The head of Bathynomus vaderi, a newly named marine isopodNguyen Thanh SonA large crustacean that lives in the sea off Vietnam has been designated as a new species and named after Darth Vader.Bathynomus vaderi is a kind of isopod, a group that also includes woodlice. It can reach lengths of over 30 centimetres and weights in excess of a kilogram. AdvertisementSo far, the new species has only been found by fishers trawling near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Peter Ng at the National University of Singapore and his colleagues analysed four specimens obtained from fishmongers in Quy Nhn in south-central Vietnam. The locals call them sea bugs.Researcher Peter Ng examining giant isopods at a seafood market in Hanoi, VietnamNguyen Thanh SonNg says the team chose the species name because of its resemblance to Darth Vaders mask, but also because the creature is thought to live at depths of 800 to 1200 metres, where it is perpetually dark. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterI am the biggest Star Wars fan in the team, as its my vintage. The first movie was in 1977, in my youth, and it was cool, says Ng. But we all agree that the face of Bathynomus looks so much like Darth Vader that it just had to be named after the Sith Lord.The isopods have become a popular seafood delicacy in Vietnamese restaurants since 2017, and are said to be as tasty as lobster.But little is known about their ecology or the impact on populations from trawling, says team member Conni Sidabalok at the National Research and Innovation Agency in Cibinong, Indonesia.The scale of harvesting is a matter for concern. Its a challenge for all deep-sea species we fish, she says. We know so little about their biology, so we need more studies to evaluate how best to conserve and manage this resource.Journal reference:ZooKeys DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1223.139335Topics:

Kate Middleton made a public appearance on Christmas Day 2023.The royal family on Christmas Day 2023. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Kate joined the royal family for their annual walk from Sandringham in Norfolk, England, to attend a church service on Christmas Day.The Princess of Wales walked with her children and husband to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in one of her signature coatdresses, much like she did in years past. On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace announced Kate was in the hospital for "a planned abdominal surgery."Kensington Palace said in its statement that Kate would remain in the hospital, The London Clinic, for up to two weeks following the procedure."Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," the statement read. "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."Kensington Palace provided no additional information about what procedure Kate underwent, though the palace told the Associated Press the princess didn't have cancer.The statement also said Kate hoped "her personal medical information remains private" to help provide her children with "normality.""Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share," the statement went on to say.Prince William was photographed visiting Kate at the hospital the following day. On January 29, 2024, Kensington Palace said that Kate had returned to Windsor Castle.Kate Middleton in November. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery," the statement shared on Instagram said. "She is making good progress."William and Kate went on to thank the staff at The London Clinic in the statement, as well as those who sent them well wishes.The same day, Buckingham Palace announced King Charles was returning home after having a procedure for a benign prostate enlargement. Buckingham Palace announced on February 5, 2024, that King Charles had cancer.King Charles III during the state tour of France in September 2023. Samir Hussein - Handout/Getty Images Buckingham Palace said in a statement that "a separate issue of concern was noted" during the king's prostate procedure, and additional testing disclosed he had cancer. The palace didn't disclose what form of cancer he was diagnosed with, though they said it wasn't prostate cancer.The statement also said that the king "commenced a schedule of regular treatments" and that although he would still be working from home, he would "postpone public-facing duties" per medical advice.The palace didn't specify how long the king would forgo public-facing work at the time."His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," the statement also said. Prince William returned to public duty on February 7, 2024.Prince William in March 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images William paused his royal engagements amid Kate's surgery and recovery, returning to work on February 7, 2024, for an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.The same day, he attended a gala raising money for the London Air Ambulance, and he thanked the public for their messages of support for Kate, Town & Country reported."I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," he said, adding that "it means a great deal to us all."He has attended a handful of public events since. The public was predicted to look to William in Charles and Kate's absences, as he represents the monarchy's future as heir to the throne."It's an opportunity for him to communicate on behalf of the royal family," Eric Schiffer, the chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, said.In addition, the public generally responds more favorably to younger royals. Without Kate, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, William's youth could be a boon for the monarchy, as Kristen Meizner, a royal watcher, told BI."They are most focused on the royals when they are of courtship age, getting married, having babies, that kind of thing," she said. "They're not necessarily considered as dazzling or as exciting to the public when they're 60 or 70 or whatnot." Kate was reported on February 9, 2024, to have traveled to Norfolk to continue her recovery.Kate Middleton in 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images On February 9, 2024, the Daily Mail reported that Kate had joined her family at their home in Sandringham, Anmer Hall, for her children's half-term holiday.The outlet also reported that her recovery was going well at the time.Kate wasn't photographed during her trip from Windsor to Sandringham. King Charles was photographed a few times throughout February, while Kate remained unseen.King Charles and Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace on February 21. ONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Although he wasn't taking on public-facing duties, King Charles was still photographed a few times following his cancer diagnosis and the beginning of his treatment.On February 11, 2024, he and Queen Camilla were spotted going to church in Sandringham, and he was photographed meeting with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on February 21 at Buckingham Palace.On the other hand, Kate remained absent, as Kensington Palace released no photos or videos of her. William released a rare solo statement on February 20, 2024.Typically, William and Kate have released statements as a pair since they got married.But on February 20, 2024, Kensington Palace released a statement on only William's behalf regarding the conflict in Gaza, in which he said he remained "deeply concerned about the human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October.""I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible," the statement said. "There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza."William also said he continued "to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found, and I refuse to give up on that."In addition to speaking for only William, the statement had a "W" seal at the top rather than the crown featured on messages from the Prince and Princess of Wales as a unit. William missed a service of thanksgiving on February 27, 2024, because of an unnamed personal matter.Prince William didn't attend his godfather's service of thanksgiving. Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images On February 27, 2024, members of the royal family attended a service of thanksgiving for King Constantine of Greece, King Charles' second cousin and close companion. He was one of William's godfathers.William was set to attend the event alongside Queen Camilla and other family members but missed the service because of a personal matter, Kensington Palace told Business Insider.A palace representative also told BI that Kate was doing well, but they didn't elaborate on what caused William to miss the event.Following his absence, chatter about Kate's prolonged absence from the public eye erupted on social media, with users speculating about why she hadn't been seen in months. The princess was trending on X, and thousands posted about her on TikTok. "Kate Middleton" was also sixth on Google's list of trending search terms on February 27, highlighting how high public interest got in her absence. Kensington Palace reiterated that Kate was "doing well" as William returned to public duty on February 29, 2024.Prince William speaking to a Holocaust survivor, Renee Salt, at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on Thursday. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images On February 29, 2024, Prince William resumed public duty, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue to learn about the Holocaust Educational Trust, as Kensington Palace shared on Instagram.He sat down with a Holocaust survivor, Renee Salt. Rebecca English, a royal editor for the Daily Mail, reported on X that during the conversation, he spoke on behalf of himself and Kate."Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism," English quoted the prince as saying to Salt. "That's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen, and we can't let that go."Kensington Palace also reiterated that Kate was "doing well" in a statement sent to BI on February 29."We gave guidance two days ago that The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well," the statement said. "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates." Kate was spotted for the first time in 2024 on March 4.Kate Middleton in September 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images On March 4, 2024, a sunglasses-clad Princess of Wales was seen riding in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, in photos obtained by Backgrid and shared by TMZ.According to TMZ, the pair were driving near Windsor Castle when they were photographed, and no other royals or security appeared to accompany them on the drive.The sighting came as Queen Camilla announced she was taking a break from filling in for her husband at royal engagements until March 11. After initially indicating she would attend, the British army removed references to Kate from online tickets for a June event shared on March 5, 2024.Kate Middleton during the Trooping the Colour parade in 2023. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images On March 5, 2024, outlets like BBC News reported that Kate's name was included on tickets released online to The Colonel's Review, an event the British army hosts amid Trooping the Colour, on June 8. Kate was named the Colonel of The Irish Guards in December 2022, and the Colonel typically participates in the Review.Many took her inclusion on the tickets as a sign she was on track to return to work in the summer. But then, the army quickly removed all references to Kate after the tickets were released because Kensington Palace had not confirmed she would attend.A source close to the situation told Business Insider's Mikhaila Friel the army didn't get approval from Kensington Palace to include references to the princess in the tickets, leading to the confusion.The palace didn't respond to a request for comment from BI on the matter. Kensington Palace released a photo of Kate with her children for Mother's Day but the photo was immediately met with suspicion.March 10, 2024, was Mother's Day in the UK, and to commemorate the occasion, Kensington Palace released the first official portrait of Kate since Christmas.In the photo, Kate sits in a chair surrounded by her children, who are all giggling. According to the caption they shared on social media alongside the image, William took the picture of his family in 2024, and the photo appeared to come directly from Kate, as she signed the caption, "C," which stands for Catherine."Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," she wrote. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."But shortly after it was released, people began to speculate the photo had been edited. Photo editor Patrick Witty told BI's Shubhangi Goel it was "astonishing" the palace released the photo at all because of issues in the image, pointing to areas where the picture is blurred and things that seemed to be added to the shot during the editing process, like a zipper on Kate's jacket. Later that day, multiple photo agencies removed the picture from their platforms.Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images On March 10, 2024, Reuters, the Associated Press, and the French organization Agence France-Presse sent kill notices for the picture, which means it is no longer available for distribution through their platforms.Reuters said it removed the picture after a "post-publication review," while the AP said explicitly in its kill notice that it wouldn't distribute the photo because "it appears the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent."Kensington Palace has been accused of editing photos of the royals before, as was the case with the Waleses' 2023 Christmas card, but the photo released on March 10 was the first to be killed by photo agencies.The palace did not respond to a request for comment on the editing controversy. Kate personally apologized for "any confusion" the picture caused on March 11, 2024.Kate Middleton in September 2023. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images On March 11, 2024, Kate released a statement on social media addressing the controversy surrounding the photo, seemingly taking responsibility for the manipulated image."Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote on X. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."Notably, Kate signed the statement alone. Kensington Palace typically speaks on behalf of the couple as a unit, and the royals said in their initial post that William took the shot.The statement didn't appear to convince royal watchers online. Kate was trending on X, and the edited image had been viewed over 72 million times on the platform. William and Kate were photographed together on March 11, 2024, before he attended a Commonwealth Day service.Prince William attends a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2024. Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images A few hours after the princess posted on X, the Daily Mail released a photo of William and what appeared to be Kate in a car together leaving Windsor Castle.In the shot, Kate is looking out of the window, so only her profile is visible. According to the outlet, Kate was going to "a private appointment," and William was en route to a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.William was photographed alongside Queen Camilla at the Commonwealth Day service after the photo of him and Kate was published. Multiple tabloids released a video of what appeared to be Kate and William shopping in Windsor on March 18, 2024.On March 17, 2024, The Sun reported that William and Kate were spotted shopping at a "farm shop" near Adelaide Cottage, their home on the grounds of Windsor Castle. But The Sun's coverage didn't include any images of the prince and princess.Then, on March 18, TMZ and The Sun released a video of what appeared to be William and Kate walking through the market, holding shopping bags.The video was grainy, and Kensington Palace did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the matter. On March 22, 2024, Kate announced she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video, speaking directly to the public.Kate Middleton was receiving treatment for cancer. BBC Studios On March 22, 2024, Kensington Palace uploaded a video of Kate speaking directly to a camera on its social media.In the video, Kate said that her abdominal surgery in January was successful, but "tests after the operation found cancer had been present."Her medical team recommended she "undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy" after reviewing the tests, as Kate said in the video. She began treatment in late February, according to a press release shared with BI.The princess said that the diagnosis was a "shock" and that she and William "have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," adding that determining how to share the news with their children was difficult."As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirits," Kate said.In the press release shared with BI, Kensington Palace said it would not be revealing what kind of cancer Kate had, nor what stage her cancer was.The release also said Kate would return to work "when she is cleared to do so by her medical team."In the video, Kate reiterated Kensington Palace's previous requests for privacy."We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said. The Prince and Princess of Wales marked their anniversary with a private photo of their wedding in April 2024.To celebrate their 13th anniversary, Kate and William shared a never-before-seen photo from their wedding on Instagram on April 28, 2024.The caption on the post was simple, reading, "13 years ago today!"William said Kate was "doing well" during a royal engagement in May 2024.Prince William speaks to two people in Sicily, Italy, in May 2024. WPA Pool/Getty Images Kensington Palace had not released any official updates, but on May 10, 2024, William said Kate was "doing well" when asked about her health in a video recorded by Sky News. Kate apologized for missing a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour in June 2024.Catherine, Princess of Wales, travels down the mall in a horse-drawn carriage during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Kate became Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, inheriting the title from Prince William. As the Colonel, she's meant to oversee the Colonel's Review, a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, the king's official birthday celebration. However, Kate was unable to attend this year.The Irish Guards shared a letter from Kate on X, in which she apologized for missing the rehearsal, on June 8, 2024."Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I am unable to take the salute at this year's Colonel's Review," she wrote. "Please pass my whole apologies to the Regiment, however I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon." In June 2024, Kate announced she would attend Trooping the Colour, her first royal event of the year.On June 14, 2024, Kate announced in a post on Kensington Palace's official social-media accounts that she would attend Trooping the Colour. The event, which took place on June 15, marked Kate's first official appearance of the year and her first since publicly sharing her cancer diagnosis.In the post, accompanied by a photograph of Kate taken at her home in Windsor, the princess wrote that she was making "good progress" with her chemotherapy treatment, adding that there were "good days and bad days.""On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she wrote.Kate added that her treatment was ongoing but that she was starting to do "a little work from home" and hoped to be able to join other "public engagements over the summer.""I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty," she added. "Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.""I'm looking forward to attending The King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family," she wrote, adding that she is grateful for the public's "continued understanding" and support.It was announced that King Charles would also attend his official birthday celebration, though he would ride in a carriage instead of on horseback.

Fires in and around Los Angeles continue to rage as gusting Santa Ana winds drive the flames through brush and into neighborhoods. Two major blazes, the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, have combined burned almost 40,000 acres since last week. Another fire, the Auto Fire, erupted Monday evening in Ventura County. The fires have killed at least 24 people.The extraordinary scale and speed of the blazes have overwhelmed responders, even in a region with a long history of fighting wildfires. That was evident last week as firefighters worked to contain the Palisades Fire when they found that some of the fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood ran dry. RelatedThe Los Angeles Times reported that the 114 water tanks that supply the citys water were full before the fires ignited. But when the blazes ignited, firefighters were using so much water for so long, faster than the tanks could refill. That made it hard to keep the water flowing, particularly at higher elevations. Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure, Janisse Quiones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told the Los Angeles Times. Water, however, is always a political issue in Los Angeles. The region has contended with water scarcity since it was founded, yet has also faced extensive flooding during intense downpours. City officials and local politicians were quick to criticize the citys underinvestment in its water infrastructure. However, the fires have also become another reason to litigate a long list of grievances with Californias decisions around water: taking down dams, not building enough reservoirs, protecting a tiny fish. Its important to understand that factors have little relevance to the ongoing fire response. I think some of the conversation is so unrelated to fire hydrants in LA its hard to know where to start, said Faith Kearns, a water and wildfire researcher at the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. Nonetheless, California is facing threats to its water infrastructure that will only intensify after the flames die down. The fires are already degrading drinking water in the afflicted region and will continue to impede the recovery. And as the climate changes, water stresses on the state are mounting alongside the growing threat of more major fires in the future.Why water isnt always helpful with wildfiresThe ongoing fires around Los Angeles are challenging for several reasons. A big one is that the weather has been obstinately uncooperative, with powerful winds blowing embers miles across a region thats unusually dry. Those embers are landing on a bumper crop of vegetation primed to burn after a sequence of intense rainfall, record-breaking heat, and a dry start to winter over the past year. Another big factor is that the fires are burning in both wildlands and in urban areas. Firefighters use different tactics depending on the environment. For structure fires in a city or suburbs, the typical response involves firehoses, pump trucks, and lots of water. But amid the chaparral, grasses, and trees, the preferred tools are shovels, axes, drip torches, and bulldozers. The core strategy is not necessarily to extinguish the fires but to contain them with fire breaks, denying fuel to the flames. Aircraft that drop water and flame retardants can help on the margins and blazes encroach on neighborhoods, but there arent enough of them to contain fire fronts that span miles, while smoke and high winds can often make it too dangerous to fly. When the recent fires reached the built environment around Los Angeles, they exploded as winds blew up to 100 miles per hour, creating a disaster that has more in common with a hurricane than a house fire. Dozens of buildings ignited across the county at once, leaving urban firefighters facing advancing fire fronts like those in the wilderness. Their tools and tactics could not keep up. More than 12,000 structures have burned so far in the fires. Our traditional urban water infrastructure and supply was just largely not meant to fight fires like this, Kearns said. It was designed to put out a fire at a single house or a few structures, not thousands of houses during really high winds.The more pressing constraint is a shortage of personnel to deal with the scale of the fires, particularly responders with the training to contain infernos in such difficult conditions. Firefighters from across the state, around the country, and even from Canada and Mexico are now assisting with the response. California is also deploying prison inmates to help contain the blazes. LA County and all 29 fire departments in our county, are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a press conference last week. There are not enough firefighters in LA County to address four separate fires of this magnitude. The LA County fire department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities. Californias fire and water challenges are getting tougherThe raging infernos are likely to create longer lasting problems for the regions water supply. Kearns co-authored a 2021 report that found that drinking water suffered contamination in the wake of several major California wildfires. There are several mechanisms for this. Kearns explained that when water pressure drops in the municipal water supply like it did in Los Angeles last week, untreated waste water can backflow into mains. This means that pathogens and other contaminants can enter water lines. Several communities in Los Angeles County have advised residents not to drink tap water.The ash from the fires can also enter surface water supplies like reservoirs and aqueducts. That ash can contain toxic chemicals. Some of the flame retardants used to contain the fires can also allow hazardous substances like benzene to enter the water supply. Fires can melt PVC plumbing, which can introduce long-lasting contaminants into water. Weather conditions have been exceptionally dry so far, but when rain does pick up, that can wash fire debris into the water system, stressing water treatment plants.Southern California and the state as a whole are also facing water scarcity in the years to come. Californias infamous housing shortage is pushing more people to live in areas likely to burn. By one estimate, there will be 645,000 new homes built in areas rated as very high wildfire severity zones by 2050. More people living in wildfire prone regions increases the chances of starting a wildfire and raises the damage tally when those blazes inevitably ignite. On top of that, California is experiencing long-term changes in its climate that are poised to expand and worsen wildfire risk while exacerbating water scarcity. Rising average temperatures are causing trees and shrubs to dry out and more readily ignite. Thomas Harter, a professor at the University of California Davis studying water infrastructure, said that the state has shifted between wet years and dry years in equal measure through much of its history. But now, the swings between rainfall and drought are starting to become more aggressive. Climate change is driving larger swings between periods of intense rainfall and drought, a phenomenon dubbed whiplash. That often means that there is too much water to save during wet periods and not enough to go around in dry spells. And since the start of the 21st century, the number of dry years have begun to outnumber the wet years, and the dry years are getting drier. Dry years in California have become drier and begun to outnumber wet years since 2000. California Natural Resources AgencyIn addition, as average temperatures rise, theres more evaporation from surface water stores and theres more evapotranspiration from vegetation, which means trees, grasses, and shrubs retain less water. The amount of water in Californias reservoirs varies year to year with rainfall, and right now most of them are at or above the levels that are typical for this time of year. The compounding effects of climate change on Californias water are more apparent underground. With more dry years than wet years, the states thirsty agriculture sector draws on groundwater when surface supplies run low. Groundwater stores recharge slowly over thousands of years, so theyre building up a deficit as aridity increases. A precipitation deficit is starting to accumulate in California. California Natural Resources AgencyThe result is that California cant simply dam its way out of water scarcity and will have to make some difficult decisions about who gets to use water. There is no two ways around the fact that we have to dial back the amount of water we are using, Harter said.Even if California were to build more reservoirs, they wouldnt be enough to counter its growing wildfire problem. Water is expensive to get there, expensive to distribute, expensive to store to prevent and douse these very extreme [fire] events, Harter said. The difference is very minimal in terms of what can be achieved. Its also important to remember that fires are a natural part of ecosystems throughout California, so trying to eliminate them entirely can create more problems like allowing fuel to build up to very high levels.Reducing the threat from wildfires instead requires a suite of approaches that will take time, cost money, and create new political friction points. That includes performing controlled burns to reduce fuel loads, building codes that require more fire-resistant materials, limiting where people can live in the first place, accurately pricing risk in insurance policies, and curbing humanitys output of heat-trapping gases.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:

PS5 owners are gearing up for the reveal of another PS Plus Extra lineup, and it's likely to be a banger month if predictions are anything to go by here's when we'll knowTech17:00, 14 Jan 2025PlayStation fans are desperate for Hogwarts Legacy to join PS Plus(Image: Still)It's mid-January, and while PlayStation gamers have this month's PS Plus Essentials titles to download (including Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League), if you've subscribed to the Extra or Premium tiers you've got a little more to come.Essentially PlayStation's answer to Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus adds a rotating library of titles to play. Since games go in and out of the lineup, this means newer games are often included, and fans have been predicting they might see Hogwarts Legacy.Whatever is coming, we've got the full rundown of the key dates for reveal and release here's when we'll know all about the PS Plus Extra and Premium titles.Hogwarts Legacy is tipped, yet again, for PS Plus(Image: Still)Running a little later than it usually does, the PS Plus Extra and Premium reveal time is 4:30 PM on January 15 (that's Wednesday).Sony usually has its reveals on the second Wednesday of every month, but the Holiday season and New Year celebrations nudged everything back a little.So what could be included? We've already covered predictions, and there are certainly some bangers among them.Aside from Hogwarts Legacy, fans are hoping for Resident Evil 4 Remake, or last year's excellent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.Other Ubisoft titles in consideration include Assassin's Creed: Mirage and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, while console exclusives like Final Fantasy 16 and God of War: Ragnarok could be included.Many of those titles were included in the PlayStation January sale in recent weeks, too.Article continues belowAs for when they'll be released for download, we're glad you asked. It tends to be 5pm on the third Tuesday of the month. Because of the way the dates line up, that would mean they'll be available from January 21.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

If we had a penny for all the Halo E3 demos to be made publicly available, wed have two pennies (Microsoft)Months after the original Halo 2 E3 2003 demo was made available to the public, a second demo has surfaced online but not from Microsoft.Last November, Microsoft and 343 Industries (or Halo Studios as its now called) celebrated the 20th anniversary of Halo 2 by releasing a playable version of the games E3 2003 demo.It was a great treat for long-time Xbox fans and the perfect way to celebrate Halo 2s anniversary, but it looks like thats not the only E3 demo for the game to make its way online.This week, somebody managed to come across a different multiplayer build for Halo 2 that was shown during E3 2004 and has uploaded it online as a free download for preservation purposes.The person responsible is X user Stian Schultz, a translator and video game store owner in Norway, who found the demo on an Xbox debug kit. They dont say exactly how they came to acquire it, but they did admit to spending approximately $5,000 (roughly 4,100) on it.They managed to upload the build to the Internet Archive, meaning anyone is free to download it. Although it apparently requires an original Xbox and is rather barebones, containing only Halo 2s Zanzibar map.Being an old demo meant for demonstrating the game at public events, it was never going to be feature rich. But this will certainly catch the attention of diehard Halo fans and preservationists.Something similar happened this past November when a group of fans archived 90s shooters Unreal and Unreal Tournament, which had been delisted for years. Although in that instance they had permission from publisher Epic Games.This Halo 2 demo has been uploaded without approval from Microsoft, but theyre unlikely to object. (If this had been Nintendo it mightve been a different story.)More TrendingAs for the officially released 2003 demo, if youve yet to try it yourself, its available as a Steam Workshop download, though you obviously need to own Halo 2 to access it.Its a strange time to be a Halo fan. 2021s Halo Infinite has continued to receive updates and new content for its multiplayer mode, but theres been hide nor hair of a new game.After suffering layoffs in 2023 and rumours of it being removed from the Halo series, 343 Industries cemented its continued commitment to Halo by rebranding itself to Halo Studios in October. It also revealed it had multiple Halo games in development, but stopped short of saying what any of them are.Since then, Microsofts begun embracing the idea of bringing its Xbox exclusive titles to other platforms, and its strongly rumoured older Halo games will see ports to both the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Future Halo games will be made using Unreal Engine 5 (Microsoft)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The U.S. government will officially ban TikTok on Sunday, Jan. 19, unless the U.S. Supreme Court decides to do something to stop it in a last-minute ruling. The looming ban has caused a large number of TikTokers to migrate to a new Chinese video-sharing app called XiaohongshuRed Note or Red Book, in Englishas a general fuck-you to the American ruling class. And with RedNote maintaining the number one spot on the Apple App Store in the U.S. for a second day, its a fascinating thing to watch. Its unclear whether Americans will actually stick around on RedNote for the long term, especially if TikTok is saved through a successful sale to an American company or President-elect Donald Trump somehow intervenes. A Bloomberg report that Elon Musk may try to buy TikTok was quickly swatted down by TikTok on Monday night. But its really interesting to see both American and Chinese users discuss the migration to RedNote in very techno-utopian terms. Internet users in the U.S. and China have been separated by an immense digital moat for so long that RedNote users, both old and new alike, are talking about how this finally feels like an opportunity for real cultural exchange between average citizens in the two countries. Because back in the 1990s, the idea of a global village, where everyone could freely communicate peacefully around the world, was a big part of humanitys technological dream for the future. But things like Chinas Great Firewall and the U.S. surveillance apparatus have put a damper on that vision. Seeing TikTok refugees pouring into red notes is so nostalgic for me, one user on Red Note called Zoey said in a video. It reminds me of the early 2000s when the internet first made a global village possible.Zoey compared it to how people of the 20th century often had pen pals, a common way of communicating with random people you didnt know on the other side of the world. Physical letters were exchanged through the postal service, often coordinated through schools, so that kids could practice their language and writing skills while learning about different cultures. Zoey said her exercise in school was just about pretending she and her fellow students were actually writing to a pen pal, but the idea was the same.I remember back then. In China, when I was little, when I first started learning English, we practiced writing by pretending that there is a pen pal from the United States or the UK, Zoey said. And we write them in English. That feels very much like what is going on on Red Note right now. Zoey concedes that its a bit chaotic but says that overall people are very curious about each other.Its just almost magical that the will to connect and gather can still transcend so many boundaries, especially in an age when the internet is so fragmented and algorithms have built really strong echo chambers that prevent people from understanding each other, Zoey says, going on to call it very magical. Zoey doesnt have to pretend to be writing to a pen pal anymore. At least not for now. But Zoey knows that it could be an illusion, and this brief moment could go away very quickly.I might be over-romanticizing this, but its been so long since Ive felt this way. Like, people can actually connect and people are genuinely interested and curious about each other, Zoey said. I dont know how long this moment will last. Im not an optimistic person, but I really hope this can stay a little longer. Other English-speaking users based in China have spoken about their conflicted feelings seeing an American influx on the app. One creator said that she was a TikTok Live host and would come to Red Note (or Red Book, as she called it) to complain about Americans she encountered on TikTok.Red Book is also the place where I can talk about my American customers behind their back. So I was wondering where I should post those things now, the user jokes. The user also encouraged Americans to start learning Mandarin, a common sentiment that has popped up frequently for U.S.-based users who are trying out the site. But its not all serious discussion, of course. There are countless jokes on Red Note about the American surge of interest. Many users have joked about being spies on TikTok and wanting to keep up their spying as more U.S. users move to Red Note. That kind of joke has also been extremely common among Americans on TikTok in recent days and weeks. Other Red Note longtime users speaking to Americans have welcomed the new users but provided tips about everything from ignoring trolls to engaging in Mandarin if you can. At the end of the day, we aint that different, one Red Note user said in English about the cultural divide between American and Chinese users. But that same user also spoke in coded language about the rules of Red Note.Yes, there are rules here, the user says. The place is pretty chill, but not without rules. To be honest, I dont know much about it, because I dont really have to, if you know what I mean. The user goes on to say that the things you should be saying in the United States, chances are you shouldnt be saying here either. The user continues, You see what Im trying to say here? while encouraging Americans to just use common sense. Red Note is not a utopia from the perspective of any American who cares about the ideals of liberal democracy and free speech. The app plays by the rules of the Chinese government, which means youre not going to find any criticism of the Communist Party. And China isnt a utopia for LGBT people. Recent years have seen a crackdown on LGBT advocacy groups by Beijing.The only area where Americans may find more freedom are topics like Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man charged with killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson back in December. Social media sites like TikTok have been playing whack-a-mole to suppress content celebrating Mangione but there seem to be no such restrictions on Red Note. One of the more funny realizations for Americans on TikTok in recent days has been that other English-speaking creators they may enjoy around the world arent necessarily getting booted from the platform. As one U.S. user called Mystery of Kyle joked about British users who will remain on the platform, saying, Were not going to be able to make fun of each other anymore. What are you going to do without us? Its going to be literally a British app now. And theres not many of you guys, he continued. Theyre all contained within a restricted area with horrible cuisine. What are you guys gonna do? Talk about tinned fish? Theres a guy called tinned fish reviews. Hes probably going to be the number one creator on this app when were gone. The utopian ideals of a global village online were always a romanticization. The U.S. intelligence community literally helped build the internet from its earliest days in the 1960s and 70s, with the NSA and CIA spying on it ever since. The internet was a creation of the Cold War, and the borders of the web were set up along those same Cold Warrior battle lines. The first internet node outside the U.S., after all, was set up in Norway to monitor Soviet nuclear tests. China, though late to the internet party, has a government thats been spying on the internet for nearly as long as the Americans, corralling and censoring its population by blocking access to American websites for decades. And now its the Americans turn to learn about serious forms of censorship with the TikTok ban. If there is a critical mass of Americans on Red Note weeks from now, the U.S. government could very well make moves to ban that app under the guise of national security concerns. But with Trump taking office on Monday, its unlikely that a new ban for a Chinese-owned app will be front-page news. With everything Trump has promised to do on day onefrom mass deportations to serious suppression of political opponentsanother app getting banned will just be any other Monday in America.

Nuu Auge Suite / Rodap ArquiteturaSave this picture! Carolina LacazMotelTatuap, BrazilArchitects: Rodap ArquiteturaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:926 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Carolina Lacaz Lead Architect: Luciana Ligeiro More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The Nuu.Motel project created a design methodology that initiated the Rodap architecture office and is structured on the understanding that it is impossible to practice architecture without research. Research, in this specific project, aimed to identify common imaginaries of the motel space in Brazil to re-signify elements and propose new ones, with the goal of confronting sex as the main action of appropriating bodies in the created spaces - the suites. This sex should be light, fun, permissive, and still protected within four walls, preserving the anonymity that is so prevalent in the origins of Brazilian motels. The entire preliminary study took into account precisely what was preserved from this imaginary, what is re-signified from there, and what we would create anew.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!In this particular suite, one of the challenges that arose was the dimension of accessibility. Beyond the architectural requirements established by current technical standards, thinking and designing an accessible motel suite means facing the relationship of bodies with space from the many ways of existing and experiencing sexuality. Thus, a space that is oriented towards sexual practices and seeks to be a place of pleasure cannot be accessible if it only meets the parameters of ABNT. The space needs to serve as a platform for experimentation and support for the most varied sexual practices and performances, accommodating and associating in distinct ways with multiple bodies in order to allow plural occupations and appropriations.Save this picture!Save this picture!Can the material elements of a motel suite - bed, glass, mirror, etc. - function as prosthetics, that is, as external bodies to the subjects, but that associate with them in order to expand the extent and possibilities of a body? Can architecture challenge the boundaries between the body and the world, between inside and outside? Which spaces are capable of catalyzing bodily practices that challenge sexual and gender normativities?Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Tatuap, So Paulo, SP, BrazilLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeRodap ArquiteturaOfficeMaterialGlassMaterials and TagsPublished on January 14, 2025Cite: "Nuu Auge Suite / Rodap Arquitetura" [Sute Nuu Auge / Rodap Arquitetura] 14 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025589/nuu-auge-suite-rodape-arquitetura&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

In the summer of 1925, journalists, lawyers, and gawkers alike descended upon Dayton, Tennessee, population 1,800, to witness the unfolding of what was to become one of the most famous episodes in the ongoing conflict between science and religion.It was oppressively hot and muggy, but that didnt hamper the carnival atmosphere. Street vendors hawked lemonade, iced tea, and cheap souvenirs. Christian groups held open-air prayer meetings while a circus chimpanzee strolled the streets wearing a suit and swinging a cane.The event that brought the world to Dayton that summer has been called the trial of the century. American journalist H. L. Mencken dubbed it the Monkey Trial. The facts are these: A high school science teacher, John Scopes, was being tried for violating the Butler Act, a recently passed Tennessee law that forbade the teaching of evolution in public schools. You might imagine a burly sheriff dragging Scopes from the classroom in handcuffs. But thats not what happened. Instead, Scopes volunteered to be arrested.The American Civil Liberties Union heard about the Tennessee law and offered to pay the legal expenses of anyone who would get themselves arrested and challenge the law in court. The idea was to get the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping for a favorable ruling on the issue of separation of church and state. A group of local business leaders decided that Dayton could use the publicity. Scopes agreed to become the defendant.The trial might have attracted little attention outside the world of constitutional law were it not for the two famous lawyers who volunteered to help with the case: William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense.Two CrusadersBryan, known as The Great Commoner for his efforts on behalf of working people, was a three-time Democratic candidate for U.S. President and a former Secretary of State. Darrow was then, and is still, considered one of the greatest defense attorneys in the history of the U.S.Both men were politically progressive. Bryan supported womens suffrage, an eight-hour workday, a minimum wage, and the right of unions to strike. Darrow held similar positions and, in addition had represented unions and the NAACP.The two men could not have been more different philosophically, however. Darrow was an avowed agnostic who believed passionately in freedom of speech and thought and in the value of reason. Bryan was a fundamentalist Christian who believed in a literal interpretation of the King James Bible. Bryan had spent the last ten years crusading against the teaching of evolution.But the Scopes trial was never about evolution, not really. For Bryan, it was about religion.Bryan felt that he was going into a duel to the death on behalf of Christianity. He really believed that he was a modern Crusader, explains Brenda Wineapple, author of Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted a Nation.For Darrow, Wineapple explains, the case was about protecting the freedom to learn, to teach, to think, and to worship (or not) as you please. Yet Darrow, too, she says, was on a crusade of a sort.Darrow felt that he'd seen too much intolerance, too much racism, too much xenophobia, too much prejudice, Wineapple says. For both men, America was on the line.National Biology LessonAt the time, few people outside science, least of all Bryan, truly understood evolution or the writings of Charles Darwin. Unfortunately, Bryan and most of his followers confused evolution with social Darwinism, a misunderstanding and misapplication of Darwins theories that were used to justify racism, imperialism, and eugenics.For his part, Darrow aimed to educate people. That plan came to a head late in the trial when, after the judge had refused to allow expert witnesses to testify about the science of evolution, Darrow called Bryan himself to the stand.Darrow asked Bryan about the age of the Earth, about biblical miracles, such as when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and many more questions that revealed not only Bryans ignorance of science but his ignorance of the Bible as well.This was intended, I think, to expose Bryans ideas about creationism as silly and unsupported, but you almost get the sense that Darrow was trying to humiliate him, says Douglas O. Linder, a law professor at the University of Kansas-Missouri School of Law and founder of the website Famous Trials.And the press did see it as a humiliation. Bryan was near hysterics and intellectually butchered, according to journalists cited by Wineapple.However, the jurys job was not to decide the merits of Bryans beliefs but to determine if John Scopes had violated the Butler Act, and that was never really in dispute. It took the jury all of nine minutes to return a guilty verdict. The case was headed to the Tennessee Supreme Court.However, the appeal did not go as planned. The judges upheld the law, but reversed the verdict on a technicality (the judge had fined Scopes $100, but according to Tennessee law, any fine over $50 had to be decided by the jury). The defenses request for a new trial was denied. The case would never make it to the Supreme Court.According to Linder, you can see the outcome as a draw. He says, the strategy of getting to the Supreme Court didn't work, but it did give Darrow an opportunity to give the nation a biology lesson. The expert testimony that the jury didnt hear was presented by affidavit and published in periodicals around the nation.But perhaps the most tangible effect of the Scopes trial was that the circus atmosphere and national attention discouraged other states from enacting similar legislation, says Linder. Of the states that were considering banning the teaching of evolution, only two Louisiana and Arkansas actually passed such legislation. Arkansas ban made it to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1968, where it was ruled a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, reinforcing the separation of church and state and ending the movement to outlaw the teaching of evolution in the U.S.Read More: How Does Speciation Drive Evolution?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:Edward J. Larson. Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and Americas Continuing Debate over Science and Religion.Clarence Darrow. The Story of My Life.Britannica. H.L. Mencken Tennessee Virtual Archive. Butler Act American Civil Liberties Union. HistoryOffice of the Historian. William Jennings BryanBritannica. Clarence DarrowBritannica. Social DarwinismMiddle Tennessee University. Epperson v. Arkansas (1968)Avery Hurt is a freelance science journalist. In addition to writing for Discover, she writes regularly for a variety of outlets, both print and online, including National Geographic, Science News Explores, Medscape, and WebMD. Shes the author of Bullet With Your Name on It: What You Will Probably Die From and What You Can Do About It, Clerisy Press 2007, as well as several books for young readers. Avery got her start in journalism while attending university, writing for the school newspaper and editing the student non-fiction magazine. Though she writes about all areas of science, she is particularly interested in neuroscience, the science of consciousness, and AIinterests she developed while earning a degree in philosophy.

RMST confirmed last year that a section of the bow railing has disintegrated. Credit: NOAA/IFE/URIShareThe only company legally permitted to salvage artifacts from the Titanic has confirmed it will not return to the wreckage in 2025. The decision also ends a yearslong legal battle with the US government that began before the COVID-19 pandemic. But while RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMST) isnt ruling out future expeditions entirely, its most recent visit underscored that time is running out for conservationists.Since the US granted RMST sole salvor-in-possession rights in 1994, RMST has conducted a total of eight excursions to the luxury liners historic resting place at the bottom of the North Atlantic. These operations have resulted in the recovery and conservation of thousands of items, including silverware, clothing, passengers personal effects, and a section of the hull. Its most recent mission took place over 20 days in July 2024, resulting in over two million high resolution videos and photographs. Most notably, however, was RMSTs confirmation that a portion of the forecastle decks bow railing (made famous in James Camerons Titanic) had disintegrated. Experts estimate the majority of the Titanic will disintegrate within the next few decades.According to the Associated Press, the US government decided to withdraw its motion to intervene in a federal admiralty court on January 10th, citing RMSTs decision to scrap recovery dive plans dating back to 2020. The expedition-in-question was originally intended to not only document the wreckages status, but bring back historically valuable artifacts that have spent over 112 years exposed to the crushing depth pressures and corrosive waters approximately 12,500 feet below the oceans surface. The Georgia-based company was particularly focused on retrieving items from the Titanics Marconi room. The space is named for its Marconi wireless telegraph machine, which crew used to signal the ships distress calls in Morse code.Past evidence showed the telegraph resting near the grand staircase in a deck house. At the time, the plan was to guide an uncrewed robotic submersible to the machine, either through an open skylight or by cutting open a small portion of the corroded roof. Once the team located the radio, handlers would then use the submersibles suction dredge to remove any surrounding silt while manipulator arms severed its electrical cords. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Although a US District Court judge initially approved RMSTs plans in 2020, the US government quickly challenged the ruling. According to the complaint, RMSTs telegraph recovery strategy violated a federal law passed in 2017 banning any future exploration that entered the hull, an umbrella phrase for disturbing any of the Titanics physical remains. The subsequent onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the case from ever actually going to court.Following the 2023 Oceangate Titan submersible implosion, RMST announced its forthcoming voyage would only involve recording external images and video. The controversial trip resulted in the death of all five passengers, including Oceangates CEO, Stockton Rush, and RMSTs director of underwater research, Paul-Henri Nargeolet.The AP notes that RMST will not visit the wreck this year and has no definitive plans for future missions. At the same time, the company isnt ruling out a returnpotentially one that brings back additional artifacts before they are lost for good.[RMST will] diligently consider the strategic, legal, and financial implications of conducting future salvage operations at the site, the company wrote at the time. But regardless of what happens in the future, the US government made clear it would be paying attention.Should future circumstances warrant, the United States will file a new motion to intervene based on the facts then existing, federal lawyers wrote in their filing last week.

Nature, Published online: 14 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00051-0Research and resources are crucial to educate parents and carers the world over about the best ways to manage their childrens use of social media.