Unblock the world of content and stay private with this outstanding ExpressVPN deal. While this VPN has never been affordable, the new, fresh-out-of-the-oven deal promises many great things youll surely enjoy.ExpressVPN has slashed the price of its 2-year plan by 61%, resulting in a monthly cost of a meager $4.99/mo. Pair this with 4 extra months for free, and you get one of the least expensive premium VPNs in 2025.Get Started With ExpressVPNHow ExpressVPN Enhances Your Online ExperienceUsing a secure VPN yields many benefits. Primarily, youll enjoy rock-solid 256-bit encryption, which will keep snoopers and spies away. ExpressVPN uses a state-of-the-art kill switch to keep data leaks miles away.On top of that, it relies on RAM-only servers, whose data is wiped clean with each restart. To spice up the deal, ExpressVPN includes a certified no-logging policy with multiple third-party audits. Talk about impeccable privacy!ExpressVPN is far more than that, however.It offers 3,000+ servers in 105 countries, which makes the VPN ideal for torrenting, streaming, unblocking websites, and ad-free browsing. Yes, the VPN blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites, allowing for pure online bliss. Again, thats not all!The VPN also includes a built-in password manager, a modern Lightway Turbo protocol, and various ID Theft protection features. Its a multi-purpose security/privacy juggernaut used by millions around the globe.Best of all, ExpressVPN is beginner-friendly. Its easy-to-use apps work on all devices, plus, each subscriber gets 8 simultaneous connections.Flash Sale Get Your Discount Here (+ 4 Months Free)Now, lets get back to ExpressVPNs irresistible offer.The 24-month plan with 4 free months is the star of the show. At $4.99/mo or only $139.72 for 28 months, youre getting everything you need for your online privacy.We havent mentioned it, but each subscriber can buy a dedicated IP on top. Additionally, ExpressVPN comes with a free 5 GB eSIM for seamless connectivity worldwide. ExpressVPNRest assured, ExpressVPN is risk-free to test due to a 30-day money-back guarantee. If youre unsatisfied or simply dont need it anymore, ask the support team for a refund, and theyll issue it the same day.To save 61% on ExpressVPN and get 4 free months, all you have to do is use the buttons in this article. Once on the site, select the deal in the middle, subscribe, and youre ready to soar.ExpressVPN also has a 12-month plan with 3 free months at 48% off. Its ideal for a shorter ride but with less value for money because its $6.67/mo. The 2-year deal, as said, remains the king grab it while its fresh.Visit ExpressVPN Website

With winter having come to a close, people living near the Rocky Mountains will have to reckon with the effects of snow contamination, an enduring issue magnified by mining activities in the region. A new study provides an unprecedented look at the heightened levels of contaminants that have been carried to the Rockies by winter storms.The study, recently published in the journal Environmental Pollution, has pinpointed mining operations in the Pacific Northwest as the source of contaminants. Mercury and other metals from these mines have been infused into snow that accumulates in the northern range of the Rockies. Since the western U.S. heavily relies on mountain snowpacks for water, increased snow contamination could entail dire consequences in the near future.The Significance of SnowpackIconic winter pastimes in the western U.S., like skiing and snowboarding, wouldnt be possible without mountain snowpack, which builds up and eventually melts by spring and summer. But the importance of snowpack extends beyond recreation, as it provides the region with water for hydropower, agriculture, and household use for millions of Americans.Snow contamination in the northern Rockies now threatens this vital component of the water cycle. The new study found that higher levels of metal contaminants Mercury, Zinc, Cadmium, and Antimony now plague the mountains snowpack.An Increase in ContaminationDuring the spring of 2018, researchers collected snow samples from 48 different sites throughout the Rockies and measured metal concentrations in each one. This not only included metals from mining but also metals like calcium that come from natural dust.The researchers compared the portion of metals that only came from natural dust to those that came from both dust and mining activities. They also looked at data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, which measured mercury and calcium in precipitation from 2009 to 2018. The results showed significant metal contamination in the northern Rockies, spanning across Montana, Idaho, and northern Wyoming.The snow samples showed us that contamination is higher in the northern Rockies, and that was really interesting, said Monica Arienzo, a hydrologist with the Desert Research Institute, in a statement. Looking at mercury contamination over time helped us say that 2018 is not just a fluke. When you start to see these trends that are consistent between different records, it makes you feel more confident that somethings really happening here.While contamination levels were within the EPAs guidelines for drinking water and aquatic life, the contaminants can cause the snowpack to reflect less sunlight and melt faster.Surging Snowpack ProblemsThe researchers tracked down the probable source of the contaminants by following previous winter storms and referencing a USGS dataset with information on mining and smelting locations.According to the study, the northern Rockies received many storms that moved in from the Pacific Northwest, while the southern Rockies received storms that moved across the Mojave Desert. The contaminants examined by researchers likely originated from mining sites near the northern Rockies and were transported by the storms.Our idea is that the dust from current and historical mining sites gets carried up into the mountains and deposited across our study sites, said Arienzo in a statement. This study shows the importance of continued scientific monitoring efforts, like the long-term USGS datasets we used here, as well as mitigation of current and historical mining sites.Future studies by the research team will survey mercury levels in tree rings and compare them to mercury levels in the snowpack to determine how the metal spreads throughout the environment. The West faces an uncertain future with regard to its snowpack, which has been declining year after year in some regions. Earlier snowpack melt, along with an increase in rainfall, could start to impact water availability and cause potential snow droughts, possibly warranting a revamping of water management strategies in the coming years.Article 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:National Environmental Education Foundation. The American West's Disappearing Winter SnowpackJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine

Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08796-4Neonatal antibiotic use is shown to reduce immune response to infant vaccines, accompanied by reduced abundance of Bifidobacteria in the gut microbiota, with experiments in mice indicating that probiotic therapy could be beneficial.

Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08761-1Non-classical correlations between two photons in the near-field regime give rise to entanglement in their total angular momentum, leading to a completely different structure of quantum correlations of photon pairs.

Calling all digital artists & devs! Join the #ArtToExperience contest by @emperiavr & 80 Level. Craft immersive virtual worlds using Emperias Creator Tools & compete for epic prizes! Learn More & Enter the Contest: https://80.lv/articles/art-to-experience-contest-a-creative-challenge-by-emperia-and-80-level

Streamline your Blender's 3D modeling workflow with AV's Resample Mesh, featuring tools for geometry modification through interpolation, mesh optimization, edge loop connection, smoothing, and more.Get it here: https://80.lv/articles/simplify-mesh-editing-in-blender-with-this-tool/

Microsoft has revealed some of the games that'll be joining Xbox Game Pass this month, and there are several big additions.South of Midnight is Xbox and Compulsion Games' noteworthy release this month. The We Happy Few developer has created a single-player narrative-adventure game inspired by the American Deep South. It'll launch on April 8, but those who purchase the Premium Edition can play it five days early on April 3.Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition is joining the service, and it comes with all four campaign add-ons, Directors Cut content, and cosmetic packs. This popular shooter is a great warm-up for Borderlands 4, which is scheduled to launch in September.Diablo IV is on already on Game Pass, but perhaps you'd like to experience an older experience. Well, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition also includes the Reapers of Souls expansion set.Still Wakes the Deep is a horror game that came out last year. It takes places on an oil rig in the North Sea during the 1970s, and it's incredibly atmospheric.Wargroove 2 is an excellent tactics game that scratches the old Nintendo Advance Wars-itch, while Hunt Showdown: 1896 is an engrossing extraction shooter that takes place in a backwater swamp.All You Need is Help is a multiplayer co-op puzzles game that involves cube-shaped creatures collaborating with each other to reach goals. Its premise makes it a great game to play with family and children.Some Day One additions to Game Pass include Blue Prince, which is a genre-bending puzzle game that's spread across 45 different rooms. It'll launch on April 10. Commandos: Origins launches on April 9 and revisits the six original commandos in the series. It'll also feature two-player co-op multiplayer.There are some games leaving Game Pass in two weeks, so don't forget to check those out before they leave the service. South of MidnightSouth of Midnight joins Game Pass for cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on April 8. Borderlands 3: Ultimate EditionBorderlands 3 joins Game Pass for cloud, PC, and console on April 3. Diablo III: Reapers of Souls - Ultimate Evil EditionDiablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition joins Game Pass for cloud and console on April 8. Commandos: OriginsCommandos: Origins joins Game Pass for Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on April 9. Blue PrinceBlue Prince joins Game Pass for cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on April 10. Hunt Showdown: 1896Hunt Showdown: 1896 joins Game Pass for PC on April 10. All You Need is HelpAll You Need is Help joins Game Pass for console on April 3. Still Wakes the DeepStill Wakes the Deep joins Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S on April 3. Wargroove 2Wargroove 2 joins Game Pass for console on April 3.

The Nintendo Switch 2 offers a fairly massive upgrade when it comes to raw storage space. The 256GB onboard SSD is four times larger than the Switch OLED (64GB) and eight times the size of the original Switch and Switch Lite (32GB). That said, the Switch 2's performance upgrades will inevitably lead to bigger file sizes for upcoming games, which could compel you to expand your console's storage capacity. Just like its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a microSD card slot. But while the Switch worked with basically every microSD card sold in stores, the Switch 2 is only compatible with a very specific type of storage: microSD Express cards. See all microSD Express Cards at Amazon The Express format is a recent advancement in the semiconductor industry that hasn't been widely adopted by manufacturers yet. The Nintendo Switch 2 will certainly increase its adoption rate by both manufacturers and consumers in a hurry. During this week's Nintendo Direct, we learned that both Samsung and SanDisk will be releasing Super Mario-themed microSD Express Cards this year. If you want to get ahead of any potential Switch 2 storage woes, we've put together a brief list and explainer detailing the microSD Express options available now from SanDisk and Lexar. None of the current cards are themed around Nintendo franchises, but you'll probably save some cash by grabbing a non-branded one anyway.SanDisk 128GB microSD Express Card -- $45 ($50)SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card -- $60 ($65)Lexar 256GB Play Pro microSD Express Card -- $50Lexar 512GB Play Pro microSD Express Card -- $100Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express Card -- $200For more on the new console, check out GameSpot's Nintendo Switch 2 preorder guide, which includes all of the first-party hardware and games featured in the Nintendo Direct. Preorders for the Switch 2, its accessories, and a bunch of launch games will open on April 9, and we're only two months out from the console's June 5 launch.Continue Reading at GameSpot

There are plenty of games nowadays that are based on books. One of the biggest examples has to be The Witcher and all of its sequels. Where would the video game industry be without a game like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? Then some games use books in their stories to tell something compelling like Alan Wake wherein the titular novelist has his books coming to life.

Assassin's Creed is one of gaming's biggest franchises.Its inspirational formula has spread to other games to some degree.