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The world’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood is quickly nearing completion, one layer at a time. Wolf Ranch is a community of 3D-printed houses found alongside the San Gabriel River in the hills of Georgetown, Texas, around 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Austin.Construction of the settlement began in 2022 with the project planning to build 100 homes, making it the largest community of 3D-printed homes. Just two years on, Wolf Ranch is now nearing completion, with the last few homes being printed this summer according to a recent report by Reuters.The town is a collaboration between ICON, a Texas-based start-up specializing in large-scale 3D printing, and Lennar, one of the biggest homebuilders in the US.Giant 3D printers in action at Wolf Ranch.Image credit: ICONEach building is constructed using a giant 3D printer that layers concrete and other materials in a pre-programmed design, building the house from the ground up. The legacy of this method is left within the houses’ walls, which are ribbed like corduroy. A standing seam metal roof is then placed on top of the building, adorned with solar panels to help power the home’s electricity. According to ICON, 3D printing allows their homes to be delivered at speed and scale in a way that’s energy efficient and minimizes material waste. It also, in their words, creates buildings that are “technologically advanced, environmentally sustainable and architecturally striking.”“For the first time in the history of the world, what we’re witnessing here is a fleet of robots building an entire community of homes. And not just any homes, homes that are better in every way… better design, higher strength, higher energy performance and comfort, and increased resiliency,” Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, said in a 2022 statement when building began.“In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began. We still have a long way to go, but I believe this marks a very exciting and hopeful turn in the way we address housing issues in the world,” explained Ballard.Inside one of the 3D printed homes at Wolf Ranch.Image credit: ICONAs the community approaches its completion, residents have already started moving in. There are eight different models of homes at Wolf Ranch. As of August 2024, the cheapest starts at around $430,000, offering 146 square meters (1,574 square feet) of space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Larger (and more expensive) models are up for grabs too.Along with a bunch of other Earth-bound projects in the works, ICON also has bold ambitions to eventually build “off-world” communities on the Moon and beyond. In 2022, the company received a $57.2 million contract from NASA to develop construction technologies that could help build 3D-printed infrastructure – like landing pads, roads, and houses – to the lunar surface and our planetary neighbor Mars.“To change the space exploration paradigm from ‘there and back again’ to ‘there to stay,’ we’re going to need robust, resilient, and broadly capable systems that can use the local resources of the Moon and other planetary bodies. We’re pleased that our research and engineering to-date has demonstrated that such systems are indeed possible, and we look forward to now making that possibility a reality,” said Ballard in an announcement of the NASA contract in 2022.

It's been a pretty good decade so far for witnessing cosmic events. As well as the total solar eclipse and the Sun approaching its peak in activity, creating stunning auroras on Earth, we will soon see an event first recorded in a medieval manuscript, when T Coronae Borealis goes nova.But look up at the night sky on pretty much any night (clouds and light pollution-permitting) and you will still see a spectacular sight, and stellar objects first witnessed by our ancestors long in the past.But what exactly are you looking at when you gaze up at the sky without a telescope? Stars? Galaxies? Planets?First off, as everybody tells you, when you look up at the sky you are seeing a whole lot of ancient history. The light left the objects you are looking at long ago, and has traversed many light-years to end its journey in your very own eyeballs. But it probably wasn't sent out quite as long ago as you think. The objects you see in the night sky without a telescope are only the brightest objects from our perspective. These are the planets, when they are in the right positions relative to us, and stars within a radius of about 4,000 light-years of us. Occasionally, people will tell you that you are looking at the light from a star that has died. But unless you are using a telescope this is probably not the case, given the enormous lifespan of stars ranging from millions to trillions (when that time has elapsed, of course) of years. You could get extremely lucky and notice one as it vanishes from the night sky, but in all likelihood if you see the light as it was sent out up to 4,000 years ago, the star is likely there today.You can also see our galaxy, the Milky Way, with your naked eye, looking like a sort of river across our sky, though it looks better with long exposure cameras.            So do you not see other galaxies? Well, you can see a few of our closest neighbors. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds – actually dwarf galaxies – are visible from the Southern Hemisphere, as well as Andromeda.But other galaxies? Not with the naked eye. In fact, it took us until relatively recently to know for sure that there are galaxies other than their own. Evidence had been found pointing towards the idea of "island universes" beyond the Milky Way by measuring the distance to cepheid variable stars in the early 20th century. But it wasn't until Edwin Hubble took a closer look at Andromeda – believed to be a nebula at the time – and found cepheids and measured their distance that we confirmed there was anything beyond our own galaxy. That was in 1924. After thousands of years of looking up at the sky, it was only a century ago that we learned there was anything beyond our galaxy at all. Since then, we have developed better telescopes, including the space one named for Hubble, and can resolve galaxies in much greater resolution. We've even begun to look at galaxies that formed just 400 million years after the Big Bang using the JWST. That's light which has been traversing the universe for almost the entire duration of the universe.But it could have been much worse, and in a way we were lucky(ish) to be placed close enough to Andromeda to realize how much more there is to see. If we were placed in the Boötes Void – an area of space with fewer galaxies than you'd expect – it would have taken us even longer.As astronomer Greg Aldering put it: "If the Milky Way had been in the center of the Boötes Void, we wouldn’t have known there were other galaxies until the 1960s.”So when you look up at the sky, you are enjoying the view of real, likely alive stars nearby, an occasional planet, our own galaxy, and a few galaxies that are close enough to see without the aid of a telescope.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

You’ve heard of porcupines, you’ve heard of rats, but have you ever seen an animal that’s a confusing mixture of the two… and also looks like someone made it out of the same stuff as a stiff broom? No? Then it’s time to introduce you to the bristle-spined rat.Bristle-spined rats: the basicsAlso known as thin-spined porcupines, bristle-spined rats (Chaetomys subspinosus) are a species of nocturnal rodent that were first reported in the scientific literature back in 1818, the only species belonging to their genus.Their defining characteristic is in the name – they’re covered in short, bristle-like spines that are usually brown, but occasionally grey. As for their size, bristle-spined rats are about the same length as a small cat, and weigh around 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds).They’re found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where they almost exclusively live up in the trees, chomping away at the leaves. Add to this their solitary nature, and bristle-spined rats can be pretty hard to spot.That could go a long way to explaining why it was thought they might have gone extinct back in the 20th century; no sightings of the rodents were reported for over 30 years, until Brazilian biologist Ilmar B. Santos rediscovered them in a northern region of the forest in December 1986.Classification controversyAs much as we humans like to categorize the world around us, it’s not always so easily done; despite having first been reported over 200 years ago, it’s only recently that the debate over how to classify the bristle-spined rat has been settled.The question – is it a member of the scientific family Erethizontidae, better known as the New World porcupines, or is it in the Echimyidae, the spiny rats?Is it a rat or is it a porcupine?Image credit: Leonardo Mercon/Shutterstock.comOne of the ways that scientists can try to group animals together is by comparing their physical characteristics, but it turns out ol’ spiky is a bit of a mishmash of the two families. Its feet, nose, and tail look like those of erethizontids, but other structures like its teeth have been suggested as closer to that of Echimyidae.After a lot of back and forth, with newer techniques like genetics providing evidence, the argument finally seems to have been resolved: the bristle-spined rat is an erethizontid (although a fresh debate quickly popped up in its place, as is the way of science).But why get so caught up in the classification of it all?Under threatIt might seem like pedantry, but debating the details of classification is actually pretty important – not just to get a better understanding of animals to satisfy scientific curiosity, but because of the real-world applications that has.One of those applications is conservation, which is particularly relevant to the bristle-spined rat as it’s currently considered a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, with its population decreasing.That’s largely been attributed to widespread deforestation in its habitat, although hunting of the rodents to use them as food or incorporating their spines in traditional medicine has also been identified as a major threat to the population.To help conserve the bristle-spined rat, researchers have identified a need to not only add greater protections against hunting and habitat loss, but also to improve people’s awareness of these bizarre, yet charming animals and their importance to the ecosystem.

The latest gene-edited food tipped to hit the shelves – potentially in a few short months – are new and improved leafy greens. With better taste and higher nutrition than your average lettuce, it could soon be spicing up salads, having recently been licensed by biotech giant Bayer.Last year, food startup Pairwise launched its gene-edited mustard greens: the first CRISPR food to hit the North American market. Engineered for improved flavor and higher nutritional content, the leafy greens were introduced to the food service industry in a select few cities – but should now become available to plenty more consumers thanks to Bayer.The company will be able to develop and commercialize 10 varieties of Pairwise’s gene-edited mustard greens and will be free to breed new varieties, which could see them reaching grocery stores as early as this year.“We hope to have product reaching kitchen and dinner tables in the fall,” Anne Williams, head of protected crops in Bayer’s vegetable seeds division, told Wired.The edited salad leaves are a mixture of multi-use mustard green varieties engineered by Pairwise to have a less intense, bitter flavor, while still retaining their nutritional value. “We think people will really like the taste,” Williams added.To create the greens, Pairwise used a type of gene editing known as CRISPR, which essentially uses “genetic scissors” to snip DNA. As such, it can be used to edit genes by facilitating the removal, addition, modification, or replacement of genetic material. Crucially, gene editing does not involve the insertion of foreign genetic material, which means it is distinct from often-vilified genetic modification (GM).Because gene-edited crops contain no added DNA, in many places – including the US – they are not subject to the same stringent regulations as GM crops. In recent years, we’ve seen all sorts of edited products popping up: from the tomato that debuted in Japan in 2021, becoming the world’s first CRISPR-edited food to go on sale, to genetically engineered pigs, and now salad.“We’re excited to partner with Pairwise on their innovative leafy greens, which deliver a new, great-tasting salad option with high nutrition value,” said JD Rossouw, Head of Vegetables Research & Development at Bayer, in a statement. “The latest deal creates value beyond just selling a product, as it also comes with rights to use the knowledge, intellectual property, and technology going forward.”And why stop there? Pairwise is continuing to use CRISPR to innovate food and agriculture, including creating the first seedless blackberry.

Recent archaeological research in Israel may have uncovered the remains of an ancient temple that could be connected to events described in the New Testament. This discovery in the ancient city of Chorazin might be the very place where Jesus performed miracles and preached, reports Arkeonews. According to the New Testament, Jesus preached sermons and performed miracles in the synagogue located in Chorazin. Although the remains of a temple from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD were found there, evidence of a structure from the time of Jesus has been missing until now. However, a new discovery may confirm the existence of such a temple from that era. Ahiya Cohen-Tavor, lead archaeologist at Dagesh Tourist Archaeology, called the find one of the most important of his career. His team discovered large boulders beneath the floor of a 3rd-century AD synagogue, which indicates a more ancient foundation. When archaeologists excavated these stones, they discovered pottery, coins, and utensils that could be dated back to the 1st century AD. “While the stones themselves cannot be dated, the artifacts between them can,” Cohen-Tavor explained. These finds provide important clues about the existence of a 1st century AD synagogue. BC, although further analysis is required to fully understand its historical significance. Synagogue of the 3rd century AD BC, first discovered in 1905, was built of basalt stone and had Jewish motifs. Her design included three entrances, one of which was directed south to Jerusalem, which reflected the architectural norms of the time. A unique feature of this synagogue is the “Moses Chair,” a stone seat on which the Torah reader sat, similar to those found in other early synagogues, notably on the island of Delos in Greece and at Hammat of Tiberias near the Sea of ​​Galilee. It is likely that Jesus may have used such a seat when he taught in the Galilean synagogues. The discovery at Chorazin may provide concrete evidence of the temple where Jesus is believed to have taught and performed miracles. The team of archaeologists remains optimistic that the artifacts will provide definitive evidence that will potentially change our understanding of this historical period and offer new insights into the roots of early Christianity. The post Biblical synagogue where Jesus preached discovered in ancient Israeli city appeared first on Anomalien.com.

No matter how old you get, name-calling politicians never gets old. Especially when those politicians do things like advocate for tampons in little boys' restrooms and medically altering a child without their parents' permission — like Harris’ VP pick, Tim Walz. “Tampon Tim,” Liz Wheeler says cheerfully. “I’m really happy about this, not only because it’s funny — it is. It’s hilarious. But also because to be honest, Republicans misfired a little bit when Kamala Harris staged that coup against Joe Biden and then was installed as Democratic nominee for president.” This is why Wheeler is so grateful for Elon Musk and X — because without the social media platform, Walz would have been branded as “coach.” “In that rally that Kamala and Tim Walz did yesterday, she literally called him ‘coach,’” Wheeler says. “She is trying so hard to make him this midwestern values dad who’s relatable to the every white man.” Another great nickname was “Crooked Hillary.” “Crooked Hillary was, I would argue, one of the most effective political nicknames of all time because of two reasons. The number one reason is because people who didn’t like Hillary Clinton didn’t like her because she was untrustworthy,” Wheeler explains. The second reason was because people believed she was corrupt. “So using the name crooked Hillary evokes both of those things,” she continues, noting that now Kamala Harris has a new nickname as well — but it's not as good as the former two. “Laughin’ Kamala,” Wheeler begins. “It’s not a good one. It’s not a good nickname. It’s not effective because it is based solely on a mannerism of Kamala Harris, and it’s a mannerism that isn’t a turnoff to independent voters, to women voters, or to young people.” “I’ve been calling her Kamala the Commie,” she continues. “It has a nice rhyming element to it and it also reminds us that she supports, to this day, the neo-Marxist black lives matter movement, that her father was a Marxist professor, that she believes in open borders.” “All of which: communist policies,” she adds. Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, 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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