Marianne Dehasque and Love Dalen: In science, we usually share our successes and ignore the less glamorous mishaps. We decided to follow a different approach. This is the story of how multiple generations of scientists collaborated to decipher the genome of the mammoth formerly known as Lonely Boy, often referred to as the last mammoth on the Earth. The woolly mammoth was one of the most charismatic species of the last Ice Age, between roughly 120,000 to 12,000 years ago. Yet, the cause of its extinction remains a mystery. Mammoths roamed large parts of the northern hemisphere during their heyday, but by the end of the Ice Age, they had disappeared from most of their former range. The last mammoth population lived on Wrangel Island, a small island off the Siberian coast, until its final demise about 4,000 years ago. In our new study, published in Cell, we investigated whether the Wrangel Island mammoth population was genetically destined for extinction. And despite many mistakes along the way, we ultimately discovered it wasn’t. Mammoths became isolated on Wrangel Island around 10,000 years ago due to rising sea levels and survived as a small population for thousands of years. Inbreeding is a common problem in small populations and its negative effects could accumulate over time, eventually leading to an unviable population and extinction. Inbreeding can cause lots of issues. Portraits of Charles II of Spain, last monarch of the Habsburg house, show his deformed chin due to generations of inbreeding. Scientists have long wondered whether genomic processes led to the extinction of the mammoths on Wrangel Island. To address this, we generated a dataset of 21 mammoth genomes spanning the last 50,000 years of the species’ existence. This dataset allowed us to travel back in time and study the genetic effects of their isolation over time. Lonely Boy was the most precious individual in our dataset, the sample key to understanding why mammoths went extinct. Sequencing Lonely Boy’s DNA, however, proved to be challenging. The adventures of Lonely Boy Generating a genome for Lonely Boy took multiple attempts over a time span of almost ten years. In our first attempt to extract DNA, our sample turned out to be plagued with human contamination. In our second attempt, we used bleach to remove as much contamination as possible. Although this is common practice in the field of ancient DNA, it also comes with the trade-off that some of the mammoth DNA will also inadvertently be destroyed. In our case, it meant that not enough mammoth material was left in the sample to generate a high-quality genome. In a final attempt, we merged the data from the different DNA extracts from Lonely Boy. However, the DNA from our different extracts, while similar, looked like it belonged to different individuals. We came up with the wildest theories as to explain these new results. One of our leading theories at the time was that Lonely Boy had a condition called the “vanishing twin syndrome”. Apparently, in some rare cases, a mammal foetus can absorb the genetic material of a diseased twin during gestation. This would explain why the DNA extracts looked similar, yet not entirely identical. In the end, the explanation was not nearly as exciting and could all be tracked back to the egregious amount of effort we had put into this sample. This resulted in strange lab artefacts (which is anything causing difficulty in interpreting a specimen) – normally not even noticeable – that introduced a false genetic variation in the sample. We therefore created a simple filter to remove these artefacts. But even after all these steps, Lonely Boy still looked like an outlier. At this point, we decided to re-date the sample. Lonely Boy had been dated a long time ago and methods have considerably improved since then. The result came as a big surprise. Lonely Boy was not 4,000 years old as initially thought, but closer to 5,500 years – making him a completely average mammoth in our dataset, rather than the last such individual on Earth. Causes of extinction To answer the original question of this project, no, the Wrangel Island population did likely not go extinct due to inbreeding. By comparing our genomic data with results from computer simulations, we now know that the population decline of the mammoths after isolation on Wrangel Island some 10,000 years ago must have been huge, with only eight breeding individuals remaining. Nevertheless, our results show that the population recovered quickly to a population size of 300 within 20 generations and remained stable until the mammoth’s final demise. We can see it remained stable since there is virtually no change in inbreeding levels through this period. However, our results on harmful mutations tell a different story. While the most harmful mutations were gradually purged from the population through natural selection, mildly harmful mutations accumulated over time. This indicates that the initial population decline – despite fast recovery – had long-lasting genetic effects. Predicting the exact effect of harmful mutations is challenging, especially in an extinct species. Comparison with known human diseases suggests that some of the most harmful purged mutations likely disrupted genes that may have been important for the development of different senses, like hearing and sight. Yet it seems unlikely that this caused the mammoth’s final demise. Based on our results, the extinction must have happened rapidly. Humans did not co-exist with mammoths on the island, but a sudden event, such as a disease outbreak or a weather event, could have caused the population’s sudden extinction. As with most things in science, more research will hopefully provide new insights. Potentially even with a new Lonely Boy or Girl. Although we eventually managed to analyse the inbreeding of mammoths, it was a long journey with many detours. Yet, as a lab group we learned a lot from this project. We came up with a new bioinformatic method to deal with human contamination and discovered a new type of lab artefact. This new information may well be crucial to pinpoint the exact reasons why the woolly mammoth became extinct. Marianne Dehasque, Postdoctoral Researcher, Uppsala University and Love Dalen, Professor, Stockholm University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Did inbreeding cause the woolly mammoth’s extinction? appeared first on Anomalien.com.

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia after a lengthy debate adopted a resolution in favor of declaring independence from Great Britain. The language of the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, which Americans have celebrated ever since as Independence Day. But John Adams, who sat on the committee appointed to draft the document and encouraged Thomas Jefferson to be the principal author, had a somewhat different idea about which day his countrymen would remember. In two letters dated July 3 to his beloved wife, Abigail, Adams explained why he believed July 2 would be celebrated as “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” The second day of July 1776 … ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. They’re well worth reading today, with the benefit of hindsight, if for no other reason than to marvel at the man’s prescience. It isn’t difficult to feel in the final paragraphs Adams’ excitement and trepidation at what was to come. Enjoy the following excerpts, read them aloud with your family on the holiday, and God bless America. Morning, July 3, 1776 Yesterday the greatest question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony “that these United Colonies, are, and of right ought to be free and independent States, and as such, they have, and of right ought to have full power to make war, conclude peace, establish commerce, and to do all the other acts and things, which other states may rightfully do.” You will see in a few days a Declaration setting forth the causes, which have impelled us to this mighty revolution, and the reasons which will justify it, in the sight of God and man. A plan of confederation will be taken up in a few days. When I look back to the Year 1761, and recollect the argument concerning writs of assistance, in the Superior Court, which I have hitherto considered as the Commencement of the Controversy, between Great Britain and America, and run through the whole period from that time to this, and recollect the series of political events, the chain of causes and effects, I am surprised at the suddenness, as well as greatness of this revolution. Britain has been filled with folly, and America with wisdom, at least this is my judgment. Time must determine. It is the will of Heaven, that the two countries should be sundered forever. It may be the will of Heaven that America shall suffer calamities still more wasting and distresses yet more dreadful. If this is to be the case, it will have this good effect, at least: it will inspire us with many virtues, which we have not, and correct many errors, follies, and vices, which threaten to disturb, dishonor, and destroy us. The furnace of affliction produces refinement, in states as well as individuals. And the new governments we are assuming, in every part, will require a purification from our vices, and an augmentation of our virtues or they will be no blessings. The people will have unbounded power. And the people are extremely addicted to corruption and venality, as well as the great. I am not without apprehensions from this quarter. But I must submit all my hopes and fears, to an overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the faith may be, I firmly believe. Evening, July 3, 1776 Had a Declaration of Independency been made seven months ago, it would have been attended with many great and glorious effects. We might, before this hour, have formed alliance with foreign states. We should have mastered Quebec and been in possession of Canada. You will, perhaps, wonder how such a declaration would have influenced our affairs in Canada; but, if I could write with freedom, I could easily convince you that it would, and explain to you the manner how. Many gentlemen in high stations, and of great influence, have been duped, by the ministerial bubble of commissioners, to treat; and, in real, sincere expectation of this event, which they so fondly wished, they have been slow and languid in promoting measures for the reduction of that province. Others there are in the colonies, who really wished that our enterprise in Canada would be defeated; that the colonies might be brought into danger and distress between two fires, and be thus induced to submit. Others really wished to defeat the expedition to Canada, lest the conquest of it should elevate the minds of the people too much to hearken to those terms of reconciliation which they believed would be offered to us. These jarring views, wishes, and designs, occasioned an opposition to many salutary measures which were proposed for the support of that expedition, and caused obstructions, embarrassments, and studied delays, which have finally lost us the province. All causes, however, in conjunction, would not have disappointed us, if it had not been for a misfortune which could not have been foreseen, and perhaps could not have been prevented — I mean the prevalence of the smallpox among our troops. This fatal pestilence completed our destruction. It is a frown of Providence upon us, which we ought to lay to heart. But, on the other hand, the delay of this declaration to this time has many great advantages attending it. The hopes of reconciliation which were fondly entertained by multitudes of honest and well meaning, though short-sighted and mistaken people, have been gradually, and at last totally, extinguished. Time has been given for the whole people maturely to consider the great question of independence, and to ripen their judgment, dissipate their fears, and allure their hopes, by discussing it in newspapers and pamphlets — by debating it in assemblies, conventions, committees of safety and inspection — in town and country meetings, as well as in private conversations; so that the whole people, in every colony, have now adopted it as their own act. This will cement the union, and avoid those heats, and perhaps convulsions, which might have been occasioned by such a declaration six months ago. But the day is past. The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever. You will think me transported with enthusiasm; but I am not. I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory; I can see that the end is more than worth all the means, and that posterity will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I hope we shall not.

Now that former President Donald Trump has become a TikTok star mere weeks after joining the controversial social media app, opposition to the platform seems to have diminished. Loud China hawks have tempered their arguments that the app poses a national security risk, perhaps because they recognize that the leaders of both parties have embraced the app as a way of expressing protected speech — and maybe reach new voters along the way. Fear mongering from some of these politicians, who never demonstrated there was a credible national security threat, was based on political expediency, not fact.TikTok, with about 150 million American monthly active users, has become a vital tool for leaders like Trump and Joe Biden to convey their messages. Young people dominate the app, with much of the content featuring singing and dancing as a form of self-expression. However, the app is also emerging as a platform for sharing political and policy messages with the American public. This type of content aligns with the free speech protected by the Bill of Rights.In a recent post, Trump gleefully vowed: 'I’m gonna save TikTok.'Research indicates that TikTok effectively reaches young people who consume news differently than older Americans. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that "a third of U.S. adults — including a majority of adults under 30 — use TikTok." This includes 62% of adults under 30 and 39% of adults aged 30 to 49.Trump and his campaign wisely jumped at the chance to reach this typically hard-to-reach audience of younger voters, and they have been wildly successful. He currently has 6.9 million followers on TikTok, with 137 million, 124 million, and more than 15 million views respectively on his first three posts. Mediaite recently summed up this phenomenon: “Trump has since gone significantly further than Biden in his embrace of TikTok; he not only joined the app this month, but has promised to ‘never’ ban the app should he be reelected.” And in a recent post, Trump gleefully vowed: “I’m gonna save TikTok.”Trump’s move is also increasingly in line with public sentiment. That same Pew Research survey found that “support for a U.S. TikTok ban ha[s] declined,” and there is now only 38% support for a ban, “down from 50% in March 2023.”Given the massive number of app users across the country, anyone continuing to push for a ban risks running into a wall of unhappy voters. And as election commentators have noted, young people, many who are TikTok users, could determine the winner in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin — the three states that may determine a winner overall in November.In September, two months before the presidential election, the Biden administration will appear before a U.S. federal appeals court arguing for the TikTok ban. This is political malpractice and bad policy. No president, not Biden or Trump, should have the power to infringe on free speech by banning a social media app he doesn’t like.Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recently highlighted the hypocrisy of politicians who rail against censorship now “advocating for censorship” by supporting a ban. And he correctly emphasized that Americans should “have some faith in freedom” and allow Americans personally to decide whether or not to use the app.Trump’s joining TikTok may well be the game changer that returns him to the White House. But either way, his move has been a game changer for the debate on a ban. Let’s hope this common sense continues, and we allow freedom of speech to prevail in our country.

For decades, Congress has relied on a lazy technique. Rather than enacting real laws, Congress has delegated much of its lawmaking power to unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. In other words, rather than making laws, Congress has, in many instances, made other lawmakers.There are several problems with this approach. The Constitution makes Congress the sole lawmaking organ of the federal government. Article I, Section 1 — the Constitution’s first operative provision — provides, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”The demise of Chevron needs to be the beginning, and not the end, of a long-overdue process of reform.Article I, Section 7 sets the standard for enacting federal laws: Both houses of Congress must pass the same text, and that text (having been passed by both chambers) must be presented to the president. If vetoed, the bill passes only if both chambers override the veto with a two-thirds supermajority.Notwithstanding the plain language of the Constitution — which makes clear that only Congress can make laws — Congress has delegated much of that power to bureaucrats in the executive branch and in some cases to the president.Congress passes a law stating a noncontroversial objective, which we will refer to here as “X.” Congress then passes legislation declaring in essence, “We shall achieve X, and we hereby delegate to agency Y the power to make and enforce laws to achieve X.”Agency Y then makes laws — typically referred to as “rules” or “regulations” — based on what the agency thinks is the best way of achieving X. Agency Y thereafter enforces the same rules and regulations it writes.Don’t let the shifting nomenclature fool you. Rules and regulations have the effect of federal law. In countless circumstances, failure to abide by them can result in heavy fines, having your business shut down, and even imprisonment.For example, Congress passes a law saying in essence, “We shall have clean air, and we hereby delegate to the Environmental Protection Agency the power to make our air clean — by making and enforcing rules and regulations (carrying the full force of federal law) to achieve that objective.”Essentially, all decisions beyond that point are left to the discretion of the agency — in this example, the EPA. How much pollution is acceptable? How will fines be assessed? What’s the best strategy for cleaning up the air and reducing pollution? It’s all up to the EPA.It sounds great because nobody wants to breathe dirty air. But what happens when EPA does something absurd? What happens, for example, when the agency shutters a local economy by establishing standards that are unacceptable or unattainable?In essence, no one is accountable because the American people can’t fire the bureaucrats who make these laws we call rules and regulations.Federal rules and regulations are not few in number. Last year alone, federal agencies produced about 100,000 pages of new regulatory text, as published in an annual index (in installments every few days) known as the Federal Register.Nor are they of little economic significance. Many have tried to estimate how much these regulations cost Americans (through higher prices, diminished wages, etc.), and universally conclude that the price tag is in the trillions of dollars per year!A few years ago, we tried to figure out how many federal crimes are on the books. The Congressional Research Service — whose job it is to answer such questions — told us that the answer is unknown and unknowable but likely at least 300,000. Agency regulations do this. “Why,” you might ask, “should it matter who writes these laws if Congress approved it?”The founders understood that the lawmaking power is the most dangerous power government has. That’s why they entrusted it only to the branch of government most accountable to the people at the most regular intervals. When you take it away from elected lawmakers and put it in the hands of people who are accountable to almost no one, the lawmaking power becomes dangerous and unwieldy. Bureaucrats enjoy a degree of effectively unreviewable discretion that would make history’s despots blush.So, what happened last week at the Supreme Court on this issue? The justices overturned a case called Chevron v. NRDC, which required federal courts to defer to federal agencies in their own interpretations of laws they administer.Chevron made life easier for Congress, the courts, and federal agencies, but that is precisely the problem. It made it even harder for the people to hold those who make laws accountable. The demise of Chevron needs to be the beginning, and not the end, of a long-overdue process of reform in this area.The Supreme Court needs to invigorate the “non-delegation doctrine,” which acknowledges that Congress alone is empowered to make federal laws — and not other lawmakers! This doctrine has long been rendered vestigial through nonuse.Congress for its part needs to enact the REINS Act, which would treat these federal rules and regulations as proposals, taking effect only after being passed into law by Congress.Anyone running for federal office — whether it’s the Senate, the House, or the White House — needs to announce where they stand on outsourcing lawmaking power to unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. To that end, they should be asked whether they support the REINS Act, and if not, why not.As I see it, this is the single most important issue federal officials must confront. It’s “upstream” from almost every problem in the federal government. For the same reasons, I consider the REINS Act the single most important bill pending before Congress.We must not see Chevron’s demise as the end of the fight to rein in administrative lawmaking. Or even the beginning of the end. We must see to it that it’s only the end of the beginning.Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared originally on X (formerly Twitter).

Christianity will always be new. The meme evangelists agree with Billy Graham on why: Christ is alive. Christianity has done a great job of adapting to digital tech. videos, gifs, clips, pictures, cartoons, apps. They all offer grace to millions of people. He is alive and we are forgiven. And the Holy Spirit moves through Instagram Reels and TikToks and YouTube Shorts and X posts. I admire the defiance of the meme evangelists. They use social media to spread the Gospel. They do it with the peaceful devotion of the original apostles. Only their tools are Adobe Premiere and Garageband. They craft sleek videos. The music is always intense. If I had to choose one video to represent the meme evangelist movement, I would go with this one. And this one. They like to slow songs down. The pitch drops. This has been a fashionable method ever since rappers in Houston chopped-and-screwed. This tempo lurk makes every note sound shadowy and cool. Only what the meme evangelists produce is a dark version of a genre called Chill Vaporwave. Sometimes the video cuts are too fast to track. But this makes the footage more captivating. “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Most of the meme evangelist accounts are Catholic or Orthodox. But Protestants are certainly not excluded. Browse the comments and you’ll find harmony among believers. You will also encounter plenty of criticism of Catholics and Orthodox who have gone astray. One of their heroes is Cliffe Knechtle. Cliffe is truly a servant of God. His evangelization has led many people to redemption. He serves as senior pastor at Grace Community Church, which is either nondenominational or Reformed Baptist. But that doesn’t matter. The man is a warrior for Christ, full of love and defiance. The meme evangelists also love Billy Graham. Their duty is to spread the message of Christ. They encourage rejection of worldliness. They unmask the evil of the world and offer the only alternative: Christ is King of the universe. He is alive and we are forgiven. And the Holy Spirit moves through Instagram Reels and TikToks and YouTube Shorts and X posts. The meme evangelists structure their messaging in a specific order. First, they pray. They look to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord. And pray, alone and with their families. And go to church, with their families and community. Then they look to tradition and the Bible. “Tradition” here is open-ended. The meme evangelists know that Satan is a destroyer. He wants to ruin humanity and enslave what’s left of us. Tradition means saving human goodness. Next, they look to their partners and their children. Then they pray some more. Then, they look to their friends. Then their neighbors. The goal is to carry love like water in a bucket through the blazes of modern life until they get to their enemy. If he’s on fire, they rescue him. Love is the fulfillment of the law. But also sometimes love demands rejection. Jesus came bearing a sword designed to eradicate evil. The meme evangelists decry our culture of excess and hysteria. They posit a better way. They seek monogamy and lift weights. They eat steaks and escape the ravages of broken cities. They make as many children as they can. They pray without ceasing. Check out the song behind this video from Trad.Christian or this cut by Order of Christ. Trad West is probably the biggest meme evangelist hub. It has 122K followers on X, 209K on Facebook, and 174K on Instagram. They live by the bottom text: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use memes.” Templar Pilled offers intense edits usually over a sped-up instrumental. Soldiers for Christ boast 329K followers on Instagram. They rely on apocalyptic imagery shoved into electronica. This one uses the beat from “Oblivion” by Grimes, a song about a sexual assault. This is a clever disharmony. The meme evangelists take dark music and slow it down. This produces a kind of sacredness. Then they take this warped perfection and fuse it with a downpour of Christian imagery. It signifies readiness: “I won’t let bullies box me out of my culture. I will never give in to their demands.” The meme evangelists love Bishop Fulton Sheen. They also love Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was recently stabbed while giving a homily. This is a memeification of his response. The point of these accounts is not division but cohesion. Improvement. Redemption. It’s Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” It’s how you get alive.

Randi Weingarten FALLS Flat on Her Face Trying to Show Her Support for Biden-Harris Campaign

With less than three months to go until the iPhone 16 comes out, there's a report detailing Apple's purported chip orders with TSMC for the new series. Apparently, Apple is preparing for a massive upgrade this year. It's looking to sell up to 100 million iPhone 16 units combined. Apple Intelligence is seen as a big driver for iPhone 16 sales. Many people will need a new iPhone to make Apple's AI work. I'm also part of that group. The same report also offers some spec details for the A18 chips coming to the iPhone 16 models. Unsurprisingly, the A18 Pro that will power the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will supposedly deliver a big performance boost over the A18 going into the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. Since I'm not planning to buy a new iPhone every year, I might go for an iPhone Pro again, even though I thought I was ready to embrace the non-Pro series for a change. Continue reading... The post Apple Intelligence might get me to buy an iPhone 16 Pro, but it’s about more than just AI appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best laptop deals for 2024 Today’s deals: $199 AirPods Pro 2, $89 robot vacuum, 15% off pet odor spray, $19 Roku Express, more Today’s deals: $150 off GEEKOM mini PC, $21 TOZO earbuds, $90 Ninja Air Fryer Pro, $360 Galaxy A35, more

North Korea said Tuesday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a huge warhead, as the country is pushing to modernize its weapons arsenal to cope with what it calls U.S.-led threats.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first visit to the country since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.