Another Bad Weekend at the Box Office for Disney

Aurorae‚ both northern and southern lights‚ are spectacular celestial phenomena‚ the complex interaction between our planet's magnetic field‚ the atmosphere‚ and the stream of particles that fly off from the Sun. The end product is magnificent‚ with colorful curtains that extend high into space. Sometimes‚ they can appear orange – but are they really this color?While colorful‚ the aurora display is not a complete set of Pantone samples. The lights are a specific color and this is due to how they are produced. Atoms in our atmosphere become ionized‚ they lose an electron‚ or their electrons move to an excited state‚ due to interaction with solar particles. The return to the status quo (regaining the electron‚ or the electron going back to the ground state) means that the atom loses energy‚ which is released as light.The world of atoms and molecules is quantized. The energy that the electron can have in an excited state is always the same‚ so the energy released as light is always the same color. So‚ the aurorae are mostly green because that’s the color released by oxygen‚ which is easy enough to excite.      There are other colors‚ not as common but also not terribly rare; for example‚ you can see the green lights accompanied by red ones. There are two sources for reds; the first‚ deeper red is from nitrogen atoms‚ which can also cause hints of purple‚ blue‚ and pink depending on the energy.But if the sun is particularly active‚ there can be red produced by oxygen. This is important at present – we are approaching the solar maximum‚ meaning more solar storms and solar flares‚ and thus more aurorae.  The header image and timelapse above were taken during a geomagnetic storm a few days ago.The excitations that produce red are fairly long-lived. Oxygen can be in an excited state for almost two minutes‚ so it happens only high in the atmosphere where collisions are rarer. Those are the red aurorae that are often seen topping the green ones.      We have covered the green and red (or even pink‚ purple‚ and blue)‚ but not orange. And yet‚ there’s orange and sometimes yellow in some northern lights – so what is going on? Well‚ it’s just our eyes and cameras playing a trick on us.Just like color filters on stage lightning can make things appear a different color‚ so the green and red aurora can appear to have an orange hue among them. It is not emitted by any atoms‚ but the orange aurora can be seen when the conditions are right.There is possibly a philosophical debate to be added about the existence or non-existence of the orange aurorae‚ but whether we consider it real or not‚ we can all agree that it looks very pretty.[H/T: SpaceWeather]

The small group of paleontologists that argue an outburst of volcanic activity rather than a massive asteroid impact was the underlying cause of the mass extinction that wiped out the largest animals to walk the Earth has received some inhuman support for their position. Others‚ however‚ argue that the way you phrase the question can shape the answer‚ and what is true for humans applies even more strongly for computers.To most people‚ the debate about what killed the non-avian dinosaurs was settled decades ago. We found the impact crater‚ the layer of metals from the asteroid‚ and the soot from the fires the impact started‚ with no dinosaur bones thereafter. Case closed‚ and to add a few more nails‚ we've found fossils from the very day the asteroid hit. Yet in the relevant fields‚ including geology and the biology of the era‚ a minority remains unconvinced.Although they acknowledge the asteroid (or comet) was devastating‚ this group argues the end of the dinosaurs was a slow-moving mass extinction‚ with global ecology unbalanced by volcanism. Unable to convince the scientific or popular majority‚ supporters of this view have found a new ally in artificial intelligence (AI).Dartmouth University graduate student Alex Cox fed more than 100 processors with geological and climatic data from the relevant era and had them explore the fossil record to see what might have caused extinctions around the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The system Cox and his supervisor Dr Brenhin Keller developed implies a different conclusion from most of the thousands of scientists who have explored the same data – but which is more reliable?Those who favor volcanoes as the true cause of the problem point to the 1.3 million cubic kilometers of basalt known as the Deccan Traps‚ which were laid down around the same time. Similarly-sized volcanic provinces elsewhere in the world have been associated with previous mass extinctions through the climatic changes unleashed by the gasses that accompanied all that lava.Much of the debate has been fought over whether dinosaurs and other species were in decline prior to the impact that formed the Chicxulub crater‚ or if there was just the usual turnover of species.Cox and colleagues looked at the evidence we have for changing levels of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere‚ and the consequences for the planet's temperature‚ over a 2-million-year period before and after the Cretaceous's end. Using a machine-learning model the pair noted resembles predictive text‚ the processors sought to work out which of 300‚000 scenarios provided the most likely explanation.“Part of our motivation was to evaluate this question without a predetermined hypothesis or bias‚” Cox said in a statement. “Most models move in a forward direction. We adapted a carbon-cycle model to run the other way‚ using the effect to find the cause through statistics‚ giving it only the bare minimum of prior information as it worked toward a particular outcome. In the end‚ it doesn’t matter what we think or what we previously thought — the model shows us how we got to what we see in the geological record.”By a remarkable coincidence‚ the eruptions that produced the Deccan traps started around 300‚000 years before the Chicxulub impact and continued for twice as long afterward.Although the computers noted a plunge in biological activity after the impact on a timescale too short to be from volcanism‚ they also indicated the climate changes required for a mass extinction were probably from the Traps alone.“Our model worked through the data independently and without human bias to determine the amount of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide required to produce the climate and carbon cycle disruptions we see in the geologic record. These amounts turned out to be consistent with what we expect to see in emissions from the Deccan Traps‚” said Keller.In other words‚ most dinosaurs might have been done for‚ even without the asteroid. Whether Cox and Keller's outcome wins wide acceptance is another matter. “So far‚ people in our field have been more fascinated by the novelty of the method than the conclusion we reached‚” Cox said. The same method could be used to explore other periods in Earth's history‚ and indeed its present.The general public may prove even harder to convince‚ and comparisons with predictive text may not help the pair's case among those who've actually used it.Cox and Keller conclude the asteroid made relatively little difference to the climate-forcing levels of carbon and sulfur in the atmosphere‚ but they do acknowledge the impact could have disrupted the food web in other ways. Despite their stress on the avoidance of human bias‚ their study's focus on these two gasses could represent bias of a different form.Those scientists who have commented publicly have generally expressed skepticism. “Like any model‚ output depends on input‚” Dr Sierra Peterson of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor told Science News. Peterson specifically questioned the reliance Cox and Keller placed on foraminifera shells to indicate global temperatures during the study period. Even if the asteroid didn't affect atmospheric composition that much‚ it could still have delivered death in other ways‚ she noted.There's an irony to this use of AI to try to umpire a debate about mass extinction. According to one study‚ asteroids and supervolcanoes are among the greatest threats to humanity‚ but so is AI. Perhaps Skynet would pick volcanoes as its ally.The study is published in Science. 

Rhinos are having something of a moment‚ from ambitious plans to rewild them across Africa‚ to cutting-edge technology bringing back ancient species DNA. Rhino calves are also popping up in the UK‚ and now the Sumatran rhinos are joining in with the birth of a new calf. At the Sumatran Rhino Reserve‚ Way Kambas National Park (SRS TNWK) in Indonesia the new calf was born to experienced mother Ratu on September 30. Ratu‚ who is a 23-year-old female Sumatran rhino‚ has previously had two other calves‚ in 2012 and in 2016.“This news is certainly happy news‚ not only for the Indonesian people but also the world. I give my highest appreciation to the parties involved in the birth of this Sumatran rhino. Hopefully‚ we can continue to receive happy news from the births of Sumatran rhinos and other protected animals in the future‚" said Siti Nurbaya Bakar‚ Minister of Environment and Forestry‚ in a press release.This birth of the female calf marks the fourth successful birth at SRS TNWK and increases the number of rhinos living at the reserve to nine.      "The main goal is to produce Sumatran rhino calves to maintain the survival of the Sumatran rhino species which is now threatened with extinction. In the future‚ Sumatran rhino calves resulting from the breeding program at SRS TNWK can be released back into their natural habitat‚" said Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation (KSDAE) KLHK‚ Satyawan Pudyatmoko. Sumatran rhinos are critically endangered and now only live in scattered small populations in forests across the Indonesian islands‚ where previously their range extended into Southern China‚ Thailand‚ and Cambodia. According to the IUCN Red List there are only around 30 mature individuals left in the wild‚ with the wild population having declined by 80 percent in the last 30 years. Across Sumatra the main threats are the problems associated with having a small population‚ human disturbance‚ and poaching. “This little rhino will be an incredible ambassador for the Government of Indonesia’s successful conservation breeding program‚ and essential for the future of this species. This birth is welcome news for us all!” said the International Rhino Foundation’s (IRF) executive director Nina Fascione‚ who was in Indonesia to celebrate the birth.  

In 1905‚ the remains of mummified baboons were discovered in Egypt‚ sparking over a century of speculation as to how they came to be so far from home. Now‚ in a study that marries biology and history to answer questions surrounding the origin of these ancient interlopers‚ we finally have some idea of where they came from and how they made it to their final resting place.The findings also shed some light on historic trade routes‚ including the location of a mysterious port city‚ and the cultural significance of these primates in ancient Egypt.The mummified monkeys‚ dated to Egypt’s Late Period around 800–540 BCE‚ were found missing their canine teeth at a site called Gabbanat el-Qurud‚ or “Valley of the Monkeys”. However‚ they are not native to Egypt – hamadryas baboons hail from the Horn of Africa and the southwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula.The species was sacred to ancient Egyptians‚ who mummified and offered them as votive tokens in homage to the deity Thoth – the god of learning and wisdom who was represented by a hamadryas baboon. But how did they come by them in the first place?In 2020‚ researchers traced their place of birth back to the Horn of Africa. Now‚ the University of Konstanz’s Gisela Kopp and co-authors have pinpointed this location further‚ in what is also the first successful analysis of ancient DNA from mummified non-human primates.Kopp’s novel method of genetic analysis involved studying the mitochondrial genomes of the animal mummies‚ and comparing them to extant baboons. Extracting DNA from one museum specimen‚ Kopp was able to narrow down the monkeys’ place of origin to a well-defined area around Eritrea – where the legendary port of Adulis was probably located.According to ancient texts‚ Adulis was a trading place for luxury goods and animals‚ which would explain how the baboons were shipped from their homeland to Egypt if not for the fact that it flourished long after the mummies were preserved.However‚ another port called Punt‚ from which Egypt imported goods until the first millennium BCE‚ is often quoted as the baboons’ place of origin. Unfortunately‚ its precise location is a mystery."Egyptologists have long puzzled over Punt‚ since some scholars have seen it as a location in early global maritime trade networks‚ and thus the starting point for economic globalization‚” Kopp said in a statement."The specimen we studied fits chronologically with the last known expeditions to Punt. Geographically‚ however‚ it fits Adulis‚ a location that‚ centuries later‚ was known as a trading place‚ also for primates.”Kopp and co-authors‚ therefore‚ suggest that Punt and Adulis are actually the same place‚ just with different names used at different time points."It was only after we put our biological findings in the context of historical research that the story really came together‚” Kopp added.We may have solved the mysteries of the mummified baboons’ origin – although questions remain about their true significance – and the location of Punt and Adulis‚ but ancient Egypt still keeps some secrets‚ like the strange crocodile skulls in the Theban Necropolis. What’s that about?The study is published in the journal eLife.An earlier version of this article was published in November 2023.

Have you ever wondered whether our long-extinct ancestors were capable of speaking like us? Well‚ recent research has shown that Neanderthals were in fact able to both perceive and produce human speech. The study was published in 2021 and was conducted by an international multidisciplinary team that investigated the evolution of language and linguistic capacities of Neanderthals. They did so by analyzing digital reconstructions of the bones in our ancient cousin’s skulls."This is one of the most important studies I have been involved in during my career‚" Rolf Quam‚ professor of anthropology at Bingham University‚ said in a statement. "The results are solid and clearly show the Neandertals had the capacity to perceive and produce human speech. This is one of the very few current‚ ongoing research lines relying on fossil evidence to study the evolution of language‚ a notoriously tricky subject in anthropology."For decades‚ a central question in the study of human evolution was whether spoken language‚ a hallmark of human communication‚ was also present in other hominid species‚ especially Neanderthals. This research allows us to draw some pretty significant conclusions to address this question.The team relied on high-resolution CT scans to create 3D virtual models of the ear structures of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals‚ as well as earlier fossils from Atapuerca‚ an archaeological site located in the north of Spain.3D model reconstruction of the ear in a modern human (left) and the ear of a Neanderthal (right).Image credit: Mercedes Conde-ValverdeThe data produced by the 3D models were then processed through a software-based model‚ which was developed in the field of auditory bioengineering. The software allowed the team to estimate hearing capabilities up to 5 kilohertz (kHz)‚ which matches the frequency range of modern human speech sounds. Compared to the fossils recovered from Atapuerca‚ the Neanderthals showed slightly better hearing capacity between 4-5 kHz‚ which is a close resemblance to modern humans. The team was also able to establish the extinct hominid’s “occupied bandwidth”‚ which is related to the communication system a creature can use. For instance‚ a wider bandwidth allows for a larger number of easily distinguishable acoustic signals to be used in a species’ oral communication system. This allows the creature to deliver a clear message in the shortest amount of time. The Neanderthals‚ they argued‚ show a wider bandwidth than their ancestors from Atapuerca‚ which also resembled modern humans. "This really is the key‚" said Mercedes Conde-Valverde‚ professor at the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain and lead author of the study. "The presence of similar hearing abilities‚ particularly the bandwidth‚ demonstrates that the Neandertals possessed a communication system that was as complex and efficient as modern human speech.""One of the other interesting results from the study was the suggestion that Neandertal speech likely included an increased use of consonants‚" said Quam. "Most previous studies of Neandertal speech capacities focused on their ability to produce the main vowels in English spoken language. However‚ we feel this emphasis is misplaced‚ since the use of consonants is a way to include more information in the vocal signal and it also separates human speech and language from the communication patterns in nearly all other primates. The fact that our study picked up on this is a really interesting aspect of the research and is a novel suggestion regarding the linguistic capacities in our fossil ancestors."This development in our understanding of Neanderthal communication capacities matches other archaeological work showing how complex their behavioral patterns were‚ including changes in stone tool technologies‚ domestication of fire and possible symbolic practices. "These results are particularly gratifying‚" said Ignacio Martinez‚ another of the study's authors‚ from Universidad de Alcalá in Spain. "We believe‚ after more than a century of research into this question‚ that we have provided a conclusive answer to the question of Neandertal speech capacities."The study is published in Nature Ecology &; Evolution.[H/T: Science Alert]

Rocky Kanaka‚ a TV host with a heart of gold‚ dedicates his life to helping dogs in need. His show‚ ‘Dog’s Day Out‚’ is more than just entertainment; it’s a lifeline for shelter dogs. Rocky takes these dogs on incredible adventures‚ turning the spotlight on them to help find their forever homes. Back in February‚... The post Team gives special-needs pup the shopping spree of a lifetime‚ buy her everything she touches appeared first on Animal Channel.

Panda bears‚ those majestic and captivating creatures‚ have a way of enchanting animal enthusiasts worldwide. It’s a rare treat to glimpse into their world‚ but some fortunate individuals get to interact with these magnificent animals every day. In the heart of Chengdu‚ Sichuan‚ China‚ lies the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. This non-profit... The post Panda Mama Does The Most “Mom” Thing Ever When Baby Returned To Cage appeared first on Animal Channel.

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