfaces alter the mechanics of your muscles and joints. If your neuromuscular system is not accustomed to these demands, fatigue can prematurely set in and create the conditions for cramping.</p><p>In one study, my team and I found a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2018-0004" target="_blank"><u>13% difference in muscle activity</u></a> among runners performing on fields of varying stiffness and elasticity. Another study from my team found a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/IJKSS/article/view/6414" target="_blank"><u>50% difference in hamstring activity</u></a> among athletes performing identical drills on different types of turf.</p><p>Beyond sports-specific performance metrics, biomechanics research has long shown that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00917" target="_blank"><u>altering the properties</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2023.2236058" target="_blank"><u>of playing surfaces</u></a> changes muscle stiffness, joint loading and range of motion. These variables directly affect fatigue. Muscles crossing multiple joints <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000150078.79120.c8" target="_blank"><u>such as the hamstrings</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318236a3d2" target="_blank"><u>appear especially vulnerable</u></a> to</p><h2 id="preventing-cramps-during-exercise-2">Preventing cramps during exercise</h2><p>If playing surfaces influence fatigue, then managing how they interact with players could help prevent cramps.</p><p>Researchers have proposed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-024-00461-9" target="_blank"><u>developing regional databases</u></a> cataloging the mechanical characteristics of competition surfaces for sports such as tennis. With this data, coaches and sports organizations could tailor training environments to mimic competitive conditions, reducing the shock of unfamiliar surfaces. It's not necessarily the inherent properties of the surface that causes cramping, but rather how similar or different they are from what an athlete is used to.</p><p>Consider a soccer team that practices on a soft surface but competes on a more stiff surface. Without preparation, the shift in how their muscles will be used may lead to premature fatigue and cramps during competition. By incorporating drills that replicate how athletes' muscles will be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111368" target="_blank"><u>activated on competition turf</u></a> could help the team better prepare for game conditions.</p><p>Similarly, a basketball team accustomed to new hardwood may benefit from training sessions on worn or cushioned courts that simulate upcoming away venues.</p><p>The key is systematic exposure. Conditioning on surfaces that replicate competitive demands acclimatizes the neuromuscular system, lowering fatigue risk and potentially reducing the risk of cramps.</p><h2 id="toward-a-holistic-approach-to-cramps-2">Toward a holistic approach to cramps</h2><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597" target="_blank"><u>Hydration and nutrition</u></a> remain essential for performance. But accounting for conditioning, footwear traction and adaptation to different playing surfaces could help sports medicine move toward a more complete solution to exercise-associated muscle cramps.</p><p>With continued research and technology development, cramps may no longer need to be a frustrating inevitability. Instead, athletes and coaches could anticipate them, adjust training to match surface demands, and take steps to prevent them before they derail performance.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/usa-basketball-doctor-shares-what-it-s-like-to-treat-athletes-at-the-olympics">USA Basketball doctor shares what it's like to treat athletes at the Olympics</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/muscle-repair-by-roaming-nuclei">Stunning images show how muscles heal themselves after a workout</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/ways-an-athlete-s-brain-differs-from-an-average-person-s">6 ways an athlete's brain differs from an average person's</a></p></div></div><p>The future of cramp prevention may lie in real-time monitoring. Advances in a combination of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030873" target="_blank"><u>wearable biosensors</u></a> to detect neuromuscular fatigue, surface testing equipment and machine learning could help predict individualized cramp risk. Coaches might then adjust practice plans, make in-game substitutions or even adapt surface conditions when possible.</p><p>By better preparing athletes for the mechanical demands of competition surfaces, teams may protect their athletes' health and ensure top performers are available when the game is on the line.</p><p><em>This edited article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation</em></u></a><em> under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-muscle-cramps-during-exercise-athletes-and-coaches-may-want-to-look-at-the-playing-surface-262619" target="_blank"><u><em>original article</em></u></a>.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="border: none !important" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/262619/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
794.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/how-the-surface-you-exercise-on-might-increase-your-risk-of-cramps</link>
795.                                                                            <description>
796.                            <![CDATA[ Despite good hydration and nutrition, many athletes across sports still suffer from unexpected cramps. The courts and fields they're playing on may be the missing link. ]]>
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801.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
802.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Michael Hales ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/akycQp4Ze5YPPSiyDQoaHk-1280-80.jpg">
803.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[PAUL ELLIS via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
804.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A soccer player helps a teammate on the ground with a muscle cramp]]></media:text>
805.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A soccer player helps a teammate on the ground with a muscle cramp]]></media:title>
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810.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 3,300-year-old ancient Egyptian whistle was likely used by police officer tasked with guarding the 'sacred location' of the royal tomb ]]></title>
811.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A 3,300-year-old whistle carved out of a cow's toe bone has been discovered in Akhetaten (modern-day Amarna), an ancient Egyptian capital founded by the father of King Tutankhamun.</p><p>It is the first bone whistle to be found from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians"><u>ancient Egypt</u></a> and was likely used by a "police officer" who was monitoring workers of a royal tomb thousands of years ago, according to a new study.</p><p>"It is very unique," study co-researcher <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://experts.griffith.edu.au/8914-michelle-langley" target="_blank"><u>Michelle Langley</u></a>, an associate professor of archaeology at Griffith University in Australia, told Live Science in an email.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_XWOKi1xz_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="XWOKi1xz">            <div id="botr_XWOKi1xz_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Archaeologists with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amarnaproject.com/" target="_blank"><u>Amarna Project</u></a> discovered the whistle in 2008 while excavating a site within Akhetaten, but hadn't analyzed it until recently. The city is famous for its founder, the pharaoh Akhenaten, who forbade worship of Egypt's many gods except for Aten, the sun disk. But the capital, established circa 1347 B.C., lasted only about 15 years and was abandoned after the pharaoh's death. Later, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/54090-tutankhamun-king-tut.html"><u>King Tut</u></a> reintroduced the Egyptian pantheon to the kingdom.</p><p>The whistle, "a very unassuming artefact," sheds light on the activities of the city's nonroyal inhabitants, Langley said. The bone has a single hole drilled into it, and it "fits comfortably in your palm," she said.</p><p>In an experiment, the researchers made a replica out of a fresh cow toe bone and found that the "natural form of the end of the bone creates the perfect surface to rest your lower lip so you can blow across the hole," Langley said.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/king-tut-treasures-ancient-egypt"><u><strong>30 incredible treasures discovered in King Tut's tomb</strong></u></a></p><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="eoNsJFLBoJpy4DYPCq7Z3J" name="bone-whistle-1" alt="a head-on view of the hole in the bone whistle" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eoNsJFLBoJpy4DYPCq7Z3J.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michelle Langley)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="slide-description"><em>A view of the more than 0.2-inch-long (6 millimeters) hole in the bone whistle, which was crafted from the toe of a juvenile cow (genus Bos). </em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kSSfVHoGFk5rThuJ4xos6J" name="bone-whistle-2" alt="a side view of the bone whistle" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kSSfVHoGFk5rThuJ4xos6J.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michelle Langley)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="slide-description"><em>The bone whistle is about 2.5 inches long (6.3 centimeters) and fits comfortably in a person's hand.</em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oWMCxxNAJ8R82mF3Spo6GJ" name="Egypt-landscape" alt="a photo of a desert landscape" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oWMCxxNAJ8R82mF3Spo6GJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michelle Langley)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="slide-description"><em>A view of the landscape at Stone Village where archaeologists found the whistle.</em></p></div></div></div><h2 id="police-whistle-2">Police whistle</h2><p>The researchers found the whistle at a site known as the Stone Village, which is near another site called the Workman's Village. Both villages likely housed workers involved in the creation of the royal tomb, according to the research team, which was directed by University of Cambridge archaeologists <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-anna-stevens"><u>Anna Stevens</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/prof-barry-kemp-1940-2024" target="_blank"><u>Barry Kemp</u></a>.</p><p>Previous excavations revealed that the villages had a complex network of roadways next to a series of small structures, which may have been good vantage points for officers to watch over the area, the researchers wrote in the study, which was published Sept. 1 in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oa.70026" target="_blank"><u>International Journal of Osteoarchaeology</u></a>.</p><p>"This area appears to have been heavily policed in order to keep the sacred location of the tomb known and accessed by only those that need to know and go there," Langley said.</p><p>In particular, the whistle was found in a structure that the team had interpreted as being some kind of checkpoint for people coming in and out of the Stone Village, Langley said, so "the whistle being used by a policeman or guard makes the most sense."</p><p>At another famous site, Deir el-Medina — the village of tomb workers for the Valley of the Kings — tomb workers were policed in a similar way, she said. And other New Kingdom artifacts, such as texts and images, reveal that the Egyptians had police officers known as "medjay."</p><p>"The <em>medjay </em>were a semi-nomadic group of people originally from the desert region and who were well-known for their elite military skills," Langley said. "They were used by the Egyptians as a kind of elite police force."</p><p>Further clues suggest that the newfound whistle was used by a police officer. For example, the decorated tomb of Mahu, the chief of police at Akhetaten, was previously uncovered in the area.</p><div class="inlinegallery  carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:64.69%;"><img id="ALRrkacoG63yqNmCJZHSGJ" name="tomb" alt="a photo of a wall engraving in a tomb showing various scenes" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ALRrkacoG63yqNmCJZHSGJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1242" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michelle Langley)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="slide-description"><em> The tomb of Mahu, chief of police at Akhetaten, shows what may be sentries guarding different watch posts.</em></p></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:64.43%;"><img id="vxRmJfov5wY73BYFgjJsHJ" name="tomb-1" alt="a close-up of engravings on a tomb wall showing a rearing horse and guards at watch posts" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vxRmJfov5wY73BYFgjJsHJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1237" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michelle Langley)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="slide-description"><em>A detail from the tomb of Mahu showing possible guards overseeing watch posts.</em></p></div></div></div><p>"In his tomb, one scene shows police holding men in custody — apparently having been caught trying to sneak into the city," Langley said. "In other scenes, we see a series of sentries standing along what might be a roadway like that around the villages."</p><p>In another image in Mahu's tomb, sentries stand guard at small structures that may be checkpoints. "So, we do know that police were actively guarding the boundary and areas of the city," Langley said.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/4-000-year-old-handprint-discovered-on-ancient-egyptian-tomb-offering">4,000-year-old handprint discovered on ancient Egyptian tomb offering</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/sabu-disk-a-mysterious-5-000-year-old-egyptian-stone-sculpture-that-looks-like-a-hubcap">Sabu Disk: A mysterious 5,000-year-old Egyptian stone sculpture that looks like a hubcap</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/mysterious-artifacts-from-king-tuts-tomb-might-have-been-used-in-awakening-osiris-ritual">Mysterious artifacts from King Tut's tomb might have been used in 'awakening Osiris' ritual</a></p></div></div><p>When Langley first saw the whistle, it reminded her of bone-carved whistles from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.trove.scot/object/9196" target="_blank"><u>Stone Age Europe</u></a>. After ruling out other uses for the Egyptian artifact, such as being a game piece, Langley and her colleagues were excited that they had documented ancient Egypt's first known whistle.</p><p>"While there has been a lot of attention given to the tombs and monuments built by the Pharaohs, we still know relatively little about the more average person," Langley said. Sites like Amarna are so important because they record "the lives not only of Pharaoh and his court, but also the regular, everyday people."</p><h2 id="ancient-egypt-quiz-test-your-smarts-about-pyramids-hieroglyphs-and-king-tut-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/ancient-egypt-quiz-test-your-smarts-about-pyramids-hieroglyphs-and-king-tut">Ancient Egypt quiz</a>: Test your smarts about pyramids, hieroglyphs and King Tut</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-ODrqre"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/ODrqre.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
812.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/3-300-year-old-ancient-egyptian-whistle-was-likely-used-by-police-officer-tasked-with-guarding-the-sacred-location-of-the-royal-tomb</link>
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814.                            <![CDATA[ Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a 3,300-year-old bone whistle carved out of a cow's toe, and it may have been used by an ancient "police officer." ]]>
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818.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:05:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Ancient Egyptians]]></category>
819.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
820.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ lgeggel@livescience.com (Laura Geggel) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Laura Geggel ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YNu8dVb3wh8CEw2ZiswU8J-1280-80.jpg">
821.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Michelle Langley]]></media:credit>
822.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[a side view of a whistle made from a cow toe bone]]></media:text>
823.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a side view of a whistle made from a cow toe bone]]></media:title>
824.                                                    </media:content>
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827.                    <item>
828.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Garmin Forerunner 570 review — Bright, accurate, slightly overpriced ]]></title>
829.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Garmin Forerunner 570 is one of the best mid-range <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/best-running-watches">running watches</a> of the year so far, and it might be roundly considered a direct successor to the Forerunner 265.</p><p>Like that watch, it can do more than most people need. But it doesn’t have advanced features like on-watch maps, ECG readings and some of Garmin’s nerdiest stats.</p><p>A few competitors, like the Suunto Vertical and Polar Grit X2, do have some of those tasty extras at a similar cost. And unsurprisingly, the last-generation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/garmin-forerunner-965-review">Forerunner 965</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/garmin-forerunner-265-review">Forerunner 265</a> seemed better deals when they arrived — unsurprising because of all the expensive tariff chaos and general inflation seen over the last couple of years.</p><p>We do find it hard to be too hard on the Forerunner 570, though, because the overall experience is excellent, and buoyed by a new, even brighter screen.</p><p>The Garmin Forerunner 570 costs $549.99/£459.99 regardless of whether you pick the 42mm edition or the 47mm one. Its older sibling, the Forerunner 265 cost $449.99/£429.99 at its launch in 2023.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-garmin-forerunner-570-design"><span>Garmin Forerunner 570: Design</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="pfrixmScSugazVF7RDasBJ" name="forerunner-570-1j-resized" alt="A close-up picture of our reviewer wearing the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pfrixmScSugazVF7RDasBJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 is not as flashy and intimidating as some other watches in the Garmin's line-up.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Key specs</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Screen</strong>: 1.4-in OLED (1.2-in in 42mm)</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Storage</strong>: 8GB</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Connectivity</strong>: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Dimensions</strong>: 47 x 47 x 12.9mm</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Weight</strong>: 50g (42g in 42mm)</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>GPS</strong>: Dual-band</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Water resistance</strong>: 5ATM</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Battery life</strong>: Up to 11 days (10 days in 42mm)</p></div></div><p>The Garmin Forerunner 570’s price won’t make it the right pick for everyone, but it does have an all-embracing design. There are two sizes, 42mm and 47mm, and by Garmin standards, this is not an imposing watch.</p><p>Its bezel isn’t built-up and bulky like that of an adventure watch. And while the 47mm version we have may be a little large for some wrists, the 42mm will look petite in comparison.</p><p>The Forerunner 570 build is mid-range. It has an aluminium bezel and Gorilla Glass 3, rather than the Titanium and Sapphire crystal of the Forerunner 970. During the few weeks we have been testing it, we have managed to put a tiny nick in the display glass. But we’ve even managed to do that with Sapphire before.</p><p>The rest of the casing is Garmin’s plastic “polymer.” It’s not flashy, but its strength and hardness are excellent. It weighs a mere 50g total, which is actually less than the 56g Forerunner 970 even though that watch’s bezel is low-weight titanium.</p><p>We’ve worn it mostly 24/7 throughout testing, and haven’t felt the need to wrench it off at night, despite testing landing during a hot summer.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="m2vrJARFjpPcdzBD8s6B9V" name="forerunner-570-side-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the side buttons on the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m2vrJARFjpPcdzBD8s6B9V.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 is relatively light and compact. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>In its black finish, the Forerunner 570 is quite a low-key watch. There’s no colour pop. It’s not a show-off, but show-off finishes certainly are available. Here’s the rundown of the colourful options:</p><p>- Raspberry (pink) bezel, white shell with mango highlights (42mm)</p><p>- Amp yellow bezel with off-white casing, turquoise highlights (47mm)</p><p>- Indigo bezel with purple casing (47mm)</p><p>Whether you choose the 42mm or 47mm Forerunner, you get a very sharp OLED screen and one with significantly higher brightness than in previous generations. As noted in our Forerunner 970 review, Garmin really lets these OLED panels rip. There’s a tendency in tech for high brightness “nit” counts to be splashed onto product web pages, but for that to rarely, if ever, be visible in real-world use.</p><p>Not so here. Outdoors visibility is exceptionally good.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="EWDKKqAzYLEkxsQvV638mf" name="forerunner-570-1-resized" alt="A close-up picture of our reviewer holding the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EWDKKqAzYLEkxsQvV638mf.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 impressed us with its screen brightness and outdoor visibility. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-garmin-forerunner-570-features"><span>Garmin Forerunner 570: Features</span></h3><p>The Forerunner 570 is a mid-tier Garmin watch, despite costing quite a lot of money. A lack of mapping support is the most obvious feature cut.</p><p>At one point, we used the Garmin Connect app to work out a half-marathon route and sent this to the Forerunner 570. That works fine, but all you see is a breadcrumb trail, not any map data around it.</p><p>New for this generation, the Forerunner 570 gets a speaker and mic, because Garmin has decided to go big on voice support. There are two types. You can use the mic to access your phone’s own assistant, as you might with wired headphones. Or, more notably, a Voice Command mini app lets you control certain Forerunner 570 features</p><p>That might be starting an activity or toggling a setting. We only really find it useful for setting timers, because it’s otherwise just as fast to use the Forerunner 570’s buttons.</p><p>We’ve almost exclusively used the buttons to operate this watch (there are five of them). But you can use the touchscreen too.</p><p>And aside from maps, it only really misses out on the most specialised of recorded stats. In the Garmin hierarchy, the elements it gains over cheaper models are things like Training Readiness, Training Status and the Race Calendar.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Q3hvFfa3CZF4Qj59kgVUeJ" name="forerunner-570-route-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the running trail on the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q3hvFfa3CZF4Qj59kgVUeJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 lacks advanced mapping features. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Those first two build on what key Garmin stat Body Battery does — basically telling you how run down you are — but with a view to serving the athlete class. The Forerunner 570 also has multi-sport activities, for triathletes (and duathletes), although the feature is more flexible than that too, as you can create your own custom MultiSport profiles.</p><p>These join the usual pantheon of activity modes, of which there are far too many to dig into here.</p><p>All Garmin Forerunner 570s also have music support, and there’s a fairly stingy 8GB of internal storage for your tracks and podcasts. As usual, Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer and YouTube Music are supported, with mini apps that let you download tracks from their respective libraries, if you have an active subscription to them.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="BHKWYbS7s7ErB33EPsK27G" name="forerunner-570-menu-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the fitness stats on the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BHKWYbS7s7ErB33EPsK27G.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 measures steps, heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, respiration rate and many other health stats. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>You get a good spread of features in the Forerunner 570, but it’s worth noting Coros, Suunto and Polar all offer on-watch maps for this sort of money. Are their mapping features and interfaces as good as Garmin’s? No.</p><p>The Forerunner 570 also lacks ECG support, which requires Garmin’s sensor array with extra little panels that sit on your wrist. You get these in the Forerunner 970, although think twice before considering ECG a must-have. While it can look out for signs of arrhythmia, it makes you take 30 seconds out of your day, as it’s not a passive reading.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-garmin-forerunner-570-performance"><span>Garmin Forerunner 570: Performance</span></h3><p>The Garmin Forerunner 570 is a watch we recommend, but with an important disclaimer. Its new, super-bright screen is a bit of a battery hog. It’s doubly worth bearing in mind if you are upgrading from an older Garmin watch with a low-power-drain transflective screen.</p><p>As per the spec sheet, the Forerunner 570 is rated for 11 days of use. But this will drop significantly if you use it to train outdoors a lot, and dramatically if you use the always-on screen mode.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="HQAhiV6nyanxqX8WvNG8Ac" name="forerunner-570-back-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the PPG sensor in the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HQAhiV6nyanxqX8WvNG8Ac.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 lasts up to 11 days, as long as it is not used in the Always-on mode. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We often recommend using this mode, but with the Forerunner 570? We’re not so sure. There’s such a jump in brightness when the screen is actively used that it barely feels like the watch screen is on when passively displaying the time. And battery life drops to 3-4 days with heavy use.</p><p>One of the issues here is that while there’s a brightness control, it doesn’t seem to massively impact the brightness ceiling. The watch will still get super-bright when it needs to contend with a bright day.</p><p>That brightness is an awesome skill to have, but it does clash with one of the traditional Garmin highlights. So is the Forerunner 570's 11-day battery life claim a bit rich? No, but the way we use it, we are not going to get close to that.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="ihQeLDX6S6u82um3AjXBvD" name="forerunner-570-close-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the display in the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ihQeLDX6S6u82um3AjXBvD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Forerunner 570 is one of the brightest Garmin watches we tested. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Here’s how our last weekend of testing panned out. The Forerunner 570 came off charge at 8:30 am on Saturday. We used it to track a Parkrun 5K, and after adding the run there and back, it ended up around an hour of GPS tracking. We were down to 93% by 9:35 am.</p><p>After an hour at the gym and a few more hours past, the Forerunner 570 was at 82% by 3 pm. The Sunday included a 2-hour run. By Monday morning at 8:30 am, exactly 48 hours after charging, the watch was down to 33% battery. This tells us reasonably heavy — but perfectly realistic — use will leave you with three days of battery life.</p><p>We have also found that the display can contribute to overheating, which can happen during one run. The watch didn’t reset, but became completely unresponsive until we got under the shade for a few seconds. This was, admittedly, on a 30-plus degree day at the tail end of a 2-hour run, but a more powerful screen will contribute.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="mJ6nxjmbW9GfuBsoCfcCSa" name="forerunner-570-10-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the weekly workout stats in the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mJ6nxjmbW9GfuBsoCfcCSa.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Beware, the Garmin Forerunner 570 may overheat in high temperatures. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Other elements of performance are mostly on par with the best of Garmin. Heart rate performance is great for running, and only really showed up the deficiencies of wrist-worn tech when in the gym for weight sessions. A chest strap is still miles better for that scenario, but the Forerunner 570 will admittedly do the job OK.</p><p>We’ve found, as with the Fenix 8, the Forerunner 570 can take a little longer to report a GPS lock than previous generations. But when this is across the board, we wonder whether it’s a difference in what stage the watch claims a GPS lock, rather than it actually taking longer. It might be up to 15-20 seconds.</p><p>This watch has dual-band GPS, and we’ve seen no issues with mid-tracking signal reliability whatsoever during testing. The route maps you get after a run, your pace stats and distance travelled numbers are all excellent. It’s a watch on which you can rely for your training.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="wJhLQ33hWocbzGjxART5h8" name="forerunner-570-8-resized" alt="A close-up picture of the health stats in the Garmin Forerunner 570" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wJhLQ33hWocbzGjxART5h8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 570 performed reasonably well in our tests. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-garmin-forerunner-570-user-reviews"><span>Garmin Forerunner 570: User reviews</span></h3><p>The Forerunner 570 has received mostly highly positive reviews from buyers. And while some of our own comments circle around potential battery life complaints, shoppers have favourably compared battery life here to that of the Apple Watch series.</p><p>Garmin’s watch comfortably outlasts Apple’s, hugely so if you don’t exercise a ton. Others have also commented on how light the watch feels, and that was an owner of the larger 47mm version. The 42mm one is even lighter.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-should-you-buy-the-garmin-forerunner-970"><span>Should you buy the Garmin Forerunner 970?</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="JhdVetmsQDV8EqDmufGYWV" name="forerunner-570-fr-resized" alt="Garmin Forerunner 570 on a piece of wood" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JhdVetmsQDV8EqDmufGYWV.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Garmin Forerunner 570 has a lot to offer, but it is hard to deny that it feels slightly overpriced. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>In one narrow but important way, the Forerunner 570 is Garmin’s most advanced watch, alongside the Forerunner 970. These fitness trackers have the company’s brightest screens. Yep, including the Fenix 8 and even more expensive specialist watches.</p><p>This does wonders for outdoor visibility, not that Garmin watches had an issue in that area to begin with.</p><p>If that doesn’t appeal, the Forerunner 570 may seem a bit expensive. And thanks to global events since the last generation in 2023, it is a little high-priced for US buyers in particular. Garmin is far from alone among tech companies in having to tweak pricing to reflect commercial realities, though.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-if-garmin-forerunner-570-is-not-for-you"><span>If Garmin Forerunner 570 is not for you</span></h3><p>There are several options within the Garmin stable that may be a better fit. From the last generation, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/garmin-forerunner-965-review">Forerunner 965</a> is available for just a little more at the time of review, and has on-watch maps.</p><p>Right now, it’s a better deal, but it won’t be supported as long. Similarly, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/garmin-forerunner-265-review">Forerunner 265</a> direct predecessor, is probably better value. There’s no voice assistant support, but no Garmin watch is really an Apple Watch replacer in that smartwatch sense.</p><p>Don’t discount the even lower-end Forerunner 165 either. It’s still a great watch and can be found for significantly less money.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-we-tested"><span>How we tested</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="3tgukDsrzQt8vA69VPxE4a" name="forerunner-570-9-resized" alt="The Garmin Forerunner 570 being tested by our reviewer" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3tgukDsrzQt8vA69VPxE4a.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">We spent several weeks putting the Garmin Forerunner 570 through its paces. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Forerunner 570 was tested for several weeks, and was used directly after testing the Forerunner 970. This helps to nail down some of the differences that might not be apparent from the spec sheet, like how accurate the heart rate and GPS tracking feel, as is. The results? Pretty similar.</p><p>It was used as my only fitness watch, and only watch in general, for around three weeks. Phone notifications were switched on, and it was variously used with the “always on” screen mode to better gauge battery life. And in that time, its heart rate readings were analysed alongside a chest strap, worn at the same time during a few workouts. Exercise tracking will have included upwards of 150km of running and a handful of gym sessions, as well as more ordinary step counting.</p> ]]></dc:content>
830.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/garmin-forerunner-570-review</link>
831.                                                                            <description>
832.                            <![CDATA[ The middleweight watch in Garmin’s runner-first Forerunner series gets a brighter screen and more smartwatch features, plus a price bump. ]]>
833.                                                                                                            </description>
834.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">VbiC5Z9d288PCvtBxD7RPS</guid>
835.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/onXEaM3ypwU6vAHN7GNira-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
836.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Exercise]]></category>
837.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
838.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Andrew Williams ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/onXEaM3ypwU6vAHN7GNira-1280-80.jpg">
839.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Andrew Williams]]></media:credit>
840.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[A close-up picture of our reviewer wearing the Garmin Forerunner 570]]></media:text>
841.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A close-up picture of our reviewer wearing the Garmin Forerunner 570]]></media:title>
842.                                                    </media:content>
843.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/onXEaM3ypwU6vAHN7GNira-1280-80.jpg" />
844.                                                                                        </item>
845.                    <item>
846.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ JWST finds planet with all-carbon atmosphere orbiting 'black widow' star ]]></title>
847.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Science advances through data that don't fit our current understanding. At least that was Thomas Kuhn's theory in his famous On the Structure of Scientific Revolutions. So scientists should welcome new data that challenges their understanding of how the universe works. A recent paper, available in pre-print on arXiv, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) might just had found some data that can do that. It looked at an exoplanet around a millisecond <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-are-pulsars">pulsar</a> and found its atmosphere is made up of almost entirely pure carbon.</p><p>This type of pulsar, PSR J2322-2650, is known as a "black widow" system, as it powers its high energy outbursts by stealing material from a neighboring star. In this case, that neighboring star has likely been degraded to a "hot Jupiter" companion planet that orbits its parent neutron star every 7.8 hours. A typical "black widow" formation process has two steps - one where the neutron star (which in this case is also a pulsar) steals the material, and a second step where it blasts its companion with high energy gamma radiation, ripping off most of the companion star's outer layers and resulting in a Jupiter-sized exoplanet composed mainly of helium.</p><p>The exoplanet around PSR J2322-2650, known as PSR J2322-2650b, does fit the description of a Jupiter-sized planet that seems to have the same density as what would be expected if it was made up primarily of helium. However, its atmosphere is unlike any other black widow companion ever seen. According to the spectrographic reports from JWST, its atmosphere is composed mainly of elemental carbon, taking the form of tricarbon (C3) or dicarbon (C2).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_7mr3fBNd_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="7mr3fBNd">            <div id="botr_7mr3fBNd_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><p>Usually those types of elements are found in the tails of comets, or in actual flames here on Earth. Their presence in a planet's atmosphere, especially in such abundant quantities, is new to science.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/will-the-james-webb-telescope-lead-us-to-alien-life-scientists-say-were-getting-closer-than-ever"><strong>Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.</strong></a></p><p>Another interesting thing about the planet's atmosphere is the difference between the day and night side. On the dayside, which is always facing the pulsar since the planet is tidally locked, temperatures can reach above 2000 C and there are very clear chemical signatures. However, on the night side, there were almost no features at all, suggesting that side of the planet is covered in soot or something similar that doesn't have any distinct features.</p><p>To further prove how strange this planet's atmosphere is, the researchers calculated the ratios between carbon and oxygen as well as carbon and nitrogen. The C/O ratio was over 100, while the C/N ratio was over 10,000. In comparison, the Earth has a C/O ratio of .01 and a C/N ratio of 40. Obviously, there's a lot of carbon on this planet.</p><p>And that doesn't fit well with models of how scientists thought the planet should form. As part of the "black widow" process, the outer layers of the planet should have been either siphoned up by the companion star or burned away by that star's radiation. The fact that such a rich carbon atmosphere still exists remains a mystery. There are processes that can create such an atmosphere, such as a white-dwarf merger between who "carbon stars", but even that falls short of explaining how the planet's C/O ratio got so high.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/black-widow-pulsar-gravitational-waves">Rare 'black widow' star system could help unlock the secrets of space-time</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/brightest-pulsar-in-disguise">Distant 'galaxy' isn't a galaxy at all — but one of the brightest pulsars ever detected</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/destroyed-observatory-helped-seti-unlock-the-secrets-of-cosmic-lighthouses-powered-by-dead-stars?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=space.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawHDO79leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTSEIIkrno8LrOH1vmNqA0N-utXtubmz9M_b9ZV45EdzhmE21FZeYX4nWw_aem_9gqna0eHASW9OgwyBmndwQ">Destroyed observatory helped SETI unlock the secrets of 'cosmic lighthouses' powered by dead stars</a></p></div></div><p>Other aspects of the planet align with general theory though. Circulation models predict that rapidly rotating planets, like PSR J2322-2650b, would have strong westerly winds, which is different from the typical easterly winds on other tidally locked hot Jupiters. The JWST data show that the hottest part of the planet is about 12 degrees west of center, providing the first ever observational evidence of this western wind phenomena.</p><p>In other words, PSR J2322-2650b is contradictory. It's the right size and shape for a typical black widow pulsar system. Its window circulation also fits well with our best models. But its atmosphere is something else entirely, and scientists will have to go back to the theory to try to find a way to make it make sense with the new data. While they're busy doing that, JWST will continue scanning the sky for more anomalies that could drive the next scientific revolution.</p> ]]></dc:content>
848.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/exoplanets/jwst-finds-planet-with-all-carbon-atmosphere-orbiting-black-widow-star</link>
849.                                                                            <description>
850.                            <![CDATA[ Scientists using the James Webb telescope have spotted an exoplanet orbiting a 'black widow' pulsar in surprising new observations. ]]>
851.                                                                                                            </description>
852.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">E5P7yhMdWDiEZUvhZtbPeF</guid>
853.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TsNi7pzBeKkSY8sKFRX8UQ-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
854.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Exoplanets]]></category>
855.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
856.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
857.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Planets]]></category>
858.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Andy Tomaswick ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TsNi7pzBeKkSY8sKFRX8UQ-1280-80.jpg">
859.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center / Cruz deWilde]]></media:credit>
860.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of a pulsar]]></media:text>
861.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of a pulsar]]></media:title>
862.                                                    </media:content>
863.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TsNi7pzBeKkSY8sKFRX8UQ-1280-80.jpg" />
864.                                                                                        </item>
865.                    <item>
866.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ AI slop is on the rise — what does it mean for how we use the internet? ]]></title>
867.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>You've probably encountered images in your social media feeds that look like a cross between photographs and computer-generated graphics. Some are fantastical — think <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/from-shrimp-jesus-to-fake-self-portraits-ai-generated-images-have-become-the-latest-form-of-social-media-spam-226903" target="_blank"><u>Shrimp Jesus</u></a> — and some are believable at a quick glance — remember the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2024/hany-farid-breaks-down-viral-image-girl-and-puppy-hurricane-recovery" target="_blank"><u>little girl</u></a> clutching a puppy in a boat during a flood?</p><p>These are examples of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence"><u>AI</u></a> slop, low- to mid-quality content — video, images, audio, text or a mix — created with AI tools, often with little regard for accuracy. It's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.404media.co/ai-slop-is-a-brute-force-attack-on-the-algorithms-that-control-reality/" target="_blank"><u>fast, easy and inexpensive</u></a> to make this content. AI slop producers typically place it on social media to exploit the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w22427" target="_blank"><u>economics of attention</u></a> on the internet, displacing higher-quality material that could be more helpful.</p><p>AI slop <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.wired.com/story/linkedin-ai-generated-influencers/" target="_blank"><u>has been</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/28/nx-s1-5493485/ai-slop-videos-youtube-tiktok" target="_blank"><u>increasing</u></a> over the past few years. As the term "slop" indicates, that's generally not good for people using the internet.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="Np5kmfGE">            <div id="botr_Np5kmfGE_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><h2 id="ai-slop-s-many-forms-2">AI slop's many forms</h2><p>The Guardian published an analysis in July 2025 examining how AI slop is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/11/cat-soap-operas-and-babies-trapped-in-space-the-ai-slop-taking-over-youtube" target="_blank"><u>taking over YouTube's</u></a> fastest-growing channels. The journalists found that nine out of the top 100 fastest-growing channels feature AI-generated content like zombie football and cat soap operas.</p><p>Listening to Spotify? Be skeptical of that new band, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ai-band-the-velvet-sundown-confirm-ai-1235379354/" target="_blank"><u>The Velvet Sundown</u></a>, that appeared on the streaming service with a creative backstory and derivative tracks. It's AI-generated.</p><p>In many cases, people submit AI slop that's just good enough to attract and keep users' attention, allowing the submitter to profit from platforms that monetize streaming and view-based content.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2c8KuC9CbdI" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The ease of generating content with AI enables people to submit low-quality articles to publications. Clarkesworld, an online science fiction magazine that accepts user submissions and pays contributors, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ai-generated-content-internet-online-slop-spam.html" target="_blank"><u>stopped taking new submissions</u></a> in 2024 because of the flood of AI-generated writing it was getting.</p><p>These aren't the only places where this happens — even Wikipedia is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.theverge.com/report/756810/wikipedia-ai-slop-policies-community-speedy-deletion" target="_blank"><u>dealing with AI-generated low-quality content</u></a> that strains its entire community moderation system. If the organization is not successful in removing it, a key information resource people depend on is at risk.</p><h2 id="harms-of-ai-slop-2">Harms of AI slop</h2><p>AI-driven slop is making its way upstream into people's media diets as well. During Hurricane Helene, opponents of President Joe Biden cited AI-generated images of a displaced child clutching a puppy as evidence of the administration's purported mishandling of the disaster response. Even when it's apparent that content is AI-generated, it can still be used to spread misinformation by fooling some people who briefly glance at it.</p><p>AI slop also harms artists by causing job and financial losses and crowding out content made by real creators. The placement of this lower-quality AI-generated content is often not distinguished by the algorithms that drive social media consumption, and it displace entire classes of creators who previously made their livelihood from online content.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/extremely-alarming-chatgpt-and-gemini-respond-to-high-risk-questions-about-suicide-including-details-around-methods">'Extremely alarming': ChatGPT and Gemini respond to high-risk questions about suicide — including details around methods</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-cant-solve-these-puzzles-that-take-humans-only-seconds">AI can't solve these puzzles that take humans only seconds</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/there-are-32-different-ways-ai-can-go-rogue-scientists-say-from-hallucinating-answers-to-a-complete-misalignment-with-humanity">There are 32 different ways AI can go rogue, scientists say — from hallucinating answers to a complete misalignment with humanity</a></p></div></div><p>Wherever it's enabled, you can flag content that's harmful or problematic. On some platforms, you can add community notes to the content to provide context. For harmful content, you can try to report it.</p><p>Along with forcing us to be on guard for deepfakes and "inauthentic" social media accounts, AI is now leading to piles of dreck degrading our media environment. At least there's a catchy name for it.</p><p><em>This edited article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation</em></u></a><em> under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-ai-slop-a-technologist-explains-this-new-and-largely-unwelcome-form-of-online-content-256554" target="_blank"><u><em>original article</em></u></a>.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="border: none !important" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256554/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
868.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-slop-is-on-the-rise-what-does-it-mean-for-how-we-use-the-internet</link>
869.                                                                            <description>
870.                            <![CDATA[ AI slop refers to low- to mid-quality content created with AI tools, often with little regard for accuracy or quality. ]]>
871.                                                                                                            </description>
872.                                                                                                                                <guid isPermaLink="false">3cMYVmZi95yXgfLpZvvjDe</guid>
873.                                                                                                <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wAqDenk7KLGTaXM89caxia-1280-80.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure>
874.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
875.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
876.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Adam Nemeroff ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wAqDenk7KLGTaXM89caxia-1280-80.jpg">
877.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[AI-generated image circulated on social media]]></media:credit>
878.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[An AI-generated image of a young girl wearing a life vest holding a puppy during a flood]]></media:text>
879.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An AI-generated image of a young girl wearing a life vest holding a puppy during a flood]]></media:title>
880.                                                    </media:content>
881.                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wAqDenk7KLGTaXM89caxia-1280-80.jpg" />
882.                                                                                        </item>
883.                    <item>
884.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Where could alien life exist in our solar system? ]]></title>
885.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Who hasn't looked into the sky and wondered if there's life out there, somewhere, looking back at us? Is it possible there's alien life closer to home — within the bounds of our solar system?</p><p>The short answer is yes, there are several places researchers are looking for signs of life within our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/solar-system"><u>solar system</u></a>, and there are some hints that life might be hiding in unexpected places.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter">    <div class="jwplayer__wrapper">        <div id="futr_botr_9RumPulc_n8PLZiU4_div"            class="future__jwplayer"            data-player-id="n8PLZiU4"            data-playlist-id="9RumPulc">            <div id="botr_9RumPulc_n8PLZiU4_div"></div>        </div>    </div></div><h2 id="is-there-life-on-mars-2">Is there life on Mars?</h2><p>While there don't seem to be any "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/55370-why-are-aliens-little-green-men.html"><u>little green men</u></a>" inhabiting Mars, it's possible there was microbial life in the past. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/planets/mars"><u>Mars</u></a> is currently a frigid desert, but thanks to Mars rovers that have studied the planet's rocks, we know that a long time ago, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2024.101714" target="_blank"><u>it had liquid water</u></a> — an important condition for life.</p><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Sign up for our newsletter</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure "  ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth" name="XLS-M Multi signup" caption="" alt="The words 'Life Little Mysteries' over a blue background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vikzz54ZHkr7YdtP8LSvth.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Sign up for our weekly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/newsletter">Life's Little Mysteries newsletter</a> to get the latest mysteries before they appear online.</p></div></div><p>"The Curiosity rover was built to search for habitable environments, the kind that could have supported microbial life on Mars in the past, if life ever arose on the Red Planet," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://people.clas.ufl.edu/amywilliams1/" target="_blank"><u>Amy Williams</u></a>, a geology professor at the University of Florida and a member of both NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance science teams. "Curiosity's payload was selected to accomplish this task by looking for the conditions that we know life on Earth requires — liquid water, a source of carbon, and chemical energy to power a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/metabolism"><u>metabolism</u></a>," she told Live Science.</p><p>In addition to studying the Martian environment, the Perseverance rover has been collecting promising rock samples to be returned to Earth for advanced analysis. The Mars Sample Return mission is currently under development by NASA and ESA to travel to Mars, collect the sample cores, and bring them back to Earth. (The Donald Trump administration has proposed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fy-2026-budget-technical-supplement-002.pdf" target="_blank"><u>cutting NASA funding</u></a> to pay for this mission, however.)</p><p>"At least one of the cores collected has qualities that fit the definition of a possible indicator of ancient microbial life," Williams said of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/incredibly-exciting-nasa-claims-its-found-the-clearest-sign-yet-of-past-life-on-mars"><u>particularly interesting rock sample</u></a>. "Returning samples to Earth with the Mars Sample Return architecture would enable us to address some of humanity's most profound questions, including whether we are alone in the universe."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/earth-directions-for-aliens"><u><strong>How would we give aliens directions to Earth?</strong></u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="zYkK8NPF5RHU2rHxBkrTDe" name="venus image" alt="Global view of the surface of Venus." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zYkK8NPF5RHU2rHxBkrTDe.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Could life be hiding in Venus' atmosphere?  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="could-there-be-life-on-venus-2">Could there be life on Venus?</h2><p>Even though it's commonly called Earth's "twin," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/planets/venus"><u>Venus</u></a> is probably not the first place anyone might look for life in the solar system. Its surface temperature is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/facts-about-venus"><u>hot enough to melt lead</u></a>, and the average surface pressure is more than 90 times that of Earth. It's wrapped in thick, dense clouds that are mostly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2007.01.011" target="_blank"><u>made from sulfuric acid</u></a>, a highly corrosive substance that mixes with water to form acid rain on Earth, damaging flora, fauna and soil.</p><p>Despite those hostile conditions, extremophile microbial life might be able to survive high in Venus' atmosphere, where the temperatures and pressures aren't so extreme; perhaps life could find ways to protect itself from sulfuric acid's destructive nature. To find out, MIT is putting together the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.morningstarmissions.space/" target="_blank"><u>Morning Star Missions</u></a>, which will travel to Venus' atmosphere with the ultimate goal of collecting a sample of the planet's clouds and returning it to Earth for better analysis.</p><p>"Microbial life might exist in Venus's clouds, despite their composition of concentrated sulfuric acid," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.saraseager.com/" target="_blank"><u>Sara Seager</u></a>, a professor at MIT and the director of the Morning Star Missions, told Live Science. "If we find compelling signs of life on Venus, it would upend our understanding of habitability and prove that life can exist in non-water solvents, opening up the range of worlds where life is possible."</p><p>When looking for life, scientists often focus on the search for liquid water because it's a requirement for life on Earth. Finding life on Venus would shatter that limitation — meaning alien life could be a lot stranger than we've thought and there could be a lot more places to look for it.</p><p>In 2020, a possible detection of phosphine gas in Venus' clouds became the center of a controversy about signs of life on Venus. Phosphine gas was an unexpected find because most known chemical processes that produce it <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/phosphine-signature-life-on-venus.html"><u>come from living organisms</u></a> or from extreme pressures on gas giants. However, the signal was small and critics said it might have been <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/skepticism-life-on-venus.html"><u>noise in the data</u></a>. The Morning Star Missions to Venus will give us much more information about the planet's chemistry and possibly confirm if there's phosphine floating in the clouds.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="xFAcuHV6xfAHDZRRpNzZW8" name="europa-nasa" alt="a photo of Europa" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xFAcuHV6xfAHDZRRpNzZW8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Could life be hiding in a subsurface ocean on Europa? </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS; Image processing: Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="is-there-life-on-the-moons-of-saturn-and-jupiter-2">Is there life on the moons of Saturn and Jupiter?</h2><p>Further out in the solar system, there are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/how-many-moons-are-in-the-solar-system"><u>several moons</u></a> orbiting Saturn and Jupiter that could potentially host life, particularly Enceladus and Europa.</p><p>Saturn's moon Enceladus has a global subsurface ocean hiding underneath a thick icy shell. The moon constantly spits giant plumes of salty water into space that give scientists a rare opportunity to directly sample the interior of a celestial body other than Earth. The Cassini mission performed several flybys of Enceladus from 2005 through 2017, collecting images and even direct samples from the plumes that are still being analyzed. A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05987-9" target="_blank"><u>2023 paper in Nature</u></a> announced that scientists had detected phosphates on Enceladus — meaning scientists have now detected all the basic chemical ingredients for life in the moon's ocean.</p><p>Several missions to study astrobiology on Enceladus, with the goal of collecting more samples from the plumes, have been in the works by teams at ESA and NASA, although they're still a long way from getting to the launch pad.</p><p>Like Enceladus, Jupiter's moon <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/europa/" target="_blank"><u>Europa</u></a> is an icy world with a global subsurface ocean and water plumes erupting from its surface. Jupiter's massive <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/37115-what-is-gravity.html"><u>gravitational pull</u></a> on the moon provides energy and motion that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/is-earth-the-only-planet-in-the-solar-system-with-plate-tectonics"><u>fuels active geologic activity</u></a>, and is thought to be the main reason the ocean is warm enough to be liquid. Interactions between the salty ocean and the rocky interior could possibly host life similar to the life found around hydrothermal vents on Earth.</p><p><u></u><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice" target="_blank"><u>ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice)</u></a> launched on April 14, 2023 with an expected arrival at Jupiter in July 2031, where it will study Jupiter and three of its moons: Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/" target="_blank"><u>NASA's Europa Clipper</u></a> mission launched on Oct. 14, 2024 to reach Jupiter in 2030 and conduct flybys of Europa to study if conditions for life are present.</p><p>Titan, another of Saturn's moons, is an extremely unique place in the solar system. It has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0032063306001322" target="_blank"><u>a methane cycle</u></a> like Earth's water cycle and a thick nitrogen and methane atmosphere. The Cassini mission performed over 50 flybys of Titan from 2004 through 2017 and launched the Huygens probe that landed on the moon's surface in 2005. These two missions collected data that indicated Titan's atmosphere could probably <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=x8fcDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA247#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank"><u>create complex molecules</u></a> that are building blocks for life. NASA is putting together a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu/" target="_blank"><u>car-sized octocopter</u></a> to fly on Titan and collect samples at different landing sites.</p><h2 id="where-else-could-life-be-in-the-solar-system-2">Where else could life be in the solar system?</h2><div  class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED MYSTERIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/whats-the-best-evidence-weve-found-for-alien-life">What's the best evidence we've found for alien life?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/intelligent-aliens-would-need-a-power-supply-to-jumpstart-their-civilization-would-they-require-fossil-fuels">Intelligent aliens would need a power supply to jump-start their civilization — would they require fossil fuels?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/what-could-aliens-look-like">What could aliens look like?</a></p></div></div><p>There are quite a few other places we might find life in the solar system, including dwarf planets like Ceres. Ceres is thought to have a lot of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/76/12/54/2923599" target="_blank"><u>liquid water</u></a> under an icy and rocky crust, thanks to images taken by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dawn/" target="_blank"><u>NASA's Dawn mission</u></a> which visited it in 2015.</p><p>The more we explore the solar system, the more places we find that have conditions that could support life. If there is life out there, it's likely not advanced enough to reach out to us, so we'll have to be the first to say hello.</p><h2 id="extraterrestrials-quiz-are-you-an-alien-expert-or-has-your-brain-been-abducted-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/extraterrestrials-quiz-are-you-an-alien-expert-or-has-your-brain-been-abducted" target="_blank">Extraterrestrials quiz</a>: Are you an alien expert, or has your brain been abducted?</h2><div style="min-height: 250px;">                                <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-XZVLbX"></div>                            </div>                            <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/XZVLbX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
886.                                                                                                                                            <link>https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/where-could-alien-life-exist-in-our-solar-system</link>
887.                                                                            <description>
888.                            <![CDATA[ The solar system has eight planets and hundreds of moons. Could extraterrestrials live on any of them? ]]>
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892.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Extraterrestrial Life]]></category>
893.                                                    <category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
894.                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Damien Pine ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JdmDrAwBB4SP8KQNc4ZxSd-1280-80.jpg">
895.                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[NEMES LASZLO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
896.                                                                                                                    <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of the solar system]]></media:text>
897.                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of the solar system]]></media:title>
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902.                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Science news this week: NASA finds best evidence of life on Mars and scientists invent visible time crystals ]]></title>
903.                                                                                                <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>This week's science news has been out of this world, with NASA's announcement that speckled rocks found on Mars may be the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/incredibly-exciting-nasa-claims-its-found-the-clearest-sign-yet-of-past-life-on-mars"><u>clearest sign yet that life once existed on the Red Planet</u></a>.</p><p>The rocks all contain flecks of leopard-like spots that, on Earth at least, are telltale signs of chemical reactions that microbes use for energy. This, alongside the presence of organic compounds and evidence of water once flowing through the rocks, has gotten scientists seriously excited.</p><p>But keep the Champagne corked, because it's still possible that the marks may have been left by inorganic processes, meaning we'll have to wait for the politically endangered Mars Sample Return mission before we know for sure.</p><p>This week also thankfully brought us more conclusive news from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). By detecting faint ripples in space-time released by the merger of two distant black holes, the detector finally <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/stephen-hawkings-long-contested-black-hole-theory-finally-confirmed-as-scientists-hear-2-event-horizons-merge-into-one"><u>confirmed a decades-old theory by Stephen Hawking</u></a> that the cosmic monsters link general relativity to quantum mechanics.</p><p>Tying these two threads together into a theory of everything could be achieved with just one trip to a black hole. But making that trip would require some serious cellular engineering — if news of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/human-stem-cells-become-more-active-in-space-and-thats-not-a-good-thing"><u>human stem cells experiencing accelerated aging in space</u></a> is anything to go by. In the meantime, our planet <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/apophis-flyby-in-2029-will-be-the-first-time-a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-has-been-visible-to-the-naked-eye"><u>has a close flyby by the asteroid Apophis</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/gigantic-letter-s-spotted-on-the-sun-just-before-a-dark-eruption-hurls-a-fiery-shadow-at-earth"><u>some strange-looking solar eruptions</u></a> to get through.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-la-s-halo-barrel-mystery-begins-to-unravel"><span>LA's 'halo' barrel mystery begins to unravel</span></h3><h2 id="scientists-are-finally-learning-what-s-inside-mysterious-halo-barrels-submerged-off-los-angeles-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/pollution/scientists-are-finally-learning-whats-inside-mysterious-halo-barrels-submerged-off-los-angeles">Scientists are finally learning what's inside mysterious 'halo' barrels submerged off Los Angeles</a></h2><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="U55vBjYeF3FMdggAyY34yR" name="halobarrels-schmidtoceaninstitute" alt="an underwater photo of a barrel on the sea floor" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U55vBjYeF3FMdggAyY34yR.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A vast barrel graveyard was discovered off the cost of LA in 2020. Scientists are finally getting answers for what could be inside them. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute.)</span></figcaption></figure><p>They appeared under the lights of deep-sea survey robots working off the coast of Los Angeles in 2020 — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/pollution/scientists-are-finally-learning-whats-inside-mysterious-halo-barrels-submerged-off-los-angeles"><u>a graveyard of 27,000 barrels</u></a> encircled by haloes of whitish, toxic sediment many at the time believed to be the banned pesticide DDT. Yet the exact quantity of the barrels, who put them there, and what they may contain remain unknown to this day.</p><p>However, a new study has shed some light into the murky situation. Analyzing samples collected from five of the barrels, researchers found that they didn't contain DDT after all, but caustic alkaline waste capable of killing most of the marine life in the vicinity. They also discovered the chemical reactions that form the haloes themselves, which they will use to identify the overall extent of the toxic spill.</p><p><strong>Discover more planet Earth news </strong></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/new-island-emerges-from-melting-ice-in-alaska"><u>'New' island emerges from melting ice in Alaska</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/serious-adverse-and-unintended-consequences-polar-geoengineering-isnt-the-answer-to-climate-change"><u>'Serious adverse and unintended consequences': Polar geoengineering isn't the answer to climate change</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/action-on-climate-change-faces-new-threat-the-doomers-who-think-its-too-late-to-act"><u>Action on climate change faces new threat: The doomers who think it's too late to act</u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-life-s-little-mysteries"><span>Life's Little Mysteries</span></h3><h2 id="do-humans-and-chimps-really-share-nearly-99-of-their-dna-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/do-humans-and-chimps-really-share-nearly-99-percent-of-their-dna">Do humans and chimps really share nearly 99% of their DNA?</a></h2><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="NR3FQseAXwnSi5SvLQScFi" name="chimpandhuman-GettyImages-162308647" alt="a photo of a human and chimpanzee holding hands" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NR3FQseAXwnSi5SvLQScFi.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Humans and chimps do share a lot of DNA, but this fact alone is not what counts.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Picture by Tambako the Jaguar via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans and chimpanzees share nearly 99% of their genetic material: It's a frequently repeated truism about us and one of our closest-living relatives, but is it even true? It turns out not really, and even the comparison itself obscures a deeper truth about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/do-humans-and-chimps-really-share-nearly-99-percent-of-their-dna"><u>how DNA makes humans and chimps in the first place</u></a>.</p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/newsletter"><u>If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter</u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-visible-time-crystals-created"><span>Visible time crystals created</span></h3><h2 id="scientists-create-first-ever-visible-time-crystals-using-light-and-they-could-one-day-appear-on-100-bills-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/scientists-create-first-ever-visible-time-crystals-using-light-and-they-could-one-day-appear-on-usd100-bills">Scientists create first-ever visible time crystals using light — and they could one day appear on $100 bills</a></h2><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bMVocVNeFYaAsYUcHsbJKP" name="Screenshot (23)" alt="Making time crystals visible under microscopes could open up a range of new applications." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bMVocVNeFYaAsYUcHsbJKP.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Scientists have created so many time crystals, but this is the first time they've made one visible to human eyes.  </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Only theorized in 2012, time crystals have been captivating us since they were first created in 2016. Since those early years, scientists have replicated the fascinating phenomenon in a variety of systems, but none of them can be seen directly.</p><p>That's now changed, with the announcement that scientists have made <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/scientists-create-first-ever-visible-time-crystals-using-light-and-they-could-one-day-appear-on-usd100-bills"><u>visible time crystals</u></a> out of the liquid crystals typically found inside LCD screens. These aren't just an intriguing demonstration of the bizarre quantum workings of time crystals, they could have practical applications too — possibly appearing on future high-denomination bills as anti-counterfeiting designs.</p><p><strong>Discover more physics and mathematics news </strong></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/particle-physics/scientists-watch-a-single-electron-move-during-a-chemical-reaction-for-first-time-ever"><u>Scientists watch a single electron move during a chemical reaction for first time ever</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/meet-the-neglectons-previously-overlooked-particles-that-could-revolutionize-quantum-computing"><u>Meet the 'neglectons': Previously overlooked particles that could revolutionize quantum computing</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/lightning-on-earth-is-sparked-by-a-powerful-chain-reaction-from-outer-space-simulations-show"><u>Lightning on Earth is sparked by a powerful chain reaction from outer space, simulations show</u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-also-in-science-news-this-week"><span>Also in science news this week</span></h3><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/new-reconstructions-show-piercing-eyes-of-men-who-lived-2-500-years-ago-in-mysterious-indian-civilization"><u>New reconstructions show piercing eyes of men who lived 2,500 years ago in mysterious Indian civilization</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/our-hearts-stopped-scientists-find-baby-pterosaurs-died-in-violent-jurassic-storm-150-million-years-ago"><u>'Our hearts stopped': Scientists find baby pterosaurs died in violent Jurassic storm 150 million years ago</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/microsofts-new-light-based-computer-inspired-by-80-year-old-technology-it-could-make-ai-100-times-more-efficient"><u>Microsoft's new light-based computer is inspired by 80-year-old technology — it could make AI 100 times more efficient</u></a></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-kept-tasting-bleach-and-doctors-found-a-hidden-cause-in-her-blood"><u>Diagnostic dilemma: A woman kept tasting bleach — and doctors found a hidden cause in her blood</u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-science-long-read"><span>Science Long Read</span></h3><h2 id="camera-trap-in-chile-detects-strange-lights-blazing-through-the-wilderness-researchers-are-scrambling-to-explain-them-2"><a href="livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/camera-trap-in-chile-detects-strange-lights-blazing-through-the-wilderness-researchers-are-scrambling-to-explain-them?hasComeFromProof=true">Camera trap in Chile detects strange lights blazing through the wilderness. Researchers are scrambling to explain them.</a></h2><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YjTjF8LsDwN6Ayv45qZqKA" name="patagonialights-2.JPG" alt="A wildlife camera photo showing strange photos in the night sky" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjTjF8LsDwN6Ayv45qZqKA.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Bizarre lights spotted in Chile have prompted a scientific investigation. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Courtesy of Rodrigo Bravo Garrido)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Just past midnight, in the silence and dark of Chile's far South Patagonia region, a camera trap picked up something inexplicable: Across three photos, intense lights danced downward in front of the lens.</p><p>Could they have been a camera artifact, ball lightning, or even UFOs? <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/camera-trap-in-chile-detects-strange-lights-blazing-through-the-wilderness-researchers-are-scrambling-to-explain-them">Live Science reported on the hunt for answers</a>.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-something-for-the-weekend"><span>Something for the weekend</span></h3><p>If you're looking for something to do over the weekend, here are some of the best polls, skywatching guides and crosswords published this week.</p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/we-have-basically-destroyed-what-capacity-we-had-to-respond-to-a-pandemic-says-leading-epidemiologist-michael-osterholm"><u>'We have basically destroyed what capacity we had to respond to a pandemic,' says leading epidemiologist Michael Osterholm</u></a><strong> [Interview]</strong></p><p>—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/arts-entertainment/live-science-crossword-puzzle-9-a-royal-snake-that-wears-a-hood-14-across"><u>Live Science crossword puzzle #9: A 'royal' snake that wears a hood — 14 across</u></a> <strong>[Crossword]</strong></p><p><strong>— </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/coronavirus/have-you-gotten-this-years-covid-vaccine"><u>Have you gotten this year's COVID vaccine?</u></a><strong> [Poll]</strong></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-science-in-pictures"><span>Science in pictures</span></h3><h2 id="interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-could-be-turning-bright-green-surprising-new-photos-reveal-2"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/space/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-could-be-turning-bright-green-surprising-new-photos-reveal">Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS could be turning bright green, surprising new photos reveal</a></h2><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YquhAjsZAdWVFHMZ2oENSb" name="3I/ATLAS" alt="A space photo of a green comet surrounded by stars with a boxout highlighting the comet closer" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YquhAjsZAdWVFHMZ2oENSb.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This is the first, and so far only, photo of 3I/ATLAS glowing green. Scientists are debating why. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Michael Jäger/Gerald Rhemann)</span></figcaption></figure><p>New photos of the comet 3I/ATLAS captured during the recent "blood moon" total eclipse appeared to show a surprising development — the comet, an interloper from beyond our solar system, may be <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-could-be-turning-bright-green-surprising-new-photos-reveal"><u>turning green</u></a>.</p><p>The most common explanation for this strange change (and no, it's not little green men) is the presence of diatomic carbon in the comet's coma, its fuzzy, temporary atmosphere. Yet with no diatomic carbon yet to be detected by spectroscopic observations, the jury is still out. Astronomers will need to take follow-up photos to confirm the effect and investigate its cause.</p><h2 id="follow-live-science-on-social-media-2">Follow Live Science on social media</h2><p>Want more science news? Follow our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Wmop5Ejy54zyohV1c" target="_blank"><u>Live Science WhatsApp Channel</u></a> for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp we're also on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/livescience" target="_blank"><u>Facebook</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twitter.com/livescience" target="_blank"><u>X (formerly Twitter)</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://flipboard.com/@LiveScience" target="_blank"><u>Flipboard</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/live_science/" target="_blank"><u>Instagram</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@livescience" target="_blank"><u>TikTok</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://bsky.app/profile/livescience.com" target="_blank"><u>Bluesky</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/livescience-com" target="_blank"><u>LinkedIn</u></a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
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906.                            <![CDATA[ Sept. 13, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend. ]]>
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910.                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                        <category><![CDATA[Surgery]]></category>
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912.                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ ben.turner@futurenet.com (Ben Turner) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Ben Turner ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PJiDHoNw5dPaUobfbybvaA-1280-80.jpg">
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