Bats are often synonymous with a dark and stormy night mostly for their association with vampires, the fact that theyre nocturnal, and thanks to media like Scooby-Doo. While bats may add an extra layer of eerie to nighttime, their presence in bad weather may actually be due to a migratory advancement.A new study in the journal Science explains how certain bats may use warm storm fronts to aid in cross-continental migration.Bats and Storm SurfingBat migration is notoriously difficult to study because of their nocturnal nature and high-frequency vocalizations. Unable to see or hear bats as they migrated, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) devised a plan.After attaching tiny and lightweight sensors to 71 common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula), the research team could track the bats as they made their spring migration across Europe.The data pulled from the sensors revealed something incredible. It appeared as though the bats surfed the warm storm fronts as a way to migrate further and use less energy.The sensor data are amazing! said lead study author Edward Hurme, a postdoctoral researcher at MPI-AB and the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz, in a press release.We dont just see the path that bats took, we also see what they experienced in the environment as they migrated. Its this context that gives us insight into the crucial decisions that bats made during their costly and dangerous journeys, said Hurme in the release.Novel Tracking TechnologyEngineers with the MPI-AB developed the novel tracking technology so that it was on 5 percent of the bats body weight and contained multiple sensors for tracking the bats movements and the air temperature around it. The new technology, dubbed ICARUS-TinyFoxBatt tag, also allows researchers to track the bats remotely compared to previous technology, where the research team would need to be close enough to the tagged animal to collect data.The new tags now collect the data daily and compress it into a 12-byte file before transmitting it back to the research team via a novel long-range network. The tags would transmit 1440 daily sensor measurements.The tags communicate with us from wherever the bats are because they have coverage across Europe much like a cell phone network, said senior author Timm Wild, who led the development of the ICARUS-TinyFoxBatt tag in his Animal-borne Sensor Networks group at MPI-AB, in a press release.Surprising Migration PatternsResearchers from MPI-AB decided to track the noctule bats because they are one of four bat species that migrate across Europe, especially the female who are more likely to spend winters in southern Europe before returning north in the spring.The research team attached the trackers to the female bats each spring for 3 years and tracked them for about four weeks during their migration. The results were surprising. It turns out the bats werent following a set path, like most migratory birds do.There is no migration corridor, said senior author Dina Dechmann from MPI-AB in a press release. We had assumed that bats were following a unified path, but we now see they are moving all over the landscape in a general northeast direction.Bats migrate in a sporadic path because they need to stop and feed much more frequently than migratory birds.The other striking observation that researchers noted was the sudden burst of departures.On certain nights, we saw an explosion of departures that looked like bat fireworks, said Hurme. We needed to figure out what all these bats were responding to on those particular nights.The sensors indicated a drop in pressure and a temperature rise these nights, meaning a storm was incoming.They were riding storm fronts, using the support of warm tailwinds, said Hurme.Read More: The Bumblebee Bat: The Smallest Mammal in the WorldStudying Bat MigrationResearchers noted from the collected data that during these storm fronts, the bats were using less energy as they traveled.Though there is still much more to learn about bat migration, this new technology is a great start. Understanding how bats migrate could help prevent unnecessary human-caused deaths, like collisions with wind turbines.Before this study, we didnt know what triggered bats to start migrating, said Hurme in a press release. More studies like this will pave the way for a system to forecast bat migration. We can be stewards of bats, helping wind farms to turn off their turbines on nights when bats are streaming through. This is just a small glimpse of what we will find if we all keep working to open that black box.Article Sources:Our 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:A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

NewsSpaceNASAs Parker Solar Probe survived its closest approach to the sunThe spacecraft will make two more close passes in 2025 NASAs Parker Solar Probe (illustrated here) is the closest artificial object to the sun.APL/NASABy Lisa Grossman1 hour agoNASAs Parker Solar Probe skimmed the sun on Christmas Eve and lived to tell the tale.The heat-hardened spacecraft made its closest solar flyby yet at 6:53 a.m. EST on December 24. It came within 6.1 million kilometers of the surface of the sun, beating its own 2023 record of 7.26 million kilometers.At the time of closest approach, the spacecraft was also the fastest object ever made by humans. It swung around the sun at about 692,000 kilometers per hour fast enough to travel from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in about a second.

Scientists found that healthy women can carry genetic changes in their breast cells that are thought to be characteristic of invasive breast cancer.

New Lego Sets Over 100 new Lego sets released on January 1 Check them out at Amazon Harry Potter fans can kick off the new year by adding to their Lego collection. Six new Harry Potter Lego sets are available now, including a 2,750-piece interpretation of Diagon Alley and a 1,601-piece recreation of Malfoy Manor. Speaking of iconic homes of Hogwarts students, the 2,405-piece Collector's Edition model of The Burrow (the Weasley family home) is now available at major retailers, including Amazon.The new Harry Potter sets are just a handful of the 100-plus new product launches from Lego in January. The brick set giant also released kits based on Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Star Wars, and more popular franchises.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Marvel Rivals has hit some major milestones since its launch a month ago, including reaching 20 million players. The Overwatch competitor features a huge roster, including the now beloved Jeff the Land Shark, and while NetEase has already confirmed some of the heroes being added in Season 1, there have also been almost a dozen leaked heroes as well. While it's unlikely that all of those heroes arrive in Season 1, it does seem possible that there could be even more than the ones officially confirmed. The new season will also include new team-ups, new maps, and a new battle pass, along with new cosmetic items in the shop. Here's everything we know about Marvel Rivals Season 1 so far. Marvel Rivals Season 1 Start DateWhile the start date of Marvel Rivals Season 1 hasn't been confirmed, Season 0 is set to end Thursday, January 9 at 10 PM PST / January 10 at 1 AM EST. Since this is the first new season since the launch of Marvel Rivals, it's unclear if Season 1 will start immediately or if there will be some server downtime, but it seems like January 10 is the most likely start date. When Season 1 kicks off, it will include a new battle pass, which should be longer than the Season 0 battle pass. Don't worry though, Marvel Rivals battle passes don't expire, so you can keep working on the Season 0 battle pass if you haven't finished. Marvel Rivals Season 1 Confirmed New HeroesSeveral new heroes have been officially confirmed as coming to Marvel Rivals, with NetEase teasing a trailer for January 6 featuring the first official look at the Fantastic Four. At the moment, it's not clear if all four will be added at the start of the season, but the tweet refers to them as a unit, "Marvel's first family," so it seems all four will debut at the start of the season. That includes Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and Thing. While the exact classes of each character haven't been revealed yet, Thing seems like an obvious Vanguard (tank) and Human Torch may be a Duelist (DPS). Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman seem likely to provide at least one Strategist (support) between them, if not both, especially since most of Marvel Rivals' roster is made up of Duelists, but we will have to wait for official confirmation. Marvel Rivals Season 1 Leaked CharactersWhile it seems probable that the Fantastic Four are the only heroes added in Season 1, there have been a lot of leaked heroes for Marvel Rivals that could also join the roster in Season 1, perhaps as part of a mid-season update. These leaked heroes could also get added in future seasons or could potentially get scrapped entirely. Below is a list of the leaked heroes, coming from multiple leakers on Twitter, @MRivalsUpdates and @RivalsLeaks.Leaked heroes:AngelaBladeCaptain MarvelDeadpoolEmma FrostHit-MonkeyJean Grey (Phoenix)M.O.D.O.K.The HoodUltron (believed to be a Season 1 hero)Valkyrie Marvel Rivals Season 1 MapsNetEase hasn't confirmed new maps for Season 1 just yet, but there have been some leaks. Leaker @FumoLeaks found three locations believed to be coming in Season 1. The first two are Krakoa and Arakkoe, islands that the X-Men inhabit in some comic storylines, as well as a New York City map. Similar to other locations in Marvel Rivals, these might contain multiple maps for different game modes, the way that Wakanda features both payload and point capture maps already in Marvel Rivals. Leaker @XOX_Leak also tweeted "New York = EMPIRE OF ETERNAL NIGHT." Based on some text from Cloak and Dagger's character bio and some dialogue they share with Spider-Man in match, Dracula has control of New York, which might influence the design of the maps. The same leaker also shared that Thebes, Egypt is also going to be a map in the future. Marvel Rivals Season 1 Team-UpsTeam-ups in Marvel Rivals are bonus abilities or buffs that are activated when the required characters are on the same team. Some of these bonuses are listed as seasonal boosts, so it's not yet clear if old team-ups will be replaced or if more team-ups are just being added, but leakers have found a number of potential team-ups ahead of official confirmation from NetEase. It's not clear if these team-ups are set for Season 1, especially since some of them include characters that have not been officially confirmed. This list comes from @XOX_Leak and likely isn't representative of all Season 1 new team-ups.Squirrel Girl X Rocket RacoonStorm X Human TorchWolverine X The Thing X HulkWolverine X PhoenixWolverine X Magik X Psylocke X Black Panther (potentially scrapped according to leakers)Blade X Cloak and Dagger X Moon KnightEmma Frost X MagnetoEmma Frost X Psylocke

The Marvel Universe as we know it started in 1961 with the debut of the Fantastic Four, so it's only fitting that the first post-launch heroes for Marvel Rivals are coming from the first family of superheroes. NetEase Games has dropped a teaser image for the Fantastic Four with an announcement that a new trailer is coming on Monday, January 6.Get ready to welcome Marvels First family in Marvel Rivals. Trailer on January 6th at 8:00 AM PST / 16:00 UTC. Be there. #MarvelRivals #FantasticFour #NewYorkCity pic.twitter.com/4Cjh9mXSi3 Marvel Rivals (@MarvelRivals) January 2, 2025 As with the previous heroes introduced in the game, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing have been slightly redesigned to fit in with Marvel Rivals' aesthetic. For example, Mr. Fantastic looks considerably younger and more buff than his comic-book counterpart. Intriguingly, the FF's helper robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., is also prominently featured in the promo art. That's prompted speculation that he could also be a playable character, similar to Jeff the Land Shark.One of the reasons why the FF are getting such a prominent push is that 2025 will mark the team's return to cinemas 10 years after the much-maligned 2015 Fantastic Four reboot. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the team's MCU debut after alternate versions of Mr. Fantastic and Human Torch had cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively.Continue Reading at GameSpot

According to sources, the AMD Radeon RX 9000 series of graphics cards may have a staggered release between January and March, starting with the flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT model. AMD is expected to fully reveal its next generation of graphics cards at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 6.

One Piece fans love to guess whats going to happen in the story. With many bizarre theories and predictions constantly circulating in the community, fans constantly try to figure out what direction the massive story might take. Many times, although fans think they have a good idea of where the story of One Piece is heading, Oda constantly flips theories on their head, introducing a new turn that nobody could have ever predicted.

Whenever the Call of Duty Zombies community is polled on the best maps of all time, or a veteran fan shares their opinion, a few names can regularly be found at the top of the list. Many will consider the strong, contained narrative and haunting aesthetic of Alcatraz to be highlights of the modes 16-year-plus run, ensuring Mob of the Dead ranks highly. The fictional yet fully realized Morg City ensures Shadows of Evil regularly earns itself a top spot, while the sheer epicness of a dragon-covered version of Stalingrad means Gorod Krovi is a fan favorite for many. Der Eisendrache gets plenty of love, too, for several reasons. These include its emotional final cutscene, the presence of the modes first true boss fight, and a map design with perfect flow. However, another undeniable strength of the map is its similarities to Origins.

Prestige returns to Black Ops 6 with new emblems and a ton of rewards.Prestige in Call of Duty is essentially a rank reset system that gives you items and rewards you can show off to your friends and other players.Black Ops 6 improves on the prestige feature by allowing you to keep some of your progression as you advance, so you dont have to grind as hard to get back to where you were. Youre also rewarded with a lot of in-game cosmetics every ten levels, so there is something to look forward to in between hitting the next prestige.If the rewards arent enough for you, you can chase the extreme challenge of surpassing the ten prestige levels and aim for level 1000. In doing so, youll receive a secret reward and, maybe even a tease for the next Call of Duty title.The only problem is, it can be a little difficult to find in Black Ops 6s menus, so let us help. Heres how to prestige in Black Ops 6, what changes when you prestige, and all of the prestige rewards.Black Ops 6 prestige level requirementIn order to prestige in Black Ops 6, you must reach level 55.After youve hit level 55, a notification will appear on your screen asking if you want to prestige, allowing you to prestige immediately. However, since prestiging is a manual process, you can wait if you prefer.How to prestige in Black Ops 6When you are ready to prestige in Black Ops 6, follow these steps:Select the Barracks tab in the main menu of Black Ops 6 multiplayer.Click the Progression button.Choose the Prestige option in the middle of the screen.Hover over your available prestige level and hold down the associated Prestige Details button.Continue to the next screen and hold down the button to reset your level and enter prestige.What changes when you prestigePrestige functions similarly to previous Call of Duty titles where youll lose a lot of your progression for a new emblem, but you can keep some of your progression in Black Ops 6.After you prestige in Black Ops 6, the following changes will occur:Reset back to level 1All level unlocks will be locked (except for base operators, emotes, zombie gobblegums, and permanent unlocks)Loadouts will be resetCombat stats will be reset to reflect your current prestige level (lifetime stats can be viewed in the Combat Record)The following items will not be reset:Weapon progression, camos, and reticlesWeapon buildsChallenge progress and unlocksStore and Battle Pass contentOperator and emote unlocksZombie GobblegumsBlack Ops 6 prestige reward emblemsOnce you prestige in Black Ops 6, youll earn rewards inspired by previous Black Ops titles. For example, the first prestige is based on Call of Duty: World At War, and features a zombie operator.There are a total of ten base prestige levels, with two bonus prestiges for the dedicated Call of Duty players. Each prestige level will have six rewards (except for Prestige 1, which has seven):One Permanent UnlockLoading screen and social wallpaperGobbleGum packAnimated emblemCharmBlueprint or Operator skinThe Permanent Unlocks are given to you immediately after you prestige and allow you to permanently unlock a single item of your choice. For example, if you permanently unlock the AS VAL, you can use it at level one rather than reaching level 55 again.The other five rewards will be distributed to you every ten levels (level 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50), and will always be in the order of loading screen, GobbleGum pack, animated emblem, charm, blueprint/operator skin.To see what the rewards look like, you can check them out in the Prestige section in Black Ops 6, or check out the gallery below.If youve completed all ten prestiges, youll become a Prestige Master, which has the ability to reach level 1,000 and unlock even more rewards, such as prestige icons from previous Call of Duty titles, operator skins, and weapon blueprints.If you reach level 1,000, youll become a Prestige Legend, which will provide you with a Samuels operator skin, loading screen, weapon upgrade GobbleGum pack, emblem, spray, and a PP-919 weapon blueprint. All of the rewards can be seen in this YouTube video from MrDalekJD.Elsewhere, we have explainers on maps, Double XP, and the best guns in Black Ops 6, as well as guides for the campaign, including safehouse puzzles and safe code locations.