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A study that sequenced the DNA of 3‚200 people across Japan has found suggestions that modern Japanese people are the descendants of three ancestral groups‚ not two as has been previously thought.For a long time‚ it has been believed that modern Japanese people were descended from two groups: early hunter-gatherers known as the Jomon‚ who lived in Japan from 16‚000 to 3‚000 years ago and were likely isolated from the rest of the world during the Last Glacial Maximum‚ and later immigrant Yayoi farmers who lived in Japan from around 900 BCE to 300 CE.But in 2021‚ a study of 12 ancient genomes found another ancestral group in the mix‚ likely arriving during the transition from the Yayoi to Kofun period (300–710 CE).&;quot;Our analysis finds that the Jomon maintained a small effective population size of ~1‚000 over several millennia‚ with a deep divergence from continental populations dated to 20‚000 to 15‚000 years ago‚ a period that saw the insularization of Japan through rising sea levels‚&;quot; the 2021 team wrote in their paper. &;quot;Rice cultivation was introduced by people with Northeast Asian ancestry. Unexpectedly‚ we identify a later influx of East Asian ancestry during the imperial Kofun period. These three ancestral components continue to characterize present-day populations‚ supporting a tripartite model of Japanese genomic origins.&;quot;The team believed that this fits with archaeological evidence of new large settlements at the time‚ as well as cultural and political changes.In the new study‚ researchers analyzed the ancestry of 3‚200 people‚ finding that Okinawa had the highest Jomon ancestry (28.5 percent)‚ followed by Northeast (18.9 percent)‚ with the lowest being in West (13.4 percent). Intrigued by previous studies‚ they discovered evidence that modern-day Japanese people descended from Jomon people‚ Yayoi people‚ and a third unknown ancestral group‚ likely from Northeast Asia‚ which &;quot;could potentially be connected to ancient populations in Japan and the Korean Peninsula&;quot;.&;quot;Our results indicated a significantly closer relationship between West and ancient Chinese groups around the Yellow River (YR) or upper YR region‚ specifically in the Middle Neolithic (MN) and Late Neolithic periods‚&;quot; the team wrote in their paper. &;quot;In contrast‚ individuals of Northeast showed significantly higher genetic affinities with Jomon and ancient Japanese genome from Miyako Island in Okinawa (which had a high Jomon proportion) and ancient Koreans from the Three Kingdoms (TK) period (fourth to fifth century CE). These results align with reports indicating that ancient Japanese in the Yayoi period and certain ancient Korean groups had a high proportion of Jomon ancestry.&;quot;The team suggested possible groups which could be responsible for the distinctive genes‚ but stressed further study is needed.&;quot;These data may suggest a potential link between Northeast and NEA [Northeast Asian]‚ although additional evidence is required to substantiate this connection‚&;quot; the team wrote in their discussion. &;quot;Historical records indicate that Northeast was inhabited by the so-called Emishi people‚ literally translated as 'shrimp barbarians'. The origin of Emishi is somehow understudied and remains a matter of debate‚ but it was proposed that they might be related to NEA. In addition‚ it has been suggested that the Emishi people might have spoken a distinct Japonic language‚ akin to the historical Izumo dialect.&;quot;The study is published in Science Advances.

A rediscovered photo captured two days after the Titanic sank is going on auction this month. The photo‚ taken by undertaker John Snow Jr‚ may show the iceberg that sank the ship on its maiden voyage 112 years ago on April 14.When the Titanic sank 640 kilometers (400 miles) off Newfoundland‚ Canada‚ over 1‚500 of the passengers‚ of which there were over 2‚200‚ died – many by drowning or immersion hypothermia. John Snow Jr was chief embalmer of funeral directors John Snow &; Co and was summoned to the wreck of the Titanic to help collect some‚ but not all‚ of the bodies for burial.The two – along with 100 coffins to place bodies in and 100 tonnes of ice to preserve those and other bodies – were aboard the Cable Ship Mackay-Bennett‚ the first of four chartered vessels to reach the Titanic to search for bodies. Assessing the scene‚ the crew quickly realized that there were a lot more bodies than they had expected‚ and a second boat would be necessary to help recover the deceased.   All in all‚ the crew of CS Mackay-Bennett recovered 306 bodies from the water. The class system in place onboard the Titanic was used to decide which would be taken back for burial‚ and who would get buried at sea.“Decisions about which bodies to bury at sea were made largely according to the perceived economic class of the recovered victims‚ and those with third-class tickets were far more likely to be returned to the water‚&;quot; assistant professor of urban sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam Jess Bier explained to JSTOR.First-class passengers‚ including Isidor Straus‚ owner of Macy's department store‚ were embalmed onboard the ship and placed in coffins‚ second-class passengers were embalmed and wrapped in canvas‚ and 116 third-class passengers and crew were left at sea.Life insurance‚ a fairly new concept‚ likely dictated part of the decision. First-class passengers were more likely to have a policy that would pay for their burial or cremation‚ and insurance companies required an identifiable body before any payout could be made to relatives.It's not known when John Snow Jr took the photo‚ which can be viewed on the Henry Aldridge &; Son Auctioneers website‚ during the voyage.&;quot;Nobody can say for sure that this was THE iceberg that sank the Titanic. But what we can say is that after the rescue ship Carpathia‚ the Mackay-Bennett was one of the first ships to reach the wreck site and that the undertaker on board decided to take a photo of this iceberg‚&;quot; Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge at Henry Aldridge &; Son Auctioneers told The Mirror.&;quot;He must have had his reasons for taking a photo of this iceberg. He captioned it Titanic and mounted it for posterity. It hasn't been sold before and was acquired directly from Mr Snow's family by our vendor in the early 1990s. It is an extremely rare photograph and we are sure it will attract a lot of interest.&;quot;The photograph is being sold on April 27‚ and is expected to fetch around 4‚000-7‚000 GBP (5‚000-8‚700 USD).

The supernova SN 2023ixf offered astronomers an unusual opportunity when it exploded last year. Unfortunately‚ it has deepened‚ rather than resolved‚ the problem of explaining cosmic rays. It’s also thrown models of supernovae into doubt‚ but hey‚ if we had all the answers‚ we wouldn’t need scientists.We now detect thousands of supernovae each year‚ but most of these are billions of light years away‚ limiting how much we can learn about them on an individual basis. At 21 million light years away‚ SN 2023ixf was just around the celestial block‚ by comparison. This gave amateurs the opportunity to collect some stunning images of the supernova and its host galaxy‚ the Pinwheel. For professional astronomers‚ it represented the best chance to study a supernova’s gamma ray production since 2008‚ when the Fermi space telescope was launched.“Astrophysicists previously estimated that supernovae convert about 10% of their total energy into cosmic ray acceleration‚” said Dr Guillem Mart&;iacute;-Devesa of the University of Trieste in a statement. “But we have never observed this process directly.”Cosmic rays are charged particles (mostly protons) that have been accelerated close to light speed by some sort of astronomical event. They bombard the Earth constantly‚ and can have important effects on the atmosphere‚ such as producing the carbon-14 we use to measure the age of artifacts. However‚ when astronomers say they are produced by astronomical events‚ they are making assumptions based on there being no obvious alternative explanation. We don’t know what events produce them and in what quantities.It might seem like this should be easy to test – wait until we spot something dramatic happening and look for the rays afterward. However‚ there are two problems with this. Firstly‚ the delay can be rather long. Even if something is traveling at 99.9 percent of the speed of light‚ it can lag the photons released at the same time by thousands of years if the distance is great enough. Secondly‚ magnetic fields‚ including the Earth’s‚ bend the paths of incoming charged particles‚ so we can’t identify the direction they are coming from precisely.Fortunately‚ cosmic rays produce gamma rays when they pass through something other than a complete vacuum. Once formed‚ the gamma rays don’t deviate for magnetic fields (or much else‚ other than very large masses’ gravity). A burst of cosmic rays encountering gas clouds around the supernova should have produced gamma rays whose source could be traced. SN 2023ixf therefore provided an excellent opportunity to see how many associated gamma rays we could find. The answer turned out to be none‚ at least nothing significantly above background. “Fermi is the most sensitive gamma-ray telescope in orbit‚ so when it doesn’t detect an expected signal‚ scientists must explain the absence. Solving that mystery will build a more accurate picture of cosmic ray origins‚” said Dr Elizabeth Hays of NASA’s Goffard Space Flight Center.“With the new observations of SN 2023ixf‚ our calculations result in an energy conversion as low as 1% within a few days after the explosion. This doesn’t rule out supernovae as cosmic ray factories‚ but it does mean we have more to learn about their production‚” Mart&;iacute;-Devesa added.        There are different types of supernovae‚ so just because one doesn’t seem to have produced a lot of cosmic rays‚ doesn’t mean none do. To test that‚ we’re going to need more nearby supernovae‚ so it is just as well one was spotted at almost the same distance last week. The authors are also considering the possibility that 2023ixf did produce a lot of cosmic rays‚ but they‚ and the resulting gamma rays‚ were directed away from us. More study subjects could be handy in that case as well.Nevertheless‚ the findings are a puzzle. Supernovae (Type Ia aside) involve giant stars collapsing and then rebounding‚ producing a shock wave that ought to drive particles before it to create cosmic rays. If 2023ixf didn’t create many‚ that takes some explaining.Moreover‚ it’s more than a decade since Fermi observations proved supernovae remnants thousands of years old are still slinging cosmic rays at us‚ which then generate gamma rays as they pass through nearby material thrown off before the explosion.However‚ the rate of production of these remnants can’t account for all the cosmic rays we see – either most are released in the explosion itself‚ or there’s some other source out there. The 10 percent of supernovae energy going into cosmic rays would neatly explain the number and spectrum we see after allowing for those produced by remnants. If the figure is 1 percent‚ that leaves most unaccounted for. That’s why Fermi’s failure to detect any from 2023ixf raises more questions than it answers.The study is to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

When you think of octopuses‚ you probably imagine a fleshy bag of an animal with eight arms – but there’s a lot more to these creatures than meets the eye. For starters‚ they have three hearts that pump blue blood‚ and one species even packs venom 1‚000 times more powerful than cyanide. Don’t believe us&;#63; Just watch Secrets of the Octopus.This three-part docuseries from National Geographic explores their camouflage‚ social lives‚ and intelligence‚ from fighting fish to hiding in coconuts‚ and even shielding from irritating shrimp. Narrated by Paul Rudd‚ and directed by National Geographic explorer-at-large James Cameron‚ the series is accompanied by a book of the same name‚ written by naturalist and author Sy Montgomery. We caught up with Montgomery to find out what it was like uncovering the Secrets of the Octopus.          How was it writing the book‚ Secrets of the Octopus&;#63;I had previously written a book‚ The Soul of an Octopus‚ in which I came to know a bunch of octopuses personally. And since that came out in 2015‚ there was a tonne of new science. And in many cases‚ the discoveries that were being reported explained things that I had wondered about for years‚ and shed new light on these behaviours that had enchanted me when I was spending so much time with these animals.Just how strange are octopuses&;#63;They are so different from us‚ you really would have to go to science fiction or outer space to find something so alien. I mean‚ their head isn't even where we think their head is‚ then their arms are attached to their head‚ and their mouth is in their armpits. They're very unlike us‚ and they have no bones‚ and they change colour‚ and shape‚ and they pour them themselves through tiny openings. They taste with all of their skin and they have three hearts‚ and they have blue blood and‚ like‚ wow&;#33;Learn all about their camouflage‚ social lives‚ and intelligence from April 22.Image credit: National Geographic WILDDo you have a favorite scene from the series&;#63;One of the scenes that really sticks with me is there's an octopus‚ who is beset with an annoying shrimp. And you would think like‚ “Oh‚ a shrimp‚ what's that going to do&;#63;” Well‚ there are certain shrimp that have these pointy spears on their bodies‚ and they can poke you with it. And the octopus is a soft-bodied creature. He doesn't like that. So‚ he's on a sand substrate‚ and he doesn't want to leave‚ but the shrimp keeps annoying him. And he looks around‚ he sees this shell over here. He picks it up and holds it up like it's a shield. It's so insightful. It's so smart.Secrets of the Octopus premieres on National Geographic WILD at 8 pm on Monday April 22‚ as well as on Disney+.Look out for the next series of The Big Questions to catch the interview with Sy Montgomery in full.

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport‚ a heartwarming scene unfolded as First Lieutenant Johnny Baker embraced VVelma‚ his former military K9 partner. This reunion marked a significant transition for VVelma from a life of service to the comfort and love of a family pet. Baker‚ stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base‚ had worked with VVelma for... The post K9 reunites with handler she hasn’t seen in over 2 yrs and can’t contain emotions appeared first on Animal Channel.

With gas prices on the rise‚ MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle did what comes naturally to her: defending President Joe Biden. On Wednesday’s The 11th Hour Ruhle not only claimed that Biden has nothing to do with high gas prices‚ but he is being undermined by the Russians and the Saudis who are trying to get Donald Trump elected. Ruhle kicked off the segment by declaring‚ “We know that inflation is driving Americans crazy. If you are unsure‚ just call your mother. For many‚ it is their biggest complaint right now and because President Biden is in the White House‚ he gets the blame. But over the last few months‚ one thing he has been pointing to is low gas prices. But unfortunately‚ if you look closer‚ recently‚ they have been steadily and quietly going up. Now‚ this is a common thing going into the summer. More people drive more. It pushes up demand. That is normal. But there are other reasons as well. Ones that might be more deliberate‚ even political. Like Saudi Arabia and Russia continuing to cut oil production until June and remember when production is down‚ prices go up.”     After one of her guests‚ Bulwark podcaster Tim Miller‚ also defended Biden by citing record levels of oil production‚ Ruhle turned to her other guest‚ former Bernie Sanders adviser Chuck Rocha‚ and asked‚ “Chuck‚ what do you think&;#63; These prices are not the fault of President Biden. Tim just laid it out‚ we’ve got the highest oil production in U.S. history and some overseas oil producers who would sure like to help DJT.” Even if one grants Ruhle’s premise that Russia and Saudi Arabia are trying to get Trump elected (as opposed to Moscow cutting production to raise the price of oil to fund its war machine)‚ Biden has not done anything to respond. In fact‚ he has done the opposite. It is now more expensive to get a drilling lease on federal lands thanks to last week’s new regulations that changed the royalty rate for the first time in a century. As for Rocha‚ he naturally lamented that people will blame Biden “even if he has nothing to do and OPEC and Russia and all of these things have to do—they’re going to blame Joe Biden and the other side knows it.” Ruhle’s claim that the Russians and the Saudis are trying to get Trump elected with their oil policies is not even original. In October 2022‚ Ruhle’s colleague Ali Velshi theorized that Moscow and Riyadh conspired to raise gas prices to help Republicans in that year’s midterms. Here is a transcript for the April 17 show: MSNBC The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle 4/17/2024 11:33 PM ET STEPHANIE RUHLE: We know that inflation is driving Americans crazy. If you are unsure‚ just call your mother. For many‚ it is their biggest complaint right now and because President Biden is in the White House‚ he gets the blame. But over the last few months‚ one thing he has been pointing to is low gas prices. But unfortunately‚ if you look closer‚ recently‚ they have been steadily and quietly going up. Now‚ this is a common thing going into the summer. More people drive more. It pushes up demand. That is normal. But there are other reasons as well. Ones that might be more deliberate‚ even political. Like Saudi Arabia and Russia continuing to cut oil production until June and remember when production is down‚ prices go up.  … Chuck‚ what do you think&;#63; These prices are not the fault of President Biden. Tim just laid it out‚ we’ve got the highest oil production in U.S. history and some overseas oil producers who would sure like to help DJT. CHUCK ROCHA: Let me be clear that the Republicans know how to use this and will use this against Joe Biden. One of the most brilliant‚ small political things I saw done that was very‚ very powerful‚ last year‚ when I went to the pump‚ there was a sticker of Joe Biden with a finger pointing “I did that.” They were sticking it on gasoline pumps saying he’s the reason the gas pump was so high.  When I do focus groups all around the country‚ I'm still one of those old school political consultants who work on campaigns every single day‚ people talk about gas and groceries because no matter who you are‚ almost everybody in America‚ every week‚ has to buy gas and groceries and to your point‚ Steph‚ when it goes up just a little bit‚ they will blame the person in charge even if he has nothing to do and OPEC and Russia and all of these things have to do—they’re going to blame Joe Biden and the other side knows it.

Writing Thursday morning over at National Review in the Morning Jolt newsletter‚ senior writer Jim Geraghty went postal on taxpayer-funded National Public Radio (NPR) over its handling of now-former senior business editor Uri Berliner’s bombshell essay for The Free Press meticulously dismantling NPR for its decades of liberal media bias. Geraghty (correctly) stated it’s been “refreshingly honest” to see how “NPR responded to the revelations and accusations of 25-year veteran Uri Berliner” with “biased‚ one-sided‚ arrogant‚ and dismissive” condemnations of Berliner because “that’s exactly how NPR likes it” sinc ethey “didn’t get this way accidentally; this is what it wants to be.” He acknowledged anyone who’s “been around long enough” has “seen this sort of journalistic story-cycle before” in which some sort of hubbub breaks out at a liberal media heavyweight‚ they claim to be sorrowful and have “strayed from its original mission to report the news”....and then nothing happens. He went back through a slew of examples as way of saying “[t]here’s something a bit refreshing‚ if depressing‚ about the way NPR responded to” Berliner: You can think back to Dan Rather and CBS News‚ or Eason Jordan and CNN‚ or Stephen Glass at the New Republic. Or‚ more recently‚ the staff panic and outrage that ousted James Bennet from the editorial page at the New York Times. Heck‚ you could go back to Janet Cooke and the Washington Post‚ or all the way back to Walter Duranty’s work for the New York Times in the Soviet Union‚ echoing the propaganda of Stalin. “This time at NPR‚ there is no rubbing of the chin‚ furrowed brows‚ or begrudging concession that the critic has a point‚ and that they must do better. Nope‚ NPR’s management thinks they’re doing a terrific job‚ and they don’t see any reason to change. In their minds‚ the true villain of this story is Berliner‚” he added with “former colleagues are similarly indignant that anybody could possibly doubt the quality of the work that they’re doing.” After winding through NPR’s heavily slanted coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and the Hunter Biden laptop‚ Geraghty observed “NPR management” has clearly decided that‚ lacking any fear of cajoles from Republicans to defund them‚ they could treat Berliner’s concerns “the same way” they “treated the counterevidence for the Trump–Russia collusion narrative‚ or the Hunter Biden laptop‚ or the evidence pointing to a lab leak.” To read Geraghty’s full story‚ click here.

&;quot;Hear hear&;#33; Good on him. Credit where credit is due‚ and credit is definitely due with Speaker Johnson.&;quot;  -- Joe Scarborough It's often said that it can be a kiss of death for a politician to be praised by a political opponent.  But that adage might not hold true in the case of Joe Scarborough's praise of Speaker Mike Johnson. Because on today's Morning Joe‚ Scarborough lauded Johnson not for agreeing with some liberal icon‚ but for upholding the principles of . . . Ronald Reagan. Scarborough's commending of Johnson came in the context of the Speaker's advocacy of aid for Ukraine.  And in doing so‚ Johnson described himself as a Reagan Republican‚ a believer in peace through strength‚ wanting to send a message to adversaries like Russia‚ China‚ Iran‚ and North Korea‚ and seeing the US as the greatest country in the world. Marjorie Taylor Greene and others will find a way to criticize Johnson's statement‚ but it's a tricky needle to thread. Does a Republican really want to speak out against Ronald Reagan&;#63; Note: Speaking of Johnson's stance‚ Scarborough called himself a Baptist‚ and thus as someone who embraces conversions. He even quoted from the Just As I Am hymn.The irony was lost on Scarborough that he's had quite the conversion himself. Going from being a hardcore pro-life‚ pro-Second Amendment congressman from Florida's conservative panhandle‚ to decrying the overturning of Roe and beating the drums for more gun control.  Scarborough's conversion has been so complete that he's become a Biden phone buddy and informal adviser. Just as you were‚ Joe Scarborough: please&;#33; Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 4/18/24 6:03 am EDT JOE SCARBOROUGH: In a few minutes‚ Willie‚ we're going to be talking about Speaker Johnson and Ukraine. I must say‚ he has had a conversion. You know‚ it's‚ it's like A Christmas Carol. That the ghost of the Republican party past came to visit him in the middle of the night and said to him‚ [imitates voice of Ronald Reagan] &;quot;Well‚&;quot; and he said‚&;quot;Yes‚ sir.&;quot; MIKA BRZEZINSKI: No‚ I think -- SCARBOROUGH: No‚ listen. What do I say about conversions&;#63; MIKA: I'll take 'em. SCARBOROUGH: I'm a Baptist. MIKA: Yeah. SCARBOROUGH: We love deathbed conversions‚ we love midlife conversions. You want to convert&;#63; Just as I am‚ and waiting not‚ to cleanse my soul of one dark spot. Well‚ okay‚ we'll take Speaker Johnson‚ who sounds like Ronald Reagan. And I will say‚ in defense of some of the leaders in that House GOP‚ like some of those leaders that run important committees. It sounds like they're actually concerned about China‚ Iran‚ and Russia&;#33; WILLIE GEIST: And this might literally be a political deathbed conversion for Mike Johnson‚ as the threats to his job continue from that faction. But Joe‚ Speaker Johnson invoked Ronald Reagan's name -- SCARBOROUGH: Hear‚ hear. GEIST: -- finally said it out loud. It's something we've been talking about for months now on this show: the party of Ronald Reagan turning its back on Ukraine in a fight against Russia.  Speaker Johnson said yesterday‚ &;quot;I am a child of the '80s. I am a child of the Reagan era. We have to do what's right here. We have to give Ukraine what it needs.&;quot; Where was that over the last couple of months&;#63; Unclear. But he's come around. The question will be‚ have enoug hother Republicans come around to that position to clear this funding and get it to Ukraine&;#63; Perhaps as early as Saturday night‚ when Speaker Johnson says there will be a vote. MIKA: Hope to see Democrats step up. SCARBOROUGH: Maybe he'll go to the floor. MIKA: No. SCARBOROUGH: Maybe he'll say -- MIKA: Listen -- SCARBOROUGH: MTG‚ tear down that wall&;#33; I mean‚ there's so many options now. MIKA: Yeah‚ there's a lot to say. SCARBOROUGH: He can borrow so much from Ronald Reagan. . . .  MIKAL And despite the threats from his Republican colleagues‚ Johnson is pushing forward. MIKE JOHNSON [speaking with Jake Tapper on CNN]: We're going to stand for freedom and make sure that Vladimir Putin doesn't March through Europe. We're an exceptional nation. We're the greatest nation on the planet‚ and we have to act like it. And we have to project to Putin and Xi and Iran and North Korea and anybody else that we will defend freedom. It doesn't mean boots on the ground. We're not the world's policemen‚ but we're going to do the right thing. And I think the Congress is going to take an important stand here. JAKE TAPPER: Are you going to have to rely on Democrats to pass the rule in order to bring these bills to the floor‚ and also the legislation itself&;#63; JOHNSON: Well‚ I hope not. I hope our Republican colleagues will stand together‚ stick together on this. I think we understand‚ look‚ I'm a child of the '80s. I regard myself as a Reagan Republican. I understand the concept of maintaining peace through strength. That's one of our guiding principles. It's a really important philosophy. And it's a big part of our party and our world view. And I think here is an opportunity to make that stand at a really critical time in world history. SCARBOROUGH: I mean‚ this is like a movie for me. I went to sleep last night‚ and we were living in the age of Trump. And I woke up this morning‚ and now we're in the age of Reagan again. Listen to this. Peace through strength. Huh. MIKA: That sounds good. SCARBOROUGH: And you knowm‚ a couple days ago‚ I kind of got heated up about how Republicans hate on America so much. I was talking about how horrible America is. And I said America is the greatest country in the world. And they need to start saying it. Well‚ the Speaker said‚ &;quot;We're the greatest nation in the world.&;quot; Good on him. Like‚ we don't hear this from Republicans.  We certainly don't hear that we have to actually fund people who are fighting against Russian aggression much these days. Except from‚ again‚ those responsible leaders‚ whether you're talking about the chairman of the intel committee or the chairman of the foreign affairs committee‚ people who are actually talking like grown-ups. But I've got to say‚ give credit where credit is due‚ and credit is definitely due with Speaker Johnson talking like a Reagan Republican‚ talking about the need to protect freedom in this fight between western democracy and what's going on in Russia.