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Vinyl’s pressing problem — toxic chemicals and a high carbon footprint Vinyl’s pressing problem — toxic chemicals and a high carbon footprint Vinyl records may be music’s most enduring format. The 12-inch vinyl LP is a format that is nearly 80 years old, but its popularity has been steadily rising over the past two decades. In 2024, 30 million vinyl records were sold in the United States and United Kingdom alone, and the global vinyl market is projected to be worth $1.5 billion by 2030, according to a report from Research and Markets. “It continues to grow,” said Barry Hurley, the managing director for Packaged Sounds, a vinyl pressing plant just outside London. “The format itself hasn’t changed too dramatically, except for the addition of lots of different colors and special effects vinyl, which we specialize in,” Hurley told CNBC’s Converge. Unfortunately, the records loved by music enthusiasts for their rich sound quality are made from non-renewable materials and carry a high carbon footprint. “PVC is one of the materials that’s used currently in pressing vinyl LPs and 7 inches as well. It’s known in its manufacturing process to be quite toxic,” said Marc Carey, CEO of Evolution Music. Carey’s company is the developer of Evovinyl, a plant-based material. “We take waste from sugar cane, process it into a polymer and mix it with organic fillers. It’s not fossil fuel-based and has a much lower carbon footprint,” Carey explained. His team is now close to creating a 100% organic solution, with the current product being about 98% of the way there. Barry Hurley’s plant has been testing eco-friendly solutions, including Evovinyl and shrink wrap alternatives. He said these efforts mean Evolution Music uses 15% less energy during the pressing process, when compared to PVC. “No industry gets out of that, and vinyl pressing shouldn’t expect to either,” Hurley said. The product has received interest from major labels. “We did a Coldplay project recently. We did a Camila Cabello project. So, more proof-of-concept projects until we’re 100% confident,” Hurley said. The next challenge for the business will be scaling up. Watch the video above for more on Evovinyl and the pressing process. For information on CNBC’s Converge Live event which takes place in Singapore 12-13 March 2025, click here. Source link #Vinyls #pressing #problem #toxic #chemicals #high #carbon #footprint Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

President's Day protests rally against Trump administration policies – USA TODAY President's Day protests rally against Trump administration policies – USA TODAY President’s Day protests rally against Trump administration policies USA TODAYThousands Gather on Presidents’ Day to Call Trump a Tyrant The New York TimesTrump live news: Protesters denounce US president on ‘No Kings Day’ Al Jazeera English‘No kings on Presidents Day’ rings out from protests against Trump and Musk The Associated Press Source link #President039s #Day #protests #rally #Trump #administration #policies #USA #TODAY Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block Musk’s DOGE Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block Musk’s DOGE A federal judge has questioned the authority of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but was sceptical of a request to block the department from accessing sensitive data and firing employees at half a dozen federal agencies. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a hearing on a request from 14 states for a temporary restraining order seeking to curtail the tech billionaire’s power in President Donald Trump’s quest to downsize the federal government. Chutkan said she would rule within 24 hours. Trump appointed Musk to lead DOGE in a push to slash the federal workforce and reduce or end disfavoured programs. The administration dismissed probationary employees and Trump in an executive order told agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions”. Democratic prosecutors from 14 states filed a lawsuit challenging what they called Musk’s “unchecked power”. The states are seeking to block DOGE from firing employees and accessing data at the federal Office of Personnel Management along with six federal agencies that oversee health and human services, education, energy, transportation, labour and commerce. During the hearing via video link, Chutkan said she did not think the states had shown necessary evidence of imminent harm to merit court intervention at this stage. The prosecutors argued that Musk’s actions at the helm of DOGE could be taken only by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official under the constitution. They also said citizens had concerns about the secure handling of sensitive information. Justice Department lawyer Harry Graver countered that DOGE was acting in an advisory role, did not need Senate confirmation to access data, and the states had not shown Musk’s hunt for waste and fraud had harmed them. The judge appeared to question that assertion. “I think you stretch too far. I disagree with you there,” Chutkan replied but added that was what the merits of the case were about. While she seemed sceptical about whether a temporary restraining order was merited, she seemed sympathetic to some of the states’ claims “One of the challenges in plaintiffs’ motion is that this is essentially a private citizen directing an organisation that’s not a federal agency to have access to the entire workings of the federal government, fire, hire, slash, contract, terminate programs, all without apparently any congressional oversight,” the judge said in describing the states’ claim. She noted that DOGE did not seem to be moving in any kind of orderly or predictable fashion, making it difficult for states to know what is coming next. Chutkan asked for the Justice Department to submit information about past and upcoming employment terminations. Source link #Judge #rule #swiftly #effort #block #Musks #DOGE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Everything we know about the Delta flight that crashed in Toronto Everything we know about the Delta flight that crashed in Toronto A Delta Airlines flight crashed and flipped onto its roof while attempting to land at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon, injuring several passengers. Officials said all 80 people on board the aircraft have been evacuated, and at least 18 have been taken to the hospital. Now, investigators are investigating how the ****** could have happened. Here’s everything we know about the ******: A Delta flight sits upside down on the Toronto Pearson International Airport’s runway after crashing Monday afternoon (REUTERS) What happened? Delta Flight 4819 crashed while landing on a snow-covered runway in Toronto around 3:30 p.m. Eastern time on Monday after taking off from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The jet, a Bombardier CRJ-900, turned completely upside down on the runway. CNN obtained audio from air traffic control between the controller and the pilot of another nearby Medevac flight. “LifeFlight 1, Medevac, just so you are aware, there are people outside walking around the aircraft there,” the controller said. “Yeah, we’ve got it,” the Medevac pilot responded. “The aircraft is upside down and burning.” The wreckage of Delta Flight 4819. At least fifteen passengers, including three with critical injuries, have been taken to the hospital (AP) Who was injured? All 80 people onboard – 76 passengers and four crew members – were evacuated from the aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said shortly after the ******. Video footage showed passengers and crew clambering out of the upside-down plane’s emergency exit as smoke bellowed from the aircraft. Eighteen passengers were transported to nearby hospitals, Delta confirmed on Monday evening. Two adults and one child were airlifted to hospitals, the service said. Meanwhile, medical transport company Ornge reports three people suffered critical injuries: a man in his 60s, a woman in her 40s and a child. Their identities have yet to be released. Joshua Schirard, a commercial airline pilot, told CNN that the flight attendants are to be commended for ensuring everyone on board was evacuated. “The flight attendants, and how well trained they are, to be able to get everyone out,” Schirard told CNN. “Everyone thinks that they’re there to just serve drinks and snacks when that is absolutely not the case. I guarantee you that it was their efforts to get those people out and to act as first responders on the scene, to make sure that everyone survives.” How did this happen? The exact cause of the ****** is unclear, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is set to lead the investigation. “The NTSB is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist the Transportation Safety Board of Canada with their investigation of today’s accident of a Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ900 at Toronto Pearson International Airport,” the FAA said in a statement. “Per international protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex 13, any information about the investigation will be released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.” However, experts say the weather — and especially the wind speeds — may have played a role. The region saw a snowstorm that brought more than eight inches of snow this weekend, while Monday brought a high temperature of just 20F and wind gusts up to 38mph, according to The New York Times. All 80 people on board were evacuated from Delta Flight 4819 after it crashed in Toronto on Monday afternoon (AP) Bombardier CRJ-900s, the type of plane involved in the ******, are built to withstand crosswinds of 35 knots, Schirard told CNN. The crosswinds that hit the plane at a 45-degree angle were only around 23 or 24 knots, he said. Schirard said these winds, despite being within the plane’s limit, may have still played a role when coupled with the snow and ice on the runway. “[The crosswind] is within those demonstrated components. And the pilots knew that coming in,” he told CNN. “Now…that doesn’t make it easy landing.” “When they’re coming in and they’re trying to land in that crosswind, and then we couple that with the snow and the ice…If they hit a solid patch of compressed snow, ice on that runway, coupled with a strong dressing crosswind, it could absolutely load them off the side of the runway,” he continued. Mary Schiavo, former inspector general at the U.S. Department of Transportation, agreed that the winds may have played a role “There is a decision point at which you have to land no matter what…and if that’s where they were when they got these bad crosswinds, they had no choice,” she told CNN. The combination of wind, ice and snow in the region may explain the cause of Monday’s ****** What have officials said? The FAA issued a ground stop after the ******. ********* transportation minister Anita Anand said she’s “closely following the serious incident.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’s in touch with Anand to “offer assistance and help with the investigation.” Meanwhile, Delta acknowledged the incident in a statement. “Initial reports were that there are no fatalities. Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted,” the airline said. “The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a separate statement. “I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is also monitoring the situation, he said on X. “I’m in touch with Delta after a flight taking off from MSP ****** landed in Toronto this afternoon,” Walz wrote. “Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene.” Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, said he’s “relieved” there have been no reported casualties so far. “Provincial officials are in contact with the airport and local authorities and will provide any help that’s needed,” Ford said. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow made a similar statement: “I’m relieved to learn that all passengers and crew are accounted for after today’s plane ****** at Toronto Pearson. Thank you to the first responders, crew and airport staff for their quick actions and commitment to keeping everyone safe.” Source link #Delta #flight #crashed #Toronto Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Stock market today: Live updates Stock market today: Live updates Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 30, 2025. NYSE U.S. stock futures rose Monday night to kick off a holiday-shortened trading week. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advanced 106 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.2% and 0.2%, respectively. Wall Street is coming off a winning week for the major averages. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained roughly 0.6% last week, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.5%. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.6%. Much of last week’s gain came Thursday after President Donald Trump’s plan for reciprocal tariffs on countries with levies on U.S. goods soothed investors who worried they would be more stringent. Stocks have been choppy to start the year but, even with ongoing concerns around trade and inflation, a look at the major averages show that they are not too far off their recent highs as investors scan for a catalyst for the next leg higher. The 30-stock Dow and the Nasdaq are about 1% off their recent records, while the S&P 500 is just 0.2% off its own milestone. “As earnings expectations accelerate and the share repurchase window opens for most companies, the key tenets of the bear argument are breaking down, and odds are improving that the S&P 500 breaks out of the trading range it has been stuck in since the election,” wrote Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide. Earnings season continues Tuesday. Occidental Petroleum and Arista Networks are among the companies set to report results. Source link #Stock #market #today #Live #updates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Transition metal-free catalyst promises greener, efficient ammonia synthesis Transition metal-free catalyst promises greener, efficient ammonia synthesis Ba3SiO5−xNyHz offers a sustainable, energy-efficient alternative to traditional ammonia synthesis methods. Credit: Science Tokyo As the world moves toward sustainability, the demand for efficient alternatives across industries continues to grow. Ammonia, a key chemical used in fertilizers, explosives, and various other products, is primarily synthesized through the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. This process requires extremely high temperatures and pressures, contributing to global carbon dioxide emissions. Conventional catalysts, such as iron and ruthenium, rely on these harsh conditions to drive the reaction. However, a study by researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo, the National Institute for Materials Science, and Tohoku University, Japan, led by Professor Masaaki Kitano, explores Ba3SiO5−xNyHz catalyst as a sustainable alternative to traditional catalysts, potentially revolutionizing ammonia synthesis. Vacancies, especially anion vacancies within the three-dimensional structure of catalysts, function as active sites. These active sites are energetically involved in the process of catalysis. However, anion vacancies alone are not effective without the presence of transition metal sites. This limitation inspired researchers to develop a transition metal-free catalyst. Published online in Nature Chemistry on 17 February 2025, the study aims to develop more efficient, sustainable ammonia synthesis methods. Kitano explains, “We have focused on tribarium silicate (Ba3SiO5) for the synthesis of our novel catalyst due to its unique crystal structure and chemical properties, offering the potential to lower energy requirements and reduce operating conditions.” To address the environmental and energy challenges posed by conventional synthesis methods, the research team developed and tested various mixed-anion materials. The study progressed through several stages. First, the researchers synthesized a novel Ba-Si oxynitride-hydride, Ba3SiO5−xNyHz, through a low-temperature (400–700 °C) solid-state reaction of barium amide with silicon dioxide. The resulting chemical composition was determined to be Ba3SiO2.87N0.80H1.86. This synthesis temperature is much lower than the synthesis temperatures (1100–1400 °C) of conventional silicate materials such as Ba3SiO5, Ba3Si6O9N4, and BaSi2O2N2. The synthesized Ba3SiO5−xNyHz demonstrated exceptional stability as a catalyst for ammonia synthesis even in the absence of any transition metal sites. It showed higher activity and lower activation energy than the conventional ruthenium-loaded MgO catalyst. On the other hand, Ba3SiO5, Ba3Si6O9N4, and BaSi2O2N2 exhibited no catalytic activity. The Ba3SiO5−xNyHz catalyst’s ammonia synthesis activity was tested under varying temperatures and pressures, and structural properties were analyzed using advanced instrumentation techniques. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. To further improve performance, ruthenium nanoparticles were introduced. The researchers found that Ba3SiO5−xNyHz showed the highest catalytic activity with ruthenium nanoparticles. “The addition of ruthenium nanoparticles significantly boosted catalytic performance, enabling more efficient ammonia synthesis under milder conditions. However, the main active site is not ruthenium nanoparticles but the anion vacancy sites on Ba3SiO5−xNyHz, which reduces the apparent energy requirement for ammonia synthesis than conventional catalysts. We also discovered that the anion vacancy-mediated mechanism played a key role in facilitating nitrogen activation, without relying on transition metals,” says Kitano. These findings suggest a more sustainable and energy-efficient path for ammonia synthesis. The study highlights key benefits: reduced temperature and pressure enhance efficiency, while the transition metal-free pathway cuts emissions and resource dependence, supporting sustainability. Furthermore, the scalable synthesis and robust performance of Ba3SiO5−xNyHz catalysts position them as promising candidates for industrial adoption, offering a more sustainable approach to ammonia production at scale. These findings also open avenues for further research in transition metal-free catalysis for other critical processes. This study represents a significant step toward sustainable ammonia synthesis, addressing a major challenge in industrial chemistry. By demonstrating the potential of the Ba3SiO5−xNyHz catalyst, the researchers have laid the foundation for a greener and more efficient approach to producing ammonia, an essential chemical. More information: Zhujun Zhang et al, Anion vacancies activate N2 to ammonia on Ba–Si orthosilicate oxynitride-hydride, Nature Chemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01737-8 Provided by Institute of Science Tokyo Citation: Transition metal-free catalyst promises greener, efficient ammonia synthesis (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Transition #metalfree #catalyst #promises #greener #efficient #ammonia #synthesis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Spotify’s HiFi streaming could finally arrive this year – The Verge Spotify’s HiFi streaming could finally arrive this year – The Verge Spotify’s HiFi streaming could finally arrive this year The VergeSpotify Weighs $6 Premium for Added Features, Access to Tickets BloombergSpotify to launch ‘Music Pro’ service with superfan perks like early-access tickets and AI remix tool… for up to $5.99 more per month (report) Music Business WorldwideApple may be planning a premium upgrade for its best subscription service 9to5MacSpotify to launch new premium service aimed at music ‘superfans’ Financial Times Source link #Spotifys #HiFi #streaming #finally #arrive #year #Verge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asteroid Ryugu samples suggest presence of salty water in outer solar system Asteroid Ryugu samples suggest presence of salty water in outer solar system Colorized microscopic image of sodium carbonate deposit on Ryugu sample. Credit: KyotoU/Toru Matsumoto Asteroids that orbit close to the Earth inevitably cause us some anxiety due to the even remote possibility of a collision. But their proximity also offers ample opportunities to learn more about the universe. Ryugu, a 900-meter diameter asteroid in the Apollo belt, has recently proven useful in our search for signs of life’s precursors elsewhere in our solar system. A team of researchers at Kyoto University have found evidence of salt minerals in samples recovered from Ryugu during the initial phase of Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. The discovery of these deposits, containing sodium carbonate, halite, and sodium sulfates, suggest that liquid saline water once existed within a parent body of Ryugu. Before examining the samples, the team expected that sample grains returned from the asteroid might contain substances not generally found in meteorites. They anticipated that these could be highly water-soluble materials, which readily react with moisture in Earth’s atmosphere and are difficult to detect unless examined in their pristine state as preserved in the vacuum of space. “Careful handling allowed us to identify the delicate salt minerals, providing a unique glimpse into Ryugu’s chemical history,” says corresponding researcher Toru Matsumoto. Experts believe the asteroid was once part of a larger parent body that existed about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after the formation of the solar system. This parent body would have been heated by radioactive decay, creating an environment of hot water below 100°C. While Ryugu and its grains did not contain any moisture, questions remain about how the liquid water was lost. Sodium carbonate vein on Ryugu grain C0071. Credit: Nature Astronomy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02418-1 Evolution of alkaline brines through the history of Ryugu samples. Credit: Nature Astronomy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02418-1 “These crystals tell us how liquid water disappeared from Ryugu’s parent body,” says Matsumoto. The salt crystals dissolve easily in water, suggesting that they could only have precipitated within highly saline water and in conditions with a limited amount of liquid. “We hypothesized that as fractures exposed the saltwater to space or as the parent body cooled, this liquid could have either evaporated or frozen,” Matsumoto explains. “The salt minerals we’ve found are the crystallized remnants of that water.” The deposits could prove crucial in comparing the evolved water in the dwarf planet Ceres—located in the Asteroid Belt—and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, since researchers believe these icy bodies harbor subsurface oceans or liquid reservoirs. They expect sodium carbonate and halite will be found in surface deposits on Ceres, in water plumes from Saturn’s satellite Enceladus, and on the surfaces of Jupiter’s satellites Europa and Ganymede. Since salt production is closely linked to the geological settings and brine chemistry in these aqueous bodies, the discovery of sodium salts in the Ryugu samples provides new insights for comparing the role that water has played in the development of planets and moons in the outer solar system. More information: Toru Matsumoto et al, Sodium carbonates on Ryugu as evidence of highly saline water in the outer Solar System, Nature Astronomy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02418-1 Provided by Kyoto University Citation: Asteroid Ryugu samples suggest presence of salty water in outer solar system (2025, February 14) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Asteroid #Ryugu #samples #suggest #presence #salty #water #outer #solar #system Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Announcing the 2025 *********** PC Awards finalists Announcing the 2025 *********** PC Awards finalists It’s our business to tell you about the PC gear you should consider making yours. Every day and all through the year, our experts are using, testing, assessing and rating a huge range of gear – all with the aim of making you better informed when it comes to making a purchase decision. Of the hundreds of products our team tests through each year, some shine more than others, and some are clearly head and shoulders above everything else. And which is what is what we’re here to decide. The teams from TechRadar, along with our colleagues from PC Gamer, APC and PC PowerPlay reassessed all the top products we tested over the course of 2024 and, after much discussion and argument analysis, this is the list of finalists in the running for winning the 2025 *********** PC Awards. Here, across 25 essential PC categories, are 141 product finalists and 32 company finalists, encompassing the gear we reckon is top notch. The gear here is the cream of the crop, and we congratulate the companies and people who’ve worked on them for doing a great job! Stay tuned, because coming up next is the big winners announcement, and you’ll find that right here on 14 March! (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best motherboard maker Finalists: Best value motherboard Finalists: Best premium motherboard (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best graphics card maker Finalists: Best graphics card (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best value CPU Finalists: Best mid-range CPU Finalists: Best premium CPU (Image credit: Future) Finalist: Best internal storage maker Finalists: Best external storage maker (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best value or 2-in-1 laptop Finalists: Best premium laptop Finalists: Best gaming laptop (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best desktop PC maker / reseller (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Best memory maker Finalists: Best cooling product Finalists: Best monitor Finalists: Best keyboard Finalists: Best mouse Finalists: Best gaming headset Finalists: Best case Finalists: Best router (Image credit: Future) For the person, product or technology that advanced the PC more than any other in 2024. Finalists: Excellence (Image credit: Future) The company that impressed us the most, overall, in 2024. Finalists: Gold (Image credit: Future) Finalists: Epic fail Source link #Announcing #*********** #Awards #finalists Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘We must stop mollycoddling kids’ ‘We must stop mollycoddling kids’ Bethan Lewis Education & Family Correspondent, BBC Wales News Saturday detentions have been introduced by the new head of Caldicot School as part of a zero-tolerance approach to poor behaviour Head teacher Alun Ebenezer is no stranger to headlines about his hard-line approach to discipline. Dubbed by one newspaper as the “head from hell”, the latest controversy has focused on his decision to introduce detentions on Saturdays. But as the recently appointed head of 1300-pupil Caldicot School in Monmouthshire, which has been plagued by issues in recent years including teachers striking over violence in classrooms, Mr Ebenezer said he was unapologetic about a focus on “strict discipline and firm boundaries”. He was also critical of what he called a culture of “hiding behind words like ‘wellbeing'” and “mollycoddling” children. LDRS Mr Ebenezer was asked to take over at Caldicot School in 2024 Mr Ebenezer told BBC News that two or three families had taken their children out of the school as they felt that his policies were too strict. He said most parents had been supportive, but around 20 to 30 had objected to the new behaviour policy he introduced in September. ‘People confuse strict with ******’ The school asks parents to come into lessons and sit next to their child if they misbehave in class. “I can say to you that we’ve never had to ask the same parent in twice – it’s effective,” said Mr Ebenezer. The school also carries out detentions – meaning pupils being kept in school after-hours as a punishment – either on the same day or on a Saturday. “We operate a same-day detention policy, which we think works,” he said. “Apparently in Wales it’s ********, because we have to give parents 24 hours’ notice so that they know where their children are.” Schools are entitled to hold Saturday detentions, except on weekends immediately before and after half-term holidays. But legislation requires parents to be given at least 24 hours’ notice in writing of any detention that will take place outside school sessions if the pupil is at a school in Wales, a requirement which was repealed in England in 2011. “The reason we’ve done [same-day detentions] is because if I’m badly behaved today, I want to be sorted out today,” said Mr Ebenezer. The head and other senior staff check uniforms when pupils arrive at school Mr Ebenezer was asked to take over at the school after a difficult ******* which saw teachers striking over “violent and abusive behaviour” by pupils. “My firm belief is what all young people need is strict discipline and firm boundaries,” said Mr Ebenezer. Each morning, senior staff greet pupils and check that coats are off, ties are on and skirts are the right length. “I do think uniform’s important,” Mr Ebenezer said. “I want [pupils] to give the right impression.” He has also introduced a “solid front door” policy for wellbeing areas, meaning that pupils must be referred there by staff. “We understand that there are some pupils in this school who need proper wellbeing help,” he said. “But let those young people get the help they need, not be at the back of the ****** from a hundred people who don’t want to be in physics.” Older pupils in the school say behaviour has improved A recent report by education inspectors Estyn found behaviour at the school had improved but said it was still in need of “significant improvement”. It said there was work to do on attendance, safeguarding and developing pupils’ skills. One of the senior team, Hayley Moseley, is in her 15th year at Caldicot School and said she had seen “lots of changes, lots of different styles of management”. She said there had been difficulties, but felt the culture in the school was starting to change and that pupils seemed “happier”. Pupil Lilly-Belle, 12, was told off in her first week at the school because she was wearing her sister’s old skirts which were not the right length. She said the approach could be “a bit strict sometimes” but added: “It’s better to be strict than not strict at all.” Caden, 12, said he had been pulled up for an untucked shirt but said he was comfortable with the rules: “I’m quite happy with them and they’re good.” Parent Katherine believes things are going in the right direction at the school Parent Katherine, who has two sons at the school, said the change in approach was initially a shock. “It was a bit military – some people called it draconian,” she said. “But sometimes you need that shock to kind of get everybody singing from the same hymn sheet.” Mr Ebenezer said he wanted to make Caldicot School one of the top 20 in Wales. “It’s about doing the right thing,” he said. He said his focus was on “high standards of uniform and appearance, punctuality, attendance, behaviour, attitude” and said prevailing approaches to behaviour were misguided. “It’s definitely too soft. I think people confuse strict with ******,” he said. “Strict is no nonsense – you do this, this happens. No means no, it’s not ******. “I think at the moment we are indulging and we are hiding behind words like wellbeing and safe spaces and it’s making things unsafe and is damaging people’s wellbeing.” Mr Ebenezer said he and his staff needed to be “allowed to do what we need to do and not be inhibited by ridiculous bureaucracy”. “We will be safest, happiest and flourish most when we bring back firm discipline, strict boundaries and we can get on with it,” he added. A Welsh government spokesperson said: “Schools should be safe spaces for learners and staff and all education settings in Wales have a legal duty to provide a safe learning environment. It is up to schools to set their own detention policies. “We are working with partners to develop proposals to improve behaviour, including a National Behaviour Summit which is planned for the spring.” Source link #stop #mollycoddling #kids Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Data-driven approach accelerates single-atom catalyst development for water purification Data-driven approach accelerates single-atom catalyst development for water purification Theoretical data mining for the production of singlet oxygen via M-N4 catalysts. Credit: Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202500004 All humans need clean water to live. However, purifying water can be energy-intensive, and therefore there is great interest in improving this process. Researchers at Tohoku University have recently reported a strategy using data-driven predictions coupled with precise synthesis to accelerate the development of single-atom catalysts (SACs) for more robust and efficient water purification. The study is published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. SACs are one of the most crucial catalysts. They play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency in diverse applications including chemical industries, energy conversion, and environmental processes. For water purification in particular, SACs can overcome the limitations of traditional heterogeneous catalysts such as kinetics, catalytic selectivity, and stability—a promising approach to the advancement of efficient and sustainable water purification technologies. However, the development of SACs frequently employs time-consuming trial-and-error methods, and the typical synthesis methods often lack a high level of control. To avoid a process that essentially involves taking shots in the dark, researchers took a data-driven approach where they rapidly and accurately predicted which SACs would have the best performance before even starting to make them. They compared 43 metals-N4 structures comprising transition and main group metal elements using a hard-template method. Fenton-like catalytic performance of Fe-SACs. Credit: Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202500004 Following this strategy, they determined that the best candidate was a well-designed Fe-SAC with a high loading of Fe-pyridine-N4 sites (~3.83 wt%) and a highly mesoporous structure. It successfully exhibited ultra-high decontamination performance (rate constant of 100.97 min-1 g-2). “The optimized Fe-SAC can also continuously operate for 100 hours,” remarks Associate Professor Hao Li of WPI-AIMR, “To our knowledge, this represents one of the best performances of wastewater purification on Fenton-like catalysts—which are reagents used for water purification—reported so far.” Density functional theory calculations revealed the underlying mechanism: The SAC reduced the energy barrier of the rate-determining step, which is intermediate O* formation. This resulted in the highly selective generation of singlet oxygen, which has been shown to break down pollutants to help purify water. Precise synthesis and characterization of M-SACs. Credit: Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202500004 To make sure the data-driven prediction had accurately selected this “best” candidate, the research team looked at the N4 structures of five other metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Mn) with different theoretical activities. They confirmed that Fe-SAC truly exhibited the most excellent Fenton-like performance among the five selected SACs, agreeing well with the data-driven prediction. The close integration of a data-driven method with a precise synthesis strategy provides a novel paradigm for the rapid development of high-performance catalysts for environmental fields, and other fields that involve sustainable energy and catalysis. Moving forward, the researchers aim to develop an efficient and user-friendly workflow for the rapid and effective design of catalysts. Those interested in incorporating the method into their own work can view the experimental data and computational structures in the Digital Catalysis Platform (DigCat): the largest experimental catalysis database reported to date, developed by the Hao Li Lab. More information: Keng‐Qiang Zhong et al, Data‐Driven Accelerated Discovery Coupled with Precise Synthesis of Single‐Atom Catalysts for Robust and Efficient Water Purification, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202500004 Provided by Tohoku University Citation: Data-driven approach accelerates single-atom catalyst development for water purification (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Datadriven #approach #accelerates #singleatom #catalyst #development #water #purification Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

New video surfaces of *********** captured in Ukraine New video surfaces of *********** captured in Ukraine Anthony Albanese has doubled down on calls for the release of *********** prisoner-of-war Oscar Jenkins, after a video was posted online showing him in captivity with a broken arm. The video, which AAP has not been able to independently verify, shows the bedraggled 32-year-old wearing a military camouflage uniform and being asked by to confirm he is alive. “My name is Oscar Jenkins … I come from Australia, I’m ***********,” he says in a video uploaded to YouTube more than a week ago. The identity of the man filming is unknown, but appears to be one of Mr Jenkins’ captors who speaks to him in English. The man says the date is January 17 but does not identify the location. He says Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war from the 66th mechanised brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine. “Tell us about your health condition, about your mood. Are you OK?” he asks. “I would like more freedom,” Mr Jenkins says. “I feel a bit weak. I’ve lost a lot of weight. I have a broken arm still, I think, and my hand is not good.” Mr Jenkins is wearing warm clothing and a beanie, as temperatures in Russia plunge to minus 15C. The man filming says “but you’re alive” and then prompts the captured *********** to confirm that news of his death is wrong. “Correct,” Mr Jenkins says in response, before being told to remove his beanie. “Everything is OK,” the man filming says. “He is alive and I think he will (be) better.” Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko previously said his government had added Mr Jenkins to its list of prisoners of war and would be negotiating for his release in an exchange. The prime minister said Australia has made representations to Ukraine, including a one on one discussion he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. “We still hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins’ ********,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday. “We’ve made it clear to Russia that Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war and that there are obligations that kick in in accordance with international humanitarian law, and they must be observed. “We have called for Russia to release Mr Jenkins.” The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to provide support for his family in Melbourne. It will be three years since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Source link #video #surfaces #*********** #captured #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Evolving intelligent life took billions of years—but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted Evolving intelligent life took billions of years—but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted The sun will likely be able to keep planets habitable for only part of its lifetime—by the time it hits 10 billion years, it will get too hot. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech A popular model of evolution concludes that it was incredibly unlikely for humanity to evolve on Earth, and that extraterrestrial intelligence is vanishingly rare. But as experts on the entangled history of life and our planet, we propose that the coevolution of life and Earth’s surface environment may have unfolded in a way that makes the evolutionary origin of humanlike intelligence a more foreseeable or expected outcome than generally thought. The hard-steps model Some of the greatest evolutionary biologists of the 20th century famously dismissed the prospect of humanlike intelligence beyond Earth. This view, firmly rooted in biology, independently gained support from physics in 1983 with an influential publication by Brandon Carter, a theoretical physicist. In 1983, Carter attempted to explain what he called a remarkable coincidence: the close approximation between the estimated lifespan of the sun—10 billion years—and the time Earth took to produce humans—5 billion years, rounding up. He imagined three possibilities. In one, intelligent life like humans generally arises very quickly on planets, geologically speaking—in perhaps millions of years. In another, it typically arises in about the time it took on Earth. And in the last, he imagined that Earth was lucky—ordinarily it would take much longer, say, trillions of years for such life to form. Carter rejected the first possibility because life on Earth took so much longer than that. He rejected the second as an unlikely coincidence, since there is no reason the processes that govern the sun’s lifespan—nuclear fusion—should just happen to have the same timescale as biological evolution. So Carter landed on the third explanation: that humanlike life generally takes much longer to arise than the time provided by the lifetime of a star. To explain why humanlike life took so long to arise, Carter proposed that it must depend on extremely unlikely evolutionary steps, and that the Earth is extraordinarily lucky to have taken them all. He called these evolutionary steps hard steps, and they had two main criteria. One, the hard steps must be required for human existence—meaning if they had not happened, then humans would not be here. Two, the hard steps must have very low probabilities of occurring in the available time, meaning they usually require timescales approaching 10 billion years. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Do hard steps exist? The physicists Frank Tipler and John Barrow predicted that hard steps must have happened only once in the history of life—a logic taken from evolutionary biology. If an evolutionary innovation required for human existence was truly improbable in the available time, then it likely wouldn’t have happened more than once, although it must have happened at least once, since we exist. For example, the origin of nucleated—or eukaryotic—cells is one of the most popular hard steps scientists have proposed. Since humans are eukaryotes, humanity would not exist if the origin of eukaryotic cells had never happened. On the universal tree of life, all eukaryotic life falls on exactly one branch. This suggests that eukaryotic cells originated only once, which is consistent with their origin being unlikely. The other most popular hard-step candidates—the origin of life, oxygen-producing photosynthesis, multicellular animals and humanlike intelligence—all share the same pattern. They are each constrained to a single branch on the tree of life. However, as the evolutionary biologist and paleontologist Geerat Vermeij argued, there are other ways to explain why these evolutionary events appear to have happened only once. Tracing humans’ evolutionary lineage will bring you back billions of years. This pattern of apparently singular origins could arise from information loss due to extinction and the incompleteness of the fossil record. Perhaps these innovations each evolved more than once, but only one example of each survived to the modern day. Maybe the extinct examples never became fossilized, or paleontologists haven’t recognized them in the fossil record. Or maybe these innovations did happen only once, but because they could have happened only once. For example, perhaps the first evolutionary lineage to achieve one of these innovations quickly outcompeted other similar organisms from other lineages for resources. Or maybe the first lineage changed the global environment so dramatically that other lineages lost the opportunity to evolve the same innovation. In other words, once the step occurred in one lineage, the chemical or ecological conditions were changed enough that other lineages could not develop in the same way. If these alternative mechanisms explain the uniqueness of these proposed hard steps, then none of them would actually qualify as hard steps. But if none of these steps were hard, then why didn’t humanlike intelligence evolve much sooner in the history of life? Environmental evolution Geobiologists reconstructing the conditions of the ancient Earth can easily come up with reasons why intelligent life did not evolve sooner in Earth history. For example, 90% of Earth’s history elapsed before the atmosphere had enough oxygen to support humans. Likewise, up to 50% of Earth’s history elapsed before the atmosphere had enough oxygen to support modern eukaryotic cells. All of the hard-step candidates have their own environmental requirements. When the Earth formed, these requirements weren’t in place. Instead, they appeared later on, as Earth’s surface environment changed. We suggest that as the Earth changed physically and chemically over time, its surface conditions allowed for a greater diversity of habitats for life. And these changes operate on geologic timescales—billions of years—explaining why the proposed hard steps evolved when they did, and not much earlier. In this view, humans originated when they did because the Earth became habitable to humans only relatively recently. Carter had not considered these points in 1983. Moving forward But hard steps could still exist. How can scientists test whether they do? Earth and life scientists could work together to determine when Earth’s surface environment first became supportive of each proposed hard step. Earth scientists could also forecast how much longer Earth will stay habitable for the different kinds of life associated with each proposed hard step—such as humans, animals and eukaryotic cells. Evolutionary biologists and paleontologists could better constrain how many times each hard-step candidate occurred. If they did occur only once each, they could see whether this came from their innate biological improbability or from environmental factors. Lastly, astronomers could use data from planets beyond the solar system to figure out how common life-hosting planets are, and how often these planets have hard-step candidates, such as oxygen-producing photosynthesis and intelligent life. If our view is correct, then the Earth and life have evolved together in a way that is more typical of life-supporting planets—not in the rare and improbable way that the hard-steps model predicts. Humanlike intelligence would then be a more expected outcome of Earth’s evolution, rather than a cosmic fluke. Researchers from a variety of disciplines, from paleontologists and biologists to astronomers, can work together to learn more about the probability of intelligent life evolving on Earth and elsewhere in the universe. If the evolution of humanlike life was more probable than the hard-steps model predicts, then researchers are more likely to find evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence in the future. Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Citation: Evolving intelligent life took billions of years—but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Evolving #intelligent #life #billions #yearsbut #scientists #predicted Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Makes the All-Terrain Trim Electric 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Makes the All-Terrain Trim Electric EX30 Is Volvo’s First Electric Cross Country Model Volvo The 2026 Volvo EX30 is the first electric model to get the brand’s rugged Cross Country treatment. The new EX30 CC has standard all-wheel drive, a raised ride height, skid plates, and available all-terrain tires. Volvo hasn’t yet announced pricing, but we expect the rugged subcompact electric SUV to cost around $50K when it goes on ***** later this year. When Jack Frost—or Kung Bore, his Swedish title—arrives in Lapland, it can be a ****** affair. Winters are frigid, dry, and unsympathetic; noses turn blue, breath lingers in the air, and oversized down jackets become a regional uniform. Ice-caked roads and blood-freezing temperatures are merely obstacles to work around for the Swedes. Volvo is native to the country and well-versed in making vehicles that can handle hostile conditions. The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country is the latest to get the brand’s all-terrain-ready Cross Country treatment. It’s also the first electric model to wear the badge. Volvo’s First EV Cross Country The Cross Country nameplate has largely been reserved for Volvo station wagons, appearing on models such as the V60 and V90. All of them have featured standard all-wheel drive, a raised ride height, and rugged bodywork, making them more capable in adverse conditions and SUV-like enough to expand their market appeal. Volvo has experimented with some other segment-blending Cross Country models as well, from the V40 Cross Country hatchback to the S60 Cross Country sedan. While the V40 CC stuck around for seven model years, the S60 CC bit the dust after just three. Volvo When it comes to the Cross Country version of the EX30, it features the same electric powertrain as the standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive model, producing 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Juicing its electric motors is a 64.0-kWh battery pack that Volvo estimates can deliver 264 miles of range on a single charge. When the electrons run out and the EX30 CC is plugged into a DC fast-charger, Volvo claims it can go from 10 to 80 percent in 26 minutes. Of course, the Cross Country recipe remains nearly the same as it always has been. Its ride is raised 0.7 inch compared with the standard SUV. Volvo also softened its springs and rear anti-roll bar for added comfort and more predictable low-grip handling. Front and rear skid plates protect its belly, and flared overfenders give the little off-roader a more assertive appearance. The Cross Country EX30 also has exclusive 18-inch wheels that can be had with available all-terrain tires for an extra fee. So, despite an unfamiliar powertrain, it’s business as usual. Volvo The EX30 CC also adds unique boreal flair inside and out. Its front and rear body panels feature a dark grey color that adds dimension to the EV’s otherwise one-note exterior. The front one adds texture too, with a topographic etching of the Kebnekaise mountain range in Arctic Sweden. The EX30 CC also wears its heritage on its door panels, which were designed to resemble a type of granite stone native to its home country. We recently got a taste of the EX30 Cross Country’s specialized capabilities on rather unique terrain in its native environment. Driving on over a meter of ice atop a frozen lake in Lulea, Sweden, the Cross Country felt in its element and remarkably composed. While studded Michelin X-Ice North tires provided our test car with massive traction, its nimble chassis is what gave us the confidence to flick the CC into slick corners without the fear of frosty repercussions. Its cushy springs ate up icy bumps and its 10-percent-softer rear anti-roll bar helped make quick direction changes smooth and pleasantly uneventful. On particularly slippery sections, the Cross Country’s electronic stability control system did a good job of tempering torque and keeping the car moving in the right direction but admittedly we didn’t keep it on for long. Even with ESC and traction control partially off, it was exceedingly easy to catch slides and maintain control while sending it sideways on the sub-zero test track. Since we didn’t have an opportunity to drive the EX30 Cross Country on dry pavement, it is hard to say how its tweaks will translate to non-winter conditions. But even on ice, it is obvious that the Cross Country is tuned to ride comfortably and handle playfully on any surface. To encourage customers to embrace the EX30 Cross Country’s adventurous side, Volvo wants customers to think of the EX30 Cross Country as an experience rather than just an SUV, so it will offer a “Cross Country Experience” package along with the purchase. Part of the package includes special incentives for outdoorsy accessories, including discounts on the aforementioned A/T tires, a roof basket, and mud flaps. There’s also an opportunity to rent out a fully equipped cabin in Swedish Lapland to experience firsthand the conditions that inspired the EX30 Cross Country. Volvo says that if you book the cabin, which is available from February 21 to March 21, 2025, it will have a car waiting for you and will recommend a selection of outdoor activities to fully immerse you in the Scandinavian winter experience. Volvo When and How Much? The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country is expected to go on ***** in the United States sometime later this year. U.S. customers only recently started taking delivery of the standard EX30 Twin Motor Performance models after a whirlwind of changes were made to the rollout schedule since last June. With underpinnings borrowed from ******** parent company Geely, standard EX30 models were initially manufactured in Zhangjiakou, China—making them susceptible to tariffs recently imposed on ********-built EVs by the U.S. government. While it is unclear where the EX30 Cross Country is being built, Volvo is moving production of U.S.-bound EX30 models to its factory in Ghent, Belgium, this spring. The move could reduce import woes and keep costs down for both the standard EX30 and Cross Country models. Volvo hasn’t yet released pricing for the new EX30 Cross Country. However, we expect it will cost more than the current Twin Motor Performance trim it’s based on. Since that model starts at $46,195, the Cross Country will likely approach the $50,000 mark. You Might Also Like Source link #Volvo #EX30 #Cross #Country #AllTerrain #Trim #Electric Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A new way to decipher the past with DNA from parchment pages A new way to decipher the past with DNA from parchment pages Collecting cellular material with a cytology brush is faster, easier and less invasive than using an eraser. Credit: North Carolina State University At NC State University, an English professor is searching for clues from the past. He’s looked back as far as the eighth century, knowing that lessons learned from medieval texts could benefit modern civilization for many years to come. Unlike the typical humanities researcher, however, Tim Stinson explores beyond merely what’s written on centuries-old parchment documents. He can also learn from the DNA that’s present both within and on the materials themselves. Stinson has been leading interdisciplinary research projects for the better part of the last decade, working hand in hand with scientists to analyze any biological material that’s still salvageable after all those years. Now, thanks to the help of three colleagues in NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), Stinson has a new way to collect DNA from pages of parchment—that’s faster and easier on both the DNA collector and the documents themselves. “We’re bringing together very different disciplines—medieval and manuscript studies from humanities and an array of techniques from the sciences—to see what information we can glean genetically to contextualize the written data,” says Stinson, an associate professor of English and University Faculty Scholar in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Researchers have known for a while that our ancestors’ writing surfaces might hold more information than merely what’s inscribed on them. But collecting DNA from materials degraded by harsh manufacturing processes, Mother Nature and Father Time—not to mention handled repeatedly—is no small feat. Above all, the problem is these artifacts are precious—and, understandably, the organizations responsible for their preservation have strict rules about how to handle them, to ensure you leave no trace. Collecting DNA from these documents without anyone being able to tell you touched it, even under a microscope, poses “a very tricky forensics problem,” Stinson says. Until recently, an eraser was the only way to collect cellular material without causing damage. By gently rubbing a PVC-based eraser on an artifact, the eraser crumbs pick up cellular material through static electricity. You can then collect DNA from that cellular material. But as you might imagine, the eraser-crumb collection method takes a lot of time—and physical effort. “It took me two full days of work to test one book thoroughly,” Stinson says. “And it’s tiring. I basically got tennis elbow—my arm was really sore afterward.” So Stinson came to his CVM colleagues with a novel idea for a noninvasive collection technique. Stinson worked with CVM faculty members Matthew Breen, Ben Callahan and Kelly Meiklejohn to validate a brand-new way to carefully collect cellular material containing DNA from documents that have been preserved for hundreds of years. “Knowing this technique could work from our pilot testing, we wanted to test it on a broad range of samples in the Duke University’s David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library,” says Meiklejohn, an associate professor in CVM’s Department of Population Health and Pathobiology. “In collaboration with Duke, we collected 300 or so samples from a range of documents.” The research team proved cytology brushes—specifically, those used to test for cervical *******—could collect cellular material containing DNA from documents dating back to 700 C.E. without causing any damage. Stinson says they showed their brushing technique, coupled with new sequencing methods, can capture whole mitochondrial genomes, which in turn, are used to determine source species. They published their findings in the journal PLOS One last March. Not only is collecting material with cytology brushes far faster and easier than collecting eraser crumbs, but it also greatly reduces the risk of cross-contamination. If you’re testing an entire book with an eraser, for instance, you must ensure to get up all the crumbs from one page before starting another. “Otherwise, you risk mixing them together,” Stinson says. Plus, from a library’s perspective, using a brush can in some cases be even less invasive than using an eraser. Many manuscripts that have survived hundreds of years aren’t exactly clean. Erasers remove dirt or stains—and leave unsightly white spots. Stinson and his team’s collection technique does not. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. What we can learn Long before humans discovered DNA, we learned how to breed domesticated animals selectively for desired genetic traits—better wool, for example. “But we didn’t really have any way of looking back in time to see where these breeds of domesticated animals came from,” Stinson says. “Well, now we’re hoping that we do.” That’s just one example of how collecting DNA from historical documents can complement the information written on them to paint a more complete picture of the past. “Plagues, diseases, weather conditions; all of these things would have affected the health of the animals and the health of people,” Stinson says. “And records of these events might be written down on the skins of the very animals from that region.” The dozens of documents on which Stinson and team tested their noninvasive collection technique spanned centuries and across several continents. But they all shared one thing in common—being made of parchment. “We were trying to prove that the technique worked well for parchments from all across Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and across time,” Stinson says. Thoroughly testing the technique on a wide range of parchment was critical, Stinson explains, because parchment manufacturing methods varied greatly across different regions and eras. Now, the interdisciplinary research team will apply its groundbreaking technique to a relatively understudied form of parchment known as manor court rolls. Paper’s predecessor Before paper, there was parchment. Made from animal skin, Stinson breaks the parchment manufacturing process into three steps: First, soak the skin in water and limestone to help remove all the hair and flesh; then, stretch the skin on a rack until it becomes tight and opaque; and, finally, thin the parchment by carefully shaving and tightening the skin, repeating as many times as necessary to reach the desired thickness. Parchment is an extremely durable material that can be made as thin as tissue paper. Prior to the advent of the printing press, it was the predominant writing surface—which included the entire medieval era, or about 1,000 years, from the 5th century to the 15th century. Parchment existed before the 5th century, too, and it’s still used for religious texts by certain cultures to this day. The vast majority of historical parchment samples, though, can be traced to medieval times. There are roughly a million books made of parchment still intact from the medieval era, Stinson says, and those books, by and large, have received the most attention from historians. But parchment comes in many forms, the vast majority of which are not books. Stinson says that as many as 3 billion pieces of parchment may still survive, scattered somewhere across the globe. And there’s one form of parchment, in particular, that Stinson and his team have now set their sights on. Stinson brushes a parchment sample to gather preliminary evidence. Credit: North Carolina State University An untapped resource In Feudal Europe, large agricultural estates—typically run by nobility and staffed by serfs—were known as manor houses. Manor houses not only kept copious amounts of agricultural records but they also often served as the de facto local court. “Manor courts would deal with local disputes, but also things like birth, death, change of ownership for land,” Stinson says. The records manor courts would maintain—be it seasonal crop yields or marriage certifications—were documented on pieces of parchment that came to be known as manor court rolls. “They would write down all the records of what was decided and when these sessions were held, and when they ran out of space, they would simply sew another skin to the bottom and just keep rolling it up,” Stinson explains. Eventually, the parchment pieces would often turn into scrolls—some of which can be quite large, Stinson says. That means manor court rolls can cover the happenings of a particular locality over the course of 200 years or more, Stinson says. Largely thanks to the noninvasive DNA collection method—using cytology brushes—that the team validated last year, they now have the chance to study manor court rolls unlike anyone else has before. Meiklejohn says manor court rolls present “an untapped resource of biological material.” “We have a very unique opportunity to learn more about not only the use of animals but also the practices people employed to produce those parchment skins over the centuries,” Meiklejohn says. After Stinson thoroughly reviews the samples and gives the team the context needed to find relevant clues, Meiklejohn completes the preliminary DNA isolation, high-throughput sequencing and analysis to determine the source species. She then passes the samples along to Breen and Callahan. Breen, a professor of genomics and the Oscar J. Fletcher Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology Genetics, can use digital-droplet PCR to determine the sex of the animal whose skin was used to make the parchment. Afterward, Callahan, an associate professor of microbiomes and complex microbial communities, can analyze the long-gone animal’s microbiome, which can contain much more genetic information than just that of the target species. In other words, it offers the chance to learn more about the other organisms an animal came in contact with shortly before death. Over the coming months, Stinson, Meiklejohn, Breen and Callahan will study a collection of manor rolls from three separate sources—the Harvard Law Library, Folger Shakespeare Library and Norfolk Record Office. Stinson and Meiklejohn believe their team’s research could put NC State at the forefront of an emerging field known as biocodicology—the study of biological clues in manuscripts, books and other documents. New methods, old problems While biocodicology remains a nascent field for now, the clues that researchers like Stinson uncover could ultimately help solve problems that have afflicted humanity throughout much of recorded history. “We’re living in an age of things like COVID, and bird flu, and swine flu,” Stinson says. “And in many ways that’s not new. Some versions of epidemics have been around for a long time.” You’ve likely heard of the Bubonic plague, colloquially known as the ****** Death, but there were plenty of other plagues throughout the medieval era, many of which affected livestock instead of humans, Stinson says. And oftentimes, as was the case with the infamous Bubonic plague of the 1300s, diseases can originate in one species and then spread to others. Bird flu and swine flu are more recent examples of zoonotic diseases, infectious illnesses that can spread between different animals, including humans. If the end of that last sentence gave you pause, perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the concept of “One Health”—a framework that recognizes the interconnected nature of plant, animal, human and environmental health. By cataloging human-animal interactions over hundreds of years, manor court rolls provide an unparalleled opportunity to delve deeper into the entwined relationship between human and animal health. Manor court rolls might have recorded data on some of the earliest known epidemics. And since it’s possible to trace these special parchment samples to a specific time and place—perhaps even the exact farm—they could shed more light on how certain diseases started and progressed. What’s more, it’s logical to presume that pieces of parchment were made from skins of the same livestock a farmer was keeping records on—which means biological evidence of diseases themselves might still remain. “Some of the very pathogens that killed those animals may well be on the skins of some of these books,” Stinson says. “So it’s a chance to go back in time and look at the history of epidemics, and how they affected both animals and humans.” Whether Stinson and Meiklejohn’s interdisciplinary team finds the clues it’s looking for or not, the full story will undoubtedly remain far from finished. But by verifying last year that cytology brushes can collect cellular material without damaging medieval-era documents, they’ve made it much easier for others to help write the next chapter. More information: Melissa Scheible et al, The development of non-destructive sampling methods of parchment skins for genetic species identification, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299524 Provided by North Carolina State University Citation: Cytology brushes: A new way to decipher the past with DNA from parchment pages (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #decipher #DNA #parchment #pages Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

What We Know About the Kentucky Floods – The New York Times What We Know About the Kentucky Floods – The New York Times What We Know About the Kentucky Floods The New York TimesWatch: Deadly storm hits south-eastern US and Canada BBC.comKentucky mother, 7-year-old daughter among 9 dead from flooding Fox NewsAt least 12 dead in multi-state floods as rivers rise and rescues continue CNNDeath toll reaches 11 in Kentucky from flooding, Gov. Beshear says WDRB Source link #Kentucky #Floods #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Belief in God among boys continues to grow in Finland—study finds signs of growing belief among girls as well Belief in God among boys continues to grow in Finland—study finds signs of growing belief among girls as well Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain An increasing number of young boys and girls in Finland believe in God. A study conducted among young people in confirmation preparation shows that a growing number of girls report believing in the existence of God. The prevalence of belief in God began to grow among boys already in 2021, and in 2024, the same phenomenon could be seen among girls as well. In 2024, 62% of boys and 50% of girls reported believing in the existence of God. These are findings from a recent longitudinal study by Lecturer Jouko Porkka and Professor Kati Tervo-Niemelä among young people in confirmation preparation, examining their relationship to the Christian faith and the impact of confirmation preparation on it. In 2023, a total of 73% of young people were confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The study is published in Religion, Attitude and Education. In 2019, a little over one-third of boys in confirmation preparation believed in the existence of God. Believing in God has grown in prevalence every year since then, and by 2024, it has almost doubled so that two-thirds of boys believed in God. At the same time, the proportion of young people attending confirmation preparation decreased by only a few percentage points, which means that the increase in belief in God cannot be explained by a higher degree of selectivity among the youth. According to the researchers, the prevalence of religiosity among boys began to grow at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In contrast, girls’ belief in the existence of God remained unchanged until last year. “Our research clearly shows that the commitment of boys to the Christian faith has grown stronger in recent years, and believing in God is clearly more common among boys than girls. Boys are also more likely than girls to feel that confirmation preparation strengthens their faith. Other recent studies, too, have reported an increase in young men’s belief in God. Now, however, research is showing changes in girls’ religiosity as well,” says Professor of Practical Theology Kati Tervo-Niemelä. The difference to boys is still clearly noticeable, as the proportion of boys who believe in God is 12 percentage points higher than the proportion of girls believing in God. “However, this is the first time girls’ religiosity is changing in the same direction as that of boys. The data we’ve used are so extensive and comprehensive that there can be no question of a sampling error.” More than 100,000 young people in confirmation preparation have responded to the annual survey between 2019 and 2024, with the 2024 response rate being 43%, accounting to as much as one-third of all 15-year-olds in Finland. “The study raises the question of whether religious interest among girls will increase in the same way as it has among boys. A change in the attitudes of young people in confirmation preparation could be the first signal of this.” “Our data have been collected in confirmation preparation, but due to the high popularity of Lutheran confirmation, with three out of four young people attending it, the respondents represent the majority of Finnish youth.” Religiosity among young people is in an active state of flux—further research is needed The study also showed that the strongest believers among young people in confirmation preparation live in the central areas of large cities. There was a statistically significant difference in the responses of young people living in city centers, compared to young people living in all other areas. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. According to Tervo-Niemelä, the findings challenge at least three established ideas related to religiosity. First, the idea of religiosity being in decline and of young people being less religious than their previous generations. Second, the idea of women being more religious than men, and third, the idea of people living in rural areas being more religious than their urban counterparts. “Overall, research suggests that religiosity among young people is currently in an exceptionally active state of flux,” Tervo-Niemelä says. According to her, the state of the world today is a possible contributing factor, as uncertainties are growing, and people’s sense of security is shaken. The increasingly multicultural atmosphere of cities may also, in her view, strengthen religiosity among young people, as beliefs are more openly visible in their daily lives. “One can also ask whether Christianity is the new counterculture. Some parents have been critical of Christianity, viewing religion as conservative and outdated. Many parents have also left the church. Perhaps for today’s youth, being non-religious is no longer the counterculture, but rather, religiosity represents it.” According to Tervo-Niemelä, reasons underlying growing religiosity among boys can also be found in an increasingly conservative mindset among them, and perhaps also in that confirmation preparation takes place at “a more appropriate age”, while for girls it may take place too late. “There are likely multiple factors explaining changes in these phenomena, warranting plenty of further research and additional surveys.” Professor Tervo-Niemelä’s recently launched project, Religion, Meaning and Masculinities: Religion in the Lives of Men in Finland, explores reasons behind changes in religiosity and the significance of religion, particularly from the perspective of men. The researchers are currently conducting interviews with young men and new fathers. Later on, data will be collected among other groups as well. More information: Porkka, J., & Tervo-Niemelä, K. Boys’ faith continues to strengthen—will girls follow suit? A longitudinal study of the relationship of confirmation school youth to Christian faith and the influence of confirmation school on it. Religion, Attitude and Education (2024). journal.fi/ukk/article/view/154948 Provided by University of Eastern Finland Citation: Belief in God among boys continues to grow in Finland—study finds signs of growing belief among girls as well (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Belief #God #among #boys #continues #grow #Finlandstudy #finds #signs #growing #belief #among #girls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone A new model upends the decades-old “hard steps” theory that intelligent life was an incredibly improbable event and suggests that maybe it wasn’t all that hard or improbable. The team of researchers said the new interpretation of humanity’s origin increases the probability of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Credit: NASA Humanity may not be extraordinary but rather the natural evolutionary outcome for our planet and likely others, according to a new model for how intelligent life developed on Earth. The model, which upends the decades-old “hard steps” theory that intelligent life was an incredibly improbable event, suggests that maybe it wasn’t all that hard or improbable. A team of researchers at Penn State, who led the work, said the new interpretation of humanity’s origin increases the probability of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. “This is a significant shift in how we think about the history of life,” said Jennifer Macalady, professor of geosciences at Penn State and co-author on the paper, which was published Feb. 14 in the journal Science Advances. “It suggests that the evolution of complex life may be less about luck and more about the interplay between life and its environment, opening up exciting new avenues of research in our quest to understand our origins and our place in the universe.” Initially developed by theoretical physicist Brandon Carter in 1983, the “hard steps” model argues that our evolutionary origin was highly unlikely due to the time it took for humans to evolve on Earth relative to the total lifespan of the sun—and therefore the likelihood of human-like beings beyond Earth is extremely low. In the new study, a team of researchers that included astrophysicists and geobiologists argued that Earth’s environment was initially inhospitable to many forms of life, and that key evolutionary steps only became possible when the global environment reached a “permissive” state. For example, complex animal life requires a certain level of oxygen in the atmosphere, so the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere through photosynthesizing microbes and bacteria was a natural evolutionary step for the planet, which created a window of opportunity for more recent life forms to develop, explained Dan Mills, postdoctoral researcher at The University of Munich and lead author on the paper. “We’re arguing that intelligent life may not require a series of lucky breaks to exist,” said Mills, who worked in Macalady’s astrobiology lab at Penn State as an undergraduate researcher. “Humans didn’t evolve ‘early’ or ‘late’ in Earth’s history, but ‘on time,” when the conditions were in place. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time, and maybe other planets are able to achieve these conditions more rapidly than Earth did, while other planets might take even longer.” The central prediction of the “hard steps” theory states that very few, if any, other civilizations exist throughout the universe, because steps such as the origin of life, the development of complex cells and the emergence of human intelligence are improbable based on Carter’s interpretation of the sun’s total lifespan being 10 billion years, and the Earth’s age of around 5 billion years. In the new study, the researchers proposed that the timing of human origins can be explained by the sequential opening of “windows of habitability” over Earth’s history, driven by changes in nutrient availability, sea surface temperature, ocean salinity levels and the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Given all the interplaying factors, they said, the Earth has only recently become hospitable to humanity—it’s simply the natural result of those conditions at work. “We’re taking the view that rather than base our predictions on the lifespan of the sun, we should use a geological time scale, because that’s how long it takes for the atmosphere and landscape to change,” said Jason Wright, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and co-author on the paper. “These are normal timescales on the Earth. If life evolves with the planet, then it will evolve on a planetary time scale at a planetary pace.” Wright explained that part of the reason that the “hard steps” model has prevailed for so long is that it originated from his own discipline of astrophysics, which is the default field used to understand the formation of planets and celestial systems. The team’s paper is a collaboration between physicists and geobiologists, each learning from each other’s fields to develop a nuanced picture of how life evolves on a planet like Earth. “This paper is the most generous act of interdisciplinary work,” said Macalady, who also directs Penn State’s Astrobiology Research Center. “Our fields were far apart, and we put them on the same page to get at this question of how we got here and are we alone? There was a gulf, and we built a bridge.” The researchers said they plan to test their alternative model, including questioning the unique status of the proposed evolutionary “hard steps.” The recommended research projects are outlined in the current paper and include such work as searching the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system for biosignatures, like the presence of oxygen. The team also proposed testing the requirements for proposed “hard steps” to determine how hard they actually are by studying uni- and multicellular forms of life under specific environmental conditions such as lower oxygen and temperature levels. Beyond the proposed projects, the team suggested the research community should investigate whether innovations —such as the origin of life, oxygenic photosynthesis, eukaryotic cells, animal multicellularity and ***** sapiens—are truly singular events in Earth’s history. Could similar innovations have evolved independently in the past, but evidence that they happened was lost due to extinction or other factors? “This new perspective suggests that the emergence of intelligent life might not be such a long shot after all,” Wright said. “Instead of a series of improbable events, evolution may be more of a predictable process, unfolding as global conditions allow. Our framework applies not only to Earth, but also other planets, increasing the possibility that life similar to ours could exist elsewhere.” The other co-author on the paper is Adam Frank of the University of Rochester. More information: Daniel Mills, A reassessment of the “hard-steps” model for the evolution of intelligent life, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads5698. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads5698 Provided by Pennsylvania State University Citation: Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone (2025, February 14) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #planetary #evolution #favor #humanlike #life #Study #ups #odds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block DOGE from assessing data and firing federal employees – The Associated Press Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block DOGE from assessing data and firing federal employees – The Associated Press Judge to rule swiftly on effort to block DOGE from assessing data and firing federal employees The Associated PressTrump Takes Watchdog Firing Case To Supreme Court — See Full List Of Trump Administration Lawsuits ForbesFederal judge skeptical of effort to block Musk’s DOGE from accessing data, firing employees Fox News20 red states, including SC, back DOGE in lawsuit challenging access to Treasury system South Carolina Daily Gazette Source link #Judge #rule #swiftly #effort #block #DOGE #assessing #data #firing #federal #employees #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Innovative epoxy resin combines fire safety, recyclability and high performance Innovative epoxy resin combines fire safety, recyclability and high performance Credit: Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11705-024-2497-y Researchers at Sichuan University have developed a new type of epoxy resin that not only offers enhanced fire retardancy but is also recyclable and degradable, making it an ideal candidate for high-strength adhesives in various industries. This innovation addresses a critical gap in the market for thermosetting polymers that can be easily recycled without compromising on safety and performance. The study, led by Prof. Li Chen, introduces a phosphorus-containing anhydride into the epoxy resin’s composition, which is cured using an anhydride-epoxy curing equilibrium with triethanolamine as a transesterification modifier. This process results in epoxy vitrimers and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites (CFRECs) that are malleable, reprocessable, and can be hydrothermally degraded with ease. The work is published in Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering. The new epoxy resin stands out with its exceptional flame retardancy, achieving a high glass transition temperature (Tg) of 192°C, which is crucial for applications in aerospace, automotive, and wind power industries where materials must withstand high temperatures. Moreover, the resin’s ability to degrade in water at 200°C without the need for any external catalyst is a significant step toward more environmentally friendly recycling processes. One of the key highlights of this research is the successful recycling of carbon fibers from the composite material without damage, a challenge that has plagued the recycling of traditional CFRECs. The recycled fibers maintain their structural integrity, and the degradation products are put to use in creating a recyclable adhesive with a peel strength of 3.5 MPa, demonstrating the potential for a circular economy in epoxy resin use. The social and environmental value of this research is profound. With the global issue of plastic waste reaching crisis levels, the development of sustainable thermosetting polymers is more critical than ever. This epoxy resin provides a solution that not only reduces pollution but also conserves resources by enabling the reuse of degradation products. The novelty of this research lies in its multifaceted approach to material development. By integrating fire safety, recyclability, and high performance into a single material, the researchers have created a game-changer for industries that rely on epoxy resins. The potential applications are vast, from construction and transportation to electronics and renewable energy. In conclusion, the epoxy resin developed by the team at Sichuan University represents a significant leap forward in materials science. It offers a sustainable solution to the recycling challenges faced by thermosetting polymers while providing superior performance characteristics. As the world moves towards more sustainable practices, this innovation could pave the way for a new generation of materials that are not only functional but also kind to the planet. More information: Yue-Rong Zhang et al, Flame-retardant, recyclable, and hydrothermally degradable epoxy resins and their degradation products for high-strength adhesives, Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11705-024-2497-y Provided by Frontiers Journals Citation: Innovative epoxy resin combines fire safety, recyclability and high performance (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Innovative #epoxy #resin #combines #fire #safety #recyclability #high #performance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Delta Airlines Plane Flips Over on Landing; a Badly Hurt Child Is Among 8 Injuries Delta Airlines Plane Flips Over on Landing; a Badly Hurt Child Is Among 8 Injuries TORONTO (AP) – A badly injured child is among eight people who were hurt Monday when a Delta Airlines plane flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. The airport confirmed on X that an “incident” occurred with the Delta flight from Minneapolis and that all 80 passengers and crew are accounted for. Three of the eight people hurt are critically injured, paramedics said. Delta said in a statement the accident happened at 3:30 p.m. Video from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR upside down on the snowy tarmac as emergency workers hose it down. The plane was somewhat obscured by snow from a winter storm that hit Toronto over the weekend. Ornge air ambulance said it was transporting one pediatric patient to Toronto’s SickKids hospital and two adults with critical injuries to other hospitals in the city. “Emergency teams are responding,” the airport said in a post on the social platform X. “All passengers and crew are accounted for.” It is too early to say what caused the plane to flip but weather may have played a factor. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, the airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 32 mph (51 kph) gusting to 40 mph (65 kph). The temperature was about 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit (-8.6 Celsius). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will head up the investigation and provide any updates. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist in the ********* investigation. It is at least the fourth major aviation mishap in North America in the past month. A commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near the nation’s capital on Jan. 29, killing 67 people. A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing the six people on board and another person on the ground and 10 were killed in a plane ****** in Alaska. Delta said in a statement that “initial reports were that there are no fatalities.” “Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted,” the airline added. Endeavor Air, based in Minneapolis, is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines and the world’s largest operator of CRJ-900 aircraft. The airline operates 130 regional jets on 700 daily flights to over 126 cities in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, according to the company’s website. The CRJ900, a popular regional jet, was developed by ********* aerospace company Bombardier. It’s in the same family of aircraft as the CRJ700, the type of plane involved in the midair collision near Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. Source link #Delta #Airlines #Plane #Flips #Landing #Badly #Hurt #Child #Among #Injuries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A new theory explains how water first arrived on Earth A new theory explains how water first arrived on Earth Credit: CC0 Public Domain When Earth first formed, it was too hot to retain ice. This means all the water on our planet must have originated from extraterrestrial sources. Studies of ancient terrestrial rocks suggest liquid water existed on Earth as early as 100 million years after the sun’s formation–practically “immediately” on an astrophysical timescale. This water, now over 4.5 billion years old, has been perpetually renewed through Earth’s water cycle. My research team has recently proposed a new theory to explain how water first arrived on Earth. Our paper is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. A mystery billions of years in the making Astrophysicists have been grappling with the question of how water arrived on our young planet for decades. One of the earliest hypotheses suggested that Earth’s water was a direct byproduct of the planet’s formation, released via magma during volcanic eruptions, in which most of the emitted gas is water vapor. However, this hypothesis evolved in the 1990s following analysis of Earth’s water composition and the discovery of the potential role of icy comets, pointing to an extraterrestrial origin. Comets, which are mixtures of ice and rock formed in the distant reaches of the solar system, are sometimes ejected toward the sun. When warmed by the sun, they develop striking tails of dust and gas that are visible from Earth. Asteroids, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, were also proposed as potential progenitors of Earth’s water. The study of cometary and asteroid rocks via meteorites–small fragments of these bodies that have fallen to Earth–has provided key insights. By analyzing the D/H ratio–the proportion of heavy hydrogen (deuterium) to standard hydrogen–scientists found that Earth’s water more closely matches that of “carbonaceous” asteroids, which bear traces of past water. This shifted the focus of research toward these asteroids. Recent studies have centered on identifying the celestial mechanisms that could have delivered these water-rich asteroids to the dry surface of early Earth. Numerous theories have emerged to explain the “perturbation” of planetesimals–large, icy bodies in the asteroid and Kuiper belts. These scenarios propose gravitational interactions that dislodged these objects, sending them hurtling toward Earth. Such events would have required a complex “gravitational billiards” process, suggesting a tumultuous history of the solar system. While it is evident that planetary formation involved significant upheavals and impacts, it is possible that Earth’s water delivery occurred in a more natural and less dramatic manner. A simpler hypothesis I started with the assumption that asteroids emerge icy from their formation cocoon, also known as the protoplanetary disk. This cocoon is a massive, hydrogen-rich disk filled with dust, where planets and initial belts form. It envelops the entire nascent planetary system. Once this protective cocoon dissipates–after a few million years–the asteroids warm up, causing their ice to melt or, more precisely, to sublimate. In space, where pressure is nearly zero, the water remains in vapor form after this process. A disk of water vapor is then superimposed on the asteroid belt orbiting the sun. As the ice sublimates, the disk fills with vapor, which spreads inward toward the sun due to complex dynamic processes. Along the way, this vapor disk encounters the inner planets, immersing them in a kind of “bath.” In a way, the disk “waters” the terrestrial planets: Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury. Most of this water capture occurred 20 to 30 million years after the sun’s formation, during a ******* when the sun’s luminosity increased dramatically over a brief ******* of time, increasing the degassing rate of asteroids. Once water is captured by a planet’s gravitational pull, many processes can occur. On Earth, however, a protective mechanism ensures the total mass of water has remained relatively constant from the end of the capture ******* until today. If water rises too high into the atmosphere, it condenses into clouds, which eventually return to the surface as rain–a process known as the water cycle. The quantities of water on Earth, both past and present, are well documented. Our model, which begins with the degassing of ice from the original asteroid belt, successfully accounts for the amount of water needed to form oceans, rivers and lakes, and even the water buried deep within Earth’s mantle. Precise measurements of the D/H ratio of water in the oceans also align with our model. Moreover, the model explains the quantities of water present in the past on other planets–and even on the moon. You might wonder how I arrived at this new theory. It stems from recent observations, particularly those made with ALMA, a radio telescope array of over 60 antennae located in Chile, on a plateau five kilometers above sea level. Observations of extrasolar systems with belts similar to the Kuiper Belt reveal that planetesimals in these belts sublimate carbon monoxide (CO). For belts closer to their star, such as the asteroid belt, CO is too volatile to be present, and water is more likely to be released. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Building the model It was from these findings that the initial idea for the theory began to take shape. Moreover, recent data from the Hayabusa 2 and OSIRIS-REx missions, which explored asteroids similar to those that might have contributed to the formation of the initial water vapor disk, provided key confirmation. These missions, along with long-standing observations from ground-based telescopes, revealed substantial amounts of hydrated minerals on these asteroids–minerals that can only form through contact with water. This supports the premise that these asteroids were initially icy, even though most have since lost their ice (except for larger bodies like Ceres). With the foundation of the model in place, the next step was to develop a numerical simulation to track the degassing of ice, the dispersion of water vapor, and its eventual capture by planets. During these simulations, it quickly became clear that the model could account for Earth’s water supply. Additional research on past water quantities for Mars and other terrestrial planets confirmed the model’s applicability to them as well. It all fit, and the results were ready for publication. As researchers, it’s not enough to design a model that works and seems to explain everything. The theory must be tested on a larger scale. While it’s now impossible to detect the initial water vapor disk that “watered” the terrestrial planets, we can look to extrasolar systems with young asteroid belts to see if such water vapor disks exist. According to our calculations, these disks, though faint, should be detectable with ALMA. Our team has just secured time on ALMA to investigate specific systems for evidence of them. We may be at the dawn of a new era in understanding the origins of Earth’s water. More information: Quentin Kral et al, An impact-free mechanism to deliver water to terrestrial planets and exoplanets, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2024). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202451263 Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Citation: A new theory explains how water first arrived on Earth (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #theory #explains #water #arrived #Earth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Everton Stadium: ‘It’s out of this world’ – Toffees fans get first glimpse of new stadium Everton Stadium: ‘It’s out of this world’ – Toffees fans get first glimpse of new stadium It may have been a dark, freezing Monday evening on the banks of the Mersey, but Evertonians hope this day signifies the start of a bright new future. Everton’s magnificent new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock opened its doors for the first time to 10,000 lucky Toffees fans successful in a ballot for an Under-18s friendly against Wigan. Four years in the making and at an estimated cost of more than £750m, the club will move in fully over the summer in time for the start of the 2025-26 season. The first thing that strikes you on approach to the stadium along Liverpool’s dock road is its sheer size. It is absolutely enormous. Goodison Park, flanked on three sides by rows of Victorian terraced housing, can sneak up on you. But there is no missing this place. A gigantic, futuristic mesh of steel and red brick, combining the old and the new. The Bramley Moore pub, directly opposite, is doing a roaring trade, with Elton John’s ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues’ belting out over the speakers. The sense of anticipation and excitement is palpable. “It’s out of this world,” said Andy, a Goodison season-ticket holder who has signed up for Bramley-Moore next season. “We could not have wished for a better stadium. Everyone is excited, old and young. “It will be a wrench to leave Goodison but when you see this, it is going to be the envy of everyone.” It is hard to imagine this was a working dock just three and a half years ago. It was filled in over the space of three months, with a dredger making 130 round-trips 20 miles into the Irish Sea to collect 480,000 cubic metres of sand, which was pumped into the dock to form a solid base for the stadium foundations. The 52,888-capacity ground will be the seventh-biggest in the Premier League and has been selected to host matches at Euro 2028. It is hoped the project will contribute an estimated £1.3bn to the local economy. There are nods to the past everywhere. The old railroad tracks and Grade II-listed Victorian hydraulic tower have been painstakingly restored. The Latticework design by renowned Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, still present on two of the four stands at Goodison Park, is incorporated into the brickwork. Just one stand is open for tonight’s game – the steep-tiered South Stand that will eventually house 14,000 people. Inside there is row upon row of food and drinks stands. You can find your standard football fare – the three flavours of pies are selling well. But also on the menu is Korean sticky chicken and salt and pepper chicken subs. Also selling well is the ‘The Toffees doughnut’, evident by the number of people wandering round with the remnants of royal blue icing on their lips. A huge glass window runs the entire length of the stand offering a spectacular view of the Liverpool sun fading behind the skyline. “You don’t get that view at Anfield,” says a smiling yellow-jacketed steward. Everyone here is excited. There is a vivid sense of anticipation and childlike wonder as fans walk up the steps to get the first glimpse of their team’s new home. “It is a spine-tingling moment” said Tom, who along with his son Elliott, are signed up season-ticket holders for next season. “What a ground Goodison was – but it is time to move.” The first thing you notice is the steep gradient of the stand – it is as steep as regulations allow, to keep the fans as close to the pitch as possible. There are two huge TV screens at each end of the ground, accompanied by an incredibly loud PA system – you could probably hear it across the Mersey on the Wirral. The players enter the field to the theme from 1960s TV show Z-Cars – just as they have at Goodison for more than 50 years. Another nod to the past wrapped in futuristic clothing. Wigan’s Harrison Rimmer – a boyhood Liverpool fan no less – made himself a quiz question for years to come by scoring the first goal at the new stadium. He made the most of the occasion by holding up six fingers, referring to Liverpool’s six Champions League titles. Cole Simms made it 2-0 to the Young Latics a few minutes later, while Everton replied late on with a penalty from 16-year-old Ray Robert. But tonight was not about the result, it was about the occasion – one the fans present will never forget. “It is breathtaking,” said Dave, another Goodison season-ticket holder who will be heading to Bramley-Moore next year. “Goodison has been our spiritual home but you cannot fault this. It brings us right up to date with the best.” Source link #Everton #Stadium #world #Toffees #fans #glimpse #stadium Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Model suggests voter turnout alone can predict election victory margins Model suggests voter turnout alone can predict election victory margins Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Elections are a well-documented example of collective human decision-making, with voting data available for elections globally over several decades. SFI Complexity Postdoctoral Fellow Aanjaneya Kumar, along with former colleagues at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, analyzed election data from 34 countries and devised a mathematical model to study if a universal behavior emerges in elections. In a study published in Physical Review Letters, they show that the margin of victory for any election can be predicted solely by the voter turnout. Given a distribution of voter turnout across different constituencies, the model calculates how tight or lopsided an election will be. The relationship between voter turnout and electoral margins was independent of the number of voters, applying to elections ranging from municipal to national. The model’s predictions matched with empirical data from hundreds of diverse elections across seven decades and 32 countries. The researchers suggest that this universality could serve as a statistical tool to detect electoral malpractices. More information: Ritam Pal et al, Universal Statistics of Competition in Democratic Elections, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.017401. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2401.05065 Provided by Santa Fe Institute Citation: Model suggests voter turnout alone can predict election victory margins (2025, February 17) retrieved 17 February 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Model #suggests #voter #turnout #predict #election #victory #margins Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bunbury artist Dylan Nietrzeba to showcase work inspired by South West landscapes at Perth Makers Market Bunbury artist Dylan Nietrzeba to showcase work inspired by South West landscapes at Perth Makers Market A Bunbury-based artist inspired by the landscapes and nature of the South West will showcase his talent this weekend at Perth Makers Market. Source link #Bunbury #artist #Dylan #Nietrzeba #showcase #work #inspired #South #West #landscapes #Perth #Makers #Market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]