A general view of (L-R) the church of Santi Luca e Martina, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the ruins of the Temple of Saturn and - in the background - the Amphitheatrum Flavium, commonly known as Colosseum (in Italian: Colosseo), on March 31, 2024 in Rome, Italy.Credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images ShareThe Industrial Revolution was undeniably a major turning point in history. Beginning in the late 1700s, human environmental impacts reached previously impossible new heights. Yet pollution wasnt invented in the 18th century. Humans have been mucking up Earth for far longer, to our own detriment, as exemplified by new research linking lead air pollution to cognitive losses during the Pax Romana. People living during the golden age of the Roman Empire experienced an average 2.5 to 3 point reduction in IQ due to atmospheric lead, according to a study published January 6 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The new research adds context to a long-standing debate about the role lead pollution and poisoning may have played in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Some historians have argued that Roman elites and emperors who purportedly displayed odd, often violent behavior like Caligula and Nero were actually suffering from lead poisoning, and thus that lead and the erratic actions it caused critically undermined societal stability. The study doesnt prove, one way or the other, if or how the fall of Rome was linked to lead. However, it does demonstrate that environmental health and the effects of pollution on people has roots stretching back millenia.[ Related: Childhood leaded gasoline exposure damaged Americans mental health ]Using Arctic ice cores, atmospheric modeling, epidemiological data, and previously published health and cognition studies, the scientists estimate fluctuating levels of lead air pollution over centuries, how that likely translated to blood lead levels in people, and how those blood lead levels might have impacted cognitive capacity in denizens of the Roman Empire.The research is not the first to find a notable peak of lead pollution and human lead exposure during Roman times, lots of previous work has established the prevalence of lead contamination in antiquity through analysis of ice and peat cores, skeletal remains, and ancient infrastructure. But the study is unique for quantifying the effects of that Roman-era pollution on blood lead levels and IQ losses. The authors estimate that children living during the 200-year Pax Romana (between about 27 BCE and 180 CE) would have had average blood lead levels of about 3.4 micrograms per deciliter (2.4 mcg/dl above Neolithic background levels), from air pollution alone, and that those levels would have translated to a 2.5-3 point drop in IQ levels, population-wide.Though IQ is a flawed metric, its one of the best scientific shorthands available for tracking the population-level consequences of something like lead. The metal is a well-established neurotoxin, known to be particularly harmful to infants and children. Even low and moderate levels of lead exposure can lead to lifelong health consequences, including developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavioral changes, immunosuppression, heart disease, organ damage, pregnancy complications, and more. There is no level of lead exposure considered safe, according to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But when lead permeates the environment, avoiding it is impossible.There were many sources of potential lead exposure in the Roman Empirefrom utensils and cookware to water pipes and wine. All likely contributed to the lead burden borne by the people of the day. Though none would have been as far reaching as air pollution, which would have exposed even those in isolated rural areas to the toxin. Mining and smelting metal ores, particularly the galena ore used as a source for the silver in Roman coins, produced lead emissions that spread far and wide across the Roman Empire.To my knowledge, its the first large-scale pollution event from industrial activities, says Joe McConnell, lead study author and a research professor and hydrologist at the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. Our objective here was to try to understand the potential health impacts resulting from [that], he adds.To do so, he applied his expertise in ice core analysis to assess samples from three different Arctic sites. Ice cores serve as a frozen record of atmospheric conditions throughout history because particles that circulate in the air eventually fallsome onto glaciers and ice sheets, where theyre preserved in a literal timeline. Using these measurements of lead deposited in the Arctic throughout the Roman era, McConnell and his colleagues then applied atmospheric models (the same kind used by climate scientists) to reverse engineer estimates of how much lead must have been circulating in the air over the Roman Empire, thousands of kilometers away from Greenland and Russia where the samples were collected.They ran two different model scenarios: one assuming most of the lead pollution originated from a known mining region in present-day southern Spain, and the second assuming more dispersed sources of lead emissions from across the empire. Both scenarios resulted in similar estimates of atmospheric lead.From there, the interdisciplinary research team turned to contemporary environmental health analyses that establish the relationship between levels of lead in the air and in peoples blood. Finally, they estimated how those levels may have impacted cognitive ability, using data on IQ loss from public health research.The findings are that this lead pollution resulted in clear effects, not only for the air, but also for blood lead levels and cognitive deficits, says McConnell. The levels of atmospheric lead pollution documented in the study are less than the peak of global lead pollution reached in the 20th century, when leaded gasoline use was widespread. But its still a notable and measurable effect, he says.Our data suggests that lead pollution during the 180 years of the peak of the Roman Empire had about one-third as much of an impact on cognitive decline as during the height of 20th century exposure, McConnell explains. The idea that 2,000 years ago, humans were polluting the continent of Europe at a third the level of modern industry is pretty surprising. An awful lot of environmental research assumes that pre-industrial was a pristine world. It was not.Lead exposure from air pollution, as calculated in the study, represents a lower limit of what people were realistically encountering, McConnell adds. In locations nearby mining or smelting operations, air pollution would have been much more intense. And through water, food, and household items, many people living in the Roman empire likely had higher blood lead levels and thus incurred even more harm.[ Related: Without humans, what would happen to Earth? ]Its interesting work, I agree with what theyre trying to do, says Sean Scott, a chemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who has previously studied lead levels in the Roman Era through skeletal remains. Though Scott points out that, by combining estimates and models the researchers have magnified the unreliability inherent in their methods. Im sure that these measurements are very good, but once you make a leap from ice core to human blood, and then to intelligence quotient, thats going to have uncertainty, he says. Granted, thats the best they can do, he adds.McConnell acknowledges this limitation. It would be great if going forward the linkages between background air pollution, childhood blood lead levels, and health were better quantified, he says. It would also be ideal to have ways of quantifying the other health impacts of lead and industrial pollutants, he notes.Still, the new research stands as a sketch of unprecedented environmental change during an endlessly fascinating time in human history, says Scott. It may be impossible to know exactly what precipitated the fall of the Roman Empire (most probably it was not any single thing, say both Scott and McConnell). But perhaps studying the pollution of the era could get people considering the parallels between history and our present-day. When you study the Roman population and the historic environmental science of that, and then you look around at modern times, it changes the way you see the world, Scott says. Likely, Romans didnt fully grasp the consequences of their silver smelting. It makes you wonder what we are doing currently that we dont understand.

A hotspot that now lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was once under the Great Lakes, and may explain why they formed where they did.

More than 100 volcanoes lurk beneath the surface in Antarctica. Ice sheet melt could set them off.

Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remake is a huge hit. The publisher has confirmed the 2023 game has sold 9 million copies, with some estimates stating this makes it the fastest-selling Resident Evil game of all time.Industry analyst Alex Aniel said (via SI) that sales at this level make the Resident Evil 4 remake the "by far, the fastest-selling Resident Evil ever." Capcom announced that the game had cleared 8 million copies as of mid-October 2024, so it appears sales during the holiday helped boost the game beyond 9 million.Resident Evil 4 (2023) has sold 9 million copies as of December 19, 2024 That would mean RE4 sold at least 1 million copies last quarter (October 1 through December 31), which would be the game's 8th quarter overall. This makes RE4, by far, the fastest selling RE ever. https://t.co/S7q7afU8aV Alex Aniel (@cvxfreak) January 6, 2025 Resident Evil is far and away Capcom's biggest franchise by sales volume, with total sales exceeding 163 million units. The next closest is Monster Hunter (105 million).Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo Switch users are reporting that some recently purchased Switch games have arrived with the game cartridge missing from inside the box. Even odder, the cartridges appear to have been swapped out for googly eyes.Over the holidays, posts about the bizarre phenomenon began popping up on social media. Multiple players have shared photos of freshly unwrapped Switch game cases holding a lone googly eye in the spot where the game itself should be.The Grinch Got Us This Year by u/jhglock89 in NintendoSwitch "The Grinch got us this year," reads one Reddit post featuring a photo of a Super Mario Party Jamboree case with a lone googly eye in the space meant for the game cartridge.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft is continuing to expand Xbox Game Pass, with new LG Smart TVs coming later this year set to support the service via Xbox Cloud Gaming.Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to stream and play games directly from the Xbox App on their new LG TV, no Xbox required. A select few games, around 50, will also be streamable via the new LG TVs for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers who own them. Microsoft announced the ability to stream owned games in November, with titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Hades, Cyberpunk 2077, NBA 2K25, Hogwarts Legacy, and others supporting the feature. Currently, those looking to stream Xbox Game Pass titles without an actual console or PC can do so via their phone, Amazon Fire TV, or on newer Samsung Smart TVs. Microsoft said in a blog post it will reveal more details about how the service will work on LG Tvs "in the coming months." It's currently unclear if support for the service will eventually come to some older LG TVs.Continue Reading at GameSpot

A bus appears out of nowhere in Sleeping Dogs and other funny game fails.

Masashi Kishimoto has written quite a lot of inspiring characters over the years. It is safe to say that Kishimoto's story is one of the very best in recent times, and its incredible popularity is proof of that. At the heart of Kishimoto's stories are fascinating ninjas, with the protagonist being a yellow-head boy named Naruto Uzumaki, and his main rival being none other than Sasuke, a rather reserved but equally popular character.

Those looking for a high-end gaming keyboard are in luck with the Amazon Winter Sale offering the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 at a solid discount, priced at $149.99. Asus has reduced the price $30 from its original price of $179.99. This 17% discount offers an excellent chance to acquire a feature-rich keyboard while saving some hard-earned cash. The 96% layout provides all essential keys and even a few extras while freeing up a bit of desk space.

Flying mounts are essential for getting around Palworld, which you may have noticed features a deceptively huge map.Sure, going from waypoint to waypoint feels like a walk in the park until youre faced with the ginormous cliffsides, which turn your little trek to a treacherous journey to Mordor. You can either attempt to climb your way up, or hop on the back of a flying Pal, which can be hard to find in their own right.Read on for a full list of all flying mounts in Palworld, plus information on which flying mounts are the fastest, and where you can find all of them.All Flying Mounts in PalworldThere are a total of 22 Pals who can be used as a flying mount in Palworld. At a glance, they are:NitewingVanwyrmVanwyrm CrystBeakonRagnahawkElphidranElphidran AquaQuivernQuivern BotanHelzephyrHelzephyr LuxAstegonSuzakuSuzaku AquaFalerisFaleris AquaShadowbeakFrostallionFrostallion NoctJetragonSelyneXenolordWhat is the best flying mount in Palworld?The fastest flying Pal in Palworld is Jetragon. Unfortunately, Jetragon is one of the hardest Pals to catch; it can only be caught during the Alpha Boss fight, and its catch rate is absurdly low. You should also know that its base level is 50 and it can only be bred by two Jetragons.Fortunately, there are a few other relatively quick Pals who you can use on your journey to the fastest of them all. In the early levels, Vanwyrm is the best of the litter not fast, per se, but faster than the other options. In the middle levels, Beakon and Ragnahawk will really make it feel like youre flying instead of trudging through the air. These two should be good enough until you reach the late game beasts Frostallion and Jetragon.Where to find all flying mounts in PalworldBelow, weve listed where to find all flying mounts in Palword, organized by their Paldeck number.Nitewing locationLocation (Day and Night): Eastern Windswept Hills, Marsh Island, Eastern Wild Island, Sea Breeze Archipelago, Dessicated Desert, and Alpha Boss location on the Ice Wind IslandElement: NeutralTechnology level: 15Saddle materials: 20 leather, 10 cloth, 15 ingots, 20 fiber, 20 Paldium fragmentsVanwyrm locationLocation (Day and Night): Southeast Bamboo Groves, Mount ObsidianElement: Fire and DarkTechnology level: 21Saddle materials: 20 leather, 10 flame organs, 15 ingots, 30 fiber, 20 Paldium fragmentsVanwyrm is the fastest flying mount youll find early on at least until you get far enough to get to Beakon.Vanwyrm Cryst locationLocation (Night): Land of Absolute ZeroElement: Ice and DarkTechnology level: 41Saddle materials: 24 leather, 12 ice organs, 18 ingots, 36 fiber, 24 Paldium fragmentsBeakon locationLocation (Day and Night): Northern Dessicated Desert and Alpha boss location in the Bamboo GrovesElement: ElectricTechnology level: 34Saddle materials: 20 leather, 10 cloth, 20 ingots, 20 electric organs, 25 Paldium fragmentsRagnahawk locationLocation (Day and Night): Southwest Mount ObsidianElement: FireTechnology level: 37Saddle materials: 25 leather, 15 cloth, 20 ingots, 20 flame organs, 25 Paldium fragmentsElphidran locationLocation (Day and Night): No. 1 Wildlife SanctuaryElement: DragonTechnology level: 21Saddle materials: 20 leather, 20 fiber, 15 ingots, 20 Paldium fragmentsYou can also grab an Alphaversion of Elphidran north of the red forest.Elphidran Aqua locationLocation: Breeding Farm with Elphidran and Surfent Element: Dragon and WaterTechnology level: 28Saddle materials: 24 leather, 24 fiber, 18 ingots, 24 Paldium fragmentsQuivern locationLocation (Day and Night): No. 2 Wildlife SanctuaryElement: DragonTechnology level: 36Saddle materials: 30 leather, 30 ingots, 10 cloth, 30 Paldium fragmentsQuivern Botan locationLocation: Cherry Blossom Crossroads, southern SakurajimaElement: Dragon/grassTechnology level: 49Saddle materials: 30 leather, 30 ingots, 20 cloth, 40 Paldium fragmentsHelzephyr locationLocation (Only Night): Moonless Shore and Verdant BrookElement: DarkTechnology level: 33Saddle materials: 30 leather, 10 cloth, 30 refined ingots, 20 electric organs, 30 Paldium fragmentsHelzephyr Lux locationLocation: Northern SakurajimaElement: Dark/electricTechnology level: 52Saddle materials: 30 leather, 10 plasteel, 30 electric organs, 60 Paldium fragmentsAstegon locationLocation (Day and Night): No. 3 Wildlife Sanctuary and Alpha boss location in Mount ObsidianElement: Dragon and DarkTechnology level: 47Saddle materials: 30 leather, 50 refined ingots, 50 ingots, 55 Paldium fragmentsAstegons Alpha boss location can be a little difficult to find as it is hidden inside the Destroyed Mineshaft. Head over to the coordinates (-578, -415) to find the entrance to the mineshaft and follow the path to challenge the boss.Suzaku locationLocation (Day and Night): Southern Dessicated Desert and Alpha boss location in Dessicated DesertElement: FireTechnology level: 40Saddle materials: 20 leather, 25 refined ingots, 20 flame organs, 40 Paldium fragmentsSuzaku Aqua locationLocation: Breeding Farm with Suzaku and JormuntideElement: WaterTechnology level: 41Saddle materials: 24 leather, 12 ice organs, 18 ingots, 36 fiber, 24 Paldium fragmentsFaleris locationLocation (Day and Night): No. 3 Wildlife SanctuaryElement: FireTechnology level: 38Saddle materials: 30 leather, 10 cloth, 30 refined ingots, 25 flame organs, 30 Paldium fragmentsThis Pal is admittedly hard to find in the Wildlife Sanctuary, as it doesnt spawn as frequently as some of the other Pals. That said, once you find one, youre pretty much set until you get Jetragon.Faleris Aqua locationLocation: The northern ash-filled areas of the Feybreak regionElement: WaterTechnology level: 55Saddle materials: 30 leather, 20 high quality cloth, 5 plasteel, 30 Pal fluids, 75 Paldium fragmentsShadowbeak locationLocation: No. 3 Wildlife SanctuaryElement: DarkTechnology level: 47Saddle materials: 50 leather, 40 refined ingots, 25 venom glands, 45 Paldium fragmentsJust like Faleris, this one is a rare spawn at the Wildlife Sanctuary. You may be better off breeding a Kitsun and Astegon together to net yourself a Shadowbeak.Frostallion locationLocation: Alpha boss location in the Land of Absolute ZeroElement: IceTechnology level: 48Saddle materials: 100 leather, 200 refined ingots, 50 ice organs, 75 Paldium fragmentsFrostallion Noct locationLocation: Breeding Farm with Frostalliion and HelzephyrElement: DarkTechnology level: 48Saddle materials: 120 leather, 240 refined ingots, 60 venom glands, 90 Paldium fragmentsJetragon locationLocation: Alpha boss location in Mount ObsidianElement: DragonTechnology level: 50Saddle materials: 100 leather, 200 refined ingots, 50 circuit boards, 140 Paldium fragmentsThis Legendary Pal will demand your full attention throughout your battle with it, as its quite hard to nab. Youll need your best gear and Pal spheres to catch it.Selyne locationLocation: Meteorite events in SakurajimaElement: Dark/neutralTechnology level: 53Saddle materials: 20 leather, 60 Paldium fragments, 30 plasteel, 10 meteorite fragmentsXenolord locationLocation: Needs to be summoned at an altar using Xenolord SlabsElement: Dark/dragonTechnology level: 60Saddle materials: 30 leather, 200 Paldium fragments, 50 dark fragments, 30 meteorite fragmentsFor morePalworldguides, weve got you covered. If youre just starting out, weve got abeginners guide, a list ofall Pals, and atype chart. We also have explainers onbreeding,eggs, and a rundown of howmultiplayerworks.On the hunt for resources? Check out our guides on how to getore, coal,polymer,leather,sulfur,wheat seeds,pure quartz,Ancient Technology Points, andancient civilization parts. For advanced players, consult our lists of alltower boss locations, allpassive skills, allflying mounts, and thebest base locations.