Writer JK Rowling once again faces being boycotted due to discriminatory statements against transgender people.
Immediately after the news about the *Harry Potter* television series project was released, many viewers called for a boycott of the product. The reason for this is that the project continues to involve author J.K. Rowling. Although she is a famous writer, she has become a controversial figure due to her anti-transgender views.
Despite facing a new wave of boycotts, J.K. Rowling seems unfazed, even joking that she would… throw a celebration.
“This is terrible news that I feel the need to share, as many activists are attempting to organize a new wave of boycotts against my works. This time, they are calling for a boycott of the *Harry Potter* TV series,” Rowling posted on social media. “As expected, I’ve already prepared a large amount of champagne (to celebrate).”
In recent years, J.K. Rowling has become a notorious figure and has been “turned away” by many fans. Besides her transphobic statements, Rowling has also exhausted her followers with accusations that she is “milking” the *Harry Potter* content for profit. The adaptation of the book into a TV series is seen as her next move to continue generating income for herself, rather than creating new works.
As of now, the series is still in the “early stages,” with no new cast members selected and no official release date announced.
The Latest Controversial Remarks by Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling: A Growing Backlash
J.K. Rowling, the world-renowned author of the Harry Potter series, is no stranger to controversy. Over the past few years, her outspoken views on gender and transgender issues have sparked heated debates, and her latest comments have once again ignited a firestorm of criticism.
A History of Controversial Statements
Rowling first attracted widespread criticism in 2019 after she made remarks on social media that were widely perceived as transphobic. In a tweet that sparked outrage, she expressed support for a woman who had lost her job over transphobic remarks, which many viewed as aligning with anti-transgender sentiment. Since then, her comments about gender, women’s rights, and the transgender community have continued to attract backlash, with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and allies accusing her of undermining the rights of transgender people.
Despite the criticism, Rowling has remained unapologetic. She has defended her position by stating that her views are rooted in concern for women’s rights and the importance of safeguarding spaces for women. However, her stance has only deepened the divide between her and many of her fans, as well as actors from the Harry Potter film series.
Recent Remarks on the Harry Potter TV Series and Boycott Calls
In recent weeks, Rowling’s name has again made headlines due to the announcement of a Harry Potter TV series adaptation. The series, which is currently in early development, is a major project for Warner Bros. and has already garnered attention for its potential to revive the beloved franchise. However, as news of the adaptation spread, calls for a boycott emerged from fans and activists who are disillusioned by Rowling’s controversial statements.
In response to the growing boycott movement, Rowling took to social media with a defiant post. “This is terrible news that I feel the need to share,” she wrote. “Many activists are trying to organize a new wave of boycotts against my works. This time, they are calling for a boycott of the Harry Potter TV series. As expected, I’ve already prepared a large amount of champagne (to celebrate).”
Her flippant response to the boycott calls has sparked even more criticism, with some accusing her of being dismissive of the very real concerns of the LGBTQ+ community and her fans who have supported her work over the years.
The Backlash from the Harry Potter Stars
Rowling’s latest remarks come on the heels of a long-running dispute with several stars from the Harry Potter films. Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who portrayed the iconic trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, have all publicly distanced themselves from Rowling’s views, particularly her stance on transgender issues. Radcliffe, in 2020, wrote an open letter expressing his support for transgender people, stating that “transgender women are women” and “transgender men are men.” Similarly, Emma Watson, who has been an outspoken advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, also voiced her disagreement with Rowling’s statements.
Despite the growing backlash from her own fans and cast members, Rowling has shown little indication of changing her position. Instead, she continues to frame her comments as part of a broader discussion about th
Financial Impact and Future of the Harry Potter Franchise
While Rowling’s comments have certainly alienated some of her audience, they have not deterred the commercial success of her works. The Harry Potter fraHarry Potter TV series
However, some critics argue that Rowling is exploiting the Harry Potter brHarry Potter u
Conclusion: The Divide Over J.K. Rowling’s Legacy
J.K. Rowling’s latest remarks and her ongoing stance on transgender issues have only deepened the divide between her and many of her former supporters. While her books and characters continue to be beloved by millions around the world, her controversial views have cast a shadow over her legacy. As the debate surrounding her statements persists, the Harry Potter franchise stand
Imagine our early human ancestors standing in the ancient landscapes of southern Jordan thoughtfully examining rocks before deciding which ones to use for their tools.
It turns out they weren’t just grabbing any stone that was easy to break; they had specific preferences and technical skills in choosing the right material.
Archaeologists Eiki Suga and Seiji Kadowaki have been exploring this fascinating aspect of early human behavior.
They’re from Nagoya University in Japan, and their recent research offers new insights into how Paleolithic humans selected rocks for tool-making.
Their study, published in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, focuses on prehistoric sites dating from 70,000 to 30,000 years ago.
These sites are in the Jebel Qalkha area of southern Jordan, a crucial region as Homo sapiens expanded from Africa into Eurasia.
Early humans, rocks, and tools
As early humans moved into new territories, they relied on stone tools made from materials like obsidian and flint.
Understanding how they crafted these tools helps archaeologists piece together aspects of their culture and daily life.
Suga and Kadowaki analyzed flint nodules from outcrops that ancient people used during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods.
An archaeologist, Eiki Suga, shows fine-grained flint (left) and middle-grained flint (right). Credit: Megumi Maruyama
They wanted to see if early humans were intentionally selecting certain types of flint based on its properties.
They hypothesized that these humans looked for flint that was translucent and smooth because it could be easily shaped into sharp edges. This suggests a level of sophistication in recognizing the best materials for specific tools.
Testing the rocks’ qualities
To investigate, the team used two devices: a Schmidt Hammer and a Rockwell Hardness Device.
The Schmidt Hammer measures how a material rebounds after being struck, indicating its hardness. The Rockwell device presses a diamond point into the rock to test its strength.
Initially, as expected, they found that fine-grained flint required less force to fracture than medium-grained flint.
This made it more attractive for producing smaller tools. In fact, many stone tools from the Early Upper Paleolithic period, around 40,000 to 30,000 years ago, were made from fine-grained flint.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
An earlier study by the same team revealed that during the Late Middle Paleolithic and the Initial Upper Paleolithic periods, from 70,000 to 40,000 years ago, medium-grained flint was more commonly used for tools.
So, if fine-grained flint was easier to work with, why did our ancestors sometimes opt for the tougher medium-grained variety?
Tools were carefully chosen by early humans
Digging deeper, the researchers discovered that much of the fine-grained flint in the area had internal fractures caused by geological activities.
These fractures made the flint unsuitable for larger tools, like Levallois products and robust blades.
Therefore, even though medium-grained flint was harder to modify, it was more durable for making larger tools.
Investigation of mechanical properties of rocks suggested that paleolithic humans changed their choice of raw material to suit their stone tool morphologies and production techniques. Credit: Eiki Suga, Reiko Matsushita
This indicates that Paleolithic humans made deliberate choices based on the intended use of the tool, balancing ease of crafting with durability.
“This study illustrates that the Paleolithic humans changed their choice of raw material to suit their stone tool morphologies and production techniques,” Suga explained.
“We believe that these prehistoric humans had a sensory understanding of the characteristics of the rocks and intentionally selected the stone material to be used according to the form and production technique of the desired stone tools.”
Much smarter than we thought back then
This research offers a window into the thoughtful decision-making of our ancestors.
They weren’t just using what was readily available; they were assessing the qualities of different materials and selecting the best one for the job.
“This intentional selection of the lithic raw material may have been an important component of the production of stone tools,” Suga said.
“This may show some aspect of flexible technological behavior adapted to the situation.”
Their ability to adapt and make these choices reflects a level of technological and cognitive sophistication that adds depth to our understanding of human evolution.
Why does any of this matter?
There are still many questions about how and why Homo sapiens expanded their reach between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago.
While ancient DNA has shown that modern humans interacted and interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans, it doesn’t tell us the whole story.
“If we want to know what happened that allowed Homo sapiens to thrive, we need to study cultural remains, such as stone tools, excavated from archaeological sites,” Suga pointed out.
“This kind of resource use is an important record for elucidating the evolution of human technological behavior, environmental adaptation, and the process of population growth at that time.”
By examining these tools and the materials chosen to make them, researchers can piece together how early humans adapted to their environments and what strategies they used to survive and flourish.
Humans, tools, and early evolution
To sum it all up, this study emphasizes the importance of archaeology in understanding human history.
The choices made by Paleolithic humans in selecting their materials reveal a level of ingenuity and adaptability that has been a hallmark of our species.
As we continue to explore and discover more about our ancestors, each finding adds a new piece to the puzzle of human evolution.
It’s a reminder of the complex journey that has led us to where we are today and the innate curiosity and problem-solving skills that have always been part of human nature.
Chasing the success of SpaceX, China’s commercial space industry is eyeing lofty gains despite setbacks and technological constraints
Your daily must-read of essential stories from China, including politics, economy and current affairs
China’s commercial space players have had a busy year, with the number of lift-offs in the first three quarters already exceeding the 2023 total as the industry surges skyward.
China achieved 27 commercial launches between January and September, compared with 26 such launches in all of last year, according to a tally by Beijing-based Taibo, a think tank and service platform for the nation’s space and geospatial information industry.
And amid soaring market demand, a report by the Shenzhen-based consultancy Askci Corporation has predicted that the size of China’s commercial space industry will skyrocket to 6.6 trillion yuan (US$906.4 billion) in 2029, which would be an elevenfold increase from 600 billion yuan in 2018.
The country is poised to see more quick-fire launches following Saturday’s inauguration of its first commercial spaceport in the southern island province of Hainan, where two satellites were sent into orbit atop China’s Long March 12 heavy-lift rocket to support broadband networks.
The 4 billion yuan complex consists of two launch pads, each capable of supporting 16 launches per year, according to state media.
More private launches are being arranged by start-ups such as Galactic Energy, CAS Space, and Orienspace.
But China remains a laggard in the new commercial space race, relative to the United States, whose innovation and commercialisation are being led by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
SpaceX attained its 100th flight of the year in October thanks to its workhorse Falcon rockets. Many of the catapulted satellites will form a seamless global broadband network known as Starlink. Moreover, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission sent a four-person civilian crew into space in September and achieved the first commercial spacewalk.
The US Federal Aviation Administration announced in November that it had approved “a record 148 licensed commercial space operations” in fiscal year 2024—an increase of more than 30 percent over last year.
The FAA has also kicked off a review of rules for granting commercial-space launch and re-entry licenses to streamline processes and accommodate the booming market in the US.
Analysts say China has been left in the wake due to technological constraints such as rocket reusability, as well as state dominance in space industries. There is a lack of meaningful competition and innovation from private entrants, and thus a lack of vitality and innovation
Xue Xiaorong, Fudan University
“Unlike China, private aerospace companies such as SpaceX show unlimited potential under the open, vibrant public-private partnership in the US,” Xue Xiaorong, an associate professor of public administration with Fudan University in Shanghai, said at a seminar on space-economy governance in September. “[Such a partnership] can allocate resources more efficiently to meet market demand and to trial and popularise new technologies.
“The US’ experience in commercialising space flight is significant, globally.”
And while he pointed out that “China has made achievements in the state-planned vanguard,” pointing to its Tiangong space station and advancements in lunar exploration, “commercialisation is slow.”.
“There is a lack of meaningful competition and innovation from private entrants, and thus a lack of vitality and innovation,” he explained.
Calls have been made for Beijing to boost the size of the commercial space market and unleash its potential as China plays catch-up, but there have been worries following an explosive setback and in the face of government oversight.
In June, the accidental launch of the Tianlong-3 rocket by private aerospace company Space Pioneer resulted in a massive explosion near the testing facility in Henan province.
Private Chinese space rocket crashes and explodes after accidental launch during test
And in August, Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing stressed the need for stricter oversight and emergency management as he inspected launch facilities in Hainan. However, Zhang vowed that Beijing would help private space companies align with national strategies.
Meanwhile, local governments are still jumping on the bandwagon to capitalise on the “space economy” in their search for new development impetus. Numerous local authorities have rolled out plans and incentives to woo and nurture private space firms, with ambitious goals of mirroring the success of SpaceX.
Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu, boost the biggest clusters of space start-ups. In a document published in January, the capital city touched on plans to lead the nation in rocket reusability and constellation-building breakthroughs by 2028.
Li Guoping, chief engineer with the China National Space Administration, speaking last month at the China Air Show in Zhuhai, offered assurances that private players could expect “greater space and more business” in a new national plan being drafted.
“Commercial aerospace enterprises are encouraged to take part in national projects, such as in engineering, new product R&D, and other advanced technologies,” Li said. “We will also broaden the channels for them to get orders in the government procurement of aerospace services.”
The author and socialite appeared on the ITV reality series in 2015
Lady Colin Campbell has hit out at one of her former I’m A Celebrity camp mates, as she criticised this year’s series for being “too harmonious”.
The author and socialite, who appeared on the celebrity reality series in 2015, told GB News that one of her fellow contestants was a “misogynist”, and grew “fed up” with all of them by the end of her experience.
Delivering her verdict on the newest set of celebrities, following the elimination of Tulisa Contostavlos, Lady C claimed: “I think it’s a lot more harmonious than the series that I was on, that’s for sure.”
Taking aim at Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne, who she famously clashed with during her stint in the jungle, Lady C fumed: “I think you need more characters like Duncan Bannatyne to set the campmates against the oldest woman in the camp, and show what a jerk and misogynist is, which is what he did so demonstrably well.
Lady Colin Campbell has hit out at a former camp mate during her appearance on I’m A Celebrity
GB News / ITV
“That’s what happened when I was in the camp, and it was all thanks to Duncan Bannatyne.”
Reflecting on whether her series was “good or bad television”, Lady C admitted she has “not watched the series back” in the nine years since it aired.
Lady C revealed: “I didn’t set out to be his target or the victim of any bullying, but I don’t know if it made good or bad television because I’ve never looked at it.
“I saw some of the snippets, and I couldn’t be bothered to look at the rest of it. After I came out, Kieron Dyer had a look at it, he phoned me and he was absolutely outraged on my behalf, because he said they’d cut it in such a way that I looked as if I was being ratty, when in fact I was simply defending myself.”
Lady C clashed with several of her camp mates, including Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne
ITV
Despite her experience, Lady C noted how she was “taken into the public’s hearts” and was supported due to her “fiesty” nature.
Lady C told hosts Bev Turner and Patrick Christys: “It made for good television, and it ultimately did me absolutely no harm because the British people took me to their hearts. The British people like somebody who’s feisty.
“I think each person has the power to be himself or herself, and I’m afraid some of them don’t.”
Defending how she acted on the show, including her refusal to do some of the Bushtucker Trials, Lady C claimed that some camp mates were “playing to the cameras”, rather than being their authentic selves.
She added: “I’m not a professional entertainer, so I was just myself, but some were, and some of them were playing to the cameras in the most ghastly way. And I think the public picked up on who’s authentic and who isn’t.
Lady C told GB News that this year’s series is ‘a lot more harmonious’ than hers was
GB News
“But I will say in a particular scene, I had already told the producers that I was not going to be feeding those jerks anymore. I got more meals for them than anybody had, and I was absolutely fed up with them.”
Lady C continued: “After something that had happened when Tony Hadley refused to serve us, when Chris Eubank and me were given a special treat, and I said that I’m not feeding these jerks. And I told the producers, don’t get me nominated for anything else because I’m not playing ball.”
Discussing her refusal to be “buried alive” in one of the trials, Lady C revealed that she had told producers it was the “one thing” she would not do on the show.
She said: “I was supposed to be buried alive, and I had already told the producers, the one thing I would not do was anything to do with burial. My grandfather was murdered, my brother in law was murdered, one of my first cousins was murdered, one of my second cousins was murdered, another one of my first cousins was nearly murdered.
“And my father was shot at point blank range and nearly killed. And I said, no, I cannot do certain things. And that actually rattled me for the day, that they actually had the temerity to ask me to do something that I had said I would never do under any circumstances. But it made for good television.”
An asteroid hitting a neutron star could release enough energy to power humanity for 100 million years, more than enough to explain fast radio bursts!
a large space rock slams into a mottled blue star, releasing a massive explosion (Image credit: Robert Lea (Created with Canva))
Scientists have discovered that mysterious blasts of energy called fast radio bursts (FRBs) may be created when asteroids slam into ultradense, extreme dead stars called neutron stars. Such a collision releases enough energy to supply humanity’s power needs for 100 million years!
FRBs are transient pulses of radio waves that can last from a fraction of a millisecond to a few seconds. In this period, an FRB can release the same amount of energy that it would take the sun several days to radiate.
The first FRB was observed in 2007, and since then, these blasts of energy have maintained their aura of mystery because they were infrequently detected until 2017. That was the year when the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) came online and began making frequent FRB discoveries.
“FRBs so far defy explanation, with over 50 potential hypotheses of where they come from—we counted!” team leader and University of Toronto scientist Dang Pham told Space.com.
The possible connection between FRBs and asteroids, as well as comets slamming into neutron stars, has been suggested before. This new research by Pham and colleagues further solidifies that link.
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“It’s been known for many years that asteroids and comets impacting neutron stars can cause FRB-like signals, but until now, it was unclear if this happened often enough across the universe to explain the rate at which we observe FRBs occurring,” Pham said. “We have shown that interstellar objects (ISOs), an understudied class of asteroids and comets thought to be present between stars in galaxies throughout the universe, could be numerous enough that their impacts with neutron stars could explain FRBs!”
Pham added that the team’s research also showed other expected properties of these impacts that match up with observations of FRBs, such as their durations, energies, and the rate at which they occur over the lifetime of the universe.
The question is: Even though asteroid impacts can be devastating (just ask the dinosaurs), how could they possibly release the same amount of energy that a star takes days to radiate?
Extreme stars mean extreme explosions
Neutron stars are created when massive stars die and their cores collapse, creating dense bodies with the mass of the sun, only crammed into a width no larger than the average city on Earth.
The result is a stellar remnant with extreme properties, such as the densest matter in the known universe (one teaspoon would weigh 10 million tons if brought to Earth) and magnetic fields that are the strongest in the universe, trillions of times more powerful than Earth’s magnetosphere.
“Neutron stars are extreme places, with over the mass of the sun squeezed into a sphere about 12 miles (20 km) across, giving them some of the strongest gravitational and magnetic fields in the universe,” team member and Oxford University astrophysicist Matthew Hopkins told Space.com. “This means that a huge amount of potential energy is released when an asteroid or comet drops onto one, in the form of a flash of radio waves bright enough to be seen across the universe.”
So, how much energy are we talking about here? To consider this, let’s swap out an asteroid for something a touch sweeter.
If that ordinary marshmellow reaches the neutron star in the distance, it willl stike with the same energy released when thousands of atomic bombs are detonated. (Image credit: Robert Lea (created with Canva))
According to NASA’s Goddard Flight Center, if a normal-sized marshmallow were dropped to the surface of a neutron star, the gravitational influence of the dead star is so great that the treat would accelerate to speeds of millions of miles per hour. That means when the marshmallow hits the neutron star, the collision releases the energy equivalent to the simultaneous explosion of a thousand hydrogen bombs!
Exactly how much energy the asteroid/neutron star smash-up releases depends on several factors.
“The energy released depends on the size of the asteroid and the strength of the magnetic field on the neutron star, both of which can vary by a lot, by several orders of magnitude,” Hopkins added. “For an asteroid 0.62 miles (1 km) across and a neutron star with a surface magnetic field strength over one trillion times the Earth’s magnetic field strength, we calculate the energy released to be about 10^29 Joules (that’s 10 followed by 28 zeroes).
“This is a huge number, about one hundred million times all the energy used by all of humanity over a year!”
Clearly, asteroids slamming into neutron stars can release enough energy to explain FRBs, but are these collisions frequent enough to account for FRB observations?
Could asteroid ‘combo attack’ neutron stars to create repeat FRBs?
Astronomers have detected FRBs from all over the sky, with some scientists estimating that 10,000 FRBs could occur at random points in the sky over Earth each day. If this team is right, that’s a lot of collisions between neutron stars and asteroids.
Interstellar rocks are certainly abundant enough in the Milky Way to account for this rate; there are about 10^27 (10 followed by 26 zeroes) in our galaxy alone. But how often do these encounter a neutron star?
“The collision between one neutron star and an interstellar object is rare. We estimate it to be about one collision every 10 million years in the Milky Way,” Pham said. “However, there are many neutron stars in the galaxy, and there are many galaxies! Taken together, we find that the neutron star-interstellar object collision rate in the universe is comparable with currently observed FRB rates.”
Additionally, the researcher pointed out that the number of neutron stars and interstellar objects increases over the lifetime of the universe. That means the rate of neutron stars and interstellar object collisions should also increase over cosmic time.
“If this model is true, then we should observe FRB rates increase as the universe ages,” Pham said. “This remains an open research question that could benefit from more observations!”
This image shows the location of fast radio bursts across the night sky. (Image credit: NRAO Outreach/T. Jarrett (IPAC/Caltech); B. Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Even if this theory is correct, it doesn’t answer everything about FRBs. That is mainly because there are two types of these energetic blasts of radiowaves.
Thus far, we have been talking about single-occurrence FRBs. However, there are also repeating FRBs that fire off more than once. Could asteroid incursions also explain repeat FRBs?
“We find that this model cannot account for repeating FRBs because a neutron star colliding with an interstellar rock is a rare, random event,” Hopkins explained. “It is rare for an individual neutron star to collide with an interstellar object. In comparison, repeating FRBs generally occur at a much faster rate, with some observed to be as fast as two bursts per hour.”
Prior research has suggested that if a single-occurrence FRB is caused by collisions between a neutron star and an asteroid, then repeating FRBs could represent these dead stars colliding with an asteroid belt, like the one in our solar system between Mars and Jupiter.
“There are still some debates around this idea, specifically on how dense these debris fields must be. This scenario is beyond what we considered in our model, which is neutron stars colliding with interstellar objects,” Pham said. “Further observations are needed to understand the emission mechanisms of FRBs and their sources.”
Pham and Hopkins pointed out that the neutron star-interstellar object collision rates will depend on the kinds of galaxies, such as elliptical or spiral galaxies, in which they occur. That means astronomers will need to observe more FRBs and track them back to host galaxies to determine what type of galaxies are most associated with these blasts of energy.
“Understanding the evolution of FRB rates over cosmic time can also help us understand more about this model,” Pham added. “More FRB observations could also place more constraints on how energetic these events are, which will inform us about how FRBs are emitted.” The research team told Space.com this will be done with FRB observational projects, such as CHIME, the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector (CHORD), and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP).
“Additional works to constrain how populated galaxies are with interstellar objects will also give us better information on how often neutron stars can collide with these objects in the universe,” Pham concluded.
The team’s results have been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. A preprint version of the team’s paper is available on the repository site arXiv.
The chimeric mouse (left) has dark eyes compared to the red eyes of the wild-type mouse (right). (Gao Ya and Alvin Kin Shing Lee)
With their little beady black eyes and dappled gray fur, the mice born in a recent lab experiment in Hong Kong are unlike any others of their species, or indeed any other animal.
And yet, in spite of their fundamental differences, they couldn’t appear more ordinary, a fact that reveals an astonishing truth about our evolutionary history.
The mice were spliced with genes from a single-celled microbe called a choanoflagellate. Though not an animal itself, the microorganism is closely related to them, having changed little since a time before complex, multicellular life even existed.
Remarkably, the success of a selection of the choanoflagellate’s genes in something as complex and multicellular as a mouse gives us new insights into the evolutionary origins of animal traits.
Animals feature what is known as pluripotency: an ability for embryonic stem cells to differentiate and develop into the variety of tissues that make up a fully developed organism. In spite of not having this talent, choanoflagellates have their own versions of the genes responsible for pluripotency in animals.
By swapping mouse genes for the version found in choanoflagellates, researchers could determine just how similar the two are in their functionality.
“By successfully creating a mouse using molecular tools derived from our single-celled relatives, we’re witnessing an extraordinary continuity of function across nearly a billion years of evolution,” says geneticist Alex de Mendoza of Queen Mary University in the UK.
“The study implies that key genes involved in stem cell formation might have originated far earlier than the stem cells themselves, perhaps helping pave the way for the multicellular life we see today.”
Neonatal chimeric mouse pups. (Goa et al., Nat. Commun., 2024)
Pluripotency is thought to have emerged with the appearance of multicellular animals some 700 million years ago, so it stands to reason that transcription factors associated with stem cell pluripotency, such as those in the Sox and POU families, are thought to be restricted to multicellular animals.
But prior research conducted on animal-adjacent microbes suggests that the origins of pluripotency predate multicellularity. If this is the case, it could be one of the drivers of animal evolution, rather than a consequence of it.
Choanoflagellate Sox genes have traits similar to those found in mammalian Sox2 genes. In mice, Sox2 interacts with a POU member called Oct4, but choanoflagellate POU genes are incapable of generating pluripotent stem cells.
A team of researchers led by Ya Gao and Daisylyn Senna Tan of the University of Hong Kong and Mathias Girbig of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany wanted to know what might happen if they replaced the mammalian Sox2 gene with a choanoflagellate Sox gene.
They grew cloned mouse stem cells and reprogrammed their genomes, replacing Sox2 with choanoflagellate Sox. These cells were injected into embryonic mouse blastocysts that were then implanted into pseudopregnant mouse surrogates to be gestated, birthed, and raised in a nurturing environment.
The chimeric mice are five weeks old. (Gao et al., Nat. Commun., 2024)
The chimeric pups were born with a mix of traits based on their spliced heritage. Obviously they were mice, but they had dark eyes and dark fur patches that indicated their mixed genetics. Otherwise, they were pretty normal, which suggests that choanoflagellate Sox genes were able to create stem cells compatible with the mouse’s development.
This suggests that the tools for creating pluripotency developed in choanoflagellates before multicellularity emerged.
“Choanoflagellates don’t have stem cells; they’re single-celled organisms, but they have these genes, likely to control basic cellular processes that multicellular animals probably later repurposed for building complex bodies,” de Mendoza says.
The findings suggest that the Sox transcription factors in choanoflagellates hundreds of millions of years ago were biochemically similar to the Sox genes that serve important functions in multicellular organisms today. The inability of choanoflagellate POU to produce pluripotent stem cells, on the other hand, suggests that POU members had to undergo modification to take up the role they play in pluripotency now.
These results could have implications for stem cell research and stem cell therapies, the researchers say. And they add an interesting layer of complexity to the story of how life diversified on Earth.
“Our data clearly shows that two of the main gene families involved in vertebrate pluripotency and key developmental genes across animals were already present before the origins of multicellularity,” the team writes in its paper.
“Eventually, their biochemical capabilities were enhanced to build one of the defining cell types of a complex multicellular entity.”
Physicists have found a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how particle tracks streaming from electron-proton collisions are influenced by quantum entanglement inside the proton. The results reveal that quarks and gluons, the fundamental building blocks that make up a proton’s structure, are subject to so-called quantum entanglement.
Data from past proton-electron collisions provide strong evidence of entanglement among the proton’s sea of quarks (spheres) and gluons (squiggles), which may play an important role in their strong-force interactions. Image credit: Valerie Lentz/Brookhaven National Laboratory.
“Before we did this work, no one had looked at entanglement inside of a proton in experimental high-energy collision data,” said Brookhaven Lab physicist Zhoudunming (Kong) Tu.
“For decades, we’ve had a traditional view of the proton as a collection of quarks and gluons, and we’ve been focused on understanding so-called single-particle properties, including how quarks and gluons are distributed inside the proton.”
“Now, with evidence that quarks and gluons are entangled, this picture has changed. We have a much more complicated, dynamic system.”
“This latest paper refines our understanding of how entanglement impacts proton structure.”
“Mapping out the entanglement among quarks and gluons inside protons could offer insight into other complex questions in nuclear physics, including how being part of a larger nucleus affects proton properties.”
“This will be one focus of future experiments at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a nuclear physics research facility expected to open at Brookhaven Lab in the 2030s.”
For the study, Dr. Tu and colleagues used the language and equations of quantum information science to predict how entanglement should impact particles streaming from electron-proton collisions.
Such collisions are a common approach for probing proton structure, most recently at the Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA) particle collider in Hamburg, Germany, from 1992 to 2007, and are planned for future EIC experiments.
The equations predict that if the quarks and gluons are entangled, that can be revealed from the collision’s entropy, or disorder.
“Think of a kid’s messy bedroom, with laundry and other things all over the place. In that disorganized room, the entropy is very high,” Dr. Tu said.
According to the calculations, protons with maximally entangled quarks and gluons—a high degree of ‘entanglement entropy’—should produce a lot of particles with a’messy’ distribution—a high degree of entropy.
“For a maximally entangled state of quarks and gluons, there is a simple relation that allows us to predict the entropy of particles produced in a high-energy collision,” said Dr. Dmitri Kharzeev, a theorist affiliated with both Brookhaven Lab and Stony Brook University.
“In our paper, we tested this relation using experimental data.”
The scientists started by analyzing data from proton-proton collisions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, but they also wanted to look at the ‘cleaner’ data produced by electron-proton collisions.
The physicists cataloged detailed information from data recorded in 2006-2007, including how particle production and distributions varied and a wide range of other information about the collisions that produced these distributions.
When they compared the HERA data with the entropy calculations, the results matched the predictions perfectly.
These analyses, including the latest results on how particle distributions change at various angles from the collision point, provide strong evidence that quarks and gluons inside protons are maximally entangled.
“The revelation of entanglement among quarks and gluons sheds light on the nature of their strong-force interactions,” Dr. Kharzeev said.
“It may offer additional insight into what keeps quarks and gluons confined within protons, which is one of the central questions in nuclear physics that will be explored at the EIC.”
“Maximal entanglement inside the proton emerges as a consequence of strong interactions that produce a large number of quark-antiquark pairs and gluons.”
The team’s work appears in the journal Reports on Progress in Physics.
If you see this plane flying above you, it might be a sign of impending doom
There is a plane that could signal impending doom if you spot it in the sky.
Luckily for us, there hasn’t been a need for these aircraft to be used, but the US has four of these ready in case the worst of the worst happens.
So, one day in the near future, if you see one of these zooming above your head, you might want to run—or don’t—and you’ll be wiped out within a few minutes anyway.
But by what, exactly?
It looks very intimidating, doesn’t it? Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images )
Basically, the US has a plan of action in case they find themselves in the midst of a nuclear war, which at times has been something that has come too close for comfort.
Now that Donald Trump has been given the ‘nuclear football’, a lot of people will be attentively watching with baited breath.
In case it does become a reality, they would need to get off the ground and establish a command and control centre, clear of any potential attack targets, in a matter of minutes.
They have called it the National Airborne Operations Centre (NAOC), and they have prepared four E-4Bs, which, when translated from tech-speak, are modified Boeing 747-200s that can be used for the military’s doomsday needs and communications.
They aren’t cheap to run, setting the military back $159,529 (£126,000) per hour to operate, as the Air Force’s most expensive plane.
They will be used to carry and protect the nation’s most senior military officials and key figures, such as the President, who will be in charge during a nuclear crisis or similar levels of emergency.
Meant to be ready at any given time, one of the planes has its engines operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to takeoff when needed.
Featuring advanced thermal and nuclear shielding, those inside will be protected from the impact of a nuclear blast.
On top of this, the Boeing Doomsday plane can fly non-stop for an entire week once airborne, due to its refuelling capabilities, while being loaded with protective measures to stop missile attacks.
The E-4B is also used for transporting officials overseas (Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
If you step onboard, you’ll see a mobile command centre with ‘advanced radar and surveillance technology’, which can keep track of any potential threats in real time, boasting some of the highest levels of tech in the world.
These four aircraft are based at an Air Force base that also happens to be home to the US Strategic Command, south of Omaha, Nebraska.
Seeing it in the sky shouldn’t necessarily cause a straight panic, though, as the planes are also used to transport officials overseas for events and meetings.
BREAKING NEWS: Elon Musk’s First Prototype of Flying Tesla Car SH0CKED The World – ANHTRUC.
Eloп Mυsk, the visioпary foυпder of Tesla aпd SpaceX, receпtly revealed a groυпdbreakiпg possibility iп aп iпterview: the developmeпt of the world’s first flyiпg electric car. This ambitioυs idea is coпsisteпt with Mυsk’s commitmeпt to sυstaiпability aпd his drive to revolυtioпize iпdυstries, raпgiпg from reпewable eпergy to space exploratioп.
Tesla eпgiпeers have proposed a desigп for aп aerial electric vehicle, with Mυsk expressiпg serioυs iпterest iп its poteпtial. He eпvisioпs that a flyiпg Tesla coυld become a reality withiп the пext few years, markiпg a sigпificaпt milestoпe iп traпsportatioп history.
The Promise of Flyiпg Cars
Flyiпg cars have loпg captivated the imagiпatioпs of eпgiпeers aпd fυtυrists, offeriпg a poteпtial solυtioп to υrbaп coпgestioп aпd dramatically redυciпg travel times. Α Tesla flyiпg car coυld seamlessly iпtegrate with Mυsk’s visioп for a sυstaiпable fυtυre, represeпtiпg the evolυtioп of traпsportatioп beyoпd terrestrial electric vehicles aпd iпterplaпetary travel.
Tesla’s advaпcemeпts provide a stroпg foυпdatioп for sυch a developmeпt:
Highly Efficieпt Electric Motors – Tesla’s reпowпed motors coυld address the demaпdiпg aerodyпamic aпd eпergy пeeds of aerial vehicles.
State-of-the-Αrt Batteries – Tesla’s iпdυstry-leadiпg batteries coυld be adapted to provide sυfficieпt power aпd raпge for flyiпg applicatioпs.
If realized, a Tesla flyiпg car coυld redefiпe persoпal traпsportatioп, creatiпg aп eпtirely пew ecosystem for aerial mobility.
Global Iппovatioпs iп Αerial Vehicles
While Tesla coпtemplates eпteriпg this areпa, iпterпatioпal competitors are advaпciпg swiftly, showcasiпg iппovatioпs that highlight the traпsformative poteпtial of flyiпg cars.
Xpeпg Motors: Α Leader iп Modυlar Αerial Desigп
Chiпese aυtomaker Xpeпg Motors has υпveiled a series of promisiпg flyiпg vehicle coпcepts, iпclυdiпg the Laпd Αircraft Carrier, a modυlar vehicle demoпstrated at the Gυaпgzhoυ Αυto Show. This coпcept featυres a groυпd modυle, the “mother ship,” capable of traveliпg 1,000 kilometers oп a siпgle charge, aпd aп attachable flight modυle eqυipped with six propellers for vertical takeoff aпd laпdiпg.
Xpeпg is also advaпciпg the Xpeпg ΑeroHT, a flyiпg car expected to debυt iп 2025, with a competitive price of $140,000. Featυriпg eight propellers, it balaпces its primary groυпd υse with short, low-altitυde flights, demoпstratiпg a hybrid approach to υrbaп mobility.
The Xpeпg X2: Urbaп Αir Mobility Solυtioп
Αпother staпdoυt from Xpeпg is the X2, a two-seat electric vertical takeoff aпd laпdiпg (eVTOL) vehicle desigпed for υrbaп eпviroпmeпts. With a flight dυratioп of 35 miпυtes, speeds of υp to 130 km/h, aпd aυtoпomoυs пavigatioп capabilities, the X2 has already sυccessfυlly completed its first pυblic maппed flight iп Dυbai, sigпaliпg readiпess for real-world deploymeпt.
Iппovatioпs from Global Competitors
Several iпterпatioпal compaпies are also coпtribυtiпg to the rapidly evolviпg laпdscape of aerial vehicles:
Jetsoп ΑB (Swedeп): Jetsoп 1
Marketed as a flyiпg motorcycle, this siпgle-seat eVTOL is crafted from lightweight alυmiпυm aпd carboп fiber, reachiпg speeds of 102 km/h. It reqυires пo pilot liceпse iп the U.S. aпd offers 20 miпυtes of flight time, with a startiпg price of $92,000.
PΑL-V Liberty (Netherlaпds): Hybrid Car-Gyrocopter
The PΑL-V Liberty combiпes road aпd aerial fυпctioпality, achieviпg speeds of 180 km/h iп the air aпd 160 km/h oп the groυпd. With a seamless traпsitioп betweeп modes iп υпder five miпυtes, it meets cυrreпt road aпd aviatioп staпdards, promisiпg deliveries by 2024.
ΑSKΑ Α5 (USΑ): Dυal-Mode Hybrid
The ΑSKΑ Α5 traпsitioпs betweeп road aпd air travel υsiпg a hybrid powertraiп. Capable of 241 km/h iп the air aпd 105 km/h oп laпd, it offers a raпge of 402 kilometers per charge aпd is priced at $789,000.
Rise Recoп (USΑ): Utility-Focυsed eVTOL
Desigпed for agricυltυral aпd remote applicatioпs, this lightweight eVTOL reaches altitυdes of 120 meters aпd speeds of 101 km/h. It iпcorporates ΑI systems for simplified operatioп aпd is priced at $150,000.
Coпclυsioп
Eloп Mυsk’s coпsideratioп of a Tesla flyiпg car aligпs with a global treпd toward aerial mobility, which coυld redefiпe traпsportatioп iп υrbaп aпd remote settiпgs alike. Αs global iппovators like Xpeпg Motors, Jetsoп ΑB, aпd others pυsh the boυпdaries of techпology, Mυsk aпd Tesla may face sigпificaпt competitioп iп this emergiпg market.
The iпtegratioп of flyiпg cars iпto everyday life will reqυire overcomiпg regυlatory, techпical, aпd iпfrastrυctυral challeпges. However, with advaпcemeпts iп eпergy efficieпcy, aυtoпomoυs systems, aпd modυlar desigп, the dream of persoпal aerial mobility is closer to reality thaп ever before.
What do yoυ thiпk aboυt the fυtυre of flyiпg cars? Share yoυr thoυghts below.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Exclusive Porsche Collection Expands with a Unique Cayenne.anhtruc.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is well-known not only for his success in the tech industry but also for his lavish lifestyle, particularly his passion for luxury cars. His Porsche collection has become a symbol of wealth and status. Recently, this collection has been enriched with a one-of-a-kind Porsche Cayenne, leaving car enthusiasts and Zuckerberg‘s fans in awe.
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Porsche Cayenne: A Powerful and Luxurious SUV
The Porsche Cayenne, one of the most iconic SUVs from the Porsche brand, has captivated car lovers worldwide due to its strong design, advanced technology, and superior performance. Combining luxury with sporty features, the Porsche Cayenne is a top choice for the wealthy and successful. However, the Cayenne that Mark Zuckerberg just added to his collection is not your typical car.
This new Cayenne is an exclusive version, custom-made with fine details. It bears Zuckerberg’s personal touch, from the exterior design to the high-end interior. Porsche has created not just a car but a mobile work of art that demonstrates perfection in every aspect.
Mark Zuckerberg is well known for his passion for Porsche. Prior to the unique Cayenne, his collection already included valuable Porsche models such as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Porsche Taycan. Adding this Cayenne to his collection not only shows Zuckerberg‘s love for the brand but also reflects his luxurious lifestyle, keen on novelty, and exploration.
Porsche has become a brand synonymous with the elite, and Mark Zuckerberg is no exception. With his strong personality and influential presence in the tech industry, Zuckerberg’s new Cayenne is more than just a luxury item; it is part of building the image of a successful man always striving for perfection.
The Perfect Blend of Technology and Sport
One of the reasons the Porsche Cayenne is so popular is its superb performance. With its powerful engine and advanced suspension system, the Cayenne is not just a luxury vehicle but also offers a thrilling driving experience. This is especially fitting for Mark Zuckerberg, who not only excels in technology but is also passionate about sports and physical activities. Owning a Porsche Cayenne with impressive driving capabilities will give him unforgettable driving experiences while helping him express his modern and sophisticated lifestyle.
The Future of Mark Zuckerberg’s Car Collection
With the addition of the one-of-a-kind Porsche Cayenne to his collection, it’s no surprise that people will continue to pay attention to the next cars Mark Zuckerberg will acquire. Will he continue to choose more high-end Porsche models, or will he explore new vehicles from other prestigious brands? One thing is certain: Zuckerberg’s car collection will always remain a symbol of class and luxurious living.
Mark Zuckerberg‘s exclusive Porsche collection serves as a clear example of the combination of career success and personal passion. The latest unique Porsche Cayenne in his collection is not just a luxury vehicle but a symbol of a perfect lifestyle—one that is full of ambition, creativity, and the pursuit of excellence.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Porsche collection continues to impress the automotive world. The addition of the one-of-a-kind Porsche Cayenne not only enhances his collection but also serves as an essential part of his sophisticated lifestyle. This is a clear testament to the perfect blend of technology, sports, and luxury that only Porsche and Mark Zuckerberg can deliver.
