The semi-Dirac fermion was spotted at the crossing point of two energy paths.(Shao et al., Physical Review X, 2024)
Scientists have made a satisfying and intriguing physics discovery some 16 years after it was first predicted to be a possibility: a quasiparticle (a group of particles behaving as one) that only has an effective mass when moving in one direction.
In physics, mass generally refers to a property of particles that relates to things like their energy and resistance to movement. Yet not all mass is built the same – some describes the energy of a particle at rest, for example, while mass may also take into account the energy of a particle’s motion.
In this case, the effective mass describes the quasiparticle’s response to forces, which varies depending on whether the movement through the material is up and down, or back and forth.
Whereas regular quasiparticles have the same mass no matter what their direction of travel, the semi-Dirac fermion (to give it its technical name) being studied here doesn’t seem to play by the normal rules.
It’s a discovery that could make a fundamental difference in fields such as quantum physics and electronic sensors.
The new quasiparticle was discovered by an international team of scientists inside a ZrSiS semi-metal crystal, cooled down to -452 degrees Fahrenheit (or -269 degrees Celsius) – an extreme set of conditions for an extremely rare quasiparticle.
An illustration of the ZrSiS structure near a crossing point – with the semi-Dirac a black sphere. (Shao et al., Physical Review X, 2024)
Particles can generally be described as bosons or fermions, depending on a measure of a property called spin. Dirac fermions – in both typical and quasiparticle form – have properties that come in opposing particle and antiparticle forms.
This semi-Dirac fermion detailed in the new study is a strange beast of a thing that only existed in theory up until now, operating under very different guidelines of energy in perpendicular directions.
“This was totally unexpected,” says condensed matter physicist Yinming Shao, from Pennsylvania State University. “We weren’t even looking for a semi-Dirac fermion when we started working with this material, but we were seeing signatures we didn’t understand.”
“It turns out we had made the first observation of these wild quasiparticles that sometimes move like they have mass and sometimes move like they have none.”
The researchers were using a scientific analysis method known as magneto-optical spectroscopy when they made the discovery. It’s where materials are studied via the infrared light reflections they give off, under the influence of a strong magnetic field.
And we do mean strong: some 900,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, courtesy of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida. These are the exotic conditions scientists use to study the rarest interactions at the smallest scales.
From there, the semi-Dirac fermion activity was observed and identified, with the help of some numerical modeling: being massless in one direction (with all its energy described by its movement), but having effective mass in another. Fortunately for the non-physicists, the researchers provide an analogy.
“Imagine the particle is a tiny train confined to a network of tracks, which are the material’s underlying electronic structure,” says Shao.
“Now, at certain points the tracks intersect, so our particle train is moving along its fast track, at light speed, but then it hits an intersection and needs to switch to a perpendicular track.
“Suddenly, it experiences resistance, it has mass. The particles are either all energy or have mass depending on the direction of their movement along the material’s ‘tracks’.”
It’s a notable moment in physics, including for those who first hypothesized the phenomena back in 2008. There’s still a lot to explore here though – including figuring out how to extract single layers from the multi-layered ZrSiS crystal – before we can start thinking about its full implications and any practical uses.
“The most thrilling part of this experiment is that the data cannot be fully explained yet,” says Shao.
“There are many unsolved mysteries in what we observed, so that is what we are working to understand.”
The research has been published in Physical Review X.
The rover trekked nearly 2,000 feet to get out of the crater, where it will explore a 4-billion-year-old environment.
A view from the Perseverance rover. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Well, look at that. The Perseverance rover has clambered out of the crater that’s been its cradle for nearly four years on the Red Planet.
Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021. The rover is charged with looking for biosignatures—evidence that the inhospitable world was not only once capable of supporting life, but actually did. To quickly sum what the rover has been up to:
Percy has been toiling on the Martian surface for the past 3.5 years. In its tenure, the rover has drilled into rocks, taken images of the Martian surface and the Mars helicopter Ingenuity, and compiled a collection of rock samples that will hopefully— someday—be brought to Earth for study.
The rover landed in Jezero Crater, which once held a large lake. The crater was formed by an impact event some 3.9 billion years ago. On the crater’s western edge was a river delta, which contains compelling rocks that researchers are eager to study on Earth—eventually.
In a session held yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Perseverance project scientists discussed Perseverance’s new environment, and what’s in store for the rover as it continues its trek across the rusty terrain. Briony Horgan, a planetary scientist at Purdue University and co-investigator on the Perseverance mission, hopped on the phone with Gizmodo to discuss what’s next.
“On the crater rim itself is terrain that was uplifted by the impact,” Horgan said. “What’s really exciting about that is that we’re now above the place where there was standing water. We can actually see the rocks that were there before the impact—really ancient stuff.”
The name of the game for Perseverance is: weird rocks. The rover team has been imaging and sampling bits of the Martian terrain that have strange appearances or chemical compositions, such as the “leopard spot” rocks revealed in July. These rocks could offer hints at ancient life, but also the evolution of Mars itself. Since ancient Mars is theorized to have been Earth-like, these rocks can shed light on how our world ended up verdant and wet and Mars ended up so—well—Martian.
“One of the reasons we’re excited about the crater rim is that impact craters generate heat from this big impact,” Horgan said. “It drives hydrothermal systems through the crust, and those are really habitable environments.”
The Perseverance samples will be game-changing, allowing scientists to interrogate Mars’ ancient past in a way that is very difficult, if not impossible, to do remotely with a rover from over 100 million miles away.
As Perseverance peers into Mars superlatively ancient past, scientists can glean information about its ancient potential to host microbial life and the way the planet became the arid, rocky, windswept world we know today.
“These are one-of-a-kind samples that will teach us about almost every aspect of the early solar system and how planets evolve,” Horgan said, “and they’ll keep doing that for decades to come.”
It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait for NASA to find the funding and the right plan to bring the samples home—it’s hard to hold ones’ breath for more than a minute, much less years—but the wait will surely be worth it. Until then, there are plenty of insights to be gleaned remotely, as Perseverance begins its work with some of the solar system’s most ancient rocks.
Summary: New research refines the timeline of interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals, showing it began about 50,500 years ago and lasted roughly 7,000 years. This gene flow left non-African populations with 1-2% Neanderthal ancestry, contributing beneficial traits like immune resilience and skin pigmentation.
The study also identified Neanderthal deserts—regions in human genomes devoid of Neanderthal genes—likely caused by lethal gene variants. These findings deepen our understanding of human adaptation, migration, and the genetic legacy from Neanderthals and other ancient hominins.
Key Facts
Timeline: Neanderthals and modern humans interbred for about 7,000 years, starting 50,500 years ago.
Genetic Impact: Neanderthal genes boosted immunity, skin pigmentation, and adaptation to harsh climates.
Genome Deserts: Areas lacking Neanderthal genes formed rapidly, suggesting lethal gene incompatibilities.
Source: UC Berkeley
A new analysis of DNA from ancient modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe and Asia has determined, more precisely than ever, the time period during which Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, starting about 50,500 years ago and lasting about 7,000 years — until Neanderthals began to disappear.
That interbreeding left Eurasians with many genes inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors, which in total make up between 1% and 2% of our genomes today.
The genome-based estimate is consistent with archeological evidence that modern humans and Neanderthals lived side-by-side in Eurasia for between 6,000 and 7,000 years.
The new dates also imply that the initial migration of modern humans from Africa into Eurasia was basically over by 43,500 years ago. Credit: Neuroscience News
The analysis, which involved present-day human genomes as well as 58 ancient genomes sequenced from DNA found in modern human bones from around Eurasia, found an average date for Neanderthal-Homo sapiens interbreeding of about 47,000 years ago. Previous estimates for the time of interbreeding ranged from 54,000 to 41,000 years ago.
The new dates also imply that the initial migration of modern humans from Africa into Eurasia was basically over by 43,500 years ago.
“The timing is really important because it has direct implications on our understanding of the timing of the out-of-Africa migration as most non-Africans today inherit 1-2% ancestry from Neanderthals,” said Priya Moorjani, an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and one of two senior authors of the study.
“It also has implications for understanding the settlement of the regions outside Africa, which is typically done by looking at archeological materials or fossils in different regions of the world.”
The genome analysis, also led by Benjamin Peter of the University of Rochester in New York and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) in Leipzig, Germany, will be published in the Dec. 13 print issue of the journal Science.
The two lead authors are Leonardo Iasi, a graduate student at MPI-EVA, and Manjusha Chintalapati, a former UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow now at the company Ancestry DNA.
The longer duration of gene flow may help explain, for example, why East Asians have about 20% more Neanderthal genes than Europeans and West Asians. If modern humans moved eastward about 47,000 years ago, as archeological sites suggest, they would already have had intermixed Neanderthal genes.
“We show that the period of mixing was quite complex and may have taken a long time. Different groups could have separated during the 6,000- to 7,000-year period and some groups may have continued mixing for a longer period of time,” Peter said.
“But a single shared period of gene flow fits the data best.”
“One of the main findings is the precise estimate of the timing of Neanderthal admixture, which was previously estimated using single ancient samples or in present-day individuals. Nobody had tried to model all of the ancient samples together,” Chintalapati said. “ This allowed us to build a more complete picture of the past”
Neanderthal deserts in the genome
In 2016, Moorjani pioneered a method for inferring the timing of Neanderthal gene flow using often incomplete genomes of ancient individuals. At that time, only five archaic Homo sapiens genomes were available.
For the new study, Iasi, Chintalapati and their colleagues employed this technique with 58 previously sequenced genomes of ancient Homo sapiens who lived in Europe, Western and Central Asia over the past 45,000 years and the genomes of 275 worldwide contemporary humans to provide a more precise date — 47,000 years ago.
Rather than assuming the gene flow occurred in a single generation, they tried more complex models developed by Iasi and Peter to establish that the interbreeding extended over about 7,000 years, rather than being intermittent.
The timing of the interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans was corroborated by another, independent study conducted by MPI-EVA researchers and scheduled to be published Dec. 12 in the journal Nature.
That study, an analysis of two newly sequenced genomes of Homo sapiens that lived about 45,000 years ago, also found a date of 47,000 years ago.
“Although the ancient genomes were published in previous studies, they had not been analyzed to look at Neanderthal ancestry in this detailed way. We created a catalog of Neanderthal ancestry segments in modern humans.
By jointly analyzing all these samples together, we inferred the period of gene flow was around 7,000 years,” Chintalapati said. “The Max Planck group actually sequenced new ancient DNA samples that allowed them to date the Neanderthal gene flow directly. And they came up with a similar timing as us.”
The UC Berkeley/MPI-EVA team also analyzed regions of the modern human genome that contain genes inherited from Neanderthals and some areas that are totally devoid of Neanderthal genes.
They found that areas lacking any Neanderthal genes, so-called archaic or Neanderthal deserts, developed quickly after the two groups interbred, suggesting that some Neanderthal gene variants in those areas of the genome must have been lethal to modern humans.
Early modern human samples that are older than 40,000 years — samples from Oase cave in Romania, Ust’-Ishim in Russia, Zlatý kůň in the Czech Republic, Tianyuan in China and Bacho Kiro in Bulgaria — already contained these deserts in their genomes.
“We find that very early modern humans from 40,000 years ago don’t have any ancestry in the deserts, so these deserts may have formed very rapidly after the gene flow,” said Iasi.
“We also looked at the changes in Neanderthal ancestry frequency over time and across the genome and found regions that are present at high frequency, possibly because they carry beneficial variants that were introgressed from Neanderthals.”
Most of the high-frequency Neanderthal genes are related to immune function, skin pigmentation and metabolism, as reported in some previous studies. One immune gene variant inherited from Neanderthals confers protective effects to coronavirus that causes COVID-19, for example.
Some of the Neanderthal genes involved in the immune system and skin pigmentation actually increased in frequency in Homo sapiens over time, implying that they may have been advantageous to human survival.
“Neanderthals were living outside Africa in harsh, Ice Age climates and were adapted to the climate and to the pathogens in these environments. When modern humans left Africa and interbred with Neanderthals, some individuals inherited Neanderthal genes that presumably allowed them to adapt and thrive better in the environment,” Iasi said.
“The fact that we find some of these regions already in 30,000-year-old samples shows that some of these regions were actually adapted immediately after the introgression,” Chintalapati added.
Other genes, such as the gene conferring resistance to coronaviruses, may not have been immediately useful but became useful later on.
“The environment changes and then some genes become beneficial,” Peter said.
Moorjani is currently looking at Neanderthal sequences in people of East Asian descent, who not only have a greater percentage of Neanderthal genes, but also somegenes — up to 0.1% of their genome — from another early hominin group, the Denisovans.
“It’s really cool that we can actually peer into the past and see how variants inherited from our evolutionary cousins, Neanderthals and Denisovans, changed over time,” Moorjani said.
“This allows us to understand the dynamics of the mixture of Neanderthals and modern humans.”
Funding: Other co-authors of the Science paper were postdoctoral fellow Laurits Skov of UC Berkeley and Alba Bossoms Mesa and Mateja Hajdinjak of MPI-EVA. Moorjani’s research was supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the National Institutes of Health (R35GM142978).
About this evolution and neuroscience research news
Author: Robert Sanders Source: UC Berkeley Contact: Robert Sanders – UC Berkeley Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Neandertal ancestry through time: Insights from genomes of ancient and present-day humans
INTRODUCTION
Gene flow from Neanderthals has shaped genetic and phenotypic variation in modern humans. Most non-Africans living today derive ~1 to 2% of their ancestry from Neanderthals.
Across the genome, some genomic regions harbor a high frequency of Neanderthal variants and are identified as “candidates of adaptive introgression,” whereas others are devoid of any Neanderthal ancestry and are referred to as “deserts.”
However, the timing and evolutionary processes, for example, genetic drift or natural selection, that have shaped the landscape of Neanderthal ancestry remain elusive. Most of the previous studies have focused on genomes of present-day individuals, where separating the effects of past demography and selection is challenging.
Ancient DNA analyses have transformed research into human evolutionary history by enabling the direct observation of genetic variation patterns that existed in the past.
RATIONALE
In this study, we analyzed genomic data from 59 ancient individuals sampled between 45,000 and 2200 years before present and 275 diverse present-day individuals to study the evolutionary history of Neanderthal ancestry throughout time.
We examined the frequency, length, and distribution of Neanderthal ancestry segments over time to answer the following questions: (i) How is Neanderthal ancestry shared among individuals, by geography and time? (ii) When did Neanderthal gene flow occur and for how long did it last? and (iii) What is the functional legacy of Neanderthal ancestry in modern humans?
RESULTS
We generated a catalog of Neanderthal ancestry in ancient and present-day modern humans and found that the majority of the Neanderthal ancestry segments are shared across populations and that the sharing of Neanderthal ancestry segments mirrors the population structure among non-Africans.
The comparison with sequenced Neanderthals, for example, Vindija, Altai, and Chagyrskaya, suggests that the gene flow occurred from a single or multiple closely related Neanderthal groups. By contrast, the earliest modern humans—Oase, Ust’-Ishim, Zlatý kůň, and Bacho Kiro—possess substantial unique Neanderthal ancestry and a distinct matching profile to the sequenced Neanderthals, indicating that some Neanderthal ancestry in these early individuals is not shared with modern humans after 40,000 years.
By studying the distribution and lengths of the Neanderthal ancestry segments in ancient individuals, we found evidence for a single extended period of Neanderthal gene flow that occurred ~47,000 years ago and lasted for ~7000 years. This is consistent with archaeological evidence for the potential overlap of early modern humans and Neanderthals in Europe.
Finally, we examined the frequency of Neanderthal ancestry across the genome and over time. We uncovered new candidates of adaptive introgression, including regions that were immediately adaptive for modern humans and some that became adaptive more recently from introgressed standing variation.
Most Neanderthal deserts—on the autosomes and the X chromosome—were formed rapidly after the gene flow and were also evident in the earliest modern human genomes. Notably, the X chromosome exhibits a nonuniform and nonrandom distribution of Neanderthal ancestry, with large Neanderthal ancestry deserts overlapping previously identified signals of sweeps in non-Africans.
CONCLUSION
Our study provides insights into the complex history of Neanderthal gene flow into modern humans. We found strong support for a single extended period of Neanderthal gene flow into the common ancestors of all non-Africans that occurred between 50,500 and 43,500 years ago. These dates provide a lower bound for the timing of the out-of-Africa migration and settlement of regions outside Africa.
The majority of natural selection—positive and negative—on Neanderthal ancestry happened very quickly after the gene flow and left clear signals in the genetic diversity of the earliest modern humans outside Africa.
Federal investigations reveal most recent Northeast drone sightings are actually manned aircraft, posing no national security threat. Of 5,000 reports, less than 100 warranted investigation, with all fixed-wing sightings identified as manned aircraft. Officials continue investigating remaining cases, acknowledging some overreaction while some temporary flight restrictions remain in place.
Federal officials revealed on Saturday that most recent drone sightings across the Northeast are actually manned aircraft, according to their investigations. The White House, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security have also stated there is no evidence of a national security threat.
An FBI official briefed reporters, explaining the agency is collaborating with 50 local, state, and federal partners to investigate the increased reports. Of over 5,000 reported sightings, less than 100 warranted further investigation. All large, fixed-wing sightings investigated so far have been identified as manned aircraft.
“The combination of efforts so far … to include technical equipment, tip line information and noted consults has … not found any evidence to support large-scale (unmanned aerial systems) activities,” the official said, as quoted by Reuters, noting many sightings occurred along established flight paths. Officials continue to investigate remaining cases using interviews, radar analysis, and intelligence.
“We can’t ignore the sightings that have been there,” the official added. “We’re doing our best to find the origin of those drone activities, but I think there has been a slight over-reaction.”
The Department of Homeland security in a joint statement with the FBI have also took a similar stance. “Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the agencies said.
Last week, Biden’s national security spokesperson John F Kirby also indicated that their investigation revealed no unlawful actions. “To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” Kirby had said on Thursday.
Mystery Drones Spotted Over Trump’s Golf Course, U.S. Military Research Site In New Jersey
Reports began in mid-November in New Jersey and spread to Maryland, Massachusetts, and other states. President Biden is receiving regular updates on the situation. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey acknowledged awareness of the sightings and is monitoring the situation. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for increased federal law enforcement after a local airport briefly closed Friday due to drone activity.
A Federal Aviation Administration official said a temporary drone ban over Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, expiring December 26, could become permanent. A military official confirmed drone sightings over Picatinny and another naval weapons station but said there was no indication of foreign involvement or malicious intent. Another temporary ban is in effect over Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, expiring December 20, with possible extension.
The new year kicks off with an astronomical showstopper
Calling all stargazers as the night sky will offer a beautiful spectacle in the new year.
We’ve had plenty of opportunities to observe stunning astronomical phenomena this year with the multiple sightings of aurora borealis aka the Northern lights, the solar eclipse of April and the supermoons — the last of which was the Beaver Moon in November.
It seems that 2025 will kick off with a bang for those who’d be willing to spend some time with their eyes up to the sky.
A rare planetary parade consisting of six planets, with a seventh to join, will be visible from the end of January. This is scientifically known as a planetary alignment, where several planets line up to the same side of the sun and will look like they’re pretty much in the same line.
Next year, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus will align and will all be visible in the night sky from January 21 up until the end of February.
Six or more planets are said to align every 100 years so you don’t want to miss this one. (Getty Stock Images)
From the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to watch the parade in all its glory is around 8.30pm local time. Venus, Saturn and Neptune will be on the horizon for a while after that, but all three planets will go under the horizon by 11.30pm or midnight depending on where you’re based. Meanwhile, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain visible for a few more hours, with Mars setting just before sunrise.
This parade is expected to last for up to four weeks due to the advantageous planetary positions in the sky. Around the last week of February, Mercury will join the other six planets for a couple of days, creating a seven-planet parade.
It’ll be difficult to spot all planets at once, as Saturn, Mercury and Neptune will be quite close to the sun right at sunset. By the beginning of March, the trio of planets will be too close to the sun to be visible, with Venus following suit. This leaves Jupiter, Mars and Uranus to populate the night sky until the next parade.
The planets will remain visible for up to four weeks. (Getty Stock Images)
The usual rules for observing astronomical phenomena apply here. Aim to gaze up on a clear night, get away from the city lights and invest in UV protection for your eyes if you’re going towards the end of February, when some planets will be in close proximity to the sun.
As for which planets you’ll actually be able to see, you won’t need any special equipment to catch Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, which will be visible to the naked eye. However, Neptune and Uranus will be simply too far away to be seen, and you’ll need a high-powered telescope to catch a good glimpse of both of them. A telescope with at least an 8-inch aperture at 50 times magnification is recommended to see Uranus and its rings, while a 150 times magnification will get you to see Neptune and its rings.
West Midlands Fire Service were called to the scene
Two people have been taken to hospital after a fairground ride incident in Birmingham city centre.
West Midlands Fire Service attended the scene in Centenary Square on Thursday (12 December) at around 7.30pm.
The service said that the City Flyer ride dropped to ground level ‘whilst in operation’, which lead to 13 people receiving treatment at the scene and two women being taken to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
The incident took place at a Birmingham Christmas fairground (Facebook/Mr Explorer)
Those who were taken to the hospital were not believed to have suffered serious injuries, the ambulance service said.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said: “At approximately 1930 on Thursday 12th December we responded to an incident at Victoria Square outside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.
“One fire engine from Ladywood fire station attended, and arrived in just over four minutes.
“This incident involved a fairground ride that had failed and crashed. The ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation.
“We assisted ambulance colleagues with treatment of a number of casualties, whose injuries are not life-threatening.
People received medical treatment at the scene (Facebook/Mr Explorer)
“One casualty has been conveyed to hospital, with several others discharged on scene. We are not working on the rescue of any further casualties.
“This incident has now been left with West Midlands Police.”
Images shared on social media appear to show wires from two of the swings tangled up, with police attending the scene.
A witness told the BBC that she felt very ‘lucky’ to not be involved in the incident.
Lilly Nitsch, 18, said: “That’s one of my favourite rides growing up.
“It makes me think of the times you’ve been on rides like that. It makes me feel lucky.”
Amelie Huet, 18, who was with friends at a nearby bar when the incident took place, said: “Someone told us the structure dropped and someone fell out.”
She said she heard sirens from police cars and fire engines going off.
A West Midlands Police spokesperson told The Sun: “We currently have officers in Centenary Square, Birmingham following reports of an issue with one of the rides.
“A small number of people are being treated at the scene by paramedics, but no serious injuries have been reported.
“Centenary Square remains cordoned off this evening while we support our emergency service colleagues.
Yianni Charalambous is hoping to get his vehicle on the road by Christmas day
A YouTuber who imported a Tesla Cybertruck to the UK earlier this year is struggling to get it road-ready due to ongoing safety and regulatory issues.
Yianni Charalambous, whose official YouTube channel Yiannimize boasts a whopping 2.19 million subscribers, is a leading car enthusiast on the platform.
Over the years, he’s helped numerous celebrities custom-wrap their vehicles while working to test wild motors on the regular.
Last month, the petrolhead announced he’d bought the first Tesla Cybertruck in the UK.
Having purchased it from its previous owner in California, Yianni planned to bring it back to England by ship.
But Auto Evolution reports that he was immediately hit with his first hurdle – being denied transporting the vehicle via ship due to its fire risk.
YouTuber Yianni Charalambous is struggling to get his Cybertruck to meet UK road regulations (YouTube/Yiannimize)
After opting to ship the Cybertruck over via plane, the YouTuber has since faced further difficulties while trying to get it on the road.
These include getting a British license plate (it’s currently fitted with an Albanian one) and changing the red indicator lights.
The Sun reports that in the UK, it is a legal requirement that indicator lights are amber. This is so that other road users can distinguish them from the standard red brake light.
Regulations also state that cars must have indicators on the side mirrors.
Fog lights also need to be installed on the Cybertruck before it can be deemed road-safe as in the UK, only those that turn on with the car’s headlights can be used.
Another reason that Yianni has failed to get his Tesla on the road is because of its extremely sharp edges.
It’s understood the Cybertruck’s angular body, boot, and blunt front end fail to meet European crash regulations.
Therefore, if Yianni was to ever get this vehicle on the road – which he aims to do by Christmas – he would need to cover up any unsafe edges with rubber.
All of these modifications are needed for the Cybertruck to pass its IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test. And as you can see, it’s been an uphill battle for Yianni so far.
A mechanic said there was a change the vehicle could past the IVA test by Christmas (YouTube/Yiannimize)
During one of his YouTube videos, the content creator asked a mechanic working on the modifications whether he believed there was a chance it would pass the IVA test in the future.
“What is your honest opinion on getting this past? Online people are saying ‘You’ve got no chance’,” he began.
“I have a history of importing cars and working with this kind of thing,” the expert responded.
“There’s two types of approvals you can get. There’s the type approval which the manufacturer has to do, and it’s a lot more stringent.
“IVA is not as stringent, you see. Everything is somewhat easier. So I reckon, if we can get all the lights working, they’ll register it.”
However, the mechanic did claim that it would take him around one or two weeks to complete the modifications.
So, it appears that Christmas day deadline is still is sight.. just.
Stay glued to Yianni Charalambous’ YouTube channel for more updates on his Cybertruck ordeal.
People have raised their concerts about the controversial plan
After warnings that the Arctic could be ice by the early 2030s, scientists hatched a plan to refreeze it.
Over recent decades, the Arctic has warmed as a result of climate change and it’s had devastating affects on the area – and the rest of the world.
From more draughts and more severe storms, to rising sea levels and an increase in some diseases such as malaria, global warming is wreaking havoc on our planet.
The Arctic is one of the worst hit areas, with its ice shrinking by 12.2 percent per decade, NASA reports.
With this stark figure in mind, scientists thought up a way to try restore Arctic sea ice.
The Arctic loses over 12 per cent of its ice each decade (Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As to how they’ve been doing this, UK start-up Real Ice has been drilling holes through the sea ice to pump out the seawater below and freeze it on the surface, CNN explained.
The group started tests in Cambridge Bay in Canada in January this year and following tests conducted last month, it’s been found that four inches of ice has been formed so far.
It’s still ‘early days’ though, says Shaun Fitzgerald, director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge.
“I am optimistic, but we need more experiments and more data,” he added.
As per Real Ice’s website, the water that’s being pumped onto the ice is ‘delivered by an underwater drone with a hydrogen fuel cell energy system’.
These drones then melt holes in the ice from below using heated drills.
Real Ice has been drilling into the Arctic floor to get seawater to come to the surface (Real Ice)
The drones would be deployed carefully to avoid animal migration paths and ship lanes, noted Andrea Ceccolini, co-CEO of Real Ice.
While there’s been some positive outcomes so far, other experts have expressed concerns about the plans.
Liz Bagshaw, associate professor in polar environmental change at the University of Bristol, labeled the plan as ‘extremely questionable’.
“Such interventions are morally dubious at best, and at worst, ethically irresponsible,” she added to CNN.
Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center, also said that she has ‘serious doubts’ about it all and if it will make a real impact on ice levels in the Arctic.
There are fears that the Arctic will lose most of its ice by the early 2030s (Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
It’s also feared that it will have ‘grave unforeseen consequences’ – one being changes to marine environment.
A 2024 report titled ‘Safeguarding the polar regions from dangerous geoengineering’ argued that this could ’cause severe environmental damage’.
In regards to how damage caused by climate change can be avoided, the study says this will be ‘best achieved by mitigating the cause of climate harm through immediate, rapid and deep decarbonization, rather than attempting interventions in fragile polar ecosystems’.
Postcode Lottery winner killed as ‘speeding car mounts pavement’ months after huge win
Anna-Marie Stevens, 52, from Westcliff-on-Sea, has been named as the victim who was killed after a car mounted a pavement in Westcliff this week. She recently won the lottery
A mum who won a whopping £13,000 on the Postcode Lottery has tragically died just months after securing the winnings.
Anna-Marie Stevens, 52, from Westcliff-on-Sea, was killed in a devastating crash after a car mounted a pavement and hit her and her 23-year-old daughter. Emergency services rushed to the corner of Hamlet Court Road and St John’s Road on Thursday night following reports of a crash. According to local councillors, the car was “speeding” at the time of the incident.
Paramedics raced her to hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead. It has since been revealed that she was recently hailed a lottery winner and had spent most of her winnings on a heart-wrenching cause. Her death was initially announced by Milton Labour who addressed members of the community on Facebook.
The incident happened on St John’s Road(
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Google Maps)
The post said: “On behalf of the Milton Councillors, it is with deep sadness that we have heard this morning that a speeding car mounted the pavement and hit a mother and child in St John’s Road in Westcliff last night. Tragically the mother passed away in hospital. Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time. This tragic accident could have been avoided and was due to speeding.” Essex Police later confirmed that the driver was arrested at the scene.
The force told The Mirror: “We were called to reports of a collision between a car and two pedestrians at the junction of Hamlet Court Road and St John’s Road at just before 5.30pm. A 52-year-old woman and her 23-year-old daughter were taken to hospital, sadly, despite the best efforts of medical professionals, the 52-year-old woman died. Her daughter’s injuries are described as not life-threatening or life changing.
Anna-Marie Stevens recently won the Postcode Lottery
“The 31-year-old driver of the car, a black Suzuki Splash, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink or drugs. She remains in custody for questioning.” The mother, who has been descibed as a “lovely and caring” person, had only just won a fortune on the lottery, according to Echo.
She was interviewed by the publication in January after she spent almost her entire winnings on her dog who had fallen ill. In total, she had scored £13,305 on the lottery, but she wanted to save her beloved pet Paul who had “ingested poison” at a park. Sadly, Paul passed away from kidney failure a few days later. She said at the time: “Vets are convinced it was poison. I don’t want anyone going through the heartache that we went through. I used all my winnings from the postcode lottery, and we lost our dog, he was beautiful.”
Heartbreaking words of England rugby star’s son, 6, during search for his dead father
Police confirmed on Friday that the body of the former England rugby international had been found, five days after the 43-year-old had gone missing during Storm Darragh
The widow of Tom Voyce says she is “absolutely devastated and heartbroken doesn’t even describe how we feel” after the death of the former England rugby player.
The 43-year-old former wing’s car was washed away crossing a ford on the River Aln near Alnwick, Northumberland, last weekend during Storm Darragh. Following several days of intensive searches – involving the emergency services as well as local volunteers – a body was found in the river on Thursday.
Formal identification took place on Friday, with the body subsequently officially confirmed to be Mr Voyce, who won nine caps for England between 2001 and 2006, scoring 15 points. He played as a winger or full-back, turning out for Bath, Gloucester, Wasps and London Welsh over a distinguished career before retiring in 2013.
His wife, Anna, issued a statement on Friday evening, which read: “Absolutely devastated and heartbroken doesn’t even describe how we feel. My main focus now is our son Oscar having done what he asked, ‘find Daddy’.
“All of Tom’s family were involved in the search. I will be forever grateful to my brothers Hugh and Jamie, Aidan Philipson and Garry Whitfield for coordinating the search party working alongside the police teams.
“Tom would be blown away by the amount of people that were out there helping. We have all been overwhelmed by the support of friends, many travelling from far afield to help with the search. We are just so lucky to live in such a special community that pulled together to find Tom.
Members of a search and rescue team arrive at River Aln earlier this week(
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PA)
“Since relocating to Northumberland from London in 2019, Tom left his role at Investec to set up a flourishing business, Trevow Vegetation Management, and has established himself within the Northumberland and Scottish Borders rural communities, many of whom have turned up to help with the search.
“Tom was fully immersed in Alnwick Rugby Club and was much-loved by Oscar’s under 7’s team which he coached with gusto, giving back to the game that gave him so much. Oscar is immensely proud of his Daddy and he was the best father and role model that Oscar could have asked for.
“Tom was proud, and cherished, his rugby memories and as an adopted ‘Northumbrian’ local he leaves a hole in so many of our hearts. With his big warm smile, passion and funny stories he loved nothing better than sitting round a table chatting with family and friends sharing his latest creation on his Big Green Egg.”
Tom Voyce with his wife Anna
The world of rugby expressed its shock and sadness when he went missing, including messages from World Cup winners Matt Dawson and Lawrence Dallaglio, who lost his sister in the Marchioness disaster in the Thames in 1989.
Former England international Mike Tindall, who played with Voyce at Gloucester, paid tribute to his former teammate in a post shared by his podcast The Good, The Bad, And The Rugby, which read: “He epitomised rugby as a game for all shapes and sizes, punching well above his weight. His ability to break tackles and his durability were exceptional. He was a great character off the pitch.”
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