Category: Science

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government regularly highlights its success in dramatically reducing Amazon deforestation, and the achievement is real. October’s upcoming official annual data is projected to show the lowest deforestation rates since 2012.

However, while progress has been made in preventing tree removal, numerous other dangers—from climate shifts to upcoming legislative proposals—are threatening the rainforest. Forest degradation caused by wildfires, timber harvesting, and drought now impacts approximately 40% of the Amazon and has surpassed clear-cutting rates in recent years. These problems could intensify in 2026 with a powerful El Nino event, which brings warmer temperatures and reduced rainfall to the rainforest, creating conditions that worsen wildfire risks.

“Degradation is slower and more silent. It is like a chronic condition,” said Taciana Stec, a climate policy specialist at Talanoa, a Brazilian climate think tank.

Although the Amazon continues functioning as a carbon sink—meaning it captures enormous amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide—it may reach a critical threshold where recovery becomes impossible. Once that point is crossed, the forest might release more CO2 than it captures.

Researchers warn that ongoing stress could cause a regional or ecosystem-wide breakdown. A 2024 study published in Nature projected that by 2050, anywhere from 10% to 47% of the Amazon could face conditions that might trigger such a catastrophic transformation.

The Amazon spans nine South American nations, with Brazil controlling the largest portion—over 60%—meaning developments in Brazil’s section can influence the entire forest system.

Brazil’s official annual deforestation measurements cover August through July periods. Early data from DETER, Brazil’s official satellite monitoring system that issues real-time warnings, indicates both deforestation and forest degradation have dropped considerably compared to last year.

Nevertheless, degradation continues exceeding deforestation rates. Between August 2025 and April 2026, deforestation warnings covered approximately 1,700 square kilometers (656 square miles), while degradation impacted roughly 4,420 square kilometers (1,706 square miles).

The DETER system delivers daily notifications to environmental officials about active deforestation—complete tree removal—and degradation, which involves areas where human activities have exposed soil without completely destroying the forest.

Throughout the 2023 and 2024 El Nino periods, temperatures climbed 2 to 4 Celsius (3.5 to 7 Fahrenheit) beyond the forest’s typical range. Combined with extreme drought, the heat sparked the Amazon’s most devastating wildfires in twenty years, with forest degradation accelerating at approximately three times the rate of deforestation decline.

The overall impact resulted in net rainforest losses that counteracted deforestation improvements, according to research by Guilherme Mataveli, a scientist at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, or INPE.

A deteriorated rainforest might remain upright but loses its ability to fully sustain the ecosystem. This vulnerability can worsen due to outside influences like El Nino. Consider the Amazon as a person suffering from chronic illness, with El Nino acting like influenza, causing fever that weakens the body further. Two years pass before the flu returns, but the patient hasn’t completely healed. The fever intensifies, and the sickness strikes more severely.

Evaluating forests in this condition represents relatively new territory for scientists, since detecting degradation through satellite imagery proves more challenging than identifying tree removal. However, they increasingly emphasize its extended and harmful consequences.

This emerging situation demands government focus on forest restoration, specialists argue. Brazil aims to restore 12 million hectares (29.7 million acres) of native Amazon forest by 2030, fulfilling commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The Environment Ministry reports that 3.4 million hectares (8.4 million acres) are currently undergoing rehabilitation.

Most importantly, the nation must maintain its deforestation reduction efforts, experts emphasize. However, a fast-tracked congressional bill threatens the primary mechanism that allowed Brazil to control deforestation.

The proposed legislation by lawmaker Lucio Mosquini would ban IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental enforcement agency, from penalizing landowners for illegal deforestation based exclusively on satellite surveillance—a cornerstone of the country’s environmental enforcement strategy.

Mosquini argues satellite-based penalties unfairly impact farmers by denying them opportunities to defend themselves. Officials counter that farmers can contest sanctions within 20 days and have them reversed by proving the deforestation was permitted.

IBAMA began using satellite data in 2016 to supplement field investigations and enhance deforestation monitoring in isolated regions. Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s government suspended this practice in 2019 during environmental deregulation efforts, leading Amazon deforestation to reach a 15-year peak in 2021. Under Lula, who resumed office in 2023 after serving as president from 2003-2010, the environmental agency restarted remote surveillance.

The proposal has awaited a vote in Congress’ lower chamber since March. Approval there would send it to the Senate. Given agribusiness’s status as the country’s most powerful economic sector and strongest congressional influence, political analysts anticipate passage.

Approval would constitute “a major environmental setback,” IBAMA president Jair Schmitt told The Associated Press. “In effect, you end up encouraging environmental offenders and unfair competition.”

Satellite technology assists environmental enforcement similarly to how speed cameras help traffic officials, Schmitt explained. Cities cannot position guards on every corner, just as the federal government cannot place agents throughout every square kilometer of rainforest.

In March, the government announced hiring 4,600 firefighters and launched real-time fire outbreak monitoring. Schmitt said officials have pinpointed rural properties with elevated fire risks by analyzing historical heat data alongside deforestation and weather information. Some property owners are receiving notifications requiring preventive action.

“The situation this year is worrying. We’re still in the rainy season, and we’ve already recorded two fires in April,” said Tainan Kumaruara, a member of the Indigenous volunteer Guardioes Kumaruara fire brigade, in the Kumaruara Indigenous land in Para state.

“The forest is different from what it was 10 years ago. It’s much drier. The trees no longer behave as they did,” she added.

In 2024, severe drought fueled major wildfire seasons that impacted over 17 million hectares (42 million acres) of rainforest, according to MapBiomas, a nonprofit monitoring land usage. Most Amazon wildfires result from human activity rather than natural causes.

Alongside these concerns, an April study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provided additional insights into Amazon fire recovery patterns.

Yale University researcher Leandro Maracahipes, supported by Brazilian nonprofit Instituto Serrapilheira, conducted controlled burns at an Amazon research facility also experiencing drought conditions over 20 years to examine long-term impacts.

The research revealed that following repeated wildfires, the forest didn’t completely vanish or become savanna grassland as scientific models predicted. It remained rainforest but in degraded condition, featuring more open spaces and increased vulnerability, missing Amazon-specific species requiring dense coverage and particular conditions—plus time—for germination and growth.

“The forest is resilient, but our message is that we need to preserve it even more, and urgently,” Maracahipes said. “And it has to be now.”

Well-known evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins has made a surprising claim about artificial intelligence after interacting with Claude, an advanced chatbot developed by Anthropic. Following his conversations with the AI system, Dawkins stated “I believe it has consciousness.”

Author George Calder, writing for The Expose, pointed out the apparent contradiction in Dawkins’ position, noting “Dawkins has always ridiculed belief in God. But he now conversely appears to believe in machine consciousness.”

The company behind Claude, Anthropic, has also made similar assertions about their AI system, proposing that Claude should be viewed as a sentient and living entity.

Scientists using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have achieved an unprecedented view of a planet’s surface beyond our solar system, revealing a hostile world that bears striking similarities to Mercury.

The telescope collected information about a rocky planet roughly 30% bigger than Earth, showing it to be a barren, atmosphere-free world with extreme temperature variations. One hemisphere experiences blazing heat while the opposite side remains frozen in perpetual darkness.

The distant world goes by the name LHS 3844 b, though scientists have nicknamed it Kua’kua—meaning butterfly in a Costa Rican indigenous language. It circles a dim star approximately 49 light-years away from Earth, where one light-year equals 5.9 trillion miles.

“This planet is not a nice place,” stated Laura Kreidberg, who leads the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany and co-authored the research published in Nature Astronomy this week.

“It’s a hellish, barren rock—much more similar to Mercury than it is to the Earth. There is no trace of an atmosphere. Instead we’re seeing a dark surface, likely old. Picture a bare rock hurtling through space for billions of years. You wouldn’t want to go there,” Kreidberg explained.

Scientists believe the planet’s surface consists of ancient, darkened debris—loose rocky fragments covering solid bedrock that formed over billions of years from constant bombardment by space radiation and tiny meteorite strikes.

The Webb telescope, which launched in 2021 and began operations the following year, has transformed scientists’ ability to study distant worlds. Its powerful infrared sensors can analyze the chemical makeup and atmospheric behavior of exoplanets, including identifying cloud types.

Now Webb allows researchers to examine the geological features and surface materials of these far-off worlds directly, according to Sebastian Zieba, the study’s primary researcher from Harvard & Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts.

“That was very challenging before the James Webb Space Telescope. This, therefore, also puts the Earth and the solar system as a whole into greater context, allowing us to check if processes or surface compositions familiar within the solar system are common around other stars, too,” Zieba explained.

“It’s like we suddenly cleaned our glasses and can see the planets clearly for the first time,” Kreidberg noted.

Kua’kua orbits what astronomers call a red dwarf star—a widespread stellar type with only 15% of our sun’s mass and roughly one-third of its brightness. The planet maintains an incredibly tight orbit, completing one revolution every 11 hours while remaining “tidally locked,” meaning the same side always faces its star, similar to how our moon relates to Earth.

The planet’s sun-facing “dayside” reaches approximately 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit (725 degrees Celsius), while researchers detected no measurable warmth on the permanently dark “nightside.”

Webb’s instruments allowed the team to identify infrared light emanating directly from the planetary surface.

“Different rocks have different spectral fingerprints, just like atmospheres do. Dark volcanic rocks like basalt matched our observations much better than brighter, silica-rich rocks like granite,” Zieba noted.

Both Mercury’s and the moon’s surfaces contain primarily basalt rock.

“On Earth, widespread granite formation is linked to water and plate tectonics,” Zieba said, referencing the geological forces that slowly shift our planet’s massive surface plates. “So if you ever robustly identified granite-like surfaces on an exoplanet, that would not (automatically) mean life, but it would suggest a much more Earth-like geological history compared to other surfaces.”

Researchers also considered whether recent volcanic activity might explain their observations, but their search for volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide came up empty.

The absence of any atmosphere means virtually no shield against harmful stellar radiation or charged particles, plus no possibility for liquid water—widely considered essential for life.

“So overall, this is almost certainly not a habitable world,” Zieba concluded.

A major cyberattack has disrupted Canvas, the popular educational platform used by colleges and universities nationwide for managing coursework and student grades, according to reports from multiple student publications across the country.

Student journalists at Harvard University’s newspaper, The Crimson, reported that access to the platform was blocked starting Thursday afternoon. The cybercriminal organization ShinyHunters took credit for the breach, stating that Harvard was among “thousands of schools allegedly affected by a breach of Instructure, Canvas’ parent company.”

According to The Crimson’s reporting, when students attempted to log into Canvas, they were instead shown a message from ShinyHunters acknowledging their role in the attack and displaying a catalog of compromised educational institutions.

By Thursday evening, Instructure acknowledged the disruption through its official status webpage, announcing that Canvas and associated platforms had been switched “in maintenance mode” while the company worked to resolve “an issue where some users are having difficulties logging into Student ePortfolios.”

“We anticipate being up soon, and will provide updates as soon as possible,” the company stated on its website. Instructure has not yet responded to media requests for additional information.

The Daily Pennsylvanian at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that ShinyHunters had posted a threatening message on Penn’s Canvas portal the previous week, demanding that any university wanting to prevent data disclosure should reach out to the group before May 12th.

Duke University’s student publication, The Chronicle, confirmed their institution was also impacted by the security breach, which reportedly affected more than 9,000 educational facilities.

Additional student news outlets from UCLA, the University of Nebraska, and other universities have confirmed their schools were also targeted in the widespread attack.

This latest incident continues a pattern of high-profile breaches by ShinyHunters, which has previously targeted major corporations worldwide. Just last month, the group announced they had successfully stolen approximately 80 million business records from Rockstar Games, the company behind the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series.

Thousands of educational institutions faced major disruptions Thursday when hackers targeted Canvas, a widely-used learning management platform, just as students nationwide were preparing for final examinations.

According to Luke Connolly, a cybersecurity analyst with Emisoft, the hacking collective known as ShinyHunters has taken credit for infiltrating Instructure, the company that operates Canvas. The platform serves as a digital hub where students access coursework, grades, assignments, and lecture materials.

The cybercriminals claim their breach affected approximately 9,000 educational institutions globally and compromised billions of private communications and academic records, Connolly reported. Screenshots obtained by security experts reveal the hackers began making threats on Sunday to release stolen information, setting initial deadlines for Thursday and May 12.

Connolly noted that the extended timeline suggests possible ongoing negotiations over ransom demands. Instructure has not yet responded to media inquiries or clarified whether Canvas was shut down preventively or due to the attack itself.

Educational institutions have become increasingly attractive targets for international cybercriminals seeking valuable digital information that was once stored in physical filing systems. Previous high-profile attacks have targeted major school systems including Minneapolis Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Canvas incident bears striking resemblance to an earlier attack on PowerSchool, another educational technology provider, which resulted in criminal charges against a Massachusetts college student, according to Connolly.

ShinyHunters operates as a loosely organized network of young hackers primarily based in the United States and United Kingdom, Connolly explained. The group has previously been linked to other major breaches, including an attack on Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation.

Affected schools moved quickly to inform their communities about the disruption. The University of Iowa’s information technology director described the situation as “a national-level cyber-security incident” while expressing hope for a swift resolution.

Virginia Tech issued a statement acknowledging the impact on final examinations and other critical end-of-semester activities. “Additional guidance will be shared soon via email and posted on the university status page,” administrators wrote.

Harvard University also experienced system outages, according to reports from the student newspaper. Meanwhile, public school districts worked to reassure families, with Spokane, Washington officials stating they were not “aware of any sensitive data contained in this breach.”

The timing of the attack has created particular challenges for students and faculty who depend heavily on digital platforms for academic activities during the crucial final exam period.

Federal highway safety regulators announced Thursday that Tesla’s 2026 Model Y has become the first automobile to successfully complete newly implemented driver-assistance technology evaluations.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that Model Y vehicles built starting November 12, 2025, have met the requirements of these recently introduced assessments, which are now part of the agency’s New Car Assessment Program. The evaluations examine four key safety technologies: automatic emergency braking for pedestrians, lane-keeping assistance, blind spot alerts, and blind spot intervention capabilities.

These pass-or-fail evaluations received approval from NHTSA in November 2024 and took effect for 2026 model year vehicles following a congressional mandate.

Car manufacturers highly value the coveted five-star safety ratings because many consumers consider them when purchasing new vehicles. These ratings operate independently from NHTSA’s required safety standards.

The timing of these enhanced safety measures comes as traffic fatalities experienced a significant increase following the COVID-19 pandemic, with pedestrian deaths reaching their highest point since 1981 in 2022. However, NHTSA reported last month that U.S. traffic fatalities dropped to their lowest level since 2019.

The five-star New Car Assessment Program, which has operated since 1978, serves as a resource for potential car buyers to evaluate vehicle safety features.

The Trump administration postponed these program modifications by one year in September after automotive manufacturers requested additional preparation time.

NHTSA has previously incorporated other driver-assistance technologies into the assessment program, including electronic stability control, forward collision alerts, and lane departure warnings in 2011; backup camera systems in 2013; and automatic emergency braking in 2015 for 2018 model year vehicles.

Meanwhile, NHTSA continues conducting separate investigations into Tesla, including an examination of the company’s Full Self-Driving system amid concerns it may not adequately detect hazards or alert drivers during poor visibility conditions.

Growing anxiety about artificial intelligence development has prompted technology companies to seek an unexpected source of guidance: religious leaders. This represents a dramatic shift from Silicon Valley’s historically secular approach to innovation.

Representatives from major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic gathered with faith leaders last week in New York for the first “Faith-AI Covenant” discussion. The meeting, organized by the Geneva-based Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, focused on incorporating moral principles into rapidly advancing AI systems. Additional sessions are planned for cities including Beijing, Nairobi, and Abu Dhabi.

Baroness Joanna Shields, a former Google and Facebook executive who later entered British politics, emphasized the urgency of direct collaboration between tech leaders and faith communities.

“Regulation can’t keep up with this,” she said. “This dialogue, this direct connection is so important because the people who are building this understand the power and capabilities of what they’re building and they want to do it right — most of them.”

Shields envisions developing a comprehensive framework of ethical guidelines influenced by diverse religious perspectives, spanning Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and other traditions.

The roundtable included delegates from numerous faith organizations: the Hindu Temple Society of North America, the Baha’i International Community, The Sikh Coalition, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Several religious groups had already established AI guidelines before companies began seeking their input. The Mormon church’s handbook offers cautious endorsement of the technology, stating: “AI cannot replace the gift of divine inspiration or the individual work required to receive it. However, AI can be a useful tool to enhance learning and teaching.”

The Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution in 2023 declaring: “We must proactively engage and shape these emerging technologies rather than simply respond to the challenges of AI and other emerging technologies after they have already affected our churches and communities.”

Rabbi Diana Gerson, who participated in the roundtable as associate executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, acknowledged the complexity of finding universal principles across different faiths. “Religious communities see priorities differently,” she noted.

This collaboration reflects an emerging partnership between technology and faith sectors, driven by efforts to develop morally responsible AI systems—though what constitutes “moral AI” remains hotly debated.

Anthropic has been particularly active in engaging religious leaders, incorporating their input into the “Claude Constitution” that guides its chatbot’s behavior. The company states it wants “Claude to do what a deeply and skillfully ethical person would do in Claude’s position.”

This outreach follows Anthropic’s earlier conflict with the Pentagon over military AI applications, after the company announced restrictions on using its technology for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance of Americans.

Brian Boyd, U.S. faith liaison for the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, sees mixed motivations behind these efforts. “There’s some aspect of PR to it. The slogan was ‘Move fast and break things.’ And they broke too many things and too many people,” he said. “There’s both a moral obligation on the part of the companies that they’re belatedly recognizing, as well as I think, for some members of the companies, an earnest questioning.”

However, some AI safety advocates question whether these initiatives represent genuine commitment to ethical development.

“At best it’s a distraction. At worst it’s diverting attention from things that really matter,” said Rumman Chowdhury, CEO of nonprofit Humane Intelligence and former U.S. science envoy for AI under the Biden administration.

Chowdhury doubts religion provides the best framework for addressing AI ethics but understands the appeal for technology companies.

“I think a very naive take that Silicon Valley has had for a couple of years related to generative AI was that we could arrive at some sort of universal principles of ethics,” she explained. “They have very quickly realized that that’s just not true. That’s not real. So now they’re looking at maybe religion as a way of dealing with the ambiguity of ethically gray situations.”

The extent to which these traditionally secretive companies will implement guidance from faith leaders remains uncertain. Some critics worry that discussions about creating ethical AI systems deflect attention from fundamental questions about AI’s role in society.

Dylan Baker, lead research engineer at the Distributed AI Research Institute, expressed concern about the framing of these conversations. “Under the guise of, ‘We’re gonna build all this stuff. That’s a given. And when we do build these things in these ways, how do we make sure that the end result is maybe good,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘Wait, wait, wait. We need to question whether we want to be building these things at all.’”

In the 1980s, Virginia’s wildlife agency underwent significant changes as conservation efforts intensified following decades of overhunting that had decimated native species populations. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which later became the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, gained enforcement authority in 1982, empowering game wardens to better protect the state’s recovering wildlife.

Game Warden Rick Perry, stationed in Henrico County since 1978, had long suspected illegal activity along the remote Pamunkey River. The waterway’s isolation made it perfect habitat for recovering populations of waterfowl, deer, and turkey, but Perry had heard persistent rumors about hunters using dogs to drive deer into the water where accomplices waited in boats.

In late 1984, Perry finally received credible intelligence from a local trapper who confirmed the illegal hunting was indeed taking place. Armed with this information, Perry mapped out surveillance points along the river’s canals and islands using his department-issued jon boat, preparing for what would become a career-defining operation.

On a bitter January morning in 1985, Perry departed at 3:30 a.m. in his Ford Crown Victoria with the boat in tow, leaving detailed plans with his wife in case he didn’t return by dark. Radio communication wouldn’t be available until 8 a.m., and he carried only his personal Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum for protection.

After launching into the frigid darkness, Perry’s 18-horsepower motor failed halfway to his destination. As he worked frantically to clear water from the fuel line, he heard another boat engine start across the river, adding urgency to his repairs. Once mobile again, he reached his chosen creek and concealed his boat with camouflage netting.

At daybreak, Perry watched three hunters pass his position and set up in a duck blind several hundred yards downstream. They deployed decoys and began calling, soon attracting waterfowl. However, Perry noticed additional gunshots beyond what the duck hunting would explain.

A second boat carrying two men and a young boy moved through the area, stopping periodically to fire shots before continuing upriver. Meanwhile, Perry could hear dogs barking from a nearby island, confirming his suspicions about the illegal deer drives.

The dramatic climax came when the duck hunters suddenly ducked out of sight in their blind. Through his binoculars, Perry spotted a magnificent 10-point buck entering the water, swimming directly toward the blind. All three hunters emerged simultaneously and opened fire on the trophy animal, which managed to dodge multiple volleys and escape to the opposite shore.

Perry immediately moved to intercept the hunters, removing his camouflage and approaching the blind. After identifying himself and securing their hunting licenses, he was questioning the men when the boat with the family returned. Despite Perry’s commands and badge display, the boat initially ignored him, forcing the warden to run along the shoreline shouting orders.

When the boat finally stopped, Perry discovered two shotguns and three soaking wet doe deer inside. The 8-year-old boy initially denied involvement, but his father quickly claimed responsibility. The condition of the deer – completely wet and shot at close range in the head with buckshot – clearly indicated they had been killed while swimming.

Managing two separate groups of suspects alone, Perry used psychological tactics to maintain control, falsely claiming he had backup wardens on the island and radio support available. The strategy worked, allowing him to complete his investigation safely.

The grandfather defended their methods, claiming traditional hunting rights, but Perry explained that shooting deer from boats in water violated state law regardless of any perceived permissions. Since he hadn’t directly witnessed the deer killings, Perry confiscated the animals as evidence and planned to seek additional penalties through the court system.

Perry briefly followed a blood trail from where the large buck had escaped but decided against pursuing it alone given the day’s tense encounters. He contacted his supervisor, Sergeant Don Montgomery, who arrived to assist with processing the evidence.

The operation resulted in 15 total citations among the five hunters involved. The father and grandfather faced additional charges for shooting deer from a boat, though they avoided boat confiscation by quickly selling the vessel. In New Kent County court, they were convicted and ordered to pay $200 replacement cost for each deer.

The three duck hunters were prosecuted as accomplices and found guilty. One appealed to avoid losing his hunting license, requesting New Kent County’s first-ever jury trial for a game violation. Despite the appeal, Perry’s case held up in court.

Perry’s exceptional work on this case earned him the 1985 Virginia Game Warden of the Year award, recognizing his dedication to wildlife protection and law enforcement excellence.

Perry, originally from Franklin, Virginia, began his wildlife law enforcement career in 1978 after completing 14 weeks of training. His district covered Henrico, Chesterfield, Charles City, and New Kent counties. While excelling as a warden, he also pursued education, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1985, he received both state and regional recognition as Game Warden of the Year. Perry later joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Special Agent in 1987, retiring as Special Agent in Charge in 2009. He now enjoys outdoor activities, training his rescue Labrador, and notably, riding his unicycle.

Wildlife experts view black bears through many different lenses – some see them as misunderstood creatures, others as culturally important animals, while still others consider them dangerous or problematic. Despite these varying perspectives, most agree that bears serve a crucial function in ecosystems throughout Virginia and worldwide. Virginia is home to just one bear species – the American black bear – which ranks among North America’s most widespread and extensively researched mammals.

While scientists have gathered extensive knowledge about black bear behavior and population dynamics, recent developments show there’s still much to discover about these animals. Historically, parasites and diseases haven’t significantly threatened black bear survival rates. Instead, human-related factors like hunting, car strikes, removal permits, and habitat loss remain the primary causes of adult bear deaths. However, a troubling parasitic condition has gained attention over the past ten years: sarcoptic mange.

This highly transmissible skin ailment, triggered by microscopic mites, impacts numerous wild and domesticated animal species. The specific parasite Sarcoptes scabiei is most commonly responsible for mange symptoms observed in Virginia’s bear population.

Between 2014 and 2018, isolated mange cases in Virginia bears were mainly concentrated in the northern Shenandoah Valley region. Starting in 2020, incidents have become more frequent and geographically widespread. By January 2026, wildlife officials have documented confirmed mange cases in 37 Virginia counties.

Many aspects of how mange develops and spreads among bears remain unclear to researchers. Affected animals may experience scratching, fur loss, rough and parched skin, behavioral changes, and in serious cases, deteriorating physical condition. Studies and field observations indicate that numerous bears with minor to moderate infections can survive and eventually overcome mange symptoms. Evidence from other states with longer exposure to sarcoptic mange shows no definitive proof that the disease causes lasting population damage. Nevertheless, recent localized population decreases have been noted in some Virginia areas affected by mange, especially in counties that previously allowed more liberal hunting seasons.

Many residents contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) asking about response efforts to this disease. In 2017, DWR partnered with The Wildlife Center of Virginia on an experimental treatment research project. Results showed that medical intervention could eliminate visible symptoms, but failed to prevent reinfection, which typically proved more severe in subsequent cases. A research paper detailing these findings is currently under review for publication.

Pennsylvania researchers compared survival rates between treated and untreated bears, finding no meaningful difference – 88 percent of treated bears survived compared to 74 percent of those receiving no treatment, according to a study titled “Resolution of Clinical Signs of Sarcoptic Mange in American Black Bears (Ursus americanus), in Ivermectin-Treated and Nontreated Individuals.”

The USDA-WS Conflict Helpline assists in monitoring disease occurrence and expansion through public reports. Citizens can contact the USDA-WS Wildlife Conflict Hotline at 855-571-9003 or email [email protected] to report suspected cases. These reports help officials track disease prevalence in established areas and monitor how quickly and in which directions it spreads. This data guides educational outreach efforts, shapes management decisions, and identifies locations for research studies.

Virginia organized the first mange-focused conference in 2022, welcoming representatives from 22 other states along with partners including the National Park Service, the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study from the University of Georgia, and Penn State University. This gathering elevated mange as a priority discussion topic across multiple agencies, fostering multi-state research collaborations that continue today while helping states standardize data sharing among wildlife managers.

In 2025, Virginia created and implemented a Bear Mange Management Plan. This document standardizes the state’s approach to studying and managing bears affected by mange in their natural habitat. The plan serves as a strategic guide for management approaches while maintaining flexibility for specific actions.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, DWR established additional methods for public involvement in learning about this disease to improve bear population management. In 2024, DWR personnel operated voluntary sample collection sites throughout the mange-affected region, allowing hunters to bring harvested bears for sampling. This provided opportunities to collect samples from healthy bears in mange areas for comparison with infected samples, potentially revealing why some bears develop mange while others remain unaffected.

In 2025, hunters received logging materials to record bear sightings and condition assessments, plus sample collection kits for use during hunting season. The hunter logs will enhance population data collection in these regions, while sample kits provide researchers with larger sample sizes to strengthen results and conclusions.

From 2022 through 2026, DWR has participated in multiple mange research initiatives with both Virginia and external partners. These studies include Bear Mite Burden (multi-state), Mange Toxicology (multi-state), Bear Mange Microbiome Study (multi-state), Genetic Health Marker Testing in Mange Bears (multi-state), Human Dimensions of Mange Management (multi-state), and Population and Demographic Impacts of Sarcoptic Mange on Virginia Black Bears and Implications on Harvest Season Structure based on Predictive Densities in Mange and Non-Mange Affected Areas (Virginia Tech).

Numerous questions about this disease remain unanswered, but through collaboration, partnerships, and research, scientists have begun developing better understanding of mange’s impact on American black bears. Officials pledge to continue using all available resources to ensure management strategies effectively maintain this important species at sustainable population levels and optimal health despite the presence of this disease.

Additional information about Virginia bears and bear mange is available on the black bear section of the DWR website. To report suspected mange cases in bears, contact the toll-free USDA-WS Conflict Helpline at 855-571-9003 or email [email protected].

Carl Tugend serves as DWR Black Bear Project Leader and Katie Martin works as DWR Deer/Bear/Turkey Biologist.

As spring cleaning season arrives, cybersecurity professionals suggest extending that fresh start mentality to your electronic devices and digital accounts.

This digital decluttering goes beyond simple organization – removing unused accounts and forgotten files can safeguard your personal information, according to security specialists.

“Clutter is fuel for scammers. Old accounts, exposed data and forgotten apps give them more ways in,” said Michael Sherwood, a product vice president at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes. “Cleaning up your digital life is one of the simplest ways to shrink your attack surface in a threat landscape that’s getting smarter, faster, and more automated.”

Here’s what experts recommend for your digital cleanup:

Constantly running low on phone or computer storage? Those accumulated photos, videos and downloaded files consume significant space over time.

Limited storage capacity can slow device performance and block critical system updates. Most devices include built-in tools to help users manage storage.

iPhone users can navigate to Settings, then General, followed by iPhone Storage to view remaining space and identify which applications consume the most room. Android users can find similar information under the Storage section in settings, with options for manual or automatic cleanup.

Both Windows and Mac computers offer comparable storage management tools in their settings to pinpoint space-consuming files.

Transfer important documents to external drives or cloud services, then remove them from your primary device.

Email inboxes typically overflow with notifications, receipts, newsletters, statements and security alerts – many remaining unopened. Mixed among these may be personal messages worth saving alongside spam requiring deletion.

Organizing this chaos can improve productivity and concentration, with strategies to streamline the process.

Filter messages by size to identify the largest emails – typically those with hefty attachments – for removal. Sort by sender or date to eliminate outdated correspondence or bulk messages from frequent senders.

Consider unsubscribing from newsletters and mailing lists you no longer read.

Review phone applications and remove those you’ve stopped using.

However, don’t overlook the associated accounts. If deleted apps required account creation, log in and permanently close those accounts. Otherwise, your stored information remains accessible to potential hackers.

“Every dormant account is an open door. Scammers actively target abandoned logins because no one’s watching,” Sherwood explained.

Ensure remaining applications are current by checking for updates. Apply the same principle to your device’s operating system, installing the latest software patches for optimal performance and security.

Security professionals recommend examining your presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and other social platforms.

The goal is to “review what personal info is out there and limit what apps and services can access,” Sherwood noted.

Examine privacy settings for each platform and consider removing older posts.

“Limiting what personal information is publicly available helps to reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks such as phishing and identity theft,” said Chad Thunberg, chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Yubico.

Remember those convenient “sign in with Facebook” or “use your Apple account” options? What about smart home devices requesting Google account access?

Review which external applications and services connect to your primary accounts. Disconnecting unnecessary links enhances online privacy.

When checking Google account settings under “Third-party apps & services,” one user discovered only three active connections, all still needed.

Facebook settings revealed 18 connected services, though all but one had expired. The remaining active connection – a forgotten photobook service with access to name and profile photo – was promptly removed.

Strengthen security by evaluating your password management.

Enable multi-factor authentication across accounts if you haven’t already.

Consider adopting passkeys, which Thunberg describes as a “modern login standard” offering superior security compared to traditional passwords. Passkeys function like digital key-and-lock combinations that only work when properly paired. Major platforms including Google, Amazon, Facebook and eBay now support this technology.

Passkeys require fingerprint, face scan or PIN verification, meaning “they cannot be faked, intercepted or replicated by AI-based attacks,” Thunberg explained.

Password managers can store passkeys if you’re not currently using one. Apple, Google and Samsung provide built-in password management, while third-party options include 1Password, BitWarden and Nordpass.

Even without passkeys, password managers remain essential for tracking login credentials. Best practices involve unique passwords for each account, preventing hackers who breach one service from accessing others. However, memorizing multiple complex passwords proves impossible.

“A password manager not only generates strong, unique passwords for each account, but also ensures users never have to remember them all,” Thunberg concluded.

During scorching summer heat waves, countless air conditioning units kick on simultaneously across the country, creating enormous strain on electrical systems and increasing the likelihood of power outages while driving up energy costs for consumers. Traditional solutions have involved asking residents to raise their thermostat settings during peak hours — a request many homeowners are reluctant to follow.

A new pilot initiative in New York City is exploring an innovative alternative: compact battery units that can operate air conditioners independently from the grid during high-demand periods, reducing pressure on the electrical system while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures for residents.

“It’s basically a souped up version of the power bank that you would use to charge your phone when you go out,” explained Andrew Wang, chief executive officer of Every Electric, the company spearheading this pilot project in partnership with Con Edison, the city’s utility provider.

These microwave-sized units store electricity when demand is minimal, then supply power to window air conditioning units for several hours during consumption peaks. The program represents one component of Con Edison’s broader demand response initiatives, which compensate customers for reducing or shifting their electricity usage to support grid stability.

This summer, the pilot project is expanding to include more than 1,000 households, with participants eligible to receive monetary rebates for their involvement.

Energy specialists note this program exemplifies the growing trend toward virtual power plants, where numerous small, distributed energy sources work together to alleviate stress during peak demand periods. When implemented on a larger scale, such solutions could substantially improve power system reliability and cost-effectiveness.

During electricity demand surges, utility companies frequently activate backup generating facilities that operate infrequently and tend to be less efficient and more environmentally harmful, according to Kevin Brehm, a manager at RMI, a nonprofit organization focused on energy system research and clean power transitions.

Eventually, these demand spikes can force utilities to construct additional power facilities, often relying on fossil fuels, with associated costs ultimately transferred to consumers.

“There’s a question of emissions, and then there’s also a really important question around affordability,” Brehm stated.

This explains why utility companies frequently request energy conservation during the year’s hottest days and implement higher pricing during peak periods to incentivize power reduction. However, these approaches “can be hard to rely on because they don’t know exactly how consumers are going to behave,” Brehm noted.

Solutions like Every Electric’s technology can address this uncertainty.

Utility companies and government agencies are increasingly seeking methods to handle growing electricity demand as heat waves become more common and severe.

Every Electric’s demand response program represents one approach, compensating customers for reducing or shifting electricity consumption during high-demand periods.

Virtual power plant initiatives offer another expanding solution, implemented state by state. These programs link thousands of small energy devices, including home batteries and smart appliances, coordinating them to return power to the grid during demand spikes, reducing strain without requiring new plant construction. California is developing one of the world’s largest such programs, compensating hundreds of thousands of participants for returning stored energy to the grid during extreme weather events. Most existing programs are restricted to homeowners with solar panel installations.

Con Edison indicated that battery systems can help decrease peak demand, support renewable energy adoption, and reduce infrastructure expansion needs.

Every Electric’s program specifically targets users of window air conditioning units, typically renters, though it doesn’t send power back to the grid. Instead, it decreases demand by utilizing stored battery energy.

Nevertheless, Brehm said programs like this contribute to the broader effort to incorporate consumer energy devices into the grid while rewarding the services they provide.

“I can’t put solar panels on my roof,” said Bianca Pasternack, a New York City renter participating in the program. “This is at least something that’s accessible and easy. It was very set-it-and-forget-it.”

The battery connects to the air conditioning unit, then plugs into a standard wall outlet. A smartphone application detects low-demand periods, charging the battery during off-peak hours and powering the AC during peak times, typically between 1-4 p.m. or 4-8 p.m. during the warmest months.

Program participants also receive financial compensation, roughly equivalent to a July electricity bill’s cost, according to the company. Pasternack reported receiving a $100 gift card at season’s end.

The company reports its pilot is expanding from approximately 200 kilowatts of flexible capacity last year to roughly 2 megawatts this summer, with potential for much greater expansion. For comparison, California’s program exceeds 200 megawatts. Wang said the company is exploring expansion to additional cities.

While Every Electric’s program currently operates on a limited scale, Brehm believes systems like this could significantly reduce grid strain if they reach sufficient households.

“It’s a matter of how we’re able to get to that scale,” he explained, emphasizing that widespread adoption depends on how easily the technology can be deployed and integrated into existing systems. He praised Every Electric’s accessible installation process as “plug-and-play and you don’t need a ton of permissions.”

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—Trees that have reached their final days don’t have to end up as wood chips or firewood. A Virginia initiative is giving these urban giants a second chance to serve their communities through transformation into meaningful, lasting products.

The Virginia Urban Wood Program, managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry alongside the Virginia Urban Wood Group, champions what officials call “complete lifecycle stewardship” of the state’s city and suburban tree resources.

Since its 2017 inception, this initiative has focused on salvaging trees from developed areas rather than traditional forests. Urban timber encompasses trees removed from residential properties, highway dividers, or even “that single walnut in your Aunt Mary’s backyard,” according to Joe Lehnen, forest utilization and marketing specialist with Virginia DOF.

“We wanted to make sure that we’re honoring the tree’s existence,” Lehnen stated. “Instead of having everything tub ground and chunked into firewood, our goal was to give the tree purpose, try to use it to its best use, and give people opportunities to use that resource to grow a business and create local economies.”

These reclaimed trees can become dining room furniture, kitchen cabinetry, or artistic creations—all while continuing to store carbon in solid form for years to come.

“If somebody has two trees in their backyard that have to come down, they may not necessarily want to part with those trees that have been part of their landscape for decades,” Lehnen observed. “The beauty of urban wood is that you can make something out of any species, and there’s people out there willing to make it for you.”

This statewide network links local timber businesses with homeowners, environmental professionals, and business owners seeking to repurpose their wood materials.

“We try to keep it as local as possible, which creates a better, more vibrant economy,” Lehnen emphasized.

Program coordinators provide assistance throughout the entire recycling chain—from locating specialized removal services equipped for urban settings, to connecting with mobile sawmill operators who can process lumber on-site, to finding skilled craftspeople seeking raw materials.

The initiative has expanded to include Virginia’s Cooperating Universities Urban Wood Program, which has gained national recognition for incorporating local timber into campus furniture, student artwork, and educational experiences. Universities receive training sessions covering sawmill operations, lumber quality assessment, and the community advantages of tree recycling.

Lehnen anticipates expanding program reach and developing additional university partnerships.

“We’re creating a sense of community,” he said. “We’re taking trees that we previously did not use to their best use, and we’re making products out of them that are meaningful to a lot of people.”

Additional details about Virginia’s urban wood initiative are available at vaurbanwood.org.

Property owners can locate nearby services for urban tree removal or small timber lot management through the Virginia Urban Wood Directory. The online resource is provided at no cost, and businesses are invited to register their services to reach potential clients.

For media inquiries, contact Lehnen at [email protected] or 434-977-6555.

Groundbreaking genetic research reveals how ancient dietary habits permanently altered the DNA of indigenous Andean populations who made potatoes the cornerstone of their nutrition thousands of years ago.

Scientists have discovered that descendants of the Inca Empire – native Quechua speakers living in Peru today – carry a remarkable genetic adaptation that helps them process starch-heavy diets more effectively than any other population worldwide.

The research, published this week in Nature Communications, examined how these communities developed between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago when their ancestors first cultivated potatoes as a dietary staple rich in starch, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Modern Quechua speakers possess an average of 10 copies of the AMY1 gene – significantly more than the typical six to eight copies found in most humans. This gene controls the production of amylase, an enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch when people consume starchy foods.

“It is a wonderful case of culture shaping biology,” explained Omer Gokcumen, an evolutionary and anthropological geneticist at the University at Buffalo who co-authored the study.

UCLA anthropological geneticist Abigail Bigham, another senior researcher on the project, noted the broader implications: “This highlights the importance of dietary adaptation in human evolutionary history, with implications for metabolism, health and the impact of domestication events on human biology.”

The extra gene copies allow these populations to produce more of the starch-breaking enzyme, potentially improving their ability to metabolize high-starch meals. The enzyme may also help regulate the body’s microbiome, which adapts to dietary changes over time.

This genetic evolution mirrors other diet-driven adaptations in human history, such as lactose tolerance in populations that historically consumed dairy products.

Researchers analyzed genetic information from more than 3,700 individuals across 85 different populations spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, including 81 native Quechua speakers with Andean heritage from Peru.

The findings suggest that natural selection favored individuals with additional AMY1 gene copies over many generations in ancient Andean societies.

“Therefore, one hypothesis is that people with more copies of AMY1 may have been better able to process starch-rich foods, including potatoes,” said Luane Landau, a University at Buffalo doctoral student and co-lead author of the research.

Landau explained the evolutionary advantage: “Individuals who were born with the higher copies of AMY1 may have had an advantage as compared to individuals who did not have it, and left more descendants over generations. Over time, this could explain why the genetic version linked to high AMY1 copy number became more common in Andean populations today.”

Potatoes provided a dependable food source for these high-altitude communities, thriving in the challenging mountain environment where other crops struggled.

“They were one of the main sources for calories in the ancient Andean diet,” noted Kendra Scheer, a University at Buffalo doctoral student and study co-lead author.

The potato remained central to Inca civilization until Spanish conquistadors introduced the crop to Europe and beyond during the 16th century conquest of the empire.

“Their global culinary spread is a testament to their broad likeability,” Bigham observed.

Today, Quechua-speaking vendors in Peruvian highland markets continue this agricultural legacy, selling diverse potato varieties with flesh ranging from purple, blue, and red to gold, white, and black.

“In Peru, there are about 3,000 to 4,000 different kinds of potato, but the majority of the world has access to only a select few strains. Therefore, there is a whole world of different types of french fries that are possible,” Scheer said.

A technology company based in London announced Thursday it has secured $160 million in investment funding to advance its unique approach to quantum computing using conventional silicon chip manufacturing methods.

Quantum Motion’s strategy focuses on creating quantum computers that would be more compact, cost-effective, and energy-efficient compared to existing alternatives by utilizing standard semiconductor production techniques.

Traditional quantum computers rely on specialized components called qubits, which differ from regular computer transistors by their ability to simultaneously represent multiple states rather than just single binary values. Current quantum computing approaches use various technologies including superconductors employed by companies like IBM and Google’s parent company Alphabet, or laser-targeted neutral atoms.

The main obstacle facing all these methods involves expanding systems to accommodate the thousands or potentially millions of qubits required for practical quantum computing applications. Quantum Motion’s leadership decided to reverse-engineer the problem by starting with components that can already be mass-produced efficiently.

“We just kind of started the company in reverse,” explained James Palles-Dimmock, who serves as Quantum Motion’s CEO. “What are the minimum adaptations that we can make to transistors to turn them into high-quality qubits?”

The company’s technique involves isolating individual electrons within transistor gaps and controlling them through magnetic field manipulation, rather than allowing normal electron flow that occurs in standard computing chips.

While this “electron spin” methodology isn’t completely novel and is being explored by other startups plus Intel, Quantum Motion believes it has developed practical applications through collaboration with manufacturing partner GlobalFoundries. According to Palles-Dimmock, this innovation could enable production of functional quantum computers priced between $10 million and $20 million.

“We’ve got a very clear path to delivering the world’s most powerful computer at a reasonable cost,” Palles-Dimmock stated.

The investment round received co-leadership from DCVC and Kembara, with additional backing from British Business Bank and Firgun. Previous investors including Oxford Science Enterprises, Inkef, Bosch Ventures, Porsche Automobil Holding, and Parkwalk Advisors also participated in the funding.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A bitter legal battle between tech billionaire Elon Musk and OpenAI’s leadership has brought urgent questions about artificial intelligence safety into a federal courtroom in Oakland, California.

The lawsuit stems from what Musk claims was a broken promise by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to maintain the company as a nonprofit organization. Altman counters that Musk is attempting to damage the ChatGPT creator to benefit his own artificial intelligence venture.

While the judge has cautioned attorneys against getting “sidetracked” by AI safety discussions, testimony has nonetheless addressed concerns ranging from job losses to Musk’s warning that advanced AI could eventually pose an existential threat to humanity.

Expert witness Stuart Russell, a computer science professor at UC Berkeley who was paid $5,000 per hour for his testimony, warned that the current “winner take all” competition in AI development itself poses dangers to humanity. Russell outlined various AI risks including bias in hiring and lending, widespread job elimination, spread of false information, and psychological harm to users who develop unhealthy relationships with chatbots.

“Whichever company develops AGI first would have a very big advantage” and an increasingly big lead over everyone else, Russell told the court, referring to artificial general intelligence that could outperform humans across multiple tasks.

The dispute traces back to OpenAI’s founding in 2015 as a nonprofit startup with Musk as its primary financial backer. Both Musk and Altman have stated their original intention was to develop advanced AI safely for humanity’s benefit rather than for individual profit or control. Each side now accuses the other of seeking to dominate the technology.

A nine-member jury from the San Francisco Bay Area will determine which party is being truthful.

Before proceedings began, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers specifically instructed lawyers, especially those representing Musk, to avoid broader AI safety topics unrelated to the core claim about OpenAI abandoning its charitable mission.

“This is not a trial on the safety risks of artificial intelligence. This is not a trial on whether or not AI has damaged humanity,” Gonzalez Rogers told attorneys.

Despite this guidance, Musk managed to discuss his AI concerns during testimony last week. When asked to explain artificial general intelligence, Musk described it as AI that becomes “as smart as any human,” adding that “we are getting close to that point,” with AI potentially surpassing human intelligence within the next year.

Musk testified about his “extreme concerns” regarding AI, explaining he wanted to create a “counterpoint” to Google, which at the time possessed “all the money, all the computers and all the talent” for AI development without any competing force.

“I was concerned AI would be a double-edged sword,” he stated.

Throughout his testimony, Musk emphasized that he deliberately chose the nonprofit structure “for the public good,” despite having the option to establish OpenAI as a for-profit entity like his other companies.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers expressed some doubt about Musk’s motivations, noting to lawyers that despite his stated concerns about AI risks, Musk “is creating a company that is in the exact same space.” She was referring to xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company launched in 2023 and later merged with his space exploration firm SpaceX.

OpenAI’s representatives also claim their mission serves the public interest. Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and president who is named as a defendant alongside Altman, described the technology his company develops as “transformative” — something bigger than individual corporations or people, concerning “humanity as a whole.”

Brockman testified this week that his primary focus has always been OpenAI’s “mission,” and that it was actually Musk who sought complete control over the organization. He recalled a meeting where Musk initially appeared receptive to Altman serving as CEO, but ultimately “said people needed to know he was in charge.”

Beyond seeking financial damages, Musk wants Altman removed from OpenAI’s board of directors. A victory for Musk could potentially disrupt OpenAI’s plans to go public through an initial stock offering.

JUNEAU, Alaska — Wildlife officials in Alaska have received court approval to continue their controversial bear elimination program, which includes shooting bears from helicopters, as part of efforts to help a declining caribou population recover, a judge decided Wednesday.

Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman denied a request from two environmental organizations — the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity — to temporarily suspend the program while their legal challenge proceeds. The judge determined that the conservation groups couldn’t demonstrate that state officials lacked reasonable justification for implementing the plan.

The court’s decision comes at a crucial time, as the Mulchatna caribou population in southwestern Alaska is approaching calving season. Newborn caribou are especially vulnerable to predation by bears and wolves during this period.

Alaska officials view the bear elimination effort as essential for restoring the caribou population, which historically supplied subsistence hunters from numerous communities with approximately 4,770 caribou annually. The herd reached its peak at roughly 190,000 animals.

However, the caribou numbers started dropping in the late 1990s and early 2000s, falling to about 13,000 by 2019. State Department of Fish and Game estimates put last year’s population at around 16,280. Hunting restrictions have been in place since 2021.

Between 2023 and 2024, state agents eliminated 180 bears, primarily brown bears, along with an additional 11 last year, according to court documents filed by the environmental groups. The organizations contend that the Alaska Board of Game reauthorized the program last year without crucial information about bear population data and long-term viability.

Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed the groups’ position in a statement, saying they support caribou recovery efforts, “but the state simply hasn’t shown that the unrestrained killing of bears is going to help us get there.”

“We need to stop this disgraceful waste of the state’s limited resources and work based on science to protect all our wildlife,” Freeman said.

Government lawyers have maintained that officials conducted a thorough examination of bear population factors when implementing the plan.

“The herd has persisted at low numbers but started showing a positive response since 2023, when bear removal during calving seasons began,” they stated in legal filings.

The state Department of Law, representing both the board and Department of Fish and Game, didn’t respond immediately to requests for comment Wednesday. Legal representatives from Trustees for Alaska, who represent the conservation organizations, are examining the decision and “will consider all available options,” spokesperson Madison Grosvenor said via email.

This program has faced continuous legal challenges. Last year, a different judge found problems with the adoption process in a previous case brought by the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and determined the state lacked adequate bear sustainability data.

Emergency regulations put in place by the state were subsequently overturned. Officials later announced a new public review process for reauthorizing the program, which the board approved last July.

A quantum computing technology company announced Wednesday it expects higher revenues this year as more customers seek access to its advanced computing platform.

IonQ’s stock price dropped approximately 6% during after-hours trading despite the improved financial outlook.

“IONQ had high expectations going into the print today, especially given the run the stock has had in the past month. Think we are also seeing some skepticism play out, which has lingered over the past few quarters as to the viability of the technology and the path that IONQ has taken with trapped ion qubits,” said D.A. Davidson analyst Alex Platt.

The company’s stock value has climbed roughly 17% since the beginning of this year.

The firm specializes in creating quantum computing systems using trapped-ion technology, along with related networking and security solutions. Customers can access their equipment through cloud-based services designed to tackle computational challenges that traditional computers cannot handle.

The trapped-ion approach involves using electrically charged atomic particles that are controlled through laser beams and electromagnetic fields in a vacuum environment.

“Profitability is not a key focus this year. We are focused on growing revenue and growing R&D investments to support that revenue growth,” CEO Niccolo de Masi told Reuters.

The quantum computing field still faces significant obstacles, particularly with qubits – the basic units similar to traditional computer bits. While qubits operate at extraordinary speeds, they remain challenging to manage and susceptible to computational errors.

IonQ has revised its yearly revenue projection upward to a range of $260 million to $270 million, surpassing previous estimates of $225 million to $245 million.

First-quarter earnings showed revenue of $64.7 million, exceeding Wall Street analysts’ predictions of $49.7 million based on LSEG data.

A French robotics company has introduced breakthrough technology that could revolutionize how robots operate in industrial settings, showcasing both an advanced AI system and a remarkably human-like robotic hand.

Genesis AI, which launched earlier this year with backing from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and telecommunications mogul Xavier Niel, announced Wednesday the debut of its GENE-26.5 artificial intelligence model. The system is engineered to enhance robot flexibility and can operate machines manufactured by different companies.

The startup was established by Theophile Gervet, previously a researcher at Mistral, and has entered serious discussions with prospective clients across France, Germany, and Italy.

The technology debut coincides with Europe’s efforts to rebuild its manufacturing sector and reduce dependency on Asian production facilities. Industrial robotics demand continues climbing, with Germany’s Schaeffler projecting robotics orders worth hundreds of millions of euros by 2030.

Genesis AI secured $105 million in its first funding round, representing one of France’s most substantial initial investments and equaling the record seed funding achieved by Mistral AI, Europe’s premier artificial intelligence firm. The French state investment bank Bpifrance also participated in the funding.

Company co-founder Gervet explained to Reuters that Genesis AI is concentrating on European markets.

“There were two big reasons. The first one was the talent base,” he said. “The second reason was the industrial base as a market for us.”

The company is focusing on automotive, electronics, pharmaceutical, and logistics industries, where traditional robots face challenges with precise or changing tasks like wire harnessing, which requires bundling and securing cables.

While Genesis AI reports signing customers, the company has not disclosed their identities. According to Vivian Sun, vice president of commercial and strategy, client partnerships typically span three to five years based on individual requirements.

The firm is collaborating with partners to develop robotics information databases, including gathering practical data from tens of thousands of industrial employees using sensor-equipped gloves.

Genesis AI’s robotic hand represents a significant advancement over conventional grippers by more accurately replicating human hand structure, allowing for better translation of human movements to mechanical operations.

Reuters viewed demonstration footage showing the robotic hand slicing tomatoes, breaking eggs, completing a Rubik’s Cube, and performing piano pieces.

This technology introduction positions Genesis AI as a competitor to China’s Linkerbot, which Reuters previously reported is seeking a $6 billion valuation amid growing demand for highly skilled robotic hands.

Both organizations are creating equipment to enable more human-like handling capabilities in industrial environments.

Genesis AI anticipates securing additional funding but considers a public stock offering too early at this stage.

WOODS HOLE, Mass. — Inside a laboratory chamber bathed in red light, tiny green seaweed cells spin through bubbling water, driven by rotating blades. These microscopic organisms, known as gametophytes, represent the early stages of specially engineered kelp that could someday fuel aircraft and maritime vessels without using a drop of petroleum.

While electric power from renewable sources can operate automobiles, aviation and shipping industries continue depending on liquid fuels containing significant amounts of oil and gasoline. Burning these traditional fuels releases carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. Scientists believe biofuel created from organic materials like plants or algae offers an alternative solution.

Kelp presents one promising biofuel source. Using a technique called hydrothermal liquefaction, which applies heat and pressure to convert organic matter into fuel, this marine plant could potentially power transportation without petroleum products.

“We need other sources of energy that are sustainable, we can’t just rely on petroleum,” explained Scott Lindell, a marine scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, located roughly 90 minutes south of Boston. “There’s hardly anything simpler, or anything that grows quite as fast and as sustainably, as seaweed.”

Current biofuels like corn-based ethanol mainly serve as gasoline supplements. Corn cultivation demands farmland, freshwater, and chemical pesticides, while kelp grows in ocean environments requiring minimal additional resources.

Though burning any bioethanol releases harmful compounds like acetaldehyde, these fuels generate fewer overall greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum alternatives.

Scientists including Lindell have developed kelp strains that sometimes yield three times more biomass than natural varieties. However, energy corporations remain cautious about investing in large-scale ocean farming without proven market demand, while farmers hesitate to expand operations without guaranteed purchasers, creating a stalemate that hampers industry growth.

Current aquaculture operations stay small, providing kelp mainly to restaurants, cosmetics manufacturers, and fertilizer companies. Hauke Kite-Powell, an engineer and economic analyst at Woods Hole, believes expanding kelp production for biofuel would require consistent government backing beyond private investment alone.

Although oil price fluctuations, partly caused by international conflicts like the war in Iran, periodically spark renewed interest in energy independence, U.S. government support for biofuel alternatives varies. In 2016, the Department of Energy launched a program to create tools for kelp-based biofuel development.

This initiative, called MARINER — Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources — included projects from developing heat-tolerant kelp varieties for warming oceans to studying seaweed genetics. The Department of Energy typically funds exploratory, high-risk projects with potentially high rewards, and MARINER researchers reported making advances like boosting kelp production.

The program resembled an earlier feasibility study from the 1970s that ended abruptly when oil prices stabilized. Lindell’s laboratory, supported by MARINER funding, concentrated on improving harvest yields by selectively breeding kelp with beneficial traits — including sterile characteristics to prevent crossbreeding with wild populations — enabling future large-scale farming operations.

Lindell’s MARINER support continued for six years, concluding in 2024. Since then, federal research funding has become scarcer and delayed. However, the pressing need for sustainable energy persists, he noted. “I don’t think things have changed incredibly since the first oil crisis.”

Farmers describe challenges finding reliable kelp customers. Oliver Dixon, a shellfish farmer from Point Judith, Rhode Island, cultivates kelp to supplement his oyster operation during winter months. This month, he anticipates harvesting approximately 10,000 pounds of kelp, selling most to nearby restaurants and seafood vendors.

“The buyers come in and out, it’s pretty discouraging,” Dixon stated. His 9-acre operation is hundreds of times smaller than what biofuel production would require, and without demonstrated energy sector demand, he has no expansion plans.

Bren Smith, an ocean farmer and GreenWave nonprofit co-founder who supports marine farmers, contends the problem isn’t insufficient demand but rather economic viability: Kelp currently works better in cosmetics or food products rather than fuel, which remains among its lowest-value applications.

“We’ve made this mistake before, right?” Smith remarked, referencing previous large-scale kelp research investments focused on fuel production instead of the seaweed’s numerous other applications. “Competing with the most technically advanced, subsidized industry on the globe, the fossil fuel industry.”

Even with guaranteed buyers, expanding kelp farming would encounter regulatory obstacles, according to Kite-Powell. In America, coastal waters primarily serve recreation, fishing, and conservation purposes, making permits for major aquaculture projects difficult to obtain. Meanwhile, Asian countries often prioritize extensive seaweed farms that sometimes cover entire bays.

Currently, most U.S. operations remain small and near shorelines. Dixon explained he cannot secure permits to maintain his farm equipment year-round, forcing him to remove lines and anchors each spring and reinstall them in fall.

Relocating farms to deeper waters could enable larger operations but introduces engineering and environmental complications, including risks of entangling marine animals and potential competition between farmed kelp and other sea life for nutrients.

“We don’t yet have a full understanding of what all the ecological side effects of very large-scale ocean farming might be,” Kite-Powell observed.

Despite obstacles, scientists like Lindell remain optimistic their research will eventually support a biofuel industry. Surrounding Lindell’s laboratory are glass containers holding over 2,600 sugar kelp strains collected throughout New England, which he continues studying and selectively breeding while hoping the energy sector transitions to renewable sources. Volatile fuel costs and limited resources like oil suggest inevitable change to him.

“We’ll come to the realization that things have shifted in the marketplace,” Lindell predicted, “and we can’t squeeze any more oil out of the earth in 30 years’ time.”

A catastrophic landslide in an Alaskan fjord last summer generated what scientists now confirm was the second-tallest tsunami in recorded history, with waves soaring to an astounding 1,578 feet – exceeding the height of New York’s Empire State Building.

The massive wave struck Tracy Arm Fjord in southeastern Alaska on August 10, 2025, at 5:30 a.m., according to new research published Wednesday in the journal Science. The remote waterway, located within the Tongass National Forest about 50 miles south of Juneau, is known for its dramatic landscape of granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and glaciers.

Fortunately, the early morning timing meant no cruise ships or recreational vessels were present in the popular tourist destination, preventing any injuries or fatalities.

University of Calgary geomorphologist Dan Shugar, who led the research team, emphasized the fortunate timing of the disaster. “The fact that the landslide occurred this early in the morning was unbelievably lucky. Next time – and there will be a next time – we may not be so lucky,” Shugar stated.

The research team attributes the landslide directly to climate change impacts. Rising temperatures caused a glacier that had been supporting the mountainside to retreat, ultimately leaving the rock formation without adequate support.

Without any photographic or video evidence of the event, scientists pieced together what happened using post-disaster aerial photography, satellite imagery, seismic readings, on-site investigations, and witness accounts from people in the vicinity.

The fjord measures approximately 25 miles in length and just over half a mile in width, flanked by towering cliffs that rise more than 3,280 feet. Researchers calculated the wave’s extraordinary height by examining where vegetation had been completely stripped away, creating stark scars on the rocky walls.

“The clearcut vegetation, like a bathtub ring around the fjord, is probably the most striking difference in how the fjord looks now versus last year, unless you were scuba diving and could see the massive deposit (of rock) on the ocean floor,” Shugar explained.

He described the aftermath as resembling “two different worlds,” with “a very sharp line, below which there is only rock and sediment and some tree stumps, and above which is virgin forest, standing as it did on August 9 before the tsunami.”

The scale of the collapse was enormous – approximately 83 million cubic yards of rock tumbled down in roughly one minute. University College London geophysicist Stephen Hicks, a study co-author, noted this volume equals 24 times that of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

“This collapse triggered a seismic wave observed around the globe,” Hicks reported.

The confined space of the fjord trapped some waves, creating a phenomenon called a seiche – essentially water sloshing back and forth that continued for several days and produced distinctive seismic signatures. A comparable landslide tsunami at Greenland’s Dickson Fjord in 2023 generated a 650-foot wave and similar sloshing effects.

Giant waves known as tsunamis typically result from underwater earthquakes, volcanic activity, or landslides. The record-holding tsunami – reaching about 1,700 feet – also occurred in Alaska at Lituya Bay in 1958 following a landslide.

While localized tsunamis like these can reach extreme heights, open-ocean tsunamis pose greater threats to human life despite being shorter. The devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed approximately 230,000 lives, reached 167 feet in Sumatra. Japan’s 2011 tsunami, responsible for over 15,000 deaths, peaked at about 131 feet.

“Tsunamis due to large earthquakes occur because a fault in the crust ruptures the seafloor, causing the vertical displacement of water above it. In the case of landslide events, it is the collapse of material from above the water and into the water that creates the wave,” Hicks explained.

The research revealed promising developments for future disaster prevention. Seismic data showed approximately one week of minor earthquakes preceded the Tracy Arm landslide, indicating fracturing within the eventual slide zone.

“With the benefit of hindsight, we have found that the landslide was preceded by about a week of tiny earthquakes indicating fracturing in the eventual landslide mass. This gives us possible hope of developing warning and forecasting systems, in tandem with other observations,” Hicks said.

CALHOUN, Ga. — Beginning in the 1970s, textile manufacturers in northwest Georgia used chemicals called PFAS to make carpets stain-resistant. The chemicals that weren’t absorbed were discharged through the multibillion-dollar industry’s wastewater into municipal sewer systems and ultimately into area rivers.

Years later, these invisible, odorless chemicals have contaminated the entire region, including people’s bloodstreams. Researchers have issued warnings about potential health dangers to both humans and animals.

Although federal authorities haven’t established mandatory PFAS limits, states possess the power to safeguard public health and environmental quality. However, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division failed to address the contamination problem despite being aware of it for many years, according to a joint investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS).

Here are the main findings from this continuing investigation into the harmful environmental impact of the South’s carpet manufacturing industry.

Residents throughout northwest Georgia know individuals suffering from health issues, including specific cancers, potentially linked to PFAS exposure. This public health emergency could have been prevented.

University of Georgia research conducted in 2008 warned both industry leaders and state officials that the local Conasauga River, which provides the area’s drinking water, contained “staggeringly high” concentrations of PFAS — short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, nicknamed forever chemicals due to their persistence in human bodies and their ability to remain in the environment for decades or longer. Georgia’s own laboratory results from 2012 and 2016 validated the university’s findings. Federal monitoring continued to detect PFAS in 2019, the same year major carpet producers claimed they discontinued using these chemicals.

PFAS contaminate household tap water because municipal water systems lack the sophisticated and expensive equipment needed to filter them from river water sources.

Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division never issued fish consumption warnings or water safety alerts to residents, even as scientists and federal officials expressed growing alarm about PFAS health risks. Currently, Georgia still has no PFAS regulations, unlike other states that have spent tens of millions on environmental cleanup and filed lawsuits against polluting companies to recover expenses.

Anna Truszczynski, Deputy Director of Georgia’s EPD, explained that her department relied on federal guidance and waited for researchers to develop better understanding of PFAS dangers. She noted that her agency assisted contamination-affected cities by providing laboratory testing, connecting them with potential funding opportunities, and recommending filtration systems.

“We believe that there can be a good balance between environment and economy,” Truszczynski said. “We don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”

Jake Murphy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, stated in an email that federal officials are working to provide technical assistance and financial support to the affected region.

During 2008, Georgia’s EPD director held a closed-door meeting with carpet industry executives and representatives from their trade organization, the Carpet and Rug Institute, based on testimony records from company lawsuits.

Werner Braun, who served as the carpet institute’s director at that time, subsequently briefed his board about the discussion with then-Director Carol Couch, reporting that EPD “has no plans to initiate regulatory action” regarding PFAS, according to court deposition documents. Braun informed his board that Couch also suggested EPD “would probably look at the issue again in five years.”

The meeting with Couch was so successful that one carpet company executive expressed gratitude to participants for “gaining this good outcome,” the transcripts show.

When contacted for comment via text message, Couch stated that PFAS were merely an “emerging concern” during that period and EPA had not yet established drinking water standards. EPA’s initial PFAS guidance was released in 2009.

“To the Carpet and Rug Institute I offered no respite from state regulation of PFAS,” Couch wrote to the AJC and AP. She explained that the five-year timeline was standard for new water regulations and that in 2008, EPD “had neither the sufficient science, expertise nor resources to undertake action independent of USEPA.”

A carpet institute spokesperson declined to provide comments. Braun did not respond to interview requests.

The nation’s two largest carpet manufacturers, Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries Inc., both headquartered in the area, attribute the contamination to their chemical suppliers, claiming these companies concealed PFAS dangers for years. The carpet manufacturers said they complied with regulatory guidance and emphasized that no mandatory chemical limits currently exist.

In legal documents, chemical suppliers 3M and DuPont argued that carpet companies, not chemical manufacturers, were responsible for releasing PFAS into northwest Georgia’s waterways.

All four companies declined to comment for this investigation.

When PFAS appeared in Alabama’s drinking water during 2016, local water authority officials contacted Georgia seeking explanations.

Eastern Alabama and northwest Georgia share a river network that begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flows through both states toward Mobile Bay. This watershed supplies the area’s carpet factories, which consume enormous quantities of water, particularly during fabric dyeing operations. It also serves as the drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of downstream residents.

Following tests that revealed PFAS concentrations above EPA’s voluntary health recommendations at that time, Alabama’s environmental authorities notified federal officials and requested Georgia’s EPD assistance in locating the contamination source.

Georgia had been aware for years that waters flowing from Dalton, the center of the state’s major carpet industry located more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) upstream, contained elevated PFAS levels.

Despite Alabama’s emergency request, Georgia’s environmental officials failed to respond appropriately, according to interviews and internal agency documents.

“EPD was very defensive,” said Jim Giattina, former director of EPA’s Water Protection Division who facilitated a conference call between both states for coordination purposes. “There was certainly no commitment on their part to do any more monitoring.”

EPD’s Truszczynski, who joined the department in 2016, said she could find no documentation of Georgia’s response.

“We’re always very happy to work with our friends in Alabama,” she said.

Alabama’s Department of Environmental Management did not respond to repeated interview and comment requests.

Across the United States, PFAS have been produced and incorporated into numerous products, including non-stick cookware, waterproof sunscreen, firefighting foam, dental floss and microwave popcorn packaging.

This widespread use has created contamination hotspots in other locations.

Several other states are implementing much more aggressive strategies than Georgia.

Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine have each allocated millions of dollars for environmental cleanup, established comprehensive testing programs and filed lawsuits to hold polluters and manufacturers responsible.

A bipartisan coalition of Wisconsin legislators approved $133 million for PFAS cleanup earlier this year. This decision concluded a lengthy effort by Jill Billings, a Democratic state assembly member. In 2019, a community in her district discovered contaminated drinking water. Residents have relied on state-provided bottled water since 2021.

Billings emphasized that state-level action becomes increasingly crucial as federal environmental regulations, including PFAS oversight, face rollbacks. While EPA has not yet implemented enforceable forever chemical limits, the agency’s proposed restrictions include the two chemicals most commonly used by carpet manufacturers. These limits are scheduled to take effect in 2031.

“I think it’s up to us to solve the problems of regular folks because the federal government seems to be struggling,” Billings said in an interview. “That’s fine. We’re ready.”

A comprehensive new research study reveals that urban forests are offsetting approximately half of the temperature increases caused by concrete and buildings in metropolitan areas worldwide, yet the communities most in need of cooling relief aren’t receiving adequate benefits.

Published Wednesday in Nature Communications, the research shows that tree coverage provides an average temperature reduction of 0.27 degrees Fahrenheit (0.15 degrees Celsius) across global urban areas through shade provision and water vapor release.

Cities would experience an additional 0.56 degrees Fahrenheit (0.31 degrees Celsius) of warming without existing tree coverage due to urban heat islands, where dark surfaces and pavement trap thermal energy. This warming process operates independently from greenhouse gas-driven climate change.

The research team analyzed temperature data from nearly 9,000 major cities worldwide, examining areas equivalent to roughly 150 city blocks each. This detailed approach enabled scientists to measure localized cooling impacts, ensuring that parks in one neighborhood weren’t incorrectly credited with cooling distant urban areas.

While 185 million residents across 31 major metropolitan areas currently experience at least 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit of tree-based cooling, lead researcher Rob McDonald from the Nature Conservancy noted that economically disadvantaged and hotter urban centers receive insufficient protection from dangerous heat levels that can cause brain dysfunction, organ failure, and cardiac stress.

The research methodology combined weather station readings, satellite imagery, and computational modeling to quantify tree-based cooling effects, measuring temperature differences between city centers and surrounding rural regions.

Twenty cities housing at least 3 million people each provide residents with less than one-tenth of a degree of tree-based cooling. Four metropolitan areas—Dakar, Senegal; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City; and Amman, Jordan—have such limited tree coverage that their combined 15 million inhabitants receive virtually no natural cooling benefits.

Cities achieving cooling effects of at least 0.45 degrees Fahrenheit show stark economic disparities. Nearly 40% of wealthy nations’ cities reach this cooling threshold, compared to fewer than 9% of cities in the world’s poorest countries.

Berlin leads the list of most effectively cooled cities, joined by Atlanta, Moscow, Washington, Seattle, and Sydney, all featuring extensive tree coverage. Atlanta maintains tree canopy over 64% of its land area, McDonald reported. Wealthier North American communities benefit from larger property sizes, individual ownership patterns, and residents with greater political influence, all contributing to expanded tree growth and coverage, according to Chris Greene from the University of Dalhousie in Canada, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“There’s this inequality,” McDonald explained. “When you look at cities globally, there are many, many cities, especially in developing countries, that have very low tree cover, and so I think the air temperature cooling number was a little less than we expected.”

Thomas Crowther, an ecological researcher at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, emphasized that incremental improvements matter significantly. His regional cities receive minimal tree-based cooling, often due to water scarcity constraints.

“As up to 75% of the human population shifts towards living in urban environments, these buffering effects of urban vegetation are going to be vital,” Crowther stated. “But we have to overturn the devastating inequities in the distribution of urban trees, so that their benefits can be experienced by the low- and middle-income communities that are often most vulnerable to the effects of extreme temperatures.”

Study authors emphasized that municipalities, particularly those in hotter and economically challenged areas, should prioritize expanding tree coverage. However, constraints including water availability, suitable land, appropriate species selection, and intensifying climate change limit potential future urban heat reduction to approximately 20%, McDonald noted.

“Trees won’t save us from climate change,” McDonald cautioned. “The climate scenarios are showing a much warmer world and there’s only so much of that that tree cover can help with.”

Tree planting offers additional environmental benefits beyond temperature reduction. Crowther and Jean-Francois Bastin proposed in a 2019 Science journal study that planting one trillion additional trees—supplementing Earth’s existing 3 trillion trees—could capture significant carbon dioxide.

“Planting trees does help fight climate change in multiple ways, but this strategy is not nearly enough to slow climate change to a significant degree,” said University of Michigan environment dean Jonathan Overpeck, who wasn’t involved in the current research. “Only by transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy and battery storage can we hope to halt the climate change that is wreaking havoc around the planet.”

BRUSSELS (AP) — The world’s most remote continent is experiencing an unprecedented surge in visitors as travelers rush to witness Antarctica’s pristine wilderness before climate change potentially transforms it forever. However, this dramatic increase in tourism is raising serious concerns among researchers and environmental advocates about potential contamination, disease outbreaks, and ecological harm.

Though visitor numbers remain relatively modest due to expensive costs and lengthy travel times, the rapid growth rate has prompted warnings from the scientific community.

Recent attention has focused on this trend following a fatal hantavirus outbreak that occurred on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius during an extended polar expedition.

The majority of Antarctic expeditions visit the Antarctic Peninsula, recognized as among the globe’s most rapidly warming regions. NASA data shows that between 2002 and 2020, approximately 149 billion metric tons of Antarctic ice disappeared annually.

A typical journey involves sailing southward from Argentina to Antarctica before traveling northward along Africa’s coastline — the identical path followed by the cruise vessel MV Hondius.

“The sites you will see in Antarctica are extremely unique and not replicable anywhere else on the planet — the whales, the seals, the penguins, the icebergs — it’s all really stunning and it makes a huge impression on people,” said Claire Christian, executive director of the environmental group Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

Data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators reveals that in 2024, more than 80,000 visitors actually set foot on the ice-covered landmass, while an additional 36,000 observed the scenery from aboard vessels.

The International Union of Concerned Scientists calculates that Antarctic tourism has expanded by ten times over the previous three decades.

These figures may climb even higher in the coming decade as expenses decrease with additional ice-resistant vessels entering service and technological improvements, according to Hanne Nielsen, a senior lecturer of Antarctic law at the University of Tasmania. Her university colleagues project that annual visitor numbers could increase three or four times to exceed 400,000 within that timeframe.

Nielsen explained that some travelers participate in “last chance tourism,” understanding that the melting environment is undergoing rapid transformation.

Authorities have not reported any contamination evidence related to the MV Hondius incident.

Nevertheless, migrating bird populations have transported avian influenza from South America to Antarctica in recent years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

This disease outbreak led the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and other organizations to strengthen regulations governing tourist behavior and sanitation practices to safeguard visitors from contamination. To preserve the delicate ecosystem from invasive organisms both large and microscopic, tourists receive instructions to maintain distance from wildlife and avoid ground contact except with their feet.

“There are rules that people are bound by when they’re heading south,” Nielsen explained, drawing from her experience as a former guide on five expeditions. Staff and passengers employ vacuum cleaners, disinfecting agents, and brushes to thoroughly clean footwear and gear, removing insects, feathers, seeds, and dirt that may harbor microorganisms.

“Between the tongues and the laces of the boots you can find a lot of things,” she noted.

Cruise vessels have experienced outbreaks of illnesses such as norovirus, which can rapidly spread within a ship’s confined environment. In 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the Diamond Princess transformed the cruise liner into a breeding ground for the then-unknown virus.

Hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent waste particles.

The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and traveled to Antarctica and multiple remote islands.

WHO officials are examining potential person-to-person transmission aboard the cruise vessel, stated Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Authorities believe the initial infected individual likely acquired the virus prior to embarkation, she explained, and officials have been informed that no rats are present on the ship.

The Antarctic Treaty governs Antarctica, establishing the region in 1959 as a scientific sanctuary designated solely for peaceful activities. Subsequent regulations “aim to ensure that all visits, regardless of location, do not adversely impact the Antarctic environment or its scientific and aesthetic values,” the treaty’s secretariat states.

Tourism companies and research organizations voluntarily follow biosecurity protocols and provide environmental impact evaluations for Antarctic activities.

Christian pointed out that the treaty was created when tourist numbers were significantly smaller.

“Activity needs to be regulated appropriately, as you would with any of the world’s sensitive and precious ecological sites,” Christian stated from Hiroshima, Japan, where she was attending an Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. At the gathering, she planned to support efforts to enhance protections for Antarctica’s penguins, whales, seabirds, seals and krill — small organisms that form the foundation of the food web.

Currently, the appeal of the frozen wilderness continues attracting travelers.

“You can put a footprint in Antarctica and it’s still there 50 years later,” Christian observed.

Crowds of approximately 50 individuals recently assembled outside a Chinese mobile internet company’s headquarters in Beijing, seeking assistance with setting up an artificial intelligence assistant on their devices.

Similar gatherings occurred repeatedly across multiple events in Beijing and the technology center of Shenzhen during March, where technical staff assisted people installing the widely-used AI “agent” called OpenClaw on their computers.

“I’m worried about falling behind in technological developments,” expressed Sun Lei, a 41-year-old human resources manager attending the Cheetah event. She explained her hope that the technology could assist her in finding and evaluating resumes from different hiring platforms.

Following more than a year since OpenAI’s Chinese competitor DeepSeek amazed the global community with its sophisticated AI system, China has transformed into a massive laboratory for widespread AI tool implementation. While AI systems developed in America continue to lead in pure computational strength, Chinese citizens and companies have quickly adopted the technology, enabling rapid and extensive integration across virtually all sectors.

With worldwide AI usage expanding rapidly in workplaces and personal activities, everyday Chinese citizens employ AI for numerous purposes including travel booking and planning, food ordering, and ride-hailing services. Government data from the China Internet Network Information Center shows that over 600 million people from the nation’s 1.4 billion population were utilizing generative AI by December, marking a 142% jump from the previous year.

The recent increase in “agentic” AI usage like OpenClaw, particularly among Chinese enterprises, has also elevated AI model data consumption. Using measurements called tokens – data units representing portions of words – Chinese AI models’ weekly usage has recently exceeded that of U.S. models, according to OpenRouter, an AI “gateway platform” that monitors data and manages security across various AI systems.

Jason Tong, a 64-year-old retired IT engineer from Shanghai, has utilized AI chatbots including Doubao and Kimi for daily inquiries since their introduction several years ago.

After becoming more health-conscious, he enrolled in March with a Shanghai company’s blood glucose monitoring program that employs an AI system to create customized health recommendations. The personalized and quick responses have proven valuable to him.

Tong believes widespread AI application adoption in everyday activities is unavoidable, stating “Just as carriages were eventually replaced by trains, this is bound to happen.”

Chinese AI-integrated products including vehicles and robots are achieving significant progress, ranging from humanoid robots with sophisticated thinking abilities to AI systems enabling drivers to handle complex tasks such as restaurant bookings.

“The (AI) competition is clearly shifting from models to ecosystems,” noted Lizzi Lee, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis who focuses on economics and technology. “Chinese users are basically acting as real-time testers at scale.”

Chinese technology corporations including Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu are competing to bring AI to market. Tencent incorporated OpenClaw into WeChat, China’s comprehensive “super-app” that functions primarily as messaging software but also enables activities like food ordering and payment processing. Alibaba is incorporating “agentic” AI throughout its business operations.

OpenClaw, initially developed by Austrian software creator Peter Steinberger in the previous year, gained rapid and enthusiastic adoption due to its capability to utilize multiple tools for completing complex assignments.

Zhao Yikang, a Chinese university student in Macao, employs OpenClaw for both academic work and personal tasks.

He was impressed by its affordability and effectiveness, using it to automatically create marketing videos and handle social media accounts during his internship with a real estate company in Zhuhai, a southern Chinese city.

“AI can understand things in a second,” Zhao explained. “You just need to act as a commander and tell it what to do.”

While preparing to launch a photography services company after graduation, Zhao requested AI assistance in building a business website. Within 10 minutes, it produced a completely operational site for under 5 yuan (70 cents).

Despite Chinese officials issuing multiple warnings about potential security concerns regarding OpenClaw AI “agents” such as data breaches as installations increased dramatically, widespread interest has persisted.

Chinese businesses are increasingly establishing internal goals for expanding AI usage to enhance productivity, according to Janet Tang, a partner and managing director specializing in technology at consulting firm AlixPartners.

There are “a lot of application scenarios,” stated Wang Xiaogang, co-founder of Chinese AI software company SenseTime and chairman of ACE Robotics. “The industry is developing very fast and the people, they are very open and they’re eager to try the AI in a lot of scenarios.”

China has worked to position itself advantageously by investing substantially in talent development and securing access to plentiful, cost-effective electricity for energy-intensive AI developments and innovations.

To accomplish technological breakthroughs including AI advances, Chinese leadership has committed to an annual average increase of at least 7% in national research and development expenditure through the country’s five-year plan extending to 2030. An “AI plus” national strategy details measures to incorporate AI into numerous life areas, from medical care to education. Courts in Shenzhen handled 50% more cases last year, officials reported, partially through an AI tool supporting legal procedures.

Nevertheless, restricted access to some of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips due to U.S. limitations continues to hinder China’s AI progress.

“Export controls on tools have slowed China’s chipmaking capabilities, and are the Achilles’ heel of many AI labs that need advanced AI chips,” explained Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at New America who specializes in Chinese technology policies.

However, the restrictions have also resulted in better coordination of design, production and implementation throughout China’s technology supply network. “Over time this dynamic could fuel, not foil, China’s ambitions,” Sacks stated.

When China’s DeepSeek unveiled its highly anticipated V4 AI model preview last month, one significant modification was its partial support by computer chips manufactured by Chinese technology giant Huawei. This represents reduced reliance on leading U.S. chip producers like Nvidia.

A recent Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered AI report indicates the U.S.-China performance gap in leading AI models has “effectively closed.”

U.S. government officials and major AI companies including Anthropic and OpenAI have claimed Chinese AI startups are appropriating U.S. AI technologies. China maintains such accusations lack foundation.

Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at research and advisory firm Omdia, expects any AI gap between America and China will continue shrinking, despite U.S. export restrictions and China’s Great Firewall, the ruling Communist Party’s extensive internet filtering and censorship apparatus.

Analysts including Su believe obstacles like the Great Firewall will probably affect China’s AI usage in restricted ways, considering the technology is already undergoing testing, integration and expansion within China’s controlled internet system.

“It won’t be long before China moves from fast follower to parallel innovator,” he concluded.

Pennsylvania state authorities have initiated legal action against Character.AI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of allowing a chatbot to impersonate a medical professional.

According to state officials, the AI chatbot falsely represented itself as a licensed psychiatrist and went so far as to provide users with a counterfeit state medical license number during interactions.

The lawsuit highlights growing concerns about AI chatbots overstepping boundaries and potentially misleading users who may seek legitimate medical guidance through digital platforms.

Character.AI operates a platform where users can interact with various AI-powered characters and chatbots designed for different purposes and conversations.

The legal action represents one of the first major state-level challenges to AI companies over chatbots that allegedly misrepresent professional credentials and qualifications to users.

SAN FRANCISCO — Wildlife researchers were left amazed when a solitary coyote made an extraordinary journey through the dangerous waters of San Francisco Bay to reach Alcatraz Island, the infamous former prison known for its escape-proof location surrounded by turbulent currents.

Initially, scientists believed the animal had swum from San Francisco’s shoreline, which sits just over a mile from the historic fortress. However, DNA testing has revealed the male coyote actually completed a much more challenging 2-mile journey from Angel Island.

“Our working assumption was that the coyote made the swim from San Francisco because it is a significantly shorter distance. We couldn’t help being impressed by his accomplishment in making it to Alcatraz,” National Park Service wildlife ecologist Bill Merkle stated in a Monday announcement titled “Alcatraz Coyote Wasn’t a City Boy After All.”

“Coyotes are known to be resilient and adaptable, and he certainly demonstrated those qualities,” Merkle added.

According to Camilla Fox, who founded and leads the nonprofit Project Coyote, the animal was likely seeking either a breeding partner or fresh territory to claim. Fox explained that while coyotes can swim like their wolf relatives, witnessing such behavior is extremely uncommon.

“We have never, ever heard such a story of a coyote making such a long journey in a pretty challenging ocean current,” Fox remarked.

Footage captured in early January documented the coyote navigating the frigid bay waters before attempting to climb onto the island’s rocky shores. A visitor later photographed the animal on January 24th.

Scientists discovered fresh tracks and droppings, which they submitted to UC Davis for genetic testing. The results shocked officials when they confirmed the swimmer belonged to Angel Island’s coyote community.

Park officials had planned to trap and move the coyote due to Alcatraz serving as crucial nesting grounds for seabirds. However, the animal has disappeared from both visual sightings and camera equipment, with no indication it remains on the island.

The notorious Alcatraz prison opened during the 1930s to hold America’s most dangerous criminals before shutting down in the 1960s due to its expensive isolated operations.

Throughout its history, 36 inmates made 14 different escape attempts from Alcatraz. Almost all were recaptured or perished in the freezing, rapid currents. The site became a public park in 1973.

Angel Island operates as a state park that historically functioned as an immigration processing facility where Chinese and other immigrants were detained anywhere from days to months, sometimes up to two years.

Fox noted that coyotes faced significant challenges establishing themselves on Angel Island but managed to succeed. She encourages visitors to both islands and similar natural areas to respect coyote families and their dens during the current pup-rearing season.

A Netherlands-based quantum computing company has successfully secured $178 million in new investment capital, with Intel Capital leading the funding round, the firm announced Tuesday. The investment comes as European nations work to compete with technology leaders in the United States and China.

According to consulting giant McKinsey, quantum computing technology promises to revolutionize data processing speeds compared to traditional computers, with the industry potentially reaching trillions of dollars in value over the coming decade.

QuantWare, which operates from its headquarters in Delft, Netherlands, plans to use the new capital to expand its manufacturing capabilities for quantum processors.

The funding round included participation from several investment firms beyond Intel Capital, including IQT, ETF Partners, FORWARD.one, and the Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund.

Company CEO and co-founder Matt Rijlaarsdam emphasized the importance of scaling production in a prepared statement. “The promise of quantum computing, capable of solving humanity’s intractable challenges, can only happen once it can be manufactured and deployed at scale. That is exactly what we are building,” Rijlaarsdam said.

European leadership has made significant investments in quantum technology development, with the European Commission and member nations contributing over 11 billion euros (approximately $12.88 billion) in public funding over the past five years.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Rising gold values have sparked a fresh wave of illegal mining operations throughout Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, rapidly destroying protected forest areas and creating dangerous mercury pollution levels, according to government officials and environmental researchers.

Research published Tuesday by Amazon Conservation, working alongside Brazilian nonprofit Instituto Socioambiental, revealed that unlawful mining operations caused extensive forest clearing within three protected conservation zones in the Xingu region. This area represents one of Earth’s most expansive protected forest systems, covering territory in Para and Mato Grosso states. The findings combined satellite data with field investigations.

The Terra do Meio Ecological Station experienced its initial illegal mining incidents in September 2024. By late 2025, mining operations had destroyed 30 hectares (74 acres) of forest in that location. At Altamira National Forest, unauthorized mining caused 832 hectares (2,056 acres) of forest destruction from 2016 through September 2025. A newly established mining operation that began in 2024 expanded to cover 36 hectares (89 acres) by October 2025, representing nearly half of that year’s mining-related forest loss in the area.

Satellite surveillance also identified a hidden airstrip constructed by illegal miners within the Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve during the previous year. Unauthorized mining activity in this reserve expanded from 2 hectares (5 acres) to at least 26.8 hectares (66 acres) throughout 2025.

Amazon Conservation collaborated with Earth Genome and the Pulitzer Center in 2023 to create the Amazon Mining Watch, a monitoring system utilizing satellite technology to observe mining operations throughout the Amazon region starting in 2018. Approximately 496,000 hectares (1,225,640 acres) of rainforest have been destroyed for mining purposes since that time, with roughly 223,000 hectares (551,045 acres) located within Brazil’s Amazon territory. Amazon Conservation calculates that 80% of mining-related forest destruction in Brazil likely occurs illegally.

Mining contributes a relatively minor portion of Brazil’s total deforestation, as agricultural expansion remains the primary cause of forest loss. Official records show that approximately 579,600 hectares (1,432 acres) of Brazilian Amazon forest were cleared in 2025. Mining operations accounted for about 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of this destruction, based on Mining Watch data.

“What makes mining particularly problematic is that it targets protected areas and Indigenous territories,” said Matt Finer, director of Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon program.

Safeguarding Indigenous lands is recognized as a highly effective strategy for preventing Amazon deforestation. The Amazon serves as the planet’s largest rainforest and plays a crucial role in regulating global climate patterns. Scientists caution that ongoing forest destruction could worsen global warming trends.

Brazilian officials initiated a comprehensive campaign against illegal gold mining within the Yanomami Indigenous territory in Roraima state during 2023, following a dramatic increase that created humanitarian and health emergencies. Amazon Conservation data shows that annual expansion of new mining areas declined significantly after that intervention. While mining activities continue, approximately 5,500 hectares (13,590 acres) of forest destruction within Yanomami territory had occurred by 2023.

However, targeted enforcement actions have failed to eliminate illegal mining throughout the broader Amazon region. When authorities destroy mining equipment and machinery in one location, operators frequently move to different areas or restart operations after officials depart. Federal prosecutor André Luiz Porreca, who investigates unauthorized mining in western Brazilian Amazon, characterized enforcement efforts as a “cat-and-mouse game.”

“Last year, I took part in an operation that destroyed more than 500 dredges on an Indigenous land,” Porreca said. “The following week, Indigenous people showed me photos proving the miners had already returned.”

According to Porreca, Brazil’s major criminal organizations, including the Red Command and First Capital Command (PCC), provide financial backing for illegal gold mining operations. These groups maintain presence in approximately one-third of Brazilian Amazon cities. “They have the money to bankroll these operations. Some dredges cost as much as 15 million reais.”

While enforcement reduced mining pressure in Yanomami territory, illegal operations have grown more intense in other locations, especially throughout Indigenous territories in the Xingu River basin. The most severe situation exists on Kayapo Indigenous land, where approximately 7,940 hectares (19,620 acres) of rainforest have been cleared through illegal mining, representing the largest such area in Brazil’s Amazon.

Historic gold prices, primarily driven by investor demand for secure investments amid increasing global uncertainties, have created powerful incentives for illegal mining activities.

“It’s basic market logic. With more buyers, there are more people exploiting gold,” Porreca said. He noted that Brazil’s mineral export oversight system remains inadequate, enabling money laundering operations that make illegal gold appear legitimate.

Environmental harm extends far beyond forest destruction. Illegal mining operations release mercury into river systems, polluting waterways and building up in fish that riverine and Indigenous communities rely on for food.

Porreca presented a report to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in April detailing extensive mercury contamination throughout the Amazon. The document referenced research by Fiocruz, a government research organization, which discovered that 21.3% of fish sold in Amazon public markets contained mercury levels exceeding World Health Organization safety standards. Children between ages 2 and 4 were consuming mercury at concentrations up to 31 times above recommended maximum levels.

Brazilian law forbids mining activities on Indigenous territories. The Ministry of Indigenous peoples stated that combating illegal mining on Indigenous lands represents a key priority for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government. The ministry explained that mining invasions are supported by criminal networks, and addressing them requires dismantling these economic and logistical systems.

The Ministry of Environment acknowledged that mercury contamination from illegal gold mining continues as an ongoing Amazon problem, noting expanded scientific monitoring efforts while supporting enforcement activities.

Brazil’s Federal Police did not provide responses to Associated Press requests for comment.

Three technology giants have reached an agreement with federal officials to provide advance access to their artificial intelligence systems for security evaluations before public launch.

The Department of Commerce’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation revealed the arrangement on Tuesday, which involves Microsoft, Google (owned by Alphabet), and Elon Musk’s xAI company. Under the deal announced May 5, these firms will allow government officials to examine their newest AI technologies prior to release.

According to the Commerce Department center, the partnership will enable officials to perform evaluations before deployment and conduct focused research aimed at better understanding AI capabilities while improving AI safety measures.

None of the three technology companies provided immediate responses when asked for comment about the new arrangement.

The entrepreneur who brought the Roomba vacuum into millions of homes is now working on his next breakthrough: an artificial intelligence-powered robotic companion that could serve as an alternative to traditional pets.

Colin Angle introduced his four-legged prototype, named the Familiar, during a presentation on Monday. The device resembles a bulldog-sized creature featuring gentle eyes and bear-like ears and paws, designed with touch-responsive synthetic fur that encourages interaction through petting and hugging.

“We chose a form factor that’s not a human, not a dog, not a cat, because we wanted to steer away from all of those preconceptions,” explained Angle, who now heads Familiar Machines & Magic after serving as the long-time chief executive of iRobot, the company behind Roomba.

This type of realistic robotic companion would have been impossible when Angle helped establish iRobot in 1990 or when the original Roomba debuted in 2002, thanks to recent advances in artificial intelligence technology.

While other companies have attempted similar projects – including Sony’s Aibo robotic dog from the late 1990s that was revived in 2018 – Angle believes his creation offers capabilities that “simply hasn’t existed before.”

“The challenge is to make something that’s not a watch-me toy,” Angle explained during an Associated Press interview. “This is about having something that you want to hug, you want to pet. When it’s happy, that makes you happy. And it is large enough or mobile enough to follow you to the kitchen or drag you off the couch and take a walk.”

The robotic companion produces emotional, animal-like vocalizations without speaking words. However, it features audio sensors that function as “ears” and an AI system capable of understanding and learning from human speech. The technology leverages recent breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence similar to ChatGPT, allowing the robot to modify its responses based on interactions with its human companions.

“I couldn’t have done this six months ago,” Angle noted.

Angle guided iRobot for twenty-five years, transforming Roomba into the first mainstream household robot. However, fierce competition, particularly from Chinese manufacturers, eventually challenged the company’s market position. Angle resigned from his leadership roles in 2024 following Amazon’s decision to abandon its acquisition plans for the struggling Massachusetts-based company.

Familiar Machines emerged shortly afterward and operated secretly in Woburn, Massachusetts until Monday, when Angle demonstrated one of his Familiar prototypes in New York at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything conference.

While commercial availability remains distant, Angle sees retired individuals as a primary market, particularly those who have moved beyond the typical pet-owning years.

“Not because people suddenly stop enjoying pets, but the fear and obligation of caring for them are such that people are very reluctant to get new pets at older ages,” Angle observed.

Unlike most robotics engineers who draw inspiration from science fiction, Angle’s concept stems from folklore traditions, including witches’ cats, wizards’ owls, and the animal companions featured in Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” book series.

“It’s an archaic, ancient word,” Angle said. Surprisingly, he discovered he could also secure trademark protection for the name.

Angle has assembled a team of distinguished robotics experts, including Marc Raibert, who pioneered robot movement and established Boston Dynamics, creator of the four-legged Spot robot, and Cynthia Breazeal, who developed the robot head Kismet and later the desktop speaker robot Jibo, early experiments in giving robots social capabilities.

Many of these collaborators studied together at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and share doubts about the current trend toward sleek humanoid robots designed to walk and move like people but currently lack practical physical capabilities.

Among these advisers is Maja Matarić, a computer science professor at the University of Southern California who helped establish the field of socially assistive robotics twenty-five years ago, focusing on robots that could provide social and emotional support to people.

Upon first encountering Angle’s prototype, she reported that she “immediately got down on the ground near it and had to hug it and pet it, then started to play with it to see what it would do.”

The robot’s ability to appear endearing rather than unsettling will be crucial. Matarić explained that decades of human-robot interaction research demonstrate that a robot that is “cute, personalized and vulnerable is much more appealing and lovable than the alternative.” She suggested it could prove especially valuable in nursing facilities or for mental health emotional support.

Matarić added that AI developments have made it more feasible to expand the technology’s reach to general consumers.

“Before generative AI, robots could not readily understand what people were saying,” she explained.

PORTLAND, Maine — The Trump administration has announced its strong support for legislation that would postpone new federal safeguards for North Atlantic right whales until 2035, prioritizing the interests of commercial fishing operations over immediate conservation measures.

With approximately 380 of these massive marine mammals remaining in North Atlantic waters, the species faces critical threats from entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. These whales can weigh as much as a medium-sized bulldozer and are among the most endangered whale species on the planet.

The legislation, introduced by Maine Democratic Representative Jared Golden, aims to provide additional time for developing regulations that would be less restrictive to fishing operations. In a Friday memorandum, the White House indicated President Trump’s senior advisors would recommend signing the measure if Congress approves it.

Golden defended his proposal, stating that Maine’s renowned lobster fishing industry would have faced devastating impacts from the previously planned regulations, which he described as “based on flawed science and hypothetical scenarios rather than the reality on the water.”

“A longer delay would give the government time to get the science right” regarding whale threats, Golden explained in his Friday statement.

The timing is significant as federal authorities had already suspended new right whale regulations until 2028. The proposed extension would add seven more years to that timeline.

These endangered whales follow a predictable migration pattern, traveling from birthing waters near Florida and Georgia northward to feeding areas around New England and Canadian waters. However, warming ocean temperatures have caused the whales to venture outside traditional protected zones while searching for food sources.

Commercial lobster and crab fishing operations generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually at American ports.

“This legislation is critical to ensuring the long-term stability of American fisheries for generations to come,” stated John Drouin, vice president of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association.

Conservation organizations, including California-based In Defense of Animals, have strongly opposed efforts to weaken whale protection measures. They point to alarming population statistics showing the species declined by approximately 25% between 2010 and 2020, with recovery efforts progressing slowly in recent years.

However, some recent developments offer hope for the species. The New England Aquarium reported that this year’s calving season resulted in 23 mother-calf pairs, representing the highest count since 2009.

Despite this positive news, the aquarium emphasized that right whales remain critically endangered after more than five decades of federal protection. These whales were once plentiful along the Eastern seaboard before commercial whaling operations nearly drove them to extinction.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists report discovering what appears to be a fragile atmosphere surrounding a small, frozen celestial body located in the outer reaches of our solar system past Pluto, possibly formed through volcanic activity or an impact from a comet.

Measuring approximately 300 miles (500 kilometers) in diameter, this distant mini-world may represent the smallest celestial object in our solar system confirmed to possess a gravity-bound global atmosphere, according to lead study author Ko Arimatsu from Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory.

“This is an amazing development, but it sorely needs independent verification. The implications are profound if verified,” stated Alan Stern from the Southwest Research Institute, who headed NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and wasn’t part of this research.

The discovery provides new understanding about the most distant, frigid objects inhabiting the Kuiper Belt region of our solar system. Scientists employed three Japanese telescopes to study the object during 2024 when it crossed between Earth and a distant star, causing temporary dimming of the starlight.

“It changes our view of small worlds in the solar system, not only beyond Neptune,” Arimatsu explained via email. He described discovering an atmosphere around such a diminutive object as “genuinely surprising” and noted it contradicts “the conventional view that atmospheres are limited to large planets, dwarf planets and some large moons.”

The minor planet, officially designated (612533) 2002 XV93, belongs to a class called plutinos, completing two solar orbits during Neptune’s three-orbit cycle. When observed, it sat more than 3.4 billion miles (5.5 billion kilometers) from Earth, positioned even farther than Pluto, which remains the only other Kuiper Belt object known to possess an atmosphere.

This frozen world’s atmosphere appears to be between 5 million and 10 million times less dense than Earth’s protective atmospheric layer, based on research published Monday in Nature Astronomy journal.

The atmosphere measures 50 to 100 times thinner than Pluto’s already sparse atmospheric envelope. Arimatsu suggests the most probable atmospheric components include methane, nitrogen or carbon monoxide, any of which could explain the observed starlight dimming during the object’s transit.

Additional observations, particularly using NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, might confirm the atmosphere’s composition, Arimatsu noted.

“That is why future monitoring is so important,” he explained. “If the atmosphere fades over the next several years, that would support an impact origin. If it persists, or varies seasonally, that would point more toward ongoing internal gas supply” from ice volcanoes.

During a March day in Arizona’s Coconino National Forest, an artificial intelligence system flagged what appeared to be smoke through a camera monitoring system. After human experts confirmed the sighting wasn’t dust or clouds, they immediately contacted Arizona’s forestry department and the state’s main power company.

The AI-powered camera, part of a network installed by Arizona Public Service, had identified the beginning stages of what would become the Diamond Fire. Emergency crews quickly responded and successfully limited the fire to just 7 acres before it could expand further.

With extreme temperatures breaking records and minimal snowfall creating dangerous dry conditions, western states vulnerable to wildfires are incorporating artificial intelligence into their fire prevention strategies, hoping the technology will protect both lives and property.

Arizona Public Service currently operates close to 40 AI-powered smoke detection cameras and expects to expand to 71 units before summer concludes, while the state’s fire department has put seven of their own systems into service. Colorado-based Xcel Energy has established 126 cameras and plans to extend coverage across seven of the eight states where it provides service by the end of this year.

“Spotting fires sooner allows us to deploy aircraft and crews immediately, helping us maintain smaller fire sizes,” explained John Truett, who serves as fire management officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

California operates ALERTCalifornia, a comprehensive network featuring approximately 1,240 AI-equipped cameras throughout the state that function similarly to Arizona’s approach.

Human oversight reduces incorrect alerts while simultaneously improving the system’s precision, according to Neal Driscoll, a geology and geophysics professor at the University of California, San Diego, who established ALERTCalifornia.

“The artificial intelligence running these cameras is actually outperforming 911 emergency calls,” Driscoll noted.

Throughout Arizona, California and other western regions, this technology primarily monitors high-risk zones that are sparsely inhabited, rural, or isolated, where fires might go unnoticed by people for extended periods.

“In locations where 911 calls might be delayed significantly, having AI continuously watching those cameras proves extremely valuable,” said Brent Pascua, battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. “We’ve frequently begun emergency responses before anyone called 911, and sometimes we’ve responded, extinguished fires, and never received any emergency calls at all.”

Pano AI, which integrates high-definition camera technology with satellite information and AI surveillance, has experienced increasing demand for its systems since beginning operations in 2020. Their equipment now operates across Australia, Canada, and 17 American states, including Oregon, Washington, and Texas. Clients range from forestry companies and government departments to utility providers like Arizona Public Service.

The company reports their technology identified 725 wildfires across the United States during the previous year.

“Stakeholders frequently tell us that this visual intelligence and the time advantage provides crucial early warning, preventing situations that could have escalated into hundreds or thousands of burned acres,” stated Arvind Satyam, the company’s co-founder and chief commercial officer.

Cindy Kobold, a meteorologist with Arizona Public Service, indicated the technology typically provides notifications approximately 45 minutes ahead of initial 911 reports.

Satyam explained that the technology emerged from the absence of robust solutions to address increasingly severe wildfires. Climate change, resulting from fossil fuel combustion, is raising global temperatures and creating arid conditions that intensify fires, causing them to burn more intensely, rapidly, and frequently. The technology enables firefighters to respond safely and effectively while safeguarding communities and critical infrastructure.

Implementation costs present a major challenge, with Pano AI charging roughly $50,000 per camera annually. This fee includes fire risk assessment and round-the-clock monitoring services.

Incorrect alerts create difficulties, consuming valuable time and resources, noted Patrick Roberts, a senior researcher with the nonprofit RAND organization who recently completed wildfire management innovation research.

Even when AI successfully identifies fires, it doesn’t provide guidance on appropriate responses.

“Should you dispatch help immediately? Should you monitor the situation? Is this cause for concern? Where should resources be sent? Should evacuations be considered? These decisions still require human judgment and support systems,” Roberts explained.

In densely populated regions, residents typically notice and report fires quickly, and the technology proves less beneficial during extreme weather conditions like hurricane-strength winds that rapidly intensify and redirect flames, as occurred in Los Angeles recently.

Pascua emphasizes that the technology enhances Cal Fire’s existing capabilities.

“When fires move and change direction, human expertise determines the most effective firefighting strategies. AI has limitations,” he said. “It simply provides real-time data that improves our decision-making during firefighting operations.”

AI can also help identify optimal locations for vegetation management and controlled burns, and monitor air quality for smoke detection, similar to home carbon monoxide detectors but “1,000 times more sensitive,” Roberts added.

At George Mason University in Virginia, professor Chaowei “Phil” Yang collaborates with researchers from California State University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles city officials, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop forecasting systems that predict fire spread patterns and identify communities most affected by smoke pollution.

The goal involves providing agencies with real-time mapping capabilities for rapid, life-saving decisions regarding evacuations, school and road closures, and early air quality alerts. Yang anticipates the technology will become operational within three years.

“AI applications in wildfire management have moved beyond theoretical concepts into practical implementation,” Roberts observed, predicting continued expansion.

“The future involves AI integration everywhere,” he concluded, “and distinctions between AI wildfire detection and traditional wildfire detection will disappear, just as they will in other aspects of our lives.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Emergency crews battled flames throughout Saturday night at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, where a marine science laboratory building suffered what officials are calling potentially complete destruction.

The Saturday evening blaze forced evacuations as thick smoke clouds rose from the research facility. University President Moez Limayem confirmed in a statement to the campus community that no one was hurt in the incident and that no dangerous substances escaped during the fire.

Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the flames.

According to Limayem, teams are still evaluating the full scope of damage, though early assessments suggest widespread destruction throughout the facility.

“Our recovery teams are working with the College of Marine Science to prioritize key research material and equipment for salvage assessment when the building is cleared,” Limayem wrote.

University officials announced that any classes and testing sessions originally planned for the damaged laboratory will be moved to alternative locations.

Electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn announced Sunday that it successfully deployed two advanced satellites into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from California, representing the Taiwan-based company’s continued expansion into aerospace technology.

The satellites, designated PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B, have successfully reached their planned low-Earth orbits and are scheduled to carry out operational missions spanning five years, according to the company.

Foxconn explained that these next-generation satellites are mainly intended to test and validate advanced payload systems focused on telecommunications and space research applications.

SEOUL, May 3 – South Korea successfully deployed its second next-generation Earth observation satellite into orbit using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, according to Yonhap News Agency reports on Sunday.

Korea Aerospace Industries spearheaded the development of the 500-kilogram satellite, which is designed to enhance land management capabilities and improve disaster response operations while promoting advancement in private sector space technology, Yonhap reported.

PLANDISTE, Serbia (AP) — Cheerful bird songs ring out among tall trees in a small forest located in Serbia’s northeastern region. Below, footprints from various animals can be spotted pressed into the damp earth and moss covering.

This 5-acre tract of land, known as the Nightingale’s Forest, represents an unusual pocket of dense vegetation within Serbia’s predominantly flat agricultural landscape. Serbia’s Bird Protection and Study Society purchased this property in the previous year using online fundraising efforts to safeguard the woodland and demonstrate environmental stewardship.

“This woodland was privately owned, and we saw it was put up for sale,” society representative Uros Stojiljkovic told The Associated Press, noting that the trees likely would have been harvested if different buyers had acquired the property.

“The value of timber was higher than its (land) price,” Stojiljkovic said. “We protected it this way.”

The crowdfunding campaign’s success reflects increasing public concern for environmental conservation in Serbia, as the nation grapples with challenges including contaminated air and waterways, waste disposal issues, and development projects that endanger natural spaces, especially in urban centers.

Government officials have promised enhanced environmental oversight as part of Serbia’s bid to join the European Union, though conservation organizations caution that meaningful progress remains limited.

The Nightingale’s Forest supports diverse wildlife and bird populations that depend on its humid ecosystem, Stojiljkovic noted. The organization now intends to catalog the flora and fauna while maintaining the forest in its natural state.

The 8,000 euro ($9,500) purchase amount was raised in under 30 days, and hundreds of contributors continue providing donations for research activities and potential future land acquisitions, according to Natasa Jancic, who participated in the fundraising effort.

“Individually, we can’t do much, but as an active and stable community, we can achieve a lot,” Jancic said.

Originally established three decades ago as a specialized group for experts only, the Bird Protection and Study Society has expanded into a broader community of environmental enthusiasts, further evidence of rising ecological awareness, Jancic explained.

“We have many families who are members, many nature lovers who may not be that active in the field but they want to contribute somehow,” Jancic added.

While protecting just 5 acres won’t create significant large-scale impact, it represents an important beginning, Stojiljkovic noted.

“Every village or town should have a Nightingale’s Forest of its own for a cumulative effect,” he said. “It is important to start somewhere.”

In a Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb, Caitlin Deal has experienced a heartwarming annual tradition for the past four years. A mallard duck, affectionately named Martha by the family, returns each spring to build her nest behind a shrub near their front entrance in Eagan, Minnesota. This remarkable relationship has provided Deal’s young son with incredible wildlife viewing opportunities and valuable lessons about living alongside nature.

Each spring season, Martha spends approximately one month incubating her eggs in their tree-filled neighborhood. When the ducklings emerge around Mother’s Day, the entire family waddles away to continue their journey.

“It feels nice that she trusts that area, that she trusts us to be able to come back year after year,” said Deal, whose 4-year-old son Owen’s first word was “Duck.”

Springtime marks the breeding season for numerous wildlife species — from various birds to deer and even alligators — who frequently choose nesting locations that are more convenient for humans than ideal for animals. Wildlife specialists emphasize that with limited exceptions and proper preparation, sharing space with these creatures typically proves straightforward and often quite enjoyable.

“My two biggest things are: Stay away from the nest or the little family as much as possible, and stay curious,” said Brittney Yohannes, a spokesperson for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.

When discovering a nest or young animal, wildlife professionals strongly recommend leaving them undisturbed.

Nest removal may violate federal regulations. When birds establish nests in unusual locations, property owners should contact their local wildlife authorities for guidance, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Beth Quillian.

Beyond avian species, homeowners frequently discover deer fawns resting in yard corners or near air conditioning equipment. Though these young deer may seem abandoned, Quillian explained that mother does typically hide their offspring while searching for food.

“That is to protect the fawn, to leave it there, sometimes hours at a time, but the doe will come back to that fawn, and that is natural and normal,” Quillian said.

Homeowners should avoid disturbing fawns unless obvious signs indicate they require assistance.

While these animals may seem adorable, people must remember that wildlife remains unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

Though ducks remain calm while nesting, Canada geese and swans display aggressive behavior, explained John Coluccy from the conservation organization Ducks Unlimited. Geese possess enough strength to knock people down and strike with bone-breaking force, he warned.

“They’re very, very aggressive. They’re long-lived and they protect their reproductive investment very vigorously,” Coluccy said.

Quillian highlighted that western regions may experience encounters with elk calves, typically in forest and coastal zones, though occasionally near residential areas. Adult elk can exceed 500 pounds, and mother elk demonstrate fierce protectiveness toward their young.

“It’s amazing to see wildlife, to get that opportunity, but we have to give them distance, respect their space, especially when they have young,” she said.

Throughout Florida, alligator breeding and nesting occurs between April and June. Female alligators construct nests resembling leaf piles near ponds, retention areas, and drainage ditches. These mothers fiercely defend their nesting sites, frequently while concealed in nearby water, according to North Florida Wildlife Center Animal Care Manager Darian Dowse.

The essential strategy involves maintaining distance from leaf mounds and keeping dogs on sidewalks, away from water edges.

Property owners with nesting concerns should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Dowse recommended.

Occasionally, animals including raccoons, squirrels, or foxes establish dens with their offspring in problematic locations, such as covered boats.

One effective solution that avoids live trapping or professional pest services involves installing bright shop lighting to illuminate the area, suggested Tami Vogel, executive director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. Mother animals typically relocate their young within several days.

Property owners can also install metal screening to block access to sheds and deck areas, she noted.

Vogel explained that center staff focus on educating community members about available options.

“We want them to know we’re here as a safety net and what to look for if something goes wrong, and then the good news is, two weeks later, their neighbor may have a similar situation and they can pass along that information,” Vogel said.

Since dogs and cats function as natural predators, keeping them nearby and controlled remains crucial.

For Deal’s family in Minnesota, protecting Martha’s wellbeing primarily involved managing their dog Piper, who enjoys pursuing other animals.

Deal reported that her family consistently kept Piper leashed, and Martha appeared comfortable with this arrangement.

Rabbits reproduce extensively throughout the Midwest and generate numerous calls to the Minnesota rehabilitation center, largely because they nest in residential yards, Yohannes noted.

The facility suggests placing laundry baskets over nests during daylight hours to prevent dog interference, then removing them by evening to allow mothers to care for their babies.

“One of the best pieces of advice I can give is just understanding that that period of coexisting with this nest or this family will be temporary,” Yohannes said.

Skywatchers hoping to catch a spectacular celestial show this week may face disappointment as a luminous moon threatens to overshadow the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower created by remnants of Halley’s comet.

The astronomical event reaches its maximum intensity Tuesday evening through early Wednesday morning. Observers in southern regions typically witness up to 50 meteors hourly during peak activity, though this year’s interfering moonlight could reduce that count to 25. Northern viewers may spot fewer than 10 meteors per hour.

“For us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s not going to be as impressive,” said Teri Gee, manager of the Barlow Planetarium in Wisconsin. “The farther south you are, the better you’ll see it.”

These cosmic light shows occur when Earth travels through debris trails abandoned by comets or asteroids. The particles slam into our planet’s atmosphere at tremendous velocities, creating brilliant streaks commonly called shooting stars.

While random meteors appear nightly under dark conditions, organized showers provide more dramatic spectacles and occur annually at predictable intervals.

The Eta Aquarids originate from one of astronomy’s most famous comets. Halley’s comet completes its solar orbit approximately every 76 years, with its next Earth approach scheduled for 2061.

Optimal viewing requires venturing outdoors before sunrise. Escape urban lighting and tall structures for unobstructed sky views. Finding locations that block the brilliant waning gibbous moon, which will be 84% illuminated, may improve visibility.

Comfort items like blankets and lawn chairs enhance the experience. Resist checking phones and allow eyes to adjust to darkness. Focus eastward near the Aquarius constellation and the bright star Eta Aquarii.

“You’re looking for bright streaks that appear in the corner of your eye for a fraction of a second,” said astrophysicist Nico Adams with SSP International, a nonprofit that promotes STEM education.

Direct observation provides the ultimate viewing experience, according to Gee.

“It almost feels like you’re discovering it yourself,” she said.

BERLIN — Rescue workers successfully freed a humpback whale into North Sea waters on Saturday after the marine mammal had been trapped in shallow coastal areas near Germany for several weeks, according to witnesses.

German media gave the whale the nickname ‘Timmy’ after it was first observed swimming close to Germany’s Baltic Sea shoreline on March 3, hundreds of miles away from where it should naturally be found in Atlantic waters.

The creature’s condition worsened as it kept getting stuck in shallow areas near Wismar, a German coastal community, while worldwide audiences watched live broadcasts of failed attempts to guide it toward deeper ocean waters.

Despite concerns from some researchers that the rescue effort might prove too stressful for the animal, the environment minister for Germany’s Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region authorized the privately-organized rescue mission to proceed.

According to German news agency dpa, Jens Schwarck from the private rescue group reported that the whale was set free at approximately 9 a.m. local time. The release took place roughly 70 kilometers (45 miles) off the Danish coast near Skagen.

Video captured by drones showed a whale swimming and breathing near the rescue vessel, though officials could not immediately verify the footage showed Timmy.

The situation created controversy over whether the whale should be allowed to die naturally or receive human assistance to return to Atlantic waters. Protesters gathered on Wismar’s beach demanding the animal’s rescue, while others proposed alternative transportation methods.

Several scientists theorized the whale had deliberately sought shallow waters because it was weakened and required rest. However, veterinarians working with the private rescue team determined the animal was healthy enough for the transport operation.

Reports indicate a GPS tracking device was placed on the whale before its release to monitor its movements, according to dpa.

Federal regulators have given the green light for construction of a cutting-edge nuclear power facility in Wyoming, marking a significant milestone in what supporters are calling a nuclear energy revival across the United States.

The project, which has received backing from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, represents the first advanced nuclear reactor to gain federal approval in more than two decades. The facility is being developed with partial funding from the federal government.

Terra Power, the company spearheading the initiative, claims their technology has been thoroughly tested and validated. However, industry experts note that nuclear power development continues to face significant regulatory and technical challenges.

The Wyoming project is being hailed as a breakthrough in nuclear technology, featuring advanced safety systems and design elements that differ substantially from traditional nuclear power plants built in previous generations.

Construction activities have already begun at the Wyoming site, with officials expressing optimism about the project’s potential to demonstrate the viability of next-generation nuclear technology in the United States.

An endangered Mexican wolf has crossed into Mexico from New Mexico for the first time in decades, but wildlife experts worry it may be the last such crossing due to ongoing border wall construction.

The radio-collared male wolf entered Chihuahua, Mexico, from a remote section of the New Mexico Bootheel last week, confirmed Aislinn Maestas, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson. The agency monitors this smallest and most threatened subspecies of North American gray wolf, known in Spanish as “lobo.”

These wolves once thrived throughout the American Southwest and Mexico but nearly vanished in the 1970s after government agencies and ranchers systematically killed them, claiming the animals posed a threat to cattle and other livestock.

For thousands of years, these wolves have wandered the Bootheel’s varied landscape of grasslands, desert terrain, and forested mountains, using ancient migration paths to hunt for food and find mates across what is now the U.S.-Mexico border.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations constructed steel border barriers extending westward through New Mexico as part of efforts to combat human and drug smuggling.

The ongoing construction of walls measuring 18 to 30 feet tall in this region could make last week’s border crossing the final one ever recorded for this species, according to conservationist Michael Robinson.

Such isolation would worsen the wolves’ existing inbreeding crisis, which has already resulted in higher puppy mortality rates, cancer cases, and birth abnormalities.

“Sealing off the Bootheel would isolate wolves and other rare mammals like jaguars and ultimately make them all less likely to survive,” said Robinson, who serves as a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agencies overseeing border barrier construction, have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Environmental organizations and some federal wildlife officials have expressed concerns that expanding border walls will break up natural habitats and interrupt animal migration patterns in areas including Texas’s Big Bend region, Arizona’s San Rafael Valley, and California’s Otay Wilderness. Homeland Security has invoked special legal powers to bypass environmental regulations, prompting legal challenges to the barriers.

While administrations from both political parties have recognized environmental concerns, they maintain the barriers are essential for national security. Officials have added some protective measures, including ground-level openings designed for smaller creatures like reptiles and rodents.

For Mexican wolves specifically, breeding between animals from both sides of the border could help address critically low genetic diversity, explained Cyndi Tuell, who directs Arizona and New Mexico operations for Western Watersheds Project, a conservation organization.

Every Mexican wolf alive today descends from just seven wolves that were successfully bred after capture as part of a joint U.S.-Mexico breeding initiative launched in the late 1970s.

Current population estimates show at least 319 wild Mexican wolves living in the United States, approximately 36 in Mexico, and roughly 380 in captive breeding facilities, according to USFWS and conservation organizations.

Federal cybersecurity authorities are exploring dramatically reducing the time government agencies have to repair critical computer system vulnerabilities, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions. The proposed changes come as officials grow increasingly worried about hackers leveraging advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to launch attacks.

The potential policy shift would reduce the current two-week timeframe for addressing actively exploited security weaknesses to just three days, sources revealed. This represents the first public disclosure of these deliberations.

Growing alarm surrounds the capabilities and widespread availability of AI systems like Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-5.4-Cyber. While cybercriminals have utilized AI technology since 2023, these latest iterations reportedly can rapidly discover unknown security gaps or quickly weaponize newly revealed vulnerabilities for sophisticated cyber operations. What previously required hackers months, weeks, or days to accomplish can now be done in hours in certain situations.

This acceleration is forcing cybersecurity professionals to dramatically increase their response speed, according to Stephen Boyer, who founded cybersecurity firm Bitsight and has previously assisted CISA in documenting vulnerabilities.

“If you’re going to protect civil agencies, you’re going to have to move faster,” Boyer explained. “We don’t have as much of a window as we used to have.”

Two informed sources indicated that Nick Andersen, who currently leads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Sean Cairncross, the national cyber director, are examining these deadline modifications. Reuters was unable to confirm whether officials have reached a final determination or establish a timeline for any decision. Both CISA and the Office of the National Cyber Director have not yet provided statements.

For several years, CISA has maintained a database of known and exploited vulnerabilities, commonly called KEVs, which receive priority status because they are publicly known and actively targeted by criminals or foreign intelligence operatives. Current policy typically allows civilian government departments two weeks to address such security flaws after they appear in the database. While deadlines are sometimes shortened for exceptionally severe threats, the new proposals would establish three days as the standard timeframe, sources indicated.

These CISA conversations occur as corporate executives and cybersecurity professionals wrestle with consequences from increasingly sophisticated AI releases. Banking sector leaders have been particularly affected as regulatory agencies rush to assess the potential dangers of this emerging technology.

Stricter CISA deadlines will probably influence standards for state and local governments, private companies, and other organizations, said Nitin Natarajan, who previously served as CISA’s deputy director during the Biden administration.

“This is a signal to others that says, ‘Hey you need to do this more quickly,’” he noted.

Natarajan, who currently operates cyber consulting firm NN Global, believes accelerating these deadlines makes sense given the rapid advancement of AI-enabled threats. However, he cautioned that CISA requires adequate resources to manage the pressure of compressed timelines, particularly after experiencing significant staff reductions and disruptions from government shutdowns during the Trump presidency.

“We’ve seen a reduction in their resources, both in funding and expertise,” Natarajan observed.

Kecia Hoyt, a vice president at threat intelligence company Flashpoint, emphasized that fixing software vulnerabilities often involves complex procedures requiring extensive testing before implementation. “Realistically, three days is simply impossible for some environments,” she stated.

John Hammond, senior principal security researcher at Maryland-based Huntress, described the potential shift from two weeks to three days as “quite a change.” Although he expressed cautious optimism about faster operations, he added that “only time will tell how well the industry keeps up.”

The Mexican capital is experiencing land subsidence at an alarming rate of almost 10 inches annually, new NASA satellite data shows, placing it among the globe’s most rapidly sinking major cities.

Home to approximately 22 million residents across 3,000 square miles, Mexico City and its surrounding metropolitan areas sit on what was once an ancient lake bed. Historic downtown canals have been transformed into modern streets, though waterways still exist in outlying rural areas.

Decades of intensive groundwater extraction combined with massive urban expansion have severely depleted the underground water supply, causing the capital to gradually descend for more than 100 years. This ongoing subsidence has left historic structures like the Metropolitan Cathedral, whose construction started in 1573, noticeably leaning. The shrinking aquifer has also worsened an ongoing water shortage that experts predict will continue to deteriorate.

“It damages part of the critical infrastructure of Mexico City, such as the subway, the drainage system, the water, the potable water system, housing and streets,” said Enrique Cabral, a researcher studying geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “It’s a very big problem.”

The rate of descent is so dramatic that it’s detectable from orbital observation platforms.

NASA’s latest findings indicate certain areas are dropping at an average of 0.78 inches monthly, including locations near the primary airport and the famous Angel of Independence monument.

This translates to an annual subsidence rate of roughly 9.5 inches. During the span of less than a century, the total drop has exceeded 39 feet, Cabral noted.

“We have one of the fastest velocities of land subsidence in the whole world,” he said.

The space agency’s calculations come from data collected between October 2025 and January 2026 using an advanced satellite called NISAR, which monitors real-time surface changes on Earth through a collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization.

NISAR scientist Paul Rosen explained that capturing Earth’s details from orbit “telling us something about what’s actually happening below the surface.”

“It’s basically documentation of all of these changes within a city,” Rosen said. He added: “You can see the full magnitude of the problem.”

The research team anticipates eventually achieving even greater precision, potentially measuring subsidence on individual structures.

Scientists plan to expand this technology globally to monitor natural disasters, seismic fault activity, climate change impacts in regions like Antarctica, and other environmental shifts.

Rosen suggested the system could enhance warning networks, enabling researchers to notify governments about necessary evacuations during volcanic eruptions, for instance.

For Mexico City, this technology represents a significant breakthrough in understanding and addressing the subsidence crisis, according to Cabral.

Government officials have historically paid little attention to this issue beyond reinforcing foundations beneath landmarks like the cathedral. However, recent water crisis episodes have prompted authorities to increase research funding, Cabral explained.

Data from the NISAR satellite will be essential for scientists and policymakers developing strategies to tackle this challenge.

“To do long-term mitigation of the situation,” Cabral said, “the first step is to just understand.”

When Moira Cathleen Delaney learned she had an aggressive intestinal cancer, she began planning how she wanted her body handled after death. Her passion for gardening, wildlife, and forests led her to choose natural organic reduction, a process that transforms human remains into soil.

Following her death in October at 57 years old, Delaney’s family scattered portions of her transformed remains beneath her beloved backyard tree and distributed other portions in glass containers to close friends and family members for planting.

“For her, it was a very comforting thought to be able to return to the earth in that kind of way, and to have her final physical act contributing to the life process,” said Marcos Moliné, her son.

Research conducted for the National Funeral Directors Association shows growing interest in environmentally conscious body disposal methods. Experts and researchers note that people are increasingly concerned about how traditional death practices like embalming, fire cremation, and vault burials impact climate, environment, and human health. Many also desire their final resting place to be in natural outdoor settings they treasured.

“How we die does lead to a substantial impact on not only the people around us and our communities, but the earth itself,” said Mark Shelvock, a psychotherapist and lecturer at Western University in Canada, who co-wrote a paper on green death practices.

Available options differ depending on location and local regulations. Traditional practices carry significant environmental costs.

The embalming process uses known cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde, which are injected into veins to preserve bodies for viewing. While the Environmental Protection Agency has labeled formaldehyde gas an “unreasonable risk” to public health, studies suggest minimal likelihood of soil and groundwater contamination.

Fire cremation, chosen by nearly two-thirds of respondents in funeral association surveys, typically relies on fossil fuel energy. The Cremation Association of North America calculates that a standard cremation uses energy equivalent to powering a 2,000-square-foot home for one week.

Casket and vault production requires substantial resources, involving wood harvesting, mining, and energy-intensive manufacturing. Concrete production alone accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the United States.

Traditional cemeteries demand ongoing maintenance including mowing, watering, and fertilizing, requiring continuous energy and resource consumption.

“There’s all of this management that goes into conventional cemeteries that looks very much like a golf course,” said Samuel Perry, a funeral director and president of the Green Burial Council, a global nonprofit that guides green burial standards and certification.

Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Florida combines natural burials with land preservation efforts. Workers dig graves manually, and bodies must be placed in biodegradable caskets or shrouds made from materials like bamboo or cotton. The facility prohibits embalmed bodies and vaults, requiring cremated remains to be stored in chemical-free, biodegradable urns.

The approach emphasizes natural decomposition processes.

Scott King initially doubted his mother Linda’s wish for this burial method, but research convinced him of its elegant simplicity. Linda was interred in a Prairie Creek meadow last October, and recently, King buried his brother Kenneth nearby.

“Through death, life begets life,” said King. “She really liked that idea, too, that she can, in her passing, help give life to something else. That was very important to her. My brother, I think, sort of went along with the ride.”

The cemetery collaborates with a land trust to manage, restore, and protect property from development. Staff remove invasive plant species, introduce native vegetation, and conduct controlled burns.

Executive director Heather Grove explains the benefits extend beyond burial practices. The area now supports increased biodiversity and wildlife populations, and “if you want talk about carbon capturing and all that, conservation is key to sequester,” she said.

Green Burial Council data indicates that eco-friendly burials sequester approximately 25 pounds of carbon.

Elena Slominski, a researcher studying environmentally conscious disposal methods, describes conservation burial as “by far the best thing you can do because it’s actually, technically a carbon sink. It actually restores ecological habitat and protects the land.”

However, this option faces limitations in areas where space is scarce, and critics argue it’s impractical due to land requirements.

Earth Funeral specializes in natural organic reduction, sometimes called terramation or human composting. Bodies remain in sealed containers for 30 to 45 days alongside mulch, wood chips, and flowers. Microorganisms break down remains into soil through natural processes that generate heat reaching 131°F or higher, sufficient to eliminate pathogens.

“What we are fundamentally doing is using science and technology to accelerate a completely natural process” using renewable energy sources, said Tom Harries, the company’s co-founder and CEO. Families receive portions of the resulting soil, while remaining amounts go to conservation or reforestation projects.

Fourteen states currently permit this process, with 15 others considering legislation to legalize it, according to Earth Funeral. Experts recommend this option for urban residents facing limited and expensive burial space.

Alkaline hydrolysis also aims to accelerate natural decomposition. Colorado-based water cremation company Be a Tree places bodies in vessels containing 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide, then heats the mixture to approximately 200°F for about 18 hours.

Remaining skeletal material is air-dried, processed, and returned to families as powder in urns or formed into stone shapes. Most families use some liquid for houseplants or gardens, while the majority goes to land conservation partners as fertilizer, said founder and CEO Emily Nelson. Other companies discharge remaining liquid with regular wastewater.

This method consumes roughly 90% less energy than fire cremation.

Perry from the Green Burial Council addresses frequent questions about whether post-death disposal choices significantly impact individual environmental footprints.

“The quick and dirty answer is no, I don’t think this one thing is going to change a whole lot. But it’s always about changing industries. And as an industry, if we do better, we are making a bigger impact.”

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has poured more than $15 billion into developing its massive Starship rocket system, according to IPO documents obtained by Reuters, representing an enormous financial commitment as the company approaches nearly a decade of work perfecting a completely reusable launch vehicle.

The enormous investment vastly exceeds the approximately $400 million SpaceX invested in creating its reliable Falcon 9 rocket, which currently dominates the commercial launch market. Starship represents the cornerstone of SpaceX’s future operations as the company prepares for public trading with a valuation of $1.75 trillion.

The towering two-stage rocket system is essential to Musk’s grand vision of deploying larger groups of Starlink satellites, transporting astronauts to lunar and Martian destinations, and eventually launching thousands of artificial intelligence computing satellites to serve as space-based alternatives to energy-intensive Earth-based data centers.

“We have continued to invest significantly in further increasing our lead by pursuing full and rapid reusability at scale, including investing over $15 billion in our next-generation rocket, Starship,” SpaceX stated in its confidential IPO registration documents.

According to the filing, SpaceX plans to begin deploying its next-generation Starlink satellites, designated V3, during the latter half of 2026. These advanced satellites will likely launch aboard Starship, which features a cargo bay specifically designed to accommodate up to 60 of the upgraded satellites per mission.

This capacity represents a significant improvement over Falcon 9’s typical payload of approximately 24 smaller Starlink satellites, demonstrating how closely Starship’s performance is tied to Starlink’s financial viability.

Development of Starship now represents the majority of SpaceX’s research investments. The company allocated $3 billion to space segment research and development in 2025, with the entire amount directed toward the Starship program, according to filing documents. This marks a substantial increase from the previous year’s $1.8 billion investment.

Since 2023, SpaceX has completed 11 Starship test missions, experiencing both dramatic setbacks and remarkable achievements. Notable successes include capturing the rocket’s enormous Super Heavy booster using giant mechanical arms upon its return to Earth, a technique intended to significantly improve reusability efficiency.

Despite these advances, SpaceX acknowledges in its filing that numerous unprecedented obstacles must be overcome before Starship can achieve Musk’s ambitious target of “thousands of launches per year.” The company indicates this launch frequency would be necessary to deploy 100 gigawatts of solar-powered AI satellites annually, equivalent to roughly one-quarter of America’s yearly energy consumption.

“They’re getting really close,” commented Chris Quilty, president of Quilty Space, a space and satellite industry research company. “But what we still don’t know, and won’t know for a while is, can they do it repeatedly?”

Among Starship’s most significant challenges is constructing the massive ground infrastructure required to support Musk’s desired launch frequency, including fuel supply systems, water infrastructure, and developing a heat shield capable of withstanding multiple atmospheric re-entries for the main spacecraft.

Each Starship launch requires natural gas equivalent to 244 tanker trucks, according to Federal Aviation Administration analysis. Approximately one million gallons of water are needed to suppress the rocket’s powerful acoustic vibrations during takeoff.

“There is not enough water in the water system to support the launch of Starship” at such a massive scale, Quilty explained.

Another major hurdle involves in-orbit refueling, an untested and dangerous procedure requiring Starships to dock with tanker variants to transfer fuel. This capability would be crucial for deep space missions and would require multiple Starship launches to accomplish.

“That’s probably the last big challenge,” said Hans Koenigsmann, former SpaceX Vice President of Flight Reliability and one of the company’s founding employees. “If that happens, then I think from then on it should be more or less, success.”

The complexity increases due to the propellant requirements. Liquid oxygen must remain at extremely cold temperatures and be perfectly sealed to prevent leakage into space.

“In-orbit refueling is complex, and we have not yet demonstrated or attempted it,” SpaceX acknowledged in its filing.

“We may not be able to develop, commercialize, scale, or successfully implement these or other strategic initiatives on the timelines we currently anticipate, or at all,” the company added.

During the past decade, SpaceX has constructed an extensive development facility in South Texas called Starbase, dedicated entirely to Starship operations. The facility supports a manufacturing approach designed to produce rockets at speeds comparable to commercial aircraft rather than traditional spacecraft.

“When you build up your production before you actually have the product, you obviously run the risk that if you change your mind… every change on the rocket has a change on the factory now too,” Koenigsmann explained.

Test failures have necessitated hundreds of design modifications to the vehicle. Koenigsmann characterized Starship as “a totally different animal” compared to Falcon 9.

SpaceX is currently preparing for its first Starship test mission since October, representing the program’s longest gap between flights. The upcoming mission will introduce the Starship V3 prototype.

“Version 3 is basically a clean-sheet design of the ship,” stated Charlie Cox, Director of Starship Engineering, in a video SpaceX released on X Friday.

The V3 Starship, featuring dozens of critical improvements, is designed for orbital missions, extended space testing, and crewed lunar landings—the rocket’s most demanding mission type for which NASA has paid SpaceX at least $3 billion through its Artemis moon program.

“That Version 3 is what HLS is going to be based on,” said Kent Chojnacki, Deputy Manager of NASA’s Human Landing System program. “A lot’s gonna be dependent on this first flight.”

Russia’s space program achieved a milestone Thursday evening with the inaugural test flight of its advanced Soyuz-5 rocket, according to an announcement from the nation’s space agency.

The rocket departed from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur launch facility at 9 p.m. Moscow time on April 30th without complications, Roscosmos officials reported. The space agency touts the vehicle as featuring the globe’s most potent liquid-fuel propulsion system.

According to Roscosmos, the advanced rocket can transport cargo weighing as much as 17 metric tons while delivering substantial cost savings compared to previous models. The agency emphasized the vehicle’s enhanced efficiency for deploying satellites and other equipment into low Earth orbit.

Dmitry Bakanov, Roscosmos director, praised the achievement as representing a “new step in space exploration” and predicted the program would generate employment opportunities across Russia and Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz-5 represents Russia’s first newly engineered launch system since 2014, according to previous statements Bakanov made to President Vladimir Putin.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s beloved national symbol, the kiwi bird, disappeared from Wellington’s surrounding hills more than 100 years ago. Today, local residents are leading an extraordinary grassroots effort to bring these endangered flightless creatures back to their nation’s capital.

“They are a part of who we are and our sense of belonging here,” said Paul Ward, founder of the Capital Kiwi Project, a charitable trust. “But they’ve been gone from these hills for well over a century and we decided as Wellingtonians that wasn’t right.”

Under cover of darkness Tuesday evening, Ward and fellow volunteers carefully transported seven containers across challenging terrain on a misty hillside overlooking the waters separating New Zealand’s North and South Islands. Each container held a precious cargo — a kiwi bird, with one representing the milestone 250th bird brought back to Wellington through the Capital Kiwi Project’s efforts.

New Zealanders derive their common nickname from this unique bird species. The kiwi presents an unusual appearance with its tiny, undeveloped wings and whisker-like facial features, combined with its naturally timid behavior.

Holding deep spiritual meaning for many New Zealanders, the kiwi’s likeness can be found throughout the country, even adorning the nation’s air force aircraft — an ironic choice given that this bird lacks a tail and cannot achieve flight.

Experts believe approximately 12 million kiwi birds inhabited New Zealand’s landscape before human settlement. Current estimates place the surviving population at roughly 70,000 birds nationwide, with numbers declining by 2% annually.

On the windswept hills where Wellington’s kiwi population now calls home, Tuesday night’s only sounds came from spinning wind turbines. Ward and his team positioned their containers in pairs, carefully opened them, and gently angled the boxes forward.

Several quiet observers became emotional during the release. A participant offered a karakia, a traditional Māori prayer.

Each container gradually revealed a distinctive long, curved beak as the kiwi birds cautiously emerged into their new shadowy environment, then quickly accelerated into runs before vanishing into the night.

For the first time in history, kiwi birds entered New Zealand’s Parliament building this week. Before the seven newest Wellington residents were taken to their hillside habitat, handlers brought them into Parliament’s elegant banquet hall to commemorate the 250th kiwi’s arrival in the city.

Both legislators and students expressed hushed amazement at observing these shy, nighttime creatures at close range — many experiencing their first encounter as conservation staff held the substantial birds similar to human infants, with their weathered feet extended.

“This animal has given us as a people so much in terms of our sense of identity,” Ward told The Associated Press. “We want to challenge our civic leaders, our politicians and say this is a relationship we need to honor.”

New Zealand hosts several of the planet’s most unusual and rare bird species. Many have survived only through ambitious conservation programs that sometimes operate with uncertain financial support.

Earlier conservation efforts relocated all remaining birds of certain species to predator-free offshore islands or protected sanctuaries where careful monitoring and protection was possible, though few New Zealanders would encounter them there.

Ward and his colleagues envisioned something different: New Zealand’s symbolic national bird thriving alongside residents in a busy capital city, despite human development and non-native predators previously eliminating the kiwi population.

“Where people are is also the places where we can bring them back because we’ve got the means to do that guardianship,” Ward said.

While unprotected kiwi populations continue declining, their numbers have flourished in well-managed wild bird reserves — so successfully that some protected locations have reached capacity.

This success has enabled relocations to areas like Wellington, where organizations like Ward’s encourage residents to welcome their new avian neighbors. Late-night mountain bikers have encountered kiwi, and the birds have appeared on residential security cameras throughout the capital, according to Ward.

“They’re living and calling and being encountered on the hills surrounding our city,” Ward said.

Achieving this required significant coordination. Throughout the past ten years, collaboration between property owners, the local Māori tribe, and the Capital Kiwi Project has created an extensive 24,000-hectare area where kiwi can freely roam.

More than 5,000 traps targeting stoats — the primary threat to kiwi chicks — are distributed across this territory. Wellington’s kiwi population currently maintains an impressive 90% chick survival rate.

This kiwi restoration represents part of New Zealand’s ambitious goal to eliminate introduced predators, including feral cats, possums, rats, and stoats, by 2050. While debate continues regarding the feasibility of this target established by a previous government in 2016, community organizations have embraced the challenge enthusiastically.

Certain Wellington areas now exist completely free of mammalian predators except for domestic pets, allowing native bird species to thrive. Volunteers monitor neighborhoods with exceptional thoroughness, watching for even a single rat’s appearance.

“When I think of endangered species globally, for the most part you can’t do much other than campaign or donate money,” said Michelle Impey, chief executive of Save the Kiwi. “But we have this incredible movement throughout the country where everyday people are taking it on under their own steam to do what they can to protect a threatened species.”

J. Craig Venter, the pioneering scientist who spearheaded efforts to decode human DNA and revolutionized our understanding of genetics, passed away Wednesday at age 79.

The J. Craig Venter Institute, which operates genomics research facilities in La Jolla, California, and Rockville, Maryland, confirmed his passing. Officials said Venter died in San Diego following hospitalization due to complications from recent cancer therapy.

During the 1990s, Venter challenged a massive federal initiative known as the Human Genome Project by wagering he could employ alternative sequencing methods to decode human DNA faster. His gamble paid off when Celera Genomics, his private firm, joined with Human Genome Project scientists in 2000 to announce they had successfully mapped the 3.1 billion building blocks of DNA that serve as humanity’s genetic blueprint. The complete genome was officially finished in April 2003.

“Some have said to me that sequencing the human genome will diminish humanity by taking the mystery out of life,” Venter remarked during a 2000 White House ceremony celebrating the achievement. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

His groundbreaking research actually uncovered deeper mysteries while simultaneously helping medical researchers identify genetic factors behind rare disorders and widespread illnesses like heart disease and cancer. The work also revealed genetic variations that could increase disease susceptibility in individuals.

The Navy veteran, who served during the Vietnam conflict, credited that experience with showing him life’s fragility and sparking his fascination with how billions of human cells work together to sustain life.

During his tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Venter contributed to developing methods for rapidly identifying extensive sections of human genetic material.

He later became the first person to publish his complete genetic sequence publicly, hoping researchers could analyze it to determine inherited traits from both parents and identify potential health vulnerabilities. This work paved the way for personalized medical treatments based on individual genetic profiles. His team also achieved a major synthetic biology milestone by engineering a bacterial cell using laboratory-created DNA.

SAN FRANCISCO — A colossal sea lion dubbed Chonkers has captured the attention of both visitors and San Francisco locals who are making special trips to Pier 39 hoping to catch sight of the enormous marine mammal.

Thursday morning brought photographers and onlookers as the giant Steller sea lion rested on the dock, dwarfing the many smaller California sea lions that regularly inhabit the waterfront area.

“He’s like a Volkswagen! He’s so huge!” exclaimed Oluwaseyi Akinbobola, a Los Angeles tourist who made a quick detour to the pier with some spare time. “I have heard everywhere about this big giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so just thought I’d check it out.”

According to Laura Gill, public programs manager at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Chonkers probably traveled south from Washington or Oregon waters and tips the scales at an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 pounds. The massive Steller sea lion represents a rare visitor to the pier, which offers protection from both predators and rough seas while serving up abundant seafood.

“There’s plenty of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so the fish, the rockfish, the anchovies, the herring, there’s a lot of easy prey for them,” she said.

San Francisco local Danielle Ovadia noted how the enormous sea lion, initially observed at the pier last month, has united the neighborhood. “He’s so precious, and he’s quite literally humongous,” she said.

While sea lions have become a trademark feature of the busy tourist pier, their presence only began following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, marina records show. A single male pioneer was soon accompanied by many others, and the marine mammal colony had expanded to over 300 by February 1990.

Gill explained that Chonkers typically appears at the docks during early morning hours but becomes more elusive as the day progresses. She finds it charming to observe his attempts to cuddle with the resident sea lions for warmth and wonders whether additional Steller sea lions might follow his lead.

“He’s trying to fit in, but he sticks out like a sore thumb,” she said.

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have made a groundbreaking discovery about how tiny organisms work together, according to new research published in Nature Microbiology.

The study, conducted by Dr. Sarah Moraïs and overseen by Prof. Itzhak Mizrahi, reveals that microorganisms deliberately modify their actions when living alongside other microbes in communities. Rather than fighting for resources, these microscopic creatures sense their neighbors and adapt their functions to avoid direct conflict.

This research tackles a puzzle that has long intrigued scientists: how can numerous microbial species survive together when logic suggests they should be battling for the same food sources? The answer lies in their ability to recognize other microbes and change their biological roles, creating less overlap and reducing head-to-head competition.

The research team built experimental microbial communities using bacteria from digestive systems. Instead of simply identifying which species were present, they tracked protein creation to understand what job each microbe was actually performing in the group.

“A microbe is not defined only by its genome, which represents its potential, but also by its community. The same bacterium can behave very differently depending on who surrounds it,” Moraïs explained.

The results show that microbial communities operate like well-organized teams where members split up responsibilities rather than competing against each other. Scientists believe this discovery could explain how complex microbiomes form and maintain their stability over time.

These findings could have wide-ranging practical applications. Prof. Mizrahi noted that for human health, creating effective probiotics might require choosing microbe combinations that naturally share different functions. In farming, better understanding of how microbes organize themselves could lead to improved animal feed efficiency and lower emissions. The biotechnology field might also benefit by developing systems using multiple microbes instead of relying on single engineered organisms.

The research team included scientists from Ben-Gurion University and the University of Greifswald. Funding came from the European Research Council, the Israel Science Foundation–Swiss National Science Foundation partnership, and the Israel Science Foundation.

NEW YORK (AP) — The workplace landscape is experiencing a dramatic shift as artificial intelligence technology becomes deeply integrated into daily professional routines across numerous industries.

Educators are utilizing these digital tools to develop curriculum materials and evaluate student work. Sales and marketing teams are deploying AI to network effectively and analyze potential customer requirements. Meanwhile, project coordinators are turning to artificial intelligence as a translator when complex technical discussions become difficult to follow during workplace meetings.

While many professionals embrace these technological advances, some express worry that widespread adoption might diminish analytical reasoning abilities, particularly in younger generations. These users emphasize the importance of carefully reviewing AI-generated work, noting that these systems can produce errors or fabricated information.

Below are examples of how various professionals incorporate artificial intelligence into their work routines to increase efficiency and spark innovation.

Kristin Moore, who works as a technical product manager at PERQ, a digital marketing platform serving property management firms, has discovered an innovative application for AI in workplace communication. When attending meetings where engineers discuss complex topics beyond her technical background, she records these conversations and processes them through Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, requesting simplified summaries of her required follow-up actions.

“It picks up on all of that terminology that I don’t understand, and it can simplify it into something that I can consume,” Moore said.

Additionally, she employs the AI system to analyze emails, customer service requests, recorded discussions, and client communications to identify development priorities for her organization.

“It’s definitely freed up hours and hours of my week,” Moore said.

Kyle Weimar works as an elementary educator with Charter Schools USA while coordinating his Florida school’s multi-tiered support program, focusing on creating intervention strategies for students in the lowest-performing 20% academically.

In this capacity, he inputs academic assessments, progress reports, and medical data into his district’s artificial intelligence platform. Prior to student support meetings, he requests brainstorming assistance to develop targeted help strategies for individual children.

Weimar has also implemented AI for assignment evaluation. He can process 100 student papers through an AI system, provide scoring criteria, and receive graded work with immediate student feedback. “I can do that in 30 minutes, whereas it would have taken me a week before,” he said.

Given that educators face overwhelming workloads, “so any tools that we can use to make that a little bit more viable, we’re really excited about using,” Weimar said.

Ashley Smith serves as marketing director for HireQuest, a staffing and recruitment firm operating approximately 400 franchise locations. She utilized Claude to construct an analytical dashboard that examines web traffic information and social media patterns. This system identifies content that resonates with HireQuest’s audience versus material that receives little engagement, helping Smith advise franchise owners on business development strategies.

During a recent major manufacturing industry conference attended by her sales staff, she instructed them to photograph companies they wanted to target. She then uploaded these images to an AI platform, requesting a comprehensive list containing company names and projections about their potential staffing requirements over the following 18 to 24 months, based on public announcements and financial documents.

The time Smith conserved by delegating this research to AI allowed her to increase direct consultation time with franchise partners.

“AI has not replaced anything. It’s only expanded what we’re able to offer to our franchisees,” Smith said. “It allows us to do things that, candidly, we just weren’t able to deliver even as short as two years ago.”

Andrew Markle, a design executive at Georgia Pacific, the manufacturing company behind Dixie cups, Quilted Northern toilet paper, and various household products, employs AI for rapid visual concept development. During brainstorming sessions for modernizing the Brawny paper towel brand, his team used AI to visualize different appearances for the mascot character on their product packaging, including variations in facial hair length.

This AI assistance accelerated the team’s idea evaluation process while providing predictions about target customer reactions, Markle explained.

“It’s not replacing the creative eye of what’s good and what’s appropriate for our business,” Markle said. “Ultimately, we knew we were going to partner with our ad agency. We have an illustrator that’s going to do the final vision.”

Kenneth Lynch works as a special education instructor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, teaching life skills to developmentally disabled students to promote independent living. He uses AI to create educational assessments and study materials. When working with a student interested in automotive careers, Lynch uploaded mechanical training manuals to an AI system that produced chapter-specific quizzes.

However, he exercises caution when seeking AI guidance on psychological conditions. “When I look up different types of diagnosis and try to connect comorbid diagnoses together, it really struggles with understanding how those fit together,” Lynch said.

Ravi Pendse, serving as chief information officer at the University of Michigan, employs AI for meeting preparation by requesting predictions about potential questions he might face.

“It has made me a lot more efficient,” Pendse said. “It gives me more time to focus on my own mental health and wellness.”

The University of Michigan has also developed an AI tutoring system that faculty members can customize to provide students with round-the-clock academic support. Despite these benefits, Pendse emphasizes responsible implementation.

“We all should be thinking about how we ensure that AI does not erode our critical thinking skills, especially those of our children,” Pendse said. “As we grew up, we learned from our mistakes. We wrote bad papers, and we got better.”

Bob Jones, the university’s assistant vice president for emerging technology and support services, utilizes AI to refine his email communications for specific audiences.

“If I’m communicating about a particularly sticky topic, I want to make sure that I’m neutral and thoughtful,” Jones said. “So the idea of really assessing how I’m presenting myself, AI is really good at that.”

Natalie Blythe, marketing director at SumnerOne, a company providing printing equipment, copying machines, and IT solutions, requests AI assistance for developing email marketing campaigns, social media content, and presentation materials. She also leverages the technology to better understand her target customers.

When targeting printing services to higher education institutions, she asked ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI platform, to develop a demographic profile for a typical university admissions director. She then requested predictions about this professional’s primary challenges and ways her company’s offerings could address these issues.

“When it first started up, I was in the camp of, ‘Oh my God, this is the end for us,’” Blythe said about AI’s early development. Rather than simply fearing the technology, she committed to learning its applications.

“The efficiencies gained out of it have been tremendous,” she said.

A Texas-based biotechnology company is working to bring back an extinct African antelope species that disappeared more than 200 years ago due to hunting by European colonists.

Colossal Biosciences, headquartered in Dallas, revealed Thursday that the bluebuck antelope has become the sixth extinct species in their revival program. The distinctive animal, which featured a silvery slate-blue coat and curved horns, once roamed South Africa’s southwestern Cape region before being completely eliminated around 1800.

“We’re two years into the bluebuck project and have already completed several foundational steps,” company CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm explained to Reuters. “We are equally excited about how our technology can help living antelopes today. About a third of the world’s roughly 90 antelope species are threatened or near-threatened.”

The bluebuck measured approximately four feet tall at the shoulder and possessed distinctive backward-curving black horns that extended roughly 22 inches in length. Hunters valued the animals for their uniquely colored pelts, driving them to extinction within just 34 years of their initial scientific documentation.

“Humans did this. European settlers shot the bluebuck out of the Cape in under 34 years. There’s no ambiguity about the cause and there’s no ambiguity about the responsibility. If we have the capability to right that wrong, I think we have an obligation to,” Lamm stated.

The company’s approach involves modifying genetic material from the roan antelope, which shares more than 98% of its genome with the extinct bluebuck. Scientists are currently in the gene-editing phase, introducing bluebuck characteristics into roan antelope cells.

“We are now in the genome-editing phase, where we introduce key bluebuck edits and genes into roan antelope cells,” Lamm explained. “After finishing the various edits, the next step will be to use the edited cells to create an embryo and move toward implantation. From there, gestation would take about nine months.”

Researchers obtained bluebuck DNA primarily from a preserved specimen housed at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. The team has successfully developed pluripotent stem cells from roan antelopes, which Lamm described as “essentially versatile ‘starter cells’ that can become many different cell types.”

“We’ve also made breakthroughs in reproductive methods, including successfully collecting eggs from antelope species using advanced techniques,” he added.

Colossal’s portfolio includes five other extinct species: the dire wolf, woolly mammoth, thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), dodo, and moa. In April 2025, the company announced the birth of three genetically engineered wolf pups created using ancient DNA from dire wolf fossils.

“The dire wolves are doing great,” Lamm reported. “The three dire wolves live on a 2,000-acre secure, expansive ecological preserve that allows us to monitor and manage them while providing them a semi-wild habitat to thrive in. We hope to have more dire wolf pups by the end of the year.”

While some scientists debate the ethics of species resurrection, Lamm argues that traditional conservation methods are insufficient for the current extinction crisis.

“Honestly, I think the debate sometimes functions as a way to avoid a harder conversation, which is that conservation as currently practiced is not winning. We are losing species faster than our existing toolkit can address,” he said.

The company expects to announce scientific progress on their mammoth, dodo, thylacine, and moa projects before the end of the year.

A former Harvard University researcher who was found guilty of concealing financial ties to China has now established a new brain-computer interface laboratory in that country, with access to resources that surpass what he had in the United States.

Charles Lieber, 67, who ranks among the world’s top experts in brain-computer interface technology, is currently directing China’s government-funded Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies (i-BRAIN) in Shenzhen. This technology holds promise for treating diseases like ALS and helping paralyzed individuals regain movement, but it also carries potential military uses.

According to the U.S. Defense Department, researchers with China’s People’s Liberation Army have explored brain interfaces as a method to create enhanced soldiers with improved mental capabilities and battlefield awareness.

In December 2021, a jury found Lieber guilty of providing false information to federal investigators regarding his connections to a Chinese government program designed to recruit international talent, along with tax violations related to Chinese university payments. His punishment included two days in jail, six months of home confinement, a $50,000 fine, and $33,600 in restitution to the IRS. His legal team noted during proceedings that he was battling lymphoma, which was in remission at the time.

Now, three years following his sentencing, Lieber oversees the state-supported i-BRAIN facility, which provides him with specialized nanofabrication tools and primate research capabilities that weren’t available during his Harvard tenure. The laboratory operates under the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART).

Speaking at a Shenzhen government gathering in December, Lieber reflected on his transition to China: “I arrived on April 28, 2025 with a dream and not much more, maybe a couple bags of clothes. Personally, my own goals are to make Shenzhen a world leader.”

When contacted through an assistant, Lieber declined to participate in an interview, citing “current commitments.” He also did not respond to written inquiries.

According to a May 1, 2025 post on i-BRAIN’s website, SMART named Lieber as an investigator last year. The same announcement revealed his appointment as the institute’s founding director, which received less media attention initially.

In 2011, Thomson Reuters recognized Lieber as the world’s leading chemist of the previous decade in their scientific rankings. The company, which later sold this ranking business in 2016, chose not to comment on the matter.

Security experts argue that Lieber’s ability to rebuild his research operation following a federal criminal conviction for concealing Chinese connections demonstrates how American technology safeguards haven’t matched China’s efforts to obtain sensitive research. This concern grows more significant given Beijing’s military-civil fusion approach, which allows civilian scientific work to be shared with military forces.

Glenn Gerstell, who served as general counsel for the U.S. National Security Agency from 2015 to 2020 and currently advises the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained: “China has weaponized against us our own openness and our own efforts for innovation. They’ve flipped that and turned it around against us, and they’re taking advantage of it.”

Neither China’s Ministry of Science and Technology nor its defense ministry responded to questions about brain-computer interface development. SMART and i-BRAIN also remained silent regarding their research activities and Lieber’s recruitment.

Lieber’s current position appears to offer superior resources compared to his previous American setup. In February, i-BRAIN acquired a deep ultraviolet lithography system manufactured by semiconductor equipment company ASML, according to the lab’s website. These Dutch-made machines create the microscopic circuits necessary for advanced computer chips. During his Harvard years, Lieber relied on shared lithography equipment through the university’s Center for Nanoscale Systems, which serves over 1,600 users each year.

While i-BRAIN’s equipment model trails restricted machines by two generations, semiconductor research firm SemiAnalysis estimates its cost at approximately $2 million. ASML declined to discuss its customers publicly.

The same campus provides Lieber access to Brain Science Infrastructure (BSI) Shenzhen, a research facility containing 2,000 primate enclosures and designated space for i-BRAIN projects. Many field researchers view primate testing as essential preparation for human trials of invasive brain-computer interfaces. The BSI facility belongs to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and receives funding from Shenzhen’s government, though none of these organizations answered questions about brain-computer interface technology or primate research’s role.

A September 2025 website post indicates that i-BRAIN seeks domestic and international researchers for electrophysiology studies using rhesus monkeys as human brain-computer interface models, with interested candidates directed to contact Lieber.

No evidence suggests Lieber conducted primate research at Harvard. The prestigious Massachusetts institution shuttered its New England Primate Research Center in 2015 following persistent animal welfare concerns and funding difficulties.

Jung Min Lee, a researcher who collaborated with Lieber on nanofabrication studies at Harvard, has joined him at i-BRAIN as research associate professor. Lee, who specializes in integrating flexible electronics into brain tissue, could not be reached for comment. Harvard did not respond to questions about either Lieber or Lee.

Brown University professor and neuroscientist John Donoghue, who developed the BrainGate brain-computer interface system, emphasized that primate research is “absolutely critical” for advancing neural interface technology to human applications, despite facing regulatory and funding obstacles in America.

“With so many hassles with non-human primate research here, to have somebody give you all this support, access to technology, a concentrated center, a national initiative – those are things that are very attractive,” Donoghue told reporters.

SMART’s 2026 budget, entirely funded by Shenzhen’s government, increased nearly 18% to roughly $153 million. However, budget documents don’t specify how much funding goes to i-BRAIN specifically.

SMART launched in 2023 under founding president Nieng Yan, a structural biologist whose 2022 return to China after five years at Princeton University was celebrated in local media as a “goddess scientist” homecoming. Neither Yan nor Princeton responded to questions about her Shenzhen role and Lieber’s recruitment.

Adjacent to SMART sits the legally distinct but functionally connected Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, established in 2019 with approximately $2 billion in five-year government funding. Both institutions share leadership and offices within Guangming Science City, a national science center featuring landscaped parks and waterways. They will eventually occupy a dedicated 750,000-square-meter site currently under construction at an estimated $1.25 billion cost.

Visitor signs at SMART’s location display the motto: “Innovate with the Party.” A reporter was refused access to i-BRAIN’s offices while attempting to deliver correspondence to Lieber.

Lieber joins at least six others who have transferred to SMART from American institutions, though the others are Chinese-born researchers returning to their homeland.

In March 2026, China designated brain-computer interface technology as a national development priority in its latest five-year plan. Zheng Shanjie, who leads China’s National Development and Reform Commission, stated in October that brain-computer interfaces and related technologies “will be equivalent to creating another Chinese high-tech sector in the next 10 years.”

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency also funds brain-computer interfaces for drone and cyber defense applications. Court records show Lieber’s Harvard research projects received over $8 million in Defense Department funding since 2009. The Pentagon did not respond to questions about the technology’s military applications or Lieber’s Shenzhen activities.

Lieber’s 2021 conviction represented one of the few successful prosecutions under the U.S. Justice Department’s China Initiative, created during the first Trump administration to combat Chinese economic espionage and intellectual property theft. The Biden administration discontinued the initiative following numerous failures and accusations of racial profiling.

While under supervised release, Lieber obtained court permission for at least three China trips in 2024, including one that U.S. District Judge Denise Casper approved for “employment networking.” Judge Casper did not respond to comment requests.

In a 2023 pre-sentencing document, Lieber’s defense team described how the scientist had been battling lymphoma and was mostly homebound, leaving only for medical visits, short walks, and occasional farm trips. During his 30-year Harvard career, he worked over 80 hours weekly in the laboratory, and in his free time enjoyed “coaching wrestling, and growing giant pumpkins in the back yard.”

Lieber admitted to being “young and stupid” for participating in China’s Thousand Talents Program, the government initiative to recruit overseas experts, his attorney told the court in 2021. When arrested in 2020, Lieber informed FBI agents he “wanted to win a Nobel Prize” and gain recognition for his work, prosecutors revealed.

Both the FBI and Justice Department declined to comment on the case.

Some analysts view the Lieber situation as evidence of broader American policy shortcomings.

“If you think of him as a vector for tech acquisition that runs contrary to U.S. interests, we identified that, punished him, and that did nothing to stop the big-picture trend,” said Emily de La Bruyère, who co-founded China-focused consultancy Horizon Advisory and serves as a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Gerstell, the former U.S. official, called Lieber “Exhibit A” in demonstrating inadequate American legal mechanisms.

“This is a guy who was convicted of precisely the thing that we want him to be convicted of in this context, and yet the minute he’s released from house arrest, he’s off in China,” he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has introduced a new digital tool that allows the public to browse through previous environmental education grant competitions and awards distributed through its Environmental Literacy Program.

The interactive platform includes filtering capabilities and a map-based interface that users can navigate to examine the history of funding opportunities and recipients from past program cycles.

The Environmental Literacy Program, administered through NOAA’s Office of Education, has provided grants to support environmental education initiatives across the country.

A groundbreaking genetic study has overturned long-held assumptions about what transpired following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, when Germanic leader Odoacer overthrew the young Emperor Romulus Augustulus in Italy, triggering the breakdown of centralized power across much of Europe.

Scientists analyzing DNA from ancient burial sites in what is now southern Germany have discovered how these monumental political upheavals impacted everyday citizens, while challenging the widespread belief in violent “barbarian invasions” that supposedly swept across the former empire’s territories.

The research revealed that once imperial marriage laws were no longer enforced, Roman garrison troops and city dwellers quickly began intermarrying with lower-status residents, including people of Northern European heritage.

“The temporal alignment between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in Italy and the genetic shift we detect in southern Germany is remarkably precise,” explained Joachim Burger, an anthropologist and population geneticist at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany who served as the study’s senior author. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Scientists examined genetic material from 258 individuals buried in distinctive row-style graves across present-day Bavaria and Hesse, with 112 of these remains discovered at the Bavarian village of Altheim. The majority of burials occurred between 450 and 620 AD.

“Row grave cemeteries were a newly emerging early-medieval burial practice where individuals were buried in rows, often containing grave goods like clothing, jewelry and weapons. These cemeteries stretched across the former Roman frontier from the Netherlands to Hungary,” stated Jens Blöcher, a population geneticist at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz who led the study.

Roman forces had constructed military installations along the German frontier to defend against attacks and civil unrest, with some of these outposts growing into substantial communities and eventually major cities. Mainz, Regensburg, Trier and Cologne all developed near the burial locations examined in this research.

The genetic evidence documented a significant population change that coincided with the late fifth-century breakdown of Roman governmental systems. Data showed that Northern Europeans had already begun migrating south into the region in small numbers during the empire’s lengthy decline, living apart from the established Roman communities, likely working as farm laborers. During this period, outsiders could receive land grants under specific conditions, including restrictions on marrying Romans.

“They have lived there for generations, marrying almost exclusively within their own group – preserving their northern genetic heritage,” Burger noted.

The Roman military and civilian populations displayed significant genetic diversity, including people with ancestral roots from throughout the empire. These groups were genetically different from the outsiders gradually arriving from Northern Europe, including areas as far away as Britain, as well as from the Balkans and even Asia.

The genetic data showed intermarriage between these two populations following the empire’s end and a peaceful blending of peoples that ultimately created a new early-medieval society.

“While we do detect north-to-south movement of people across the former imperial frontier, the majority of this migration occurred generations before the pivotal horizon” of the empire’s collapse, Burger explained, noting the movement began in the third and fourth centuries.

“Crucially, this influx was not driven by large, ethnically homogeneous tribal blocs or major clans, but rather by small kinship groups and even isolated individuals. This pattern directly contradicts the traditional narrative of a ‘mass barbarian invasion’ following Rome’s collapse,” Burger added.

Well before Romulus Augustulus was removed from power, the vast Roman Empire had been split into eastern and western sections. While the Western Roman Empire crumbled after an extended period of chaos and military defeats, the Eastern Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire, remained centered in Constantinople – modern-day Istanbul – and continued to flourish.

The genetic information also revealed demographic details about the studied population, showing life expectancies of approximately 40 years for women and 43 years for men, along with high infant death rates in a society where nearly 25 percent of children lost at least one parent by age 10.

Christianity had already become established as the official Roman religion. The genetic data indicated families followed monogamous nuclear structures, widows did not remarry within their deceased husband’s family, and there was strict prevention of marriages between close relatives like cousins.

“All these traits reflect Christian norms from Late Antiquity,” Burger observed.

The evidence suggests additional Northern Europeans continued arriving in the region during the centuries following the empire’s fall, with a new genetic pattern developing by approximately the seventh century – “one that closely resembles the genetic profile we observe today in central Europe,” according to Burger.

MILTON, Mass. — Each morning, Matthew Douglas ascends a narrow staircase to emerge through a rooftop hatch, where a glass orb housed in metal framework has etched a delicate line across a paper strip, documenting yesterday’s sunshine hours.

This daily ritual represents part of an unbroken tradition at Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center, located 15 miles south of Boston, where weather watchers have maintained identical procedures for 141 consecutive years. Through virtually unchanged analog equipment, they’ve compiled an uninterrupted database of temperature readings, moisture levels, rainfall amounts, wind measurements and additional atmospheric data that supports forecasting models and scientific studies.

“My routine is the same every day,” said chief weather observer Douglas, who has worked there since 1997, sporting a dark blue sweatshirt with the name of the observatory on the front. “The only thing that changes are the numbers and the weather itself.”

According to executive director Alex Evans, Blue Hill stands as America’s longest continuously functioning weather observatory. Since 1885, employees and volunteers have depended on identical instruments, including mercury and alcohol-based thermometers, moisture-detecting devices that utilize human hair strands, and the rooftop glass sphere that tracks bright sunshine periods.

Maintaining identical equipment in the same location for nearly 150 years, Douglas explained, ensures that any detected shifts in weather patterns represent genuine changes rather than variations caused by different instruments producing altered measurements compared to previous equipment. Possessing such a “tried and true database” as a baseline proves invaluable for climate studies, he emphasized.

While climate science faces challenges from political opposition, budget reductions and staff cuts have affected federal weather agencies since 2025. Blue Hill, operating as a private nonprofit organization, has largely escaped this turbulence. Nevertheless, its continued operations remain uncertain, as funding sources are scarce in the current political climate, Evans noted.

Blue Hill’s mission extends beyond maintaining weather records to bridging the gap between ordinary citizens and climate science, despite appearing outdated compared to modern technology.

Very few American weather observatories match Blue Hill’s age, and even fewer maintain manual data collection methods. While volunteer networks across the nation still employ similar techniques to supply information to the National Weather Service, weather stations — both private facilities and those connected to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — have transitioned to automated digital systems since the 1990s.

Blue Hill transmits daily observation summaries to the National Weather Service, which chief scientist Michael Iacono says may influence weather predictions under certain conditions, plus monthly reports to the National Centers for Environmental Information for distribution to climate researchers. Local television meteorologists also receive daily summaries and occasionally incorporate these observations into their broadcasts, he added.

Within Blue Hill’s circular three-story tower, crowned with castle-style battlements, weather observers Douglas and Amanda Joly occupy an office surrounded by evidence of their daily efforts. Wall-mounted boxes contain sunshine recording cards, wind velocity charts printed on EKG paper fill filing cabinets, and computer systems house spreadsheets where Douglas and Joly carefully document temperature and humidity readings.

Records spanning more than a century “is really unique,” according to Chris Fiebrich, a University of Oklahoma meteorologist. This “dataset is golden,” he explained, because climate change involves gradual trends that “you can only see that clearly if you have measurements that go way back, from before we had satellites” and other contemporary equipment.

Blue Hill’s documentation reveals, for instance, a 5-degree Fahrenheit (approximately 2.8-degree Celsius) rise in average yearly temperatures at the observatory since 1885, plus local ponds now freeze for nearly three weeks less during winter compared to that era.

Observers can also identify the effects of environmental policies. Since the 1990s, Blue Hill has documented increased bright sunshine duration following a low point during the 1980s. Since airborne pollutants like particulate matter block sunlight, cleaner air produces more sunshine, making this improvement partially attributable to the Clean Air Act — federal legislation enacted in 1970 and revised in 1990 to enhance air quality through reduced pollutant emissions.

One-third of Americans believe climate scientists comprehend “not too well” or “not at all well” whether climate change occurs, based on a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. Trump labeled climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during a United Nations General Assembly address last September, while attempting to undermine climate science.

During times when “the word ‘climate’ is politically demonized in some circles,” stated Alan Sealls, American Meteorological Society president, locations like Blue Hill can serve as “a small part of many possible solutions” to make weather and climate science accessible to people, including young audiences.

The pathway to Blue Hill Observatory follows a curving asphalt route threading through woodland and alongside a ski lift; drivers must carefully navigate around hikers and dog walkers. At the summit, guests can appreciate westward views above the forest canopy or enter through an open archway into the observatory’s courtyard.

Annie Hayes, a Milton resident who toured Blue Hill in mid-March with her spouse and two children, explained that witnessing how observers gather data creates stronger confidence in the science, which otherwise might seem “a little bit of a mystery.”

The mercury barometers in the observers’ workspace — including one the observatory considers the oldest such device in active daily operation within the United States — exemplify this principle. “If somebody’s standing there seeing it while you’re explaining it to them … it becomes a little less scary,” noted chief scientist Iacono.

Blue Hill’s atmospheric pressure instruments consist of glass tubes and small mercury containers — a lustrous, silver-white liquid — mounted within wooden wall cases. When air pressure pushes down on exposed mercury, it rises through the tubes, with the distance traveled indicating atmospheric pressure changes. This mechanism explains the pressure measurement “inches of mercury.”

Another visitor favorite is the Campbell-Stokes recorder, designed to measure bright sunshine hours. Its glass sphere, positioned within a curved metal mount, functions as a magnifying lens, concentrating sunlight onto a paper card and burning a streak as the sun travels across the sky.

While indicating the glass sphere displayed in the history room, Amanda Joly, Blue Hill’s deputy chief observer, described how this recorder, dating to 1898, was stolen in 1993 and subsequently recovered. The theft’s silver lining is that while a modern replacement handles rooftop duties, visitors can now handle the original sphere — something children especially enjoy — without observers worrying about measurement interference.

Hayes’ family, local residents, was examining rain gauges in the gift shop when facilities director Don McCasland described a new Blue Hill citizen science initiative, enabling residents to collect and contribute weather data to a central database. The family intends to begin using their rain gauge this summer.

It’s “a great way to involve the kids and get them excited,” Hayes said. “And who knows? Maybe they’ll find an interest and want to pursue it on their own, too.”

German rescue teams have launched an ambitious operation to save a stranded humpback whale, loading the massive marine mammal onto a specially designed barge for transport to deeper waters. The whale, dubbed Timmy by local media outlets, has been trapped in shallow Baltic Sea waters near Germany’s coastline since early March.

The marine giant was first observed swimming off Germany’s Baltic coast on March 3, thousands of miles from its natural Atlantic Ocean environment. Since then, the whale’s condition has worsened as it repeatedly became stuck in shallow areas, with global audiences watching failed rescue attempts through live video feeds.

Rescue crews worked for several hours on Tuesday to guide the whale onto the flooded transport vessel using specialized straps and a specially excavated channel leading to the barge, according to Germany’s dpa news agency.

By early Wednesday morning, the transport vessel had reached Fehmarn island in northern Germany, positioned near Danish territorial waters, German newspaper Bild confirmed.

The planned route will take the barge around Denmark’s northern coastline, passing through the Skagerrak strait before reaching the North Sea.

Mecklenburg Vorpommern Environment Minister Till Backhaus, whose state had been hosting the stranded whale, expressed his personal investment in the rescue effort on Tuesday, stating he was “on the verge of jumping into the water to help the whale get through the last few meters.”

Despite scientific community concerns that the transport might prove too stressful for the animal, Backhaus approved the privately proposed rescue operation.

The appropriate response to the whale’s situation has sparked weeks of public debate, with some advocating for allowing the animal to die peacefully while others push for continued rescue efforts. Beach demonstrations in Wismar have featured activists demanding the whale’s freedom, while other groups have proposed alternative transportation methods to return the animal to ocean waters.

Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack previously told The Associated Press that rescue attempts have inflicted significant stress on Timmy.

“I believe the whale will die very soon now. And I would also like to raise the question: What is actually so bad about that?” he said. “Yes, animals live, animals die. This animal is really, really very, very, very sick. And it has decided to seek rest.”

Scientific experts remain uncertain about the whale’s survival prospects during transport. Some researchers theorize the whale deliberately sought shallow waters due to weakness and exhaustion. However, veterinarians working with the private rescue group believe the animal is strong enough to endure the journey.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A quartet of mountain bongo antelopes touched down in Kenya this week, marking another milestone in efforts to save these distinctively striped creatures from extinction.

The animals made the journey from Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic, traveling in specially designed wooden transport containers via KLM cargo aircraft to Kenya’s primary airport. High-ranking officials including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano welcomed the animals, with Miano describing the event as a “homecoming of the majestic bongos.”

These remarkable antelopes face dire circumstances in the wild, with government estimates showing fewer than 100 mountain bongos surviving in their natural habitat. The species earned its critically endangered status due to hunting pressures and disease outbreaks. A devastating rinderpest epidemic in the 1980s killed thousands of the animals, prompting conservationists to relocate many survivors to European facilities for safekeeping.

This marks the third such repatriation effort in recent years, following a previous shipment in February 2025. The newly arrived animals will spend time in quarantine and adjustment periods before moving to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, which currently cares for 102 bongos. Eventually, they will be released back into their wild forest homes.

The conservancy operates Kenya’s National Recovery and Action Plan for the Mountain Bongo alongside government partners, with plans to incorporate these four newcomers into breeding programs designed to diversify and strengthen genetic lines.

Conservation filmmakers Jahawi and Elke Bertolli, both Kenya natives, emphasized to The Associated Press that these returning animals carry crucial genetic diversity essential for species survival. They noted that mountain bongos serve an important ecological function in maintaining forest ecosystems that supply Kenya’s water resources.

Czech Republic Ambassador Nicol Adamcova highlighted how this transfer demonstrates the enduring conservation partnership between her nation and Kenya, representing their joint dedication to protecting threatened wildlife.

Mudavadi praised the achievement as evidence of what becomes possible when government policy, scientific research, and international cooperation align toward common conservation objectives. “I commend all stakeholders involved and assure you of Government’s unwavering support in strengthening conservation frameworks and ensuring that Kenya’s biodiversity continues to thrive,” he stated.

Minister Miano emphasized that introducing genetically diverse animals represents a vital component in building the species’ reproductive strength and long-term survival prospects.

Chinese authorities have temporarily halted the approval process for new autonomous vehicle permits following a technical failure that caused Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis to unexpectedly cease operations in Wuhan last month, according to a Wednesday report from Bloomberg News citing sources with knowledge of the situation.

The temporary ban prevents companies developing self-driving technology from expanding their current robotaxi fleets, initiating new testing programs, or beginning operations in additional metropolitan areas, the report indicated.

Local officials have also put a hold on Baidu’s robotaxi services in Wuhan while they conduct their investigation into what caused the system malfunction, Bloomberg reported.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the Bloomberg report at the time of publication.

Government agencies including the industry ministry, transport ministry, and public security ministry did not provide immediate responses to written requests for comment. Baidu also failed to respond to inquiries about the situation.

Two competing robotaxi companies emphasized their commitment to safety protocols while confirming their services continue operating without interruption.

“Pony.ai’s robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are currently operating normally,” the company stated.

“Our preparation work in Changsha and Hangzhou is also progressing as planned,” Pony.ai added.

WeRide reported that its “robotaxi services in China are still operating as normal” across coverage areas spanning more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles).

“We support the authorities’ efforts to ensure the highest safety standards across the industry,” WeRide said in its statement.

Earlier this month, Chinese government officials directed regional authorities to perform internal safety reviews and enhance monitoring protocols for road testing of intelligent connected vehicles.

A new study released Wednesday shows encouraging progress in protecting the world’s tropical rainforests, with destruction rates dropping significantly in 2025 after reaching devastating record levels the year before.

According to research from the World Resources Institute and University of Maryland, approximately 4.3 million hectares of untouched tropical forest disappeared last year – equivalent to 10.6 million acres. This represents a substantial 36% decrease compared to 2024’s record-breaking losses.

The improvement stems primarily from Brazil’s aggressive campaign to reduce deforestation, following commitments made by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after taking office in 2023.

Elizabeth Goldman, who co-directs Global Forest Watch and helped compile the annual assessment, expressed cautious optimism about the findings. “It’s encouraging, when the problem feels massive, (that) there are real interventions that work out there and we can see it in the data,” Goldman stated.

However, she cautioned that current deforestation rates remain dangerously high. Nations worldwide are still destroying forests at levels 70% above what scientists say is necessary to achieve the international pledge signed by nearly all countries in 2023 to stop and reverse forest destruction by 2030.

“Achieving this goal in the coming years will not be easy,” Goldman warned.

Agricultural development remains the primary cause of forest clearing globally, with commercial farming operations in countries like Brazil, Bolivia and Indonesia leading the destruction, while subsistence farming drives losses in regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some nations have shown sustained success in forest protection. Malaysia and Indonesia have maintained long-term policies that effectively reduced primary forest losses, particularly in areas where palm oil plantations historically threatened natural ecosystems.

Yet policy changes threaten this progress. Indonesia experienced increased deforestation last year partly due to President Prabowo Subianto’s expansion of a food estate initiative designed to achieve national food independence.

Environmental organizations worry that Brazil may face similar setbacks after the expiration of an industry agreement that prevented soybean purchases from recently cleared Amazon rainforest areas.

Beyond tropical regions, global forest losses including northern ecosystems fell 14% last year. However, climate change continues mounting pressure on forests worldwide.

Canada experienced its second-worst wildfire season on record last year, with the past three years seeing boreal forest burns approximately five times higher than the previous two-decade average.

In tropical areas, where fires typically result from human activity, increasingly dry conditions are transforming small controlled burns into massive uncontrolled blazes.

Rod Taylor, who directs WRI’s global forest programs, noted that while forests remain crucial carbon storage systems that help combat climate change, rising temperatures are increasingly converting these ecosystems from carbon absorbers into greenhouse gas producers through fires and droughts.

“We’re on a kind of knife’s edge,” Taylor explained.

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday it has greenlit new regulations that will permit companies to test and operate self-driving heavy-duty trucks on state highways.

The updated rules eliminate previous restrictions on autonomous vehicles exceeding 10,001 pounds, potentially opening the door for driverless freight transport across the Golden State. The DMV emphasized that the changes also strengthen safety protocols and monitoring requirements for all categories of self-driving vehicles.

Under the new framework, autonomous trucks must still make required stops at inspection stations and follow all existing state and federal commercial vehicle regulations. Medium-weight autonomous vehicles up to 14,001 pounds will be permitted for use by government agencies and educational institutions.

The regulatory change comes after Governor Gavin Newsom rejected legislation in 2023 that would have banned heavy-duty autonomous trucks from California roads. Following that veto, the DMV began developing this comprehensive regulatory structure to address the previous limitations.

Companies seeking to deploy autonomous trucks must follow a phased approach, starting with supervised testing using human safety operators before advancing to fully driverless trials and eventual commercial operations. Testing requirements mandate 50,000 miles of operation for lighter vehicles and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty trucks at each development stage.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The vessel that transported four crew members on a historic lunar journey has arrived back at its starting point in Florida.

On Tuesday, NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft made its way back to Kennedy Space Center, nearly four weeks after launching on mankind’s initial moon voyage in more than five decades.

After touching down in Pacific waters on April 10, the Orion vessel was transported by truck from San Diego to Cape Canaveral. Technical teams will conduct thorough inspections of the craft’s thermal protection system and all other components as they prepare for the upcoming Artemis III orbital docking demonstration around Earth next year. The spacecraft’s electronic systems and scientific instruments will be extracted and repurposed.

The crew from the United States and Canada named their vessel Integrity, and it transported astronauts farther from Earth than any human has previously ventured. Apart from some issues with the restroom facilities, the spacecraft functioned effectively throughout the mission lasting nearly ten days, NASA reported.

Mission Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen are finally taking time to rest following extensive medical evaluations and additional testing after completing their mission.

“Been waiting for this moment,” Wiseman posted on X recently, sharing footage of himself enjoying time at the beach. “There is a lot in my head that I must process and very little has to do with leaving the planet. Today is my first step. I have never in my life felt peace like this.”

Before the Artemis II mission, no astronauts had journeyed to the moon since the Apollo 17 expedition in 1972.

The upcoming Artemis III mission will utilize a new spacecraft and different crew members. They will conduct orbital operations around Earth, practicing docking procedures with moon landing vehicles currently being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. This preparation will pave the way for a lunar surface mission involving two additional astronauts, potentially as soon as 2028.

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have made a groundbreaking discovery that overturns a fundamental assumption about how plants feed themselves, according to an announcement made by the university on Tuesday.

The research team discovered that vegetation can take in vital nutrients directly from dust particles in the air through their leaves, contradicting the traditional scientific belief that plants obtain nourishment exclusively through their root systems from soil.

Published in New Phytologist journal and covered by Xinhua news agency, the research demonstrates that plant leaves can capture minerals like iron and phosphorus from dust floating in the atmosphere. Scientists explained that this feeding process works because leaves have a mildly acidic surface that dissolves dust particles, freeing up nutrients for the plant to absorb.

The research team conducted field testing under Mediterranean climate conditions, including locations in the Judean Hills, to verify their findings. Native plant species cistus creticus and salvia fruticosa that were subjected to artificial dust exposure displayed increased levels of iron and phosphorus in their upper portions, while nutrient concentrations in their root systems stayed essentially the same.

According to the research team, their discoveries reveal that plant leaves actively participate in nutrient collection rather than simply acting as inactive surfaces. Through a combination of field studies and worldwide data analysis, the scientists determined that nutrients obtained from atmospheric dust can significantly contribute to plant nourishment.

The study revealed that in certain areas, nutrients taken in through leaves represented as much as 17 percent of iron consumption and 12 percent of phosphorus consumption compared to nutrients obtained from soil. When intense dust storms occur, the quantity of nutrients absorbed from the atmosphere can equal or surpass the amounts gathered from ground sources.

The research indicates this feeding method could be especially crucial in locations where soil nutrients are scarce or hard for plants to reach. The scientists noted that this process might have a major impact in desert regions and ecosystems with poor soil quality.

The study also suggested that atmospheric nutrient absorption could become more significant as climate change influences worldwide dust movement patterns, potentially changing how plants obtain essential minerals across different geographical areas.

A group of Google workers has delivered a formal request to company leadership calling on the tech giant to turn down any Pentagon contracts that would involve secret military applications of their artificial intelligence systems.

The formal request, which was sent to CEO Sundar Pichai and includes signatures from high-ranking staff members and researchers at Google’s DeepMind AI division, asks the company to avoid any Defense Department partnerships involving confidential technology applications. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the document.

Staff members expressed concerns that confidential military projects would reduce openness and make it impossible for company officials to monitor how their AI systems are being utilized. “There is no way to ensure that our tools will not cause serious harm or violate individual freedoms,” the petition stated.

The document also addressed wider moral questions surrounding military AI applications. “We want to see AI benefit humanity; not to see it being used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways. This includes lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance but extends beyond,” the workers wrote.

They added, “The only way to guarantee that Google does not become associated with such harms is to reject any classified workloads. Otherwise, such uses may occur without our knowledge or the power to stop them.”

This workplace resistance mirrors similar internal pushback from 2018, when Project Maven sparked controversy over Google’s involvement in helping the Pentagon analyze objects in drone surveillance footage from international operations. During that incident, more than 4,600 workers signed a letter demanding the contract be canceled.

Two months earlier, competing AI firm Anthropic lost its Defense Department partnership after making a comparable demand to limit confidential military use of its technology.

Google has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the worker petition.

BERLIN – A complex rescue operation launched Tuesday to save a young humpback whale that has been trapped in Germany’s shallow Baltic Sea waters for nearly a month, sparking weeks of heated public discussion about how best to help the marine mammal locals have dubbed Timmy.

The juvenile male whale will be directed through a specially-excavated channel onto a ship-transport barge filled with water before being taken to the North Sea, according to organizers of the privately-funded rescue effort reported by regional media outlets.

Rescue coordinators believe the whale is healthy enough for transport, but marine biology experts from the German Oceanographic Museum have expressed serious concerns about the plan.

“The chances of a successful rescue are very slim due to the animal’s poor state of health and the generally poor prognosis,” the museum stated.

The rescue attempt would subject the whale to “great deal of stress and a high risk of injury” and “would result in very high noise levels inside the barge due to the high level of sound reflection,” museum officials warned.

Two wealthy individuals are financing the rescue mission, including one person connected to the German electronics retailer MediaMarkt. The total cost of the operation remains undisclosed.

Constanze von der Meden, serving as a spokesperson for the rescue team, has not responded to media inquiries.

The whale earned its nickname from nearby Timmendorfer beach, close to the Baltic island where it became stranded. Marine biologists first observed the animal approximately four weeks ago swimming in low-salt waters that whales typically avoid, suggesting the creature was either sick or confused about its location.

Since then, the whale has repeatedly become stuck on underwater sand formations.

Government officials in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have defended their approach of reducing the animal’s stress levels while dismissing public demands to euthanize the whale to prevent further suffering.

Thousands of concerned citizens have contacted authorities through email, with some messages containing death threats against officials. State Environment Minister Till Backhaus announced that criminal charges will be pursued when appropriate.

Animal rights advocates and other interested parties have established temporary camps near the rescue location.

Humpback whales were once hunted nearly to extinction but have made a significant recovery, with the species now considered at low risk of disappearing, though two specific populations remain endangered.

A groundbreaking study of a Greek volcano is changing how scientists understand dormant volcanic systems, revealing that these geological giants can remain quiet for more than 100,000 years before coming back to life.

Researchers examining the Methana Volcano, situated approximately 37 miles southwest of Athens, have challenged the widespread belief that volcanic systems become “extinct” after remaining inactive for 10,000 years.

Scientists analyzed 700,000 years of volcanic activity at Methana, discovering eruptions punctuated by extended dormant phases. Their research revealed that the volcano’s most prolonged quiet period – spanning from roughly 280,000 to 168,000 years ago – wasn’t evidence of extinction but instead represented a time of significant underground magma buildup.

“This long period of quiescence at Methana happened during the prehistory, so we are piecing it together based on the chemical evidence preserved in the rocks and minerals. To understand what happened under Methana, we need to picture the volcano as the tip of an iceberg: at the surface we see only a little bit of it, while most of the igneous system is underground,” explained ETH Zürich volcanologist Răzvan-Gabriel Popa, who led the research published in Science Advances.

The Earth consists of multiple layers, including the surface crust where we live and the underlying mantle where magma originates. Volcanic eruptions occur when ascending magma overwhelms underground chambers and pushes excess material toward the surface, while lack of magma supply causes volcanoes to become quiet and eventually cease activity.

“What we have now found is that in subduction zones, volcanoes can go quiet even when the mantle produces a lot of magma, but with a twist: this magma is superhydrous, and the volcano doesn’t die, but it thrives, while taking a nap,” Popa noted.

These superhydrous magmas contain exceptionally high water content and appear to drive this dormancy process.

“They ascend through the crust, they start bubbling like a fizzy drink,” Popa described. “This gas bubbling triggers crystallisation, making the magma sticky and viscous, and it slows down a lot – by a factor of 100 to 1,000 – and becomes so lazy … it can’t continue towards the surface.”

According to Popa, this causes the magma to become stuck underground.

“Since the magma chamber can’t evacuate all that excess material, no eruption happens, and the reservoir accumulates this crystalline, sticky magma that helps it grow,” Popa said.

This process could eventually result in larger and potentially more powerful eruptions when the volcano does reawaken.

To piece together this volcanic timeline, researchers analyzed more than 1,250 zircon mineral crystals found in volcanic rocks and used alternative minerals like ilmenite when zircon wasn’t available to monitor magma chamber activity during quiet periods.

Popa noted that this “silent” magma accumulation can be monitored using advanced equipment.

“Magma accumulation at depth often triggers earthquakes that may be too small for us to perceive, but seismometers record them easily. The ground may also bulge by only a few centimetres per year, yet satellites and GPS can detect those changes,” Popa said.

Although Methana sits relatively near the Greek capital, Popa indicated the volcano doesn’t present major immediate dangers, with any future eruptions likely resembling past lava flows rather than explosive events.

Nevertheless, Popa suggested this phenomenon might be more common than previously understood, with numerous apparently inactive volcanoes potentially still developing underground magma chambers, especially in areas like Greece, Italy, North and South America, and Japan.

The research team plans to next investigate Ciomadul in Romania’s Eastern Carpathians, a volcano that has remained quiet for almost 30,000 years but may still contain an active underground magma chamber.

“It’s important for our society to understand that for volcanoes, quiet doesn’t always mean safe,” Popa concluded.

Each swimming session leaves traces of sunscreen behind in the water, creating an environmental concern for marine ecosystems.

Research published in Environmental Health Perspectives reveals that roughly one-quarter of applied sunscreen rinses away during water recreation, depositing approximately 5,000 tons yearly into coral reef regions worldwide. This amount equals the mass of roughly 1,000 elephants, with many of these compounds proving harmful to coral organisms. Some scientists believe this figure underestimates the actual impact, since the research didn’t account for additional friction from swimming motions that could increase chemical runoff.

Despite occupying merely 0.1% of ocean space, coral reefs provide habitat for roughly 25% of marine life. These ecosystems already face pressure from rising ocean temperatures, contamination, excessive fishing, and shoreline construction. Now they confront another challenge from sunscreen compounds that harm young corals, cause bleaching events, and interfere with normal development. While researchers acknowledge this represents a lesser threat compared to climate change, it’s one that individuals can directly influence.

The contamination extends beyond direct swimming contact. Sunscreen ingredients reach waterways through post-beach showers, towel washing, and human waste. Sewage systems represent the primary pathway for sunscreen pollution entering oceans, since standard treatment facilities cannot effectively eliminate most UV-blocking compounds. These substances travel from wastewater plants through rivers before reaching marine environments.

Though sunscreen protection prevents burns and lowers skin cancer rates, different formulations create varying environmental impacts.

The most compelling evidence of damage involves oxybenzone and octinoxate, two commonly used chemical UV blockers. Research from 2016 in Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology demonstrated that oxybenzone converts healthy, swimming coral larvae into malformed, motionless specimens. This compound forces corals to reject the algae that supply most of their nutrition and coloration, creating a stress reaction called bleaching. Bleached corals become weakened, more susceptible to illness, and may starve or perish if harsh conditions continue. Scientists also discovered that oxybenzone harms DNA and causes early skeleton development that can trap entire larvae. The chemical can trigger bleaching at reduced temperatures, amplifying damage from ocean warming caused by climate change.

This substance becomes harmful at levels as minimal as 62 parts per trillion, comparable to a single drop in six Olympic swimming pools. At Hanauma Bay, a well-known Hawaii diving location, roughly 2,600 daily guests deposited about 412 pounds of sunscreen into ocean waters each day, based on 2017 research by the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory nonprofit.

Scientists express increasing worry about octocrylene, avobenzone, and homosalate as well.

These compounds spread throughout marine systems. UV-blocking ingredients have been found in fish and other ocean creatures, creating concerns about seafood consumption safety.

“We measured the level of oxybenzone in locally caught fish. It was scary,” said Craig Downs, executive director of nonprofit Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, who led the 2016 study. “These chemicals move through the food chain, then we eat it.”

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide represent generally safer options compared to chemical UV blockers, though they require careful consideration. Specialists recommend non-nano versions, since larger particles prove less likely to be breathed in or absorbed by marine creatures.

Zinc oxide may contain small amounts of heavy metal contaminants including lead, chromium, and mercury, Downs explained, while few products have received thorough environmental safety evaluation.

Buyers should also examine inactive components, as oils, scents, and other additives can damage marine ecosystems.

Certain mineral sunscreen companies include UV filters like butyloctyl salicylic acid and ethylhexyl methoxycrylene to maintain SPF effectiveness in zinc oxide products, which Downs has connected to possible cancer dangers and coral harm.

Specialists suggest using protective clothing, swim shirts, headwear, and shade structures.

“If you put on a rash guard or long sleeve swim shirt, you basically cover up 50% of your body, which means you don’t need 50% of the sunscreen,” Downs said. “From a conservation perspective, that’s a massive win.”

When sunscreen becomes necessary, choose products containing non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as primary ingredients. While studies continue examining how these minerals affect marine settings, most experts prefer them over chemical UV blockers.

Although mineral sunscreens historically leave white residue, newer versions provide more transparent coverage.

Specialists also suggest avoiding spray applications, which can scatter sunscreen particles into air and nearby areas. Allowing at least 15 minutes after application before entering water helps the product bond with skin instead of immediately washing away.

Hawaii became the initial U.S. state in 2018 to ban sales of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, referencing their coral reef damage. Key West, Florida, has implemented comparable restrictions. Palau and the U.S. Virgin Islands have established broader prohibitions covering additional chemicals associated with reef harm.

Outside these restrictions, the market remains mostly uncontrolled. Terms like “reef safe” or “reef friendly” lack universal meaning or criteria.

“People can just write whatever they want on a bottle, and there’s no validation, no testing, no standardization,” said Michael Sweet, head of the Nature-based Solutions Research Centre and the Aquatic Research Facility at the University of Derby in England.

During laboratory testing, some products “have decimated corals before my very eyes,” he said. “When you see that, you wonder what’s being put into our oceans on a daily basis, from shampoos, skin care, conditioners and shower gels. All this stuff goes into our rivers and ultimately our oceans.”

Several independent verification programs have developed to assist consumer choices. Protect Land + Sea represents one certification created by Downs’ laboratory that confirms products exclude ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Experts point out that ingredient screening provides value, though it differs from complete ecological safety assessment of entire formulations.

“Reefs are being hammered left, right and center,” Sweet said. “Every little bit we can do tips the balance a little bit further up and hopefully gives them that bit of a fighting chance.”

BERLIN — Mechanical canines bearing incredibly lifelike silicone replicas of famous personalities’ faces are wandering through a German art gallery, periodically “defecating” printed photographs of their environment that they’ve captured using built-in cameras.

The robotic creatures feature heads modeled after tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, along with artistic legends Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso, as part of an interactive art piece by American creator Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) currently on display at Berlin’s New National Gallery.

Every printed photograph displays a slice of reality altered by artificial intelligence to mirror the character of each mechanical dog — essentially representing how the human figure attached to each robot might view the world. For instance, the Picasso-headed canine generates images in a Cubist aesthetic, while Warhol’s version produces pop art-style prints.

Exhibition organizers describe the installation as a statement about how algorithms and digital platforms influence our understanding of reality.

“In the past, our view of the world was shaped in part by how artists saw the world,” Beeple explained to the Associated Press. “How Picasso painted changed how we saw the word, how Warhol talked about consumerism, pop culture, that changed how he saw those things.”

Today, however, technology executives who control sophisticated algorithms determine what information we encounter and what remains hidden from view, the artist explained.

“That’s an immense amount of power that I don’t think we’ve fully understood, especially because when they want to make a change, they don’t need to lobby the U.N. They don’t need to get something through Congress or the EU, they just wake up and change these algorithms.”

Some of the mechanical animals also sport heads resembling Beeple himself.

Lisa Botti, who curated the Berlin exhibition, explained that artificial intelligence represents one of today’s most significant influences on daily life, and “museums are the places where society can reflect” on such changes, which motivated her decision to showcase Beeple’s creation.

The installation, called “Regular Animals,” made its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025.

Beeple, a graphic artist from South Carolina, produces various forms of digital artwork and helped establish the “everyday” movement in 3D graphics by creating and sharing one image daily online for years without interruption.

Christie’s auction house ranks him as the third most valuable living artist by auction sales, trailing only David Hockney and Jeff Koons.

In spring 2021, Christie’s began accepting bids for Beeple’s digital compilation titled “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” which eventually sold for more than $69 million. The auction house characterized the piece as “critiques of modern society, the government and social media” presented through “grotesque, dystopian futures, often featuring celebrities like Donald Trump and Kanye West.”

Christie’s noted this sale represented the first occasion a major auction house sold a purely digital artwork authenticated by a non-fungible token, and the first time cryptocurrency served as payment for an auctioned artwork.

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, function as digital certificates that verify the authenticity of digital collectibles by storing information on a blockchain digital ledger. These tokens have recently gained popularity in online collecting circles, emerging alongside the cryptocurrency surge.

During the Art Basel 2025 event, Beeple distributed the photographs produced by his robotic dogs to attendees, including certificates labeled “100% organic GMO-free dog shit.” Several prints contained QR codes providing access to complimentary NFTs, effectively allowing Beeple to distribute his digital creations at no cost for potential future monetization by recipients, including sometimes the photograph subjects themselves.

A Massachusetts seafood operation has rescued an extraordinary crustacean from the dinner plate, donating an incredibly unusual lobster to researchers due to its stunning split coloration.

The remarkable specimen displays standard brown coloring along one half of its body while showing vivid orange hues on the opposite side, with this dramatic contrast extending completely from head to tail.

Officials at Wellfleet Shellfish Company in Eastham, Massachusetts, announced Monday they’ve received numerous calls about the fascinating creature over recent days. The business has transferred the lobster to Woods Hole Science Aquarium in Falmouth, Massachusetts, where it will become a public exhibit once the facility completes renovations.

“The lobster is now with Woods Hole Science Aquarium’s animals currently being housed in holding tanks at the Marine Biological Laboratory during the aquarium’s construction period. When the aquarium reopens, the lobster will be on display, offering visitors a rare look at one of the ocean’s most striking natural anomalies,” the shellfish company said in a statement.

Local fishermen hauled in the unique lobster during their April 16 fishing operations off Cape Cod. While unusually pigmented lobsters frequently appear at New England fishing docks throughout spring and summer months, this split-colored variety represents an exceptionally uncommon discovery.

American lobsters typically display mottled brown shells, but genetic mutations can alter the proteins responsible for binding pigments, creating color variations. Some specimens appear blue or orange, others show calico-style spots, while certain brightly colored varieties earn the nickname “cotton candy” lobsters.

According to University of New England marine sciences professor Markus Frederich, split-colored lobsters develop when two separate lobster eggs merge and mature as a single organism, as he explained to The Associated Press in 2024. While scientists have estimated the probability of various lobster color mutations, Frederich notes these calculations remain rough approximations.

Representatives from Wellfleet Shellfish Company described their split-colored discovery as a “remarkable and exciting find.”

The legendary British wildlife filmmaker David Attenborough’s milestone 100th birthday will be commemorated starting next week with a special documentary exploring his revolutionary 1979 nature series.

The upcoming program, titled “Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure,” offers viewers an inside look at the creation of the groundbreaking documentary that featured iconic moments like Attenborough’s intimate encounters with mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

That original series established the blueprint for wildlife documentaries that continue today and cemented Attenborough’s reputation as a leading voice in environmental conservation worldwide.

The anniversary special reveals previously unseen footage, including extended scenes of a young gorilla interacting with the presenter and additional hunting sequences with lions.

Drawing from his personal filming journals, Attenborough shares harrowing experiences from production, including being held by Rwandan military forces and facing threats while working in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

Production team members discuss the logistical nightmares of organizing international shoots during an era when correspondence took weeks to reach destinations, plus the anxiety of shipping irreplaceable film canisters back to Britain.

The documentary also provides expanded coverage of their quest to capture footage of the coelacanth, an Indian Ocean species nicknamed a “living fossil.”

Their successful filming occurred when a local fisherman accidentally caught the rare fish, then contacted the crew after setting it free. “It was the first time it was filmed alive, but only just,” Attenborough remarks in the anniversary program.

According to Mike Gunton, creative director of the BBC’s Natural History Unit who collaborated with Attenborough on subsequent projects, the original series was transformational.

“All we really have done is remake ‘Life on Earth’,” Gunton explained to Reuters.

Born May 8, 1926, in London, Attenborough began his BBC journey in 1952. His breakthrough came two years later with “Zoo Quest,” which he ended up hosting when the intended presenter became ill during their initial filming expedition.

After advancing into BBC executive roles, Attenborough chose to return to nature programming in his late 40s, proposing “Life on Earth” as a comprehensive exploration of evolutionary history.

He completed all scripts for the 13-episode series before beginning three years of global filming.

“He has, without doubt, defined natural history and how we see the world,” stated Victoria Bobin, who produced and directed the new documentary.

“Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure” debuts Sunday on BBC.

Additional centennial festivities include a new series called “Secret Garden,” a London concert performance, and museum exhibitions throughout Britain honoring the naturalist’s birthday.

Scientists working at the famous ruins of Pompeii have achieved a groundbreaking first by using artificial intelligence technology to recreate the facial features of someone who perished when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the Roman city under volcanic ash.

The computer-generated image shows an elderly male who was among a pair of victims found trying to escape toward the coastline during the catastrophic eruption. Scientists believe this individual died during the early stages of the disaster when heavy volcanic debris was falling from the sky.

This innovative reconstruction emerged from a partnership between Pompeii Archaeological Park and the University of Padua, utilizing data gathered from excavation work conducted near the Porta Stabia cemetery area outside the ancient city’s boundaries.

The historic site near Naples, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage location, became frozen in time when volcanic ash and pumice stone covered it almost two millennia ago, creating an extraordinary preservation of the city and thousands of residents.

When researchers discovered this victim, he was clutching a ceramic bowl above his head, which they believe was his desperate attempt to protect himself from the small volcanic rocks called lapilli that were raining down during the eruption.

Historical records from Roman author Pliny the Younger and others document how people tried using various items as shields while ash and debris covered their city.

Along with the makeshift helmet, the man was found with an oil lamp, a small iron ring, and 10 bronze coins – personal belongings that provide a glimpse into his final hours and everyday life in Pompeii before disaster struck.

The computerized facial reconstruction combined artificial intelligence with photo-editing technology to transform skeletal remains and archaeological evidence into a lifelike human appearance.

“The vastness of archaeological data is now such that only with the help of artificial intelligence will we be able to adequately protect and enhance them. If used well, AI can contribute to a renewal of classical studies,” Pompeii park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a statement.

According to researchers, this project seeks to make archaeological discoveries more relatable and emotionally meaningful to the general public while keeping scientific accuracy at its core.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Wildlife conservationists celebrated a historic breakthrough Monday after motion-activated cameras documented a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan successfully navigating an artificial rope bridge over a busy public roadway.

The remarkable footage shows the young primate hesitating at the forest boundary before carefully grasping the rope structure and venturing into the open space above the road. The orangutan paused midway across to peer down at the traffic below before completing the journey to the opposite side.

This groundbreaking event represents the first recorded instance of this near-extinct species utilizing a man-made crossing structure over a public thoroughfare, according to wildlife protection experts.

“This was the moment we had been waiting for,” Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of Indonesian conservation group Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa, or TaHuKah, told The Associated Press. “We are very grateful that the canopy here provides benefits for orangutan conservation efforts.”

The crossing structure stretches across the Lagan–Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district, an essential transportation route linking isolated communities to educational facilities, medical care, and government offices. However, this same roadway slices through critical orangutan territory, dividing approximately 350 individuals between two separate forest sections: the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protection Forest.

Road improvements completed in 2024 expanded the forest gap even further, destroying the natural pathways that tree-dwelling animals previously used for movement between habitats.

“Development was necessary for people,” Siregar said. “But without intervention, it would have left orangutans trapped on either side.”

TaHuKah partnered with the Sumatran Orangutan Society, or SOS, along with regional and federal agencies to implement an innovative approach: suspended rope pathways connecting trees on both sides, enabling arboreal species to travel safely above vehicle traffic.

Conservation teams installed five separate bridge structures, each equipped with surveillance cameras and strategically placed following comprehensive studies of nesting patterns, forest coverage, and wildlife movement corridors. Engineers designed the bridges to accommodate the substantial weight of these massive tree-dwelling mammals.

Researchers maintain constant surveillance through camera monitoring systems on each crossing point and conduct regular inspections to prevent illegal forest encroachment. Wildlife experts remain optimistic that additional orangutans will follow this trailblazer’s example.

The team waited two full years before witnessing the first orangutan crossing attempt. Initially, only smaller wildlife species utilized the structures, with cameras documenting squirrels, langur monkeys, and macaques, followed eventually by gibbons — indicating growing acceptance among primates.

The orangutan’s behavior showed much more caution, constructing sleeping nests in proximity to the bridge, spending time at the crossing edges, and gradually testing the rope strength over extended periods.

“They observe,” Siregar said. “They don’t rush. They watch, they try, they retreat. Only when they’re certain it’s safe do they move.”

Eventually, the breakthrough moment arrived when one individual completed the full crossing — marking not only a Sumatran first, but the initial documented case worldwide of the species traversing a public roadway via artificial means, according to conservation organizations.

While similar crossing structures have facilitated orangutan movement in other locations, these typically span waterways or private logging roads. Public highways present significantly greater obstacles due to constant noise, heavy traffic, and unpredictable conditions, conservationists explain.

The consequences of habitat isolation are severe for orangutan populations. Separation results in inbreeding, genetic deterioration, and ultimate population extinction. Reconnecting fragmented territories provides essential survival opportunities.

These great apes once inhabited extensive regions throughout southern Asia but currently exist only on Sumatra and Borneo islands. Current population estimates indicate fewer than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans survive in natural habitats, along with approximately 800 Tapanuli orangutans and roughly 104,700 Bornean orangutans, based on conservation data.

“These bridges allow orangutans to move, to mix, to maintain healthy populations,” Siregar said. “It reduces the risk of extinction.”

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is revolutionizing its drug discovery process through artificial intelligence, achieving a remarkable 50% reduction in the time required to identify promising treatment candidates, according to company executives.

Speaking at the Reuters Momentum AI event in New York on Monday, Chief Information Officer Jim Swanson revealed how the technology is transforming the company’s approach to finding new medications. While AI cannot yet independently discover and develop new drugs from start to finish, it’s proving invaluable for evaluating vast numbers of potential chemical compounds and biological treatments.

“That’s still a ways away, but we can optimize,” Swanson explained. “We’ve cut our lead optimization time in half.”

The New Jersey-headquartered healthcare company has strategically concentrated its AI efforts on essential operations, including product development powered by artificial intelligence, pharmaceutical research, and supply chain improvements.

“We’re trying to cure cancer,” Swanson emphasized. “We need every tool that we can leverage to be able to do that.”

Manufacturing processes have also benefited from AI implementation, with the technology helping determine optimal timing and temperature conditions for adding solvents during production.

Perhaps most dramatically, Johnson & Johnson has transformed its regulatory documentation workflow using artificial intelligence. Swanson noted that preparing clinical trial reports previously required between 700 and 900 hours of work.

That timeframe has been slashed from “700 hours to about 15 minutes,” Swanson reported.

Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human workers, Swanson characterizes it as an enhancement to existing employee capabilities. The company currently employs approximately 4,000 information technology professionals.

“A software engineer isn’t getting replaced, now their role is expanding,” he noted. “Our focus continues to be on skills. These are ‘and’ skills, not ‘or’ skills.”

Scientists studying wildlife on a Lake Superior island say wolf numbers are flourishing, but the growing packs are devastating the moose herds they depend on for survival, according to new research published Monday.

Isle Royale, a 134,000-acre national park situated in western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota and Thunder Bay, Canada, serves as a unique outdoor laboratory where researchers can study predator-prey relationships with minimal human interference.

Wildlife population studies have been ongoing on the island since 1958. These surveys typically take place during winter months when the roadless island remains closed to tourists, though recent years have brought significant challenges for research teams.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the first-ever cancellation of the survey in 2021. During the 2024 winter study, the National Park Service evacuated researchers after unusually mild temperatures made the surrounding ice too dangerous for ski-plane operations. Scientists depend on these aircraft for wildlife tracking since the island lacks a proper runway, requiring landings on frozen Lake Superior. The 2023 survey also failed when their pilot experienced a sudden medical emergency.

This year, however, a research team headed by Michigan Tech University scientists successfully completed their work between January 22 and March 3. Their findings indicate the island now hosts 37 wolves. Previous data collected before the 2024 evacuation showed 30 wolves.

The 2026 population estimates mark the highest wolf numbers since the late 1970s and show remarkable recovery from a low point of just two wolves ten years ago. Scientists believe genetic problems from inbreeding had reduced pup survival rates.

Meanwhile, the island’s moose population faces a dramatic decline. Current surveys count 524 moose, representing a 75% drop from the peak of 2,000 animals recorded in 2019. Researchers estimate wolves killed nearly 25% of all moose during the past year. For the first time in nearly seven decades, scientists observed zero moose calves during their winter survey.

Sarah Hoy, a Michigan Tech researcher who studies predator-prey relationships and co-leads the survey, described enduring wind chills reaching minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit while struggling to stay warm in their cabin wood stoves.

Despite harsh conditions, clear weather allowed for outstanding wildlife observations. Scientists spotted wolves during all but one survey flight, Hoy noted. A memorable moment came on Valentine’s Day when they watched a wolf pack huddled together on the ice.

“It’s always such a privilege to get to see wolves interacting, witnessing courtship behavior, pups playfully tugging on each other’s tails, or a pack working together to take down a moose,” she said.

Research teams plan summer studies on the island to examine how the expanding wolf population might achieve ecological balance with other island species.

Tech giant Google will establish its inaugural artificial intelligence campus in Seoul, South Korea, according to a presidential policy adviser who announced the partnership on Monday.

The collaboration was formalized during a meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis in Seoul. Presidential adviser Kim Yong-beom confirmed that the Science Ministry and Google signed a memorandum of understanding to move forward with the groundbreaking facility.

This marks the first AI campus of its kind that Google has committed to building anywhere in the world, Kim noted. The facility is designed to strengthen ties between Google’s technical teams and South Korea’s engineering community and startup ecosystem.

During negotiations, South Korean officials asked Google to station a minimum of 10 engineers from its U.S. headquarters at the new Seoul campus. Hassabis indicated he would review this request, according to Kim’s statement.

The Google DeepMind leader expressed enthusiasm about the educational opportunities the partnership would create. “To help with training up the next generation in these amazing technologies through internships at our AI hub and other training programmes,” Hassabis said of his hopes for the collaboration.

Hassabis also outlined plans to strengthen Google’s relationships with major Korean corporations, including Samsung, SK Hynix, Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics division, and LG. He said DeepMind aims to “instigate new joint projects” with these industry leaders.

The Google executive praised South Korea’s technological infrastructure, calling it a “great industrial base” that excels in crucial AI development areas spanning from semiconductor manufacturing to robotics innovation.

During their discussion, President Lee and Hassabis explored AI’s future trajectory and its potential effects on society. Lee specifically brought up concerns about employment displacement due to AI advancement, suggesting the need for basic income protections for workers who might lose jobs to automation.

Hassabis reflected on South Korea’s significance in AI history, referencing the landmark 2014 match between DeepMind’s AlphaGo system and Korean Go champion Lee Sedol. He described that historic competition as marking “the beginning of the modern AI era” and spurring numerous technological breakthroughs, including DeepMind’s protein-folding research through the AlphaFold system.

The financial markets have shown little excitement over DeepSeek’s latest artificial intelligence breakthrough, marking a stark difference from the Chinese company’s dramatic impact on global tech stocks just one year ago.

When the Hangzhou-based firm unveiled its V4 model on Friday, investors barely took notice – a far cry from the massive selloff that occurred when DeepSeek first introduced its cost-effective AI systems that required significantly less computing power than American competitors.

Last year’s launch of DeepSeek-V3 and R1 created what industry experts called a “black swan” moment, forcing investors worldwide to reconsider their assumptions about artificial intelligence development costs and China’s technological capabilities despite U.S. semiconductor restrictions.

However, the calm response to V4 demonstrates how rapidly market expectations have evolved. Companies and investors have now become familiar with efficient, budget-friendly AI models created under limited computing resources, eliminating the shock factor.

“This announcement followed a rather predictable path,” explained Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at Omdia, who noted that improvements in model design and efficiency have become commonplace throughout the industry and research community.

Performance data confirms this assessment. Artificial Analysis reports that while DeepSeek-V4 Pro represents a substantial upgrade from earlier versions, it ranks alongside other top open-source models rather than clearly outperforming them, with rivals like Kimi and Qwen closing the performance gap.

This situation differs dramatically from last year, when DeepSeek seemed to surge past its Chinese competitors, leading to widespread adoption domestically and amplifying its international influence.

Industry observers attribute the previous market disruption to several converging elements: inflated valuations of American technology companies, assumptions that a small group of firms would maintain market control, and the sudden appearance of an obscure Chinese startup delivering surprisingly powerful results.

These circumstances no longer exist in today’s market environment.

“The expectation that new players will emerge is now baked into valuations,” Su noted, explaining that markets have developed more realistic perspectives about both AI’s potential and its limitations.

Meanwhile, competition within China has grown fiercer, with numerous companies launching increasingly sophisticated models, diminishing DeepSeek’s competitive advantage.

On Monday, stock exchanges in South Korea and Taiwan reached record levels, supported by widespread confidence in AI-related investments.

Alfredo Montufar-Helu from Ankura China Advisors believes V4’s importance extends beyond market reactions to the broader technological competition between the United States and China.

He highlighted DeepSeek’s optimization of V4 for Huawei processors, as stricter American export restrictions aim to prevent Chinese companies from accessing advanced U.S. semiconductors essential for AI development.

“The ‘wow factor’ was last year – that’s already priced in,” he explained. “What matters now is whether China can continue advancing on AI development, and potentially do so with its own chips – the geopolitical implications would be significant.”

OAKLAND, Calif. — Two of Silicon Valley’s most powerful figures are preparing for a legal battle that could determine the future direction of artificial intelligence technology.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman will square off in federal court beginning Monday, when jury selection starts for a case centered on accusations of broken promises, deception, and corporate greed that destroyed their former partnership in AI development.

At the heart of the dispute is OpenAI’s transformation from its 2015 origins as a nonprofit organization largely backed by Musk’s funding into today’s profit-focused enterprise worth $852 billion that created ChatGPT.

The case’s resolution could significantly influence who controls AI advancement — technology that many worry could eliminate jobs and potentially threaten human existence.

These concerns drive Musk’s lawsuit, filed in August 2024, which will be heard by a jury and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California. As the world’s wealthiest individual, Musk argues these risks justify his legal action.

In his civil complaint, Musk accuses Altman and his second-in-command Greg Brockman of betraying him by abandoning the San Francisco-based company’s original charitable mission to responsibly oversee revolutionary technology. Instead, he claims they secretly pivoted toward profit-making operations.

OpenAI dismisses Musk’s claims as baseless resentment designed to harm its rapid expansion while promoting Musk’s competing venture, xAI, which he established in 2023.

Between December 2015 and May 2017, Musk contributed approximately $38 million to OpenAI and originally demanded over $100 billion in compensation.

However, potential damages have decreased substantially following several unfavorable pre-trial decisions. Musk no longer pursues personal compensation and now requests unspecified funds to support OpenAI’s charitable division. The payment would come mainly from OpenAI’s commercial operations and Microsoft, which became the company’s largest investor after Musk withdrew his support.

Musk’s legal action also demands Altman’s removal from OpenAI’s board of directors. The funding cutoff created a bitter rift between the former partners. Musk claims he responded to misleading behavior that OpenAI’s board recognized when they dismissed Altman as CEO in 2023, though he regained his position days later.

The trial presents potential dangers for Musk, who was recently found liable by another jury for misleading investors during his $44 billion Twitter acquisition in 2022. Any harmful revelations about Musk’s business methods could prove especially damaging as his aerospace company SpaceX prepares for a summer initial public offering that might make him the world’s first trillionaire.

Regardless of the outcome, the proceedings promise compelling drama featuring opposing testimony from two of technology’s most influential and controversial personalities — 54-year-old Musk and 41-year-old Altman.

“Part of this is about whether a jury believes the people who will testify and whether they are credible,” Gonzalez Rogers explained during an earlier court session while justifying why the case deserved a trial. The judge will render the final verdict, with the jury providing advisory input.

Musk, whose wealth totals roughly $780 billion, has earned recognition as an innovator for his roles developing digital payment pioneer PayPal, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, and aerospace company SpaceX. However, he has also faced criticism for his social media posts, unfulfilled Tesla autonomous driving promises, and his cost-cutting position in President Donald Trump’s recent administration.

Some of Musk’s unpredictable conduct has been linked to claims of psychedelic drug use, though Gonzalez Rogers ruled that ketamine use cannot be discussed during the trial. The judge will permit questions about Musk’s participation in Nevada’s 2017 Burning Man festival, an unconventional event associated with widespread drug consumption. The court will also allow inquiries about Musk’s relationship with former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, who is the mother of several of his children.

Altman, who currently possesses approximately $3 billion in wealth, remained relatively unknown until ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022. The technological surge sparked by that conversational AI tool has led some observers to compare Altman to J. Robert Oppenheimer, the 20th-century nuclear weapons developer.

While Altman initially received praise as an innovator, he now faces criticism due to concerns about AI’s potential risks. This month, the New Yorker magazine published an article portraying him as an unethical leader. Shortly afterward, authorities arrested a 20-year-old man on attempted murder charges for hurling a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s San Francisco residence, apparently motivated by fears about AI’s impact on society.

The contrasting testimonies from Altman and Musk are anticipated to reveal insights into the reasoning behind the AI competition and the deterioration of their friendship. Their alliance began in 2015 when they committed to developing AI more responsibly and safely than profit-focused companies led by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, according to pre-trial evidence.

The bitter breakdown between the two entrepreneurs was documented in a February 2023 email conversation that emerged during pre-trial proceedings.

After telling Musk “you’re my hero,” Altman wrote: “I am tremendously thankful for everything you’ve done to help —I don’t think OpenAI would have happened without you — and it really (expletive) hurts when you publicly attack OpenAI.”

Musk replied: “I hear you and it is certainly not my intention to be hurtful, for which I apologize, but the fate of civilization is at stake.”

Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek announced significant price cuts for its latest technology model, providing developers with substantial savings through early May.

The company revealed it will offer a 75% price reduction on its recently launched AI model, DeepSeek-V4-Pro, with the discount available until May 5th. Additionally, DeepSeek announced it will reduce costs for input cache hits throughout its complete API product line to just one-tenth of the previous pricing, according to a company announcement on social media platform X.

The tech startup unveiled a preview of its eagerly awaited V4 model on Friday, which has been specifically designed to work with Huawei’s semiconductor technology.

The V4 system is available in two different configurations: the Pro version, which offers enhanced capabilities at a higher cost, and the Flash option, which provides a more streamlined and budget-friendly alternative.

DeepSeek claims its Pro version surpasses other open-source models in global knowledge testing, with only Google’s proprietary Gemini-Pro-3.1 achieving better performance results.

The Chinese technology company states that its V4 models are especially designed for AI agent applications, which can handle more sophisticated operations compared to standard chatbots but demand increased computational resources.

Almost 30 sloths perished at a Florida animal import facility over a two-year span due to freezing conditions and illness, state wildlife officials have revealed.

An inspection document from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission dated August shows that 21 sloths brought in from Guyana died at Orlando’s Sanctuary World Imports facility in December 2024. The deaths occurred when building temperatures plummeted to between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, sloths cannot control their body heat like other mammals and require temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit to survive.

Peter Bandre, identified in the document as the facility’s licensee, explained that the animals suffered what he described as a “cold stun.” He stated that the building lacked electricity and water and was unprepared for the animal shipment, but canceling the delivery was no longer possible. Though the facility bought space heaters, they caused electrical problems and failed, leaving the sloths without warmth for at least one evening.

The warehouse subsequently brought in 10 sloths from Peru in February 2025. Two arrived already dead, while the remaining animals appeared severely malnourished and died from what officials described as “poor health issues.” Bandre mentioned plans to hire a new veterinarian, who would be the facility’s third, according to state records.

The Associated Press was unable to reach Bandre through a phone number listed for Sanctuary World Imports in the August documentation.

State inspection records from March 2026 show that Sanctuary World President Benjamin Agresta announced the company had been renamed Sloth World Inc. and that Bandre no longer worked with the operation. The AP’s attempts to contact Sloth World Inc. through phone and text messages on Sunday were unsuccessful.

March inspectors found that the facility where the Guyanese sloths died now featured separate heating and cooling systems maintaining a constant 82-degree temperature. Officials noted no problems with the sloths currently housed there.

Your eyes need time to adapt to the complete darkness. Gradually, tiny points of light begin to emerge, followed by brighter celestial objects. Within moments, entire star formations become visible, and eventually, you can observe an entire galaxy with nothing but your natural vision.

Chile’s Atacama Desert offers visitors an seemingly endless view of the night sky. Known as Earth’s most arid region, this location also provides one of the clearest views into space available anywhere on the planet.

The desert’s exceptional combination of minimal rainfall, elevated terrain, and most importantly, distance from city lights has established it as an unmatched center for cutting-edge astronomy and the location of the planet’s largest ground-based telescope installations.

“The conditions in the Atacama Desert are unique in the world,” said Chiara Mazzucchelli, president of the Chilean Astronomical Society. “There are more than 300 clear nights per year, meaning no clouds and no rain.”

However, these pristine dark skies now face potential danger.

In the previous year, the desert became the center of a conflict between researchers and an energy company planning a renewable power facility mere kilometers from the Paranal Observatory. The European Southern Observatory manages this location, which will also house what’s planned to be the most advanced optical telescope ever constructed.

While the energy development was scrapped in January after widespread opposition from astronomers, physicists and Nobel Prize winners, the incident highlighted serious worries that current sky protection legislation is insufficient, obsolete and ambiguous. Multiple environmental rules have since undergone examination, including regulations from Chile’s science ministry covering designated astronomical protection areas.

“We are working to ensure the new criteria are strict enough to guarantee that there will be no impact on astronomical areas,” said Daniela González, director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2019 to protect the quality of Chile’s night skies.

The Associated Press conducted a three-day visit to the Paranal installations located within the region known as Photon Valley. Within this elevated corridor, multiple observatories function together utilizing some of the most advanced scientific equipment ever developed.

“Many of these large facilities are located in Chile, and ESO’s telescopes in particular are the most powerful astronomical facilities on the planet,” said Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, the intergovernmental organization’s representative in Chile.

Paranal represents just one of almost 30 astronomical locations throughout northern Chile, with most operated by international organizations. Each year, the Atacama Desert attracts thousands of astronomers and researchers from across the globe who come to study how the universe began.

“We are lucky to be here,” said Julia Bodensteiner, an assistant professor at University of Amsterdam, noting that the chances of being selected as a visiting astronomer at Paranal are just 20% to 30%.

Navigating the Atacama’s rough, irregular landscape presents significant challenges. At elevations above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), breathing becomes difficult, while extreme daytime heat transitions to bitter nighttime cold. However, for astronomical observation and research, these more than 105,000 square kilometers (40,500 square miles) of desert provide ideal conditions.

The remarkable environment of the Atacama has made possible some of the most ambitious space research projects ever planned, including the Extremely Large Telescope, ELT — a $1.5 billion project by ESO set for completion in 2030.

Featuring 798 mirrors and a light-collecting surface of nearly 1,000 square meters (a quarter of an acre), the ELT will deliver 20 times more power than current leading telescopes and provide 15 times greater clarity than NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

The information gathered at these observatories serves a crucial purpose not just for understanding life on Earth, but also for exploring possibilities of life beyond our world. Protecting these research locations remains vital.

Using the ELT, said ESO astronomer Lucas Bordone, “we should be able to see Earth-like planets in what we call the habitable zone, so basically the planets which are candidates towards life.”

Two decades ago, the Atacama Desert represented “an ocean of darkness,” recalled Eduardo Unda-Sanzana, director of the Astronomy Center at the University of Antofagasta. “It was just you and the universe.”

Through the years, the environment has undergone dramatic transformation.

Fueled by expanding cities, industrial growth, and the establishment of mining operations and wind energy installations, the desert has become highly sought-after land where finding balance proves challenging.

At Paranal, researchers live underground in specially designed quarters built to minimize their environmental footprint. Windows must stay blocked, corridors remain unlit, and any outdoor activity relies solely on flashlights. Even minimal artificial light can disrupt telescope operations.

Last year’s announcement of a planned green energy development created alarm throughout the global scientific community. Researchers urged officials to safeguard Chile’s dark skies from the proposed location, planned for construction just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Paranal.

The situation raised concerns about various negative effects, including additional light pollution, small vibrations and dust particles, plus increased air turbulence. Such conditions would render astronomical research impossible.

“If you place the ELT next to a city, it doesn’t matter that its diameter is 40 meters long. It’s just the same as having a tiny telescope,” Gregorio-Monsalvo said.

Even though the company withdrew the project in late January, researchers caution that without updated, stronger regulations, similar developments could emerge at any time.

“Despite all the media hype in 2025, we find ourselves exactly where we were last year,” said Unda-Sanzana, who is also part of a ministerial advisory commission that recently delivered recommendations to Chile’s government following the incident.

Historical examples abound. Chile’s first international solar observatory — a major solar research station run by the U.S. Smithsonian Institution in the early 1900s — was compelled to cease operations in 1955 because of environmental contamination from expanding mining operations nearby.

“We’ve had 70 years to learn from history and avoid repeating those same mistakes,” Unda-Sanzana said.

NEWPORT, R.I. — A stark contrast exists between Newport’s wealthy southern districts, where grand historic estates enjoy the shade and environmental benefits of established trees, and the city’s economically disadvantaged northern neighborhoods, where large trees are scarce among subsidized housing developments.

“Residents in this area aren’t getting the advantages that trees provide,” explained Natasha Harrison, who heads the Newport Tree Conservancy. “They deserve more.”

The organization has worked to establish hundreds of indigenous trees within Miantonomi Memorial Park, a 30-acre municipal green space, aiming to restore a healthier woodland ecosystem. Fifteen community members joined conservancy staff at the northern park location Wednesday in observance of Earth Day.

Native forest species in the park have struggled against invasive vegetation, disease outbreaks, and damage from local wildlife including deer, rabbits, and squirrels. This year marks the first time the conservancy has attempted to relocate native saplings to their nursery facility for protection before returning them to the forest environment.

The organization aims to increase tree coverage in the region and improve what’s known as the “tree equity score” — a measurement system that determines whether communities have adequate tree populations to provide residents with health, economic, and environmental advantages.

Federal support was initially expected through U.S. Forest Service funding distributed to the Arbor Day Foundation, a worldwide organization focused on tree planting and forest protection, according to Harrison. However, the Forest Service canceled a $75 million grant to the foundation last year as the Trump administration moved to eliminate environmental justice programs targeting tree planting in financially disadvantaged areas.

Harrison noted the conservancy had anticipated receiving $150,000 through the foundation partnership. Private donors stepped in to cover the funding gap following the grant cancellation, while volunteer support continues to drive the organization’s efforts.

“The situation created stress, but I refused to let it stop our progress,” Harrison stated.

For nearly four decades, the conservancy has collaborated with city officials to expand Newport’s tree coverage through strategic planting initiatives.

During the park visit, Joe Verstandig, who manages the conservancy’s plant collections, guided participants through the woodland area. He identified problematic invasive species including Aralia spinosa clusters (known as devil’s walking stick), Norway maples, and Japanese knotweed. He demonstrated proper techniques for carefully removing desired native plants like Rhode Island’s common arrowwood, elderberry, and American holly.

Among the volunteers were friends Allie Bujakowski and Mara Swist. Bujakowski, who lives within a mile of the park and regularly walks her dog there, was joined by Swist from nearby Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Both women expressed enthusiasm about participating in hands-on Earth Day activities while supporting the conservancy, which had previously planted a tree in Bujakowski’s yard.

“They’re establishing trees in community areas where they’re desperately needed,” said Bujakowski, wearing a Newport mansions cap. “The visual impact is significant. Trees they planted two years ago are already attracting birds back to the area.”

The CEO of ChatGPT’s parent company has issued a formal apology to a Canadian town following the company’s failure to notify law enforcement about a user account connected to a deadly school shooting.

In a letter written on April 23, Sam Altman, who leads OpenAI, expressed regret to the community of Tumbler Ridge for not informing police about Jesse Van Rootselaar’s banned account. Authorities say Van Rootselaar carried out a shooting at a school in February that claimed eight lives before she ended her own life.

Altman stated he was “deeply sorry” that authorities were not notified about Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account, which the company had suspended in June for violating its terms of service.

The artificial intelligence company had previously explained that while they banned Van Rootselaar’s account the prior year due to policy breaches, those violations didn’t reach the threshold that would trigger an automatic report to law enforcement under their internal guidelines.

In his letter, Altman revealed he had discussions with both Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and British Columbia Premier David Eby regarding the devastating incident. He characterized the community’s suffering as “unimaginable.”

The OpenAI executive pledged that his company would collaborate with government leaders to help ensure such a tragedy doesn’t occur again in the future.