Majima is commanding the seas (Sega)GameCentral speaks with Like A Dragon producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto about mini-game creation, spin-offs, and how the studios approach to development has helped it survive.Based on our initial hands-on last year, we were still unsure how distinctive Like A Dragon spin-off Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii would end up being. The game is built on the bones of its predecessor Infinite Wealth, only this time with fan favourite character Goro Majima taking the spotlight in a sequel set six months later. Theres plenty of eccentricities in combat we already knew about, to match the swashbuckling pirate theme, but the question was whether it would be just a brawler-skewed retread with some shivering timbers.Well have to wait until the full game launches next month to answer for certain, but following a second hands-on session, we have a better idea of its biggest selling point: ship battles. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has teased this component since the game was announced and while past games have a knack for sidelining extravagant mini-games as optional diversions, sailing the seas as Captain Majima is an essential part of Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii and its all the better for it.Infinite Wealth was impressive because of how robust many of its side activities were, but we were still surprised by how deep the pirate stylings go here. You can customise practically every part of your ship: between the hull, masts, cannons (more on that later), leading figurehead, and the crew aboard the vessel. Youll recruit new members over the course of the game, usually by beating them up in dedicated battles, which adds them to your growing roster of outcasts (yes, nappy men included) you can assign them to different parts of the ship.The crew management aspect is similar to other mini-games from the Like A Dragon stable. You can level up assigned crew members in battles (like Clan Creator in Yakuza 6), with each having different stat boosts. Majima can also throw pirate-y parties and feasts, or give individuals gifts, to keep their morale up, in a similar vein to the business management activity in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. The systems behind the pirate life are bolted together from the series past, but its the combination of all these things together which stops it from feeling like reheated booty.Were also perhaps burying the games biggest asset: laser cannons. As you might hope from Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, the ride can be as silly as you want it to be when sailing the seas. Gatling gun turrets can be turned into coconut shooters, the cannons can be upgraded to fire flamethrowers, lasers, and even sharks; while Majima himself, at any time while on the ship, can let go of the helm, fly up the mast, and freely aim a rocket launcher at enemy crews. No need to faff with ship cannons (Sega)While the ship combat isnt exactly deep, the overlapping mechanics and options make it compelling. Ship battles at the Coliseum also involve jumping aboard the enemy ship (sadly, only through a cut scene) to brawl in classic Yakuza fashion alongside your assembled crew of oddballs. Much like the Swashbuckler Showdown mode, where you brawl against another crew in a chaotic island scrap, the visual spectacle feels like the main draw, but Majimas versatile arsenal, now complete with Dark God summons ranging from a parrot to a squad of jellyfish, keeps it engaging.Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is built around four main islands (including Hawaii from Infinite Wealth) which are connected by surrounding waters you can freely sail around. Based on this preview, the freedom is somewhat limited, with relatively narrow pathways to follow and only the odd enemy fleet to encounter. There are bonus islands you can discover and explore, but the ones we encountered were very small areas littered with a few treasures, so we hope theres more incentive to seek these out in the final game.Weve focused on the ship battles because its the main new addition, but when placed in the overall package, Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii appears to be surprisingly robust for a spin-off. The satisfying cooking mini-game is back, from Like A Dragon: Ishin, while Hawaii is populated with a bunch of new side stories and returning activities. The main unknown at this point is the narrative itself, which might be the make or break factor of whether this all hangs together.As a spin-off in the same vein as the compact Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii feels ready to catch people off-guard, who are heading into this with lowered expectations. It is clearly beholden to Infinite Wealth, but Captain Majima feels on course to prove theres life in the old mad dog yet.Following our hands-on, we spoke with Like A Dragon series producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto about Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios fast development cycles and the origins of Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii. The interview was conducted through a translator and has been edited for clarity. More fun than Skull And Bones (Sega)GC: Its surprising Goro Majima hasnt had a solo game before this, considering hes been a favourite for so long, were there ever any plans for a spin-off prior to Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii?Sakamoto: There was a little side story where you could control Majima in Yakuza Kiwami 2, and outside of that we never really planned any games featuring him [as the main protaganist].Our series has a lot of really interesting, fun characters that you could probably focus on and write a story for, but we wanted to keep the spotlight on the primary characters, the protagonist of the story and make stories around them.So, for example, in Yakuza 4 and 5, we had [multiple] characters you could control and that was a multi-faceted story, but whether it was Kiryu from most of the series or Kasuga Ichiban from [Yakuza: Like A Dragon and Infinite Wealth] now, we wanted to really just focus on these core protagonists.GC: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii dials up the absurdity to even greater heights, did you feel more freedom with this entry to go to further extremes?Sakamoto: So the general idea for this game was to create we didnt really have the ending of Majimas story after Infinite Wealth and we wanted to wrap a bow tie on that and tell what happens after those events. So we have Hawaii, we have Infinite Wealth, this is the general story that were starting with.Then were like, OK, if were using Majima as the protagonist, its less that we have more freedom, more that if its Majima we can do this, if its Majima we can do that. It wasnt our goal but it was a result of the choices that we made to get where we were. We said, if we had Majima we could do some of the things that will exceed your imagination. Theres a lot more possibilities with Majima.GC: I was curious about the process of creating mini-games in this series, as they do vary so wildly. Is everyone pitching in across the studio or is there a dedicated team?Sakamoto: So I think this is something which hasnt changed since the advent of the first Yakuza. We always wanted to make something that really fits the world that were building, like regular everyday entertainment that you would have on the streets.In the original Yakuza, theres a darts bar, so [we were like] wouldnt it be really cool if we could play darts? Wouldnt it be cool if we had karaoke in the game? So thats really what fuels our ideas. Were not trying to create like, Hey what would be a wacky mini-game we could put in there? Were thinking, what can you do in a town to entertain yourself in real life? And then we build off of that.For each mini-game we have one person in charge of it. So if we have a darts game, were going to have one programmer in charge of bringing that from start to completion. If its a Mahjong parlour, we have the same thing. Thats what fuels how we create mini-games and the process of how we do that.For example, Uber Eats has recently taken off in Japan, so we said, Everybodys talking about Uber Eats, why dont we make a mini-game based around that? Lets make Crazy Delivery. Seeing trends and things that are happening in real life is our main inspiration.GC: Im thinking about the Dondoko Island mini-game in Infinite Wealth specifically here, but it feels like some of these games could be sold as standalone experiences. Is that something youve considered? Is there a reason you havent done that so far?Sakamoto: Weve talked about that in the past. Weve had so many different cabaret games that we thought, maybe we could make a cabaret island? And have an entire simulation cabaret world or something.These ideas come up but we make games at a really fast pace, so [we think] do we have to dedicate resources to making this kind of side game? Or do we want to make the next Like A Dragon game? And we always prioritise the things that we want to make, and all of these other ideas fall by the wayside because we want to make the main things.GC: Youre renowned for releasing games at a very fast pace. With so much talk around the rising costs of development in the AAA space, Im curious if you see the way your studio re-uses assets as a potential solution to that problem?Sakamoto: This is a really good question. In my personal opinion, were a studio that makes games at a really fast pace, and in order to create really timely and costly games, you really have to think about how you make your games and how you approach it.Especially for us, we dont want to leave huge gaps between the games that we create. We want to keep things moving, and especially because were making games set in the modern world. If you create games set in the modern world and you start working on it and then five years pass before its even released, the world is going to be a different place. Its not going to land as nicely, so we want to keep that development pace going.The longer your development cycle, the bigger your budget, the higher and higher the risk gets when youre making a game, right? So the cost of, say, messing up when you have those larger, big budget titles becomes much higher. But when youre releasing a bunch of more compact titles, the risk becomes a little more mitigated by the fact youre already creating another one that can cover.So even if you make a mistake in one title, you can learn from it and grow from it as a studio and as individual developers, and find ways to overcome that deficit and then make a better game in the future. So its a really good method for growing as a studio as a whole [in terms of skills].We talk about how were able to deliver a lot of games at a very fast pace, but theres a lot of really basic research that goes into a lot of these games that [means] the actual time developing it, and the time that some of us think about it, research it and so on, might be very different for some of these titles.So having this kind of hybrid [model], where you have these shorter titles that are a little bit easier to work around, and these bigger titles where you spend a lot of time researching and doing the basic legwork, its a good way to create good games but also to survive in a very turbulent industry.More TrendingGC: To bounce off that, we know Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is working on several games seemingly outside the Like A Dragon series at the moment, between Project Century and Virtua Fighter. Will the development of these impact when we might see the next game in this series, or are you planning to keep up the current pace?Sakamoto: We almost always have multiple projects going on at the studio, so were always working in a very hybrid method, where well shift people from one project to the other and move staff around. Its kind of like business as usual for us in a lot of ways.GC: Brilliant, I look forward to them both. Thank you very much!Formats: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPrice: 54.99Publisher: SegaDeveloper: Ryu Ga Gotoku StudioRelease Date: 28th February 2025Age Rating: 18 Theres plenty of monkeying around (Sega)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.ArrowMORE: Like A Dragon boss rules out Akiyama spin-offGameCentralSign up for exclusive 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

Thirty years ago today, Star Trek: Voyager began its trip to the Delta Quadrant with the debut of its pilot, Caretaker. Famously, Voyagers production got off to a rocky start: it lost its already groundbreaking female lead, Genevive Bujold, just days into filming. But Bujolds loss wasStar Treks gain with the arrival of Kate Mulgrew to slide intoVoyagers captain chair, coffee mug in handand what made her perfect forStar Trek was clear from the get-go. There are lots of weird and wonderful things in Caretaker. There are the big, bold ideas, like stranding the ship tens of thousands of lightyears from Federation space, or how the devastation of its crew during the initial accident necessitated Janeways Starfleet officers brushing shoulders with new guerrilla allies from the Maquis they were trailing. Theres small ones, like how utterly fabulous Roxann Dawsons BEllana Torres hair is before its sadly straightened out the second she becomes part of Starfleet again (a crime!), or the look on Kate Mulgrews face when she has to react to the line You havent lived until youve tasted a mans anglabosque (30 years on and weve never learned what anglabosque was, so we must clearly be living empty lives). Much of the delight in what makes Caretaker work as a pilot is centered around Mulgrew. Her immediate grasp of who Janeway isand how the episode itself never lowers itself to grappling over the idea of having a female captain leading the showgives Voyager a momentum and energy that arguably the show itself didnt always manage to capitalize on over the next seven seasons. She is in some moments a complete hard-ass, in others a caring leader; we see her pushed and pulled through this bizarro scenario shes been handed in a routine mission turning into a fight for her and her crews very lives in the face of unknowable power, and facing it with this perpetually simmering sense of justice and compassion. Its almost absurd to think that that Mulgrew was not there from the start: it feels like Janeway was made for her. And yet in spite of all this, one line read of hers in Caretaker has been burned into my mind ever since I first saw it. Its a completely absurd one, one of many among Voyagers notable quotables. The scene: Voyager has just encountered the Talaxian trader Neelix, who offers to help act as guide to the strange new region they find themselves in exchange for supplies of water. But first, he leads them to a world where the crew believes several abducted Maquis and Starfleet officers have been taken to, only for Neelix to quickly admit that hes lead them astray: theyre helping him make a deal with a local species, the Kazon. Or more specifically, one of their subsects, the Kazon-Ogla.The Kazon-Ogla, Janeway asks, scrunching her face against the bright light of the desert world theyve beamed down to. Who are the Kazon-Ogla!?Its not a funny line. Its a completely normal line. Its a completely normal reaction to Janeway realizing Neelix has gamed them. But Mulgrew sells this absurd incredulity in the moment in such a way that I cannot help but laugh every time Ive watched Caretaker over my lifetime as a Trekfan. The exasperation, the confusion, the rise and fall in her voice as she accentuates Kazon-Ogla. Shes not making a mockery of the line or at having to spout alien names and technobabble, though; what nails it is the complete and utter earnestness behind it all, dripping from every syllable of the sentence. The Kazon-Ogla? Who are the Kazon-Ogla! I cant explain why it speaks to me in such a particular way, beyond Mulgrews conviction as she says it. In that moment, the Kazon-Ogla, whoever they are, are the realest thing in the world to her, and she makes you believe it, no matter how peculiar it seems to be. Janeway and the rest of the crew would go on to have many iconic moments, and many sweeping, earnest, funny, brave, inspired speeches and exchanges across Voyagers seven seasons. But of all the moments in Voyager beyond it, of all the moments Ive seen now having watchedStar Trek for the best part of my life, its this one that just creeps into my head at random like a mental ticone that Im still thinking, and laughing about, 30 years later. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Casa Zempoala / o.d.e.Save this picture! Zaickz MozHousesZempoala, MexicoArchitects: o.d.e.AreaArea of this architecture projectArea:189 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Zaickz MozMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. In the heart of Hidalgo's landscape, Mexico, o.d.e (Oficina Documental de Espacio) presents Casa Zempoala, a retirement home designed for an older couple, intertwining contemporary design with local traditions. This 189 m project is organized around two interior courtyards, conceived as spaces for gatherings and family conversations, while also serving as a serene refuge for this stage of lifecelebrating both togetherness and intimacy.Save this picture!Save this picture!The house reinterprets the historical heritage of the region, drawing inspiration from iconic elements like the Padre Tembleque aqueduct that has shaped the landscape. The project creates a dialogue between past and present by incorporating arches and the characteristic pink hues of local architecture, transforming them into a contemporary language that enhances its surroundings.Save this picture!Save this picture!The home's architecture is bold and designed as a single-story structure to accommodate the needs of a retirement residence. From the street, its pink faade, accompanied by a traditional baseboard of local materials, harmonizes with the heights and volumes of neighboring buildings. Inside, the house is distributed over two levels. On the ground floor, the primary bedroom and social areasliving room, dining room, and kitchenare located. These spaces extend into the courtyards through doors and windows that blend interior and exterior, fostering family interaction and becoming the social heart of the house. Upstairs, there are two guest bedrooms with bathrooms and a family room, designed for visiting relatives. A staircase connects the two levels, illuminated by a skylight that fills the central space with natural light.Save this picture!The materiality of Casa Zempoala pays homage to the visual and textural richness of Hidalgo's landscape. Pink stone, evoking nearby quarries, combines with clay and pinewood, bringing warmth and creating an ambiance typical of a "village home." Every detail, from textures to tones, reinforces the character of a home where modernity and tradition coexist in perfect harmony.Save this picture!The house's orientation is based on a bioclimatic study that considers the region's cold and arid climate. The structure shields itself from prevailing winds and faces south to maximize natural light, ensuring optimal thermal comfort. Meanwhile, the landscaping, carefully designed by Gabriel Guizar, reinterprets native vegetation to enrich the sensory experience of the residents. Featuring low-maintenance species, the outdoor spaces invite exploration of textures, colors, and aromas.Save this picture!At Casa Zempoala, tradition and culture meet the desire for tranquility in adult life and the warmth of family living. With this project, o.d.e has created the ideal space for a retired couple to enjoy a home in perfect harmony with its surroundings.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeo.d.e.OfficePublished on January 16, 2025Cite: "Casa Zempoala / o.d.e." 16 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024833/casa-zempoala-ode&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

Practical Sci-Fi Design: https://arrimus3d.gumroad.com/l/scifidesign ORhttps://www.udemy.com/course/practical-sci-fi-design/?referralCode=90114E112DAE1B47430A Redesign and Remake: https://www.udemy.com/course/redesign/?referralCode=470F0A962EACE810C94C Arrimus Ultimate 3D Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/arrimus3d/?referralCode=446E0E08AE1808A2938A Plasticity Modeling Guide: https://www.udemy.com/course/plasticity-modeling-guide-by-arrimus-3d/?referralCode=85C41A46EAE3EF8725DF Ultimate Sci-Fi Soldier: https://www.udemy.com/course/ultimate-sci-fi-soldier/?referralCode=440AD5E0F74E48EAEFB2 Gumroad https://gumroad.com/arrimus3d Patreon http://www.patreon.com/Arrimus3D. Artstation https://www.artstation.com/arrimus3d Business 3dtut@protonmail.comGiving me a thumbs up and subscribing and clicking the bell shows you find my videos helpful. If you want to support me check out my Patreon visible in the last 20 seconds of the video. Thanks.Ending Music: Bensound

The Blacmagic Cine Immersive is now available for pre-order! The purpose of this camera is to shoot immersive video specifically for the Apple Vision Pro. We talk about the questions we have about the product, how it can be used, and speculate about the future of immersive video as a medium.- CoPilot Co. is a global, tech-driven production studio that specializes in XR virtual production, film production, and AI tool development. We are committed to helping people realize their boldest ideas through sharing our expertise, consulting on virtual production studio builds, and creating AI tools for XR environment building. CONNECT: copilotco.iocollabs@copilotco.iohttps://www.instagram.com/copilotco/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/copilotxr/ https://www.tiktok.com/@copilotco

Snapshots of colorful galaxies and planets show that the beauty of our universe knows no bounds, and recent images of glowing space gas and dust captured by NASA are no exception. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has caught yet another visual spectacle, depicting layers of interstellar material illuminated by a supernova in a phenomenon known as a thermal light echo.Getting a glimpse of the brilliant scene through JWST, a team at NASA created a 3D scan of the interstellar material that displays its intricacies in tremendous detail. Now, astronomers are able to zoom into a piece of the universe that has never been seen before.How the Glow BeganThe force that caused the gas and dust to glow was actually set in motion long ago. It all started with the explosion of a huge star somewhere in the universe. The shockwave produced by the stars collapse shot a burst of X-rays and ultraviolet light out into space.The light then spent 350 years traveling through the universe and eventually reached the interstellar material observed by JWST; the gas and dust was subsequently warmed, causing it to glow in an infrared light. This result is called a thermal light echo.JWST detected the light echo in the vicinity of Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant in the constellation Cassiopeia, around 11,000 light-years from Earth. The interstellar material was observed three separate times by the telescopes Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), showing the remarkable expansion of the light echo over the course of three weeks.The recently observed glowing material, not related to the star that turned into Cassiopeia A, exists among dozens of other nearby light echoes that had first been observed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which is now retired.A Structure Of Layers and KnotsThe new thermal light echo images revealed the complex structure of the interstellar material, akin to the knots of a wood grain. The sheer level of detail that JWST captured was something that the science team had not laid eyes on before.We see layers like an onion, said Josh Peek of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, a member of the science team, in a statement. We think every dense, dusty region that we see, and most of the ones we dont see, look like this on the inside. We just have never been able to look inside them before.The science team noticed the incredibly small scale of structures within the interstellar material, overall taking the form of sheets packed together. They say this configuration could be influenced by magnetic fields, whereas the dense regions similar to knots in a wood grain may be magnetic islands that are lodged throughout the interstellar medium.This is the astronomical equivalent of a medical CT scan, said Armin Rest of the Space Telescope Science Institute, a member of the science team, in the release. We have three slices taken at three different times, which will allow us to study the true 3D structure. It will completely change the way we study the interstellar medium.The Future of Light Echo ResearchThe science team plans to keep a close eye on the thermal light echo, using Webbs Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to track its continued development.We can observe the same patch of dust before, during, and after its illuminated by the echo and try to look for any changes in the compositions or states of the molecules, including whether some molecules or even the smallest dust grains are destroyed, said Jacob Jencsen of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology, principal investigator of the study, in the release.According to NASA, infrared light echoes are very rare, since they require a specific type of supernova that releases a short pulse of energetic radiation; however, NASA may be able to spot them more easily with their upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch by May 2027. This telescope will have a much wider view of the universe, broadening the possibilities for cosmic studies from light echoes to entire galaxies. 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:NASA. Infrared WavesStanford University. Astrophysical Magnetism and the Interstellar MediumNASA. Why Roman?Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Outdoor gear is awesome, but its also expensive. Right now, REI has a ton of high-end outdoor footwear for up to half-off. The sale includes Hoka, Merrell, Xero, Altra, Vasque, and a bunch of other brands built for outdoor adventures and epic hikes. These are closeout prices, which means sizes and colors will likely sell out. So, dont wait if you see something in-stock. Keep scrolling for some of the best deals.If youre not looking for footwear, REI has a ton of great outdoor apparel from Patagonia and more of our favorite brands on clearance right now. HOKA Bondi 8 Road-Running Shoes Mens $114 (was $165)See ItThis is the 2024 model of one of Hokas most popular road running shoes and its more than $50 off. They offer extremely plush cushioning with a crash pad in the heels for maximum support. Despite the ample foam involved, these shoes are also extremely light thanks to the sock liners and strategic rubber placement. REI has a ton of colors and sizes in-stock right now, but these are extremely popular, so they will likely sell out in fairly short order. More mens footwear dealsHoka Speedgoat 5 Trail-Running Shoes Mens $124 (was $155)Merrell Accentor 3 Hiking Shoes Mens $74 (was $100)Oboz Sawtooth X Low Hiking Shoes Mens $97 (was $140)KEEN Zionic Waterproof Hiking Shoes Mens $119 (was $160)Merrell Thermo Chill Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Mens $89 (was $130)Vasque St. Elias Waterproof Hiking Boots Mens $148 (was $240)Merrell Moab Speed 2 Thermo Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Mens $142 (was $190)Merrell Moab Edge 3 Hiking Shoes Mens $82 (was $110)Merrell Speed Eco Hiking Shoes Mens $82 (was $110)More womens footwear dealsMerrell Thermo Chill Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Womens $89 (was $130)Merrell Morphlite Road-Running Shoes Womens $74 (was $100)HOKA Hopara 2 Sandals Womens $108 (was $135)HOKA Bondi 8 Road-Running Shoes Womens $114 (was $165)Merrell Moab 3 Mid Hiking Boots Womens $97 (was $130)Xero Shoes Prio Shoes Womens $67 (was $90)Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 Hiking Boots Womens $104 (was $150)Vasque Horizon Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Womens $104 (was $140)Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandals Womens $78 (was $105)Merrell Moab Speed 2 Leather Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots Womens $142 (was $190)ColumbiaCreeksider Shoes Womens $37 (was $50)The post REI winter footwear clearnace: Save up to 50% on running shoes, trail running sneakers, and hiking boots appeared first on Popular Science.

NewsMegadroughts are on the rise worldwideOne of the most extreme megadroughts has helped fuel Californias wildfires Prolonged droughts have become longer, more intense and more frequent in the last 30 years. A megadrought in southwestern North America, which affected Californias Nicasio Reservoir, (shown in 2021) topped the list of the 10 most severe events in that period.Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesBy Carolyn Gramling2 hours agoMegadroughts are increasing worldwide and theyre also becoming both hotter and drier.Over the last 30 years, Earth has experienced an uptick in both frequency and intensity of these punishing, persistent droughts that can last years to decades, researchers report in the Jan. 17 Science. Such lengthy precipitation deficits not only shrink the drinking water supply, but can also lead to massive crop failures, food insecurity, increased tree mortality and increased incidence of wildfire.

Nature, Published online: 15 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00043-0Blurry markings more than 1,000 years old become clear again thanks to scanning method.

Physicists have long-suspected that the building blocks of protons experienced quantum entanglement. Now, researchers have the first direct evidence after using a trick to infer subatomic particles' entropy.