When you think of AIs contributions to science, you probably think of AlphaFold, the Google DeepMind protein-folding program that earned its creator a Nobel Prize last year. Now OpenAI says its getting into the science game toowith a model for engineering proteins. The company says it has developed a language model that dreams up proteins capable of turning regular cells into stem cellsand that it has handily beat humans at the task. The work represents OpenAIs first model focused on biological data and its first public claim that its models can deliver unexpected scientific results. As such, it is a step toward determining whether or not AI can make true discoveries, which some argue is a major test on the pathway to artificial general intelligence. Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he was confident his company knows how to build an AGI, adding that superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own. The protein engineering project started a year ago when Retro Biosciences, a longevity research company based in San Francisco, approached OpenAI about working together. That link-up did not happen by chance. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, personally funded Retro with $180 million, as MIT Technology Review first reported in 2023. Retro has the goal of extending the normal human lifespan by 10 years. For that, it studies what are called Yamanaka factors. Those are a set of proteins that, when added to a human skin cell, will cause it to morph into a young-seeming stem cell, a type that can produce any other tissue in the body. Its a phenomenon that researchers at Retro, and at richly funded companies like Altos Labs, see as the possible starting point for rejuvenating animals, building human organs, or providing supplies of replacement cells. But such cell reprogramming is not very efficient. It takes several weeks, and less than 1% of cells treated in a lab dish will complete the rejuvenation journey. OpenAIs new model, called GPT-4b micro, was trained to suggest ways to re-engineer the protein factors to increase their function. According to OpenAI, researchers used the models suggestions to change two of the Yamanaka factors to to be more than 50 times as effectiveat least according to some preliminary measures. Just across the board, the proteins seem better than what the scientists were able to produce by themselves, says John Hallman, an OpenAI researcher. Hallman and OpenAIs Aaron Jaech, as well as Rico Meinl from Retro, were the models lead developers. Outside scientists wont be able to tell if the results are real until theyre published, something the companies say they are planning. Nor is the model available for wider useits still a bespoke demonstration, not an official product launch. This project is meant to show that were serious about contributing to science, says Jaech. But whether those capabilities will come out to the world as a separate model or whether theyll be rolled into our mainline reasoning modelsthats still to be determined. The model does not work the same way as Googles AlphaFold, which predicts what shape proteins will take. Since the Yamanaka factors are unusually floppy and unstructured proteins, OpenAI said, they called for a different approach, which its large language models were suited to. The model was trained on examples of protein sequences from many species, as well as information on which proteins tend to interact with one another. While thats a lot of data, its just a fraction of what OpenAIs flagship chatbots were trained on, making GPT-4b an example of a small language model that works with a focused data set. Once Retro scientists were given the model, they tried to steer it to suggest possible redesigns of the Yamanaka proteins. The prompting tactic used is similar to the few-shot method, in which a user queries a chatbot by providing a series of examples with answers, followed by an example for the bot to respond to. Although genetic engineers have ways to direct evolution of molecules in the lab, they can usually test only so many possibilities. And even a protein of typical length can be changed in nearly infinite ways (since theyre built from hundreds of amino acids, and each acid comes in 20 possible varieties). OpenAIs model, however, often spits out suggestions in which a third of the amino acids in the proteins were changed. OPENAI We threw this model into the lab immediately and we got real-world results, says Retros CEO, Joe Betts-Lacroix. He says the models ideas were unusually good, leading to improvements over the original Yamanaka factors in a substantial fraction of cases. Vadim Gladyshev, a Harvard University aging researcher who consults with Retro, says better ways of making stem cells are needed. For us, it would be extremely useful. [Skin cells] are easy to reprogram, but other cells are not, he says. And to do it in a new speciesits often extremely different, and you dont get anything. How exactly the GPT-4b arrives at its guesses is still not clearas is often the case with AI models. Its like when AlphaGo crushed the best human at Go, but it took a long time to find out why, says Betts-Lacroix. We are still figuring out what it does, and we think the way we apply this is only scratching the surface. OpenAI says no money changed hands in the collaboration. But because the work could benefit Retrowhose biggest investor is Altmanthe announcement may add to questions swirling around the OpenAI CEOs side projects. Last year, the Wall Street Journal said Altmans wide-ranging investments in private tech startups amount to an opaque investment empire that is creating a mounting list of potential conflicts, since some of these companies also do business with OpenAI. In Retros case, simply being associated with Altman, OpenAI, and the race toward AGI could boost its profile and increase its ability to hire staff and raise funds. Betts-Lacroix did not answer questions about whether the early-stage company is currently in fundraising mode. OpenAI says Altman was not directly involved in the work and that it never makes decisions based on Altmans other investments.

The Supreme Court upheld a law that could see TikTok shut down on Sunday.Or maybe it won't shut down?There's lots of confusing and contradictory information out there. Here's what we know.TikTok is shutting down in the US on Sunday.Or maybe TikTok won't get shut down because Joe Biden or Donald Trump will save it before then.Or maybe TikTok will get shut down on Sunday, and then Donald Trump will restart it a day or two later.Confused? Me too. It's possible things will get easier to understand in the near future. They could also remain opaque for some time.But let's try to sort out where things stand right now again, with the caveat that this could all change soon.The law and TikTokThe one thing we know for sure: Last year, Congress passed a bill, signed into law by Joe Biden, that required ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell its US operations to a non-Chinese owner. The deadline for that transaction is this coming Sunday, January 19.Everything after that is at least somewhat fuzzy.For instance: While the intent of the law is to force ByteDance to sell US TikTok or shut it down, it's not entirely clear what would happen if the law goes into effect.The law requires app stores like the ones run by Apple and Google to stop distributing TikTok, but that doesn't mean TikTok would disappear from your phone. The law also prohibits internet companies from maintaining or updating the app. But it's unclear whether that means TikTok would immediately fall apart, or if it could limp along in some crippled manner.But last week an attorney for TikTok told the Supreme Court that the service would go "dark" in the US on Sunday if the law stays in place. Subsequent press reports say that TikTok plans to simply shut down the service itself on Sunday, hoping that it will create political pressure. The Information reports that TikTok plans on sending users who open the app to a website with information about the ban.The courts and TikTokTikTok has spent months trying unsuccessfully to get the law overturned, arguing that it violates the First Amendment. TikTok got a last-ditch hearing before the US Supreme Court last week, but the justices seemed skeptical of its arguments. And on Friday, they upheld the law."There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of communication. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary," the court concluded.The possible TikTok loopholeThe TikTok sell-or-ban law does offer a theoretical reprieve for the app. It says that prior to the Sunday deadline, the president can grant a 90-day extension if there is "significant progress" in place to transfer ownership of US TikTok, including "relevant binding agreements" to make that happen.But so far, TikTok and its owner have shown no public interest in a sale, and there are no reports that a non-Chinese buyer has a plan in place, let alone a deal.It's also worth noting that no Big Tech company with the resources to buy and run a company the size of TikTok has shown any interest in public to take it on. The only plausible buyer mentioned to date is Elon Musk Trump's new ally but that only came up in recent days, via reports that suggested it was a last-minute brainstorm from Chinese officials in Beijing. Musk has remained uncharacteristically mute about the scenario.The TikTok possible workaroundsThis is where the information is by far the fuzziest, and often contradictory.For instance: Donald Trump, who will become president on Monday, had previously tried to push through his own TikTok ban-or-sale effort during his first term in office. But last year, Trump said he thought TikTok should stay in the US and he's been even more enthusiastic about the app following his reelection.Last month, Trump's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to push back the January 19 deadline so he could work on the deal once he becomes president again. And Trump has invited TikTok CEO Shou Chew to attend his inauguration, a source familiar with the matter told BI. He's been offered a prime seat for the event on the dais alongside other important figures, including Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos,Various news reports and analysts have talked about a scenario where Trump brokers a deal between ByteDance and a buyer once he's in office. The law allowsUnder normal circumstances, it would take many days, weeks, or even months to get a complicated deal worth tens of billions of dollars executed. Which would mean TikTok would stay dark, or at least crippled in some way, for some time. But perhaps Trump thinks he can get something down in record time.And on Friday, Trump said he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about "balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok and many other subjects," and that he expected to "solve many problems together."Does the TikTok law just not get enforced?An alternate scenario you may have read about involves Trump simply overturning the ban via an executive order a mechanism he has already said he intends to use to reverse other moves Joe Biden made in office.But the whole point of a law again, passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president is that it's a law. And it's supposed to be hard to change or modify a law unless the courts weigh in or unless Congress amends it. So, it's very unclear whether an executive order would suffice. (It's worth noting that Wall Street analyst Rich Greenfield believes that Trump can overturn the law with an executive order, by relying on an argument that gives the president power when it comes to foreign affairs and national security.)Another scenario recently floated would be that Trump simply tells Pam Bondi, his candidate to become attorney general, not to enforce the law an extraordinary step. Asked about that prospect in her confirmation hearing, Bondi declined to comment. It's also worth considering whether the likes of Apple and Google would follow Trump's theoretical command to ignore the law while it was still on the books.One last bit of confusion: Members of outgoing President Joe Biden's team, who have been quiet about the looming deadline for weeks, are now trying to figure out a solution themselves, NBC reported Wednesday. "Americans shouldn't expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday," an anonymous administration official told NBC.Now, press reports indicate that Biden's plan to deal with the ban is to ignore it for a day, and pass it along to Trump to deal with.At this point, the only thing we can really tell you with any certainty is that we'll know at least a bit more in the next few days.

Squid Game is not a subtle show. It is impossible to misinterpret its very obvious message that the games are bad, and people should NOT be driven to such desperation by a merciless capitalist system that they will murder each other for rich peoples entertainment. I would not be the first to point out that there is some conflict in the fact that we, the viewers, are watching all these competitors get killed for our entertainment, but still: despite the violence, despite the shock value, there is no ambiguity around the narrative intention.In this spin-off video game from Netflix, by contrast, the games are not bad. They are supposed to be fun. You run around colourful obstacle courses trying to kill as many of your fellow players as possible to advance yourself to the next round, their cartoon avatars crumpling comically when stabbed or burned or shot only to respawn seconds later. When you win, you get money and tokens to buy new zany outfits for your vacantly smiling character, and then you go again. In this madcap tumble, the message of the TV show is rather lost. This is a Squid Game adaptation for people who think that Walter White was in fact the hero of Breaking Bad.Still, what else is a game developer to do with Squid Game? With a few exceptions, critical commentary on violence and capitalism is not something that this medium is known for; it would have been a bold choice. So theyve gone for the most harmless, toothless interpretation: dont these games look like fun? Wouldnt you like to have a go? The violence has been toned down to cartoon shrieks and spatters of red. The games have been reduced to the most frictionless, uncomplicated minute-long snapshots, requiring very little skill or attention. Considering the source material, they have made Squid Game almost impressively inoffensive.The problem is that a much better version of this battle royal slapstick gameshow video game already exists. It is called Fall Guys, and it is extremely popular. Many of Squid Game Unleasheds contests are almost indistinguishable from Fall Guys challenges, and it brings nothing new to them, except baseball bats and knives. The signature games of the TV show do make an appearance Red Light, Green Light works exactly as youd expect, without any of the tension because you simply respawn at the starting line every time you fall foul of the eerie giant dolls motion detectors. Dalgona, meanwhile, instead of making you frantically tap out umbrella or triangle shapes on your phone screen, has been reinterpreted as a race where the surest route to victory is to stand still while other players run around doing all the work for you before making a last minute dash for the finish.I found few of the 40+ minigames here exciting, or especially competitive. Even ignoring the sheer incongruence of the shower of rewards and cash that await you after every round of the death games, and the Fortnite-like character customisation am I not supposed to be playing against desperate down-and-outers, rather than people dressed as robots and K-pop stars? its not much fun. The controls feel imprecise, like youre skating over the ground. Jumping feels floaty and unpredictable. I never felt sure when a swinging obstacle was going to hit me, and when I was going to make it past. I didnt feel like I was ever getting any better at the games. I either got lucky, or didnt. Mostly, I just got frustrated.When I imagined a video game adaptation of Squid Game, I did not imagine running around an arena in a golden pig outfit trying to hit a player called skibidi69 with a baseball bat. Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but the only shock value here is in the lack of imagination.

The Switch 2 has finally been revealed by Nintendo, and eagle-eyed fans have spotted what appears to be the chance to use its controllers as mice potentially opening a huge library of titlesTech15:29, 17 Jan 2025Nintendo have finally announced the Switch 2Nintendo finally revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 within the last 24 hours, and while some fans were hoping for a little more than a look at the hardware, there are plenty of tidbits to be found within the reveal trailer.We know it'll have Switch 2 exclusives and backward compatibility, and we also know to expect further news on April 2 as the company holds a Nintendo Direct about the new system.One part of the trailer in particular, however, has fans thinking the new magnetic Joy-Con controllers have gotten a big update.There's a moment, around 1 minute and 10 seconds into the above trailer, where the Switch 2's Joy-Cons are attached to the rail and handles, and shown sliding around a surface.It could just be a slick way of showing how sleek the controllers are, but it's set tongues wagging in the gaming community with some thinking this is confirmation that they can be used as mice.It may sound far-fetched, but as someone that enjoys playing Final Fantasy XIV on an Xbox Series X using mouse and keyboard, it's clear consoles using mouse and keyboard works.The Switch version of Football Manager 2019 (if you can cast your mind back that far) supported plugging in a USB mouse into your console's dock, letting you use it on the console.We've already heard that one AAA third-party game could be making the jump, but this could feasibly open up genres Switch players haven't been able to experience as much. Imagine an RTS with mouse support, or a port of twitch-shooter Valorant.Given how creative Nintendo has been with things like Labo and Ring Fit Adventure, we'd be keen to see what the company could do with a mouse in terms of gameplay mechanics.Article continues belowWe'll find out more on April 2, but here's hoping it's a possibility. For more on Switch 2, be sure to check out our report about the 'leaked' specs for the system.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Bayonetta creator condemns Nintendo Switch 2 leakers and their filthy desireGameCentralPublished January 17, 2025 11:07amUpdated January 17, 2025 11:08am Hideki Kamiya does not like leakers (YouTube/Metro)If you were upset that most of the details of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal were leaked beforehand youre nowhere near as upset as the creator of Devil May Cry.The long-awaited reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 held back a lot of details, with Mario Kart 9 the only featured game and no explanation of what the consoles mysterious new button does. The Joy-Cons also doubling as computer mice was new but if youd seen all the leaks beforehand you already knew about that.Nintendo usually manages to avoid leaks when it comes to its games but the fact that its hardware involves multiple other companies, that arent as good at keeping secrets, means news of the Switch 2 was always bound to leak out ahead of time.Its still a shame the surprises were spoilt but the person that seems to have been most upset by it all is Devil May Cry and Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya, who went on a Twitter rant about how the leakers should be covered in faeces and fired into the sun.Kamiya is well known for his outbursts on Twitter, but while many of them are trolling this one seems to come from the heart:I hope that all of the people who leaked Switch 2 information/those who helped leak it will be cursed for the rest of their lives to always have poop on the soles of their shoes when they get home, he said via machine translation on Twitter.Now that Ive enjoyed the surprise announcement of kami with all the users, I truly believe that all those damn leakers should be cursed.The s***ty leaker only acts for his own pleasure and self-satisfaction, not only is he not contributing to anyones benefit, he is incurring all sorts of opportunity losses, and has done nothing to be proud of in front of others. He is the worst of scum, so he should be covered in s*** from head to toe and thrown out of the atmosphere and then stop thinking and wander forever.These damn leakers are in a position of responsibility where they have access to information that only a very select few know, yet what they do is nothing more than an expression of a filthy desire for approval that lacks a shred of rationality; they are shameful people, so it is not the manufacturers whose secrets have been exposed who should be blamed, but these damn people, and they need to be crushed as soon as possible.After leaving PlatinumGames, under still unexplained circumstances, Kamiya has founded a new studio called Clovers and is currently working with Capcom on a sequel to kami.More TrendingThe game was a surprise reveal at The Game Awards in December and the satisfaction at having it announced out of the blue, with no leaks, is obviously whats driving his disdain for the Switch 2 leakers.Its unclear from what he wrote though, as to whether Kamiya knew about the Switch 2 beforehand, especially given kami 2 is very likely to be released on the new format.Indeed, its unclear how much anyone new officially before the announcement. The fact that we had an embargo for the new Like A Dragon spin-off on the same day implies that Sega didnt know in advance that the reveal would be then, although they and other publishers must surely have know the details of the console itself.How much Nintendo tells them and when is a mystery though and it will be interesting over the coming weeks, to see if third party publishers announce new games for the system even if its just listing the Switch 2 amongst the supported formats or if Nintendo is going to make them wait until the promised Nintendo Direct on April 2.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5videoUp NextEmailgamecentral@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.GameCentralSign 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

How does a $90 upgrade that makes your PC or PC laptop faster, more efficient, and expands its storage sound? Highly implausible? Actually, its real, and its as easy as pointing your mouse at Amazons new limited-time sale for 38% off and clicking the Buy Now button on the Samsung 870 EVO SATA III internal solid-state drive.See at AmazonSamsung the worlds No. 1 flash memory brand since 2003, has made the upgrade to the 870 EVO SSD incredibly easy. You dont need to be an IT pro or even much of a techie to replace your older, slower, smaller hard drive with the 870 EVO SSD, and you definitely dont need to be a techie to notice the improved performance of your PC or laptop once its installed.Modernize Your MachineOnce you get the Samsung 870 EVO SSD up and running in your computer, youll be amazed to see how well it runs. The 1-terabyte version on sale now at Amazon for $90 runs at a brisk 560/530 MB per second, and its been compatibility tested for virtually all of the major host systems and applications, including chipsets, motherboards, NAS, and video recording devices.You can be confident that this is the only SSD replacement your computer or laptop will need for the foreseeable future the 870 EVO SSD is so reliable and durable that Samsung guarantees it with a warranty of 600 terabytes written or 5 years, whichever comes first.And while its working as your computers brain, its also self-monitoring with Samsungs Magician 7.1 software, automatically downloading and installing its own firmware updates, and giving you an easy to read dashboard so you can also monitor its performance and health.Its Not Brain SurgeryWell, it kind of is, but you most definitely do not need any advanced degrees or training to swap out your old hard drive and replace it with the Samsung 870 EVO SSD. Its an easy and intuitive process that begins with backing up your old SSD using Samsungs Migration Software, then after turning off your machine, opening it and removing the old SSD. The 870 EVO SSD plugs into the 2.5-inch SATA form factor with one smooth and easy motion, and once you close up the computer and reboot, the Samsung Migration Software guides you the rest of the way.Deals on new PCs and laptops are always tempting, but if your existing machine just needs more speed and power and capacity, you cant beat a $90 upgrade, especially when the new SSD is from industry-leading Samsung. The 1TB 870 EVO SSD is just $90 during this Amazon limited-time sale.See at Amazon

Pnoes Tinos Design Holiday Villas / Aristides Dallas ArchitectsSave this picture! Kirill SamaritsHospitality ArchitectureTinos Regional Unit, GreeceArchitects: Aristides Dallas ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:300 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Alumil, Box Interiors, Kafkas, VIOKEF, Zampelis, DAMASK, MARMYK ILIOPOULOS, PLAZA NUOVA, SARLAS, GTREZOS, SET., La Redoute, Kartell, Placed, Zara Home, Veranda, Box Interiors, THE ROUND BUTTON by Alexandra Papadimouli More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Pnos Tinos, a proud member of Design Hotels, is the first design holiday destination on the island of Tinos, Cyclades. Designed as a cluster of villas with private pools and gardens, Pnos embodies the spirit of the place in its architecture and hospitality philosophy, aimed at relaxation and regeneration. The architecture of Pnos is a physical manifestation of the elements that define the island. Earth, wind and water, shape the composition and materiality, and enrich the experience of living. Earth is expressed in cave-like habitats, conceptually carved out of the rock, defining an experience of utmost protection and intimacy. The subterranean bedroom spaces remain hidden and unexposed, as they subtly frame the scenery from the inside out, fostering an atmosphere of shade, privacy and introspection, warmed by earthy colours and tactile textures.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Wind is symbolized by three white-washed cubic shapes gently placed above of the earth. As they float, protecting the most intimate spaces, the airy white cubes open up to the uncompromising landscape. In a play of voids and solids, wind travels through and redefines aesthetic perception. Interpreting the Cycladic spirit, they are "the play of pure volumes under the sun", an endless light and shadow contrast, and a reference to the traditional medieval settlements of the island. Water surrounds the villas, creating reflections and softening the materiality of the forms. It sublimates the objects and the colours of land and sky, it provides serenity and introspection, it purifies and regenerates the senses.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The Gardens at PNOS Tinos blend permaculture principles with landscape design to create a sustainable, sensory-rich experience for guests. Designed by Richard Gerritsen, the Gardens feature fruit trees, Mediterranean herbs, a tea garden, a vegetable garden, and a corn circle, all emphasizing biodiversity and soil health. Native and heirloom species, edible ground covers, and flowers attract pollinators while enriching the soil through polyculture practices and worm hotels. Guests can relax amidst nature, enjoy fresh produce, and engage with the Tinian landscape, which tells a story of its unique aromas, flavors, and ecological harmony.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Tinos Regional Unit, GreeceLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 17, 2025Cite: "Pnoes Tinos Design Holiday Villas / Aristides Dallas Architects" 17 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025829/pnoes-tinos-design-holiday-villas-aristides-dallas-architects&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

An artist's concept of the Pandora mission, seen here without the thermal blanketing that will protect the spacecraft, observing a star and its transiting exoplanet. (Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsThe fictional Magic School Bus enables its passengers to explore scientific phenomena, such as dinosaurs. Now, a non-fictional Space Bus named Pandora is ready to investigate celestial mysteries, like exoplanets that orbit small stars.The team that conceived of and built Pandora consisting of scientists from institutions including NASA, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the University of Arizona announced its completion at an American Astronomical Society press briefing in Maryland. The Pandora satellite will study at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars. It will probe the makeup of their atmospheres especially looking for hazes, clouds and water.Learning About ExoplanetsPandora will begin its drive in the fall 2025, although there is not yet an official launch date. While naming the exploration vehicle a bus is standard practice when referring to any spacecraft body designed to carry scientific instrumentation, its use this time is especially apt. Pandora, like its cartoon counterpart, will be largely used by young scientists like graduate students and research fellows.Young Scientists at the WheelGiven that use, its appropriate that a young scientist conceived part of Pandoras capabilities to help solve a data collection issue experienced by the James Webb Space Telescope.Measuring the atmosphere of a planet passing its host star can be tricky. Instruments must capture the light spectrum both before and during the planets passage across the star, according to Daniel Apai, a University of Arizona researcher who helped design some of Pandoras instrumentation. If you do things well, the star can be cancelled out, says Apai. Only the spectral fingerprint of the planets atmosphere will remain.However, this calls for precision. Some host stars dont always cooperate. Spots or different patterns on some stars surfaces can contaminate measurements.Giving the Webb a Helping HandThe Webb telescope can only look at planets passing stars for a short period. Pandora is designed to take its time. Its instruments will focus on planets in transit around small stars for a longer period than the Webb can, and, in doing so, can help resolve any discrepancies with the Webb data. In 2018, Apais then graduate student Benjamin Rackham (now a researcher at MIT) proposed this approach.Pandora is flying to help clear up what part of the signal is coming from the host star and what part of the signal is coming from the planet, says Apai. Essentially, the Webb can take a snapshot of a planets passage, while Pandoras ability is more akin to filming a movie.Pandora is also noteworthy because it is one of the first projects to come out of the NASA Pioneers Program, which was created in 2020. Science moves so quickly that NASA wanted to have a path to respond to exciting science questions faster, Apai says. The new program funds smaller projects that are less costly than large ones. They may carry more risk, but the costs are relatively low especially in comparison to larger, more expensive projects like the Webb.University Mission ControlAnd, in keeping with the Magic Bus theme of encouraging younger people to take a larger role in science, Pandoras mission control will operate out of the University of Arizona where scientists will manage it there, rather than from at one of NASAs facilities. It's pretty exciting to bring mission operations so close and into a university campus, says Apai.Apai, other astrophysicists, and astronomy fans, can now begin the countdown to discovering more about exoplanets including potentially habitable ones in our solar system.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. Astrophysics PioneersBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Teotihuacn is about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City and was a major economic powerhouse between 100 BCE and 650 CE. Deposit PhotosShareArcheologists are reconstructing the history of the ancient megacity of Teotihuacn using the nearly 2,000-year-old remains of hundreds of animals and some humans. Recent expeditions in Mexico have uncovered 12 sets of human remains, along with over 200 sacrificed animals33 of which were complete animal skeletons. The findings are detailed in a new book written by University of California, Riverside anthropologist Nawa Sugiyama. 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.What was Teotihuacn?Teotihuacn was one of the first megacities in Western Hemisphere. It is located about 30 miles northeast of present day Mexico City and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. It dates back over 1,900 years and was an economic powerhouse between 100 BCE and 650 CE. Its believed that 100,000 people lived in Teotihuacn during its heyday, about 1,000 years before the Aztec civilization settled in the area.The remains of the large metropolis include multiple plazas, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. According to UNESCO, it was one of the most powerful cultural centers in Mesoamerica and the city extended its cultural and artistic influence throughout the region.Animals were also revered in Teotihuacn, with evidence that they were given as gifts, sacrificed, or venerated. Many of the animals found in the burial sites were also apex predators at the top of the local food chaingolden eagles, Mexican gray wolves, hawks, owls, falcons, jaguars, pumas, wolves, and even rattlesnakes.Thats really interesting from the zooarchaeology standpoint because theres a fundamental shift in the ways we know Indigenous communities understood these potent apex predators as active agents and mediators of the sky realm, the earth, and the underworld, Sugiyama said in a statement. They were also in conversation with and interacting, sometimes in very dangerous ways, with the human communities that were trying to make connections toand have power overhese natural sources of power themselves.CREDIT: UC Riverside. Aztec-size sacrificesWithin four dedicated chambers, Sugiyama and her team found the bones of 200 animal species. The largest of the chambers included 12 human remains and 100 animals. This is believed to be one of the most abundant cases of mass animal sacrifices ever found in Teotihuacn. They are comparable to the animal sacrifices conducted by the Aztec empire a millennium later. The Aztecs conducted ritual sacrifices often, offering 400 different animal species to their gods.Sugiyama studied their bone chemistry, which revealed new details about their sex, diet, age, and whether they were sacrificed dead or alive. A family crop was found to be a common denominator. Their diet was primarily maizeor corna primary staple food for humans in Mesoamerica. Many civilizations believed human beings were created from maize and it was important religious and cultural practices.I dont think its a mere coincidence, they were part of that process of creating a new politics, a new landscape, in which animals and humans coordinated one of the most ambitious ceremonial landscape constructions in ancient Mesoamerica, Sugiyama said.The team believes that this dedicatory chamber must have once been a State spectacle, that was potentially witnessed by thousands of people. Sacrifices in Teotihuacn were government-sanctioned ritual performances put on at the heart of the Moon Pyramid.Golden eagles remain goldenOne animal of particular importance in ancient Teotihuacn was the golden eagle. The large birds of prey with a roughly six to seven foot wing span is still held in high regard in the area today and is featured in the center of Mexicos flag.Sugiyamas excavation has uncovered 18 golden eagles that are believed to represent the 18 months in Teotihuacns 365-day calendar. The eagles can help archeologists reimagine what the dedicatory ceremony may have looked like 2,000 years ago. Sugiyama believes that the birds were carried in by State officials on their forearm or shoulder through Teotihuacns main corridor leading down the Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead) to the endpoint at the Moon Pyramid.We are able to see the matter in which ancient Teotihuacanos materialized, felt, heard, created space, and understood their cosmos directly through the messages that are provided to us archeologists through the material remains of the bones that are speaking to us 2,000 years later, Sugiyama said. Win the Holidays with PopSci's Gift GuidesShopping for, well, anyone? The PopSci teams holiday gift recommendations mean youll never need to buy another last-minute gift card.SEE GIFT GUIDES

Nature, Published online: 16 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00163-7Artificial intelligence-designed proteins could block the deadly effects of snake venom. Plus, who are sciences winners and losers under Trump 2.0?