World’s First “Molecular Movie”: Witness DNA Becoming Life’s Blueprint in Real-Time
In all living organisms, DNA contains the code that defines cellular structures and functions. An enzyme called RNA polymerase deciphers this code and converts it into RNA, a molecule that closely resembles DNA. This transfer of life’s code from DNA to RNA is called transcription. Next, a molecular machine called ‘ribosome’ uses the message encoded in RNA to build proteins – the molecules performing most of the essential functions of our cells. This process is called translation. ... The video summarizes how we currently understand how transcription and translation are physically and functionally coupled to each other. Using multi-color single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we have simultaneously tracked transcription and translation elongation and the coupling between the RNA polymerase and the ribosome. We see how single ribosomes slow down upon colliding into RNA polymerase and that they activate RNA polymerase via long-range physical coupling. ... LINK
In all living organisms, DNA contains the code that defines cellular structures and functions. An enzyme called RNA polymerase deciphers this code and converts it into RNA, a molecule that closely resembles DNA. This transfer of life’s code from DNA to RNA is called transcription. Next, a molecular machine called ‘ribosome’ uses the message encoded in RNA to build proteins – the molecules performing most of the essential functions of our cells. This process is called translation. ... The video summarizes how we currently understand how transcription and translation are physically and functionally coupled to each other. Using multi-color single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we have simultaneously tracked transcription and translation elongation and the coupling between the RNA polymerase and the ribosome. We see how single ribosomes slow down upon colliding into RNA polymerase and that they activate RNA polymerase via long-range physical coupling. ... LINK
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We need to look in the mirror of what we are doing!
Scientists Horrified by "Mirror Life" That Could Wipe Out Biology As We Know It: "The consequences could be globally disastrous."
A group of the world's leading biologists have called for an immediate halt on a technology you've probably never even heard of — but is so dangerous, they say, that it could upend the order life itself on this planet, if not wipe it out. In a nearly three-hundred page technical report published this month, the scientists describe the horrifyingly existential risks posed by what's known as mirror life: synthetic organisms whose DNA structures are a mirror image to that of all known natural organisms.
Mirror lifeforms are probably a few decades away from being realized. But the risk they pose is unfathomably serious, according to the scientists. ... The famous DNA double helix is considered right-handed, meaning its spiral strands — a sugar-phosphate backbone — twist to the right. (To picture this, make a thumbs-up with your right hand; your thumb is the vertical axis and your curled-up fingers represent the direction of the spiral.) On the other hand, proteins, the building block of cells, are left-handed.
Why this is the case remains a matter of scientific debate. But this so-called homochirality is the state of nature on the planet — and it's gotten us this far.
Yet in our infinite human arrogance lies the capacity to defy that order. What happens if we make mirror organisms with left-handed DNA and right-handed proteins?
Proponents of pursuing this research argue that such mirror cells could have incredible medical applications. Scientists have already forged mirror proteins and discovered that they are much more resilient than natural ones because the enzymes that are designed to break them down can't bind to them. This could be a breakthrough in treating chronic diseases, since many therapeutic drugs are broken down too quickly to have a lasting effect without simply taking more of them.
The problem, however, is that mirror organisms could act unpredictably when interacting with natural cells. We simply don't know what would happen when mirror life clashes with ours. And in a void of information, you plan for the worst. LINK
https://purl.stanford.edu/cv716pj4036
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A group of the world's leading biologists have called for an immediate halt on a technology you've probably never even heard of — but is so dangerous, they say, that it could upend the order life itself on this planet, if not wipe it out. In a nearly three-hundred page technical report published this month, the scientists describe the horrifyingly existential risks posed by what's known as mirror life: synthetic organisms whose DNA structures are a mirror image to that of all known natural organisms.
Mirror lifeforms are probably a few decades away from being realized. But the risk they pose is unfathomably serious, according to the scientists. ... The famous DNA double helix is considered right-handed, meaning its spiral strands — a sugar-phosphate backbone — twist to the right. (To picture this, make a thumbs-up with your right hand; your thumb is the vertical axis and your curled-up fingers represent the direction of the spiral.) On the other hand, proteins, the building block of cells, are left-handed.
Why this is the case remains a matter of scientific debate. But this so-called homochirality is the state of nature on the planet — and it's gotten us this far.
Yet in our infinite human arrogance lies the capacity to defy that order. What happens if we make mirror organisms with left-handed DNA and right-handed proteins?
Proponents of pursuing this research argue that such mirror cells could have incredible medical applications. Scientists have already forged mirror proteins and discovered that they are much more resilient than natural ones because the enzymes that are designed to break them down can't bind to them. This could be a breakthrough in treating chronic diseases, since many therapeutic drugs are broken down too quickly to have a lasting effect without simply taking more of them.
The problem, however, is that mirror organisms could act unpredictably when interacting with natural cells. We simply don't know what would happen when mirror life clashes with ours. And in a void of information, you plan for the worst. LINK
https://purl.stanford.edu/cv716pj4036
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Elon Musk has pledged to settle Mars. A prize-winning book offers a reality check
... Musk is saying that in the next 30 years, we’re going to have a million people on Mars. No way that you could scale up to a million people on Mars without something catastrophic happening, either in terms of it turns out we can’t have babies up there, and moms and babies are dying or getting cancer. If you want to do this, it’s got to be the slow work of generations to build up to a point where we could be self-sustaining on Mars. It’s such a harsh environment requiring complicated equipment to keep you alive, and I just can’t see that happening on Mars in the near term.
... I would love to see, for example, a research station on the moon where we have rodent colonies, and we see how they do when they go through a couple generations. Maybe in our lifetime, we’ll see people land on Mars, do some exploration and come home, that could happen, but I don’t think we’re going to have babies on Mars. ... The fundamental thing is to understand that humans evolved on Earth, and Mars just lacks a lot of the stuff that we have on Earth. It’s about 40% gravity and we know that humans in microgravity have all sorts of major problems, and what happens at 40% we just don’t know. The soil is laden in perchlorate, which is known to cause hormone disruption. We actually don’t have a lot of data on prolonged exposure to high levels of this stuff, because why would we? But presumably it’s not great for developing humans. You have an extremely thin atmosphere. Essentially that means you cannot go outside without a pressure suit. The atmosphere is nevertheless powerful enough to whip up worldwide dust storms and also large, localized ones. There is also this stuff called regolith, which has jagged stone and glass, all that is hurling around, which is bad for equipment, bad for humans. Also, if you’re intending to use solar power, you better have a really good backup system, and you’re going to have to spend a huge amount of time maintaining it. Also, if you’re anywhere near the surface, you’re exposed to high levels of radiation, because the Martian atmosphere is so thin, and because Mars is only very weakly magnetic, it doesn’t have a very powerful magnetosphere like the Earth has. LINK
... Musk is saying that in the next 30 years, we’re going to have a million people on Mars. No way that you could scale up to a million people on Mars without something catastrophic happening, either in terms of it turns out we can’t have babies up there, and moms and babies are dying or getting cancer. If you want to do this, it’s got to be the slow work of generations to build up to a point where we could be self-sustaining on Mars. It’s such a harsh environment requiring complicated equipment to keep you alive, and I just can’t see that happening on Mars in the near term.
... I would love to see, for example, a research station on the moon where we have rodent colonies, and we see how they do when they go through a couple generations. Maybe in our lifetime, we’ll see people land on Mars, do some exploration and come home, that could happen, but I don’t think we’re going to have babies on Mars. ... The fundamental thing is to understand that humans evolved on Earth, and Mars just lacks a lot of the stuff that we have on Earth. It’s about 40% gravity and we know that humans in microgravity have all sorts of major problems, and what happens at 40% we just don’t know. The soil is laden in perchlorate, which is known to cause hormone disruption. We actually don’t have a lot of data on prolonged exposure to high levels of this stuff, because why would we? But presumably it’s not great for developing humans. You have an extremely thin atmosphere. Essentially that means you cannot go outside without a pressure suit. The atmosphere is nevertheless powerful enough to whip up worldwide dust storms and also large, localized ones. There is also this stuff called regolith, which has jagged stone and glass, all that is hurling around, which is bad for equipment, bad for humans. Also, if you’re intending to use solar power, you better have a really good backup system, and you’re going to have to spend a huge amount of time maintaining it. Also, if you’re anywhere near the surface, you’re exposed to high levels of radiation, because the Martian atmosphere is so thin, and because Mars is only very weakly magnetic, it doesn’t have a very powerful magnetosphere like the Earth has. LINK
NASA delays first crewed flight to the moon in over 50 years
NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon this decade amid a renewed international push for lunar exploration, is facing more delays. The agency said Thursday that a planned mission to land on the moon in 2026 will now take place no earlier than mid-2027. Additionally, a pathfinder mission that was slated to fly astronauts around the moon in September 2025 will now take place no earlier than April 2026. ... That delay is linked in part to issues with the Orion crew capsule that will be home to the astronauts during both lunar missions. LINK
NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon this decade amid a renewed international push for lunar exploration, is facing more delays. The agency said Thursday that a planned mission to land on the moon in 2026 will now take place no earlier than mid-2027. Additionally, a pathfinder mission that was slated to fly astronauts around the moon in September 2025 will now take place no earlier than April 2026. ... That delay is linked in part to issues with the Orion crew capsule that will be home to the astronauts during both lunar missions. LINK
How 5,000 Robotic Eyes Are Transforming Our View of the Universe
Using its first year of data, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), located on a mountaintop in Arizona, has mapped the growth of cosmic structures across most of the Universe’s history. This analysis provides the most precise test yet of how gravity operates on the largest scales. The findings confirm the current leading model of the universe while narrowing down alternative theories of modified gravity that aim to explain the universe’s accelerated expansion. LINK
Using its first year of data, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), located on a mountaintop in Arizona, has mapped the growth of cosmic structures across most of the Universe’s history. This analysis provides the most precise test yet of how gravity operates on the largest scales. The findings confirm the current leading model of the universe while narrowing down alternative theories of modified gravity that aim to explain the universe’s accelerated expansion. LINK
Powerful Magnetic Fields Spin Around Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, which produced the first-ever image of our Milky Way black hole released in 2022, has captured a new view of the massive object at the center of our Galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarization, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of Sagittarius A*. This image shows the polarised view of the Milky Way black hole. The lines overlaid on this image mark the orientation of polarisation, which is related to the magnetic field around the shadow of the black hole ... LINK
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The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, which produced the first-ever image of our Milky Way black hole released in 2022, has captured a new view of the massive object at the center of our Galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarization, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of Sagittarius A*. This image shows the polarised view of the Milky Way black hole. The lines overlaid on this image mark the orientation of polarisation, which is related to the magnetic field around the shadow of the black hole ... LINK
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What Are These Weird Structures Hubble Spotted Near a Monster Black Hole?
... a mysterious L-shaped structure, probably caused by small galaxies being devoured by the black hole. Located 2.5 billion light-years away, ... LINK
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... a mysterious L-shaped structure, probably caused by small galaxies being devoured by the black hole. Located 2.5 billion light-years away, ... LINK
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Dares To Dance With the Sun
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is healthy and functioning as expected as it prepares for its closest-ever approach to the Sun, scheduled for Christmas Eve. ... “This is one example of NASA’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe,” said Arik Posner, Parker Solar Probe program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We can’t wait to receive that first status update from the spacecraft and start receiving the science data in the coming weeks.” ... Parker is now on course to fly just 3.8 million miles (around 6.1 million kilometers) from the surface of the Sun on Tuesday, December 24, at 6:53 a.m. EST. During closest approach, or perihelion, mission operations will be out of contact with the spacecraft, and Parker will transmit another beacon tone on Friday, December 27, to confirm its health following the close flyby.
“No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory,” said Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at APL. “We’re excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the Sun.”
LINK
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is healthy and functioning as expected as it prepares for its closest-ever approach to the Sun, scheduled for Christmas Eve. ... “This is one example of NASA’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe,” said Arik Posner, Parker Solar Probe program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We can’t wait to receive that first status update from the spacecraft and start receiving the science data in the coming weeks.” ... Parker is now on course to fly just 3.8 million miles (around 6.1 million kilometers) from the surface of the Sun on Tuesday, December 24, at 6:53 a.m. EST. During closest approach, or perihelion, mission operations will be out of contact with the spacecraft, and Parker will transmit another beacon tone on Friday, December 27, to confirm its health following the close flyby.
“No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory,” said Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at APL. “We’re excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the Sun.”
LINK
Scientists Befuddled by Impossible Galaxy Seen by James Webb: How it formed remains a mystery
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a massive galaxy that's so old its existence should be impossible, challenging current models on how these structures form.
As detailed in a new study published in the journal Nature, the so-called quiescent galaxy, ZF-UDS-7329, contains more stars than the Milky Way — despite forming just 800 million years after the Big Bang. This suggests that it somehow came together without the gravitational pull of dark matter, which shouldn't be possible. ...
... Of course, to rewrite cosmology as we know it, we're going to need more than a few outliers. Thanks to advanced telescopes like the James Webb, though, we're discovering more and more of these confounding, seemingly impossible cosmic oddities than ever before. LINK
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a massive galaxy that's so old its existence should be impossible, challenging current models on how these structures form.
As detailed in a new study published in the journal Nature, the so-called quiescent galaxy, ZF-UDS-7329, contains more stars than the Milky Way — despite forming just 800 million years after the Big Bang. This suggests that it somehow came together without the gravitational pull of dark matter, which shouldn't be possible. ...
... Of course, to rewrite cosmology as we know it, we're going to need more than a few outliers. Thanks to advanced telescopes like the James Webb, though, we're discovering more and more of these confounding, seemingly impossible cosmic oddities than ever before. LINK
Signs of Life in Asteroid Sample Turn Out to Be Something Embarrassing
Last year, researchers excitedly announced that they had found two organic compounds essential for living organisms in samples retrieved from a distant asteroid called Ryugu. The Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft obtained the samples from the space rock in 2019 ... researchers did find evidence of microbial life while examining the Ryugu samples — except that it wasn't from a far-flung asteroid over 100 million miles away. Instead, the microorganisms originated from Earth, indicating that the samples somehow got contaminated by our own pesky microorganisms, underscoring just how hard it is to probe off-Earth samples for evidence of extraterrestrial life. ... The microorganisms must've been extremely adept at getting around scientists' best efforts to avoid contamination of any kind. ... Where that leaves future asteroid return missions remains to be seen ... LINK
Last year, researchers excitedly announced that they had found two organic compounds essential for living organisms in samples retrieved from a distant asteroid called Ryugu. The Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft obtained the samples from the space rock in 2019 ... researchers did find evidence of microbial life while examining the Ryugu samples — except that it wasn't from a far-flung asteroid over 100 million miles away. Instead, the microorganisms originated from Earth, indicating that the samples somehow got contaminated by our own pesky microorganisms, underscoring just how hard it is to probe off-Earth samples for evidence of extraterrestrial life. ... The microorganisms must've been extremely adept at getting around scientists' best efforts to avoid contamination of any kind. ... Where that leaves future asteroid return missions remains to be seen ... LINK
Scientists discovered living microbes sealed inside a 2-billion-year-old stone
It's "the oldest example of living microbes being found within ancient rock so far discovered," according to a press release.
"We didn't know if 2-billion-year-old rocks were habitable," said lead study author Yohey Suzuki, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo, in a statement. "Until now, the oldest geological layer in which living microorganisms had been found was a 100-million-year-old deposit beneath the ocean floor, so this is a very exciting discovery." In a sense, the rock is something of a time machine. Our current scientific understanding is that the earliest life on Earth emerged about 3.5 billion years ago. Humans, in comparison, have only been around for a few hundred thousand years or so. ... the microbes, which were confirmed to be indigenous to the stone, appear to have evolved incredibly slowly over time. ... LINK
It's "the oldest example of living microbes being found within ancient rock so far discovered," according to a press release.
"We didn't know if 2-billion-year-old rocks were habitable," said lead study author Yohey Suzuki, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo, in a statement. "Until now, the oldest geological layer in which living microorganisms had been found was a 100-million-year-old deposit beneath the ocean floor, so this is a very exciting discovery." In a sense, the rock is something of a time machine. Our current scientific understanding is that the earliest life on Earth emerged about 3.5 billion years ago. Humans, in comparison, have only been around for a few hundred thousand years or so. ... the microbes, which were confirmed to be indigenous to the stone, appear to have evolved incredibly slowly over time. ... LINK
‘Conan the Bacterium’ can withstand radiation that could kill a human. Scientists say they’ve found its secret weapon
A type of bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans, nicknamed “Conan the Bacterium” for its ability to survive the harshest of extremes, can withstand radiation doses 28,000 times greater than those that would kill a human being — and the secret to its success is rooted in an antioxidant.
Now, scientists have uncovered how the antioxidant works, unlocking the possibility that it could be used to protect the health of humans, both on Earth and those exploring beyond it in the future. ... The findings could be used to protect astronauts from high doses of cosmic radiation on future deep-space missions across our solar system, according to the study authors. ... LINK
A type of bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans, nicknamed “Conan the Bacterium” for its ability to survive the harshest of extremes, can withstand radiation doses 28,000 times greater than those that would kill a human being — and the secret to its success is rooted in an antioxidant.
Now, scientists have uncovered how the antioxidant works, unlocking the possibility that it could be used to protect the health of humans, both on Earth and those exploring beyond it in the future. ... The findings could be used to protect astronauts from high doses of cosmic radiation on future deep-space missions across our solar system, according to the study authors. ... LINK
Designer Babies Running Into Trouble Now That They're Teenagers: The kids grow up "knowing they were an experiment."
Imagine the unbelievable expectations that come with being among the small number of "designer babies" — children whose embryos are handpicked before birth so that they possess their parent's conception of ideal traits, free of common diseases and developmental disorders.
Or at least, that's what's promised. In reality, now that the first generations of these children are becoming teenagers, many of them are struggling with the unfair pressures put on them, with what a therapist says can be "devastating" consequences, according to a therapist. "In these homes, a high value gets placed on achievement. I think the way these kids are created sends the message: 'You're not good enough. You need to achieve. You’re not accepted,'" a psychologist based in California, who chose to remain unnamed, told Wired in an interview. "The child grows up feeling very different, knowing they were an experiment but not getting the proper support or acceptance they need to thrive," they added. LINK
Imagine the unbelievable expectations that come with being among the small number of "designer babies" — children whose embryos are handpicked before birth so that they possess their parent's conception of ideal traits, free of common diseases and developmental disorders.
Or at least, that's what's promised. In reality, now that the first generations of these children are becoming teenagers, many of them are struggling with the unfair pressures put on them, with what a therapist says can be "devastating" consequences, according to a therapist. "In these homes, a high value gets placed on achievement. I think the way these kids are created sends the message: 'You're not good enough. You need to achieve. You’re not accepted,'" a psychologist based in California, who chose to remain unnamed, told Wired in an interview. "The child grows up feeling very different, knowing they were an experiment but not getting the proper support or acceptance they need to thrive," they added. LINK
Global push for cooperation as space traffic crowds Earth orbit
The rapid increase in satellites and space junk will make low Earth orbit unusable unless companies and countries cooperate and share the data needed to manage that most accessible region of space, experts and industry insiders said. ... Map shows active and defunct satellites in low Earth Orbit. ... LINK
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The rapid increase in satellites and space junk will make low Earth orbit unusable unless companies and countries cooperate and share the data needed to manage that most accessible region of space, experts and industry insiders said. ... Map shows active and defunct satellites in low Earth Orbit. ... LINK
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Doctors Intrigued by Treatment That Makes Dead Brains Show Signs of Life
Scientists were astonished to find that recirculating a cocktail of preserving agents through a severed pig's head caused the animal's brain to show signs of life. As New Scientist reports, basic cellular functions were restored in the dismembered brain — something that was previously thought impossible following the cessation of blood flow. While the pig brain wasn't exactly oinking at the farm after the treatment, in scientifically significant ways it was seemingly brought back from the brink of death — a ghoulish experiment that could have implications for future efforts to reanimate a dead human brain as well. LINK
Scientists were astonished to find that recirculating a cocktail of preserving agents through a severed pig's head caused the animal's brain to show signs of life. As New Scientist reports, basic cellular functions were restored in the dismembered brain — something that was previously thought impossible following the cessation of blood flow. While the pig brain wasn't exactly oinking at the farm after the treatment, in scientifically significant ways it was seemingly brought back from the brink of death — a ghoulish experiment that could have implications for future efforts to reanimate a dead human brain as well. LINK
Scientists Have Discovered a “Mini-Brain” Inside the Heart
The heart has its own nervous system that regulates its rhythm, challenging previous assumptions. This finding could lead to new heart disease treatments. ... “This ‘little brain’ has a key role in maintaining and controlling the heartbeat, similar to how the brain regulates rhythmic functions such as locomotion and breathing,” explains Konstantinos Ampatzis, principal researcher and docent at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, who led the study.
The researchers identified several types of neurons in the heart that have different functions, including a small group of neurons with pacemaker properties. The finding challenges the current view on how the heartbeat is controlled, which may have clinical implications. LINK
The heart has its own nervous system that regulates its rhythm, challenging previous assumptions. This finding could lead to new heart disease treatments. ... “This ‘little brain’ has a key role in maintaining and controlling the heartbeat, similar to how the brain regulates rhythmic functions such as locomotion and breathing,” explains Konstantinos Ampatzis, principal researcher and docent at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, who led the study.
The researchers identified several types of neurons in the heart that have different functions, including a small group of neurons with pacemaker properties. The finding challenges the current view on how the heartbeat is controlled, which may have clinical implications. LINK
Big Brains Evolved Gradually: New Study Shakes Up Human Evolution Theory
Humans and relatives evolved larger brains through gradual changes within species, not sudden leaps. This study challenges old ideas and reveals the complexity of brain evolution over millions of years. ... The team assembled the largest-ever dataset of ancient human fossils spanning 7 million years and used advanced computational and statistical methods to account for gaps in the fossil record. These innovative approaches provided the most comprehensive view yet of how brain size evolved over time. ... “Big evolutionary changes don’t always need dramatic events. They can happen through small, gradual improvements over time, much like how we learn and adapt today.” ... LINK
Humans and relatives evolved larger brains through gradual changes within species, not sudden leaps. This study challenges old ideas and reveals the complexity of brain evolution over millions of years. ... The team assembled the largest-ever dataset of ancient human fossils spanning 7 million years and used advanced computational and statistical methods to account for gaps in the fossil record. These innovative approaches provided the most comprehensive view yet of how brain size evolved over time. ... “Big evolutionary changes don’t always need dramatic events. They can happen through small, gradual improvements over time, much like how we learn and adapt today.” ... LINK
Research indicates that the complex behaviors used in human language and tool making, such as organizing actions into sequences, may have evolved in our common ancestors with chimpanzees.
... Unlike most animals, humans perform highly complex behaviors, such as speaking or creating tools, which rely on organizing actions into structured sequences. These sequences involve breaking tasks into manageable chunks and recognizing connections between actions that may be far apart in the process. ... For example, even relatively simple human behaviors like making a cup of tea or coffee require carrying out a series of individual actions in the right order. ... Using state-of-the-art statistical models, they found that relationships emerged between chimpanzees’ sequential actions which matched those found in human behaviors. Half of adult chimpanzees appeared to associate actions that were much further along the sequence than expected if actions were simply being linked together one by one. LINK
... Unlike most animals, humans perform highly complex behaviors, such as speaking or creating tools, which rely on organizing actions into structured sequences. These sequences involve breaking tasks into manageable chunks and recognizing connections between actions that may be far apart in the process. ... For example, even relatively simple human behaviors like making a cup of tea or coffee require carrying out a series of individual actions in the right order. ... Using state-of-the-art statistical models, they found that relationships emerged between chimpanzees’ sequential actions which matched those found in human behaviors. Half of adult chimpanzees appeared to associate actions that were much further along the sequence than expected if actions were simply being linked together one by one. LINK
Are Chimpanzees Developing Culture Like Humans? Groundbreaking Study Says Yes
Chimpanzees may refine cultural behaviors over time, with advanced toolsets spreading through migrating females, suggesting early stages of cumulative culture. ... “As an example of such a toolset, chimpanzees in the Congo region first use a strong stick to dig a deep tunnel through hard soil to reach an underground termite nest,” explains Gunasekaram. “Next, they make a ‘fishing’ probe by pulling a long plant stem through their teeth to form a brush-like tip, pressing it into a point, and deftly threading it down the tunnel they’ve made. They then pull it out and nibble off any defending termites that have bitten into it.” ... “We made the surprising discovery that it is the most complex chimpanzee technologies – the use of entire ‘toolsets’ – that are most strongly linked across now distant populations,” says corresponding author Andrea Migliano, professor of evolutionary anthropology at UZH. “This is exactly what would be predicted if these more advanced technologies were rarely invented and even less likely to be reinvented, and therefore more likely to have been transmitted between groups.” ... The study also showed that when both complex toolsets and their simpler versions (i.e., mostly the components of the toolsets) occur at different study sites, the genetic markers indicate that the sites were connected in the past by female migrations. LINK
Chimpanzees may refine cultural behaviors over time, with advanced toolsets spreading through migrating females, suggesting early stages of cumulative culture. ... “As an example of such a toolset, chimpanzees in the Congo region first use a strong stick to dig a deep tunnel through hard soil to reach an underground termite nest,” explains Gunasekaram. “Next, they make a ‘fishing’ probe by pulling a long plant stem through their teeth to form a brush-like tip, pressing it into a point, and deftly threading it down the tunnel they’ve made. They then pull it out and nibble off any defending termites that have bitten into it.” ... “We made the surprising discovery that it is the most complex chimpanzee technologies – the use of entire ‘toolsets’ – that are most strongly linked across now distant populations,” says corresponding author Andrea Migliano, professor of evolutionary anthropology at UZH. “This is exactly what would be predicted if these more advanced technologies were rarely invented and even less likely to be reinvented, and therefore more likely to have been transmitted between groups.” ... The study also showed that when both complex toolsets and their simpler versions (i.e., mostly the components of the toolsets) occur at different study sites, the genetic markers indicate that the sites were connected in the past by female migrations. LINK
The Greenland shark, shown in a visualization, can live to be around 400 years old, 2016 research estimated. Now, scientists are studying its genome to understand how.
Due to the marine animal’s slow metabolism, scientists long suspected that the Greenland shark had an unusually lengthy lifespan, but there was no way to determine the exact magnitude until recently. Research published in 2016 determined the sharks are the longest-living vertebrates, likely living to be around 400 years old, with the estimate ranging from 272 years old to over 500 years old. ... The study authors found the shark’s genome to be extraordinarily large, twice as long as a human’s and bigger than any other shark genome sequenced to date. The researchers are analyzing the genome to explore what its large size may mean for the shark’s longevity. One reason for a longer genome might come down to the shark’s ability to repair its DNA, a trait that has commonly been seen in other species with exceptional lifespans ... The authors suggest that DNA repair genes in the species at some point evolved the ability to multiply, further contributing to DNA repair and in turn longevity. LINK
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Due to the marine animal’s slow metabolism, scientists long suspected that the Greenland shark had an unusually lengthy lifespan, but there was no way to determine the exact magnitude until recently. Research published in 2016 determined the sharks are the longest-living vertebrates, likely living to be around 400 years old, with the estimate ranging from 272 years old to over 500 years old. ... The study authors found the shark’s genome to be extraordinarily large, twice as long as a human’s and bigger than any other shark genome sequenced to date. The researchers are analyzing the genome to explore what its large size may mean for the shark’s longevity. One reason for a longer genome might come down to the shark’s ability to repair its DNA, a trait that has commonly been seen in other species with exceptional lifespans ... The authors suggest that DNA repair genes in the species at some point evolved the ability to multiply, further contributing to DNA repair and in turn longevity. LINK
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Unveiled by Ancient DNA: The True Timeline of Human-Neanderthal Interbreeding
... A new analysis of DNA from ancient modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe and Asia has determined, more precisely than ever, the time period during which Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, starting about 50,500 years ago and lasting about 7,000 years — until Neanderthals began to disappear.
That interbreeding left Eurasians with many genes inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors, which in total make up between 1% and 2% of our genomes today.
A more precise timeline for modern human interactions with Neanderthals can help scientists understand when humans emigrated out of Africa and peopled the globe, while understanding the DNA that Neanderthals shared with our ancestors provides information on the role Neanderthal genes play in human health. ... LINK
... A new analysis of DNA from ancient modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe and Asia has determined, more precisely than ever, the time period during which Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, starting about 50,500 years ago and lasting about 7,000 years — until Neanderthals began to disappear.
That interbreeding left Eurasians with many genes inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors, which in total make up between 1% and 2% of our genomes today.
A more precise timeline for modern human interactions with Neanderthals can help scientists understand when humans emigrated out of Africa and peopled the globe, while understanding the DNA that Neanderthals shared with our ancestors provides information on the role Neanderthal genes play in human health. ... LINK
Thousands of ancient butchered human bones found in a deep shaft in southwest England have pointed archaeologists to a grim chapter of British prehistory that occurred during the Early Bronze Age.
Analysis of the more than 3,000 bones has suggested that unidentified assailants violently killed at least 37 men, women and children before butchering and cannibalizing their victims between 2210 and 2010 BC at a site called Charterhouse Warren, which is located in Somerset. ... “We actually find more evidence for injuries to skeletons dating to the Neolithic period (10,000 BC to 2,200 BC) in Britain than the Early Bronze Age, so Charterhouse Warren stands out as something very unusual,” said lead study author Rick Schulting, professor of scientific and prehistoric archaeology at the University of Oxford, in a statement. “It paints a considerably darker picture of the period than many would have expected.” LINK
PICTURE: Cut marks can be seen on a human scapula found in the shaft.
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Analysis of the more than 3,000 bones has suggested that unidentified assailants violently killed at least 37 men, women and children before butchering and cannibalizing their victims between 2210 and 2010 BC at a site called Charterhouse Warren, which is located in Somerset. ... “We actually find more evidence for injuries to skeletons dating to the Neolithic period (10,000 BC to 2,200 BC) in Britain than the Early Bronze Age, so Charterhouse Warren stands out as something very unusual,” said lead study author Rick Schulting, professor of scientific and prehistoric archaeology at the University of Oxford, in a statement. “It paints a considerably darker picture of the period than many would have expected.” LINK
PICTURE: Cut marks can be seen on a human scapula found in the shaft.
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Facebook inflicted ‘lifelong trauma’ on Kenyan content moderators, campaigners say, as more than 140 are diagnosed with PTSD
... The medical reports were filed to the court by legal firm Nzili and Sumbi Associates as part of an ongoing lawsuit against Meta and Samasource Kenya – an outsourcing company that was contracted to review content for the tech giant.
Content moderators help tech companies weed out disturbing content on their platforms and are routinely managed by third party firms, often in developing countries. For years, critics have voiced concerns about the impact this work can have on moderators’ mental well-being. ... LINK
... The medical reports were filed to the court by legal firm Nzili and Sumbi Associates as part of an ongoing lawsuit against Meta and Samasource Kenya – an outsourcing company that was contracted to review content for the tech giant.
Content moderators help tech companies weed out disturbing content on their platforms and are routinely managed by third party firms, often in developing countries. For years, critics have voiced concerns about the impact this work can have on moderators’ mental well-being. ... LINK
Google says it has cracked a quantum computing challenge with new chip
Google on Monday said that it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip, solving a computing problem in five minutes that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. ... In a paper published in the journal Nature on Monday, Google said that it has found a way to string together the Willow chip’s qubits so that error rates go down as the number of qubits goes up. The company also says it can correct errors in real time, a key step toward making its quantum machines practical. LINK
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Google Says It Appears to Have Accessed Parallel Universes
Google has made an eyebrow-raising claim, saying that its new quantum chip may be tapping into parallel universes to achieve its results. ... "This mind-boggling number exceeds known timescales in physics and vastly exceeds the age of the universe," he argued. "It lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by David Deutsch." ...
... "So while the announcement is super impressive from a scientific point of view and all, the consequences for everyday life are zero," Hossenfelder argued. "Estimates say that we will need about 1 million qubits for practically useful applications and we're still about 1 million qubits away from that."
The physicist also suggested that such wild claims may eventually "evaporate because some other group finds a clever way to do it on a conventional computer after all." LINK
Google on Monday said that it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip, solving a computing problem in five minutes that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. ... In a paper published in the journal Nature on Monday, Google said that it has found a way to string together the Willow chip’s qubits so that error rates go down as the number of qubits goes up. The company also says it can correct errors in real time, a key step toward making its quantum machines practical. LINK
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Google Says It Appears to Have Accessed Parallel Universes
Google has made an eyebrow-raising claim, saying that its new quantum chip may be tapping into parallel universes to achieve its results. ... "This mind-boggling number exceeds known timescales in physics and vastly exceeds the age of the universe," he argued. "It lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by David Deutsch." ...
... "So while the announcement is super impressive from a scientific point of view and all, the consequences for everyday life are zero," Hossenfelder argued. "Estimates say that we will need about 1 million qubits for practically useful applications and we're still about 1 million qubits away from that."
The physicist also suggested that such wild claims may eventually "evaporate because some other group finds a clever way to do it on a conventional computer after all." LINK
You'll Laugh When You Hear How Many Bits Per Second the Human Brain Processes... Once Your Sluggish Human Brain Finally Comprehends It, That Is -- "This is an extremely low number."
... As detailed in a new study published in the journal Neuron, the team concluded that the speed of human thought is a measly ten bits per second.
"This is an extremely low number," said team lead and Caltech biological sciences professor Markus Meier in a statement.
While that may indeed sound agonizingly slow, the team also found that our bodies' sensory systems also process many orders of magnitude more bits per second of other information about our environment. "Every moment, we are extracting just 10 bits from the trillion that our senses are taking in and using those ten to perceive the world around us and make decisions," Meister explained. "This raises a paradox: What is the brain doing to filter all of this information?" ... "In fact, the 10 bits per second are needed only in worst-case situations, and most of the time our environment changes at a much more leisurely pace," the researchers wrote. LINK
... As detailed in a new study published in the journal Neuron, the team concluded that the speed of human thought is a measly ten bits per second.
"This is an extremely low number," said team lead and Caltech biological sciences professor Markus Meier in a statement.
While that may indeed sound agonizingly slow, the team also found that our bodies' sensory systems also process many orders of magnitude more bits per second of other information about our environment. "Every moment, we are extracting just 10 bits from the trillion that our senses are taking in and using those ten to perceive the world around us and make decisions," Meister explained. "This raises a paradox: What is the brain doing to filter all of this information?" ... "In fact, the 10 bits per second are needed only in worst-case situations, and most of the time our environment changes at a much more leisurely pace," the researchers wrote. LINK
United States Attempting to Detect Other Countries Tinkering With the Climate
As the New York Times reports, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Energy are aiming to start tracking "solar geoengineering" endeavors. There are various concepts for how that might work, but the general idea is often to use some form of chemical aerosol, injected high up into the planet's stratosphere, to reflect sunlight back away from the Earth and reduce the effects — though not the underlying cause — of climate change.
Many scientists are worried that these efforts, while well intended, could do more harm than good by causing destructive weather patterns or benefiting some countries more than others. As such, the NOAA is working to strengthen its surveillance and recognition of these projects as institutions and individual groups are increasingly undertaking pilot tests of geoengineering concepts in quests to "hack" the climate. LINK
As the New York Times reports, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Energy are aiming to start tracking "solar geoengineering" endeavors. There are various concepts for how that might work, but the general idea is often to use some form of chemical aerosol, injected high up into the planet's stratosphere, to reflect sunlight back away from the Earth and reduce the effects — though not the underlying cause — of climate change.
Many scientists are worried that these efforts, while well intended, could do more harm than good by causing destructive weather patterns or benefiting some countries more than others. As such, the NOAA is working to strengthen its surveillance and recognition of these projects as institutions and individual groups are increasingly undertaking pilot tests of geoengineering concepts in quests to "hack" the climate. LINK
Research shows more than 150 million mental diagnoses may be linked to lead in gasoline
The study published Wednesday in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry estimates that about 151 million mental disorder diagnoses in the US are attributable to lead. The exposure likely would not have happened had lead not been in gasoline, Reuben added. ... “We completely phased lead out of gasoline in ’96, we phased lead out of pipes in ’86, and we took it out of paint in ’78,” he said. “If you’re living in a home that was built before those years, you should be aware that there is likely a lead hazard in your soil or your home.” It doesn’t mean it is time to move out of your older home, just that you should check for lead when doing renovations or disturbing the soil, Reuben said. LINK
The study published Wednesday in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry estimates that about 151 million mental disorder diagnoses in the US are attributable to lead. The exposure likely would not have happened had lead not been in gasoline, Reuben added. ... “We completely phased lead out of gasoline in ’96, we phased lead out of pipes in ’86, and we took it out of paint in ’78,” he said. “If you’re living in a home that was built before those years, you should be aware that there is likely a lead hazard in your soil or your home.” It doesn’t mean it is time to move out of your older home, just that you should check for lead when doing renovations or disturbing the soil, Reuben said. LINK
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Meet Khanmigo: The student tutor AI being tested in school districts | 60 Minutes
Khanmigo, an AI-powered online tutor, could change the way teachers work and students learn. Created by Khan Academy, the new technology is being piloted in 266 school districts.
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This robot taught a lesson in Germany. Hear what students thought
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Khanmigo, an AI-powered online tutor, could change the way teachers work and students learn. Created by Khan Academy, the new technology is being piloted in 266 school districts.
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ALSO
This robot taught a lesson in Germany. Hear what students thought
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AIrchaeologist ...
‘A sort of superpower’: Unexpected revelations made possible by AI in 2024
Charred to a crisp, the hundreds of brittle ancient scrolls would crumble if one were to attempt to unfurl them, and any trace of script would be nearly illegible. The Herculaneum scrolls, as they are known, still remain unopened, but thanks to the powerful tool that is artificial intelligence, their contents now lie within reach.
Using AI and high-resolution X-rays, a trio of researchers decoded in 2023 more than 2,000 characters from the rolled scrolls — the remarkable feat laid bare the first full passages from papyri that had survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
The artifacts, recovered from a building believed to have been the house of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, form an unprecedented cache of information about ancient Rome and Greece.
... Decoding whalespeak and other animal languages
Researchers know the enigmatic clicks made by sperm whales vary in tempo, rhythm and length, but what the animals are saying with these sounds — produced through spermaceti organs in their bulbous heads — remains a mystery to human ears.
... Understanding the building blocks of life
AI models are also helping researchers understand life at the smallest scale: strings of molecules that form proteins, the building blocks of life.
While proteins are built from only around 20 amino acids, these can be combined in almost endless ways, folding themselves into highly complex patterns in three-dimensional space. The substances help form hair, skin and tissue cells; they read, copy and repair DNA; and they help carry oxygen in the blood. LINK
Charred to a crisp, the hundreds of brittle ancient scrolls would crumble if one were to attempt to unfurl them, and any trace of script would be nearly illegible. The Herculaneum scrolls, as they are known, still remain unopened, but thanks to the powerful tool that is artificial intelligence, their contents now lie within reach.
Using AI and high-resolution X-rays, a trio of researchers decoded in 2023 more than 2,000 characters from the rolled scrolls — the remarkable feat laid bare the first full passages from papyri that had survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
The artifacts, recovered from a building believed to have been the house of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, form an unprecedented cache of information about ancient Rome and Greece.
... Decoding whalespeak and other animal languages
Researchers know the enigmatic clicks made by sperm whales vary in tempo, rhythm and length, but what the animals are saying with these sounds — produced through spermaceti organs in their bulbous heads — remains a mystery to human ears.
... Understanding the building blocks of life
AI models are also helping researchers understand life at the smallest scale: strings of molecules that form proteins, the building blocks of life.
While proteins are built from only around 20 amino acids, these can be combined in almost endless ways, folding themselves into highly complex patterns in three-dimensional space. The substances help form hair, skin and tissue cells; they read, copy and repair DNA; and they help carry oxygen in the blood. LINK
Why these robot dog owners prefer them to real pets
Some members of Japan’s aging population are finding comfort from robotic dogs known as “Aibo.” CNN’s Hanako Montgomery reports from a pet blessing ceremony for robot puppies in Japan. LINK
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Some members of Japan’s aging population are finding comfort from robotic dogs known as “Aibo.” CNN’s Hanako Montgomery reports from a pet blessing ceremony for robot puppies in Japan. LINK
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Farmers Say Intelligent Tractors "Acted Like They Were Demon Possessed" After Signal Out of Space: Solar storms are driving farmers "crazy."
... Modern tractors rely on precise GPS coordinates to navigate fields. But with charged particles distorting radio signals from GPS satellites, some of them started acting erratically, stopping abruptly or weaving back and forth. ... "I would guess 80 percent or more of all farmers in the Midwest use at least basic GPS for something — whether it's auto-steer or yield mapping," John Deere service manager Ethan Smidt told SpaceWeather. "At least 50 percent of all farmers are VERY reliant on GPS and use it on every machine all year long." ... And farmers should expect more chaos, as NASA has predicted that solar maximum could last for another one to two years.
Fortunately for them, engineers are already looking for ways to reduce farmers' reliance on GPS signals by making use of machine learning and AI for navigation instead. LINK
... Modern tractors rely on precise GPS coordinates to navigate fields. But with charged particles distorting radio signals from GPS satellites, some of them started acting erratically, stopping abruptly or weaving back and forth. ... "I would guess 80 percent or more of all farmers in the Midwest use at least basic GPS for something — whether it's auto-steer or yield mapping," John Deere service manager Ethan Smidt told SpaceWeather. "At least 50 percent of all farmers are VERY reliant on GPS and use it on every machine all year long." ... And farmers should expect more chaos, as NASA has predicted that solar maximum could last for another one to two years.
Fortunately for them, engineers are already looking for ways to reduce farmers' reliance on GPS signals by making use of machine learning and AI for navigation instead. LINK
LA Times owner plans to add AI-powered ‘bias meter’ on news stories, sparking newsroom backlash
Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who blocked the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and plans to overhaul its editorial board, says he will implement an artificial intelligence-powered “bias meter” on the paper’s news articles to provide readers with “both sides” of a story.
Soon-Shiong, the biotech billionaire who acquired the Times in 2018, told CNN political commentator Scott Jennings — who will join the Times’ editorial board — that he’s been “quietly building” an AI meter “behind the scenes.” The meter, slated to be released in January, is powered by the same augmented intelligence technology that he’s been building since 2010 for health care purposes, Soon-Shiong said. ... The comments prompted a rebuke from the union representing hundreds of the Times’ newsroom staffers, which said Soon-Shiong had “publicly suggested his staff harbors bias, without offering evidence or examples.”
“Our members — and all Times staffers — abide by a strict set of ethics guidelines, which call for fairness, precision, transparency, vigilance against bias, and an earnest search to understand all sides of an issue,” the Los Angeles Times Guild said in a statement Thursday. “Those longstanding principles will continue guiding our work.” LINK
Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who blocked the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and plans to overhaul its editorial board, says he will implement an artificial intelligence-powered “bias meter” on the paper’s news articles to provide readers with “both sides” of a story.
Soon-Shiong, the biotech billionaire who acquired the Times in 2018, told CNN political commentator Scott Jennings — who will join the Times’ editorial board — that he’s been “quietly building” an AI meter “behind the scenes.” The meter, slated to be released in January, is powered by the same augmented intelligence technology that he’s been building since 2010 for health care purposes, Soon-Shiong said. ... The comments prompted a rebuke from the union representing hundreds of the Times’ newsroom staffers, which said Soon-Shiong had “publicly suggested his staff harbors bias, without offering evidence or examples.”
“Our members — and all Times staffers — abide by a strict set of ethics guidelines, which call for fairness, precision, transparency, vigilance against bias, and an earnest search to understand all sides of an issue,” the Los Angeles Times Guild said in a statement Thursday. “Those longstanding principles will continue guiding our work.” LINK
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Oh my.
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