Klerksdorp spheres‚ found inside pyrophyllite deposits mined in South Africa‚ are weird. Looking like tiny ancient cricket balls‚ with seam-like lines around their middle‚ it's easy to see why they became the subject of conspiracy theories involving aliens and ancient‚ forgotten civilizations.In articles in the 1980s‚ they were speculated to be made by "a higher civilisation‚ a pre-flood civilisation about which we know virtually nothing"‚ while the same museum curator who said this claimed that the spheres rotated of their own accord while locked in a "vibration-free" display case.Pseudo-scientists claimed that the spheres could only be manufactured‚ despite being found in 3-billion-year-old rock‚ while even pseudo-er scientists believed them to be  proof of aliens.The claims about the spheres caught the attention of geologist Bruce Cairncross in 2006‚ who wrote that he had been amused by an article that described them as "mystery spheres"‚ and by one program's choice to have a psychic examine the stones‚ declaring them to be the remains of an ancient spaceship.Cairncross offered up a rational explanation for the spheres‚ found in a geological formation known as the Dominion Group. The feature is made of conglomerate‚ with layers of volcanic lava that were deposited on top. After a lot of pressure and heat‚ the layers of volcanic rock became pyrophyllite‚ the casing in which the Klerksdorp spheres were found.The spheres are known as concretions: spherical‚ elliptical‚ or oblate objects made of different minerals to the host rock‚ and are fairly common‚ with thousands having been found around the world. They are often found in fine-grained rocks‚ like pyrophyllite‚ as it allows for the movement of water."They form by precipitation from an aqueous solution and consist of minerals crystallized in the host rock‚" Cairncross explained.The spheres are spherical (or slightly off-spherical) as they form around a tiny grain of mineral in a solution containing iron‚ calcium‚ and other elements."Because the host rock is evenly textured all round the growth of the concretion takes place‚ unrestricted in all directions‚ as a 360-degree‚ three-dimensional sphere‚" Cairncross writes‚ adding that if the liquid is moving or the rock surrounding it is not the same consistency in all directions‚ the shape can become distorted.The lines across the spheres are caused by imprints from the host rock‚ which was built up in layers over a long‚ long time‚ leaving the layered effect.Meanwhile‚ the mystery of why the sphere supposedly spun "on its own" was explained by the curator of the Klerksdorp Museum‚ after which the spheres are named."Some years ago I put the ball back to its original position (on a glass shelf) during a journalist's visit and he tried to make a sensation of it‚" Mr R Marx explained. "It is quite natural that it will rotate a bit as it is round and we have many earth tremors due to (gold) mining activities."An earlier version of this article was published in March 2023.

Beneath your feet in the depths of our planet‚ there’s an unbelievably vast ecosystem teeming with life. In recent years‚ a massive international team of scientists revealed how billions upon billions of microorganisms live miles beneath Earth’s subsurface.Presenting their work at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in 2018‚ the researchers calculated the size of this mysterious treasure trove of life for the first time – and it was way bigger than they expected.They reported that approximately 70 percent of the total number of microbes on the planet live underground. In total‚ these microbes represent around 15 to 23 billion tonnes of carbon – hundreds of times greater than the carbon mass of all humans on the surface.Scientists have barely scratched the surface when it comes to describing these microorganisms. However‚ first glances suggest that the genetic diversity of life below the surface might be comparable to‚ or perhaps even exceed‚ life above the surface. This is why nicknamed the ecosystem the "subterranean Galapagos.”However‚ don’t expect any giant tortoises down there. Bacteria and their evolutionary cousins – archaea – seem to dominate beneath the surface‚ although the researchers also noted a fair number of eukarya down there too. For example‚ researchers described an unidentified nematode over 1.4 kilometers (0.8 miles) deep in a South African gold mine. "Ten years ago‚ we had sampled only a few sites – the kinds of places we'd expect to find life‚" Karen Lloyd‚ study author and Associate Professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee‚ said in a statement in 2018.“Now‚ thanks to ultra-deep sampling‚ we know we can find them pretty much everywhere‚ albeit the sampling has obviously reached only an infinitesimally tiny part of the deep biosphere‚" added Professor Lloyd.To reach the findings‚ the team brought together dozens of studies that looked at samples brought up from drilling between 2.5 and 5 kilometers (1.55 to 3.1 miles) into the Earth’s crust‚ both in the seafloor and the inland continents. Also‚ to their surprise‚ they discovered that the subsurface deep biosphere is almost twice the volume of all oceans.Subjected to intense heat‚ crushing pressures‚ no light‚ and scarcely any nutrients‚ this is hardly where you would expect to find a diverse bank of life. Nevertheless‚ the researchers said that this ecosystem could answer many questions about the limits of life on Earth – and beyond."Our studies of deep biosphere microbes have produced much new knowledge‚ but also a realization and far greater appreciation of how much we have yet to learn about subsurface life‚" added Rick Colwell‚ microbial ecologist at Oregon State University."For example‚ scientists do not yet know all the ways in which deep subsurface life affects surface life and vice versa. And‚ for now‚ we can only marvel at the nature of the metabolisms that allow life to survive under the extremely impoverished and forbidding conditions for life in deep Earth."An earlier version of this article was published in December 2018.

The Kansas City Chiefs' victory parade in the team's Missouri hometown ended in bloodshed Wednesday afternoon. Gunshots rang out west of Union station just as the festivities were winding down‚ causing panic and confusion. A pair of heroic dads managed to subdue one alleged gunman‚ but only after 22 people were wounded and a beloved mother of two was slain. It was initially unclear what prompted the monstrous attack‚ although some suspected terrorism might have been to blame. Police have since revealed that a personal "dispute" between multiple thugs‚ not terrorism‚ was to blame. Two teenagers are presently in custody. Police may yet make more arrests‚ as they suspect others may have been involved in the shooting. The shooting According to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department‚ shots were first fired around 2 p.m. Wednesday‚ west of Union Station‚ where a stage had been erected for speeches by Kansas City Chiefs players. Nearly 1 million people were estimated to have been in the downtown area at the time to celebrate the Chiefs' Super Bowl win. The shooting caused panic‚ prompting some fans to take cover and others to run to safety. KCMPD Chief Stacey Graves confirmed Thursday that at least 22 people were wounded in the shooting‚ in addition to Elizabeth Galvan‚ a 43-year-old radio disc jockey and a mother of two‚ who was fatally shot. The ages of the victims ranged from 8 to 47‚ and at least half of the wounded were under the age of 16. Blaze News previously detailed how two fathers who had taken their kids to the parade spotted an individual believed to be a shooter and subdued him. Graves celebrated the effort by bystanders to take action in the face of evil‚ reported the New York Times. "They helped one another and even physically stopped a person who was believed to be involved in the incident‚" said Graves. "Your selfless act did not go unnoticed." A 'dispute' Graves indicated in a Thursday update that "preliminary investigative findings have shown there was no nexus to terrorism or homegrown violent extremism." "This appeared to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire‚" said the police chief. Jacob Gooch Sr.‚ a survivor of the shooting‚ told "CBS Mornings" that just moments prior to the shooting‚ he overheard an "altercation" punctuated by a girl pleading‚ "Don't do it. Not here. This is stupid." "My daughter said that some lady was holding him back‚ and people started backing up‚ and he pulled it out and starting shooting and spinning in a circle‚" said Gooch. Gooch indicated he took a bullet to the foot; his wife was shot in her calf; and his son was struck in the foot. His daughter‚ fortunately‚ was left unscathed. When pressed on whether he saw anything out of the ordinary prior to the shooting‚ Gooch noted he had been "suspicious of a certain group of people that were there. We were standing ... on the left side of the stage when the shooting ended up happening‚ and right before it ended up happening‚ there was this group dressed in all black‚ about four‚ five‚ six kids — looked like kids — with black on‚ black masks‚ and they disappeared into the crowd." Graves noted that two juveniles are in police custody. While charges have yet to be filed‚ Graves indicated the department has only 24 hours to do so; otherwise it will have to cut the teens loose. The chief also noted that investigators are looking into whether others were involved in the shooting. "It should be noted that we have recovered several firearms‚" said Graves. The Democrat-run city has long had an issue with violence‚ particularly gang- and youth-related violence. Last month‚ another shooting occurred inside a popular shopping mall in downtown Kansas City‚ leaving six people wounded. The Star reported that what apparently triggered the shooting was a disturbance between two groups of "youths." According to the Kansas City Star‚ the city set a record last years for homicides with at least 185 slayings. Over 240 were slain across the metro area. The previous year‚ there were 171 homicides. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

We saw dozens of impressive new OLED gaming monitors at the recent CES 2024 tech trade show‚ with the likes of Acer‚ Asus‚ Lenovo‚ MSI‚ and more all showing off a wide range of new models. However‚ perhaps the most enticing of all the variants were the ones that combined a 32-inch screen size with a 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate‚ such as the Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDM that's just officially been marked as 'available' from today. What makes the combination of specs on Asus' latest contender for our best gaming monitor guide is that it has such a high resolution and high pixel density. When I reviewed the likes of the Samsung Odyssey G9 G95SC and particularly the LG Ultragear 27GR95QE‚ I found the pixel density a touch low‚ so much so that text could look a little fuzzy (it was a major problem on the LG panel). However‚ with a much higher resolution‚ these 32-inch 4K displays look lovely. Continue reading Asus’ stunning new 240Hz 4K OLED gaming monitor has just gone on sale MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ review‚ Asus ROG Raikiri review‚ Best gaming motherboard

Where is the Kaa Mangrove in Skull and Bones? Kaa Mangrove is just one of many outposts in Skull and Bones‚ but this one contains an incredible amount of loot. We've taken a trip to Sultani Island to check it out‚ and even dug up some buried treasure while we were there. Among the myriad Skull and Bones treasure maps to be found in the pirate game‚ a handful all lead you to Sultani Island - more specifically‚ Kaa Mangrove. This large outpost has two camps with cookery areas‚ three traders - one selling the Firebrand Barge ship blueprint‚ and a bunch of loot just lying around for the taking. And that's before you get to the Skull and Bones treasure buried under the island's golden sand. Continue reading Skull and Bones Kaa Mangrove location‚ treasure maps‚ and blueprints MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best pirate games‚ Skull and Bones release date‚ Skull and Bones system requirements

Picking up the best Steam Deck accessories is a great way to help Valve's handheld gaming PC shine. From microSD cards that will expand your on-the-go Steam library to docks that'll provide the mini rig with Switch-inspired docking station capabilities‚ there are plenty of ways to protect your Deck and add additional functionality. To assist you in creating the perfect handheld PC setup‚ we've put together a list of the best Steam Deck accessories available right now. Some of our picks‚ like the best Steam Deck dock and best Steam Deck case serve a practical purpose‚ but we've made sure to include a few unique add-ons that will make your portable device stand out from the crowd. Also‚ be sure to check out our best Steam Deck games guide to ensure you're never left wanting for entertainment on the go. Continue reading Best Steam Deck accessories in 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

The 8BitDo Retro mechanical gaming keyboard is a must-have for fans of old-school Nintendo game consoles. Its eye-catching design is proudly inspired by the NES‚ with a Famicom version also available. You can save $10 on it right now via Amazon‚ which may not seem like much‚ but for a gaming keyboard that has an MSRP of under $100‚ it's still a meaningful saving. You're not just getting a keyboard here‚ either. The 8BitDo Retro comes with an additional wired unit with two large‚ round‚ programmable buttons‚ mimicking the look of the old NES controller. Packed with features‚ the 8BitDo Retro could make a case for being among the best gaming keyboards‚ and at $89.99 in this limited-time deal‚ it's a steal. Continue reading Grab a Nintendo-inspired retro gaming keyboard in limited time deal MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Diablo 4 Season 3 is well underway‚ and with the demon-blasting Blizzard RPG set to arrive on Xbox and PC Game Pass in March there’s likely to be a big influx of new players hunting down Lilith’s minions and grinding for the best Diablo 4 gear. With the launch of Diablo 4 patch 1.3.2‚ the rarest and most powerful D4 items‚ its elusive uber uniques‚ have been made a lot easier to find‚ and now it looks like we have an estimate of exactly how unlucky you must have been to not find them. Continue reading Diablo 4 uber uniques are now 1‚000 times easier to get‚ in theory MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds‚ Diablo 4 review‚ Diablo 4 classes

Bobulinski met with Joe‚ James‚ and Hunter Biden in Los Angeles in 2017 to discus a joint venture with CEFC.

They are clearly taking what will inevitably be the next domain of warfare seriously. So should we.