In this Unreal Engine 5 Niagara tutorial, I’ll guide you through the full process of creating stylized lightning VFX, from initial concept to final effect. You’ll learn how to bring your ideas to life by building a custom lightning effect using Niagara's powerful tools. We’ll explore concepts like shape design, color, timing, trails, glow, and custom emitters to help you craft dynamic and visually appealing lightning bolts perfect for stylized games and cinematics. Whether you're aiming for anime-style energy blasts, magical effects, or high-voltage sci-fi lightning, this tutorial has you covered with both artistic and technical insights. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more VFX tutorials! FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ 👉👉 If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644 #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengine #realtimevfx ●Visit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Dean Cliver, an expert in food microbiology at the University of California Davis, was the OG of cutting-board research. In the early 1990s, Cliver, who died in 2011, and his colleagues set out to discover how home cooks could clean their wooden cutting boards so that wooden boards would be as safe to use as the plastic variety. But the results of their experiments showed that the plastic boards weren’t necessarily safer than the wooden ones. Or to be more precise, under the same experimental conditions, the wooden boards harbored fewer bacteria than the plastic ones. (Science is like that. You don’t always find what you’re expecting. And if you do always find what you’re expecting, you might want to re-think your approach.)Cutting Boards are Bacteria TrapsPlastic boards are easier to sanitize. But wood has some properties that plastic doesn’t. For one thing, the woods commonly used in cutting boards are harder than plastic, so they’re less likely to end up with lots of grooves and gouges that can provide cozy homes for colonies of bacteria.But, perhaps the most intriguing finding concerns a feature of wood you might think was a downside: Wood is porous. In a study published in 1994, Cliver and colleagues found that when the researchers inoculated the wooden boards with bacteria, it was difficult to recover the bacteria. That’s because it was no longer on the surface of the wood. The bacteria had been drawn into the interior of the wood. The authors of a 2023 study explain how this happens: When cutting boards are washed, the wood soaks up the water, along with any remaining bacteria, leaving the surface of the wood clean. The bacteria, trapped inside the board, eventually die.Though all types of wood tested had some antibacterial effect, some woods (red oak and white oak) were better at removing Listeria, while others (European beech) were better at removing Salmonella, according to the 2023 study. That research also found that the finish on the wood matters. Cutting boards treated with linseed oil or mineral oil did not absorb the bacteria as well as untreated boards, at least for 24 hours, leaving more bacteria on the surface. The authors recommend passing on those wood treatment products often sold alongside wooden cutting boards and chopping blocks.Microplastics and Plastic Cutting Boards One concern about plastic boards is that tiny bits of plastic — microplastics — can chip off the board when you’re chopping your chops or slicing your carrots and get into your food. Although there hasn’t been a lot of research in this area, several studies have raised concerns. For example, one recent study found that plastic cutting boards can be a substantial source of microplastics in food. Until more research is done, however, we won’t know if this could impact health.Wood vs Plastic: Which Is Cleaner? So, which is best, plastic or wood? Barring more research on microplastic contamination, either is fine, say most experts. The issue is not so much which type of cutting board you use but how you use and care for it, explains Janet Buffer, food-safety expert at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. No matter what your cutting board is made of, you need to be scrupulous about cleaning it, she says. That means washing the board in hot soapy water after every use. (For plastic boards, this can be done in the dishwasher, but the high heat of dishwashers warps and cracks wooden boards.) Once the board has been thoroughly scrubbed, give it a sanitizing rinse. Buffer recommends a mild solution of one teaspoon of bleach to two cups of water.Another best practice, according to Buffer, is to use separate boards for veggies and meats. And vegetarians take note: You need to be just as careful as carnivores when it comes to cleanliness. Buffer points out that produce, especially leafy greens, has been implicated in outbreaks of food-borne illness. “So even after you've handled produce, wash, rinse, and sanitize your cutting board after use,” she says. This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.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:Journal of Food Protection. Cutting Boards of Plastic and Wood Contaminated Experimentally with BacteriaDean O. Cliver, Ph.D. Plastic And Wooden Cutting Boards Food Additives and Contaminants. Plastic cutting boards as a source of microplastics in meat Environmental Science & Technology. Cutting Boards: An Overlooked Source of Microplastics in Human Food?Avery Hurt is a freelance science journalist. In addition to writing for Discover, she writes regularly for a variety of outlets, both print and online, including National Geographic, Science News Explores, Medscape, and WebMD. She’s the author of Bullet With Your Name on It: What You Will Probably Die From and What You Can Do About It, Clerisy Press 2007, as well as several books for young readers. Avery got her start in journalism while attending university, writing for the school newspaper and editing the student non-fiction magazine. Though she writes about all areas of science, she is particularly interested in neuroscience, the science of consciousness, and AI–interests she developed while earning a degree in philosophy.

The new modeling relies on a ubiquitous equation known as Euler's formula. Credit: Deposit Photos Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 The average bowler has about a 1-in-11,500 chance of achieving a perfect 300 game—so unless you’re dedicated to honing your craft, it’s probably best to take the strikes when they come. Either that, or you could refer to a new system of differential equations from MIT and Princeton designed to determine the most optimal bowling ball placements. Their findings present a potential breakthrough for the game thanks to one of the most universal formulas across physics, engineering, mathematics, and chemistry. The study was published April 15 in AIP Advances in collaboration with experts at University of New Mexico, Loughborough University, and Swarthmore College.  Prior to their recent work, most bowling strategies relied on statistical analyses of professional bowlers. While helpful, these methods left out more thorough investigations into the physics dynamics between a ball, lane conditions, and bowling pins. This meant that even the slightest variation on form could dramatically alter a player’s performance. A USBC-approved bowling lane has 39 boards, each measuring approximately 2.73 cm (1.07 in). The x-axis is measured in boards. The y-axis is aligned with the minimum moment of inertia axis of the weight block. Credit: Simon Ji However, Hooper and colleagues decided on a different approach based on an underlying principle known as Euler’s formula. Realized by the 18th century Swiss polymath Leonhard Euler, the equation establishes the foundational link between complex exponential and trigonometric functions. The details only get more intricate from there, but Euler’s work has become the bedrock for many mathematical breakthroughs, and is routinely utilized in everything from calculating compound interests to determining the half-lives of radioactive isotopes. And now, bowling.  Unlike previous work, the new model factors in various physical conditions of a game, such as lane oil. While initially applied in a thin, relatively even layer, a lane’s oil quickly spreads unevenly to create unique and inconsistent friction surfaces. Bowlers traditionally adjust their games depending on subjective experience and instincts, which has its limits for even the best players. “Our model provides a solution to both of these problems by constructing a bowling model that accurately computes bowling trajectories when given inputs for all significant factors that may affect ball motion,” explained Hooper. “A ‘miss-room’ is also calculated to account for human inaccuracies which allows bowlers to find their own optimal targeting strategy.” Determining their new equations required accounting for multiple difficult-to-describe factors, such as describing the tiny asymmetries on a bowling ball’s surface. The team also needed to figure out ways to translate their complex mathematical inputs into language that’s actually useful to bowlers, coaches, and industry professionals. In the end, they believe that their new equations will soon be applied across training regimens, manufacturing processes, and professional events. For now, it’s probably best for the average bowler to stick with the “practice makes perfect” mentality.

Skip to content News Health & Medicine A drug for heavy metal poisoning may double as a snakebite treatment The drug can block proteins that are found in the venom of many vipers around the world Researchers are investigating whether a drug used for heavy metal poisoning might prevent harm to people from the venom of the puff adder, shown here, and other vipers. The snakes’ venom contains proteins that need zinc to do their damaging work. Michele D'Amico supersky77/Getty Images By Aimee Cunningham 1 hour ago An old drug may find new use as a speedy treatment for venomous snakebites. The drug, called unithiol, has long been used as a therapy for heavy metal poisoning. Research in mice suggests the drug could block damaging proteins that are found in the venom of many vipers. A recent Phase I clinical trial explored different dosages of the drug in people — larger quantities than are used for metal poisoning — and didn’t find safety issues, researchers report in the March eBioMedicine. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Nature, Published online: 15 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01177-xTo combat long-overlooked fungal pathogens, researchers and regulators must embrace innovative science and policy.

Science writer Mindy Weisberger speaks to Live Science about the parasites that turn their hosts — whether ant, beetle or caterpillar — into zombie-like puppets that act against their own interests.

Going to be working on getting this guy animated yet. This is a TT I worked on over the weekend, working on doing hand drawn outlines with grease pencil. Gollum design by Aiden Glynn Instagram.com/glynnaiden If you like my work you can see more of it on my Instagram or YouTube. Instagram.com/jantzenanimation https://youtube.com/@jantzenanimation?si=NZU9xC1HC_WZVJ43 submitted by /u/JantzenAnimation [link] [comments]

PhonePe UPI Circle was launched in India on Tuesday, as a feature that allows a primary user to authorise secondary users to make payments without their own bank account. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI Circle is designed to expand the usage of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), while enabling supervised spending. PhonePe's rival Google Pay announced support for UPI Circle in August 2024, but the feature has yet to roll out to users across the country.PhonePe UPI Circle Features, BenefitsAccording to the Walmart-owned payments platform, the new UPI Circle feature is now rolling out to PhonePe users in the country. PhonePe users will be able to create a circle and generate UPI IDs for trusted contacts, such as family and friends, even if they do not have a bank account.PhonePe users can now activate the UPI Circle featurePhoto Credit: PhonePeOnce a UPI Circle is created, a "primary" PhonePe user can create "secondary" users that must be added to their circle. These users will have their own UPI IDs that can be used to make purchases online or pay bills, and all transactions take place via the primary user's bank account.Usage of the UPI Circle feature on PhonePe can be controlled by the primary user in two ways. When the Partial Delegation mode is selected, the primary user will receive a prompt to authorise every transaction initiated by a secondary user. On the other hand, Full Delegation allows a primary user to set a maximum monthly spending limit for secondary users, and these transactions do not need to be manually approved. Primary users can set any limit up to Rs. 15,000, and there's a limit of Rs. 5,000 per transaction.Primary users can revoke access at any time, and keep an eye on all transactions made by secondary users. Meanwhile, each secondary user can have a different monthly spending limit.UPI Circle allows primary users to add up to five secondary users, but a secondary user can only be linked to one primary user at a time. A primary user is notified after every transaction is completed, even if full delegation is set up for secondary users. Google Pay announced support for UPI Circle in August 2024, but the platform has yet to roll out the feature to all users in the country. Users can also try out the UPI Circle feature via the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app, which also supports the same functionality.

Sometimes the world around us doesn’t always seem real. We may often wonder about our friends, family, or birds passing are depictions of the The Matrix. Even the emotions we feel may often seem entangled with some off script computer software. And we ponder, maybe the simulation is a simulation.SimulationEven the simulation is a simulationToo deeply ingrainedWe consumed and assimilatedInstead of facing fearWe feed our comfortsWelcoming the distractionsAnd falling into a slumberBut there’s voices in our headsThe one that tries to awakeBut instead we drift and floatRelinquishing our own stakeWe live lost in space and timeImpatiently waiting the momentThe day of our atonementBut I ask youTo question everythingAnd define what is livingContinuously hiding in our spacesWondering what is missingOr breaking free of the simulationAnd finding life with no hesitationThis is how we escape the fearHow we avoid assimilationWe’ve recognized with realizationBy changing the parametersWe can alter the algorithmAnd freedomWe suffocate the alternate livingA false realityWe’ve consciously acceptedFor purity’sIndefinite conception

Meta has confirmed plans to utilise content shared by its adult users in the EU (European Union) to train its AI models. The announcement follows the recent launch of Meta AI features in Europe and aims to enhance the capabilities and cultural relevance of its AI systems for the region’s diverse population.    In a statement, Meta wrote: “Today, we’re announcing our plans to train AI at Meta using public content – like public posts and comments – shared by adults on our products in the EU. “People’s interactions with Meta AI – like questions and queries – will also be used to train and improve our models.” Starting this week, users of Meta’s platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) within the EU will receive notifications explaining the data usage. These notifications, delivered both in-app and via email, will detail the types of public data involved and link to an objection form. “We have made this objection form easy to find, read, and use, and we’ll honor all objection forms we have already received, as well as newly submitted ones,” Meta explained. Meta explicitly clarified that certain data types remain off-limits for AI training purposes. The company says it will not “use people’s private messages with friends and family” to train its generative AI models. Furthermore, public data associated with accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 in the EU will not be included in the training datasets. Meta positions this initiative as a necessary step towards creating AI tools designed for EU users. Meta launched its AI chatbot functionality across its messaging apps in Europe last month, framing this data usage as the next phase in improving the service. “We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that’s not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them,” the company explained.  “That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products.” This becomes increasingly pertinent as AI models evolve with multi-modal capabilities spanning text, voice, video, and imagery.    Meta also situated its actions in the EU within the broader industry landscape, pointing out that training AI on user data is common practice. “It’s important to note that the kind of AI training we’re doing is not unique to Meta, nor will it be unique to Europe,” the statement reads.  “We’re following the example set by others including Google and OpenAI, both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models.” Meta further claimed its approach surpasses others in openness, stating, “We’re proud that our approach is more transparent than many of our industry counterparts.”    Regarding regulatory compliance, Meta referenced prior engagement with regulators, including a delay initiated last year while awaiting clarification on legal requirements. The company also cited a favourable opinion from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in December 2024. “We welcome the opinion provided by the EDPB in December, which affirmed that our original approach met our legal obligations,” wrote Meta. Broader concerns over AI training data While Meta presents its approach in the EU as transparent and compliant, the practice of using vast swathes of public user data from social media platforms to train large language models (LLMs) and generative AI continues to raise significant concerns among privacy advocates. Firstly, the definition of “public” data can be contentious. Content shared publicly on platforms like Facebook or Instagram may not have been posted with the expectation that it would become raw material for training commercial AI systems capable of generating entirely new content or insights. Users might share personal anecdotes, opinions, or creative works publicly within their perceived community, without envisaging its large-scale, automated analysis and repurposing by the platform owner. Secondly, the effectiveness and fairness of an “opt-out” system versus an “opt-in” system remain debatable. Placing the onus on users to actively object, often after receiving notifications buried amongst countless others, raises questions about informed consent. Many users may not see, understand, or act upon the notification, potentially leading to their data being used by default rather than explicit permission. Thirdly, the issue of inherent bias looms large. Social media platforms reflect and sometimes amplify societal biases, including racism, sexism, and misinformation. AI models trained on this data risk learning, replicating, and even scaling these biases. While companies employ filtering and fine-tuning techniques, eradicating bias absorbed from billions of data points is an immense challenge. An AI trained on European public data needs careful curation to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or harmful generalisations about the very cultures it aims to understand.    Furthermore, questions surrounding copyright and intellectual property persist. Public posts often contain original text, images, and videos created by users. Using this content to train commercial AI models, which may then generate competing content or derive value from it, enters murky legal territory regarding ownership and fair compensation—issues currently being contested in courts worldwide involving various AI developers. Finally, while Meta highlights its transparency relative to competitors, the actual mechanisms of data selection, filtering, and its specific impact on model behaviour often remain opaque. Truly meaningful transparency would involve deeper insights into how specific data influences AI outputs and the safeguards in place to prevent misuse or unintended consequences. The approach taken by Meta in the EU underscores the immense value technology giants place on user-generated content as fuel for the burgeoning AI economy. As these practices become more widespread, the debate surrounding data privacy, informed consent, algorithmic bias, and the ethical responsibilities of AI developers will undoubtedly intensify across Europe and beyond. (Photo by Julio Lopez) Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.