Ice-penetrating radar recently captured an image of a frozen town in Greenland.NASA's Chad Greene captured a radar image of Camp Century buried under Greenland's ice. Michala Garrison and Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory ; Chad Greene/NASA/JPL-Caltech In April 2024, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists accidentally caught a glimpse of the Cold War past, buried 100 feet under Greenland's frozen landscape.Over 900 miles north of Nuuk, the country's most populous city, there was once a secret town of Army workers. Now the only way to see the frozen city, known as Camp Century, is through ice-penetrating radar."It's sort of like an ultrasound for ice sheets, where we're mapping out the bottom of the ice sheet," Chad Greene, the cryospheric scientist who took the picture, told Business Insider.While there are other radar images of Camp Century, this newer device, the UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar), is more powerful. "That is the highest-resolution image that we've ever gotten to see at this camp," Greene said. Camp Century was a military base that was supposed to operate as a small town while holding Cold War secrets.Camp Century was located under the ice, and accumulating snow has only buried it deeper. Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images Remote and inhospitable, northern Greenland seemed like an ideal place for a Cold War military base. The US Army Corps of Engineers started constructing Camp Century 26 feet below the ice in 1959.They dug tunnels large enough for an electric railroad to connect to a supply base over 150 miles away. The 2-mile-long complex, powered by a nuclear reactor, was large enough for 200 soldiers. So they didn't miss the comforts of home, they would have access to a gym, game rooms, library, and barber shop, Popular Science reported in 1960, while the base was still under construction.The Army told journalists that scientists used Camp Century as a base for collecting and researching the world's first ice core samples. While that was true, the frozen city was also part of Project Iceworm. That mission, to launch ballistic missiles from under the ice, was kept under wraps and was eventually scrapped. Army officials thought Camp Century would remain buried forever, but that now seems unlikely.Workers constructing Camp Century in 1959. US Army/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images The Army's expectation for Camp Century after abandoning it in 1967 was that snowfall would keep it "preserved for eternity," a group of engineers wrote in a 1962 journal article. Over the decades, dozens of feet of ice and snow have further covered the base. The problem is that warming temperatures could reverse that trend.If Camp Century melts, thousands of gallons of radioactive waste could surface as well. A 2016 study predicted the area will start losing ice by 2090. Lidar data helped researchers find thousands of Maya structures in Mexico.Lidar helped reveal hidden structures beneath the trees in Mexico. Luke Auld-Thomas/Tulane University Luke Auld-Thomas was deep in a Google search when he hit the jackpot for a graduate student in archaeology, at least. It was lidar data for environmental analysis, but he was interested in what was under the trees.To capture that kind of information, a plane flies over an area and the lidar sensor emits millions of pulses of light that are used to measure the distance between the plane and the objects below. Some light slips between the tree canopy to the ground, which can reveal forgotten structures.The dataset covered an area of Campeche in Southeastern Mexico where Lowland Maya civilizations once flourished. However, the area is so dense with trees, it's impossible to see structures from the sky. Archaeologists had never studied this particular spot, so Auld-Thomas wasn't sure what the data would show.It turned out that there were thousands of structures under the leaves."The locals were aware of the ruins nearby, but the scientific community had no idea," Marcello Canuto, a Tulane University professor and Auld-Thomas' advisor, told Business Insider. The researchers were surprised to find one of the most densely populated settlements at the time.Lidar images of Valeriana, a hidden city in Mexico. Luke Auld-Thomas/Tulane University When Auld-Thomas and Marcello started looking at the lidar data, they were surprised to see an entire city, packed with buildings. It may have been home to 30,000 to 50,000 people between 750 and 850 CE.The city covered around 6 square miles. The team found over 6,700 structures, including houses, plazas, temple pyramids, and a ballcourt. Some areas were dense while others were more rural, Canuto said."There's also causeways, like roads, terraces, hydraulic canals, reservoirs, things that suggest that the landscape is being modified for a series of reasons," he said, including transportation and growing food.Based on the city's scope, Canuto said it may have served as a regional capital that would have been home to elites or a royal family.The researchers called it Valeriana, after a nearby lagoon. Scientists still haven't visited Valeriana.A Maya pyramid in the Mexican state of Campeche that may be similar in style to the Valeriana site. Andrea Sosa/Picture Alliance via Getty Images Right now, everything the researchers know about Valeriana comes from the lidar data. That information can help see the size and shape of buildings and the size of the city, but they need to visit the site to learn more."What lidar doesn't tell you is what's below the surface," Canuto said. The Maya may have buried some objects or structures, or soil may have covered them.Canuto said many of the stone buildings have likely crumbled over the centuries. They may be decorated or have important architectural features that lidar can't reveal.While Canuto isn't planning to go to Valeriana himself, he hopes researchers from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History will study the site."That's the point of open data is to say, 'Look, it's open to everybody, so make use of it,'" he said. A Nevada drought uncovered a ghost town.Lake Mead in 2000 and 2002. Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory ; US Geological Survey A decades-long megadrought continues to bake the Southwestern US.In the early 1980s, Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam's reservoir, was nearing its full capacity of 9.3 trillion gallons of water. In 2022, it was at its lowest level since 1937, when it was first filling up, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.Satellite images showed a "bathtub ring" of mineralization where water previously covered the shore. A once-wide section of the lake narrowed and then disappeared in the past 20 years.As the evaporating water revealed the bed below, the remnants of an abandoned town began to emerge. A small town had to make way for the Hoover Dam.Many of St. Thomas' buildings are now gone. National Park Service In 1928, President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill ordering the construction of what would become the Hoover Dam. It was completed in 1936, causing the Colorado River to start rising.As water pooled in valleys, Lake Mead began to form. Unfortunately for the residents of St. Thomas, Nevada, they were right in its path.Mormons settled the town in 1865, though most burned their homes and moved after a dispute over taxes, according to the National Park Service. By the 1880s, newcomers had found the town, which would eventually become home to around 500 people.When the river water started flooding, the town had everything from a school to a post office to an ice cream shop.In 1838, the last resident escaped by boat."St. Thomas, for a long time, you couldn't get to without scuba diving," Michael Green, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor, told The Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2019.The drought changed that. St. Thomas is a symbol of climate change.The remains of St. Thomas with the ruins of the Hannig Ice Cream Parlor in the distance in 2015. Ethan Miller/Getty Images St. Thomas started peeking through the disappearing lake in 2002. Walls, foundations, bits of metal, and broken glass litter the earth now.The town reemerged in 1945 and 1963 but the lake swallowed it up again. It's unclear when that may happen again because climate change is fueling water loss in the Colorado River, a 2023 study found.Lake Mead rose 16 feet in 2024 after coming dangerously close to the "dead pool" level, when the Hoover Dam would no longer be able to release water downstream to Arizona and California, SFGate reported. Archaeologists found a limestone cave leading to an enormous underground city in Turkey.Workers outside the Matiate archaeological site in Midyat in southeastern Turkey. Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images Midyat, in southeastern Turkey, has long held religious significance, as evidenced by its monasteries and churches, some of which were built in the 6th century.In 2020, researchers on an excavation project unexpectedly found an entrance to a sprawling subterranean city, Agence France-Presse reported in 2024. Its construction was even older than the above-ground churches, dating back almost 2,000 years.The city's inhabitants, possibly fearing persecution, fled underground and created an entire world. As many as 60,000 people may have lived in the city.Mervan Yavuz shows figures carved inside the Matiate archaeological site. Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images Tunnels carved into the rock connect dozens of rooms in the underground city, known as Matiate. Researchers found coins, human and animal bones, and areas for storing food and wine, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2022.People occupied the site for hundreds of years and had many reasons for seeking shelter under ground."To protect themselves from the climate, enemies, predators and diseases, people took refuge in these caves, which they turned into an actual city," Mervan Yavuz, the Midyat conservation director, told AFP.Some may have been looking for a place to safely practice their religions, Yavuz added. "Pagans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, all these believers contributed to the underground city of Matiate." Tourists may start visiting the underground city soon.Workers have found many artifacts in the Matiate archaeological site. Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images Workers have only excavated a tiny fraction of Matiate, which covers an estimated 9 million square feet."Our aim is to gradually uncover the entire underground city and open it to tourists," excavation leader Gani Tarkan told Daily Sabah last year.Eventually, Matiate could rival the size and popularity of another of Turkey's underground cities, Derinkuyu. Disappearing chickens helped a farmer locate the underground city of Derinkuyu.Derinkuyu, Turkey's underground city, has vents for airflow. LiskaM/Shutterstock In 1963, a man in the Cappadocia region of Turkey kept losing chickens during renovations on his basement, the BBC reported in 2022. They would slip through a gap in the wall and disappear. It turned out the wall concealed a tunnel to a long-forgotten city.Located nearly 280 feet under the ground, the cavernous rooms and tunnels were once home to 20,000 people. The region's stony spires hide 18 levels of living space connected by tunnels.Derinkuyu may have helped thousands of people find refuge over the centuries. Pakhnyushchyy/Getty Images Cappadocia's rock is made from volcanic ash and forms natural spires. Known as tuff, the rock is easy to carve and shape, which may have helped residents build the underground tunnels and dwellings.The city is ancient, with some estimates of its age at around 3,000 years. In 370 BCE, Xenophon of Athens described a site that seemed to match what's now known as Derinkuyu.After its rediscovery, archaeologists and others began excavating Derinkuyu, eventually finding over 600 openings leading to the city. Storage rooms, stables, and schools covered 171 square miles. There was a well for water and ventilation shafts bringing in fresh air.While residents didn't seem to live underground permanently, they could hide from violence or harsh weather for months at a time, the BBC reported. Derinkuyu is now a tourist draw.Tourists explore a passage in the Derinkuyu underground city in Turkey in 2022. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images In the 1920s, Cappadocian Greeks left the city behind after the Greco-Turkish War. They likely knew about the metropolis beneath their feet but took that knowledge to Greece.Following Derinkuyu's rediscovery, it became a huge draw for the region.Visitors can now explore several levels of Derinkuyu to see how people sought refuge for hundreds of years in the claustrophobic caves.

A brush fire erupted in Pacific Palisades amid a powerful windstorm Tuesday.The Palisades Fire quickly grew to more than 700 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations in the area.Santa Ana winds, with gusts forecast up to 100 mph, are creating extreme fire conditions.A major brush fire erupted in the Pacific Palisades, an affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles, in the first hours of a powerful windstorm on Tuesday.The Palisades Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time and quickly ballooned. As of 2:20 p.m. PT, the fire had spread across 772 acres.Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the area all the way down to the Pacific Ocean.Westwood Recreation Center was open to evacuees as of Tuesday afternoon.Live footage on ABC7 showed houses burning Tuesday afternoon, though no official counts of damaged structures have been released.Further evacuation warnings prompted residents to prepare to flee, or to flee early if they have pets or need extra time to evacuate. These warnings covered the Topanga Canyon area and an additional swath of the hills down to La Costa Beach. Warnings and orders covered the entire region between Santa Monica and Malibu as of Tuesday at 2 p.m. PT.The fire could spread further and grow stronger as extreme winds in the area are forecast to peak in the evening through Wednesday morning.Evacuees abandoned cars as traffic stalledPalisades Drive, the major road out of the neighborhood, was packed with slow-moving lines of cars shortly after noon, as people evacuated beneath a smoky haze and bright-orange flames licking the hillside in the distance, shown live on ABC7.The state agency CalFire reported that the fire was on both sides of Palisades Drive.ABC7 spoke to multiple people who were evacuating on foot, including some who had abandoned their cars on the road.Highway 1 has closed between Santa Monica and Malibu.A historic windstorm fuels the flamesOfficials have not yet determined how the fire started, but it erupted during a high-risk major windstorm that created extreme fire conditions in the area.Warm, dry Santa Ana winds from the deserts of Nevada and Utah are expected to bring gusts up to 100 mph to Southern California through Wednesday morning.The National Weather Service called the windstorm "life-threatening and destructive" and warned that these could be the strongest north winds in 14 years.With low humidity and dry vegetation in the region, the winds created a perfect storm for fire ignition. The NWS urged residents to be ready to evacuate, as such winds can rapidly spread any fire that breaks out."This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight," David Ortiz of the LAFD told local news station KTLA.

Meta announced Tuesday it's doing away with third-party fact-checking in favor of community notes.Several lawmakers told BI the move is an indication Mark Zuckerberg is catering to Trump.Some business leaders praised Meta for the change while others expressed concern.Meta is carrying out the biggest overhaul to its content moderation system in years.The company announced on Tuesday that it's replacing third-party fact-checking program with user-generated community notes, like those on Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.In another page from Musk's playbook, Meta said it's moving some teams specifically its trust and safety teams, responsible for writing the company's content policies and reviewing content out of California into Texas and other locations in the US.CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was about getting "back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms."Democrats: Zuckerberg's sucking up to TrumpDemocratic lawmakers told BI at the US Capitol on Tuesday that they saw the move as a sign that Zuckerberg is trying to appease President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his return to the Oval Office.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said Zuckerberg was "kissing Trump's ass" in making the change."I think that Mark Zuckerberg is trying to follow in Elon's footsteps, which means that actually, they're going to use this guise of free speech to actually suppress critics of Trump and critics of themselves," Ocasio-Cortez said. "That's why they're moving to this system. It's a model for their own self-aggrandizement."Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told BI that Big Tech CEOs "want a government that works for them, and they're making clear that sucking up to Donald Trump is one of the ways they think they'll get that."Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida said the change appeared to be symptomatic of authoritarianism."It's not just about the legislation they pass, or what they push, but it creates this environment of fear and self-censorship, and a place where companies will begin to do the things he wants them to do without him forcing them to do it," he said, referring to Trump."They're surrendering essentially to implied threats by the government, which is very dangerous," Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York said.Trump himself told reporters Tuesday that he believed Zuckerberg's changes at Meta were "probably" in response to previous threats Trump has made to the Meta chief executive, including to jail him.Republicans: A good sign, but we'll seeRepublicans offered more mixed reactions to Zuckerberg's decision, with some expressing skepticism while others saw it as a win. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told reporters at the Capitol that what the Meta CEO said "sounds good" but that the "proof will be in the pudding."He also said he saw Zuckerberg's move as the product of both political positioning and a sincere evolution in his thinking."I've had multiple conversations with Mark on this topic," Cruz said, "and I will say, he had previously expressed an interest in protecting free speech."Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, meanwhile, called the decision a "ploy to avoid being regulated." For several years, she's been pushing a bill to increase social media protections for kids."Can any of us assume Zuckerberg won't return to his old tricks?" wrote Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on X.Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas, meanwhile, wrote on X that it was "a great day for freedom of speech.""It seems like Meta is finally taking a page from Elon Musk's playbook & letting Americans make decisions for themselves. It's about time Meta owned up to censoring Americans," he added.Tech and business leaders reactIn the tech and business world, some of Zuck's peers congratulated him and Meta on the move.Musk said in separate tweets that the decision was "cool" and "awesome."X CEO Linda Yaccarino called it "a smart move by Zuck.""Fact-checking and moderation doesn't belong in the hands of a few select gatekeepers who can easily inject their bias into decisions. It's a democratic process that belongs in the hands of many," she wrote.David Marcus, the former Meta exec in charge of the company's Libra cryptocurrency project, said the change marked a "massive step in the right direction towards free expression for Meta."Other tech and business figures were more skeptical of the decision.Yoel Roth, the former head of Twitter's trust and safety department, said, "Genuinely baffled by the unempirical assertion that Community Notes 'works.' Does it? How do Meta know? The best available research is pretty mixed on this point. And as they go all-in on an unproven concept, will Meta commit to publicly releasing data so people can actually study this?"And in response to a message from Zuckerberg saying Meta will work with Trump to "push back against foreign governments going after American companies to censor more," Mark Cuban wrote on Bluesky: "Translation: Americans are going to see Tariffs on products from countries you believe censor Meta services as a means of pressuring them into removing any restrictions that impact your profitability in those countries. Also: You'll have carte blanche to take posts that no longer have restrictions, making them a more explicit representation, and train your AI Models."Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A new year means a new season of anime for fans to either add to their weekly rotation or include in their ever-growing pile of backlog series that they swear theyll get to any day now. While 2025 will see a head-to-head streaming battle between the de facto anime juggernaut Crunchyroll and rising star Netflix, the former just released an anime from Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan studio Mappa that threw anime fans for a loop with its premiere episode. Before its release, Zenshu, a clever play on the Japanese phrase whole collection or complete works, piqued anime fans interest with its marketed premise about the production process of an anime from a visually worn-out animator. While this isnt the first time an anime has pulled back the curtain and made art about making art (see Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, Blue Period, and Look Back), Zenshu had folks curiosity because it was a Mappa anime. As mentioned earlier, Mappa is widely regarded as the anime studio to watch, and much of its wrapsheets involve some of the most critically acclaimed shonen anime. It is also a studio with an equal amount of controversy online regarding repeated instances of alleged worker crunch to get its highly regarded anime out the door. Mappa creating an anime about the challenges of the animation process was bound to be intriguing regardless. However, Zenshus first episode swerved fans in its early moments, revealing that it is an isekai anime. Isekai is a fantasy genre of anime thats quickly become an easy punching bag for anime fans because of how oversaturated the medium has been for the last decade. While there are some standouts in shows like Re:Zero and Jobless Reincarnation, isekai shows tend to be derivative power fantasy anime about social recluses in the everyday world getting a second chance at life in a whimsical fantasy setting with godly powers. And while theres nothing wrong with watching something that stimulates the brain in the same way a frosted sugar cookie would, fans did not expect Mappa to take the isekai route with Zenshu. Nevertheless, Mappa finds something novel in its approach to the isekai genre with Zenshu first episode.Zenshu follows a woman named Natsuko Hirose who fast-tracks from being an animator fresh out of high school to becoming the creator of a generation-defining anime. Her success propels her to lead a romantic comedy feature animated film in the same spirit as director Makoto Shinkais Your Name or Mamoru Hosodas The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Still, Natsuko struggles with nailing the concept, having never felt the joy of a first love. She doesnt help her situation by redoing key animations and storyboards her assistants drafted, and she insists on letting her disheveled hair grow unruly until the project is finished. After ego search doom-scrolling on social media, Natsuko discovers that the director behind a critical flop (and the anime that sparked her love for the craft) has passed away. Its here where Natsuko unceremoniously chokes on her food, dies, and is isekaid into the fantasy world of said anime. Natsuko quickly pieces together that shes been isekaid and laments that this phenomenon only happens to unemployed losers before she discovers that she can redraw entire scenes of the tragic fantasy tale to save its heroes from certain doom. This power manifests in her magical peg bar, which acts like the purple crayon in Harold and the Purple Crayon (or a piece of chalk from Nickelodeons ChalkZone for the cool kids). Her first feat sees her draw a monstrous kaiju with the genga and settei production markers rawly animated with every movement of its body; it gets a bunch of cool points for being a one-to-one reference shot of Neon Genesis Evangelions Hideaki Annos animation cut from Hayao Miyazakis 1984 Studio Ghibli fantasy film Nausica of the Valley of the Wind .Despite isekai being a well-trodden anime genre, Zenshus premiere episode strikes a balance as one of the most conceptually intriguing original anime the industry has produced in years. Its comedic elements take witty jabs at the genre while utilizing its latent potential to analyze fiction and reality in a manner primed for refreshing storytelling. While it is still too early to tell whether Zenshu will be to animators what Look Back and One Piece Fan Letter was to the anime community last year, it certainly leaves a good first impression that it will have the gumption to deliver a riveting isekai while supplying meta-textual insight into the animation process from one of the industrys leading studios. New episodes of Zenshu premiere every Sunday on Crunchyroll. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By AJ Dellinger Published January 7, 2025 | Comments (2) | Rod Vanderbilt, Mitch Lowe, John Travolta and Ted Farnsworth attend the New York premiere of Gotti Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images Ted Farnsworth, the former CEO of MoviePass and guy who had the bright idea to charge $9.95 per month for unlimited film screenings, has admitted to defrauding investors in the subscription company. According to the Department of Justice, Farnsworth pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and will face up to 25 years in prison.If youre unfamiliar with the MoviePass story, Farnsworth is not the founder of the company, which was started by Urbanworld Film Festival founder Stacy Spikes as a relatively modest subscription service designed to entice people to go to the cinema a little more often. Farnsworth was the head of analytics firm Helios and Matheson, which bought a majority stake in MoviePass in 2017 and eventually pushed the company to offer filmgoers the ability to see one film per day for just $9.95 per month. Farnsworths plan successfully pulled in lots of subscribersmore than three million people signed up for the service. And thats where the trouble started. While Farnsworth hit the press trail to tout the boom in business and claim that the company would turn a profit by selling customer data, behind the scenes, MoviePass was hemorrhaging cash. It wouldnt take long before MoviePass started backtracking on its promise of unlimited filmgoing, as it started to institute blackouts on popular films, experiencing outages in its services, and changing prices and plans with little warning.It was pretty obvious that MoviePass was doomed to fail the moment the unlimited plan was introduced, but Farnsworth claimed to investors that the price was sustainable and would be profitable on subscription fees alone. Turns out no, as the DOJ found MoviePass lost money from the plan. As for Farnsworths customer data play, that was smoke and mirrors, too. The Justice Department said that his analytics company did not possess these capabilities to monetize MoviePass subscriber data. In the end, MoviePass never had a stream of revenue beyond its subscriptionsand that was costing the company so much money that Farnsworth instructed employees to throttle users to prevent them from using the plan they paid for.After Farnsworth drove MoviePass into bankruptcy, he apparently ran the playbook again with another company called Vinco Ventures. Per the DOJ, Farnsworth and his co-conspirators pulled in cash from investors by lying about the standing of the business, all while diverting cash directly to their own pockets. Farnsworths sentencing will take place later this year. Meanwhile, MoviePass is back under the ownership of its founder Stacy Spikes, and its reportedly profitable (though users of the service regularly complain about glitches and issues).moviepass Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Cheryl Eddy Published December 15, 2023 By Cheryl Eddy Published November 15, 2023 By Kyle Barr Published May 25, 2023 By Lauren Leffer Published April 3, 2023 By Nikki Main Published February 6, 2023 By Lauren Leffer Published January 25, 2023

By Passant Rabie Published January 7, 2025 | Comments (0) | NASA's Perseverance rover collected samples from Mars and stored them in tubes. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASAs Perseverance rover has been hard at work on Mars, collecting pieces of rock and stowing them away on the Red Planet. But back on Earth, the space agency has been struggling to carry out its plan of retrieving the Martian samples. Following months of deliberation, NASA has decided to pursue two alternative routes for its Mars Sample Return program, one of which elicits the help of the private industry. During a media briefing on Tuesday, NASA announced an unusual approach to its ambitious Martian sample mission. The space agency will simultaneously pursue two different ways of brining samples from the other world to Earth.Pursuing two potential paths forward will ensure that NASA is able bring these samples back from Mars with significant cost and schedule saving compared to the previous plan, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. In April 2024, NASA called on the private industry to come up with alternative ways to pick up Martian rock and dust from the Red Planet and drop them off on Earth. The space agency asked for proposals for a less complex mission architecture that would lower cost and bring the samples to Earth at an earlier date. Five months later, the agency received 11 studies from both the NASA community and industry players, and a team was formed to assess the best way to return the samples.At this point, NASA will proceed with two distinct means of landing the payload platform on Mars, the space agency wrote. The first option will involve tried and tested means of landing on Mars using a sky crane similar to ones used by NASAs rovers, while the other option will opt for a new method developed by a commercial partner.The two pathways would involve a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle, a lightweight rocket designed to launch the tubes containing the samples from Mars into the planets orbit. Both missions would also rely on the European Space Agencys Earth Return Orbiter, which is designed to capture the orbiting sample container in Mars orbit. The sample container will hold 30 tubes. NASAs rovers are enduring Mars harsh environment to collect ground-breaking science samples, Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASAs Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. We want to bring those back as quickly as possible to study them in state-of-the-art facilities. NASA has been struggling with its Mars Sample Return mission, which has recently come under scrutiny for cost overruns and scheduling delays. In September 2023, an independent review board (IRB) issued a report on the mission, referring to it as a highly constrained and challenging campaign, with unrealistic budget and schedule expectations from the beginning. The mission was originally capped at a $7 billion budget to return the samples in the 2030s. It was later revealed, however, that Mars Sample Return requires an $11 billion budget, with an estimate of returning the samples by 2040. In light of the report, NASA began considering an alternative architecture for its complex mission.Despite its complexities, Mars Sample Return is an unprecedented opportunity to study samples from another world up-close. Mars Sample Return will allow scientists to understand the planets geological history and the evolution of climate on this barren planet where life may have existed in the past and shed light on the early solar system before life began here on Earth, Fox said. This will also prepare us to safely send the first human explorers to Mars.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published January 6, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 6, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published December 27, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 26, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 25, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 23, 2024

La Casa Rosa / NKN StudioSave this picture!HousesMerida, MexicoArchitects: NKN StudioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:315 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 Lead Architects: Miguel Tapia More SpecsLess SpecsText description provided by the architects. Enekn Studio, led by architect Miguel Tapia, presents La Casa Rosa. This 315 m project transforms a house in ruins into a residence that blends tranquility, contemporary design, and a deep connection to nature. Designed as a second home for a family from Mexico City, the house is a tribute to the owner's small daughters, who dreamt of their pink house. Through this design, Tapia honors the family bond while preserving the original character of the building, including its original pink faade.The house's design features varying heights and simple geometric shapes, creating interior spaces that flow seamlessly into the outdoors. Elliptical arches divide the different areas, while the labyrinthine layout creates interesting corners surrounded by lush greenery.The layout of Casa Rosa is divided into three main sections that naturally flow into one another. The front part of the house includes the common spaces: the foyer, kitchen, living room, and dining room, all designed to encourage social interaction and enjoyment. At the back of the house, three bedrooms offer privacy and comfort. Each room includes special features such as private terraces and outdoor bathtubs, providing a unique experience for each occupant. In the center of the property is an ancient stone ruin, the exact age of which is unknown.One of the project's main challenges was incorporating this ruin into the design. Enekn Studio's solution was to restore it and surround it with a shallow pool, allowing people to walk around it. A red cedar tree from the neighboring garden casts its shadow over the pool, adding coolness and creating a peaceful setting that connects with nature. This transformation turns the ruin into a relaxing retreat in the heart of Mrida, becoming the home's social center.The furniture throughout the house has been thoughtfully designed by the studio, with custom carpentry crafted from local woods such as tzalam, and exotic woods like granadillo and ciricote. Additionally, wooden sculptures by the architect Miguel Tapia, under the MATA brand, decorate the interiors, giving the space a unique touch. For the finishes, Enekn Studio selected materials that are both in harmony with the environment and low maintenance, such as washed concrete, tzalam, pasta tiles, and chukum, a traditional Yucatn finish made from chukum tree resin mixed with lime and water. This creates a smooth, moisture-resistant, and sustainable texture, perfect for the region's warm climate. These materials are characteristic of Yucatn architecture, reinforcing the home's connection to the region and creating an atmosphere that is both grounded and respectful of the natural surroundings.To ensure bioclimatic comfort, the design incorporates various strategies to respond to the region's heat. These include elliptical arches, each with a unique shape, which limits direct sunlight, provides shade, and creates a sense of openness that connects the interior to the gardens outside. Ventilation chimneys were also integrated to allow for natural airflow, keeping the spaces cool and well-lit. Vegetation plays an essential role in the design, with a large palm tree and various native species integrated into the landscape. The irregularity of the terrain and the careful placement of the architecture allowed for the maximum integration of plants, creating an environment that respects and takes advantage of the site's natural conditions.At Enekn Studio, the design approach is centered on simplicity and the powerful use of volume. The design process blends simple geometries that, when combined, create complex and visually captivating compositions. The result is a contemporary reinterpretation of an old Yucatn home, offering both a sense of serenity and community while remaining deeply connected to the architectural traditions of the city and its natural environment.Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeNKN StudioOfficePublished on January 07, 2025Cite: "La Casa Rosa / NKN Studio" 07 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024832/la-casa-rosa-nkn-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Approximately one-third of American adults take a multivitamin in an effort to address nutritional deficiencies or specific dietary needs. While they are an option to replace nutrients you may not be getting from food, it is worth mentioning that multivitamins vary in quality and dosage amounts.However, not everyone is able to receive the maximum benefit regular multivitamins offer. For a variety of reasons, a better option may be methylated multivitamins.What Is a Methylated Vitamin?When a vitamin is methylated, it means that methyl groups have been added to them. This makes the vitamins available for digestion in their active form. Known as CH3, a methyl group comprises three hydrogen atoms bonded to one carbon atom. Since they already have the methyl groups attached, the body can more easily absorb and utilize these vitamins.One of the most common forms of these multivitamins is B vitamins. This includes vitamins B12 (methylcobalamin), B9 (methylfolate), B6 (pyridoxal 5-phosphate), and B2 (Riboflavin-5-Phosphate). It is important to note that not all methylated multivitamins include all varieties of B vitamins. Various manufacturers offer different combinations and dosage amounts.Aside from improved absorption, methylated multivitamins can offer other advantages. These include the production of neurotransmitters, which can lead to improved mood and cognitive function support. Methylated B vitamins can also reduce fatigue by converting food into usable energy. Another important role for methylated vitamins is lowering homocysteine levels in the blood. Since high levels of homocysteine are linked to heart disease, methylated vitamins support cardiovascular health.Benefits From Methylated MultivitaminsFor people who do not have a problem converting regular vitamins into their active form or absorbing them, methylation will probably not have much of an impact. But methylated multivitamins can help certain individuals.These include people with gastrointestinal conditions where malabsorption is a factor, people with the MTHFR genetic mutation, athletes, pregnant people (confirm with doctor), and the elderly as the body does not absorb nutrients as well as we age. Methylated vitamins do not automatically provide added benefits but are useful for those needing the bioavailability of methylation.As with any supplement, it is best to select a brand that undergoes third-party testing to ensure safety and accuracy. It is also important to be aware of all the vitamins and/or minerals that are included when selecting a methylated vitamin. There may be added ingredients that you do not need or want, or the dosages of methylated B vitamins may be too high. You can find methylated multivitamins in capsules, pills, and gummies.Side Effects Associated With Methylated MultivitaminsThere are potential side effects with methylated multivitamins, either from taking them too much or too often. Since a multivitamin will include several B vitamins in their methylated form, it may not be possible to know which specific vitamin is causing side effects if or when they occur. Be aware that non-methylated B vitamins have the potential to cause these same side effects which include anxiety, agitation, irritability, headaches, nausea, neuropathy, insomnia, and achiness.Methylated multivitamins may also interact with certain medications and can cause negative health impacts. Patients should check with their healthcare provider before starting methylated multivitamins if they are taking any of the following: diabetes medications, anti-seizure drugs, certain antibiotics, and medicines that reduce stomach acid.People with a history of seizure disorders, liver issues, bipolar disorder, or pernicious anemia should consult with their doctor before taking a methylated multivitamin.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Britannica. MethylationThe Nutrition Source. B VitaminsDrugs.com. L-Methyl-B6-B12 InteractionsAllison Futterman is a Charlotte, N.C.-based writer whose science, history, and medical/health writing has appeared on a variety of platforms and in regional and national publications. These include Charlotte, People, Our State, and Philanthropy magazines, among others. She has a BA in communications and an MS in criminal justice.

NewsHealth & MedicineIs alcohol linked to cancer? Heres what the science saysA new report aims to help people make informed decisions about whether and how much to drink A new U.S. Surgeon Generals report seeks to raise awareness about the link between drinking alcohol and developing seven different types of cancer. Many Americans don't know of the risk.urbazon/E+/Getty Images PlusBy Aimee Cunningham1 hour agoThe link between drinking alcohol and developing cancer, described in a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General, may come as a surprise to many Americans.Although evidence for this link has been growing for some time, fewer than half of Americans are aware of the association, according to the 2019 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey. Thats in contrast to tobacco, which 89 percent of the survey respondents identified as a cancer risk.The Surgeon Generals Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, released January 3, puts the link between drinking alcohol and developing seven different types of cancer including esophagus, breast, liver and colorectal in the spotlight to help increase awareness. The report calls for adding information about cancer risk to the Surgeon Generals health warning labels on alcohol. And it recommends public health professionals and health care providers discuss the risk, which generally increases the more one drinks, with patients and the public. That way, people can take the risk into account in choosing whether or how much to drink.

NewsHealth & MedicineWhat to know about the first bird flurelated death in the U.S.A Louisiana man who died with H5N1 contracted it from a backyard flock and wild birds A Louisiana man who died with H5N1 bird flu contracted it from exposure to a backyard flock and wild birds, according to state health officials.Bento Orlando/iStock/Getty Images PlusBy McKenzie Prillaman1 hour agoWhile the United States has recorded its first death of a person infected with H5N1 bird flu, public health experts are emphasizing that the risk to most people remains low.The patient, a Louisiana man over the age of 65 who had underlying medical conditions, contracted the virus from a backyard flock and wild birds, the Louisiana Department of Health noted in reporting his death January 6. Further investigation showed no person-to-person transmission of the virus.