That birds are dinosaurs is an idea that was suggested, in not so many words, as far back as the mid-19th Century, but their ancestry was delivered in a sucker-punch of a fossil when the world discovered Archaeopteryx in 1861. Since then, evidence of feathered dinosaurs has cropped up in several groups across the planet, but currently, the title of largest feathered dinosaur goes to Yutyrannus huali.The theropod group that gave rise to modern birds sits within a group known as the Tyrannoraptors, encompassing everybody’s favorite bipedal predator, Tyrannosaurus rex. Does that mean T. rex was fluffy? It’s an interesting question.We’ve found T. rex fossils with patches of skin, so we at least know as adults they weren’t fully feathered. However, as a recent "hidden gem" fossil discovery revealed, there were dinosaurs out there rocking the scaly reptile-like skin we more commonly associate with dinosaurs, as well as softer bird-like skin with feathers. A mosaic of prehistoric features, if you please.Feathered tyrants certainly existed, just look at Dilong paradoxus. Also, a fierce predator, though much, much smaller, it had several features that mirrored T. rex including large jaws and tightly packed front teeth. It also had a thin coat of feathers that scientists think may have helped it stay warm.Then Yutyrannus huali came along, whose name literally means “beautiful feathered tyrant”. It was described in 2012 after a fossil was purchased from a dealer, becoming the biggest dinosaur discovered to date that we’re certain had feathers because we have fossils providing direct evidence.We have fossil tail feathers of Yutyrannus, but there were likely other feathered giants we haven't found direct evidence for just yet.Image credit: By Kumiko from Tokyo, Japan - , CC BY-SA 2.0, via WikimediaAt around 9 meters (30 feet) long and estimated to have weighed 1,400 kilograms (3,086 pounds), it’s four times heavier than the previous title holder, Beipiaosaurus – a relative of old salad scoops Therizinosaurus, who would top Yutyrannus’s claim if we had direct fossil evidence that it too was feathery. Whether Yutyrannus huali was partially or completely feathered is still up for debate, but we do know that it had proto feathers that differ from modern feathers. They were long filaments (around 20 centimeters, according to the Australian Museum) that lacked the barbs, barbules, and hooks we see in modern feathers, but are thought to have formed a shaggy coat that would’ve enabled Yutyrannus to keep warm in cold climates.Yutyrannus lived around 125 million years ago during the early Cretaceous, so it’s possible that feathers as a trait among tyrannosaurs could have been lost by the time T. rex came into the picture. It’s estimated that baby T. rex would’ve been the size of a terrier, and it too may have sported a coat of fuzzy protofeathers. Then, as it reached its teenage growth spurt years (when they triple in size in not very much time), the feathers may have reduced to small patches that could've been useful in mating rituals. One logical reason for doubting that adult T. rex were covered in feathers comes down to their physiology. As T. rex grew, its volume increased significantly more than its surface area (skin), meaning that – metabolically speaking – it wouldn’t have made sense to be covered in feathers as it would’ve been too hot. T. rex’s issue wasn’t getting cold, quite the opposite. When it was a baby and it had high surface area to body volume ratio, it would’ve benefited from the warmth of that feathery down jacket. That’s likely why feathers evolved in the first place, as a form of thermoregulation for small animals with big surface areas that made it hard for them to retain the heat made by their bodies. That approach likely didn’t vibe with gigantism, however, and so the feathers were lost in some groups but retained by others, including the dinosaurs we share this planet with today.Still grappling with the concept that birds are dinosaurs? Subscribe to receive CURIOUS, IFLScience’s e-magazine, and you can catch our July issue cover story: Do We Still Live In An Age Of Dinosaurs?

A freighter in Lake Superior struck something underwater on Saturday and began taking on water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Great Lakes district received reports around 6:53 a.m. that a 689-foot (210-meter) ship called the Michipicoten had collided with an object approximately 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Isle Royale, part of Michigan. The ship was carrying taconite, a low-grade iron ore, and had 22 people aboard. Onboard water pumps began displacing the water, and there were no signs of any spills from the ship. By 9:15 a.m., the water pumps had reduced the freighter’s list from 15 degrees to 5 degrees, according to the Coast Guard. Helicopter and boat crews were responding, and by 12:30 p.m., the Coast Guard reported that half of the crew had been evacuated for safety. The ship was en route to a port for inspection and repairs. The cause of the collision is under investigation. The incident occurred in the northwest part of the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border and is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. The post Freighter ship in Lake Superior hit something unexplained underwater appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Google whipped out the feeble whoopsie, my bad excuse  after it got ripped to shreds for banning educational nonprofit PragerU. Google banned the educational non-profit PragerU from its Google Play store after its release of the documentary Dear Infidels: A Warning to America, which detailed the horrors of Islamic extremism. When confronted by PragerU’s supporters, Google claimed it had removed PragerU in error, according to The Washington Examiner.  PragerU confirmed that Google reinstated its app after correcting this so-called error. “In an email from Google, they said our recently removed app is now available ‘after further re-review,'” PragerU posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).  “Thank you to all of our amazing supporters who helped publicize this issue to force Google to reverse their earlier decision to remove our app from the store entirely,” the non-profit added. Google dubiously explained the initial censorship by stating it does not allow apps that promote violence or incite hatred based on various characteristics including “race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation gender, gender identity or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.” Despite this, PragerU stood by the importance of their documentary. “Radical Islam poses a significant threat to our freedom,” reads the documentary’s caption. “The rise of anti-American rhetoric and violence in cities and universities is a direct result of the indoctrination led by those perpetrating a religious war against the West.” PragerU founder and radio host Dennis Prager highlighted the documentary's significance, tweeting, “This is a warning about the significant threat that Radical Islam poses to the West. Watch first-hand accounts from those who escaped Islamic rule and have come to warn America.” This is not the first time Google has targeted content exposing the potential dangers of radical Islam. Google AdSense previously demonetized Front Page Magazine after the publication released an article discussing a terrorist attack and the extremist beliefs of the perpetrators. Journalist Daniel Greenfield noted that to be admitted into Google AdSense, all the company had to do was “stop talking about Islamic terrorism.” Google certainly seems to have a systemic problem with defending Islamic extremism. In March 2024, MRC Free Speech America exposed Google’s AI chatbot Gemini for questioning the verified fact that Hamas terrorists committed rape on Oct. 7, when they invaded southern Israel. “Gemini got this wrong and missed the mark on this important and sensitive topic,” a Google spokesperson told MRC at the time. “We’ll aim to point people to Google Search for the most-up-to-date information. We are constantly working on improving and when the AI provides offensive or low quality responses, we will work quickly to address the issue.” PragerU is a member of the MRC Free Speech Alliance.  Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

How much does NBC hate Israelis? Well, during Monday’s Today, the network actually decried the successful operation by the Israeli Defense Forces over the weekend to free four civilians who had been held hostage by Hamas terrorists since October 7. NBC was upset because the rescue emboldened the resolve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rescue his citizens and could hurt President Biden’s unilateral negotiations with the terrorists. NBC senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez quickly tried to wash Biden’s hands of the operation. Noting: “The Biden administration confirmed the U.S. did not participate militarily in the rescue operation but the U.S. provided intelligence in support of it.”     He then pivoted to the “concerns that Saturday's rescue may hurt efforts to reach a ceasefire and free the remaining hostages.” According to Gutierrez, saving the lives of four hostages was a serious problem because it could hurt the Biden administration’s effort to negotiate with Hamas terrorists and emboldened the right-wing Netanyahu government to continue to eliminate the threat to Israeli civilians: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region today to try and secure a deal, but the rescue will likely make his efforts even more difficult and that's why the administration may negotiate directly with Hamas to release the remaining American hostages if the current proposal fails, according to U.S. officials. They say this latest rescue only strengthened Netanyahu's determination to keep pushing for military operations in Gaza instead of pursuing a ceasefire. One senior administration official calling this a very real option, citing the fact that Hamas could have an incentive to deal directly with the Americans because it would strain relations between the U.S. and Israel and possibly put even more pressure on Netanyahu. In their coverage of the operation itself, NBC noted the happy reunions but correspondent Raf Sanchez also lamented the “searing grief inside Gaza.” He parroted the unverifiable claims from the Gaza Ministry of Health that some “270” civilians “were killed by Israeli fire during the raid, including around 60 children.” Instead of admitting the fact Hamas is known to use human shields, he framed it as a claim made by Israel: “Israel says that Hamas deliberately holds the hostages in crowded civilian areas.” There was also no mention of the fact that hostages were found in the home of a Gaza-based journalist for Al Jazeera, Abdallah Aljamal who was killed in the raid. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NBC’s Today June 10, 2024 7:06:29 a.m. Eastern HODA KOTB: Let's bring in NBC's senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez. Gabe, tell us what we know about the U.S.'s involvement in this particular rescue and tell us why the White House believes it might be feasible to negotiate directly with Hamas. GABE GUTIERREZ: Hey there, Hoda. Good morning. The Biden administration confirmed the U.S. did not participate militarily in the rescue operation but the U.S. provided intelligence in support of it, according to a U.S. Official with knowledge of the matter. Still, there are concerns that Saturday's rescue may hurt efforts to reach a ceasefire and free the remaining hostages, including the eight Americans, three of which are believed to have been killed. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region today to try and secure a deal, but the rescue will likely make his efforts even more difficult and that's why the administration may negotiate directly with Hamas to release the remaining American hostages if the current proposal fails, according to U.S. officials. They say this latest rescue only strengthened Netanyahu's determination to keep pushing for military operations in Gaza instead of pursuing a ceasefire. One senior administration official calling this a very real option, citing the fact that Hamas could have an incentive to deal directly with the Americans because it would strain relations between the U.S. and Israel and possibly put even more pressure on Netanyahu. Another reason, it might even pressure the Prime Minister to agree to a version of the current ceasefire deal, but all of it could be a complicated path to take, considering the potential backlash. The White House declined to comment. Hoda. KOTB: All right. Gutierrez for us there at the White House. Gabe, thank you. (…) 8:03:24 a.m. Eastern RAF SANCHEZ: But while there are celebrations here in Israel, there is searing grief inside of Gaza. The Health Ministry says around 270 people were killed by Israeli fire during the raid, including around 60 children. Israel says that Hamas deliberately holds the hostages in crowded civilian areas. (…)

Donald Trump loves to make jokes during his rallies, especially about the press. At Sunday morning’s hot and sunny rally in Las Vegas, Trump joked about losing voters to heatstroke, and the press reaction: "By the way, isn't the breeze nice. Do you feel the breeze? I don't want anybody going on me. We need every voter. I don't care about you. I just want your vote. I don't care." His supporters laughed as he then said, "See now, the press will take that, and they'll say, 'He said a horrible thing.'" Like clockwork, the clickbait hacks at Newsweek (and then the aggregators at MSN.com) posted the headline: Donald Trump Jokes to Las Vegas Rally Attendees: 'I Don't Care About You' This website is a desiccated shell of its former weekly-magazine self. This headline was actually an improvement from the first one! As the article now admits, they left "jokes" out in the original:  Donald Trump to Las Vegas rally attendees: "I don't care about you" https://t.co/4WTGg774nJ pic.twitter.com/ju8vKZMMMu — Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 9, 2024 Reporter Natalie Venegas began: “Amid high temperatures at Donald Trump's campaign rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, the former president made a quip about the heat affecting his attendees by stating that he needed their votes, adding, "I don't care about you." They ran a video tweet from Acyn Torabi from the Trump-trashing Meidas Touch squad: Trump: Do you feel the breeze? I don't want anybody going on me. We need every voter. I don't care about you. I just want your vote. I don't care. pic.twitter.com/IirvQs123c — Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2024 Then they ran more Trump-trashing Twitter commentary: In response to Trump's comments, some took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize him on Sunday. Democrat and X user Harry Sisson wrote ,"WOW! Trump just went MASK OFF and said 'We need every voter. I don't care about you. I just want your vote. I don't care.' You hear that, America? Trump doesn't care about you at all. He just wants you to vote for him. Disgraceful." Democratic Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta simply wrote: "He's finally telling the truth." Reiterating Kenyatta's remarks, progressive political commentator Luke Beasley posted to X, "He finally said the truth." At least Newsweek mentioned at the end that the Trump campaign took precautions for attendees, with bottled water and misting fans and tents, including at least one with air conditioning. But MSN and Newsweek got the trashy headline they wanted! 

The International Olympic Committee published a series of "portrayal guidelines" to discourage broadcasters from using "problematic" language when describing transgender athletes.The guidelines said they seek to make print and television broadcasts of the Olympics "gender-equal, fair and inclusive representations" of sport, but simply pushed gender and sexual orientation-based ideologies through the method of controlling speech.The third edition of the Portrayal Guidelines for "Olympic Movement stakeholders" called for the "gender-equal" portrayal of athletes in all forms of communication and asked for broadcasters to adapt their presentation to adhere to "cultural contexts."This of course means nearly the entirety of the guidelines is focused on gender ideology.Among the 30+ pages of religious doctrine were guidelines on "problematic language." This particular section of speech-policing explained that there are many "common language difficulties" tied to reporting on transgender athletes and asked reporters to avoid "common missteps" and otherwise "harmful language."The guidelines suggested avoiding the following terms:Born maleBorn femaleBiologically male/femaleGenetically male/femaleMale-to-female (MtF)Female-to-male (FtM)These phrases were described as "dehumanizing and inaccurate" and claimed that a person's sex is not based on "genetics alone." A bold claim was also made in the document when it said that a person's biology can be altered by undergoing gender-related procedures."A person's sex category is not assigned based on genetics alone and aspects of a person's biology can be altered when they pursue gender-affirming medical care," the guidelines claimed.'Avoid passive, sexy imagery of sportspeople which reinforces stereotypes.'The text continued, asking broadcasters not to call an athlete's "identity into question by referring to the sex category that was registered on their original birth certificate."Unironically, other terms to avoid were listed, such as "transsexual." Phrases like "identifies as," "he/she is a transgender," and "the transgenders" were frowned upon. The document even looked down upon the terms "sex change" or "post-operative/surgery."The guidelines indeed warned broadcasters of "unconscious bias," "gender stereotypes," and "gender bias," while asking journalists to use gender-neutral language. This is advised in order to avoid "words and expressions which could be interpreted as biased, discriminatory or sexist."For photography, the committee asked that journalists "avoid passive, sexy imagery of sportspeople which reinforces stereotypes." It also asked not to focus on looks and not to focus too much on one athlete. Photographers also must "ensure there are not significantly more images of one gender community." Rather, they should "capture diversity." The document also requested that photographers avoid reinforcing feminine and masculine stereotypes.The report claimed that a lack of female representation in sports broadcasting is essentially due to discrimination. It pointed out that just 4% of sports media content is dedicated to women, yet 12% of sports news is presented by women. It noted that the highest-earning female athlete in the world, tennis player Coco Gauff, made $22.7 million in 2023, while soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo made $275 million.The guidelines rivaled even the most extreme activist-backed documents in recent history. The document cited sources like GLAAD, ESPN, and gay activist groups in its references. It also pointed toward several United Nations guidelines as additional resources.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The world of Fallout may be mostly barren wasteland, but there are nevertheless settlements that managed to survive against the odds. From what small seeds did they grow? Post-apocalyptic survival city builder Endzone 2 answers that question, letting you create multiple settlements after a nuclear apocalypse leaves most of the world uninhabitable. A would-be rival to the likes of Cities Skylines 2 and Frostpunk, you can try out the game's first-ever demo now. Continue reading Fallout inspired survivalist city builder launches first big demo MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best strategy games, Best survival games, Best upcoming PC games

Like Summer Game Fest, the Future Games Show delivered lots of tantalizing trailers for the likes of Goat Simulator 3's new DLC and Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2. To keep you occupied while you eagerly await their release, Humble has launched the Future Games Show Summer Showcase Discovery bundle, which features seven great games at an 89% discount, including Thief successor Gloomwood and the excellent En Garde. Continue reading Grab Thief’s greatest successor for just $2 before it’s even out

Hunter’s uncle James Biden was also expected to testify, but never took the stand.