The UK Government has trialed what it is bizarrely calling a "speed of light laser weapon", firing it from the top of a British Army combat vehicle.The UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator program developed the weapon, which has now been tested at a firing range in Porton Down, Salisbury. According to the Ministry of Defence, the "ground-breaking" test was successful, with the laser able to neutralize targets further than a kilometer (0.6 miles) away.The press release for the new test caused a few confusing headlines, referring to it as a "speed of light laser weapon".        IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.While this may sound impressive to anyone who drifted off during physics class, all lasers travel at the speed of light, the speed at which all massless particles must travel. It's like advertising your new water product as "very wet".But the laser is nonetheless impressive if you're into downing enemy drones. The key advantages of this weapon are how lightweight and portable it is, enabling it to be deployed on land vehicles for the first time.      IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Please note that the external image of the laser firing is a graphical representation by the UK Ministry of Defence."The successful testing of this high-powered laser weapon marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to enhance the future operational capabilities of the British Army," Matt Cork, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Programme Lead, said in the press release. "This technology offers a precise, powerful and cost effective means to defeat aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces."Further testing will take place later this year, with army personnel set to trial the capabilities and benefits of the "light speed laser weapon" in "real-world scenarios".

Researchers have recorded the first-ever video of a shark being struck by a boat, revealing how the animals respond to traumatic interactions with human maritime activities. In this case, a 7-meter-long (23-foot) basking shark was hit by the keel of a boat just behind its dorsal fin, resulting in “flight behavior” and a drastic change in temperament.Describing the incident in a new study, the researchers explain that theirs is the first known footage of any large marine animal colliding with a vessel. The event occurred off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, roughly six hours after the study authors had fitted the shark with a camera that was designed to automatically detach following a set period of time.After retrieving the device and viewing the recording, the researchers noted that the shark spent the first six hours feeding along the surface in shallow coastal waters. However, the animal was then seen to suddenly “make a large and quick evasive movement,” write the study authors.“Within a second, a large boat keel cut across the back of the shark, just behind the dorsal fin, and the shark was tumbled through the water,” they continue. Commenting on the incident in a statement, study author Taylor Chapple explained that "the shark was struck while feeding on the surface of the water and it immediately swam to the seafloor into deeper, offshore waters, a stark contrast to its behavior prior to the strike.” While the collision left the shark with paint marks and a red abrasion on its back, no bleeding or open wounds were visible in the video. Despite this, the animal drastically reduced its activity levels and did not return to shallow waters or resume feeding for the remaining 7.5 hours of recording, sometimes appearing to rest on the seafloor.Because the device then stopped filming and released itself from the shark, the researchers have no idea if the animal ever resumed its previous behavior, or indeed if it suffered any long-term consequences. Nonetheless, Chapple says that the shark’s worrying reactions “demonstrate the risk and impact of vessel strikes and the need for measures to reduce this risk."The basking shark seen shortly after it was tagged.Image credit: Big Fish Lab, OSUThe second largest fish in the world – behind whale sharks – basking sharks are a globally endangered species, although their numbers do appear to be increasing in the waters around Ireland. To help protect the species, a new National Marine Park has been established in County Kerry.Ironically, it was here that the collision occurred, and the study authors are keen to point out that conservation gains within the region may impact on maritime activities, requiring greater care when navigating through the reserve.“With the increasing numbers of sightings in the region, and throughout Ireland, ...] it is very likely that [basking shark]–vessel interactions will continue to increase with the recovery of the population,” they write.The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

Jessica D. Ayers: As a species, humans like to think that we are fully in control of our decisions and behavior. But just below the surface, forces beyond our conscious control influence how we think and behave: our genes. Since the 1950s, scientists have been studying the influences genes have on human health. This has led medical professionals, researchers and policymakers to advocate for the use of precision medicine to personalize diagnosis and treatment of diseases, leading to quicker improvements to patient well-being. But the influence of genes on psychology has been overlooked. My research addresses how genes influence human psychology and behavior. Here are some specific ways psychologists can use genetic conflict theory to better understand human behavior – and potentially advance the treatment of psychological issues. What do genes have to do with it? Genetic conflict theory proposes that though our genes blend together to make us who we are, they retain markers indicating whether they came from mom or dad. These markers cause the genes to either cooperate or fight with one another as we grow and develop. Research in genetic conflict primarily focuses on pregnancy, since this is one of the few times in human development when the influence of different sets of genes can be clearly observed in one individual. Typically, maternal and paternal genes have different ideal strategies for growth and development. While genes from mom and dad ultimately find ways to cooperate with one another that result in normal growth and development, these genes benefit by nudging fetal development to be slightly more in line with what’s optimal for the parent they come from. Genes from mom try to keep mom healthy and with enough resources left for another pregnancy, while genes from dad benefit from the fetus taking all of mom’s resources for itself. When genes are not able to compromise, however, this can result in undesirable outcomes such as physical and mental deficits for the baby or even miscarriage. While genetic conflict is a normal occurrence, its influence has largely been overlooked in psychology. One reason is because researchers assume that genetic cooperation is necessary for the health and well-being of the individual. Another reason is because most human traits are controlled by many genes. For example, height is determined by a combination of 10,000 genetic variants, and skin color is determined by more than 150 genes. The complex nature of psychology and behavior makes it hard to pinpoint the unique influence of a single gene, let alone which parent it came from. Take, for example, depression. Not only is the likelihood of developing depression influenced by 200 different genes, it is also affected by environmental inputs such as childhood maltreatment and stressful life events. Researchers have also studied similar complex interactions for stress- and anxiety-related disorders. A DNA strand is a long, thin molecule.The two strands that compose a double-stranded piece of DNA are antiparallel, meaning they run in opposite directions. Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes When researchers study genetic conflict, they have typically focused on its link to disease, unintentionally documenting the influence of genetic conflict on psychology. Specifically, researchers have studied how extreme instances of genetic conflict – such as when the influence of one set of parental genes is fully expressed while the other set is completely silenced – are associated with changes in behavior by studying people who have Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome. Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes are rare genetic disorders affecting about 1 in 10,000 to 30,000 and 1 in 12,000 to 20,000 people around the world, respectively. There is currently no long-term treatment available for either condition. These syndromes develop in patients missing one copy of a gene on chromosome 15 that is needed for balanced growth and development. Someone who inherits only the version of the gene from their dad will develop Angelman syndrome, while someone who has only the version of the gene from their mom will develop Prader-Willi syndrome. Physical hallmarks of Angelman syndrome include major developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, trouble moving, trouble eating and excessive smiling. Physical hallmarks of Prader-Willi syndrome include diminished muscle tone, feeding difficulties, hormone deficiencies, short stature and extreme overeating in childhood. These syndromes represent one of the few instances where the influence of a single missing gene can be clearly observed. While both Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes are associated with language, cognitive, eating and sleeping issues, they are also associated with clear differences in psychology and behavior. For example, children with Angelman syndrome smile, laugh and generally want to engage in social interactions. These behaviors are associated with an increased ability to gain resources and investment from those around them. Children with Prader-Willi syndrome, on the other hand, experience tantrums, anxiety and have difficulties in social situations. These behaviors are associated with increased hardships on mothers early in the individual’s life, potentially delaying when their mother will have another child. This would therefore increase the child’s access to resources such as food and parental attention. Genetic conflict in psychology and behavior Angelman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome highlight the importance of investigating genetic conflict’s influence on psychology and behavior. Researchers have documented differences in temperament, sociability, mental health and attachment in these disorders. The differences in the psychological processes between these syndromes are similar to the proposed effects of genetic conflict. Genetic conflict influences attachment by determining the responsiveness and sensitivity of the parent-child relationship through differences in behavior and resource needs. This relationship begins forming while the child is still in utero and helps calibrate how reactive they will be to different social situations. While this calibration of responses starts at a purely biological level in the womb, it results in unique patterns of social beahaviors that influence everything from how we handle stress to our personalities. Since most scientists don’t consider the influence of genetic conflict on human behavior, much of this research is still theoretical. Researchers have had to find similarities across disciplines to see how the biological process of genetic conflict influences psychological processes. Research on Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes is only one example of how integrating a genetic conflict framework into psychological research can provide researchers an avenue to study how our biology makes us uniquely human. Jessica D. Ayers, Assistant Professor of Psychological Science, Boise State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Are We Defined More by Our Consciousness or Our Genetics? appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Store workers typically don't intervene when crooks come calling. The standard operating procedure is to just let the lawless do what the lawless do — i.e., whatever they want. Certainly, employees aren't going to go out of their way to stop crimes and theft where they work. In the vast majority of cases, it's not their money or merchandise taking flight from the businesses — and what, after all, will most prosecutors do to petty crooks caught in the act?'I was thinking, "I'm here to serve the people, and I'm here to protect this store. And that's what I'm gonna do, and I would do it again."'Well, the store employees you're about to get to know below aren't your garden-variety working stiffs. In many cases, they've had it up to here with crooks robbing them and their bosses blind. They know most criminals these days aren't expecting any resistance. Such a short-sighted stereotype very much works to the advantage of the good guys — and gals.The forthcoming tidbits feature the likes of a mother and daughter encountering a crook right at closing time ... a hard-working dad on a conference call with his daughter's school as he's ready to wind things down for the evening when a thug puts a pistol in his face ... and a woman behind a counter who reads the riot act to a gun-toting goon who threatens to shoot her if she doesn't hand over all the register's cash. Oh, and she has a piping hot weapon at the ready for him too.So check out these stories of store workers who use their fists, guts, and wits to battle crooks tooth and nail. By the way, this is just Part 1 — as you might imagine, there are quite a few more folks manning counters and cash registers we're eager to feature who've gone above and beyond what most people would expect, particularly in this season of rampant retail theft.Male store owner punches gun-wielding female shoplifter in face, then kicks, tackles, subdues her until cops arrive. Gunfire rings out as customers run for cover.Surveillance video showed a Dallas store owner confronting an armed shoplifter on Sept. 4, 2023, and holding her down until police arrived. Sunjung Kim — owner of the Hair Plus Beauty Supply store — told WFAA-TV he "noticed she stole something. I told her to return the item or pay ... us, but she was trying to run away." Video shows the female punching at Kim, so he punched her back and kicked her. At that point, it appeared she tried to pull a gun, so Kim tackled her.What sounds like a gunshot can be heard on the video as well, and other cameras show customers ducking for cover: “I didn't have much time to think," Kim told the station. "But I just saw her gun right away. I just dashed her to not shoot."He was able to hand the gun to a co-worker and then hold the alleged shoplifter on the floor for 11 minutes until police arrived.Kim told WFAA he probably won't react again like he did because his merchandise isn't worth risking his life: "I was lucky. Thank God." He added to the station that the assailant ripped off eyelashes and eyelash glue worth about $20. WFAA said she was charged with first-degree armed robbery and was being held on a $75,000 bond. (You can view a video report about the incident here.)'Then shoot me': Gutsy clerk stands up to gun-toting thug who threatens to open fire if she doesn't hand over store's cash. (Her weapon? Oh, it's a hot one.)Marie Paradis — manager of a gas station convenience store connected to Stone's Auto Repair in St. Albans, Vermont — had been on edge after a number of robberies in the area in a short period of time. Paradis shared with WPTZ-TV that her instincts told her to prepare for trouble on the morning of Nov. 29, 2023: “I went and heated some coffee, and I double-heated it to almost boiling. Because I just had this feeling that if they tried something, I’m going to throw the coffee.”Sure enough, Paradis saw a man dressed in all black and wearing a face mask approach the store, WPTZ noted. "I knew something was wrong, and I was ready for him," she added to the station.Paradis told WPTZ she pressed the panic button when the man walked to the front counter — and surveillance video showed he was carrying a gun. "He said, 'Open up the till,' and I said no," she recalled to the station. Paradis repeated the crook's persistence to WPTZ, redacting his profanity: "I said open up the effin' till and give me all the money."She replied to the armed robber that the till's contents were staying put, the station said: "You're not getting any money from me." With that, the crook threatened to open fire. "I am going to shoot you if you do not give me that money," the man warned, according to her recollection to WPTZ.Paraidis added to the station that she replied, "Then shoot me, because you're not getting the money." Video shows Paradis chucking her coffee toward the armed man's head, after which she pepper-sprayed him, forcing him to cover up and retreat. He ended up taking off with some cigarettes and e-cigarettes — and no cash, the station said."I was thinking, 'I'm here to serve the people, and I'm here to protect this store," Paradis told WPTZ. "And that's what I'm gonna do, and I would do it again."WPTZ said despite some businesses having been hit twice by the rash of recent, very public robberies, police have yet to nab the culprits. You can view a video report about the incident here.Masked crook points pistol at Chicago store owner. But when perp has trouble with his piece, victim seizes moment to fight back.James Suh — owner of Car Care Auto Spa in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood — was on a conference call for his daughter’s school around closing time one night in October 2022 when a masked man walked into his store, pointed a gun at him, and demanded money from the register, WMAQ-TV reported.“It was just so sudden and alarming, no preparations,” Suh told the station. “I didn’t even see him walking in; all of a sudden he’s just there in front of me.” He added to WMAQ that "my mind was in complete shock." Suh told the robber he couldn’t open the register, the station said. The crook is seen on surveillance video — which you can view as part of a larger report here — having issues with his gun, and WMAQ said that was the moment the married father of two saw his chance to fight back. Suh went for the perp's pistol.“Your mind is just firing on all cylinders in such a short time, and I think I was mostly acting out of emotion and frustration, which is not a good place to make important decisions from,” he admitted to the station.Suh successfully disarmed the suspect, who ran out of the store with no cash and no weapon, WMAQ said. Suh is seen on video walking back behind the register with the crook's gun in hand: “This guy, he was clearly not a professional, he didn’t know what he was doing."Despite his victory over crime, Suh told WMAQ he'd handle it differently if he had to do it over again: "I think I would probably just comply and give him the money because it’s not worth it.”The suspect fled northbound on Cicero Avenue and hadn't been located when the station's story ran, WMAQ said. Suh noted to the station that Chicago police told him the gun wasn't loaded. WMAQ added that detectives are investigating the incident.Thugs armed with guns allegedly try to rob vape shop, but employee isn't having it — and actually chases crooks outside and fights themTwo males armed with guns entered a vape shop in San Antonio, Texas, on the night of April 6 and tried to steal merchandise — but an employee was in no mood to play and actually chased them out of the store and fought with them outside.Police told KENS-TV they responded to Vape City around 10:35 p.m. for reports of an aggravated robbery and possible shooting. When officers arrived, they were told two males armed with guns tried to take items from the store, but one of the employees chased them outside, the station said. After a struggle, KENS said one of the suspects pulled a gun and fired it. Police told the station they believe the suspects fled on foot after the shooting. Officers were trying to determine if the suspect shot toward the employee or into the air, KENS said, adding that no one was wounded, and the building was not hit by gunfire, either. Police will continue their investigation, the station said.Pair of 7-Eleven workers — 1 who grabs a stick — beat the snot out of would-be thief who tried to wheel away trash can full of cigarettes, smoking itemsAfter a male last summer pulled scads of cigarettes, cigars, vapes, and other tobacco products off the shelves of a 7-Eleven in Stockton, California, and then put them into a 20-gallon trash can — all while he was behind the store's counter — employees were dumbfounded."Hey, why you stealing everything?" one of the clerks asks, according to viral video of the July 29, 2023, incident. The thief reportedly responded, "Shut your a** ... before I put my strap on your b**** a**. B**** a** n*****."One of the clerks blocked the thief and grabbed the trash can while the second clerk grabbed what appeared to be a wooden broomstick at least four feet long. The New York Post reported that while one clerk held the crook down, the second worker whacked the culprit 23 times. "I'm done!" the thief yelled. "I'm going to go."After confirming the crook didn't have a gun, the employees agreed to let him leave the store empty-handed before police arrived. Stockton police later said they would turn over their findings — which included suspected assault of the would-be robber, a repeat offender to boot — to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office for review. But the DA soon said no charges would be brought against the employees. (You can view a video report about the viral beatdown here.)Female Subway employee fights off armed robbery suspect, grabs thug's own gun, hits him on head with itA Rockford, Illinois, Subway employee was caught on surveillance video fighting off an armed would-be robber on Sept. 12, 2021 — and even grabbing the thug's own gun and hitting him on the head with it.Araceli Sotelo was working alone when the unidentified suspect barged into the fast-food restaurant, WTVO-TV reported: "He kind of just showed me his gun, and I was freaking out like, 'Woah, you can't do that, please leave,'" she recalled. "[He said], 'Give me all the money,' and I said, 'I do not have any money, like, I do not have any money.' That is all I had, and he was just like, 'Give me everything before I hurt you.'"Sotelo said she feared for her life and immediately went into fight mode: "He was smaller than me, so I have that advantage. I'm bigger than him, so I could at least put my weight on him, push him, or something."Sotelo said the suspect fell to the floor during the fight: "He dropped [the gun] trying to hold onto my purse, and I ended up pulling his sweatshirt off him, and I was like, 'Show your face, show your face, you are on camera.' And he was like, 'Here, you can have your purse back, just give me my stuff.' He wanted me to give him back his gun and his clothes. I just hit him on the head with it; that is what he was doing to me." The suspect wasn't able to get away with any of the store's money but did reportedly break Sotelo's phone and steal her purse. Sotelo added that her employer soon was on the phone with her.“I get a call yesterday it was like, 'If every one of these videos are not taken offline, you will be suspended,' and then I texted, [asking] ... like 'How long am I suspended for?' They said till everything is removed online," she said. "I have no ability to do that."Sotelo added that she believes the owner was trying to avoid notifying Subway's corporate office. According to the New York Post and TMZ, she soon shared the video on her TikTok page. A Subway spokesperson said the corporation is aware of the incident and is deeply concerned but did not confirm or deny that Sotelo had been suspended.“The restaurant owner and management are fully cooperating with the police investigation, and we request patience until that process is complete," the company said in its statement, noting that it is "in contact with the franchisee to better understand the situation and assist as needed."Crook hops over counter to steal cash from clerk — but co-workers are in no mood to play as they repeatedly pummel perp until he escapes to safetyA would-be robber got quite a bit more than he could handle when he entered a convenience store in the Bronx and demanded money, according to Crime Stoppers. Surveillance video of the Oct. 23, 2021, incident caught the moment when the suspect climbed atop the counter, casually walked to the edge, and jumped down to the other side to get what he reportedly came for. But two of the clerk's co-workers weren't about to let him get away with his caper — and made him pay in the process. Surveillance video shows one co-worker dressed in white appearing to land at least seven punches upon the would-be robber. A second co-worker dressed in green landed a blow as well — to suspect's head — and wrestled him to the floor. Police said the suspect fled the store, and authorities asked for help in identifying him — for as much as a $3,500 reward.Crook with hammer picks wrong jewelry store to rob; family members in charge of business punch, kick would-be thief — even whack him with stick before literally ripping shirt off his back as he whimpers off empty-handedVideo caught the moment a would-be thief got walloped when he tried to rob a family-owned jewelry store in El Monte, California, around 2:20 p.m. Sept. 2, 2023. The suspect allegedly pepper-sprayed workers in Meza's Jewelry on Main Street and shattered display cases with a hammer. But family members who run the store were ready to fight back."Me, my uncle, and my dad were tugging him out," one employee told KABC-TV. "I was trying to defend my family because as you could see he was hitting my dad and my uncle."Two employees punched and kicked the would-be robber while a third employee used a large stick to pummel the culprit. During the tussle with employees, the would-be thief lost his shirt to the store clerks, and he was seen on video fleeing the store as employees pursued him. The suspect departed crime scene in a gray Dodge Charger, and police described the suspect as a 35- to 45-year-old black man standing about 6'1", weighing as much as 300 pounds, and sporting some facial hair.The owner told KNBC the suspect stated upon his departure that "he was gonna kill all of us." Employees were treated for minor injuries. Police said they were investigating. You can watch a video report about the incident here.'Mama Bear just sprung into action': Instincts kick in for mother, daughter who get into scary scrape with intruder in their storeA mother and daughter battled back against an intruder who entered their southern California store on the evening of Aug. 7, 2022, and tried to steal catered food they prepared, KABC-TV reported.Carol Garnier — a chef and owner of Prepped with Love in Westminster — told the station the man, possibly a transient, got inside the store around 7:45 p.m. after her last customer departed. However, the door didn't lock after the last customer left, KABC said, and surveillance video shows the intruder entering the store and heading straight for the prepared food inside the glass-door refrigerator. (You can view a video report about the incident here.)Mary Dao — Garnier's daughter — reacted quickly, later telling the station that "my instincts just kick[ed] in. I don't even know how I knew how to grab that table and push it against him, but it's just all of the adrenaline. I just did what I had to do." At that point, Garnier ran over to help: "Mama bear just sprung into action to protect my property, my daughter, and anything further [from damage]," she told KABC.Garnier and Dao repeatedly pushed the table against the intruder, and it appeared that prevented him from getting any closer. Video does show him throwing a beer can at Dao's face, the station said, adding that she wasn't injured. "I didn't want him to enter and get behind the counter — that's where our knives are," Garnier told the station, "or go deeper into the fridge and get all of the meals."It would have been a lot simpler, she told KABC, if the man had just requested some food: "If you just ask, I am more than happy to make you something to eat. But the fact he didn't say anything ... he just came in and just aggressively tried to steal our food is what got me."Dao is of the same mindset, telling the station, "I was ready to get down and use my hands if I needed to. We've been working hard, making food all day, and that belonged to somebody. They paid for that, and you just can't come in here and take what's not yours."Garnier told KABC they filed a report with Westminster police, who added to the station that they recognize the intruder in the video and were actively looking for him.It's 2 against 1, but lone worker still manages to chase down, defeat pair crooks making off with $2,700 in Pokemon cards from his storeTwo males walked into the Anime store at the MainPlace mall in Santa Ana, California, on June 26, 2023, and grabbed several boxes of popular Pokémon cards. But after the pair tried to hoof it with their loot, an employee chased them down and fought them — an encounter that outside surveillance video captured.“We don’t believe the confrontation happened inside the store," Sgt. Maria Lopez told KTLA-TV. "The confrontation happened outside once the employee saw them run from the store."Turns out the pair dropped the precious Pokémon cards during the struggle but still ran off before police arrived. A security guard can be seen on video running to help but arriving just a few moments too late.One male was described as Hispanic, about five feet, six inches tall with a thin build, brown eyes, shaved black hair, and a mustache. He was wearing a green, button-up, long-sleeve shirt; black shorts; long white socks; and red/black Jordan sneakers. The other male was described as white, 6 feet tall with a thin build, black hair, and brown eyes. He was wearing black shorts with a gray sweater and long, knee-high socks. You can view a video report about the incident here.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Caught between steel mills, suburbs and a hard place, the 15,000-acre site is a fantasia of biodiversity—and a case study for hard-fought conservation

YOU Support Them: Chris Murphy Face Plants as Pro-Hamas Protesters Burn American Flags in D.C.

Report: Leak Reveals More About Why Obama Hasn't Endorsed Harris

Israeli forces recovered Wednesday the bodies of five hostages killed in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and held in Gaza since, the Israeli military said.

Russian and Chinese nuclear-capable strategic bombers patrolled near the U.S. state of Alaska in the North Pacific and Arctic on Thursday, the two countries said, a move that prompted the United States and Canada to scramble fighter jets.

Ongoing air drills with South Korea will "sharpen" their joint combat capabilities, the US military said Thursday, as the nuclear-armed North ramps up threats and a balloon blitz against Seoul.