By AJ Dellinger Published March 21, 2025 | Comments (0) | A low-angle shot looking up at a building with the U.S. Treasury seal on it. Bob Korn/Shutterstock Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer designed to make it more difficult to track cryptocurrency transactions, was sanctioned by the Biden administration and made illegal due to its usage in facilitating some significant laundering schemes. But Donald Trump, the crypto president, has brought it back. The United States Treasury Department announced Friday that it will lift sanctions against Tornado Cash, allowing it to be used again to anonymize cryptocurrency transactions. Heres the quick and dirty back story on Tornado Cash: The protocol was launched in 2019 as a way for cryptocurrency users to obscure ownership over currency. You take tainted money (i.e., coins that have been identified and associated with a person), run it through Tornado Cash where it gets split up, mixed into a larger pool, and moved around until it is effectively clean and unidentifiable. By 2022, it was taking heat from the Department of the Treasury because it was allegedly used by malicious actors to launder cryptocurrency stolen as part of a hack. Once Bidens Treasury Department got around to issuing its sanctions in August 2022, it accused Tornado Cash of laundering more than $7 billion, including nearly $500 million that the agency claimed had been stolen by the North Korean-sponsored hacking collective the Lazarus Group. By sanctioning the protocol and its founder, the Biden administration basically made it illegal to use Tornado Cash in the United States. It seems, though, that the sanctions may not have been all that effective (and, according to a federal court, not all that legal). A study found that usage of Tornado Cash continued to climb despite its placement on the blacklist. And last year, a federal appeals court ruled that the Treasury overstepped its legal authority by sanctioning the protocolan outcome that was arrived at because the blacklist is designed to punish foreign entities, and Tornado Cash, which runs autonomously via self-executing smart contracts, is not owned or operated by a foreign national. This brings us to today, when the Trump administration is officially lifting the restrictions on Tornado Cash, allowing it to once again function in the United States. Crypto people are certainly celebrating the move, calling it a win for privacy. Others, like Democratic Congressman Sean Casten, called it one of the most dangerous and irresponsible things coming out of the Trump White House.Casten might be going a little hard there; typically, additional privacy is a good thing even if it means that some people might use it maliciously, like encrypted messaging. Of course, theres an argument that the average person has use for encrypted messaging and a crypto tumbler is basically only useful for criminal activity. But theres a world in which it doesnt really matter either waytools for tracing on-chain activity, even those that go through efforts to hide the details, are becoming more sophisticated and some experts believe transactions on Tornado Cash are already traceable with enough effort.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published March 19, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 19, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 18, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 18, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 14, 2025 Ayurella Horn-Muller, Grist Published March 14, 2025

In the U.S., we tend to share meals less frequently than we did 20 years ago, with almost a third of people regularly eating alone. This shift is believed to stem from broader changes in social networks, affecting family and friendship dynamics, and was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual World Happiness Report, published on March 20, 2025, highlights a strong link between sharing meals and improved well-being.Researchers from Londons Global University (UCL), the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and Gallup, Inc. examined how meal-sharing compares to income and employment status in influencing happiness levels.What Is the World Happiness Report?Every spring, the World Happiness Report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board.By quantifying happiness, the report ranks countries based on subjective well-being and explores influencing factors, aiming to guide policymakers and promote global well-being.Each year, the report selects a specific theme for in-depth analysis. The 2025 edition focuses on the impact of caring and sharing on happiness, covering topics like kindness, meal-sharing, cohabitation, social connections, trust, and generosity.Lonely Meal vs. Happy MealUsing data from 142 countries collected in 2022 and 2023 through the Gallup World Poll, researchers analyzed responses from over 150,000 people regarding meal-sharing habits and happiness levels. Participants rated their life satisfaction on a scale from 0 (worst possible life) to 10 (best possible life). The findings revealed a clear trend: countries whose people reported frequent meal-sharing also reported higher well-being.This is the first time that data on meal sharing has been collected and analyzed at a global scale. We already knew how important social connections are for wellbeing, but we were surprised by the strength of the connection of meal sharing with positive life evaluations and emotions, said co-author of the chapter Alberto Prati, from UCL Arts & Humanities, in a press release.Individuals who regularly share meals tend to rate their overall life satisfaction higher than those who eat alone, with an average increase of one point (one-tenth) in their self-reported well-being. Researchers discovered that how often people eat with others is just as influential in predicting happiness as income level and can even be more telling than employment status. This trend was consistent across various demographics, including age, gender, and cultural background.Differences Across CountriesGlobally, Caribbean and Latin American populations share the highest number of meals per week (an average of nine). Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand follow with eight shared meals per week. South Asia reported about seven meals, while East Asia had the lowest frequency at nearly six shared meals per week.To assess recent U.S. trends, researchers analyzed data from the American Time Use Survey (2003 to 2023). The findings showed a clear increase in solitary eating: the percentage of Americans who eat all their meals alone has risen to 26 percent, marking a 50 percent increase since 2003. This group of lonely eaters is led by people older than 65, but there has also been a significant rise in solitary dining among individuals under 35 since 2018.Researchers suggest that the rapid increase in solo dining, particularly since early 2020, may be linked to pandemic-driven behavioral shifts. More broadly, they propose that this trend reflects long-term changes in social structures and a decline in social capital the network of community ties and relationships that support a well-functioning society in the U.S.Prati added in the news release, We believe that these findings have useful policy implications and highlight the number of shared meals as a promising yet understudied comparative index for social research.Read More: Try These 6 Science-Backed Secrets to HappinessArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Gallup: The Gallup World PollU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: American Time Use SurveyWorld Happiness Report: WHR DashboardHaving worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When shes not immersed in a popular science book, youll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

Animals hitch rides together all the time. Sometimes the relationship is mutually beneficial, while in other instances its parasitic. Every so often, however, researchers document a previously unknown team-up that is just baffling. That was the case when a team from the University of Auckland in New Zealand noticed a 10-foot-long shortfin mako shark adorned with an unexpected passenger.What was that orange patch on its head? A buoy? An injury? marine ecologist Rochelle Constantine recalled in a university feature.Constantine and colleagues were aboard a nearby ship in the Hauraki Gulf near Kawau Island searching for shark feeding frenzies. Also known as workups, these events are as violent as they are actually uncommon in sharks. Frenzies begin due to a number of factors, but researchers believe a supernormal stimulus such as a high amount of stress is what often triggers them. Whilethe arrival of a large mako didnt necessarily surprise them, they were taken aback by this sharks mystery hat. The team quickly launched a drone from the vessel and lowered a GoPro camera into the water to get a closer look. What they discovered, Constantine said, was unforgettable.We could see these tentacles moving, she added in a March 20 interview with The New York Times.The sharks accessory wasnt inanimate: it was a Maori octopus. Capable of growing up to 6.5 feet wide and weighing around 26 pounds, the Maori octopus is the largest species of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The cephalopods range in coloration from an orange-brown to a dark purple-gray, and with a diet that primarily consists of crustaceans and eggs. They are also known for their aggression, particularly when females are protecting their broods of as many as 7,000 eggs.The team-up was made even stranger given what we know about the two animals respective habitats. While Maori octopus typically lives along the seabed, shortfin makos only swim to a maximum depth of around 1,000 feet deep.It makes no sense that these two animals should be at the same place and time to encounter each other, Constantine said. We have no idea how they found each other.The researchers believe that even if the shortfin mako didnt see the octopus approach it, the shark almost certainly was aware of its arrival thanks to sensory organs known as lateral lines that cover its body.Alas, the pairs ultimate fateor final destinationwill remain an unsolved mystery. Constantine and their team allowed the dynamic duo to continue their travels uninterrupted while the group returned to their fieldwork. Given that shortfin makos can reach a top speed of about 46 miles per hour, its unlikely the Maori octopus remained on top of it for too long. The teambelieves thatone of two outcomes are likely. Either the octopus drifted 100 to 130 feet down to the ocean floor, or it became a midtrip meal for the mako.Regardless, Constantine explained that their sharktopus sighting serves as an excellent reminder of the wonders of the ocean. But these and other surprising finds will only continue happening with the proper support of ongoing conservation efforts.The post Sharks mystery hat turns out to be a giant octopus appeared first on Popular Science.

A Galpagos yellow warbler. This small songbird is genetically distinct from yellow warblers found elsewhere in the Americas and is classified as a subspecies. Alper YelimliesWhile actual road rage is primarily a human trait, some birds on the Galpagos Islands are experiencing their own issues with traffic. Galpagos yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia aureola) that are exposed to noisy traffic appear to show heightened levels of aggression. The findings are detailed in a study published March 20 in the journal Animal Behaviour.Birds use song during territorial defence as an aggressive signal, Caglar Akcay, a study co-author and behavioral ecologist at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. However, if external noise such as traffic interferes with the signalling, effectively blocking this communication channel, increasing physical aggression would be an appropriate response. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.A world-renown natural living laboratory, the Galpagos Islands are over 500 miles off the coast of Ecuador. During his famed voyage to the archipelago aboard the HMS Beagle, the Galpagos helped inspire Charles Darwins theory of evolution by natural selection. The archipelago is home to a large number of unique and endemic species including giant Galpagos tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, and the Galpagos yellow warbler in this new study. The small yellow songbird is widespread on the archipelago. It is also genetically distinct from yellow warblers found elsewhere in the Americas and is classified as a subspecies.However, the human population and impacts on the Galpagos has significantly grown in recent years. Alongside a jump in tourism, the population of permanent residents is also increasing by over 6 percent per year, leading to more motor vehicles around the islands.This new study took a closer look at the impact of vehicle noise pollution on the Galpagos yellow warblers. To stimulate the sound of an intruder, the team played bird songs from a speaker and recorded traffic noise. These noises were recorded at 38 locations populated by Galpagos yellow warblers on the islands of Floreana and Santa Cruz. Twenty of the sites were within 164 feet (50 meters) of the nearest road and 18 were over 328 feet (100 meters) away.The team then measured their songwhich is typically used to ward off intrudersand their physical and aggressive behaviors. These actions include making repeated flights across the speaker or approaching it closely.During trials that included traffic noise, the team found that Galpagos yellow warblers living in roadside territories showed increased aggression. Those living away from the roads had a decreased aggression relative to trials without noise from cars.Our results show that the change in aggressive responses in yellow warblers occurred mainly near roads. Birds occupying roadside territories on both islands, and therefore having regular experience of traffic noise, may have learned to increase physical aggression when the territorial intrusion was accompanied by traffic noise, said Akcay.[ Related: Noise pollution messes with beluga whales travel plans. ]This effect of living on a roadside territory was even present on Floreana Island, which only has about 10 vehicles on it. According to the team, this suggests that even minimal experience of car traffic affects responses to noise.The Galpagos yellow warblers on the more populous island of Santa Cruz also increased the duration of their song when confronted by traffic noise. Long-term selection based on noise experience, or an individual birds previous experience of noise could allow the birds to adapt and adjust parts of their songs.Female (left) and male (right) Galpagos Yellow Warbler picture by Caglar Akcay, Anglia Ruskin University. CREDIT: Caglar Akcay, Anglia Ruskin University. We also found some evidence of birds trying to cope with noise by adjusting their song, with yellow warblers in all habitats increasing the minimum frequency of their songs to help them be heard above the traffic noise, said Akcay.The birds also increased the minimum frequencies of their songs during the noise experiments, whether or not their territory was close to the road. This helped reduce any overlap of their songs with the low-frequency traffic noise.Our study shows the importance of considering behavioural plasticity in conservation efforts and developing strategies to mitigate the effects of noise pollution on wildlife, said Akcay. It also highlights the significant impact of human activities on wildlife behaviour, even in relatively remote locations such as the Galpagos Islands.

Nature, Published online: 19 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08724-6Dynamic cytoskeletal regulation of lymphatic endothelial cell shape, induced by isotropic stretch and crucial for dermal lymphatic capillary function, is identified and found to result from continuous remodelling of cellular overlaps that maintain vessel integrity.

Nature, Published online: 19 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00831-8New metric assesses how AI is getting better at completing long tasks but some researchers are wary of long-term predictions.

The Aardvark Weather machine learning algorithm is much faster than traditional systems and can work on a desktop computer.

There have been hundreds of measles cases reported in the U.S. since the beginning of the year. Here's what you need to know about measles immunity.

Robin Mkrtchyan walked us through the Whale Airship Project based on concept art, explaining the creation of the airship with a hard surface and the character featuring four distinct hair systems, each with its own unique look and feel, using Blender and Substance 3D Painter.Read the interview: https://80.lv/articles/how-to-model-texture-a-whale-shaped-airship-with-a-pilot/

Learn how to create this frame-by-frame impact VFX for games using OpenToonz with @GabrielAguiarFX's beginner-friendly tutorial.Watch here: https://80.lv/articles/tutorial-frame-by-frame-effects-for-games-with-opentoonz/