Mass Layoffs at LA Times and Taylor Lorenz Worries About the Trend

A species of fungus that has decimated bat populations around the world has been detected in the intestines of the famous mummy known as Ötzi. Discovered in 1991 in the mountains bordering Italy and Austria‚ the so-called Iceman is believed to have lived around 5‚200 years ago and is the oldest natural mummy ever found in Europe.Previous research has indicated that by the time he died at the age of about 45‚ Ötzi’s stomach was riddled with parasites and bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori. These microbes have been associated with stomach ulcers and can even cause stomach cancer‚ all of which suggesting that the Iceman probably suffered from some pretty severe belly pain.Add a bunch of clogged arteries to the picture and life starts to look rather grim for the old boy. Depending on how you look at it‚ then‚ his murder by an unknown archer either adds to the misery or provides an end to a rather uncomfortable existence.Peering deeper into Ötzi’s intestinal misfortunes‚ the authors of an as-yet un-peer-reviewed study have examined the fungal DNA present in the mummy’s gut. Among the most prevalent species detected in his stomach and small intestine was a pathogenic fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans.A psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus‚ the species is best known for causing the deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS) that has wiped out huge numbers of bats. According to the researchers‚ “Ötzi may have consumed these fungi accidentally‚ likely in association with other elements of his diet‚ and they thrived in his gut after his death due to their adaptability to harsh and cold environments.”Indeed‚ the authors go on to explain that the species is capable of growing at temperatures of up to -20°C (-4°F)‚ and that it could therefore have continued to proliferate in Ötzi’s innards as he lay frozen in a glacier for thousands of years. Exactly how the fungus might have affected his health is unknown‚ although the researchers say that the “opportunistic pathogen” can cause “infections in the skin and respiratory tract.”According to the United States Geological Survey‚ there are no known cases of human illness caused by WNS‚ despite the fact that thousands of people have come into contact with infected bats. The risk that P. destructans would have posed to Ötzi is therefore unclear‚ although it’s worth noting that biologists wear protective clothing when entering bat caves known to harbor the fungus - just in case.Unable to draw any firm conclusion regarding the significance of their findings‚ the study authors ultimately state that “the presence of Pseudogymnoascus in the gut of the Iceman presents a complex puzzle.” If nothing else‚ though‚ this discovery does at least contribute to our understanding of Ötzi’s surprisingly cosmopolitan intestines.The study is currently available as a preprint on BioRxiv.

A new material that could dramatically reduce the amount of lithium used in batteries has been identified by artificial intelligence (AI). Discoveries like this would have taken years in times gone by‚ but sky-rocketing computer power now means they can be found in days.The new material was recently sniffed out during a joint venture by Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)‚ which employed the help of advanced AI and high-performance computing (HPC)‚ a type of cloud-based computing that uses large numbers of computers to solve complex scientific and mathematical tasks.The system analyzed over 32 million potential inorganic materials and‚ within just 80 hours‚ it managed to weedle this down to 18 promising candidates that could be used in battery development. Humans then tested these candidates and discovered one electrolyte that looked particularly promising.Lithium-ion batteries are set to become an invaluable tool in the transition towards sustainable energy. Given their growing importance‚ demand for lithium is expected to rise five to 10 times by the end of this decade‚ according to the US Department of Energy.However‚ there are many hurdles to overcome. Natural deposits of lithium are relatively scarce‚ while mining can be costly‚ damaging to the environment and local communities‚ and prone to rile up geopolitical conflict. This is why scientists‚ as well as the powers that be‚ are so keen to find materials that could be used as a substitute.  Samples of the new solid electrolyte discovered by Microsoft AI and HPC tools.Image credit: Dan DeLong/MicrosoftThe material is a solid-state electrolyte. It was thought that sodium ions and lithium ions couldn’t be used together in a single solid-state electrolyte system due to their chemical qualities‚ but the AI system indicated that such a material was possible. When the researchers tested the idea‚ it turned out to be true. Since the electrolyte uses both lithium and sodium‚ as well as some other elements‚ it reduces the amount of required lithium by as much as 70 percent. The researchers at Microsoft and PNNL have since synthesized the material and used it to make functional prototype batteries. They’re currently in the lengthy process of testing these batteries to see how they hold up in the real world.Tasks like this‚ which essentially involve sifting through colossal amounts of data‚ are perfect for AI. A similar way in which this technology is being able is discovering new pharmacological compounds and drugs. In 2020‚ researchers from MIT used a specially designed computer algorithm to sift through a vast digital archive of over 100 million chemical compounds and managed to identify a powerful antibiotic that’s even able to kill superbugs.“We’re sitting on the precipice of this maturation of the artificial intelligence models‚ the computational power needed to train and make them useful‚ and the ability to train them on specific scientific domains with specific intelligence‚” Brian Abrahamson‚ the chief digital officer at PNNL‚ said in a statement. “That‚ we believe‚ is going to usher in a new era of acceleration. That is exciting because these problems matter to the world.”The paper‚ which has yet to be peer-reviewed‚ was recently posted on the preprint site arXiv.

It’s now legal for authorities in the Netherlands to shoot wolves with paintball guns‚ after a court ruling on Wednesday deemed it an appropriate measure to deal with “a serious threat to public safety”.The move comes after wolves in Hoge Veluwe National Park‚ in the Gelderland province of the country‚ became increasingly less fearful of human visitors to the park. A widely shared video posted to X shows just how little fear the wolves have‚ strolling past a young family at a pant-poopingly close distance.    IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Though it would be easy to perceive this as friendly or unbothered behavior‚ the court ruling came with a reminder that wolves are still very much wild animals. “The fact that the wolf seems to be less and less afraid of people does not mean that the animal can no longer become aggressive and bite‚” The Guardian reports the ruling said.According to the court proceedings‚ other attempts to scare off the wolves‚ such as shouting‚ haven’t worked‚ leaving park rangers with few options that also presented no harm to the animals. The idea of using paintball guns was first proposed in 2022‚ and if the new law aligns with that proposal‚ it’s only the park rangers who’ll be allowed to use the guns.The benefits of the guns could be two-fold: it’s hoped that they will keep the wolves at least 30 meters (100 feet) away from people‚ but also make it easier to identify which wolves have already been hit and thus most prone to getting too close.Although this unusual behavior appears to be isolated to this particular park for now‚ there's a concern that it could be seen elsewhere. Wolves have had one of the biggest comebacks seen in Europe (besides ABBA‚ that is)‚ after intense hunting very nearly led to their extinction (not what happened to ABBA). Then‚ in the last 20 years or so‚ legal protections and habitat restoration saw wolf populations rapidly increase.   Though their flourishing has been welcomed by some‚ others aren’t quite so keen‚ namely because of the wolves seeing livestock as a tasty snack and‚ as witnessed in the Netherlands‚ getting a little too close to the locals. As a result‚ some have called for the protection status of wolves to be reduced from “strictly protected” to “protected”‚ an option that is being explored by the European Commission. This has caused some concern over whether wolves could become persecuted once again‚ to which the organization stated: “The wolf will remain a protected species under both the EU and international legislation‚ and the obligation to achieve favourable conservation status will remain.”That’s where this latest ruling fills in the gap‚ though only time will tell if the paintball gun measure will have a noticeable impact on the wolves' behavior.

A sample of reports related to extraterrestrial intelligence will give you two things: pseudoscientific accounts that aliens have visited Earth based on little to no evidence‚ and scientific searches with no sign of progress. It’s easy therefore to consign the idea of aliens to‚ if not quite the same folder as fairies‚ at least “hobbits” still surviving on Flores. That is‚ something that isn’t quite impossible but is so unlikely there is no reason to bother.However‚ there are good reasons why money and brain power continue to be invested in SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). Here are six of them:Rocky planets like Earth are not rareWe have known for a long time that there are a phenomenal number of stars in the galaxy‚ now estimated at more than 100 billion‚ let alone in the universe as a whole. However‚ life (probably) requires planets‚ not just stars. At one point‚ it was thought planets only formed under very rare circumstances – another star passing a developing system at just the right time – which would have cast serious doubt over the prospects for life elsewhere.Even once the current model for planetary systems became dominant‚ questions remained. Perhaps planets‚ or at least Earth-like planets‚ were very rare for some reason we hadn’t identified. However‚ the abundance of data from the Kepler and TESS telescopes‚ backed up by other methods of planet detection‚ reveals that rocky planets are very common indeed. Some systems have at least seven‚ and possibly more are waiting to be found. Most of the rocky planets we have found so far are too close to their stars to be ideal candidates‚ but that’s only because planets in those locations are easier to find. The longer we search‚ the better prospects we find. It’s clear our galaxy is teaming with places where life could exist‚ and the same is almost certainly true in other galaxies‚ and possibly globular clusters‚ as well.Even if only one in a billion end up inhabited by someone capable of building a spaceship‚ that still means we’re not alone.The seven Earth-size planets of TRAPPIST-1.Image credit: California Academy of Sciences/Dan Tell/NASA/JPL-CaltechLife’s early start on EarthWe still don’t know exactly how life started on Earth‚ even if we’ve found a few steps in the chain. Consequently‚ it’s technically possible the existence of life is a freakish event that has happened so seldom it’s never led to another species capable of advanced technology.Nevertheless‚ we know that life got started on Earth very early‚ possibly about as early as it could without being walloped by space rocks so big they make the dino-killer look puny. It’s been compared to buying a weekly ticket in a lottery where you don’t know the odds (although why you would do is beyond us). If you win on the first draw‚ you might just be very‚ very lucky‚ but it’s more likely the odds just weren’t that long.If it wasn’t so hard for life to evolve here‚ it shouldn’t be harder on many similar planets.Life finds a way under such extreme conditions on EarthOnce life does evolve‚ it has an astonishing capacity to occupy some truly foreboding niches. From the heat and pressure around (and beneath) hydrothermal vents‚ to the freezing cold of Antarctica‚ the dryness of the Atacama‚ and the hyper-salinity of some desert pools‚ even in conditions that kill 99.99 percent of life on Earth‚ something manages to make its home.There’s no reason to think extraterrestrial life would be any less resilient. In which case‚ the prospects for life both evolving – and flourishing – elsewhere seem particularly good. Life may have no inbuilt tendency to progress towards intelligence‚ but the more diversity exists‚ the higher the chance some will eventually get smart.It’s not that surprising we haven’t found the signs of lifeWe’ve been looking for signs of life on other worlds longer than most readers have been alive. This has led some people to reverse the lottery analogy used above. If you enter a lottery long enough and don’t win‚ you might not just be unlucky; maybe the chances are very small‚ or the game may even be rigged.The problem with that conclusion is that we really have not looked that hard. Most of our efforts to find life outside the solar system would only work if aliens were either very‚ very nearby (on cosmic scales)‚ were advertising their presence very loudly‚ or were sending messages straight at us. There’s no reason to expect any of these things to be true‚ even if there are a great many advanced civilizations already in existence. Techniques capable of detecting more modest signals‚ or picking them up at greater distances‚ only started last year. Unless we expect to find societies at least as advanced as us on almost every habitable rock‚ there’s just no reason to expect to have found anything yet.  We may be using the wrong techniques to lookThere’s also the question of whether we’ve even got our methods right. It’s possible the universe is abuzz with intelligent chatter‚ and we’re just not tuned into the right frequency (metaphorically‚ but perhaps also literally). Our searches for alien communication are reminiscent of the proverbial drunk looking for their keys under a streetlamp because the light is better there.We’re doing a little better than the character in that story‚ who famously knew he’d dropped his keys elsewhere‚ but couldn’t be bothered hunting in the dark. In our case‚ the radio frequencies that have been the focus of our search for alien chatter have been picked in part because they make some sense. However‚ it’s also true that we’ve mostly looked in ways that are cheap and (relatively) easy. If highly advanced species communicate between worlds using lasers‚ or something we can’t yet imagine‚ we’d have no way of tapping in just yet.Expectations of space travel are based on quite dubious assumptionsWhen Fermi constructed his famous paradox‚ he wondered why the aliens were not visiting us already. We still don’t know‚ but in the time since‚ people have come up with a great many explanations‚ some quite plausible‚ and only a few of these require there to be no aliens.Put simply‚ space is big. Sailing across the Atlantic was once seen as an epic voyage‚ but that only took nine weeks‚ even with the rickety ships that first made it. Unless there is a way around the light barrier‚ space travel is orders of magnitude longer‚ as well as more expensive. The assumption that pretty much as soon as anyone invents space flight they’ll be colonizing the galaxy‚ is based on confidence about alien psychology that has little basis. It may be that interstellar travel is so expensive‚ it’s only done in extreme situations‚ and many places are left in peace.Addendum on “belief”Whenever the words “belief” or “believe” get used in a popular science article‚ some may want to rubbish the terms‚ deeming it incompatible with evidence‚ particularly on a topic like this. We put believe in our headline because when it’s used in conversation‚ it’s with a more nuanced meaning. On the available evidence‚ it makes sense to believe alien species at least as advanced as us are likely to exist in the galaxy. It does not‚ however‚ make sense to believe they’re regularly buzzing Earth and abducting travelers‚ or that they built the pyramids before heading off and taking their technology with them.

The Moon used to be hotter‚ but it has cooled down with time. This has a major consequence: The Moon is shrinking. It won’t collapse on itself like a soufflé – it is still made of rocks after all. But just like a grape dehydrating into a raisin‚ the shrinking moon is getting more wrinkles. And with those‚ there are moonquakes and landslides.New research investigated the effect that recorded moonquakes might have on the surface of the Moon‚ in particular around the lunar South Pole. That is an area of great interest for future human and robotic exploration. The work found that some surface slopes in the area are particularly vulnerable to coming apart from the shaking.“You can think of the moon’s surface as being dry‚ grounded gravel and dust. Over billions of years‚ the surface has been hit by asteroids and comets‚ with the resulting angular fragments constantly getting ejected from the impacts‚” co-author Professor Nicholas Schmerr‚ from the University of Maryland‚ said in a statement. “As a result‚ the reworked surface material can be micron-sized to boulder-sized‚ but all very loosely consolidated. Loose sediments make it very possible for shaking and landslides to occur.”The magenta dots are the possible epicenters of the strong quake at the South Pole. The light blue squares are possible landing sites for Artemis IIIImage Credit: NASA/LRO/LROC/ASU/Smithsonian InstitutionShallow moonquakes‚ as the name suggests‚ are not very deep‚ coming from 50–220 kilometers (30 to 135 miles) below the surface. They are not very powerful either. The strongest on record was at most a magnitude 5.7‚ originating in the Southern Polar region. While weaker than Earth’s counterparts‚ moonquakes last for hours‚ making them a concern that should not be underestimated.“Our modeling suggests that shallow moonquakes capable of producing strong ground shaking in the south polar region are possible from slip events on existing faults or the formation of new thrust faults‚” said the study’s lead author Thomas R. Watters‚ a senior scientist emeritus in the National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies.“The global distribution of young thrust faults‚ their potential to be active and the potential to form new thrust faults from ongoing global contraction should be considered when planning the location and stability of permanent outposts on the moon.”          Researchers continue to work to understand the areas of the Moon that might have significant seismic risk. These areas will have to be avoided for future permanent settlements – but even short sojourns might be at risk if they get too close to the shaky slopes.“As we get closer to the crewed Artemis mission’s launch date‚ it’s important to keep our astronauts‚ our equipment and infrastructure as safe as possible‚” Schmerr said. “This work is helping us prepare for what awaits us on the moon—whether that’s engineering structures that can better withstand lunar seismic activity or protecting people from really dangerous zones.”The paper is published in The Planetary Science Journal.

Earlier this week‚ for only the eighth time ever‚ an asteroid that actually came with a rare 95-minute warning exploded in the sky over Germany and the hunt began for any potential pieces of meteorite that survived burning up in the atmosphere and fell to Earth. Now‚ researchers think they have found them. Fragments of asteroid 2024 BX1 about the size of a walnut have been recovered by researchers from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and colleagues‚ and will be now examined to confirm they come from the celestial object. 2024 BX1 was only the eighth-ever object predicted to have a 100 percent chance of colliding with Earth.The asteroid was first detected about three hours before impact. Krisztián Sárneczky at Piszkéstet Mountain Station of the Konkoly Observatory near Budapest‚ Hungary spotted it in the sky and reported the finding to the Minor Planet Center. This is the international system containing a database of all the small bodies that move through the Solar System. The data is then shared automatically with other astronomers.This system is not fool-proof‚ as we have recently learned with the dangerous asteroid that never existed‚ but it’s better to have some false positives and catch all the real ones‚ too. Thanks to Scout‚ another automated system that tracks the trajectory of newly discovered objects‚ it became clear that asteroid 2024 BX1 was going to slam into Earth.The meteorite as it was found on the ground.Image Credit: Cevin DettlaffThe bright fireball from the object was seen as far away from the Czech Republic. The fragments (if they survived the destruction of their parent body) were expected to fall west of Berlin‚ in Havelland where these small fragments have been found.2024 BX1 had an estimated size of about 1 meter (3 feet)‚ which isn't even worth measuring in giraffes‚ so it did not raise any major alarm bells. Disintegration as it passed through the atmosphere was a certainty. But collecting the potential surviving pieces is very important. If they are caught early enough‚ then they will remain relatively unexposed to Earth‚ potentially providing almost pristine samples of asteroids – not as good as what missions like OSIRIS-REx brought back‚ but this was home-delivered.  Research on meteorites and sample retrieval missions are vital in helping us answer fundamental questions about the formation of the Solar System. Asteroid prediction systems are also vital for Earth's safety‚ showing that a potentially threatening object that could cause some damage can be detected with time to notify or evacuate the affected population. There are still limitations to our planetary defense systems but in the last few years‚ there have been incredible strides forward in protecting humanity from possibly dangerous near-Earth Objects.

Color-changing cars have suddenly sped into reality and could soon be making their way to a highway near you. So‚ who’s developing this dazzling technology? How does it work? And what hurdles are there to overcome?How do color changing cars work?The first color-changing car to be revealed to the public was BMW’s iX Flow‚ which made its debut at CES 2022 in Las Vegas. Billed as “the world’s first color-changing car‚” the vehicle allowed users to switch the car’s exterior color between black‚ white‚ or a blend of shades with the press of a button. The idea was that drivers could opt for white on hot days to reflect the sun’s energy and black on cold ones to absorb it.It works using Electronic Paper Display (EPD) technology. The car is coated with an electrophoretic film that features millions of microcapsules‚ no wider than a human hair. Each capsule contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments that only become visible when the appropriate electrical field is run through it.           BMW i Vision DEEAt CES 2023‚ BMW released a new model of color-changing car – the BMW i Vision Dee – that could produce all the colors of the rainbow‚ not just monochrome shades. The car uses similar technology to the iX Flow‚ but is capable of producing up to 32 different colors.The body of the i Vision Dee is comprised of 240 different sections that change color independently‚ allowing the car to display multi-colored patterns. All of the commands can be instructed through voice control and will be delivered within seconds. The "Dee" in the name stands for Digital Emotional Experience‚ which BMW says underlines their hope to “reinforce the emotional connection between cars and people.”“With the BMW i Vision Dee‚ we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way‚ we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and‚ also‚ for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure‚” Oliver Zipse‚ Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG‚ said in a statement.          Color changing car lawsLaws and regulations could be a possible hurdle for color-changing cars hitting the market. As it stands‚ there are no laws related to vehicles that can immediately change color using electricity. However‚ under current regulations in the US‚ car owners are required to inform the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and their insurance provider if they change the predominant color of their vehicle. Likewise in the UK‚ drivers must inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and their insurer.It’s not clear yet how this framework will apply to cars that can instantly change their color with a simple voice command. 

In the heart of Cebu‚ Philippines‚ a remarkable story unfolded just a day before Christmas. Blacky‚ a local dog‚ persistently barked and chased after a motorcyclist passing through Magkagong‚ a mountainous area in Sibonga. Intrigued by Blacky’s unusual behavior‚ the biker‚ Junrell Fuentes Revilla‚ decided to investigate. Following the dog‚ he was led to a... The post Dog barks insistently at biker then leads him to moving bundle at dumpsite appeared first on Animal Channel.

In a heartwarming tale that’s like something out of a movie‚ a stray dog picks his new family in an extraordinary way – by hopping into their car! This lovely story‚ showcased by The Dodo‚ starts with a woman finding a stray dog in her garage. What follows is a heart-touching journey for both the... The post Woman opens up her car in garage and finds stray dog nestled in passenger seat appeared first on Animal Channel.