The mystery of how the bluespotted ribbontail ray got its blue spots has been solved by a team of scientists, yielding what they described as a “surprising and fun solution to the stingray colour puzzle.” Their investigations revealed that the electric blue comes not from pigment, but extremely small structures that influence the way light behaves.Blue is rare in nature, and in the case of the ribbontail ray, it’s even more interesting as the color doesn’t change depending on the angle you look at them from. The ray species, known to science as Taeniura lymma, therefore landed itself a spot alongside the blue shark (Prionace glauca) as a candidate for studying the rare occurrence of brilliant blues out in the wild.The team used microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to take a close look at the architecture of the ribbontail ray’s skin. Surprisingly, what they saw reminded them of *checks notes* bubble tea…“We discovered that the blue colour is produced by unique skin cells, with a stable 3D arrangement of nanoscale spheres containing reflecting nanocrystals (like pearls suspended in a bubble tea),” said visiting academic at Trinity College Dublin, Amar Surapaneni, in a statement. “Because the size of the nanostructures and their spacing are a useful multiple of the wavelength of blue light, they tend to reflect blue wavelengths specifically.”That the blue doesn't change depending on angle may help ribbontail rays camouflage in the sea.Image credit: Morgan Bennet SmithAs for how their bubble tea skin was pulling off that Mona Lisa trick, it seems the unique “quasi-ordered” arrangement of the nanoscale spheres Surapaneni mentioned were the key.“And to clean up any extraneous colours, a thick layer of melanin underneath the colour-producing cells absorbs all other colours, resulting in extremely bright blue skin,” added Mason Dean, Associate Professor of Comparative Anatomy at City University of Hong Kong. “In the end, the two cell types are a great collaboration: the structural colour cells hone in on the blue colour, while the melanin pigment cells suppress other wavelengths, resulting in extremely bright blue skin.”Such electric blue coloration might seem a little showy for an animal that's pretty much designed to blend into the sand, but the blue dots probably are actually an effective camouflage in a marine environment. Blue penetrates deeper than any other color in the ocean, and since the ray’s blue spots don’t change depending on the angle, there’d be no reason for any onlooking predators to suspect a meal is passing them by. Using nanostructures to create such vivid colors is a neat magic trick, and one seen across many species, from tarantulas to peacocks.Next up: the blue shark.Image credit: Viktoriia Kamska“If you see blue in nature, you can almost be sure that it’s made by tissue nanostructures, not pigment,” said Dean. “Understanding animal structural colour is not just about optical physics but also the materials involved, how they’re finely organized in the tissue, and how the colour looks in the animal’s environment. To draw all those pieces together, we assembled a great team of disciplines from multiple countries, ending up with a surprising and fun solution to the stingray colour puzzle.”Solving the puzzle may also inform the creation of novel biomaterials. In fact, the team have already taken inspiration from the stingray’s soft skin to begin creating a flexible biomimetic structurally-coloured system that could one day be applied to flexible displays, screens, and sensors.Thanks for the head start, ribbontail ray.The study is published in Advanced Optical Materials.

An Oklahoma judge already facing criminal prosecution in connection with two shootings has now been accused of sexual and professional misconduct on the job.If the allegations against him are any indication, Brian Lovell, a 59-year-old associate judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma, is one unsavory character. Lovell has also been accused of favoring certain attorneys and issuing rulings, including bond assessments, accordingly; illicitly collaborating with attorneys through 'ex parte communications'; and even attempting to persuade an attorney to commit perjury.In the past five months, Lovell has been indicted in connection with two separate shootings that occurred in 2023: one at his brother-in-law's ranch and one at a busy intersection in Austin, Texas, as Blaze News previously reported. Thankfully, no one was injured in either incident.He also faces a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in connection with the incident in Austin.Now, a petition from the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints has accused Lovell of various forms of misconduct related to his work on the bench, resulting in a temporary judicial suspension. The allegations in the petition include gross neglect of duty, corruption in office, and gross partiality in office.According to the petition, Lovell has had a sexual relationship with two different female bailiffs over the span of 12 years. In 2011, he allegedly had an eight-month relationship with one bailiff. She later disclosed the relationship and resigned, though district judges voted to allow Lovell to stay on the bench.Then in 2023, Lovell allegedly began a relationship with the female bailiff who replaced Lovell's former lover. This time, he and his new lover exchanged "sexually graphic messages and images" and even engaged in "sexual intercourse ... inside the courthouse during courthouse hours," the petition said.Lovell denied any sexual relationship but did admit they had engaged in "flirtatious texting," according to the petition. However, the woman testified to the sexual nature of their relationship, the Daily Caller reported, and their text messages allegedly corroborate her story.In addition to the accusations of sexual misconduct, Lovell has also been accused of favoring certain attorneys and issuing rulings, including bond assessments, accordingly; illicitly collaborating with attorneys through "ex parte communications"; and even attempting to persuade an attorney to commit perjury during a hearing for the Council on Judicial Complaints.Stephen Jones, who is representing Lovell in connection with the judicial council's accusations as well as at least one of the criminal cases against him, indicated that the system is out to get his client.Jones likened the allegations to an "ambush" and a "blind sided attack ... designed to humiliate and embarrass Judge Lovell and his family," Jones continued."The actions of the Council on Judicial Complaints should be a warning to every judge in this State that their tenure and professionalism can be attacked by unfair procedures and investigation techniques," Jones added."The Council on Judicial Complaints likes to compare itself to a grand jury. The comparison fails. In its actions, the Council’s conduct resembles the star chambers of British history."The council's petition was filed June 27, and Lovell has 20 days after that to respond. He also has until July 8 to respond in writing to his temporary suspension. A motion hearing at the Oklahoma Supreme Court is scheduled for July 30, with other pretrial hearings to follow.Lovell was scheduled to have at least one hearing last month about the shooting in Austin, but whether that hearing occurred as scheduled is unclear. He faces a hearing about the shooting at his brother-in-law's ranch in August.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic operative Van Jones alleged Wednesday that Democrats are not being honest about what is happening behind the scenes in their party. In the days after President Joe Biden's abysmal debate performance, Democrats have used the mainstream media to defend Biden from calls for him to step aside as their party's presidential nominee. 'There is a big conversation happening right now about how this happens — not whether.' But according to Jones, a much different conversation is happening privately in the party. While the conversation happening on TV focuses on whether Biden steps aside, Jones revealed the true conversation in the party is about how to transition from Biden to a successor. "I'm just going to be honest: Everybody comes on the air and says all this great stuff. But behind the scenes, it's a full-scale panic," Jones said on CNN. "People are passing around legal memos. PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp trying to figure out what are the options, how can you replace Biden, how do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected as he should be respected, who should Kamala Harris' vice president be," he explained. "The conversation on air and the conversation off air are completely different." Jones added that Democrats want to "protect" and "defend" Biden while giving him "dignity" to make his own decision, but that hasn't stopped party leaders from privately planning his exit. "There is a big conversation happening right now about how this happens — not whether," Jones said. It's not clear why more Democrats are not speaking openly like Jones. But it's obvious why they're panicked: Polls for Biden were bad before the debate, but after the debate, they're exponentially worse. Not only has Trump significantly widened his lead over Biden in an average of national polls, according to FiveThirtyEight, but Democrats' own internal polling shows that Biden is down bad — even in states that Democrats historically win in a presidential election. With Biden's reluctance to bow out, some prominent Democrats — like campaign-winning strategist James Carville — are suggesting ways the party can force out the president. On a call with party donors this week, Carville suggested donors freeze their spending to down-ballot Democrats to motivate them to get Biden off the ticket. Carville also reframed Biden's debate performance as a positive because it allows Democrats to act. Had it occurred just a month before Election Day, he said it would have left the party "more than bruised, screwed, and tattooed." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The president of the union representing corrections officers in the state of Michigan has called on Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to bring in members of the National Guard to ease staffing shortages at state prisons.In a letter dated July 3, Byron Osborn, the president of Michigan Corrections Organization, laid out his members' plight, claiming that lengthy shifts and forced overtime have prevented officers from "a normal, healthy life with their families."'It's just a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt or killed.'Osborn also blamed Whitmer — who once supported the "spirit" of efforts to defund police — for ignoring the problem. "Under your watch, state corrections officers continue to suffer unlike any other state employees ever have in the history of Michigan," he wrote."None of your other state employees are being subjected to these conditions."Osborn also elaborated on the "dangerous" conditions at the state prisons, implying that Whitmer and other state leaders may have a distorted view of day-to-day life at correctional facilities."Contrary to what is commonly conveyed to the public, the state prisons are not pleasant facilities filled with well-treated officers that are churning out rehabilitated prisoners," Osborn said.Instead, prisons are often overrun by gangs and "coddled" prisoners while officers are hamstrung by protocols issued by the Michigan Department of Corrections that limit "prisoner discipline" and use of segregation measures such as solitary confinement, Osborn said.Osborn then invited Whitmer to visit the prisons and experience for herself the grueling conditions there. "I’ll gladly escort you inside several of your prisons so you can speak directly with your corrections officers, not the administration," Osborn said.According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan has approximately 33,000 state inmates dispersed among 26 different facilities. Of those, about half have a staffing shortage of 20% and about one-fifth have a shortage above 30%, Osborn alleged, often because of attrition."People are resigning in droves," Osborn claimed.In 2022, Osborn mentioned the idea of bringing in the National Guard to address the shortage issues but stopped short of calling for it. Now, he says his members have reached the "point of desperation.""On behalf of all the state corrections officers represented by our organization, I am formally requesting that you activate the Michigan National Guard to provide immediate custody support to prisons in dire need of it while we work directly with you to find realistic, permanent relief measures," he said.Members of the National Guard were deployed to Michigan prisons several years ago to assist with COVID vaccinations. Should they be deployed in a security capacity, they likely will not be carrying weapons since most correctional officers in Michigan are not armed, though they have access to firearms for emergency use.In any case, Whitmer and other state officials seem disinclined to acquiesce to Osborn's request for the National Guard. Though a spokesperson from her office did not respond to the Free Press' request for comment, MDOC claimed that the issue requires permanent solutions, not "temporary" fixes such as "National Guard members who have not been trained to operate in this environment.""The Department and other stakeholders need to remain focused on efforts that can stabilize staffing in the long term, including promoting the benefits of a career in corrections," MDOC's statement continued. "These include having an active role in keeping their communities safe, serving in a role that can change lives, and the ability to reach annual maximum pay of $68,500 after just three and a half years of service."But Osborn hopes leaders will reconsider the idea. "It's just a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt or killed," he said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Conservatives may acknowledge the stark differences between men and women, but liberals are doing the best job of demonstrating it — especially in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance on the debate stage. While liberal men’s responses have been mostly based on logic, their female counterparts have responded illogically and emotionally. Rachel Maddow’s most recent meltdown is a prime example. “I really did not expect that they would do this, and they, you know, Donald Trump and his council asked for this 100% absolute immunity thing which was insane, I would say they got 105% of what they were asking for. They got immunity from this court,” Maddow said, before going entirely off the rails on “hypotheticals.” “Can the president assassinate a rival? I think we have to look at the Supreme Court’s affirmative to that, yes, you can,” she remarked. “I mean, this is a death squad ruling.” “This is a president who has activated pro-Trump military groups, that you know, wear insignia and T-shirts and hold placards celebrating literally right-wing death squads. This is a president who has talked about absolutely using the Department of Justice to go after his rivals. This explicitly immunizes anything the president wants to do through the justice department.” Jason Whitlock is well aware that what Maddow just asserted is ridiculous. “Women bow to logic and reason just the same way as men,” Whitlock mocks. “No, they don’t.” “Nor should they,” he continues. “It’s not what they were built for. They get pregnant and carry another human being in their womb for 9 months at a time. Once a month, they have a menstrual cycle that really messes with their hormones and emotions and we think, ‘Oh yeah, let’s put them on equal political footing with men, let’s install them on every TV show and every talk show in America. Let’s completely feminize the situation.” Maddow isn’t alone in her delusion, as Joy Reid has also responded with a clear lack of logic to the events of the past couple of weeks. “Donald John Trump cannot be allowed back into the White House,” Reid said in a selfie video posted to social media. “If you combine that mad man with this court, two of whose members are insurrectionists, one of whom flew an upside down flag at his home and blamed it on his wife, who’s also crazy.” “The other of whom’s wife literally was part of the insurrection,” she continued. “They ruled on this with no shame.” “They are kings and Trump is king. You put him in the White House, combined with this court and a Republican House and Senate, we’re done, y’all. All the rights that were won in the 20th century, the hard-earned rights of women, laborers, workers, the rights of children,” she said but didn’t stop there. “They are trying to repeal the entire 20th century,” she continued, “If you don’t think they’re coming for all these rights, then you are delusional.” “This is a nut job,” Whitlock responds, shocked. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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It's been almost a month since Apple started beta testing iOS 18 with developers. This upcoming operating system update will bring several new features, including big changes to the foundation of the iPhone OS with redesigns to the Home Screen, Lock Screen, Control Center, and so much more. With an official release coming in September, users are now questioning when Apple will release the iOS 18 public beta. Although we have no confirmation from Apple, here's when you can expect it. When does Apple usually release the first iOS public beta? In previous years, Apple usually released a major iOS public beta update right after pushing out version three for developers. Here's when that happened: iOS 17 public beta was released on July 12, 2023 iOS 16 public beta was released on July 11, 2022 iOS 15 public beta was released on June 30, 2021 iOS 14 public beta was released on July 9, 2020 Other than the iOS 15 public beta, which was released in late June, Apple usually releases its first public beta around mid-July. With that in mind, it's probably safe to say that the iOS 18 public beta is just around the corner. Image source: Apple Inc. However, it's unclear exactly when the company will launch its iOS 18 public beta. If Apple follows this trend, iOS 18 beta 3 should be released to developers next week. If everything goes well, the public beta should be available the following week. The release date for the first iOS 18 public beta is expected to be between July 15 and July 18. How to download iOS 18 public beta Fortunately, once the iOS 18 public beta is available, it's going to be easy to download. First, you need to enroll your Apple ID in the Apple Beta Software program. After that, follow the steps below: On your iPhone, open the Settings app Tap on General and Software Update Tap on Beta Updates and enable iOS 18 Public Beta once it’s available Supported devices With iOS 17, Apple ditched the iPhone 8 and iPhone X models from its lineup. With iOS 18, Apple continues to offer support for the same iPhones: iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (2nd gen) iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max If Apple announces a release date, BGR will make sure to update this article with the latest information. In the meantime, we have a guide teaching you how to download the developer's beta of iOS 18. Don't Miss: iOS 18: Features, release date, beta, download, Apple Intelligence The post When will Apple release the first iOS 18 public beta? appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Today’s deals: $120 off Ryzen 9 mini PC, $89 Apple AirPods, $25 portable neck fan, $79 23andMe DNA test, more Best July 4th deals: Apple sale, $30 mosquito repellent, $50 Waterpik, $70 SodaStream, 36% off eero, more Today’s deals: Rare Meta Quest 3 discount, $8 mosquito bite relief, $300 off Narwal Freo X Ultra, more

A 74-year-old-woman died Monday night after she was pushed into an oncoming rapid transit train's path in San Francisco, The San Francisco Standard reported.