In the northern hemisphere from October to March‚ you can look up and see the Pleiades‚ also known as the Seven Sisters. The star cluster is in the constellation of Taurus‚ and made up of over 1‚000 stars‚ but the brightest of the stars are hot blue luminous stars which formed around 100 million years ago.These stars‚ like so many others‚ have myths attached to them by ancient cultures around the world. An intriguing aspect to this is how similar the stories are‚ and why the stories all mention seven sisters‚ when it is six stars that appear bright to the naked eye."In Greek mythology‚ the Seven Sisters are named after the Pleiades‚ who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Their father‚ Atlas‚ was forced to hold up the sky‚ and was therefore unable to protect his daughters. But to save them from being raped by Orion the hunter‚ Zeus transformed them into stars‚" a team that looked into the mystery wrote in a chapter of the 2021 book Advancing Cultural Astronomy.        Indigenous Australian versions of the tale‚ meanwhile‚ tell similar stories of a hunter or young man who try and chase the female Pleiades."The similarity between the Aboriginal and Greek stories of the Pleiades and Orion includes three specific elements: both identify the Pleiades as a group of young girls‚ both identify Orion as male‚ and both say that Orion is attempting to have sex with the girls in the Pleiades."The similarity between the two myths is intriguing‚ as there was almost no contact between European and indigenous Australian cultures from when their common ancestors left Africa around 100000 BCE until 1788 when the British invaded. Similar myths explaining that there are seven sisters but one is missing are found in African‚ Asian‚ Indonesian‚ and Native American cultures.The team looked for an explanation as to why the myth involved a seventh bright star‚ visible to the naked eye. Running simulations they found that 100‚000 years ago‚ a seventh star – Pleione – would have been visible‚ but it is now too close to Atlas and so they look like a single star to the naked eye. "When the Australians and Europeans were last together‚ in 100‚000 [BCE]‚ the Pleiades would have appeared as seven stars‚" the team wrote in their paper. "Given that both cultures refer to them as 'Seven Sisters'‚ and that their stories about them are so similar‚ the evidence seems to support the hypothesis that the 'Seven Sisters' story predates the departure of the Australians and Europeans from Africa in 100‚000 [BCE]."There is other evidence for Indigenous Australian myths dating back a long‚ long time. One such myth told passed down by the Gunditjmara people of southern Australia involved a giant that bent down and turned into a mountain‚ before spewing molten rock from his mouth. This was of course thought to be telling the story of a volcanic eruption. In 2020‚ a team of researchers dated the lava produced by the volcano thought to be the inspiration behind it‚ and found that it erupted 37‚000 years ago.Unfortunately with both myths‚ we will likely never know for sure‚ but the evidence is intriguing nonetheless."Is it possible the stories of the Seven Sisters and Orion are so old our ancestors were telling these stories to each other around campfires in Africa‚ 100‚000 years ago?" the team behind the Seven Sisters research concluded in a piece in The Conversation. "Could this be the oldest story in the world?"

A daily dose of gold nanocrystals suspended in water led to improvements in patients with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS)‚ according to the results of phase two clinical trials. The treatment addresses an energy imbalance that arises in the brain‚ and previous animal and human studies have suggested it could help slow neurological decline and maybe even trigger partial recovery for these patients.“We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to prevent or even reverse some neurological disabilities with this strategy‚” said Dr Peter Sguigna‚ assistant professor of neurology and an investigator in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at The University of Texas Southwestern‚ in a statement. Were this vision to be realized‚ it would have the potential to be a gamechanger for thousands of people affected by neurodegeneration. The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates that almost a million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease‚ making it the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. It’s a similar story for MS – the National MS Society recently revised its estimates of the prevalence of the disease off the back of new data‚ finding that almost a million US citizens are living with MS. One of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s and MS is a faster and more severe decline in brain energy metabolism. A healthy brain requires a continuous supply of the body’s energy molecule‚ adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As we age‚ cellular activities slow down‚ and there’s less ATP around for the brain to use – and in Parkinson’s and MS‚ this happens even more rapidly.Brain energy metabolism can be measured by looking at the ratio of the reduced and oxidized forms of the molecule nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH and NAD+‚ respectively). These are both vital components in the Krebs cycle‚ the multi-step cellular reaction that generates energy in the form of ATP. Studies using cell models‚ animals‚ and human patients have suggested that targeting this balance between NAD+ and NADH could be key to improving the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disease. That’s where the gold nanocrystals come in – they can act as a catalyst to boost energy metabolism and increase the NAD+/NADH ratio.Sguigna and colleagues partnered with biopharmaceutical company Clene Nanomedicine‚ which was developing a gold nanoparticle treatment that could be administered orally. The experimental treatment that went on to be used in the clinical trials was named CNM-Au8.Twenty-four patients were recruited in total: 11 with relapsing MS were put on a phase two trial called REPAIR-MS‚ and 13 with Parkinson’s disease enrolled on a phase two trial called REPAIR-PD. After baseline scans to assess their NAD+/NADH ratios and other indicators of brain energy metabolism‚ they took a daily dose of CNM-Au8 for 12 weeks. Collectively‚ by the end of the trial‚ the patients saw a 10.4 percent average increase in their NAD+/NADH ratios‚ demonstrating that the treatment was having the intended effect. Levels of ATP also normalized. The patients with Parkinson’s also reported improvements in some of the motor symptoms that are associated with the disease‚ suggesting that CNM-Au8 could have a real impact on their quality of life.Importantly‚ none of the participants reported serious adverse effects.Sguigna described the results as encouraging‚ but cautioned that more studies are needed. The REPAIR-MS trial will continue to recruit participants to see if the findings can be repeated in people with the progressive form of MS. Drinking a daily concoction containing actual gold might sound like something reserved for ancient warlords or eccentric royals – but if further trials continue to produce promising results‚ there’s a real chance we could see these kinds of treatments in clinical use in the not-too-distant future.The study is published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 

Easter Island‚ located off the coast of Chile‚ attracts the attention of researchers from all over the world with its unique culture and mysterious head-shaped monuments called moai. Recently‚ scientists discovered another amazing phenomenon on this island – the mysterious Rongorongo writing‚ which may represent an unusual writing system unique to the island. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers studying Rongorongo writing have noted that it is unlike any other known form of writing. This suggests that it was invented by local people and was not influenced by foreign writing systems. In addition‚ radiocarbon dating of several ancient objects showed that the earliest carvings predate the arrival of Europeans on the island. This supports the idea that the Rongorongo script was developed by local people independently of outside influences. However‚ the history of Rongorongo writing is shrouded in mystery. In 1864‚ outside observers first noticed engravings with Rongorongo writing. But all these signs were destroyed or sent abroad. To date‚ only 27 examples of writing are known‚ and none of them are located on Easter Island itself. Researchers trying to decipher the Rongorongo script describe it as long texts written using graphic characters called glyphs. The shapes of these signs represent various classes of images‚ including human poses and body parts‚ animals‚ plants‚ tools‚ celestial bodies‚ and more. Scientists note that the graphic glyphs of the Rongorongo script have no analogues among known scripts‚ but are similar to the motifs of ancient rock art found on the island. This observation supports the idea that Rongorongo writing may have developed independently‚ similar to the inventions of writing in Mesopotamia‚ Egypt‚ China and Mesoamerica. However‚ there are some mysteries associated with the Rongorongo writing system. The only two tablets were made from trees felled in the first half of the nineteenth century‚ when contact with Europeans had already been established. To further study‚ the researchers radiocarbon dated four more tablets that were removed from the island by missionaries in 1869 and are now kept in Rome‚ Italy. The results showed that three of these tablets were made from wood felled in the nineteenth century‚ and the fourth was made several hundred years earlier‚ between 1493 and 1509. Thus‚ the tablet appeared 200 years before the arrival of foreigners on the island. This supports the idea that the Rongorongo script may have been developed in complete isolation. However‚ it is interesting to note that the sign was made from a tree that does not grow on Easter Island‚ but is the national tree of South Africa. Scientists suggest that this tree could have been thrown onto the island from a sunken European ship. It is impossible to say exactly how long the piece of wood spent at sea before it was used to create the tablet. The post Mysterious writing of Easter Island is unlike any known writing system appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Josei manga‚ a genre that captivates adult female audiences‚ offers a mix of storytelling that delves into the complexities of life‚ relationships‚ and personal growth. These narratives often transcend the typical boundaries of romance and fantasy‚ providing a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of adult experiences.

Bombshell Report: Obama CIA Triggered the Russia Collusion Hoax - What Happened to the Secret Binder?

The launch of a HomePod with a screen seems like a matter of time. This device has been rumored for over three years now since Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was exploring several different audio speaker models for the future. At the time‚ the journalist said Apple could be preparing an Apple TV with a HomePod combo‚ an iPad with a HomePod‚ or the three products combined. While it’s still unclear which product Apple wants to compete with (smart home hubs‚ Amazon Echo products‚ etc.)‚ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in 2023‚ Apple was readying a HomePod with a screen for the first half of 2024. The analyst believes it could feature a 7-inch display‚ which Tianma will manufacture. “The HomePod‚ which equips a panel‚ could enable tighter integration with Apple’s other hardware products‚ marking a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy‚” Kuo wrote. Image source: José Adorno for BGR In addition‚ X leaker KosutamiSan has posted a new HomePod prototype with a circular display several times. Unlike reports from Gurman and Kuo‚ Kosutami shows that Apple could be planning to modify the current display that only shows waves with a proper screen that adds information. https://twitter.com/KosutamiSan/status/1739573100604477766 Now‚ 9to5Mac's Filipe Espósito found references to an upcoming HomePod with a screen‚ which is in an "advanced stage of development." According to Espósito‚ here's what he could find with tvOS 17.4 beta: This unreleased device is identified as Z314 It is powered by an A15 Bionic chip (which both the newest Apple TV 4K and the iPad mini 6 also are) tvOS 17.4 beta 3 adds support to new SwiftUI frameworks for the Homepod‚ including a tool used to debug unresponsive UI in iOS apps. This all leads the journalist to believe Apple is indeed working on a HomePod with a screen. I hope Apple launches an Amazon Echo Show competitor instead of just a HomePod with a circular screen Apple could build the perfect Amazon Echo Show competitor with a HomePod with a screen. Image source: Amazon While the ultimate goal would be for Apple to expand its HomePod lineup with more than small and bigger versions‚ I feel like a HomePod with a circular display could be a nice addition. However‚ a HomePod with an iPad-like screen could be the ultimate combo. Imagine creating your perfect recipes in the kitchen by watching a video on this product‚ talking to someone over FaceTime‚ or even watching your favorite video clip with better audio than on your iPhone. This device could also be handy for controlling your home‚ such as seeing who's in your front door‚ controlling the thermostat‚ performing automation‚ etc. Lastly‚ this HomePod with a screen could complement the sound experience with a pair of other HomePod models. Wrap up Image source: José Adorno for BGR While I don't think Apple needs to create an Amazon Echo Show competitor‚ I think this could be the perfect way to expand the HomePod lineup. I love my pair of HomePod 2‚ and I hope Apple keeps expanding its smart speakers lineup with more options. If this device ever comes to life‚ I'm sure I'd have one in my office‚ another in my kitchen‚ and one at my bedside. The possibilities are endless‚ and they would only aggregate with users' existing HomePods. Don't Miss: tvOS 17: Features‚ release date‚ Apple TV compatibility‚ more The post There’s only one way Apple could make the perfect HomePod with a screen appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals This $16 clip-on lens kit fits the iPhone or any Android phone‚ and it’s awesome Amazon deal offers a 7-inch Android tablet for under $43 Save 61% on a 6-port USB rapid charger on Amazon Save 75% on a Canon black and white multifunction laser printer on Amazon

In what was thought to be a special election that would go down to the proverbial wire Tuesday‚ Democrat Tom Suozzi won the hotly contested race in New York's 3rd District by a surprisingly big margin.

The Kremlin‚ asked Wednesday about a possible prisoner exchange with the United States‚ restated its position that such cases can only be resolved "in silence‚" meaning it will not comment on the state of negotiations.

Microsoft said Wednesday it had detected and disrupted instances of U.S. adversaries - chiefly Iran and North Korea and to a lesser extent Russia and China - using or attempting to exploit generative artificial intelligence developed by the company and partner OpenAI.

Boasting heavily discounted items spanning from $3.79 reading glasses to $13.37 men's sneakers‚ e-commerce retailer Temu has quickly become a favorite among American consumers looking for ways to save money in the age of "Bidenomics" - but experts warn that the company's...