<p>Finding a partner on dating apps like Tinder may go wrong. But how do you then know your partner is not a Tinder swindler, who defrauded women of millions of dollars online under the guise of a diamond magnate.&nbsp;It may calm your nerves to know that now scientists have revealed few of the classic signs you must watch out for before you decide to stop on that swipe and make that person your life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This study claims to help people spot a romance scammer and navigate dating apps safely by sharing the traits of a Tinder swindler. The bulk of the research is related to the profile of romantic fraud by creating process models to describe how the scam evolved or by examining language patterns and persuasion tactics employed while communicating with their victims.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-train-carrying-hazardous-material-derails-in-maine-due-to-track-washout-582858">US: Train carrying hazardous material derails in Maine due to track washout</a></p>

<p>These findings may be applied to enhance detection and mitigation techniques as well as provide as a starting point for training and awareness efforts.</p>

<h2><strong>So how do you spot a Tinder Swindler?</strong></h2>

<p>To avoid falling for scammers like Simon Leviev, the Netflix Tinder Swindler (actual name Shimon Hayut), experts combed through 232 documents in search of romance scam profiles and potential victims. According to the Daily Mail, the new study exhibited the characteristics of a classic Tinder Swindler.</p>

<h2><strong>1. A perfect Photo op&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>According to Dr. Lynsay A Shepherd, a researcher on the study, romantic fraud begins by giving a perfect look to your profile. Depending on the nation in which they reside, the profile of these romance scammers could differ. While Filipinos were luring others by their fictitious sales occupations, Italian profiles pretended to be real estate brokers.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-army-and-rsf-clashes-leave-27-dead-including-3-un-staffers-dozens-injured-582861">Sudan: Army and RSF clashes leave 56 civilians, dozens of fighters dead</a></p>

<h2><strong>2. Military Macho</strong></h2>

<p>Many people who engage in romance fraud put on a military garb and pose as serving their country. The reason for doing this is to project an air of dominance. With this, they control their partners' emotions. Later, they go a notch up and pretent to be unable to access their bank accounts. They do this to then request emergency cash. Once the job is done, they vanish with the money. To tangle up their partners in their vicious net, they pretend to have a medical emergency and say they need to provide for a family member.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>3.&nbsp; Sweet Wordplay</strong></h2>

<p>Swindlers know the art of wordplay. They will shower you with praises. They will even give you nicknames. Doing all this shows how much they want a partner. However, flattery enables them to win over their target before requesting payment.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | What is next in Syrian Civil War?; The rapid development of AI | This World</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>4. Demanding money&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>If in case, the women don't need flattery and they become romantically involved with a Tinder Swindler already, it is a perfect chance for romance scammers then to demand money.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>5. Targets women aged 35-54&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The study found that these scammers target women who have little expertise and a poor grasp of what is a fraud. These women are usually between the ages of 35 and 54. Dr Shepherd said it is essential to carry out research and find fresh methods for protecting people against scams.</p>

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Finding a partner on dating apps like Tinder may go wrong. But how do you then know your partner is not a Tinder swindler, who defrauded women of millions of dollars online under the guise of a diamond magnate.

Finding a partner on dating apps like Tinder may go wrong. But how do you then know your partner is not a Tinder swindler, who defrauded women of millions of dollars online under the guise of a diamond magnate. It may calm your nerves to know that now scientists have revealed few of the classic signs you must watch out for before you decide to stop on that swipe and make that person your life. This study claims to help people spot a romance scammer and navigate dating apps safely by sharing the traits of a Tinder swindler. The bulk of the research is related to the profile of romantic fraud by creating process models to describe how the scam evolved or by examining language patterns and persuasion tactics employed while communicating with their victims. Also Read | US: Train carrying hazardous material derails in Maine due to track washout These findings may be applied to enhance detection and mitigation techniques as well as provide as a starting point for training and awareness efforts. So how do you spot a Tinder Swindler? To avoid falling for scammers like Simon Leviev, the Netflix Tinder Swindler (actual name Shimon Hayut), experts combed through 232 documents in search of romance scam profiles and potential victims. According to the Daily Mail, the new study exhibited the characteristics of a classic Tinder Swindler. 1. A perfect Photo op According to Dr. Lynsay A Shepherd, a researcher on the study, romantic fraud begins by giving a perfect look to your profile. Depending on the nation in which they reside, the profile of these romance scammers could differ. While Filipinos were luring others by their fictitious sales occupations, Italian profiles pretended to be real estate brokers. Also Read | Sudan: Army and RSF clashes leave 56 civilians, dozens of fighters dead 2. Military Macho Many people who engage in romance fraud put on a military garb and pose as serving their country. The reason for doing this is to project an air of dominance. With this, they control their partners' emotions. Later, they go a notch up and pretent to be unable to access their bank accounts. They do this to then request emergency cash. Once the job is done, they vanish with the money. To tangle up their partners in their vicious net, they pretend to have a medical emergency and say they need to provide for a family member. 3. Sweet Wordplay Swindlers know the art of wordplay. They will shower you with praises. They will even give you nicknames. Doing all this shows how much they want a partner. However, flattery enables them to win over their target before requesting payment. Watch | What is next in Syrian Civil War?; The rapid development of AI | This World × 4. Demanding money If in case, the women don't need flattery and they become romantically involved with a Tinder Swindler already, it is a perfect chance for romance scammers then to demand money. 5. Targets women aged 35-54 The study found that these scammers target women who have little expertise and a poor grasp of what is a fraud. These women are usually between the ages of 35 and 54. Dr Shepherd said it is essential to carry out research and find fresh methods for protecting people against scams. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Are you dating a 'Tinder swindler'? Scientists reveal these classic signs you must watch out for

<p>A new technique has been developed by scientists that could help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, even before symptoms start showing in a person, and speed up the process of treatment.</p>

<p>It is difficult to diagnose Parkinson’s presently because there is no specific test to detect the condition. Symptoms vary from person to person and similar symptoms have been found in other illnesses, which increases&nbsp;the possibility of a misdiagnosis.</p>

<p>Scientists in the United States have now claimed that they have come up with a way to identify how the abnormal proteins, which are related to the disease, buildup long before the symptoms begin to show. The Lancet Neurology journal published the findings of the scientists.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/neil-diamond-on-dealing-with-parkinsons-i-cant-really-fight-this-thing-578558">Neil Diamond on dealing with Parkinson’s: I can’t really fight this thing</a></p>

<p>The research shows that the method, called alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (alphaSyn-SAA), can identify people who stand at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.</p>

<p>The method can create a scope for early detection, diagnosis and the right treatment of the disease. In the last 25 years, the prevalence of Parkinson’s has doubled globally with around 10 million people suffering from the disease.</p>

<p>There has been an increase in awareness of the disease after it was recently diagnosed in high-profile people like British television presenter Jeremy Paxman and US congresswoman Jennifer Wexton.</p>

<p>The study's co-lead author and University of Pennsylvania's Prof Andrew Siderowf said, “Identifying an effective biomarker for Parkinson’s disease pathology could have profound implications for the way we treat the condition, potentially making it possible to diagnose people earlier, identify the best treatments for different subsets of patients and speed up clinical trials.”</p>

<p>Parkinson’s is caused by the build-up of abnormal proteins throughout the nervous system and the brain. The buildup of proteins is said to start years before physical symptoms like the slowness of movement, muscle stiffness and tremors start to show.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | World Parkinson’s Day 2023: Symptoms, causes and treatment</strong></p>

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<p>The study included 1,123 participants, which was one of the largest assessments so far carried out, to study the usefulness of the alphaSyn-SAA technique.</p>

<p>The study confirmed that the people with Parkinson’s were accurately detected through the technique and also the individuals who were at risk but had no early symptoms were identified before diagnosis.</p>

<p>The researchers, however, cautioned that longer-term studies, taking into account larger sample sizes, would be required to fully understand the effectiveness of the alphaSyn-SAA technique.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A new technique has been developed by scientists that could help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, even before symptoms start showing in a person, and speed up the process of treatment.

A new technique has been developed by scientists that could help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, even before symptoms start showing in a person, and speed up the process of treatment. It is difficult to diagnose Parkinson’s presently because there is no specific test to detect the condition. Symptoms vary from person to person and similar symptoms have been found in other illnesses, which increases the possibility of a misdiagnosis. Scientists in the United States have now claimed that they have come up with a way to identify how the abnormal proteins, which are related to the disease, buildup long before the symptoms begin to show. The Lancet Neurology journal published the findings of the scientists. ALSO READ | Neil Diamond on dealing with Parkinson’s: I can’t really fight this thing The research shows that the method, called alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (alphaSyn-SAA), can identify people who stand at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The method can create a scope for early detection, diagnosis and the right treatment of the disease. In the last 25 years, the prevalence of Parkinson’s has doubled globally with around 10 million people suffering from the disease. There has been an increase in awareness of the disease after it was recently diagnosed in high-profile people like British television presenter Jeremy Paxman and US congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. The study's co-lead author and University of Pennsylvania's Prof Andrew Siderowf said, “Identifying an effective biomarker for Parkinson’s disease pathology could have profound implications for the way we treat the condition, potentially making it possible to diagnose people earlier, identify the best treatments for different subsets of patients and speed up clinical trials.” Parkinson’s is caused by the build-up of abnormal proteins throughout the nervous system and the brain. The buildup of proteins is said to start years before physical symptoms like the slowness of movement, muscle stiffness and tremors start to show. WATCH | World Parkinson’s Day 2023: Symptoms, causes and treatment The study included 1,123 participants, which was one of the largest assessments so far carried out, to study the usefulness of the alphaSyn-SAA technique. The study confirmed that the people with Parkinson’s were accurately detected through the technique and also the individuals who were at risk but had no early symptoms were identified before diagnosis. The researchers, however, cautioned that longer-term studies, taking into account larger sample sizes, would be required to fully understand the effectiveness of the alphaSyn-SAA technique. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

New method can help diagnose Parkinson’s at early stage, say scientists

Shrinking of ice mass on the remaining Pyrenees glaciers will vanish in the coming decade, warn scientists.

Pyrenees glaciers will vanish next decade

<p>Spanish chemist Rafael Luque, who is regarded as one of the most cited scientists in the world, was suspended without pay by the University of Córdoba after working there for 13 years, El País newspaper reported.</p>

<p>According to the Spanish newspaper, the prolific scientist, who has published around 700 studies—mainly in the field of so-called green chemistry—was sanctioned for working as a researcher for other universities, such as the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in Moscow.</p>

<p>&nbsp;“Without me, the University of Córdoba is going to drop 300 places [in the Shanghai ranking],” said Luque, who has published around 700 studies, mainly in the field of so-called green chemistry.</p>

<p>&nbsp;“They have shot themselves in the foot,” the 44-year-old scientist added.</p>

<p>Despite being a professor at the University of Córdoba, Luque joined King Saud as a researcher in 2019, a decade after leading universities in the kingdom started aggressive campaigns to attract the world’s most cited scientists.</p>

<p>Their only stipulation was that they spend only one week a year on its campus and, add the name of the Saudi institution as a second affiliate, in lieu for a fee.</p>

<p>Luque, however, claimed that he never received money “directly” from either the Saudi or Russian institutions, apart from getting funds for his analyses, business class travel and luxury hotels.</p>

<p>“In my [bank] account, they would not have found a single cent from Russia or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else,” he was quoted as saying.</p>

<p>Admitting that he bypassed the established procedures to collaborate with other institutions, Luque claimed that he was targetted because of “envy” and a “lack of understanding”.</p>

<p>“They have a grudge against me because I am a very prolific scientist and a lot of people adore me, because they know my worth. They are envious and mediocre people,” he said.</p>

<p>“I have never felt supported by the University of Córdoba, even though I put it on the Shanghai ranking. Being on the ranking is entirely due to me.”</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

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Spanish chemist Rafael Luque, who is regarded as one of the most cited scientists in the world, was suspended without pay by the University of Córdoba after working there for 13 years, El País newspaper reported.

Spanish chemist Rafael Luque, who is regarded as one of the most cited scientists in the world, was suspended without pay by the University of Córdoba after working there for 13 years, El País newspaper reported. According to the Spanish newspaper, the prolific scientist, who has published around 700 studies—mainly in the field of so-called green chemistry—was sanctioned for working as a researcher for other universities, such as the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in Moscow. “Without me, the University of Córdoba is going to drop 300 places [in the Shanghai ranking],” said Luque, who has published around 700 studies, mainly in the field of so-called green chemistry. “They have shot themselves in the foot,” the 44-year-old scientist added. Despite being a professor at the University of Córdoba, Luque joined King Saud as a researcher in 2019, a decade after leading universities in the kingdom started aggressive campaigns to attract the world’s most cited scientists. Their only stipulation was that they spend only one week a year on its campus and, add the name of the Saudi institution as a second affiliate, in lieu for a fee. Luque, however, claimed that he never received money “directly” from either the Saudi or Russian institutions, apart from getting funds for his analyses, business class travel and luxury hotels. “In my [bank] account, they would not have found a single cent from Russia or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else,” he was quoted as saying. Admitting that he bypassed the established procedures to collaborate with other institutions, Luque claimed that he was targetted because of “envy” and a “lack of understanding”. “They have a grudge against me because I am a very prolific scientist and a lot of people adore me, because they know my worth. They are envious and mediocre people,” he said. “I have never felt supported by the University of Córdoba, even though I put it on the Shanghai ranking. Being on the ranking is entirely due to me.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Reputed Spanish chemist and one of world’s most cited scientists, Rafael Luque, suspended without pay

Future scientists and researchers of the Indian Space Organisation ISRO are trained at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

IIST: India's biggest space institute

<p>We generally know about particles. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules. We all know this. But when is comes to sense of smell, the molecular level understanding is something that's not common knowledge. What is a smell? How do we perceive it? These are some of the questions scientists have been working upon for decades. And there has now been a breakthrough finally.</p>

<p>Scientists have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odour molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step towards deciphering the sense of smell.</p>

<p>This will help a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction (sense of smell). The 3D picture of the odour molecule has implications for fragrances, food science and beyond.</p>

<p>The 3D model has been created by scientists at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). This is sure to reignite interest in the sense of smell.</p>

<p>The findings have been published in the journal Nature, reported Press Trust of India.</p>

<p>Odorant receptors, proteins that bind odour molecules on the surface of olfactory cells, make up half of the largest, most diverse family of receptors in our bodies. A deeper understanding of them paves the way for new insights about a range of biological processes.</p>

<p>Smell involves about 400 unique receptors.</p>

<p>Each of the hundreds of thousands of scents we can detect is made of a mixture of different odour molecules. Each type of molecule may be detected by an array of receptors, creating a puzzle for the brain to solve each time the nose catches a whiff of something new.</p>

<p>"It's like hitting keys on a piano to produce a chord," said Hiroaki Matsunami, professor at Duke University and a close collaborator of Aashish Manglik, associate professor, UCSF.</p>

<p>Matsunami's work over the past two decades has focused on decoding the sense of smell.</p>

<p>"Seeing how an odorant receptor binds an odorant explains how this works at a fundamental level," said Matsunami.</p>

<p>We haven't been able to map olfaction, because without a picture, said Manglik, we didn't know how odour molecules would react with their corresponding odour receptors.</p>

<p>To create the 3D picture, the study said, Manglik's lab used a type of imaging called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), that allows researchers to see atomic structure and study the molecular shapes of proteins.</p>

<p>But before Manglik's team could visualise the odorant receptor binding an odorant, they first needed to purify a sufficient quantity of the receptor protein.</p>

<p>Odorant receptors are notoriously challenging, some say impossible, to make in the lab for such purposes.</p>

<p>The Manglik and Matsunami teams looked for an odorant receptor that was abundant in both the body and the nose, thinking it might be easier to make artificially, and one that also could detect water-soluble odorants, according to the study.</p>

<p>They settled on a receptor called OR51E2, which is known to respond to propionate, a molecule that contributes to the pungent smell of Swiss cheese.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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We generally know about particles. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules. We all know this. But when is comes to sense of smell, the molecular level understanding is something that's not common knowledge.

We generally know about particles. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules. We all know this. But when is comes to sense of smell, the molecular level understanding is something that's not common knowledge. What is a smell? How do we perceive it? These are some of the questions scientists have been working upon for decades. And there has now been a breakthrough finally. Scientists have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odour molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step towards deciphering the sense of smell. This will help a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction (sense of smell). The 3D picture of the odour molecule has implications for fragrances, food science and beyond. The 3D model has been created by scientists at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). This is sure to reignite interest in the sense of smell. The findings have been published in the journal Nature, reported Press Trust of India. Odorant receptors, proteins that bind odour molecules on the surface of olfactory cells, make up half of the largest, most diverse family of receptors in our bodies. A deeper understanding of them paves the way for new insights about a range of biological processes. Smell involves about 400 unique receptors. Each of the hundreds of thousands of scents we can detect is made of a mixture of different odour molecules. Each type of molecule may be detected by an array of receptors, creating a puzzle for the brain to solve each time the nose catches a whiff of something new. "It's like hitting keys on a piano to produce a chord," said Hiroaki Matsunami, professor at Duke University and a close collaborator of Aashish Manglik, associate professor, UCSF. Matsunami's work over the past two decades has focused on decoding the sense of smell. "Seeing how an odorant receptor binds an odorant explains how this works at a fundamental level," said Matsunami. We haven't been able to map olfaction, because without a picture, said Manglik, we didn't know how odour molecules would react with their corresponding odour receptors. To create the 3D picture, the study said, Manglik's lab used a type of imaging called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), that allows researchers to see atomic structure and study the molecular shapes of proteins. But before Manglik's team could visualise the odorant receptor binding an odorant, they first needed to purify a sufficient quantity of the receptor protein. Odorant receptors are notoriously challenging, some say impossible, to make in the lab for such purposes. The Manglik and Matsunami teams looked for an odorant receptor that was abundant in both the body and the nose, thinking it might be easier to make artificially, and one that also could detect water-soluble odorants, according to the study. They settled on a receptor called OR51E2, which is known to respond to propionate, a molecule that contributes to the pungent smell of Swiss cheese. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Understanding sense of smell: Scientists create 3D image of odour molecule

<p>Scientists have recently claimed to have discovered a new parasitic fungus which infects and kills trapdoor spiders in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil.</p>

<p>The rare fungus is purple and is part of the group that infects invertebrates and then takes over the host. In a close-up image, the fungus is seen wrapped around a trapdoor spider's body, poking out of the burrow from which the insects are grabbed by the arachnid.</p>

<p>The researchers said that no evidence has surfaced till now which proves that the behaviour of trapdoor spiders is controlled by the newly-discovered parasitic fungus before the former is killed, like their zombie-ant fungi relatives, which tricks the insects into leaving their nests to reach places where they are free to spread their spores.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/whiskey-fungus-is-threatening-the-lives-and-finances-of-this-us-town-567459">'Whiskey fungus' is threatening the lives and finances of this US town</a></p>

<p>The scientists discovered the fungus during their field trip to forests north of Rio de Janeiro in November. They were visiting the forests to document the biodiversity of the area and find new species.</p>

<p>“It’s a really beautiful thing,” stated Dr Joao Araujo, a Brazilian mycologist with the New York Botanical Garden who found the parasitic fungus.</p>

<p>“They infect trapdoor spiders, and it’s one of the very few cordyceps that are purple, which is a cool feature. We don’t know much about this fungal group because it’s very understudied. This kind of fungus has been collected very few times in the world, mostly in Thailand. This will likely be the first time we sequence a species like this from Brazil,” he added.</p>

<p>The expedition, which was held in collaboration between the New York Botanical Garden, Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and other organisations, included experts on fungi, birds, snakes, frogs and plants.</p>

<p>“The new species that attacks trapdoor spiders belongs to a mega-diverse group of fungi. We know about 1% of its diversity, so we know very little. Foundational scientific work is needed so we can, perhaps, investigate new medical compounds or use them to protect against pests in crops,” Araujo said.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Zombie Fungus: Fungal pandemic can turn humans into zombies?</strong></p>

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<p>Lead researchers Dr Natalia Przelomska and Dr Oscar Alejandro Pérez Escobar, who carried out in-the-field sequencing, said that the new species hypothesis will be backed by their work and can be used for speeding up the identification of other species in ecosystems.</p>

<p>“Here at Kew, we have access to big DNA sequencing machines and all sorts of ways to produce data. That is often so much harder in biodiverse countries. So what was really special about the field trip was that we could go and use some of the newest DNA sequencing technologies with the people working there. It’s one small step in this really big problem of unequal access,” Przelomska said.&nbsp;</p>

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Scientists have recently claimed to have discovered a new parasitic fungus which infects and kills trapdoor spiders in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. The rare fungus is purple and is part of the group that infects invertebrates and then takes over the host.

Scientists have recently claimed to have discovered a new parasitic fungus which infects and kills trapdoor spiders in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. The rare fungus is purple and is part of the group that infects invertebrates and then takes over the host. In a close-up image, the fungus is seen wrapped around a trapdoor spider's body, poking out of the burrow from which the insects are grabbed by the arachnid. The researchers said that no evidence has surfaced till now which proves that the behaviour of trapdoor spiders is controlled by the newly-discovered parasitic fungus before the former is killed, like their zombie-ant fungi relatives, which tricks the insects into leaving their nests to reach places where they are free to spread their spores. ALSO READ | 'Whiskey fungus' is threatening the lives and finances of this US town The scientists discovered the fungus during their field trip to forests north of Rio de Janeiro in November. They were visiting the forests to document the biodiversity of the area and find new species. “It’s a really beautiful thing,” stated Dr Joao Araujo, a Brazilian mycologist with the New York Botanical Garden who found the parasitic fungus. “They infect trapdoor spiders, and it’s one of the very few cordyceps that are purple, which is a cool feature. We don’t know much about this fungal group because it’s very understudied. This kind of fungus has been collected very few times in the world, mostly in Thailand. This will likely be the first time we sequence a species like this from Brazil,” he added. The expedition, which was held in collaboration between the New York Botanical Garden, Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and other organisations, included experts on fungi, birds, snakes, frogs and plants. “The new species that attacks trapdoor spiders belongs to a mega-diverse group of fungi. We know about 1% of its diversity, so we know very little. Foundational scientific work is needed so we can, perhaps, investigate new medical compounds or use them to protect against pests in crops,” Araujo said. WATCH | Zombie Fungus: Fungal pandemic can turn humans into zombies? Lead researchers Dr Natalia Przelomska and Dr Oscar Alejandro Pérez Escobar, who carried out in-the-field sequencing, said that the new species hypothesis will be backed by their work and can be used for speeding up the identification of other species in ecosystems. “Here at Kew, we have access to big DNA sequencing machines and all sorts of ways to produce data. That is often so much harder in biodiverse countries. So what was really special about the field trip was that we could go and use some of the newest DNA sequencing technologies with the people working there. It’s one small step in this really big problem of unequal access,” Przelomska said. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists discover parasitic fungus which preys on spiders in Brazil

<p>A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold.</p>

<p>Various exoplanets, which are outside our solar system, remain tidally locked and hence, one side always continues to face the star around which they orbit and the other side remains permanently in darkness.</p>

<p>The astronomers, in their study, found that there is a band around these planets in which there is a possibility that they are harbouring liquid water which is the main ingredient for life.</p>

<p>This band is called the 'terminator zone' where the terminator acts as the dividing line between the day side and night side of the exoplanet.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/uk-eerily-cool-cloud-illuminated-by-worm-moon-leaves-skywatchers-thrilled-570752">UK: 'Eerily cool' cloud illuminated by worm moon leaves skywatchers thrilled</a></p>

<p>The scientists said that the water is likely to remain frozen on the cold night side and is likely to evaporate due to heat on the light dayside.</p>

<p>“The dayside can be scorching hot, well beyond habitability, and the night side is going to be freezing, potentially covered in ice. You could have large glaciers at the night side. You want a planet that's in the sweet spot of just the right temperature for having liquid water,” said lead author, Dr Ana Lobo.</p>

<p>“We are trying to draw attention to more water-limited planets, which despite not having widespread oceans, could have lakes or other smaller bodies of liquid water, and these climates could actually be very promising,” she added.</p>

<p>Lobo added that one of the major findings was understanding what kind of terminator zone can retain liquid water on the planet. The team discovered that if water is mostly covering the planet then the water facing the star is most likely to evaporate and the entire planet will be covered in a thick layer of vapour. However, this effect shouldn't take place if there's land.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: Mysterious object washes up on Japanese beach</strong></p>

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<p>“Ana has shown if there’s a lot of land on the planet, the scenario we call ‘terminator habitability’ can exist a lot more easily,” said Aomawa Shields, UCI associate professor of physics &amp; astronomy.</p>

<p>“These new and exotic habitability states our team is uncovering are no longer the stuff of science fiction — Ana has done the work to show that such states can be climatically stable,” Shields added.</p>

<p>Identifying terminator zones as a potential place for harbouring life also means that astronomers are required to adjust the way exoplanet climates are being studied for finding signs of life because there is a chance of biosignatures life creates being present in few parts of the atmosphere of the planet.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold.

A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold. Various exoplanets, which are outside our solar system, remain tidally locked and hence, one side always continues to face the star around which they orbit and the other side remains permanently in darkness. The astronomers, in their study, found that there is a band around these planets in which there is a possibility that they are harbouring liquid water which is the main ingredient for life. This band is called the 'terminator zone' where the terminator acts as the dividing line between the day side and night side of the exoplanet. ALSO READ | UK: 'Eerily cool' cloud illuminated by worm moon leaves skywatchers thrilled The scientists said that the water is likely to remain frozen on the cold night side and is likely to evaporate due to heat on the light dayside. “The dayside can be scorching hot, well beyond habitability, and the night side is going to be freezing, potentially covered in ice. You could have large glaciers at the night side. You want a planet that's in the sweet spot of just the right temperature for having liquid water,” said lead author, Dr Ana Lobo. “We are trying to draw attention to more water-limited planets, which despite not having widespread oceans, could have lakes or other smaller bodies of liquid water, and these climates could actually be very promising,” she added. Lobo added that one of the major findings was understanding what kind of terminator zone can retain liquid water on the planet. The team discovered that if water is mostly covering the planet then the water facing the star is most likely to evaporate and the entire planet will be covered in a thick layer of vapour. However, this effect shouldn't take place if there's land. WATCH | Gravitas: Mysterious object washes up on Japanese beach “Ana has shown if there’s a lot of land on the planet, the scenario we call ‘terminator habitability’ can exist a lot more easily,” said Aomawa Shields, UCI associate professor of physics & astronomy. “These new and exotic habitability states our team is uncovering are no longer the stuff of science fiction — Ana has done the work to show that such states can be climatically stable,” Shields added. Identifying terminator zones as a potential place for harbouring life also means that astronomers are required to adjust the way exoplanet climates are being studied for finding signs of life because there is a chance of biosignatures life creates being present in few parts of the atmosphere of the planet. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life

<p>Two of the biggest icebergs are being tracked by British scientists as the frozen blocks continue drifting towards areas where there are chances of it affecting fishing, wildlife and shipping.</p>

<p>These icebergs, which recently, broke off from Antarctica, may take decades to melt and wither away. One of the icebergs, named 'A81', was photographed by a group of researchers when they were flying off the Halley base in the UK. The iceberg 'A81' is said to be as large as Greater London.</p>

<p>Another group of researchers sailed around A76a, which is bigger than the size of Cornwall. This giant frozen block is not just similar in size to the English county, which is spread over an area of over 3,000 sq km, but also in shape as the iceberg is long and thin.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/melting-antarctica-sea-ice-records-new-low-as-scientists-fear-collapse-of-wais-562976">Melting Antarctica: Sea-ice records new low as scientists fear collapse of WAIS</a></p>

<p>Prof Geraint Tarling, who was present at the Royal Research Ship Discovery, took the opportunity to look into the iceberg as it floated out of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica into the South Atlantic.</p>

<p>"It was directly in our path as we sailed home so we took 24 hours out to go around it," said the biological oceanographer, while speaking to BBC News.</p>

<p>"We got in quite close in some places, and had a really good view of it. We collected water from around the berg using special non-contaminated pipes under the ship, so we've got lots of samples to study,” he added.</p>

<p>The British Antarctic Survey scientist stated that tabular or huge flat-topped icebergs have a major influence on the environment - both productive and disruptive.</p>

<p>The icebergs, while melting down, will produce huge volumes of fresh water into the sea, which can make it difficult for few organisms to function.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Antarctica's 'doomsday glaciers' is in trouble</strong></p>

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<p>The melt will also release the mineral dust which was incorporated into the ice when it was connected to the glacier scraping along Antarctica's rock bed. The dust contains nutrients which will spur life in the open ocean.</p>

<p>"If it does become grounded, our major concern is break-up and the impact of (smaller) icebergs on vessel movements in the area," Dr Mark Belchier, the director of fisheries and environment with the government for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, explained.</p>

<p>"Although the tourist season is coming to an end, our fisheries operate during the winter months so it may impact on their operations. It does have the potential to cause localised issues for some of our wildlife, although that's likely to be less of an issue if it breaks up over winter when most animals can forage over greater distances and don't have to keep returning to land to feed young - or have moved away from the island completely,” he added.</p>

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Two of the biggest icebergs are being tracked by British scientists as the frozen blocks continue drifting towards areas where there are chances of it affecting fishing, wildlife and shipping.

Two of the biggest icebergs are being tracked by British scientists as the frozen blocks continue drifting towards areas where there are chances of it affecting fishing, wildlife and shipping. These icebergs, which recently, broke off from Antarctica, may take decades to melt and wither away. One of the icebergs, named 'A81', was photographed by a group of researchers when they were flying off the Halley base in the UK. The iceberg 'A81' is said to be as large as Greater London. Another group of researchers sailed around A76a, which is bigger than the size of Cornwall. This giant frozen block is not just similar in size to the English county, which is spread over an area of over 3,000 sq km, but also in shape as the iceberg is long and thin. ALSO READ | Melting Antarctica: Sea-ice records new low as scientists fear collapse of WAIS Prof Geraint Tarling, who was present at the Royal Research Ship Discovery, took the opportunity to look into the iceberg as it floated out of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica into the South Atlantic. "It was directly in our path as we sailed home so we took 24 hours out to go around it," said the biological oceanographer, while speaking to BBC News. "We got in quite close in some places, and had a really good view of it. We collected water from around the berg using special non-contaminated pipes under the ship, so we've got lots of samples to study,” he added. The British Antarctic Survey scientist stated that tabular or huge flat-topped icebergs have a major influence on the environment - both productive and disruptive. The icebergs, while melting down, will produce huge volumes of fresh water into the sea, which can make it difficult for few organisms to function. WATCH | Antarctica's 'doomsday glaciers' is in trouble The melt will also release the mineral dust which was incorporated into the ice when it was connected to the glacier scraping along Antarctica's rock bed. The dust contains nutrients which will spur life in the open ocean. "If it does become grounded, our major concern is break-up and the impact of (smaller) icebergs on vessel movements in the area," Dr Mark Belchier, the director of fisheries and environment with the government for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, explained. "Although the tourist season is coming to an end, our fisheries operate during the winter months so it may impact on their operations. It does have the potential to cause localised issues for some of our wildlife, although that's likely to be less of an issue if it breaks up over winter when most animals can forage over greater distances and don't have to keep returning to land to feed young - or have moved away from the island completely,” he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists track 'Greater London-sized' iceberg fearing it may affect shipping, marine wildlife

<p>Scientists have discovered a new disease called "Plasticosis" in birds that is solely caused by the consumption of plastics. The researchers in Australia and UK found scarred tissues in the digestive tracts of birds that were caused by feasting on plastics.</p>

<p>According to the study, published in the journal of Hazardous Materials, the disease is caused by the "persistent presence of plastic in the body's digestive system" that can lead to long-term inflammation and even the formation of scar tissue.</p>

<p>The researchers&nbsp;found traces of plastics in 30 flesh-footed shearwater birds, including 21 fledglings between 80 and 90 days old, who had died recently. They were collected from Lord Howe Island in Australia.</p>

<p>Upon close observation, they found microplastic pieces in the bodies of the birds. A bird was found to have consumed 12.5 per cent of its body weight in plastic.</p>

<p>The study found that the more plastic a bird consumed, the more scarring it had on the tissues.</p>

<p>According to them, the disease can lead to the gradual breakdown of tubular glands in the proventriculus. Losing these glands can cause the birds to become more vulnerable to infection and parasites and affect their ability to digest food and absorb some vitamins.</p>

<p>Scientists called the fibrotic disease plasticosis to make it clear that it was caused by plastic in the environment.</p>

<p>“While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they’re not doing well on the inside. This study is the first time that stomach tissue has been investigated in this way and shows that plastic consumption can cause serious damage to these birds’ digestive system,” Dr Alex Bond, principal curator in charge of birds at the Natural History Museum, was quoted as saying by the Guardian newspaper.</p>

<p>They argued that all organisms are vulnerable to plastic exposure because plastic emissions are increasing and plastic pollution is becoming prevalent in all environments.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Scientists have discovered a new disease called "Plasticosis" in birds that is solely caused by the consumption of plastics. The researchers in Australia and UK found scarred tissues in the digestive tracts of birds that were caused by feasting on plastics.

Scientists have discovered a new disease called "Plasticosis" in birds that is solely caused by the consumption of plastics. The researchers in Australia and UK found scarred tissues in the digestive tracts of birds that were caused by feasting on plastics. According to the study, published in the journal of Hazardous Materials, the disease is caused by the "persistent presence of plastic in the body's digestive system" that can lead to long-term inflammation and even the formation of scar tissue. The researchers found traces of plastics in 30 flesh-footed shearwater birds, including 21 fledglings between 80 and 90 days old, who had died recently. They were collected from Lord Howe Island in Australia. Upon close observation, they found microplastic pieces in the bodies of the birds. A bird was found to have consumed 12.5 per cent of its body weight in plastic. The study found that the more plastic a bird consumed, the more scarring it had on the tissues. According to them, the disease can lead to the gradual breakdown of tubular glands in the proventriculus. Losing these glands can cause the birds to become more vulnerable to infection and parasites and affect their ability to digest food and absorb some vitamins. Scientists called the fibrotic disease plasticosis to make it clear that it was caused by plastic in the environment. “While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they’re not doing well on the inside. This study is the first time that stomach tissue has been investigated in this way and shows that plastic consumption can cause serious damage to these birds’ digestive system,” Dr Alex Bond, principal curator in charge of birds at the Natural History Museum, was quoted as saying by the Guardian newspaper. They argued that all organisms are vulnerable to plastic exposure because plastic emissions are increasing and plastic pollution is becoming prevalent in all environments. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

‘Plasticosis’: Scientists find new disease in birds caused by consumption of plastics

<p>Scientists have found that Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm per year.</p>

<p>Experts at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) made the discovery thanks to Apollo-mission era reflective panels that were installed on the Moon in 1969. It allowed them to measure the distance between the panels and the Earth, according to reports.</p>

<p>Notably, this behaviour has already been predicted, but at the rate which it has been happening has left scientists startled.</p>

<p>According to experts, about 2.46 billion years ago, Moon was about 60,000 kilometres closer to Earth than it is now. This means that there was a time when Earth used to receive sunlight for about 17 hours a day.</p>

<h2><strong>Why has the Earth's spinning inner core slowed down compared to the surface?</strong></h2>

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<p>However, there is a scientific explanation to this phenomenon. It’s called “Milankovitch cycles".</p>

<p>According to NASA, "Milankovic cycles" are small changes that occur in the Earth's orbit around the Sun, changing the amount of sunlight the planet receives.</p>

<p>This in turn influences the kind of climate Earth has and can dictate periods of wet or dry weather.</p>

<p>Milankovitch cycles have previously been responsible for a period of greening in the Sahara desert and their forces have been known to impact the size of lakes on Earth. These cycles also determine the distance between the Moon and the Earth.</p>

<p>Though the effect of these cycles needs to be carefully studied, one of the notable effects it could have on Earth would be tidal changes.</p>

<p>As the Moon moves further away from Earth, the strength of this pull decreases, causing significant impact on shipping and fishing which rely on tidal patterns.</p>

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Scientists have found that Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm per year. Experts at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) made the discovery thanks to Apollo-mission era reflective panels that were installed on the Moon in 1969.

Scientists have found that Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm per year. Experts at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) made the discovery thanks to Apollo-mission era reflective panels that were installed on the Moon in 1969. It allowed them to measure the distance between the panels and the Earth, according to reports. Notably, this behaviour has already been predicted, but at the rate which it has been happening has left scientists startled. According to experts, about 2.46 billion years ago, Moon was about 60,000 kilometres closer to Earth than it is now. This means that there was a time when Earth used to receive sunlight for about 17 hours a day. Why has the Earth's spinning inner core slowed down compared to the surface? However, there is a scientific explanation to this phenomenon. It’s called “Milankovitch cycles". According to NASA, "Milankovic cycles" are small changes that occur in the Earth's orbit around the Sun, changing the amount of sunlight the planet receives. This in turn influences the kind of climate Earth has and can dictate periods of wet or dry weather. Milankovitch cycles have previously been responsible for a period of greening in the Sahara desert and their forces have been known to impact the size of lakes on Earth. These cycles also determine the distance between the Moon and the Earth. Though the effect of these cycles needs to be carefully studied, one of the notable effects it could have on Earth would be tidal changes. As the Moon moves further away from Earth, the strength of this pull decreases, causing significant impact on shipping and fishing which rely on tidal patterns. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Moon is slowly moving away from Earth. Here’s why

<p>Scientists have discovered the pieces of DNA which are said to act like “Bond villains” in helping cancers spread. The bits of genetic material known as extrachromosomal DNA or ecDNA were found by researchers working on an initiative known as the Cancer Grand Challenges, which is backed by Cancer Research in the United Kingdom and the United States National Cancer Institute. The team of researchers included chemists, biologists, geneticists, mathematicians, and immunologists based in London and California as well as other centres, reported the Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The scientists also said that this ecDNA can help tumours to develop resistance to anti-cancer drugs, therefore, its discovery can revolutionise treatments of some of the most aggressive tumours affecting people today. Speaking to the Guardian, Professor Paul Mischel of California’s Stanford University, called the discovery of how these microscopic agents behave inside the human body a “game changer.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, that they believe that this ecDNA is responsible for a “large number of the more advanced, most serious cancers” that people are suffering from today and if they can “block their activities, we can block the spread of these cancers.” Notably, these small circular pieces of genetic information can enable cancer cells to evolve rapidly and become more resistant to existing cancer treatments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, researchers also found that the ecDNA act as cancer-causing genes as they are somehow able to separate themselves from a person’s chromosomes and “have started to behave in ways that circumvent the normal rules of genetics” said Stanford University geneticist Howard Chang, as per the Guardian. He added, “They behave like villains in a Bond film. At first, in a film, you see different explosions, killings and disasters occurring and you don’t know why they are happening or who is responsible. Then, at some point, you finally meet the villain who is revealed to be the agent of all this mayhem.”</p>

<p>While these genes, known as oncogenes, can be targeted by a range of drugs and therapies it is their resistance to these methods which allows cancer to return, Professor Mischel explained. Researchers also found that in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer, the oncogenes were “actually on extrachromosomal DNA.”</p>

<p>He added, “The vulnerable gene had quickly disappeared when threatened by cancer drugs and was hidden in ecDNA. Then it reappeared once it was safe for it to start causing damage again”. Therefore, the researchers are now “looking to pinpoint the achilles heel of ecDNA and have identified a protein that helps hold it together”, said Chang, reported the Guardian. He also spoke about how the team has found the drug which has a “promising effect” on the identified protein and in a few years with a lot more testing he is sure that they will find the best way to tackle ecDNA. &nbsp;<br />
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Scientists have discovered the pieces of DNA which are said to act like “Bond villains” in helping cancers spread. The bits of genetic material known as extrachromosomal DNA or ecDNA were found by researchers working on an initiative known as the Cancer Grand Challenges, which is backed by Cancer Research in the United Kingdom and the United States National Cancer Institute.

Scientists have discovered the pieces of DNA which are said to act like “Bond villains” in helping cancers spread. The bits of genetic material known as extrachromosomal DNA or ecDNA were found by researchers working on an initiative known as the Cancer Grand Challenges, which is backed by Cancer Research in the United Kingdom and the United States National Cancer Institute. The team of researchers included chemists, biologists, geneticists, mathematicians, and immunologists based in London and California as well as other centres, reported the Guardian. The scientists also said that this ecDNA can help tumours to develop resistance to anti-cancer drugs, therefore, its discovery can revolutionise treatments of some of the most aggressive tumours affecting people today. Speaking to the Guardian, Professor Paul Mischel of California’s Stanford University, called the discovery of how these microscopic agents behave inside the human body a “game changer.” He added, that they believe that this ecDNA is responsible for a “large number of the more advanced, most serious cancers” that people are suffering from today and if they can “block their activities, we can block the spread of these cancers.” Notably, these small circular pieces of genetic information can enable cancer cells to evolve rapidly and become more resistant to existing cancer treatments. Furthermore, researchers also found that the ecDNA act as cancer-causing genes as they are somehow able to separate themselves from a person’s chromosomes and “have started to behave in ways that circumvent the normal rules of genetics” said Stanford University geneticist Howard Chang, as per the Guardian. He added, “They behave like villains in a Bond film. At first, in a film, you see different explosions, killings and disasters occurring and you don’t know why they are happening or who is responsible. Then, at some point, you finally meet the villain who is revealed to be the agent of all this mayhem.” While these genes, known as oncogenes, can be targeted by a range of drugs and therapies it is their resistance to these methods which allows cancer to return, Professor Mischel explained. Researchers also found that in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer, the oncogenes were “actually on extrachromosomal DNA.” He added, “The vulnerable gene had quickly disappeared when threatened by cancer drugs and was hidden in ecDNA. Then it reappeared once it was safe for it to start causing damage again”. Therefore, the researchers are now “looking to pinpoint the achilles heel of ecDNA and have identified a protein that helps hold it together”, said Chang, reported the Guardian. He also spoke about how the team has found the drug which has a “promising effect” on the identified protein and in a few years with a lot more testing he is sure that they will find the best way to tackle ecDNA. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Scientists discover ‘Bond villain’ DNA, say it is ‘game changer’ for cancer treatment

<p>The sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent is now at its lowest in history since the time people began measuring it using satellites in the late 1970s. National Snow and Ice Data Centre said that less sea ice is expected during the southern hemisphere summer, however, this year is exceptional. The coverage has been reduced to just 1.91 million square km (737,000 sq miles) by warm air, winds and water. What is more worrisome is that the melt has to continue till this summer.</p>

<p>Last year, Antarctica had not touched the previous record-breaking minimum of 1.92 million sq km till February 25. In the last seven years, three record-breaking years for low sea ice have been 2017, 2022 and now 2023.\</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/1550-sq-kilometers-london-sized-iceberg-breaks-off-of-antarctic-ice-shelf-555716">'Greater London-sized' 1,550 sq km iceberg breaks off of Antarctic ice shelf. Watch!</a></p>

<p>These “remarkable” losses of Antarctic sea ice indicate the increasing level of heat in the ocean and such changes in weather patterns reflect that a climate crisis is evident in the observations.</p>

<p>Scientists have already expressed their concern about the melting ice in Antarctica. Climate models, dating back to 2014, have suggested that the continent's giant West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is bound to collapse because of increasing levels of global heating.</p>

<p>The researchers have warned that the ice sheets and their glaciers are exposed to waves due to the increasing loss of sea ice, which further accelerates melting and disintegration.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Antarctica's 'doomsday glaciers' is in trouble</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/antarcticas-doomsday-glaciers-is-in-trouble-562813/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Prof Karsten Gohl, who works at Alfred Wegener Institute's Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany and had visited the region for the first time in 1994, said, “I have never seen such an extreme, the ice-free situation here before.”</p>

<p>Gohl, who was on the research vessel Polarstern in Antarctica, said: “The continental shelf, an area the size of Germany, is now completely ice-free. It is troubling to consider how quickly this change has taken place.”</p>

<p>Helmholtz Centre's Prof Christian Haas also said, “The rapid decline in sea ice over the past six years is quite remarkable since the ice cover hardly changed at all in the 35 years before.”&nbsp;</p>

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The sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent is now at its lowest in history since the time people began measuring it using satellites in the late 1970s. National Snow and Ice Data Centre said that less sea ice is expected during the southern hemisphere summer, however, this year is exceptional.

The sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent is now at its lowest in history since the time people began measuring it using satellites in the late 1970s. National Snow and Ice Data Centre said that less sea ice is expected during the southern hemisphere summer, however, this year is exceptional. The coverage has been reduced to just 1.91 million square km (737,000 sq miles) by warm air, winds and water. What is more worrisome is that the melt has to continue till this summer. Last year, Antarctica had not touched the previous record-breaking minimum of 1.92 million sq km till February 25. In the last seven years, three record-breaking years for low sea ice have been 2017, 2022 and now 2023.\ ALSO READ | 'Greater London-sized' 1,550 sq km iceberg breaks off of Antarctic ice shelf. Watch! These “remarkable” losses of Antarctic sea ice indicate the increasing level of heat in the ocean and such changes in weather patterns reflect that a climate crisis is evident in the observations. Scientists have already expressed their concern about the melting ice in Antarctica. Climate models, dating back to 2014, have suggested that the continent's giant West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is bound to collapse because of increasing levels of global heating. The researchers have warned that the ice sheets and their glaciers are exposed to waves due to the increasing loss of sea ice, which further accelerates melting and disintegration. WATCH | Antarctica's 'doomsday glaciers' is in trouble Prof Karsten Gohl, who works at Alfred Wegener Institute's Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany and had visited the region for the first time in 1994, said, “I have never seen such an extreme, the ice-free situation here before.” Gohl, who was on the research vessel Polarstern in Antarctica, said: “The continental shelf, an area the size of Germany, is now completely ice-free. It is troubling to consider how quickly this change has taken place.” Helmholtz Centre's Prof Christian Haas also said, “The rapid decline in sea ice over the past six years is quite remarkable since the ice cover hardly changed at all in the 35 years before.” You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Melting Antarctica: Sea-ice records new low as scientists fear collapse of WAIS

<p>Amid the looming global health threat of antibiotic resistants, scientists have discovered a plant toxin&nbsp;that could be a potential candidate to create effective antibiotics with its unique way of attacking bacteria.&nbsp;In a paper recently published in the journal Nature Catalysis, a group of British, German and Polish scientists revealed that a plant toxin or a potential new antibiotic, albicidin, has a unique method of attacking bacteria in comparison to the existing antibiotic medicines.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-a-missile-it-would-only-take-a-minute-boris-johnson-reveals-he-got-threats-from-putin-557118">'With a missile, it would only take a minute' Boris Johnson reveals he got threats from Putin</a></p>

<p>The new finding is a positive development in the healthcare field as for many years there is a consistent rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens such as E coli. Some of these pathogens pose a significant risk to human health.&nbsp;</p>

<p>By exploiting the findings of this new research, scientists now hope to find out efficient ways to deal with various kinds of bacterial diseases.&nbsp;Albicidin comes from a bacterial plant pathogen called Xanthomonas albilineans. Though this pathogen uses albicidin to attack the plant, however according to findings some decades ago it was found out that the pathogen is also highly effective at killing bacteria.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-bypolls-for-33-vacant-national-assembly-seats-in-march-imran-to-contest-on-all-557108">Pakistan bypolls for 33 vacant National Assembly seats in March, Imran to contest on all</a></p>

<p>But the roadblock for the scientists was to understand how this works. They used advanced techniques to bring to light how albicidin actually kills bacteria.</p>

<p>Dmitry Ghilarov, who worked with scientists at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany and at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland said, “now we have a structural understanding, we can create modifications of albicidin to improve its efficacy and pharmacological properties."&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We believe this is one of the most exciting new antibiotic candidates in many years. It has extremely high effectiveness in small concentrations and is highly potent against pathogenic bacteria – even those resistant to the widely used antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones.”</p>

<p>Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-nadhim-zahawi-sacked-as-conservative-party-chief-557134">UK: Nadhim Zahawi sacked as Conservative party chief</a></p>

<p>One can only imagine the magnitude of the positive impact these kinds of studies can mean on the healthcare field. Every day 3,500 people lose their lives due to the direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Only in 2019, over 1.2 million people lost their lives to these infections.&nbsp;</p>

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Amid the looming global health threat of antibiotic resistants, scientists have discovered a plant toxin that could be a potential candidate to create effective antibiotics with its unique way of attacking bacteria.

Amid the looming global health threat of antibiotic resistants, scientists have discovered a plant toxin that could be a potential candidate to create effective antibiotics with its unique way of attacking bacteria. In a paper recently published in the journal Nature Catalysis, a group of British, German and Polish scientists revealed that a plant toxin or a potential new antibiotic, albicidin, has a unique method of attacking bacteria in comparison to the existing antibiotic medicines. Also Read | 'With a missile, it would only take a minute' Boris Johnson reveals he got threats from Putin The new finding is a positive development in the healthcare field as for many years there is a consistent rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens such as E coli. Some of these pathogens pose a significant risk to human health. By exploiting the findings of this new research, scientists now hope to find out efficient ways to deal with various kinds of bacterial diseases. Albicidin comes from a bacterial plant pathogen called Xanthomonas albilineans. Though this pathogen uses albicidin to attack the plant, however according to findings some decades ago it was found out that the pathogen is also highly effective at killing bacteria. Also Read | Pakistan bypolls for 33 vacant National Assembly seats in March, Imran to contest on all But the roadblock for the scientists was to understand how this works. They used advanced techniques to bring to light how albicidin actually kills bacteria. Dmitry Ghilarov, who worked with scientists at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany and at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland said, “now we have a structural understanding, we can create modifications of albicidin to improve its efficacy and pharmacological properties." “We believe this is one of the most exciting new antibiotic candidates in many years. It has extremely high effectiveness in small concentrations and is highly potent against pathogenic bacteria – even those resistant to the widely used antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones.” Watch | UK: Nadhim Zahawi sacked as Conservative party chief One can only imagine the magnitude of the positive impact these kinds of studies can mean on the healthcare field. Every day 3,500 people lose their lives due to the direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Only in 2019, over 1.2 million people lost their lives to these infections. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

In a major breakthrough, scientists discover new plant toxin highly potent in killing bacteria

<p>A recent study that was published in the journal, Frontiers, in Environmental Science suggests that since human waste products like urine and faeces contain essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, boron, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium, they may also be used to make products that could work well and safely as agricultural fertilisers. According to the study, material made from recycled human urine and faeces is effective and secure nitrogen fertilisers for growing cabbage.</p>

<p>Franziska Häfner, the study's lead author and a PhD candidate in agricultural sciences at the University of Hohenheim, said that when used in the cultivation of cabbage, fertilisers made from nitrified human urine produced yields comparable to those of conventional fertiliser products and posed no risk of pathogen or pharmaceutical transmission.</p>

<h2><strong>Could it become a viable fertiliser in times of crisis?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Climate change and the Ukraine war are causing trouble for farmers as the prices of fertlisers are shooting up.&nbsp;Humanity will need to transition to a circular ecosystem, where the majority of resources are recycled, in order to tackle global challenges including the climate catastrophe. The combined use of nitrified urine fertilisers and faecal compost, according to Franziska Häfner, resulted in somewhat decreased crop yields over the long run but may improve soil carbon content over time, fostering the growth of climate-resilient agriculture.</p>

<h2><strong>What does the research show?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>According to the research, the marketable output varied between 35 and 72 metric tonnes per hectare, was highest on plots fertilised with Aurin, CROP, or vinasse, lowest on plots fertilised just with faecal compost, and intermediate when faecal compost was supplemented with NUFs. The scientists tested the faecal compost for 310 chemicals, including medicines, flame retardants, UV filters, corrosion inhibitors, rubber additives, and insect repellents, in order to investigate the risk of contamination with diverse goods found in human waste.</p>

<p>They found that only 6.5 per cent of such substances were present above the limit of detection. In addition to that, only the painkiller anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen and the anticonvulsant and mood-stabilising drug carbamazepine were detectable in the edible parts of the cabbages, at insignificant concentrations, 1.05 to 2.8 μg per kg. “In general, the risk for human health of pharmaceutical compounds entering the food system by means of faecal compost use seems low,” the authors said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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A recent study that was published in the journal, Frontiers, in Environmental Science suggests that since human waste products like urine and faeces contain essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, boron, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium, they may also be used to make products that could work well and safely as agricultural fertilisers.

A recent study that was published in the journal, Frontiers, in Environmental Science suggests that since human waste products like urine and faeces contain essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, boron, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium, they may also be used to make products that could work well and safely as agricultural fertilisers. According to the study, material made from recycled human urine and faeces is effective and secure nitrogen fertilisers for growing cabbage. Franziska Häfner, the study's lead author and a PhD candidate in agricultural sciences at the University of Hohenheim, said that when used in the cultivation of cabbage, fertilisers made from nitrified human urine produced yields comparable to those of conventional fertiliser products and posed no risk of pathogen or pharmaceutical transmission. Could it become a viable fertiliser in times of crisis? Climate change and the Ukraine war are causing trouble for farmers as the prices of fertlisers are shooting up. Humanity will need to transition to a circular ecosystem, where the majority of resources are recycled, in order to tackle global challenges including the climate catastrophe. The combined use of nitrified urine fertilisers and faecal compost, according to Franziska Häfner, resulted in somewhat decreased crop yields over the long run but may improve soil carbon content over time, fostering the growth of climate-resilient agriculture. What does the research show? According to the research, the marketable output varied between 35 and 72 metric tonnes per hectare, was highest on plots fertilised with Aurin, CROP, or vinasse, lowest on plots fertilised just with faecal compost, and intermediate when faecal compost was supplemented with NUFs. The scientists tested the faecal compost for 310 chemicals, including medicines, flame retardants, UV filters, corrosion inhibitors, rubber additives, and insect repellents, in order to investigate the risk of contamination with diverse goods found in human waste. They found that only 6.5 per cent of such substances were present above the limit of detection. In addition to that, only the painkiller anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen and the anticonvulsant and mood-stabilising drug carbamazepine were detectable in the edible parts of the cabbages, at insignificant concentrations, 1.05 to 2.8 μg per kg. “In general, the risk for human health of pharmaceutical compounds entering the food system by means of faecal compost use seems low,” the authors said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

IS IT SAFE? Can human faeces be used to produce fertilisers for food crops? Here's what a study reveals

Chile: Scientists exhume megaraptors, feathered dinosaur fossils in Patagonia

<p>Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a bizarre creature in China dating back to 120 million years that has the head of a dinosaur and the body of a bird, further complicating the debate whether birds are the descendants of dinosaurs.</p>

<p>The fossil was excavated in northern China, and the scientists believe that this discovery would provide significant insights into the evolution of modern birds.</p>

<p>The creature named Cratonavis zhui had long shoulder blades and claws, and its large skull was almost identical to Tyrannosaurus rex and other meat-eating theropods, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.</p>

<p>The CAS researchers studied the fossil by scanning the skull with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scanning.</p>

<p>Using the digital versions of the mineralized bones, they reconstructed the shape and function of the skull as it was during the bird's life.</p>

<p><img alt="Ancient Bird Fossil" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2023/01/AncientBirdFossil.jpg" /></p>

<p>The result showed that the shape of the&nbsp;Cratonavis skull was similar to that of T-rex and not like birds.</p>

<p>In the avian branch of the dinosaur’s family tree, Cratonavis comes between the long-tailed&nbsp;Archaeopteryx, which was more like a reptile, and the&nbsp;Ornithothoraces, whose characteristics can be found in modern birds.</p>

<p>"The primitive cranial features speak to the fact that most Cretaceous birds such as&nbsp;Cratonavis&nbsp;could not move their upper bill independently with respect to the braincase and lower jaw, a functional innovation widely distributed among living birds that contribute to their enormous ecological diversity," CAS palaeontologist Zhiheng Li said, co-author of the study, said in a statement.</p>

<p>Co-author of the study Wang Min said that the peculiar nature of the scapula (bone in the shoulder) allowed Cratonavis to better rotate its wing, compensating for its underdeveloped flight capabilities.</p>

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Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a bizarre creature in China dating back to 120 million years that has the head of a dinosaur and the body of a bird, further complicating the debate whether birds are the descendants of dinosaurs.

Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a bizarre creature in China dating back to 120 million years that has the head of a dinosaur and the body of a bird, further complicating the debate whether birds are the descendants of dinosaurs. The fossil was excavated in northern China, and the scientists believe that this discovery would provide significant insights into the evolution of modern birds. The creature named Cratonavis zhui had long shoulder blades and claws, and its large skull was almost identical to Tyrannosaurus rex and other meat-eating theropods, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The CAS researchers studied the fossil by scanning the skull with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scanning. Using the digital versions of the mineralized bones, they reconstructed the shape and function of the skull as it was during the bird's life. The result showed that the shape of the Cratonavis skull was similar to that of T-rex and not like birds. In the avian branch of the dinosaur’s family tree, Cratonavis comes between the long-tailed Archaeopteryx, which was more like a reptile, and the Ornithothoraces, whose characteristics can be found in modern birds. "The primitive cranial features speak to the fact that most Cretaceous birds such as Cratonavis could not move their upper bill independently with respect to the braincase and lower jaw, a functional innovation widely distributed among living birds that contribute to their enormous ecological diversity," CAS palaeontologist Zhiheng Li said, co-author of the study, said in a statement. Co-author of the study Wang Min said that the peculiar nature of the scapula (bone in the shoulder) allowed Cratonavis to better rotate its wing, compensating for its underdeveloped flight capabilities. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chinese researchers dig out fossil of bizarre creature that has bird’s body and dinosaur’s head

Let's take a look at the stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION: Scientists might have discovered the real tomb of Santa Claus in Turkiye

<p>A massive blast of light considered extremely rare and is believed to have been triggered by the collision of stars with a black hole that hit the Earth recently and which could help change our understanding of the universe, scientists revealed.</p>

<p>The event called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), which lasted for only 50 seconds, came from a nearby galaxy in December 2021. These blasts are considered to be the most powerful explosions in the universe.</p>

<p>Earlier, it was believed that GRBs only resulted from the destruction of massive stars, but astronomers now believe that it can come from the combination of two neutron stars.</p>

<p>After the massive GRBs hit the Earth last year, scientists started searching for the afterglow that such blasts leave behind, as it helps to find where the blast has come from.</p>

<p>However, the researchers found something else entirely. They traced the blast from a kilonava— a rare event that happens after the merger of a neutron star with either another star or a black hole.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to astronomers, these events happen very rarely.</p>

<p>“This event represents an exciting paradigm shift for gamma-ray-burst astronomy,” said Jillian Rastinejad, a doctoral candidate in the Northwestern University Department of Physics and Astronomy who led the research, in a statement.</p>

<p>According to them, the blast, which has been named GRB 211211A, was relatively long with more infrared light than expected.</p>

<p>Astronomers believe that the explosion produced elements such as gold and platinum.</p>

<p>The researchers’ findings also found that this event produced heavy elements that amounted to roughly 1000 times the mass of our Earth.</p>

<p>“When we followed this long gamma-ray burst, we expected it would lead to evidence of a massive star collapse,” said Northwestern’s Wen-fai Fong, a senior author on the study.</p>

<p>“Instead, what we found was very different. When I entered the field 15 years ago, it was set in stone that long gamma-ray bursts come from massive star collapses.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

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A massive blast of light considered extremely rare and is believed to have been triggered by the collision of stars with a black hole that hit the Earth recently and which could help change our understanding of the universe, scientists revealed.

A massive blast of light considered extremely rare and is believed to have been triggered by the collision of stars with a black hole that hit the Earth recently and which could help change our understanding of the universe, scientists revealed. The event called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), which lasted for only 50 seconds, came from a nearby galaxy in December 2021. These blasts are considered to be the most powerful explosions in the universe. Earlier, it was believed that GRBs only resulted from the destruction of massive stars, but astronomers now believe that it can come from the combination of two neutron stars. After the massive GRBs hit the Earth last year, scientists started searching for the afterglow that such blasts leave behind, as it helps to find where the blast has come from. However, the researchers found something else entirely. They traced the blast from a kilonava— a rare event that happens after the merger of a neutron star with either another star or a black hole. According to astronomers, these events happen very rarely. “This event represents an exciting paradigm shift for gamma-ray-burst astronomy,” said Jillian Rastinejad, a doctoral candidate in the Northwestern University Department of Physics and Astronomy who led the research, in a statement. According to them, the blast, which has been named GRB 211211A, was relatively long with more infrared light than expected. Astronomers believe that the explosion produced elements such as gold and platinum. The researchers’ findings also found that this event produced heavy elements that amounted to roughly 1000 times the mass of our Earth. “When we followed this long gamma-ray burst, we expected it would lead to evidence of a massive star collapse,” said Northwestern’s Wen-fai Fong, a senior author on the study. “Instead, what we found was very different. When I entered the field 15 years ago, it was set in stone that long gamma-ray bursts come from massive star collapses. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Scientists find ‘unusual, intense blast of energy’ from nearby galaxy

Scientists in Greenland announced a discovery of DNA dating back two million years -- the oldest ever extracted -- in sediment from the Ice Age, opening a new chapter in paleogenetics.

Scientists discover two million-year-old DNA in Greenland

<p>For climate scientists around the world, Twitter was once a platform where they loved to share their research as well as rally support to stop oil pipelines or call out politicians and leaders on their failures to curb pollution. But the scenario seems to have altered as many scientists are now seen leaving Twitter in the wake of the recent increase in climate misinformation posts, threats, and spam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There has been a recent reappearance of debunked climate change denialists who have been now regularly using Twitter to post memes and talk their points with the hashtag #ClimateScam so much so that the hashtag has become the first result to appear on searching the term "climate" on the site. This sudden surge of anti-climate tweets has left many scientists and activists unnerved.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Elon Musk's recent leadership takeover, Twitter's content management teams were fired, the sustainability arm of the platform was dismantled and bans were lifted on various prominent celebrities with millions following them, like Donald Trump. For some climate experts, the drastic changes the platform has been subjected to have become too much to bear.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Snow and Ice Data Centre's scientist Twila Moon had expressed her concerns that if scientists lose their trust in Twitter, the connections established between them could "crumble". “Since Musk’s takeover, I have ramped down my own use of Twitter, using it less both to look for news and to share science. Folks noticing a rise in climate denialism and disinformation is particularly worrying and I am concerned that it could slow climate action in ways that are devastating to economies, communities, and health,” Moon further said.</p>

<p>One of Penn State's prominent climate scientists Michael Mann said that he doesn't plan to leave Twitter immediately, however, he emphasised how climate disinformation has “become a bit more on the nose, with climate deniers who had been deactivated making a reappearance, and climate denial getting somewhat more traction”.</p>

<p>Mann has recently joined Mastodon, which is a new social media site and is seen as Twitter's alternative, and other climate scientists, who have been disappointed by Musk's way of running Twitter, have joined Mann on the alternative platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rutgers University climate scientist Bob Kopp, who had earlier stated that COVID-19 misinformation "tends to go hand in hand" with tweets of climate denialism, said, “I don’t think I’m getting much value from being on Twitter now, there are more interesting conversations happening at Mastodon."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Musk, who was earlier appreciated by environmentalists for leading the electric car firm Tesla, recently stated that Twitter “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, climate communications expert at George Mason University Ed Maibach believes that Musk's recent actions reflect “that he is interested in creating a massive, worldwide cage fight. If it comes to that, we’ll take a pass."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since July, Twitter has seen a tremendous rise in tweets and posts which are talking about the "climate scam", which is three months before Musk's massive USD44 billion takeover, as per Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition's analysis. The coalition explains how the opaque algorithm of Twitter makes it difficult to understand how this happened.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Institute for Strategic Dialogue's head of civic action Jennie King explains, "There’s no evidence there are more posts with ‘climate scam’ than ‘climate emergency’ or other terms, or that they are getting more engagement, so it’s a bit perplexing why it’s the top search term, we are scratching our heads at it."&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I can understand climate scientists saying this is not a productive place for conversations with each other anymore. They’ve become lightening rods for hate speech and death threats, we are seeing a real escalation of threats against them, intended to drive them off the platform," he adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>King further emphasised on the "renewed energy" seen on Twitter to spread debunked theories of the climate crisis, especially by accounts with a huge number of followers. One of those accounts is of Canadian psychologist and media personality Peterson, whose account is among those which have been reinstated by Musk after it was banned. After being reinstated, Peterson has been regularly tweeting a dozen tweets related to climate change every single day to his 3.5 million followers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He has continued to share false narratives on how carbon dioxide in excess will benefit the world, how efforts being made to curb pollution being caused by cars are threatening the "automotive freedom" and has alleged that climate campaigners intend to “wreak envious and narcissistic havoc”.</p>

<p>“Peterson is a big one because his brand extends beyond the environment but now he’s doubling down on climate. We’ve seen time and again these accounts that espouse climate denial and delay also spread misinformation on other topics, such as electoral fraud, racial politics or reproductive rights," King said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Climate scientists now fear that with trends like #ClimateScam, the mainstream social media platforms will now be reigned by conspiracy theorists and others who don't hold expertise on issues of climate change.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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For climate scientists around the world, Twitter was once a platform where they loved to share their research as well as rally support to stop oil pipelines or call out politicians and leaders on their failures to curb pollution.

For climate scientists around the world, Twitter was once a platform where they loved to share their research as well as rally support to stop oil pipelines or call out politicians and leaders on their failures to curb pollution. But the scenario seems to have altered as many scientists are now seen leaving Twitter in the wake of the recent increase in climate misinformation posts, threats, and spam. There has been a recent reappearance of debunked climate change denialists who have been now regularly using Twitter to post memes and talk their points with the hashtag #ClimateScam so much so that the hashtag has become the first result to appear on searching the term "climate" on the site. This sudden surge of anti-climate tweets has left many scientists and activists unnerved. After Elon Musk's recent leadership takeover, Twitter's content management teams were fired, the sustainability arm of the platform was dismantled and bans were lifted on various prominent celebrities with millions following them, like Donald Trump. For some climate experts, the drastic changes the platform has been subjected to have become too much to bear. National Snow and Ice Data Centre's scientist Twila Moon had expressed her concerns that if scientists lose their trust in Twitter, the connections established between them could "crumble". “Since Musk’s takeover, I have ramped down my own use of Twitter, using it less both to look for news and to share science. Folks noticing a rise in climate denialism and disinformation is particularly worrying and I am concerned that it could slow climate action in ways that are devastating to economies, communities, and health,” Moon further said. One of Penn State's prominent climate scientists Michael Mann said that he doesn't plan to leave Twitter immediately, however, he emphasised how climate disinformation has “become a bit more on the nose, with climate deniers who had been deactivated making a reappearance, and climate denial getting somewhat more traction”. Mann has recently joined Mastodon, which is a new social media site and is seen as Twitter's alternative, and other climate scientists, who have been disappointed by Musk's way of running Twitter, have joined Mann on the alternative platform. Rutgers University climate scientist Bob Kopp, who had earlier stated that COVID-19 misinformation "tends to go hand in hand" with tweets of climate denialism, said, “I don’t think I’m getting much value from being on Twitter now, there are more interesting conversations happening at Mastodon." Musk, who was earlier appreciated by environmentalists for leading the electric car firm Tesla, recently stated that Twitter “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape”. However, climate communications expert at George Mason University Ed Maibach believes that Musk's recent actions reflect “that he is interested in creating a massive, worldwide cage fight. If it comes to that, we’ll take a pass." Since July, Twitter has seen a tremendous rise in tweets and posts which are talking about the "climate scam", which is three months before Musk's massive USD44 billion takeover, as per Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition's analysis. The coalition explains how the opaque algorithm of Twitter makes it difficult to understand how this happened. Institute for Strategic Dialogue's head of civic action Jennie King explains, "There’s no evidence there are more posts with ‘climate scam’ than ‘climate emergency’ or other terms, or that they are getting more engagement, so it’s a bit perplexing why it’s the top search term, we are scratching our heads at it." “I can understand climate scientists saying this is not a productive place for conversations with each other anymore. They’ve become lightening rods for hate speech and death threats, we are seeing a real escalation of threats against them, intended to drive them off the platform," he adds. King further emphasised on the "renewed energy" seen on Twitter to spread debunked theories of the climate crisis, especially by accounts with a huge number of followers. One of those accounts is of Canadian psychologist and media personality Peterson, whose account is among those which have been reinstated by Musk after it was banned. After being reinstated, Peterson has been regularly tweeting a dozen tweets related to climate change every single day to his 3.5 million followers. He has continued to share false narratives on how carbon dioxide in excess will benefit the world, how efforts being made to curb pollution being caused by cars are threatening the "automotive freedom" and has alleged that climate campaigners intend to “wreak envious and narcissistic havoc”. “Peterson is a big one because his brand extends beyond the environment but now he’s doubling down on climate. We’ve seen time and again these accounts that espouse climate denial and delay also spread misinformation on other topics, such as electoral fraud, racial politics or reproductive rights," King said. Climate scientists now fear that with trends like #ClimateScam, the mainstream social media platforms will now be reigned by conspiracy theorists and others who don't hold expertise on issues of climate change. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Twitter sees a surge of denialism claims, as scientists look for an alternative site

The existence of extraterrestrials and intelligent alien species strikes both fear and excitement in humans. But how should humans react if aliens were to make contact? What is the current 'alien contact protocol'? Know all about it here.

What is the 'alien contact protocol' that scientists are working on?

<p>On Monday, a report published by the local newspaper in the island nation Maldives indicated that the scientists on the Nekton Maldives Mission have discovered evidence of ‘The Trapping Zone’. It was described as ‘an oasis of oceanic life’, 500 metres below the surface.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The discovery of ‘The Trapping Zone’ and the oasis of life in the depths surrounding the Maldives provides us with critical new knowledge that further supports our conservation commitments and sustainable ocean management, and almost certainly support fisheries and tourism,” said the country’s president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, hailing the discovery.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There is video evidence taken by the scientists using the camera on the Omega Seamaster II submersible which was combined with the biological samples collected, said the report by The Times of Addu.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, following extensive sonar mapping, they found megafauna predators such as sharks and other large fish feeding on swarms of micro-nekton, which are small organisms which can swim independently of the water current, said professor Lucy Woodall, Nekton Principal Scientist. These organisms are also trapped against the subsea landscape at the 500 metres mark.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-group-of-scientists-discovers-an-oasis-of-life-in-maldives-524104">WION Climate Tracker: Group of scientists discovers 'an oasis of life' in Maldives</a></p>

<p>Furthermore, they usually migrate from the deep sea to the surface at night and back into the deep at dawn, this phenomenon is known as Vertical Migration. However, it seems like the steep vertical cliffs and shelving terraces along with volcanic subsea strata and fossilised carbonate reefs which form the base of the Maldivian atolls, reportedly do not let these organisms dive deeper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These trapped animals are then targeted by megafauna and large pelagic predators including schools of sharks and tuna and large deep-water fish like spiky oreos and alfonsino. While scientists have found sharks in shallow waters in the Maldives, this is the first time they were able to document “an immense diversity of sharks in the deep sea”, said Shafiya Naeem, director general of the Maldives Marine Research Institute which also partnered with Nekton for this research.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They documented tiger sharks, six-gill sharks, sand tiger sharks, dogfish, gulper sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and the very rare bramble shark, said the report. Since marine ecosystems are defined by both topography and ocean life, ‘The Trapping Zone’ “has all the hallmarks of a distinct new ecosystem,” said professor Alex Rogers.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-look-to-the-humble-oyster-to-save-californias-coasts-524084">In an attempt to save California's coasts, scientists go in for the humble oyster</a></p>

<p>He added, “The Trapping Zone is creating an oasis of life in the Maldives and it is highly likely to exist in other oceanic islands and also on the slopes of continents”. Rogers also spent more than 30 hours underwater studying the zone in one of the submersibles.&nbsp;<br />
The data collected during the expedition is reportedly being analysed in the Maldives, Nekton’s UK headquarters in Oxford and at partner laboratories. This discovery has important implications for other islands as well, including aspects like slopes of continents, sustainable fisheries management, and the burial and storage of carbon, which could help mitigate climate change someday, said the report.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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On Monday, a report published by the local newspaper in the island nation Maldives indicated that the scientists on the Nekton Maldives Mission have discovered evidence of ‘The Trapping Zone’.

On Monday, a report published by the local newspaper in the island nation Maldives indicated that the scientists on the Nekton Maldives Mission have discovered evidence of ‘The Trapping Zone’. It was described as ‘an oasis of oceanic life’, 500 metres below the surface. “The discovery of ‘The Trapping Zone’ and the oasis of life in the depths surrounding the Maldives provides us with critical new knowledge that further supports our conservation commitments and sustainable ocean management, and almost certainly support fisheries and tourism,” said the country’s president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, hailing the discovery. There is video evidence taken by the scientists using the camera on the Omega Seamaster II submersible which was combined with the biological samples collected, said the report by The Times of Addu. Additionally, following extensive sonar mapping, they found megafauna predators such as sharks and other large fish feeding on swarms of micro-nekton, which are small organisms which can swim independently of the water current, said professor Lucy Woodall, Nekton Principal Scientist. These organisms are also trapped against the subsea landscape at the 500 metres mark. ALSO WATCH: WION Climate Tracker: Group of scientists discovers 'an oasis of life' in Maldives Furthermore, they usually migrate from the deep sea to the surface at night and back into the deep at dawn, this phenomenon is known as Vertical Migration. However, it seems like the steep vertical cliffs and shelving terraces along with volcanic subsea strata and fossilised carbonate reefs which form the base of the Maldivian atolls, reportedly do not let these organisms dive deeper. These trapped animals are then targeted by megafauna and large pelagic predators including schools of sharks and tuna and large deep-water fish like spiky oreos and alfonsino. While scientists have found sharks in shallow waters in the Maldives, this is the first time they were able to document “an immense diversity of sharks in the deep sea”, said Shafiya Naeem, director general of the Maldives Marine Research Institute which also partnered with Nekton for this research. They documented tiger sharks, six-gill sharks, sand tiger sharks, dogfish, gulper sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and the very rare bramble shark, said the report. Since marine ecosystems are defined by both topography and ocean life, ‘The Trapping Zone’ “has all the hallmarks of a distinct new ecosystem,” said professor Alex Rogers. ALSO READ: In an attempt to save California's coasts, scientists go in for the humble oyster He added, “The Trapping Zone is creating an oasis of life in the Maldives and it is highly likely to exist in other oceanic islands and also on the slopes of continents”. Rogers also spent more than 30 hours underwater studying the zone in one of the submersibles. The data collected during the expedition is reportedly being analysed in the Maldives, Nekton’s UK headquarters in Oxford and at partner laboratories. This discovery has important implications for other islands as well, including aspects like slopes of continents, sustainable fisheries management, and the burial and storage of carbon, which could help mitigate climate change someday, said the report. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Report: Scientists find new ecosystem ‘The Trapping Zone’ in Maldives

<p>For the first time, scientists have found microplastics in breast milk, raising concerns over potential health risks for infants.</p>

<p>Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastic particles which are less than five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diametre—smaller than the standard pearl used in jewellery.</p>

<p>They cause pollution by entering ecosystems from a variety of sources like cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, and industrial processes.</p>

<p>Though first discovered in 2004, microplastics have permeated everywhere—in deep oceans; Arctic snow and Antarctic ice; in shellfish, table salt, drinking water. These tiny pieces could take decades or more to degrade fully.</p>

<p>However, the discovery of these tiny particles in breast milk has started scientists.</p>

<p>According to the Guardian, microplastics were found in the breast milk samples taken from 34 healthy mothers, a week after giving birth in Rome, Italy. The scientists detected microplastics in 75 per cent of them.</p>

<p>The study, which was published in Polymers journal, discovered microplastics composed of polyethene, PVC and polypropylene.</p>

<p>Plastics contain harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, which have been found in breast milk before.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Microplastics in breast milk raise concerns over infant's health</strong></p>

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<p>In their study, the researchers recorded the mothers’ consumption of food and drink in plastic packaging and of seafood, as well as the use of plastic-containing personal hygiene products. But they did not find any link with the presence of microplastics.</p>

<p>This suggests the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the environment makes human exposure inevitable, the researchers said.</p>

<p>“So, the proof of microplastics’ presence in breast milk increases our great concern for the extremely vulnerable population of infants,” Dr Valentina Notarstefano, from Università Politecnica delle Marche, in Ancona, Italy, said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-thanks-elon-musk-after-his-suggestion-on-how-to-end-china-taiwan-tensions-523863" hreflang="en">Beijing thanks Elon Musk after his suggestion on how to end China-Taiwan tensions</a></p>

<p>“It will be crucial to assess ways to reduce exposure to these contaminants during pregnancy and lactation,” she said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-summons-wheelchair-bound-man-to-fight-in-the-ukrainian-war-523914" hreflang="en">Russia summons wheelchair-bound man to fight in the Ukrainian war</a></p>

<p>“But it must be stressed that the advantages of breastfeeding are much greater than the disadvantages caused by the presence of polluting microplastics. Studies like ours must not reduce breastfeeding of children, but instead, raise public awareness to pressure politicians to promote laws that reduce pollution.”</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE: </strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


For the first time, scientists have found microplastics in breast milk, raising concerns over potential health risks for infants. Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastic particles which are less than five millimetres (0.

For the first time, scientists have found microplastics in breast milk, raising concerns over potential health risks for infants. Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastic particles which are less than five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diametre—smaller than the standard pearl used in jewellery. They cause pollution by entering ecosystems from a variety of sources like cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, and industrial processes. Though first discovered in 2004, microplastics have permeated everywhere—in deep oceans; Arctic snow and Antarctic ice; in shellfish, table salt, drinking water. These tiny pieces could take decades or more to degrade fully. However, the discovery of these tiny particles in breast milk has started scientists. According to the Guardian, microplastics were found in the breast milk samples taken from 34 healthy mothers, a week after giving birth in Rome, Italy. The scientists detected microplastics in 75 per cent of them. The study, which was published in Polymers journal, discovered microplastics composed of polyethene, PVC and polypropylene. Plastics contain harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, which have been found in breast milk before. Watch | Microplastics in breast milk raise concerns over infant's health In their study, the researchers recorded the mothers’ consumption of food and drink in plastic packaging and of seafood, as well as the use of plastic-containing personal hygiene products. But they did not find any link with the presence of microplastics. This suggests the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the environment makes human exposure inevitable, the researchers said. “So, the proof of microplastics’ presence in breast milk increases our great concern for the extremely vulnerable population of infants,” Dr Valentina Notarstefano, from Università Politecnica delle Marche, in Ancona, Italy, said. Also read | Beijing thanks Elon Musk after his suggestion on how to end China-Taiwan tensions “It will be crucial to assess ways to reduce exposure to these contaminants during pregnancy and lactation,” she said. Also read | Russia summons wheelchair-bound man to fight in the Ukrainian war “But it must be stressed that the advantages of breastfeeding are much greater than the disadvantages caused by the presence of polluting microplastics. Studies like ours must not reduce breastfeeding of children, but instead, raise public awareness to pressure politicians to promote laws that reduce pollution.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Microplastics detected in human breast milk for first time, scientists startled

<p>Scientists in Serbia have named a beetle after their country's legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic, crediting the insect’s speed, strength, flexibility, durability and ability to survive in a difficult environment.</p>

<p>The beetle has been named Duvalius Dokovici, researcher Nikola Vesovic said. According to local media reports, the insect belongs to the Duvalius genus of ground beetles that are present in Europe.</p>

<p>According to Vesovic, the beetle is a specialised underground Coleoptera beetle—a predator which lost its eyes living deep underground.</p>

<p>“I proposed to name the new species after Djokovic,” Vesovic told Tanjug news agency.</p>

<p>“He is the man who did much for this country. We feel urged to pay him back in the way we can.”</p>

<p>In an Instagram post, the scientist described the insect as "a specialised, blind, subterranean ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) found in a pit near the town of Ljubovija" in the west of the Balkan country.</p>

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<p>Vsevic published the discovery in the journal “Annales Zoologi Fennici”,&nbsp;</p>

<p>A few months ago, a freshwater snail in Montenegro was also named after the tennis star.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, after a two-month absence, Djokovic finally returned to action. The 35-year-old Tennis maverick, who has won 21 Grand Slam trophies, recently clinched the Tel Aviv Open—his third title this season—after winning a seventh Wimbledon crown in July.</p>

<p>On Friday, he played against Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals of the Astana Open, which also features fourth-ranked Russian Daniil Medvedev who is also in the last eight. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in the first round.&nbsp;Djokovic claimed the 90th title of his career and the fourth of 2022 with a straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final on Sunday.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE: </strong></p>

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Scientists in Serbia have named a beetle after their country's legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic, crediting the insect’s speed, strength, flexibility, durability and ability to survive in a difficult environment.

Scientists in Serbia have named a beetle after their country's legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic, crediting the insect’s speed, strength, flexibility, durability and ability to survive in a difficult environment. The beetle has been named Duvalius Dokovici, researcher Nikola Vesovic said. According to local media reports, the insect belongs to the Duvalius genus of ground beetles that are present in Europe. According to Vesovic, the beetle is a specialised underground Coleoptera beetle—a predator which lost its eyes living deep underground. “I proposed to name the new species after Djokovic,” Vesovic told Tanjug news agency. “He is the man who did much for this country. We feel urged to pay him back in the way we can.” In an Instagram post, the scientist described the insect as "a specialised, blind, subterranean ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) found in a pit near the town of Ljubovija" in the west of the Balkan country. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nikola Vesović (@insects.veson) × Vsevic published the discovery in the journal “Annales Zoologi Fennici”, A few months ago, a freshwater snail in Montenegro was also named after the tennis star. Meanwhile, after a two-month absence, Djokovic finally returned to action. The 35-year-old Tennis maverick, who has won 21 Grand Slam trophies, recently clinched the Tel Aviv Open—his third title this season—after winning a seventh Wimbledon crown in July. On Friday, he played against Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals of the Astana Open, which also features fourth-ranked Russian Daniil Medvedev who is also in the last eight. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in the first round. Djokovic claimed the 90th title of his career and the fourth of 2022 with a straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final on Sunday. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Serbian scientists name beetle after country's tennis star Novak Djokovic

Now a new study has shown that nearly about three times the amount of water that is found in the ocean actually lies under the Earth's crust.

Most of the Earth's water is underground?

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{a405046f-9adb-4779-89a2-0284b6a84fbf}{105}" paraid="593288033" >Scientists have discovered that humans emit a different odour when they are under stress, and dogs have the ability to detect it.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{8c2e74bd-6f95-40b4-b8cb-593fe3afa5de}{91}" paraid="673352221" >Previous research had shown that dogs can pick up on different emotions of humans through smell, but doubts remained whether they are able to find out if people are under stress.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{af004783-cd79-4ffc-bcf6-4ca7deceef54}{128}" paraid="1618060533" >“This study has definitively proven that people, when they have a stress response, their odour profile changes,” said Clara Wilson, a doctoral candidate at Queen’s University Belfast, and first author of the research, reports the Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{4378abba-a347-490c-87f3-c1fa0f89ef39}{39}" paraid="1020175471" >She contended that the study could be useful while training service dogs, such as those that support people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{947fe458-d025-4193-ae5d-72c92a2fec57}{27}" paraid="725330936" >The&nbsp;study was published on Wednesday in the&nbsp;journal PLOS ONE.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c724c6f1-feb9-43ab-afff-e8c2e2d7610c}{126}" paraid="2119835170" >Under this study, the canines were trained to search a scent line-up — which&nbsp;had breath and sweat samples from study participants — and alert the researchers of the correct sample. The stress and relaxed samples were then introduced but at this stage, the researchers didn't know if there was an odour difference that dogs could detect.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c724c6f1-feb9-43ab-afff-e8c2e2d7610c}{214}" paraid="1856583305" >In every session, a dog was given a person's relaxed and stressed samples, taken only four minutes apart. All of the dogs were able to correctly alert the researchers to each person's stress sample.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c724c6f1-feb9-43ab-afff-e8c2e2d7610c}{203}" paraid="1517728291" >The study noted that the participant dogs were able to detect different emotions with more than 90 per cent accuracy.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{db08158c-4cc4-459f-b2af-69266040153a}{253}" paraid="1668661443" >The study’s author, Wilson, said while the dogs were specifically trained to differentiate the samples, it is possible that even untrained pet dogs might detect changes in odour when a human becomes stressed.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{db08158c-4cc4-459f-b2af-69266040153a}{223}" paraid="1219630581" ><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE: </strong></p>

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Scientists have discovered that humans emit a different odour when they are under stress, and dogs have the ability to detect it. Previous research had shown that dogs can pick up on different emotions of humans through smell, but doubts remained whether they are able to find out if people are under stress.

Scientists have discovered that humans emit a different odour when they are under stress, and dogs have the ability to detect it. Previous research had shown that dogs can pick up on different emotions of humans through smell, but doubts remained whether they are able to find out if people are under stress. “This study has definitively proven that people, when they have a stress response, their odour profile changes,” said Clara Wilson, a doctoral candidate at Queen’s University Belfast, and first author of the research, reports the Guardian. She contended that the study could be useful while training service dogs, such as those that support people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study was published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE. Under this study, the canines were trained to search a scent line-up — which had breath and sweat samples from study participants — and alert the researchers of the correct sample. The stress and relaxed samples were then introduced but at this stage, the researchers didn't know if there was an odour difference that dogs could detect. In every session, a dog was given a person's relaxed and stressed samples, taken only four minutes apart. All of the dogs were able to correctly alert the researchers to each person's stress sample. The study noted that the participant dogs were able to detect different emotions with more than 90 per cent accuracy. The study’s author, Wilson, said while the dogs were specifically trained to differentiate the samples, it is possible that even untrained pet dogs might detect changes in odour when a human becomes stressed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Dogs can successfully sniff, detect when humans are under stress, says study  

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{aa885ce6-1083-4e6a-960c-0535cd9333c4}{167}" paraid="634084545" >The remains of Gomphotheres - an extinct relative of the modern elephant - were found by scientists near Lake Tagua Tagua, a glacial lake in Cochamo, Chile.&nbsp;According to the researchers, the remains dates back around 12,000 years and suggests that the specie was quite dominant in the region. &nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7c35e6e4-d6b1-456f-90bd-8b2f4fff5754}{8}" paraid="875643809" >The remains showed that the animal weighed around four tonnes and its height was somewhere around 9.5-9.8 feet. As a result, the scientists concluded that it took groups to hunt them down.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{7c35e6e4-d6b1-456f-90bd-8b2f4fff5754}{8}" paraid="875643809" >Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-meghan-markle-fall-in-uk-royal-family-pecking-order-demoted-to-bottom-of-website-520426" hreflang="en">Prince Harry, Meghan Markle fall in UK royal family pecking order; demoted to bottom of website</a></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{31f11e93-64f7-469b-9e78-8fdc6b5adbf7}{99}" paraid="1628170722" >Carlos Tornero, an archeologist working on the site, said that the evidence shows Gomphotheres roamed in this region thousands of years ago but were hunted down by the inhabitants.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{08e36ef1-dc02-4c6e-88a5-14842d34960b}{90}" paraid="1982941059" >"The hypothesis we're working with is that it's about hunting, hunting events," Tornero told Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{08e36ef1-dc02-4c6e-88a5-14842d34960b}{113}" paraid="2133714368" >"We think this because the Gomphothere is a very large animal and dangerous and it probably required several people (to hunt)," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{08e36ef1-dc02-4c6e-88a5-14842d34960b}{84}" paraid="1590647452" >This was a significant find in a region where researchers have discovered the remains of a number of various ancient species in the past. &nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{08e36ef1-dc02-4c6e-88a5-14842d34960b}{84}" paraid="1590647452" >Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-who-are-oath-keepers-the-far-right-group-on-trial-for-involvement-in-us-capitol-hill-riot-520424" hreflang="en">Explainer: Who are Oath Keepers, the far-right group on trial for involvement in US Capitol Hill riot?</a></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c86f8433-b310-477a-9188-3e2035e666ca}{85}" paraid="800133055" >The scientists believed that the discovery of Gomphotheres remains was crucial for understanding the changing habitation in the region and it can also present a clear picture of how climate change has affected animals over the years.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c86f8433-b310-477a-9188-3e2035e666ca}{127}" paraid="677288758" >"We can get a lot of information from here, for example with regards to climate change, how it affected animals," said Elisa Calas, an archaeologist also working on the site, told Reuters. "The influence humans had on the environment which is very in line with what's happening now in terms of the environment."&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c86f8433-b310-477a-9188-3e2035e666ca}{127}" paraid="677288758" ><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The remains of Gomphotheres - an extinct relative of the modern elephant - were found by scientists near Lake Tagua Tagua, a glacial lake in Cochamo, Chile. According to the researchers, the remains dates back around 12,000 years and suggests that the specie was quite dominant in the region.

The remains of Gomphotheres - an extinct relative of the modern elephant - were found by scientists near Lake Tagua Tagua, a glacial lake in Cochamo, Chile. According to the researchers, the remains dates back around 12,000 years and suggests that the specie was quite dominant in the region. The remains showed that the animal weighed around four tonnes and its height was somewhere around 9.5-9.8 feet. As a result, the scientists concluded that it took groups to hunt them down. Also read | Prince Harry, Meghan Markle fall in UK royal family pecking order; demoted to bottom of website Carlos Tornero, an archeologist working on the site, said that the evidence shows Gomphotheres roamed in this region thousands of years ago but were hunted down by the inhabitants. "The hypothesis we're working with is that it's about hunting, hunting events," Tornero told Reuters. "We think this because the Gomphothere is a very large animal and dangerous and it probably required several people (to hunt)," he added. This was a significant find in a region where researchers have discovered the remains of a number of various ancient species in the past. Also read | Explainer: Who are Oath Keepers, the far-right group on trial for involvement in US Capitol Hill riot? The scientists believed that the discovery of Gomphotheres remains was crucial for understanding the changing habitation in the region and it can also present a clear picture of how climate change has affected animals over the years. "We can get a lot of information from here, for example with regards to climate change, how it affected animals," said Elisa Calas, an archaeologist also working on the site, told Reuters. "The influence humans had on the environment which is very in line with what's happening now in terms of the environment." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover 12000-year-old elephant remains in southern Chile

<p>The number of Weddell seals in Antarctica may have finally been estimated accurately by scientists. The monumental task&nbsp;was completed utilising photographs from space and the eyes, and talents of thousands of citizen&nbsp;scientists.</p>

<p><strong>Why is this important?</strong></p>

<p>In the Southern Ocean, Weddell seals are a crucial indicator species for changes in the food web and sea ice.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-suggest-a-stop-gap-solution-for-refreezing-melting-ice-will-cost-whopping-11-billion-yearly-517822" hreflang="en">Scientists suggest a stop-gap solution for 'refreezing' melting ice; will cost whopping $11 billion yearly</a></strong></p>

<p>As per Guardian, although the species can survive up to 30 years in the extreme environment of Antarctica's coastal sea ice, counting them has historically been difficult and expensive.</p>

<p>Former population estimates were "more back-of-the-envelope type calculations," according to Dr Michelle LaRue, associate professor of Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;WION Fineprint | Is your adorable puppy as bad for the planet as a gas-guzzling SUV?</strong></p>

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<p>"The previous research was done by traditional surveyors – shipboard surveys and aerial surveys – but you can’t physically get to the entire Antarctic continent all at one time," she said.</p>

<p>LaRue said that the findings were "imprecise," so in 2016 she set out to produce the first estimation of the seals' baseline population using high-resolution satellite photos and the perceptive eyes of 330,000 volunteers.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-says-there-are-at-least-20-quadrillion-ants-on-earth-517896" hreflang="en">Study says there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>“We combined [the] imagery with a web platform to conduct a citizen science campaign to find out three things: where seals are present, their abundance, and the environmental factors that influence their habitat preferences,” LaRue said.</p>

<p>The initiative largely relied on volunteers to look for seal indications in the satellite photographs. Participants were given photographs of a location in Antarctica to search, and they were asked to check or uncheck a box depending on whether they thought they could see a seal. The more people who clicked yes, the more efficient the habitat narrowing got.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


The number of Weddell seals in Antarctica may have finally been estimated accurately by scientists. The monumental task was completed utilising photographs from space and the eyes, and talents of thousands of citizen scientists.

The number of Weddell seals in Antarctica may have finally been estimated accurately by scientists. The monumental task was completed utilising photographs from space and the eyes, and talents of thousands of citizen scientists. Why is this important? In the Southern Ocean, Weddell seals are a crucial indicator species for changes in the food web and sea ice. Also read | Scientists suggest a stop-gap solution for 'refreezing' melting ice; will cost whopping $11 billion yearly As per Guardian, although the species can survive up to 30 years in the extreme environment of Antarctica's coastal sea ice, counting them has historically been difficult and expensive. Former population estimates were "more back-of-the-envelope type calculations," according to Dr Michelle LaRue, associate professor of Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Watch | WION Fineprint | Is your adorable puppy as bad for the planet as a gas-guzzling SUV? "The previous research was done by traditional surveyors – shipboard surveys and aerial surveys – but you can’t physically get to the entire Antarctic continent all at one time," she said. LaRue said that the findings were "imprecise," so in 2016 she set out to produce the first estimation of the seals' baseline population using high-resolution satellite photos and the perceptive eyes of 330,000 volunteers. Also read | Study says there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth “We combined [the] imagery with a web platform to conduct a citizen science campaign to find out three things: where seals are present, their abundance, and the environmental factors that influence their habitat preferences,” LaRue said. The initiative largely relied on volunteers to look for seal indications in the satellite photographs. Participants were given photographs of a location in Antarctica to search, and they were asked to check or uncheck a box depending on whether they thought they could see a seal. The more people who clicked yes, the more efficient the habitat narrowing got. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Scientists use space photos and volunteers to accurately calculate Weddell seal population

Scientists have discovered a planet that they think is potentially habitable. The super-earth is located 100 light years away, and is 40% larger than Earth. Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: Scientists discover a 'potentially habitable' planet

<p>Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).</p>

<p>The researchers at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, have claimed that the app is more accurate than other antigen tests and is comparatively cheap, quick and easy to use.</p>

<p>They said that this app can be useful in low-income countries where RT-PCR tests are expensive and difficult to access. The AI model has 89 per cent accuracy.</p>

<p>The app was around 89 per cent accurate in identifying Covid positive cases, while it was 83 per cent accurate in identifying the Covid negative cases, researchers said.</p>

<p>Their research was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday.</p>

<p>The promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have Covid-19 infection," said Wafaa Aljbawi, a researcher at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.</p>

<p>"Moreover, they enable remote, virtual testing and have a turnaround time of less than a minute. They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population," she said at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain.</p>

<p>The scientists used Mel-spectrogram analysis to assess 893 audio samples from 4,352 healthy and ill participants, of which 308 had tested Covid positive.</p>

<p>The analysis measured voice features such as loudness, power and variation over time.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Scientists have developed a new mobile app that can detect if a person has COVID-19 infection by analysing people's voices with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The researchers at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, have claimed that the app is more accurate than other antigen tests and is comparatively cheap, quick and easy to use. They said that this app can be useful in low-income countries where RT-PCR tests are expensive and difficult to access. The AI model has 89 per cent accuracy. The app was around 89 per cent accurate in identifying Covid positive cases, while it was 83 per cent accurate in identifying the Covid negative cases, researchers said. Their research was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. The promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have Covid-19 infection," said Wafaa Aljbawi, a researcher at the Institute of Data Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. "Moreover, they enable remote, virtual testing and have a turnaround time of less than a minute. They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population," she said at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The scientists used Mel-spectrogram analysis to assess 893 audio samples from 4,352 healthy and ill participants, of which 308 had tested Covid positive. The analysis measured voice features such as loudness, power and variation over time. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists create app that can detect Covid using people’s voices

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