To conclude this series on Stimson Avenue houses in Providence, I will showcase the grand dame of Stimson Avenue, the Amos Beckwith Mansion. Built in 1861, the large estate was essentially a country villa when built, as this section of Providence was sparsely developed before the Civil War. Amos Beckwith (1822-1890) was the son of Truman Beckwith and, like his father, was a wealthy cotton broker. He hired architect Alpheus C. Morse to design the house, which is an Italianate Villa, with prominent four-story tower. thick moulded trim, projecting eaves and balconies supported by large brackets and corbels, and the rounded arch windows. In 1882, Beckwith subdivided his land in the area to make half the building lots on Stimson Avenue. Amos Beckwith lived in the home with his wife, Clara, until her death in 1879. Unknown to many, Amos would secretly remarry his housekeeper, a fact that came out after his death when discussions about the estate were raised. Maria Sherman, the 35-year-old housekeeper, stated she was in the will. It is not clear if the family fought this claim and who inherited the property, but what an interesting story!

Although Safari is a competent browser, there are better alternatives available. Let's look at five hidden gems I've tried and recommend -- but you might not have heard about them until now.

ZDNETConducting interviews, doing research, or otherwise need to document a conversation? There are many reasons you may want to record a phone call on your iPhone -- and with the latest iOS, that just got easier.As of Apple'siOS 18.1update, released this fall, users can now record phone calls directly on their devices using Apple Intelligence, which comes with a transcription and summary in the Notes app. However, ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner notes that summarization is "still a work in progress."Also:Which iPhone model should you buy?For privacy reasons -- and due to laws that vary by state -- Apple historically hasn't allowed recording through the iPhone's built-in microphone while the phone is actively on a call. For example, the app version of artificial intelligence (AI) transcription serviceOtter.aiwouldn't record if your phone was actively on a call, citing iOS restrictions in a popup message on your screen.There are several ways to record a call on your iPhone, with and without third-party apps. Before you record a call, always check that recording calls is legal. States have varying laws regarding recording phone calls. You can check your state's policy here.How to record a iPhone call with iOS 18What you need: An iPhone newer than the X running iOS 18.1 or 18.2. These models include iPhone SE, models XR through 13,iPhone 14,iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16You can see the full list of supported iPhone modelshere. 1. Start a phone call Initiate a call. You'll see a new icon in the upper-left corner of the call screen -- tap it to start recording. Show more Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET 2. Make sure recording has started Once the recording begins, a notification will alert all parties, and an audio message will announce that recording has started. Show more Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET 3. End recording and view transcript Once you finish and end the call, a notification from the Notes app will appear at the top of your screen, directing you to the audio file and transcript of the recording. Tap it to open in Notes.Also: Can't find Apple's AI features after upgrading to iOS 18.1? Do thisYou can play back the audio and read the transcript directly in Notes. Show more Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNETHow to record an iPhone callwithout iOS 18Whether you're opting not to upgrade to iOS 18 yet or don't have a compatible device, there are still several ways to record a call. Though not as seamless as the native functionality, the options vary from using multiple devices to third-party apps with separate call software, such asGoogle Voice(these apps may require a subscription fee).This first method is considered the most accessible for iPhone users who want to record a conversation, especially if subtlety is important to you. To record, you will need an external iOS device with audio recording and microphone functions.What you need:One iPhone to host the call, which we recommend putting on speakerphone.Another recording device (this could be another iPhone, aniPad, or even anAndroiddevice) using Voice Memos or another recording app to record the call.Test your Voice Memos appFirst, ensure you have an iPhone and another iOS device, such as a Mac, iPad, or another iPhone, with the Voice Memos app. The Voice Memos app is preinstalled on most devices but is also free on theApp Store. If using an Android device, check that it has a recording app, likethis free one.Also:This hidden Apple feature turns your iPhone or iPad into an AI image generatorOpen the Voice Memos app, tap the red record button, and start speaking for long enough to ensure the sound quality is adequate for recording a conversation. When you are done recording, press the red button again. An audio file will appear titled "New Recording [number correlating to the voice recordings you have]." If you haveLocation Servicesturned on, the recording will be titled with the address of your location instead. Voice recordings autosave under different names based on whether Location Services are turned on. Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET2. Play back the audio file and make adjustmentsNow, play the file back and check if the audio is discernible. Make any adjustments needed before recording a phone call.For example, if the sound quality is too low, you may need to speak louder, increase the microphone sensitivity (go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics), or move the speaker closer to your mouth.3. Check whether you need to inform the other partyAlways checkif the state you're recording and residing in is a one-party or all-party state for recording consent.One-party states require only one person on the call -- which would be you -- to consent. All-party states require both the person recording and the person(s) being recorded to consent.4. Start recordingAfter disclosing that you're recording or -- if necessary -- getting permission to record, set up the second device so that Voice Memos (or the other app you're using) is ready to record. Place the device near the phone making the call and tap the red button again to start recording.Start the recording before you start the call. This action may add a few seconds of silence to the audio file but will ensure you don't miss any part of the conversation. On your iPhone, make sure to initiate the phone call on speakerphone.Once on the call, you can improve your audio quality by swiping down on the upper-right corner of your screen to access the Control Center. Select Mic Mode > Voice Isolation.Pro tip: The red lines on the sound graphic, known as a waveform, indicate how well the app is picking up sound. The higher the bars, the higher the detected volume. If the waveform stays flat, you may need to turn up the phone call volume or move the devices closer together. Changing Mic Mode once a call is active. Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET Spikes in the red waveform bar indicate a louder sound. A flatter bar indicates lower volume. If your waveform looks low as you record, you may have to move closer to the phone for Voice Memos to pick up more accurate sound. Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET5. End the recording and transfer the fileWhen the conversation is over or you've got the information you need, end the recording by tapping the red button.From within the Voice Memos app, select the recording file and tap the ellipses button (three dots) to the right of the recording name to bring up share options. You can send it directly to your iPhone via iMessage or other messaging apps, Mail, AirDrop, Slack, or even Google Drive. Open up sharing options. You can also trim or rename the recording to something easier to remember by clicking Edit Recording. Screenshot by Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNETOther ways to record a phone callFollowing the steps above is the easiest, most efficient, and most discreet way to record a phone call on your iPhone. If you or a trusted second party don't have another spare device, here are a few alternatives.Also: The best phones to buy in 2024Note: Many apps that record phone calls likely need to conference into the call before recording begins, which may take a moment and could be detectable by the other person on the call.Rev Voice RecorderRev has a few options depending on what you need. If you want to record phone calls, try theirCall Recorderapp -- it's free, with no limits on recording lengths, and even includes in-app legal guidance. For recording other conversations, Rev'sVoice Recorderapp is also free and has an easy-to-use interface.Plus, Rev offers AI-supportedtranscriptionof your recordings for $0 per minute, or you can have a human professionally transcribe your recording for $2 per minute. Once you download your file, it will appear as an MP3 file on your device. This is a great option for recording phone calls and narrating screen recordings.2. Google VoiceThe Google Voiceapp for iOSlets you make free and recorded calls using Wi-Fi via Google Voice. If you have a personal Google account, you canonly record incoming calls, and they must come to your Google Voice number. If you have a Google Workspace account through work or school, you'll have more recording capabilities, but you'll need to obtain the properGoogle Voice license.You can select the device from which you want to initiate a call via the app. For incoming calls, go to Settings > Calls > Incoming call options and toggle the incoming calls record option.Once everyone is on the call, press the number four (4) on the keypad to start and end the recording. The call will appear in the record menu option after it ends.3. Easy Voice RecorderEasy Voice Recorderis another free app that allows you to record high-quality voice memos or recordings to PCM, MP4, or ACC files -- which can then be saved to your iCloud account. The app can't record phone calls hosted by the same device, but it does have quick and easy built-in transcription capability at no extra cost.As the name suggests, this app is designed for users to quickly whip out their phones and start recording whenever, wherever. If you download the app and use it on an iPad to record, you can drag and drop recordings with the Files app or other recording apps for further transcriptions or to consolidate recordings.FAQ Show more Is it illegal to record phone calls?Federal law requires at least one party's consent, which means you need to be part of the conversation you're recording or have the consent of at least one person in the conversation. Otherwise, the recording can be construed as wiretapping or illegal eavesdropping. Some states have even stricter laws that require the consent of all people involved in the conversation.Before recording a conversation,checkyour state laws.Is there an app to record calls on iPhone?Beyond on-device recording with iOS 18.1, there are also several downloadable third-party apps that can record calls on the iPhone. However, Apple is restrictive about letting these apps use the microphone during a phone call. Most apps will need to conference into the call as a participant to record.Also:How to buy more iPhone storageAlternatively, you can use most mic-equipped computers or tablets to record phone conversations, as long as the phone is on speaker or the microphone is close to the other device's speaker. BothMacOSand Windows computers have numerous audio recording software options available.Does Apple have an app to record iPhone calls?Unfortunately, not without iOS 18.1 and Apple Intelligence. Apple doesn't have an app, but third-party apps are available on theApp Store. Also, Voice Memos is most likely automatically installed on your iOS device.Does screen recording on iPhone record my call?Screen recording while on an audio or FaceTime call will only record your screen -- it won't capture any audio from you or your phone.Does iPhone's Voice Memos have a time limit?The Voice Memos app can record for an unlimited amount of time, as long as you have sufficient storage availability. To check how much storage is on your device, go to your iPhone's Settings > General > Device > Storage. You can also buy more iPhone storage.iPhone

More consumers are expressing sustainability fatigue and skepticism when shopping for fashion but ... [+] brands must carry the burden for themgettySustainability is a key topic on the fashion forecast for 2025 but theres a noticeable cooling effect on what has been one of the hottest issues of the past few years. McKinseys State of Fashion 2025 report found that only 18% of fashion executives consider sustainability a top three risk for growth in 2025, compared to 29% for 2024. Foresight agency The Future Laboratorys trend barometer for 2025 reported that searches for sustainability on its insight platform were down 44% this past year and Deloittes report on The Sustainable Consumer highlighted growing consumer fatigue and skepticism on the topic as its key finding for 2024.Foresight editor at The Future Laboratory, Fiona Harkin believes fashion brands are less invested because consumers are changing their priorities: Theres a switch in where customers place value, and what they want is a really good product first, and they want that sustainability to be baked in as a given.This values shift exists among a difficult political and economic climate for both consumers and brands.Consumer psychologist and chief behavioral officer at Humanising Brands, Kate Nightingale, says: The wars and recessions, cost of living crisis, the political upheaval, all those things create a lot of uncertainty and a lack of safety in individuals. We are continuously dropping people onto that really basic, lowest levels of needs.This is influencing buying behavior, explains Nightingale: Our major motivations are: I need to be secure. I want brands and businesses to make me feel safe.The State of Fashion report shows a pessimistic outlook among executives for the coming year with just 20% expecting improvements in consumer sentiment in 2025, while 39% see industry conditions worsening.Sustainability messaging has done a bad job of making consumers feel safe by placing much of the burden on their choices, rather than corporate responsibility says Harkin. People have been hit over the head with it. This constant pressure that's put on the consumer of every single one of their choices. Brands need to take that off the consumer if they really want to make a difference.MORE FOR YOUSustainability is still central to good businessConsumers may be fatigued with sustainability and more concerned about issues of financial and emotional security, but experts warn that it could still hurt brands if they dont address sustainability within their business.Lewis Perkins, CEO and president of the Apparel Impact Institute, says: Forward-thinking companies understand that failing to act now risks an expensive game of catch-up, not only with compliance but also with maintaining competitiveness and resilience in the face of growing scrutiny.Several pieces of legislation are due to come into force this year to ensure progress on sustainability continues this year despite dimming consumer interest. Perkins highlights the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Directive in the EU as two key pieces of legislation for 2025.Transparency is still key to building trust and improving brand image gettyMcKinsey experts also highlighted the long-term sustainability risks for fashion in a blog post summarizing the findings of the State of Fashion report. They say: Even though shoppers have proven less willing than hoped to pay extra for planet-friendly products, making the business case for sustainability less obvious to executives among other competing priorities, the mounting cost of climate change, and government action to combat it, mean sustainability must remain at the top of the agenda. Those who choose to approach sustainability with a long-term mindset even while battling short-term problems will be rewarded with more efficient business operations and a competitive advantage.Behavioral strategy consultancy, Humanising Brands, listed default sustainability as a top retail trend for 2025. It says the issue has now become a hygiene factor, where consumers are unlikely to choose a brand because of its sustainability credentials, but will avoid brands that dont meet their standards. Nightingale says that in this way, sustainability has become akin to having good online delivery for fashion businesses.Perkins believes that this shift towards sustainability as a fundamental actually shows how far the industry has come: While sustainability may feel less like a differentiator and more like a baseline expectation, that shift itself reflects progress. It signals that sustainability is no longer optional but a fundamental part of how the industry operates. However, the real risk lies in complacency, where businesses treat sustainability as a 'tick-the-box' exercise rather than driving meaningful, transformative action.Focus areas in sustainability for 2025While business might be challenging in 2025, Perkins wants to see brands developing ways to fund a sustainable transition. Brands need to align sustainability strategies with financial mechanisms to unlock capital for suppliers and invest in innovation. Importantly, these actions must extend to improving worker welfare and ensuring just transition pathways for communities most affected by the industrys transformation.He highlights H&M Groups Green Fashion Initiative which funds suppliers to phase out fossil fuels and an initiative by PVH Corp which invests in innovation for suppliers and finances eco-friendly and renewable material projects as examples of good practice in the industry.Sustainability has become akin to convenient delivery for consumers where it's an essential to have ... [+] but not a reason a brand stands outgettyCollaboration with suppliers to address scope 3 emissions and pressure on brands to fund these initiatives will be an important topic for next year.Given the regulatory environment, global market pressures, and the capital already invested in sustainability, businesses have a true incentive to continue their work and create more positive environmental and social outcomes, says Perkins but a strong financial plan is integral to achieving goals. If the C-suite of major fashion and apparel brands do not have an investment strategy for climate, the company simply does not have a credible climate transition plan.The changing outlook on sustainability may be hardest for brands who have positioned themselves with altruistic values at the core of what they do. Sustainability isnt your USP anymore. Make sure you've got a really good product, because that will be your selling point, it will just be taken for granted that youre good to the environment too, advises Harkin. But I don't think we'll be losing some of those things that we've picked up along the way, which is a kind of transparency and a level of information that the customer will require to help make them make better choices. They just want a lot of those choices to be made by the brand before it even gets to the product that theyre choosing.Nightingale also advises brands to embrace transparency as a communication tool that supports sustainability without turning customers off: When you have something like a digital product passport, a lot of customers won't necessarily use it, but the simple presence of it being there makes you feel like the brand is more trustworthy. That makes consumers feel safer and more secure, so you are developing a better relationship with them.The work on a just transition towards a sustainable fashion industry is still as important as ever but to reap the business benefits of it through a challenging climate in 2025, brands must shift the way that they talk about it with their customers to embrace transparency and accountability.

Granada, Andalusia, Spain, 24th January 2024: New Samsung S24, Ultra smartphone in its box. Detail ... [+] of the cameras. Illustrative editorial photography.gettyAfter slashing the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung is running a new promotion that gifts a free Chromebook to all Galaxy S24 Ultra buyers.The promotion combines a 100 ($125) discount for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, enhanced trade-in prices and the free Chromebook Go laptop, which is worth 299 ($374). The deal is valid until January 16th and only applies for shoppers in the U.K. In the U.S., Samsung is running a huge trade-in deal for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, check out my story on that here.Annoyingly, the way to claim the free Chromebook Go is long-winded and could take a few weeks.Buyers will need to purchase the Galaxy S24 Ultra and submit a claim through the Samsung offers website within 30 days of buying the handset. The claim form will ask some basic questions about the purchase and the device's IMEI number. Once submitted and approved, Samsung will ship the Chromebook.Dont be put off by the lengthy process, though, this is a good deal and an expensive freebie. Samsung has run similar promotions in the past, giving away a free Galaxy Watch FE, or Galaxy Tab S6 Lite to U.K. shoppers.MORE FOR YOUU.K. versus U.S. Samsung dealsBefore that, Samsung ran a now defunct freebies program called Boost, which gave away memberships to streaming services, such as a year of free Disney Plus.U.S.-based Samsung fans dont see as many free device giveaways as U.K. shoppers do, but the trade-in prices are far more impressive in America. Right now, Samsung will pay $650 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra when buying the Galaxy S24 Ultra. British shoppers will only get $275 (220) for the same phone. A 57% difference. This is repeated across all devices Samsung will accept in both territories.If you plan to claim the free Chromebook offer, try purchasing the Galaxy S24 Ultra through the Samsung Shopping app, which will knock a further 5% off the order with the code "APP5".

The big picture: A combination of buyer strategies and market conditions are expected to drive DRAM prices down across the board in the first quarter of 2025. As outlined in TrendForce's latest market report, PC OEMs accelerated inventory reduction efforts in Q4 2024. The strategy is expected to persist into the first quarter of next year, further suppressing bit procurement volumes. DDR4 price declines, in particular, are expected to accelerate due in part to sluggish consumer demand, increased production from Chinese suppliers, and low-priced chips flooding the market. As a result, PC DRAM prices are expected to drop by eight to 13 percent.Server DRAM pricing both DDR4 and DDR5 is expected to weaken in part because of slow seasonal demand. Manufacturers have also started shifting DDR4 capacity to DDR5 production, while others are moving HBM production to focus on DDR5. As a result, server DRAM prices as a whole could fall by five to 10 percent in Q1 as DDR4 price declines accelerate.Memory for mobile solutions and graphics products will also be impacted. Smartphone manufacturers have spent the past two quarters adjusting DRAM stockpiles, which will allow them to maintain a passive procurement strategy in Q1 2025 in hopes of attaining more favorable contract pricing. As such, TrendForce expects contract pricing for LPDDR4X and LPDDR5X to fall by eight to 13 percent and three to eight percent, respectively, in Q1 2025.GDDR7 stockpiling for next-gen GPUs will help graphics DRAM pricing but even still, broader DRAM market weakness and heightened inventories will impact the market. TrendForce expects to see graphics DRAM market prices decline by an average of five to 10 percent in Q1.Related reading: Cheap vs. Premium DDR5: Stock vs. EXPO/XMP MemoryFor the average consumer looking to pick up a new kit of DDR4 or DDR5 memory for a new build or an existing rig, now is a great time to do so. Prices are low and with post-holiday sales, you can save even more. This 32GB kit of G.Skill DDR4, for example, is under $50 over on Newegg.

In brief: A group of artificial intelligence researchers has demonstrated running a powerful AI language model on a Windows 98 machine. And we're not talking about just any old PC, but a vintage Pentium II system with a mere 128MB of RAM. The team behind the experiment is EXO Labs, an organization formed by researchers and engineers from Oxford University. In a video shared on X, EXO Labs fired up a dusty Elonex Pentium II 350MHz system running Windows 98. Instead of playing Minesweeper or browsing with Netscape Navigator, the PC was put through its paces with something far more demanding: running an AI model.This model was based on Andrej Karpathy's Llama2.c code. Against all odds, the computer managed to generate a coherent story on command. It did it at a decent speed, too, which is usually difficult with AI models run locally.Pace is already a big enough challenge, but another hurdle the team had to overcome was getting modern code to compile and run on an operating system from 1998.Eventually, they managed to sustain a performance of 39.31 tokens per second running a Llama-based LLM with 260,000 parameters. Cranking up the model size significantly reduced the performance, though. For instance, the 1 billion parameter Llama 3.2 model barely managed 0.0093 tokens per second on the vintage hardware.As for why the team is trying so hard to run AI models that typically require powerful server hardware on such ancient machines, the goal is to develop AI models that can run on even the most modest of devices. EXO Labs' mission is to "democratize access to AI" and prevent a handful of tech giants from monopolizing this game-changing technology. // Related StoriesFor this, the company is developing what it calls the "BitNet" a transformer architecture that uses ternary weights to drastically reduce model size. With this architecture, a 7 billion parameter model needs just 1.38GB of storage, making it feasible to run on most budget hardware.Related reading: Meet Transformers: The Google Breakthrough that Rewrote AI's RoadmapBitNet is also designed to be CPU-first, avoiding the need for expensive GPUs. More impressively, the architecture can leverage a staggering 100 billion parameter model on a single CPU while maintaining human reading speeds at 5-7 tokens per second.If you're keen to join the locally-run models revolution, EXO Labs is actively seeking contributors. Just check out the full blog post to get a better idea of the mission.

Bad connection Whistleblower finds unencrypted location data for 800,000 VW EVs Der Spiegel and Chaos Computer Club were able to tie data to car owners and their trips. Eric Bangeman Dec 30, 2024 10:33 am | 28 In 2024 VW will have two new EVs to sell alongside the ID.4 crossover. Credit: Volkswagen In 2024 VW will have two new EVs to sell alongside the ID.4 crossover. Credit: Volkswagen Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreConnected cars are greatat least until some company leaves unencrypted location data on the Internet for anyone to find. That's what happened with over 800,000 EVs manufactured by the Volkswagen Group, after Cariad, an automative software company that handles much of the development tasks for VW, left several terabytes of data unprotected on Amazon's cloud.According to Motor1, a whistleblower gave German publication Der Spiegel and hacking collective Chaos Computer Club a heads-up about the misconfiguration. Der Spiegel and CCC then spent some time sifting through the data, with which allowed them to tie individual cars to their owners."The security hole allowed the publication to track the location of two German politicians with alarming precision, with the data placing a member of the German Defense Committee at his fathers retirement home and at the countrys military barracks," wrote Motor1.Cariad has since patched the vulnerability, which had revealed data about the usage of Skodas, Audis, and Seats, as well as what Motor1 calls "incredibly detailed data" for VW ID.3 and ID.4 owners. The data set also included pinpoint location data for 460,000 of the vehicles, which Der Spiegel said could be used to paint a picture of their owners' lives and daily activities.Cariad ascribed the vulnerability to a "misconfiguration," according to Der Spiegel, and said there is no indication that anyone aside from the publication and CCC accessed the unprotected data.Eric BangemanManaging EditorEric BangemanManaging Editor Eric Bangeman is the Managing Editor of Ars Technica. In addition to overseeing the daily operations at Ars, Eric also manages story development for the Policy and Automotive sections. He lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where he enjoys cycling, playing the bass, and refereeing rugby. 28 Comments

A science sampler Ten cool science stories we almost missed Bronze Age combat, moral philosophy and Reddit's AITA, Mondrian's fractal tree, and seven other fascinating papers. Jennifer Ouellette Dec 30, 2024 9:37 am | 7 Credit: APS/Carin Cain Credit: APS/Carin Cain Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThere is rarely time to write about every cool science paper that comes our way; many worthy candidates sadly fall through the cracks over the course of the year. But as 2024 comes to a close, we've gathered ten of our favorite such papers at the intersection of science and culture as a special treat, covering a broad range of topics: from reenacting Bronze Age spear combat and applying network theory to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, to Spider-Man inspired web-slinging tech and a mathematical connection between a turbulent phase transition and your morning cup of coffee. Enjoy!Reenacting Bronze Age spear combat An experiment with experienced fighters who spar freely using different styles. Credit: Valerio Gentile/CC BY The European Bronze Age saw the rise of institutionalized warfare, evidenced by the many spearheads and similar weaponry archaeologists have unearthed. But how might these artifacts be used in actual combat? Dutch researchers decided to find out by constructing replicas of Bronze Age shields and spears and using them in realistic combat scenarios. They described their findings in an October paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.There have been a couple of prior experimental studies on bronze spears, but per Valerio Gentile (now at the University of Gottingen) and coauthors, practical research to date has been quite narrow in scope, focusing on throwing weapons against static shields. Coauthors C.J. van Dijk of the National Military Museum in the Netherlands and independent researcher O. Ter Mors each had more than a decade of experience teaching traditional martial arts, specializing in medieval polearms and one-handed weapons. So they were ideal candidates for testing the replica spears and shields.Of course, there is no direct information on prehistoric fighting styles, so van Dijk and Mors relied on basic biomechanics of combat movements with similar weapons detailed in historic manuals. They ran three versions of the experiment: one focused on engagement and controlled collisions, another on delivering wounding body blows, and the third on free sparring. They then studied wear marks left on the spearheads and found they matched the marks found on similar genuine weapons excavated from Bronze Age sites. They also gleaned helpful clues to the skills required to use such weapons.DOI: Journal of Archaeological Science, 2024. 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106044 (About DOIs).Physics of Ned Kahns kinetic sculptures Shimmer Wall, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Credit: Ned Kahn Environmental artist and sculptor Ned Kahn is famous for his kinematic building facades, inspired by his own background in science. An exterior wall on the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, for instance, consists of hundreds of flaps that move in response to wind, creating distinctive visual patterns. Kahn used the same method to create his Shimmer Wall at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, as well as several other similar projects.Physicists at Sorbonne Universite in Paris have studied videos of Kahn's kinetic facades and conducted experiments to measure the underlying physical mechanisms, outlined in a November paper published in the journal Physical Review Fluids. The authors analyzed 18 YouTube videos taken of six of Kahn's kinematic facades, working with Kahn and building management to get the dimensions of the moving plates, scaling up from the video footage to get further information on spatial dimensions.They also conducted their own wind tunnel experiments, using strings of pendulum plates. Their measurements confirmed that the kinetic patterns were propagating waves to create the flickering visual effects. The plates' movement is driven primarily by their natural resonant frequencies at low speeds, and by pressure fluctuations from the wind at higher speeds.DOI: Physical Review Fluids, 2024. 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.9.114604 (About DOIs).How brewing coffee connects to turbulence Trajectories in time traced out by turbulent puffs as they move along a simulated pipe and in experiments, with blue regions indicate puff "traffic jams." Credit: Grgoire Lemoult et al., 2024 Physicists have been studying turbulence for centuries, particularly the transitional period where flows shift from predictably smooth (laminar flow) to highly turbulent. That transition is marked by localized turbulent patches known as "puffs," which often form in fluids flowing through a pipe or channel. In an October paper published in the journal Nature Physics, physicists used statistical mechanics to reveal an unexpected connection between the process of brewing coffee and the behavior of those puffs.Traditional mathematical models of percolation date back to the 1940s. Directed percolation is when the flow occurs in a specific direction, akin to how water moves through freshly ground coffee beans, flowing down in the direction of gravity. There's a sweet spot for the perfect cuppa, where the rate of flow is sufficiently slow to absorb most of the flavor from the beans, but also fast enough not to back up in the filter. That sweet spot in your coffee brewing process corresponds to the aforementioned laminar-turbulent transition in pipes.Physicist Nigel Goldenfeld of the University of California, San Diego, and his coauthors used pressure sensors to monitor the formation of puffs in a pipe, focusing on how puff-to-puff interactions influenced each other's motion. Next, they tried to mathematically model the relevant phase transitions to predict puff behavior. They found that the puffs behave much like cars moving on a freeway during rush hour: they are prone to traffic jamsi.e., when a turbulent patch matches the width of the pipe, causing other puffs to build up behind itthat form and dissipate on their own. And they tend to "melt" at the laminar-turbulent transition point.DOI: Nature Physics, 2024. 10.1038/s41567-024-02513-0 (About DOIs).Network theory and Bach's music In a network representation of music, notes are represented by nodes, and transition between notes are represented by directed edges connecting the nodes. Credit: S. Kulkarni et al., 2024 When you listen to music, does your ability to remember or anticipate the piece tell you anything about its structure? Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania developed a model based on network theory to do just that, describing their work in a February paper published in the journal Physical Review Research. Johann Sebastian Bach's works were an ideal choice given the highly mathematical structure, plus the composer was so prolific, across so many very different kinds of musical compositionspreludes, fugues, chorales, toccatas, concertos, suites, and cantatasas to allow for useful comparisons.First, the authors built a simple "true" network for each composition, in which individual notes served as "nodes" and the transitions from note to note served as "edges" connecting them. Then they calculated the amount of information in each network. They found it was possible to tell the difference between compositional forms based on their information content (entropy). The more complex toccatas and fugues had the highest entropy, while simpler chorales had the lowest.Next, the team wanted to quantify how effectively this information was communicated to the listener, a task made more difficult by the innate subjectivity of human perception. They developed a fuzzier "inferred" network model for this purpose, capturing an essential aspect of our perception: we find a balance between accuracy and cost, simplifying some details so as to make it easier for our brains to process incoming information like music.The results: There were fewer differences between the true and inferred networks for Bach's compositions than for randomly generated networks, suggesting that clustering and the frequent repetition of transitions (represented by thicker edges) in Bach networks were key to effectively communicating information to the listener. The next step is to build a multi-layered network model that incorporates elements like rhythm, timbre, chords, or counterpoint (a Bach specialty).DOI: Physical Review Research, 2024. 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013136 (About DOIs).The philosophy of Reddit's AITACount me among the many people practically addicted to Reddit's "Am I the Asshole" (AITA) forum. It's such a fascinating window into the intricacies of how flawed human beings navigate different relationships, whether personal or professional. That's also what makes it a fantastic source of illustrative common-place dilemmas of moral decision-making for philosophers like Daniel Yudkin of the University of Pennsylvania. Relational context matters, as Yudkin and several co-authors ably demonstrated in a PsyArXiv preprint earlier this year.For their study, Yudkin et al. compiled a dataset of nearly 370,000 AITA posts, along with over 11 million comments, posted between 2018 and 2021. They used machine learning to analyze the language used to sort all those posts into different categories. They relied on an existing taxonomy identifying six basic areas of moral concern: fairness/proportionality, feelings, harm/offense, honesty, relational obligation, and social norms.Yudkin et al. identified 29 of the most common dilemmas in the AITA dataset and grouped them according to moral theme. Two of the most common were relational transgression and relational omission (failure to do what was expected), followed by behavioral over-reaction and unintended harm. Cheating and deliberate misrepresentation/dishonesty were the moral dilemmas rated most negatively in the dataseteven more so than intentional harm. Being judgmental was also evaluated very negatively, as it was often perceived as being self-righteous or hypocritical. The least negatively evaluated dilemmas were relational omissions.As for relational context, cheating and broken promise dilemmas typically involved romantic partners like boyfriends rather than one's mother, for example, while mother-related dilemmas more frequently fell under relational omission. Essentially, "people tend to disappoint their mothers but be disappointed by their boyfriends," the authors wrote. Less close relationships, by contrast, tend to be governed by "norms of politeness and procedural fairness." Hence, Yudkin et al. prefer to think of morality "less as a set of abstract principles and more as a 'relational toolkit,' guiding and constraining behavior according to the demands of the social situation."DOI: PsyArXiv, 2024. 10.31234/osf.io/5pcew (About DOIs).Fractal scaling of trees in artDe grijze boom (Gray tree) by Piet Mondrian, 1911. Credit: Public domain Leonardo da Vinci famously invented a so-called "rule of trees" as a guide to realistically depicting trees in artistic representations according to their geometric proportions. In essence, if you took all the branches of a given tree, folded them up and compressed them into something resembling a trunk, that trunk would have the same thickness from top to bottom. That rule in turn implies a fractal branching pattern, with a scaling exponent of about 2 describing the proportions between the diameters of nearby boughs and the number of boughs with a given diameter.According to the authors of a preprint posted to the physics arXiv in February, however, recent biological research suggests a higher scaling exponent of 3 known as Murray's Law, for the rule of trees. Their analysis of 16th century Islamic architecture, Japanese paintings from the Edo period, and 20th century European art showed fractal scaling between 1.5 and 2.5. However, when they analyzed an abstract tree painting by Piet Mondrian, they found it exhibited fractal scaling of 3, before mathematicians had formulated Murray's Law, even though Mondrian's tree did not feature explicit branching.The findings intrigued physicist Richard Taylor of the University of Oregon, whose work over the last 20 years includes analyzing fractal patterns in the paintings of Jackson Pollock. "In particular, I thought the extension to Mondrian's 'trees' was impressive," he told Ars earlier this year. "I like that it establishes a connection between abstract and representational forms. It makes me wonder what would happen if the same idea were to be applied to Pollock's poured branchings."Taylor himself published a 2022 paper about climate change and how nature's stress-reducing fractals might disappear in the future. "If we are pessimistic for a moment, and assume that climate change will inevitably impact nature's fractals, then our only future source of fractal aesthetics will be through art, design and architecture," he said. "This brings a very practical element to studies like [this]."DOI: arXiv, 2024. 10.48550/arXiv.2402.13520 (About DOIs).IDing George Washingtons descendants A DNA study identified descendants of George Washington from unmarked remains. Credit: Public domain DNA profiling is an incredibly useful tool in forensics, but the most common methodshort tandem repeat (STR) analysistypically doesn't work when remains are especially degraded, especially if said remains have been preserved with embalming methods using formaldehyde. This includes the remains of US service members who died in such past conflicts as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War. That's why scientists at the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System's identification lab at the Dover Air Force Base have developed new DNA sequencing technologies.They used those methods to identify the previously unmarked remains of descendants of George Washington, according to a March paper published in the journal iScience. The team tested three sets of remains and compared the results with those of a known living descendant, using methods for assessing paternal and maternal relationships, as well as a new method for next-generation sequencing data involving some 95,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in order to better predict more distant ancestry. The combined data confirmed that the remains belonged to Washington's descendants and the new method should help do the same for the remains of as-yet-unidentified service members.In related news, in July, forensic scientists successfully used descendant DNA to identify a victim of the 1921 Tulsa massacre in Oklahoma City, buried in a mass grave containing more than a hundred victims. C.L. Daniel was a World War I veteran, still in his 20s when he was killed. More than 120 such graves have been found since 2020, with DNA collected from around 30 sets of remains, but this is the first time those remains have been directly linked to the massacre. There are at least 17 other victims in the grave where Daniel's remains were found.DOI: iScience, 2024. 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109353 (About DOIs).Spidey-inspired web-slinging tech stream of liquid silk quickly turns to a strong fiber that sticks to and lifts objects. Credit: Marco Lo Presti et al., 2024 Over the years, researchers in Tufts University's Silklab have come up with all kinds of ingenious bio-inspired uses for the sticky fibers found in silk moth cocoons: adhesive glues, printable sensors, edible coatings, and light-collecting materials for solar cells, to name a few. Their latest innovation is a web-slinging technology inspired by Spider-Man's ability to shoot webbing from his wrists, described in an October paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.Coauthor Marco Lo Presti was cleaning glassware with acetone in the lab one day when he noticed something that looked a lot like webbing forming on the bottom of a glass. He realized this could be the key to better replicating spider threads for the purpose of shooting the fibers from a device like Spider-Mansomething actual spiders don't do. (They spin the silk, find a surface, and draw out lines of silk to build webs.)The team boiled silk moth cocoons in a solution to break them down into proteins called fibroin. The fibroin was then extruded through bore needles into a stream. Spiking the fibroin solution with just the right additives will cause it to solidify into fiber once it comes into contact with air. For the web-slinging technology, they added dopamine to the fibroin solution and then shot it through a needle in which the solution was surrounded by a layer of acetone, which triggered solidification.The acetone quickly evaporated, leaving just the webbing attached to whatever object it happened it hit. The team tested the resulting fibers and found they could lift a steel bolt, a tube floating on water, a partially buried scalpel and a wooden blockall from as far away as 12 centimeters. Sure, natural spider silk is still about 1000 times stronger than these fibers, but it's still a significant step forward that paves the way for future novel technological applications.DOI: Advanced Functional Materials, 2024. 10.1002/adfm.202414219Solving a mystery of a 12th century supernova Pa 30 is the supernova remnant of SN 1181. Credit: unWISE (D. Lang)/CC BY-SA 4.0 In 1181, astronomers in China and Japan recorded the appearance of a "guest star" that shone as bright as Saturn and was visible in the sky for six months. We now know it was a supernova (SN1181), one of only five such known events occurring in our Milky Way. Astronomers got a closer look at the remnant of that supernova and have determined the nature of strange filaments resembling dandelion petals that emanate from a "zombie star" at its center, according to an October paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.The Chinese and Japanese astronomers only recorded an approximate location for the unusual sighting, and for centuries no one managed to make a confirmed identification of a likely remnant from that supernova. Then, in 2021, astronomers measured the speed of expansion of a nebula known as Pa 30, which enabled them to determine its age: around 1,000 years, roughly coinciding with the recorded appearance of SN1181. PA 30 is an unusual remnant because of its zombie starmost likely itself a remnant of the original white dwarf that produced the supernova.This latest study relied on data collected by Caltech's Keck Cosmic Web Imager, a spectrograph at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. One of the unique features of this instrument is that it can measure the motion of matter in a supernova and use that data to create something akin to a 3D movie of the explosion. The authors were able to create such a 3D map of P 30 and calculated that the zombie star's filaments have ballistic motion, moving at approximately 1,000 kilometers per second.Nor has that velocity changed since the explosion, enabling them to date that event almost exactly to 1181. And the findings raised fresh questionsnamely, the ejected filament material is asymmetricalwhich is unusual for a supernova remnant. The authors suggest that asymmetry may originate with the initial explosion.There's also a weird inner gap around the zombie star. Both will be the focus of further research.DOI: Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2024. 10.3847/2041-8213/ad713b (About DOIs).Reviving a lost 16th century score Fragment of music from The Aberdeen Breviary: Volume 1 Credit: National Library of Scotland /CC BY 4.0 Never underestimate the importance of marginalia in old manuscripts. Scholars from the University of Edinburgh and KU Leuven in Belgium can attest to that, having discovered a fragment of "lost" music from 16th-century pre-Reformation Scotland in a collection of worship texts. The team was even able to reconstruct the fragment and record it to get a sense of what music sounded like from that period in northeast Scotland, as detailed in a December paper published in the journal Music and Letters.King James IV of Scotland commissioned the printing of several copies of The Aberdeen Breviarya collection of prayers, hymns, readings, and psalms for daily worshipso that his subjects wouldn't have to import such texts from England or Europe. One 1510 copy, known as the "Glamis copy," is currently housed in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. It was while examining handwritten annotations in this copy that the authors discovered the musical fragment on a page bound into the bookso it hadn't been slipped between the pages at a later date.The team figured out the piece was polyphonic, and then realized it was the tenor part from a harmonization for three or four voices of the hymn "Cultor Dei," typically sung at night during Lent. (You can listen to a recording of the reconstructed composition here.) The authors also traced some of the history of this copy of The Aberdeen Breviary, including its use at one point by a rural chaplain at Aberdeen Cathedral, before a Scottish Catholic acquired it as a family heirloom.Identifying a piece of music is a real Eureka moment for musicologists," said coauthor David Coney of Edinburgh College of Art. "Better still, the fact that our tenor part is a harmony to a well-known melody means we can reconstruct the other missing parts. As a result, from just one line of music scrawled on a blank page, we can hear a hymn that had lain silent for nearly five centuries, a small but precious artifact of Scotlands musical and religious traditions.DOI: Music and Letters, 2024. 10.1093/ml/gcae076 (About DOIs).Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior reporter at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 7 Comments

August 1927: Jimmy Carter was just 3 years old when he met his future wife.A young Jimmy Carter. Historical/Getty Images Three-year-old Jimmy met Rosalynn Smith when she was just a newborn. Lillian Carter, Jimmy's mother, worked as a nurse and helped deliver Rosalynn.Jimmy's younger sister, Ruth, became best friends with Rosalynn. In the 2020 book "What Makes a Marriage Last" by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, Rosalynn shared that Jimmy's sister is in part responsible for their relationship."I always said I fell in love with a photograph of him on her [Ruth's] bedroom wall," Rosalynn said."Ruth and I plotted to get me together with [Jimmy]. She'd call and say 'Come over! He's here!' and I'd go flying over to her house, but he'd be gone again," she told the authors. 1945: It wasn't until he was attending the US Naval Academy that Jimmy finally asked Rosalynn out on a date.Jimmy Carter with his wife, Rosalynn Carter, and his mother, Lillian Carter, at the US Naval Academy. Associated Press Before his final year at the Naval Academy, and before Rosalynn's second year of college, the future couple went on their first date."I was cruising around with my sister Ruth and her boyfriend, just looking for a date, and I picked up Rosalynn in front of the Methodist church," he told the authors for "What Makes a Marriage Last."The two then went out to the movies. "I kissed her on that first date. I remember that vividly," he said in the book.He also recalled telling his mother the next morning that Rosalynn would be his wife one day."Rosalynn was the one I wanted to marry," he said. 1946: Jimmy proposed to Rosalynn twice.Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter. Horace Cort/Associated Press Less than a year after their first date, Jimmy asked Rosalynn to marry him. She initially rejected his proposal, because she wanted to prioritize completing her education.Later that year, in May 1946, he proposed to her again. This time, she said yes.July 7, 1946: The Carters married in their hometown.Jimmy Carter, and Rosalynn Carter in front of a photograph taken on their wedding day. Bettmann/Getty Images The couple tied the knot when Jimmy was 21 and Rosalynn was just 19. They got married in Plains, Georgia, at a Methodist church. July 3, 1947: Jimmy and Rosalynn welcomed the first of their four children, John William Carter, known as Jack.Jack Carter with Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter. Bettman via Getty Images Rosalynn gave birth to their first child,Jack, in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1947 while Jimmy was still serving in the US Navy.Jack went to law school at the University of Georgia, and he later ran for senate in Nevada in 2006. Although he succeeded in becoming the Democratic nominee, he lost against the Republican incumbent. April 12, 1950: Their second son, James Earl Carter III, was born while the family was living in Honolulu, Hawaii. He goes by Chip.Chip Carter. Mikki Ansin/Getty Images Chip was born in Honolulu, where Carter was stationed with the Navy at the time.After working on his family's peanut farm, Chip Carter served on the city council in Plains and later worked on the Democratic National Committee. He then worked at Friendship Force, a nonprofit organization focused on building international connections between people. August 18, 1952: They had their third child, Donnel Jeffrey Carter, who is known as Jeff.Jeff Carter, Jimmy Carter's third son. Bettmann via Getty Images He was born in New London, Connecticut.Jeff spent the first years of his marriage to his wife, Annette, living in the White House.In 1978, he graduated from George Washington University, where he studied geography with a specialty in computer cartography. Later, he became a co-founder of Computer Mapping Consultants, the Bryan Times reported. 1953: They moved back to Georgia, where they worked together on Carter's family farm and he started his political career.Jimmy Carter on his peanut farm. PhotoQuest/Getty Images After his father died in July 1953, Jimmy Carter left the Navy to move his family back to Plains, where he worked for the family's peanut farm."We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics," Rosalynn told the Associated Press in 2021. "I knew more on paper about the business than he did. He would take my advice about things."Once home, Carter eventually turned his attention to politics, serving as a Georgia state senator from 1963 to 1967. October 19, 1967: Amy Carter, the couple's youngest child, was born.Amy Carter with her parents. Newsday LLC/Getty Images In addition to being the only daughter of Jimmy and Rosalynn, Amy is the only Carter child who spent their younger years in the White House.She initiallyattended Brown University, butshe eventually completed her bachelor's degree at Memphis College of Art in 1991 before earning her master's in art history from Tulane University in 1996, The Washington Post reported. She is now a board member for The Carter Center.January 12, 1971: Carter began serving as the governor of Georgia, making Rosalynn the state's first lady.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. Evening Standard/Getty Images Carter served as the governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1957. During her time as the first lady of Georgia, Rosalynn focused on helping Georgians suffering from mental health issues. She served on the Governor's Commission to Improve Services to the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped. August 7, 1975: They became grandparents with the birth of their first grandchild, Jason James Carter.The extended Carter family. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Jason James Carter was born in 1975 to parents Jack Carter and Julie Langford. In 2010, Jason James Carter was elected to the Georgia Senate, although his grandfather didn't campaign for him until just before the election."I needed to be more than Jimmy Carter's grandson and I needed to be sure that I could introduce myself and my vision for this state in an effective way," Jason James Carter told ABC News in 2010.In 2014, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps and ran for governor of Georgia, albeit unsuccessfully.James Carter IV, the son of Chip and Caron Carter, also works in politics as an opposition researcher.The Carters have a total of 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 1976: During the 1976 presidential election, Rosalynn traveled the country to campaign for her husband.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter at a campaign event. Mikki Ansin/Getty Images Carter announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on December 12, 1974. Rosalynn was on board from the beginning."My wife is much more political," he told the Associated Press in 2021.She added, "I love it. I love campaigning. I had the best time. I was in all the states in the United States."The White House's official website says Rosalynn's "belief in her husband's ability to lead the nation was communicated in a quiet, friendly manner that made her an effective campaigner." November 2, 1976: The couple embraced after learning that Carter had won the 1976 election.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter on election night. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Carter defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford to win the presidency.January 20, 1977: Carter became the 39th president of the United States with Rosalynn by his side.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter at the inauguration. Nik Wheeler/Getty Images At the 1977 presidential inauguration, the couple shared a kiss after Carter was sworn in as the 39th president of the United States in Washington, DC. 1977: Carter's term started, and Rosalynn became the first lady of the US.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter at the Inaugural Ball. HUM Images/Getty Images As the first lady, Rosalynn focused on mental health advocacy. For one year, between 1977 and 1978, she was the honorary chairperson of the President's Commission on Mental Health. In this role, she oversaw a team of social workers, doctors, and lobbyists to enact policy change related to issues of mental illness.Rosalynn was a political activist whose guidance Carter frequently solicited on both foreign and domestic policy decisions. 1979: Carter gave Rosalynn a kiss on the cheek after announcing his run for reelection.President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter. Diana Walker/Getty Images In 1979, then-President Carter announced that he would run for reelection. "Let us commit ourselves together to a rebirth of the American spirit," he said in the last leg of his speech, before planting a kiss on Rosalynn's cheek.He lost the 1980 election to his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan. 1980: After Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan, Rosalynn was outspoken in her support of her husband.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. Wally McNamee/Getty Images In a discussion about the then-upcoming 1984 election with UPI, Rosalynn said, "I think the most important thing is to beat Reagan. I think it's a tragedy what he has done. I feel sorry for who follows him in office."She praised the decisions her husband made while in office, saying, "Jimmy made the world a safer place with the Panama Canal Treaty, the Camp David agreement, and SALT 2."In her memoir, "First Lady from Plains," she added, "I would be out there campaigning right now if Jimmy would run again. I miss the world of politics.""I'd like people to know that we were right, that what Jimmy Carter was doing was best for our country, and that people made a mistake by not voting for him," she wrote. January 1981: With daughter Amy, the couple moved back to their modest home in Georgia after leaving the White House.Jimmy, Rosalynn, and Amy Carter in Plains, Georgia, after leaving the White House. Chuck Fishman/Getty Images After Carter lost the 1980 election, the couple moved back to Plains, Georgia, in January 1981.In 2018, The Washington Post reported that Carter is the only president in recent history to return to the house he lived in before the White House. The couple moved back to the ranch-style home they'd built, which was valued at $167,000 less than the cost of the Secret Service armored cars that follow him around. 1982: The couple founded The Carter Center, a nongovernmental organization that promotes human rights.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter at The Carter Center. Bromberger Hoover Photography/Getty Images The Carter Centeraims to increase human rights, put an end to human suffering, and promote democracy worldwide.Included in The Carter Center's provisions is a Mental Health Program, which aimed to continue the work that Rosalynn started while her husband held office.Thirty years after its founding, in 2012, the Carters were interviewed by Georgia Trend, and the former president discussed his intentions for the organization."I imagined something like a small Camp David, where a nation that had a civil war going on or where a civil war might break out, could come, and we would negotiate between the two opposing sides to try to bring peace, or prevent a war," he said.The accomplishments of the organization, such as monitoring elections around the world and nearly eradicating the Guinea worm disease,exceeded the couple's wishes."But we never dreamed when we started 30 years ago that we'd be involved in elections around the world no one had ever done it before. And we never dreamed that we'd get involved in tropical, neglected diseases, and that has become the overwhelming thing we do," he said. 1984: They worked with Habitat for Humanity for the first time, beginning a decades-long partnership.Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter during the first Carter Work Project in New York City. Jim Peppler/Newsday RM via Getty Images After helping on a project in Americus, Georgia 10 miles from their hometown, Plains the Carters "quickly realized that our mission closely aligned with their values," according to Habitat for Humanity.Later that year, the couple established the Carter Work Project it would later become known as the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project by helping renovate a building in New York City.According to the organization, the Carters have since worked alongside 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build and repair more than 4,300 homes. October 2014: In an interview marking Jimmy Carter's 90th birthday, Rosalynn told People magazine she believed "space" was the key to a lasting marriage.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. Chris McKay/Getty Images When asked in the joint People interview for the secret to a long marriage, Rosalynn said, "I'd say space. One of the hardest times was when we came home from the White House. It was the first time we'd been together in the house all day every day. So I got my office in what was a bedroom, and his is in what was the garage."As for his secrets to a long life, Carter credited exercise and his wife's cooking."I exercise and eat right," he said. "My wife is an expert dietitian and a good cook."Rosalynn added, "I fix fruits and vegetables. Cereal. He never turns down ice cream." October 2019: After he turned 95, Carter said the secret to a long life was to "marry the best spouse."The Carters. AP Photo/David Goldman In 2019, Carter became the longest-living president in US history. George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018, had lived until 94."It's hard to live until you're 95 years old," Carter told People magazine. "I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse: someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life." Jimmy and Rosalynn continued to make public appearances and endorse political candidates.Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Mark Wilson/Getty Images The Carters continued to make appearances at high-profile political events including Democratic National Conventions and presidential inaugurations the last inauguration they attended was Donald Trump's in 2017. The couple also publicly supported Democratic candidates, including Raphael Warnock in the 2020 Senate race."President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter's legacy as human rights champions and humanitarians is an inspiration to us all," Warnock wrote on Facebook following the endorsement. 2021: Reflecting on 75 years of marriage, Carter told PBS that if he and Rosalynn experience any "differences" during the day, they "make up and give each other a kiss before we go to sleep."Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity Edmonton. SOPA Images/Getty Images "At the end of the day, we try to become reconciled and overcome all the differences that arose during the day," he said in a 2021 interview with PBS."We also make up and give each other a kiss before we go to sleep still in bed. And we always read the Bible every night, which adds a different aspect to life. So, we really try to become completely reconciled each night before we go to sleep," Carter added.In their 2014 interview with People, Carter confirmed they had been reading to each other every night for 40 years. May 2023: Rosalynn was diagnosed with dementia, the Carter Center said.Rosalynn Carter with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images "The Carter family is sharing that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia," the organization wrote in a statement on its website in May 2023. "She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones."It added, "We hope sharing our family's news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor's offices around the country." November 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter died at the age of 96.Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at home in Plains, Georgia. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images In a statement, the Carter Center wrote that Rosalynn Carter died "peacefully, with her family by her side" at home in Plains, Georgia."Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," Jimmy Carter said of his wife of 77 years. "She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me." November 28, 2023: Jimmy Carter wore a blanket with his late wife's face on it to her memorial service.Jimmy Carter at a tribute service for his wife. Andrew Harnik via AP photos At Rosalynn Carter's memorial service in Atlanta, Carter attended the event with a blanket over his legs embroidered with images of himself and Rosalynn, captioned "The Carters."The blanket's design also honored their hometown with the words "Plains, Georgia, Est. 1855" and dogwood flowers that grow throughout Georgia.Carter slept at the Carter Center the night before the memorial service because "he never wants to be very far from her," Paige Smith, the Carter Center's CEO, told the Associated Press. December 29, 2024: Carter died at the age of 100.Flowers outside The Carter Center in Atlanta. Megan Varner/Getty Images Carter died in Plains, Georgia, at the home he once shared with Rosalynn."My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love," Chip Carter said in a statement released by The Carter Center. "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs."