The emperor penguin breeding season is fraught with dangerStefan Christmann/naturepl.comA rover quietly surveys the forbidding icy landscape. Suddenly, it whirrs into life: it has spotted an emperor penguin. With its antenna set to scan, the 90-centimetre-long robot trundles towards the bird, searching for a signal from an RFID chip beneath the penguins skin recording crucial information that may help us finally understand this enigmatic species.The emperor penguin is instantly familiar as the star of countless nature documentaries and the 2005 movie March of the Penguins. This media exposure might give the impression that we have a solid understanding of its biology. We dont. Almost all of that footage was collected from just two breeding colonies on opposite sides of Antarctica, constituting perhaps 10 per cent of the emperor penguin population. For decades, the hundreds of thousands of emperors living elsewhere along the continents coast were virtually unstudied.That situation is now changing. Over the past 15 years, researchers have uncovered more about these birds using new technologies, including satellites that can spot colonies from space and AI-equipped robots to scan them on the ground. I hope were starting to go into a golden age of research, says Daniel Zitterbart at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts.Already, the work has revealed subtle differences in the genetics and behaviour of the penguins at different points around the Antarctic coast, and shown that they are surprisingly adaptable to changing conditions. But these discoveries have been made amid rapid warming in the region, which led the US Fish and Wildlife Service to declare emperors a threatened species in 2022.

A wildfire has broken out in Los Angeles and is raging through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood."Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill was among the 30,000 people in LA evacuated from their homes.The average house price in the northern LA area is $4.5 million, per Realtor.com data.A wildfire in Los Angeles is tearing through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to A-list actors, including Ben Affleck who bought his $20.5 million mansion there in July.Other A-listers Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Keaton, Adam Sandler, Miles Teller, and Eugene Levy also live in the neighborhood.The area is between Santa Monica and Malibu in northern Los Angeles, where the average house price is $4.5 million, according to Realtor.com data.The fire started on Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades before spreading west toward the Malibu stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. On Wednesday, the city of Malibu issued a statement on X advising residents to prepare to evacuate.Among the at least 30,000 LA residents asked to evacuate their homes because of the fire was the "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill. He said on Instagram that he had left his Malibu home on Tuesday with his wife, Marilou, and their dog, Trixie. He described it as the "most horrific fire since '93."He said: "Evacuated Malibu so last-minute there were small fires on both sides of the road as we approached PCH."Levy told The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that he got stuck while trying to leave the neighborhood. "The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon," Levy said. "I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark."Chet Hanks, the son of actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, also mentioned the fire on Tuesday."The neighborhood I grew up in is burning to the ground rn. Pray for the Palisades," he wrote in an Instagram Stories post. Chet Hanks/Instagram Stories On Wednesday morning, the "Halloween" star Jamie Lee Curtis said on Instagram that she was safe but her home in West LA might not be.She wrote: "My community and possibly my home is on fire. My family is safe. Many of my friends will lose their homes. Many other communities as well. There are so many conflicting reports. With all the technology there seems to be very little information. Please post facts! It will help those wondering!"The Oscar-nominated actor James Woods said on X that he and his family safely evacuated from the Palisades but didn't know whether his home "is still standing."On Tuesday, TMZ reported that Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, two stars of "The Hills," lost their home in the fire after being evacuated.Actor Kate Beckinsale wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday that "the whole of the Palisades being destroyed is unthinkably horrific.""My daughter and I lived there for most of her childhood and most of her childhood is gone," she wrote.Beckinsale shared several other posts, including one thanking local firefighters and another sharing information about assembling an emergency bag.The Palisades Charter High School also burned down, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The campus was used for films including "Carrie," "Freaky Friday," "Project X," and MTV's "Teen Wolf" TV series.The premieres for "Wolf Man" and "Unstoppable," scheduled for Tuesday, were canceled.In 2023, a study from the University of California, Irvine, found that California's wildfires had worsened each year over the past two decades.The fire that started on Tuesday quickly spread because of the Santa Ana winds, which created up to 80 mph gusts. The drought in Southern California also exacerbated the situation, creating dangerously dry conditions.In 2018, Kim Kardashian and her ex-husband Kanye West were criticized by fans for hiring private firefighters to protect their $60 million home in the Hidden Hills when the Woolsey Fire burned almost 100,000 acres of land.

US special operations forces are shifting their focus after decades of counterterrorism.Competition with China and Russia is reshaping how SOF supports the joint force.A senior Pentagon official said that special operations is also returning to its "roots."A senior Pentagon official said this week that the role ofUS special operationsis changing as the US faces increasing competition and challenges from China and Russia.With the threat of a conflict against a powerful and advancedThe direction of special operations forces (SOF) is adapting to the largest challenges facing the US a rapidly growing Chinese military and Russian state set on expansion by force.Maier said during a conversation with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on Tuesday that SOF is "still doing counterterrorism, crisis response, those have been the persistent missions," but the priority is shifting towards "increasingly where we can support other elements, largely in a support role, for those strategic competition elements."That means playing a big role in solving challenges facing the joint force, like more modern adaptations to using artificial intelligence, as well as the traditional functions of SOF, such as "being that sensor out there and providing the necessary input to decision makers to better understand a situation," noted Maier, who previously led the Pentagon's Defeat-ISIS Task Force overseeing the campaign across Iraq and Syria that relied heavily on American special operators.Special operators are the US military's most highly trained troops, the go-to teams for small raids and secretive missions, but they lack the numbers and firepower to go up against larger conventional forces for long. US special operations forces are supporting the joint force as the US faces strategic competition with China and Russia. US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lauren Cobin Much of the US' special operations presence in over 80 countries around the world is focused on working closely with foreign militaries, law enforcement, and embassies to keep a finger on the pulse. For the past 20 years, the US has relied on these forces for some the most unconventional and difficult missions, like teaming with partner forces to fight enemies or running shadowy helicopter assaults to kill or capture key leaders.Maier said he views it as both a continuation of the counterterrorism and crisis response that SOF has been doing for decades and also a step back to its origins."We're going back to the proverbial roots of supporting the joint force with some of the hardest problems against peer adversaries," Maier said.With the so-calledSOF has spent over 20 years operating in counterterrorism and unconventional warfare roles, fighting quietly in a variety of environments across the world and maintaining relationships that provide the US with information on tactics of specific groups and deeper understandings of regional and security issues.That role is now changing, albeit just as important. In a 2023 article for the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, David Ucko, a professor and expert on irregular warfare, argues that leaders in Washington need to examine how to best use SOF for newer challenges against Russia and China. That includes irregular warfare, which is "highly relevant" to strategic competition with China.But, Ucko notes, special operators fill a particular role in military operations and shouldn't be given missions that other US agencies or groups can also do.One of the deepest challenges these secretive forces face is the widening surveillance by spy satellites and recon drones. While special operations has often led the fight on counterterrorism, the shift towards peer adversary competition is changing that focus. Master Sgt. Timothy Lawn/US Army Central SOF missions often have multiple objectives like foreign internal defense and unconventional warfare; special operators can, for example, help boost a US ally's defense tactics against a foreign aggressor, such as Taiwan and China.Allied special forces played critical roles in World War II, shaped by the need for specialization in unconventional missions and innovative tactics, such as sabotage behind enemy lines and disrupting German supply lines. In North Africa, British Special Air Services and Commonwealth Long Range Desert Group commandos aided in disrupting Axis troops deployments and airpower.During the Cold War, special operators played a role in deterring the Soviet Union's influence, maintaining presence in and relationships with Western Europe and other areas. Special operations forces often focus on irregular or unconventional operations best suited for small units of highly trained operators. US Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Steven D. Patzer All of that historical context is informing SOF's priorities today, as the US faces similar challenges against China and Russia and their activities across the world, Maier said."The differences, I think, here are some of the fundamental changes in adversaries' ability to access technology," he added, and their ability to "use different types of techniques than maybe we saw in the Cold War."Both China and Russia are actively engaged in bolstering their irregular warfare tactics, including reconnaissance, disinformation, electronic warfare, cyberspace and space efforts, and psychological warfare.In its report on China's military growth over the course of 2023, the Pentagon noted that China is expanding its capabilities towards a vision of future conflict it calls "intelligentized warfare" focused on AI, data, and controlling information spaces.Other elements, such as China's campaigns in Taiwan to influence domestic politics and opinions on unification, are also notable.

Destructive brush fires are erupting across California as firefighters say there's "no possibility" of containment. The Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley fires come as powerful winds slam northwest Los Angeles.Read the original article on Business Insider

Sustained powerful winds reaching nearly 100 miles per hour are driving fast-moving wildfires near Los Angeles, spewing smoke, destroying homes, closing roads, and forcing thousands of people to evacuate. The Palisades fire along the coast near the Santa Monica mountains has burned more than 5,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon. The Eaton fire near Pasadena has now torched at least 2,200 acres. The blazes have killed at least two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures. Other smaller fires are also burning in the region. These blazes are stunning in their scale and speed, jumping from ignition to thousands of acres in a day, but theyre hardly unexpected. Fire forecasters have been warning since the beginning of the year that conditions were ripe for massive infernos, particularly in Southern California. For January, above normal significant fire potential is forecast across portions of Southern California, according to a National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) bulletin on January 2. This was an exceptionally well-predicted event from a meteorological and fire-predictive services perspective, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Los Angeles, said Wednesday during a livestream. The winter months are typically when Southern California quenches its thirst with rainfall, but the past few weeks have been unusually dry, and little snowfall has accumulated in the surrounding mountains. The NIFC also noted that temperatures were an impressive two to six degrees [Fahrenheit] above normal in most areas in December, allowing vegetation like grasses and chaparral to readily dry out and serve as fuel. On top of this, the Santa Ana winds, Southern Californias seasonal gusts, were unusually strong. They typically blow from the northeast toward the coast in the wintertime, but this year, an unusually warm ocean and a meandering jet stream are giving these gales an additional speed boost, like pointing a hair dryer at Los Angeles. Firefighters are working desperately to corral the flames and keep them away from peoples homes, but theres little they can do to halt the combination of ample fuel, dry weather, and high winds, which are poised to continue. It will take another force of nature to quell this one. Until widespread rains occur, this risk will continue, according to the NIFC bulletin. Wildfires are a natural part of the landscape in California, but the danger they pose to the region is growing because more people are living in fire-prone areas. That increases the likelihood of igniting a blaze and the scale of the damage that occurs when a fire inevitably erupts. Californias growing wildfire threat has rocked the states insurance industry and forced regulators to allow insurers to price in the risk of worsening future catastrophes. At the same time, global average temperatures are rising due to climate change, which can prime more of the landscape to burn. It will take a concerted effort on many fronts to mitigate the wildfire threat, including using more fire-resistant building materials, performing controlled burns to reduce fuels, changing where people live, improving forecasting, pricing insurance in line with the actual disaster risk, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change. But in the meantime, the dangers from fires in Southern California are likely to get worse.A fast-moving brushfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked evacuations Tuesday as life-threatening winds whipped the region. More than 200 acres was burning in Pacific Palisades, a upscale spot with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, shuttering a key highway and blanketing the area with thick smoke. David Swanson/AFP via Getty ImagesWhat are the Santa Ana winds? Why are they so powerful this year?Parts of California regularly experience persistent high winds during certain times of year. The northern part of the state, including the San Francisco Bay Area, tends to see high winds in the spring and fall known as the Diablo winds. Southern Californias Santa Ana winds often arise in the winter months. This is not a typical Santa Ana, but this is the time of year when you expect it, Swain said. The mechanisms behind the Santa Ana and Diablo winds are similar: Cool air from inland mountains rolls downhill toward the coasts. That air compresses as it moves to lower altitudes and squeezes between canyons, heating up and drying out, similar to a bicycle pump. But there are several factors that may be worsening these gusts right now.One is that the band of the Pacific Ocean near Southern California remains unusually warm following two years of record-high temperatures all over the world that triggered underwater heat waves. High temperatures in the ocean can bend the jet stream. This is a narrow band of fast-moving air at a high altitude that snakes across the planet and shapes the weather below. As it meanders, it can hold warm air under high pressure in place, allowing heat to accumulate closer to the surface. When high pressure settles over inland areas like the Great Basin northeast of Los Angeles, it starts driving air over the mountains and toward the coast. Again, wildfires are a natural and vital mechanism in the ecosystem in Southern California. They help clear decaying vegetation and restore nutrients to the soil. But people are making the destruction from wildfires far worse. The majority of wildfires in the US are ignited by humans careless campfires, sparks from machinery, downed power lines but there are also natural fire starters like dry lightning storms and on rare occasions, spontaneous combustion of decaying vegetation and soil. The ignition sources of the current fires around Los Angeles arent known yet. The population in the region is also expanding, although the growth rate has recently slowed down. More people in the area means more property, and in Southern California, that property can be quite expensive. As the fires move toward populated areas, they can do a lot of damage. I do expect it is plausible that the Palisades fire in particular will become the costliest on record, Swain said. The weather this year has also left abundant vegetation in the region that has desiccated in the warm, dry air. And of course, humans are heating up the planet by burning fossil fuels and that is enhancing some of the raw ingredients for dangerous fires. Ample fuel plus high wind in unusually dry weather near a major population center have converged to create an extraordinary and dangerous spate of wildfires. Whats the role of climate change?Many factors have to converge to start a massive wildfire, and the variables arent all straightforward. In recent years, California has been ping-ponging between extremely dry and wet years. Thats had a strong impact on the vegetation in Southern California. Unlike the forests in the northern part of the state that grow over the course of decades, the amount of grass and brush around Los Angeles can shift widely year to year depending on precipitation. There is a very high degree of background variability, Swain said. The key thing to pay attention to is the sequence of extreme weather. Last winter, the Los Angeles area was soaked in torrential downpours that set new rainfall records. The deluge helped irrigate a bumper crop of grasses and shrubs in the area. The region then experienced some of its all-time hottest temperatures followed by one the driest starts to winter ever measured. These swings between extreme rainfall and drought have been dubbed weather whiplash, and climate scientists expect these shifts to become more common along the West Coast, and that could increase the threat of major blazes. Its not just that drier conditions are perpetually more likely in a warming climate, its that this oscillation back and forth between states is something that is particularly consequential for wildfire risk in Southern California, Swain said.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to halt the criminal proceeding against him in New York state court.Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, related to hush money payments made to an adult film actress during the 2016 presidential election, in New York last May. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, and that hearing will move forward unless the Supreme Court intervenes.Realistically, the immediate stakes in this suit, which is known as Trump v. New York, are low: Regardless of what the Court decides to do, Trump is unlikely to face any punishment in the case. Justice Juan Merchan, the New York judge presiding over the case, recently signaled that he would sentence Trump to unconditional discharge meaning that Trump, though found guilty, will not face imprisonment, probation, or a fine. And the Supreme Courts Republican majority already gave Trump sweeping immunity from prosecution for crimes he committed using his official presidential powers last July. That case involved allegedly criminal actions Trump took while he was president, so the Court has not formally ruled on whether he can be prosecuted for crimes he committed before taking office, like the falsifying of business records. However, the July decision does have some language limiting the evidence that can be used against Trump in criminal proceedings unrelated to his official conduct. Still, the case could have some long-term effects. Trump seeks to expand the already quite broad immunity from legal consequences the Republican justices gave him last July. Among other things, the immunity decision in Trump v. United States (2024) establishes that Trump cannot be prosecuted if he illegally orders the Justice Department to bring sham prosecutions against his political enemies. This new case, by contrast, involves crimes Trump committed before he won election for the first time. So a decision in Trumps favor could extend his legal immunity even further.Its easy to imagine this Court ruling in Trumps favor once again. Many of Trumps arguments in his latest brief closely track the reasoning of the July decision. And the sort of judge who would sign on to that decision is unlikely to be concerned about giving too much legal immunity to Trump.What are the specific legal issues in Trump v. New York?Asking whether the doctrine of presidential immunity requires New York to halt its current case against Trump is like asking whether your daughters imaginary friend likes ice cream. The doctrine that former presidents are immune from criminal prosecutions is that imaginary friend. It did not exist until 2024 why else would President Gerald Ford have needed to pardon former President Richard Nixon in 1974, for example, if Nixon was already immune? and it has no basis in constitutional text.As a creation of the Supreme Court, the immunity doctrine can say whatever the majority of justices want it to, and so, it is up to the personal whims of the justices as to whether it applies in the New York case.That said, Trumps latest brief to the justices, which is authored by Solicitor General-nominee John Sauer, makes a strong case that, if you treat the Courts July decision as legitimate, then that decision requires New York to halt its sentencing proceeding against Trump.Broadly speaking, Sauer claims that allowing the sentencing proceeding to happen on schedule would violate the Trump decision in three ways. First, Merchan permitted testimony from White House advisers, as well as other evidence that was arguably produced while Trump was carrying out his official actions as president. The Republican justices July decision held that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for their official actions in office, and it also held that a prosecutor may not invite the jury to examine acts for which a President is immune from prosecution.Second, Sauer argues that Trump is immune from any criminal proceedings while he is president-elect. This is the weakest of Sauers three arguments. In the July decision, the Court said the Justice Department has long recognized that the separation of powers precludes the criminal prosecution of a sitting President. But even if the Court were to agree with the Justice Department on this point, a president-elect is not yet a sitting president. That said, its unclear that there will be many future ramifications if the Court sides with Trump on this point. Any decision would affect only Trump or a future would-be president convicted of crimes. Trump is the only president in American history to be convicted of a crime, much less to be convicted and then reelected to the presidency. Finally, Sauer argues that all remaining criminal proceedings against Trump must be halted while the incoming president challenges his conviction in New Yorks appeals courts. This is probably Sauers strongest argument, thanks to some language in the July opinion that favors Trumps current argument.The July decision held that the essence of immunity is its possessors entitlement not to have to answer for his conduct in court, And the decision also suggested that questions of immunity are reviewable before trial because the essence of immunity is the entitlement not to be subject to suit. All of this suggests that Trump cannot be forced to answer for his criminal actions in New York state court or anywhere else until the question of whether he is immune from prosecution is resolved on appeal.There are, of course, reasonable arguments rebutting Sauers claims. Merchan argued, for example, that even if testimony from presidential aides should not have been admitted at trial, this error was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt. But, realistically, the question of whether to delay Trumps sentencing proceeding on Friday will be decided by the same six Republican officials who recently invented a new legal doctrine shielding Trump from criminal prosecutions.Sauer, in other words, does not need to make a good legal argument for delaying the hearing. He only needs to make an argument that is good enough to persuade six officials who have already bent over backward to protect the leader of their political party.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Just hours after the release window for its new console 'leaked', Nintendo has updated one of its social media pages with an image that has fans expecting the Switch 2 revealTech19:00, 08 Jan 2025Could Switch 2 be coming?(Image: Future via Getty Images)Nintendo Switch 2 is hotly anticipated, but short of promising an announcement, the company is keeping quiet on its new system leaving a bunch of leaks to do the talking for it.We've heard it'll likely use AI upscaling for 4K visuals, have new magnetic Joy-Con controllers, and LinkedIn may have given away one of the launch games, but Nintendo is keeping its cards (or cartridges) close to its proverbial chest. One accessory manufacturer has even suggested the system will launch in April.Still, a surprise social media update has fans expecting big news from the company after a picture update on X (formerly Twitter). Are we about to get a Switch 2 reveal? It's still hard to say, sadly.Are these two the harbingers of Switch 2?(Image: Nintendo)Over on X (formerly Twitter), Nintendo updated its header image for the Nintendo of Japan account, which now features the iconic duo of Mario and Luigi as shown above.The two denim-wearing brothers are stood as if they're presenting something, with nothing else shown. In fact, the way the pattern of the background looks makes it look like whatever they're gesturing to is meant to take up the top half of the screen.While Nintendo has used this image in the past (and variations thereof), it's curious that it would roll it out when speculation about the next console is so rife.Someone on Reddit even found that the image has been used to advertise roles within Nintendo, making it feel like it's essentially a company-wide placeholder.So, it could be nothing, or it could be a hint that something is coming. Rumours have suggested Nintendo could reveal the Switch 2 in January, so this could be the start of the hype cycle. Or it could be the latest in a wave of fan theories.In any case, here's hoping Nintendo pipes up sooner rather than later between Switch 2 and GTA 6, we can't contain ourselves.For more on handheld consoles, be sure to check out why your next system should be a Steam Deck OLED.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

It can help. But it depends where youre going

Eventually, models could be trained without any dedicated hardware at all

By Thomas Maxwell Published January 8, 2025 | Comments (0) | Ukranian hackers have knocked a Russian internet provider offline in an attack that "destroyed" its network. Unsplash/Michael Parulava A regional Russian internet provider named Nodex has been almost completely destroyed in an attack by a Ukranian hacking group. Nodex confirmed the attack in a statement on Russian social network VK, saying its network had been destroyed and that it was working to restore infrastructure from backups. The hacking group, called Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, took credit for the attack, saying the St. Petersburg-based Nodex was completely looted and wiped while the empty equipment without backups was left to them. Cyberattacks have long been a domain of countries like Russia and North Korea, using them to infiltrate domestic infrastructure like utility grids and, in the case of North Korea, even steal cryptocurrency to fund nuclear weapon development. TechCrunch earlier reported on the Ukranian attack and wrote that Nodex remains offline as of Wednesday evening.The attack comes as Russia continues testing the possibility of cutting off its citizens from the global web in favor of its own restricted, sovereign network. Last year, Russias federal internet regulatory agency, Roskomnadzor, restricted global internet access for a day in several regions of the country, particularly Muslim-majority ones, even preventing VPNs from reaching servers outside the country.The Kremlin understandably wants to manage the flow of information available to citizens during its ongoing war with Ukraine. Information on the war is heavily censored, with severe punishments for referring to it as anything other than a special operation. YouTube has remained accessible in Russia but with regular significant outages and slowdowns that critics say are the result of intentional throttling by the government to prevent viewing of certain content. Russia surely hopes that by cutting off websites outside of its control, citizens will not stumble onto content that contradicts the Kremlins narrative and will only consider views that it deems acceptable. News operations spreading Western ideas like Radio Free Europe, and online influence campaigns through social media can be neutered if Russians are simply cut off from their reach. Which is all to say, attacks on internet networks by Ukranian groups may not be effective for long if Russia moves forward with unplugging its ISPs from the rest of the world, further splintering the world into disconnected silos.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 20, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 12, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 10, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 3, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 21, 2024