LatestMachine LearningBayesian State-Space Neural Networks (BSSNN): A Novel Framework for Interpretable and Probabilistic Neural Models 0 like January 20, 2025Share this postLast Updated on January 20, 2025 by Editorial TeamAuthor(s): Shenggang Li Originally published on Towards AI. Integrating Bayesian Theory, State-Space Dynamics, and Neural Network Structures for Enhanced Probabilistic ForecastingThis member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Photo by Planet Volumes on UnsplashWhen building supervised learning models, such as predicting binary outcomes, traditional neural networks excel at making accurate predictions but often lack the ability to explain why the target behaves in a certain way. Thats where the Bayesian State-Space Neural Network (BSSNN) offers a novel solution. Ive developed this framework to explicitly model the conditional probability of the target variable given the inputs, combining high prediction accuracy with interpretability. By integrating Bayesian probability, state-space modeling, and neural network structures, BSSNN provides a flexible and insightful approach to machine learning.BSSNN merges three core strengths: Bayesian principles to quantify uncertainty and ensure interpretability, state-space modeling to capture temporal or sequential dependencies, and neural networks to handle complex, nonlinear relationships. Unlike conventional models that only focus on predicting the target, BSSNN goes further by modeling the dynamic relationships between inputs and outputs, making it particularly useful for multivariate or time-dependent data.Ive also extended BSSNN to predict Xy, flipping the traditional direction of inference. This means instead of only predicting outcomes, we can now explore what input features are associated with specific outcomes. For example, in a binary classification Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

The developer of Days Gone has said it still plans to create cool s**t after parent company Sony canceled its unannounced live-service game.Last week, Sony canceled two unannounced live-service games that were in development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. The Bluepoint game was reportedly a live-service God of War game, according to Bloombergs Jason Schreier. Bend Studios live-service game remains unknown.A Sony spokesperson confirmed the cancellations to Bloomberg, adding that neither studio will be closed and that it will work with each to determine next projects.Sony's live-service push has struggled significantly. While Arrowheads Helldivers 2 was a breakout hit, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, Sonys other live-service games were either canceled or suffered disastrous launches.Indeed, Sonys Concord is one of the biggest video game disasters in PlayStation history, lasting just a couple of weeks before it was brought offline amid drastically low player numbers. Sony later decided to kill the game entirely and shut its developer. The Concord flop came after Sony had already canceled Naughty Dogs The Last of Us multiplayer game. Last week, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida said he would have tried to resist Sonys controversial live-service video game push, were he in the position of current Sony Interactive Entertainment Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst.In a tweet, Bend Studio community manager Kevin McAllister issued a short message to the developer's fans: Thanks for the love and support everyone, especially to those that have reached out. P.S. We still plan on creating cool shit.As it stands, Bend Studio's last release was 2019s Days Gone on PlayStation 4. It launched on PC in 2021.In a recent financial call, Sony president, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki said the company had learned lessons from both the record-breaking launch of Helldivers 2 earlier this year and Concords failure. On Concord specifically, Totoki said Sony should have run its development gates such as user testing or internal evaluation much earlier than we did.Currently we are still in the process of learning, Totoki admitted. Basically, with regards to new IP, of course you dont know the result until you actually try it. So for our reflection, probably we need to have a lot of gates, including user testing or internal evaluation, and the timing of such gates, we need to bring them forward. We should have done those gates much earlier than we did.The suggestion here from Totoki was that Sony should have noticed and reacted to Concords issues earlier in the development process, presumably so that it could have improved the game before launch or canceled it.Totoki then went on to point fingers at Sonys siloed organization and Concords release window, which may have caused cannibalisation. Concord launched in August, not long after smash hit Black Myth: Wukong hit PS5 and PC.We have a siloed organization, so going beyond the boundaries of those organizations in terms of development and also sales, I think that could have been much smoother, Totoki said.And then going forward, in our own titles and in third-party titles, we do have many different windows. And we want to be able to select the right and optimal window so that we can deploy them on our own platform without cannibalisation, so that we can maximize our performance in terms of title launches.During the same financial call, Sony senior vice president for finance and IR Sadahiko Hayakawa compared the launches of Helldivers 2 and Concord, saying lessons learned would be shared throughout the business.We launched two live-service games this year, he said. Helldivers 2 was a huge hit, while Concord ended up being shut down. We gained a lot of experience and learned a lot from both.We intend to share the lessons learned from our successes and failures across our studios, including in the areas of title development management as well as the process of continually adding expanded content and scaling the service after its release so as to strengthen our development management system.We intend to build on an optimum title portfolio during the current mid-range plan period that combines single-player games which are our strengths and which have a higher predictability of becoming hits due to our proven IP with live-service games that pursue upside while taking on a certain amount of risk upon release.Looking to the future, a number of PlayStation live service games remain in the works, including Bungies Marathon, Guerrillas Horizon Online, and Haven Studios Fairgame$.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Its a cruel time for new TV series that dont immediately hit. There are no participation awards or points for trying in the world of television commissioning; its succeed or die.Unfortunately for the UK shows below, they didnt win a big enough audience or enough plaudits to keep them going, and so their respective channels and streamers have ushered them onto the great TV ice floe and floated them off into the horizon. From raucous superpowers comedy Extraordinary on Disney+, to Happy-Valley-meets-Stranger-Things horror fantasy Passenger on ITV, here are the British TV series that wont be back for another round.Well keep this list updated, so check back for new entries as and when cancellation news is announced.DRAMAPassenger (ITV)Andrew Buchans dark mystery set in a small Yorkshire town was a fun combination of horror staples and drily Northern humour. The six-parter had a great cast led by Lokis Wunmi Mosaku, and told a twisting fantasy conspiracy story that drew on all kinds of horror influences. Its a shame to see it go unfinished.Shardlake (Disney+)Adapted from the popular series of Tudor-set crime mystery novels by CJ Sansom, Shardlake was the story of a 16th century lawyer corralled into doing Thomas Cromwells dirty work during the Reformation. The first four-part series starred Arthur Hughes in the title role, and was written by The Last Kingdoms Stephen Butchard based on Sansoms Dissolution the first of seven novels which now wont be seen on screen in this iteration.The Tower (ITV)Three series isnt a bad innings for a new UK crime drama, though The Towers procedural format meant that it could have gone on and on. It starred Game of Thrones and Upstart Crows Gemma Whelan as a detective sniffing out corruption on the force, and its 11 existing episodes are available to stream on ITVX in the UK.Renegade Nell (Disney+)Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax, changed gears for this period-set fantasy which told the story of a rambunctious young woman in 18th century England who uses her mysterious super-strength to fight for the poor and oppressed. Renegade Nell was a lot of fun and precisely the kind of show that would once have been on BBC One on a Saturday teatime, but struggled to find its audience in the here and now.Everything Now (Netflix)Teen drama Everything Now was the story of Mia, a sixth former determined to catch up on everything teenage life has to offer after a long spell away from the world recovering from an eating disorder. It didnt connect with enough YA viewers to sustain a second series on Netflix.Constellation (Apple TV+)Doctor Who writer Peter Harness was behind this intriguing space mystery for Apple TV+. Unfortunately, the streamer declined to continue the story of astronauts who came back from space different, so thats the last well see of its complex scientific ideas, parallel timelines and creepy atmosphere.KAOS (Netflix)Netflix cancelled Greek myth series Kaos in record time (we wrote about it here), proving that big-budget, starry-cast, multi-location dramas with imagination in spades need to get popular fast or theres no future for them. With a top cast led by Jeff Goldblum and Janet McTeer, Charlie Covells imaginative, witty, meaningful series will live on in the hearts of fans.The Winter King (MGM+/ITVX)This historical action series based on a series of Bernard Cornwell novels didnt fare as well as its long-running brother The Last Kingdom (which was rescued from BBC cancellation by Netflix after series two). A fantasy drama revisiting the myths surrounding King Arthur, it starred Agents of SHIELDs Iain de Caestecker in the lead role, with Eddie Marsan in a cameo role as his father Uther. It aired in late 2023 in the UK and was announced as cancelled in September 2024.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!COMEDYSet in a world where superpowers are the norm, Extraordinary tells the story of chaotic twentysomething Jen, her search for answers as to why shes still power-free, and her unpredictable flatmates dealing with their own special abilities. This rude, fun fantasy comedy did better than most of the shows on this list by making it all the way to a second series. A third however, isnt coming, which is a pity for such an imaginative and likeable series.The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (Apple TV+)News broke this month that the second series of nonsense-history series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin was being scrapped midway through filming after reports that lead Noel Fielding had not returned to set following the Christmas break. The Franchise (HBO/Sky)This satirical look at franchise movie-making from Jon Brown (Succession, Avenue 5, Dead Pixels), and produced by Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes wont enter phase two. The show, which is set behind-the-scenes of a fictional superhero studio, hoped to skewer the excesses and egos of modern moviemaking, but failed to draw a big enough audience or enthusiastic enough reviews to follow its fake cast and crew into a second season.Time Bandits (Apple TV+)A Taika Waititi-produced new take on the classic 1980s Terry Gilliam kids adventure movie, this family-aimed series was plagued by production difficulties and never really took off, despite the efforts of a fun cast including Lisa Kudrow. It was cancelled after just one series.Avoidance (BBC One)Romesh Ranganathan confirmed on his and Tom Davis Wolf and Owl podcast that his BBC One comedy co-starring Jessica Knappett and Lisa McGrillis about a recently separated dad with no backbone wont be returning for a third series.

Its been a tumultuous several days for TikTok in the United States. The app went offline on Saturday night and was removed from the App Store by Apple. On Sunday afternoon, however, TikTok restored service in the United States thanks to necessary clarity provided by President Trump. Despite TikTok being online once again in the United States, however, the app remains unavailable from the App Store. Heres what you need to know about that ever-evolving situation. A brief timeline of the TikTok dramaIn April of 2024, President Biden signed a ban that gave TikToks China-linked parent company to divest the app within the next nine months or else face a ban in the United States. That timeline expired on January 19. TikTok subsequently went dark in the United States on January 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The company was under no obligation to go dark, but chose to do so anyway. Instead, TikToks partners like web host Oracle, app store providers like Apple and Google, were tasked with enforcing the ban under the federal law. Moments later, Apple removed TikTok from the App Store in the United States and said it is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.At around 12:30 p.m. on January 19, TikTok announced it was in the process of restoring service in the United States. The company said that President Trump had provided the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing. Even as TikTok came back online in the United States, Apple has not added TikTok back to the App Store. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have also not added the app back to their respective app stores. This is because Oracle and its partners have decided to take the risk of hundreds of billions of dollars in fines under the assurance provided by Trump that he will not enforce the ban. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, however, are seemingly not willing to take that risk, as we explained this morning. What does this mean for TikTok users? If youre an iPhone user, this means a few different things. First, if you already have TikTok on your iPhone, you can access the service. Apple did not remove the TikTok app from anyones device, nor did Apple play any role in blocking access to the service for existing users. TikTok is still unavailable on the App Store, preventing new users from downloading it. Previous TikTok users who deleted the app also cant re-download it. Moreover, TikTok cant receive updates through the App Store. The last update was released last week. Most of the normal functionality is available in the TikTok app for iPhone now that TikTok itself has restored access to the service. For example, TikToks physical goods storefront, known as TikTok Shop, is fully functional via the iPhone app and Apple Pay is a payment option. However, the situation around digital purchases made with Apples In-App Purchase system is slightly different.In-App Purchases made before the TikTok federal ban went into effect on Saturday night are fully accessible. You cannot, however, make new In-App Purchases in the TikTok app for iPhone. This is because Apple cannot legally enable this functionality under the rules of the federal ban. You can make digital purchases via the TikTok website and those purchases can be accessed via the TikTok app on iPhone. What happens next for TikTok remains to be seen. As I was writing this story, President Trump was officially sworn into office. Trump has suggested he will delay enforcement of the TikTok ban by 90 days. Trump also said he would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture for TikTok. Whether that is something ByteDance is willing to accept remains to be seen. My favorite iPhone accessories: Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Jan 20, 2025Ravie LakshmananAndroid / MalwareThe Threat actor known as DoNot Team has been linked to a new Android malware as part of highly targeted cyber attacks.The artifacts in question, named Tanzeem (meaning "organization" in Urdu) and Tanzeem Update, were spotted in October and December 2024 by cybersecurity company Cyfirma. The apps in question have been found to incorporate identical functions, barring minor modifications to the user interface."Although the app is supposed to function as a chat application, it does not work once installed, shutting down after the necessary permissions are granted," Cyfirma noted in a Friday analysis. "The app's name suggests that it is designed to target specific individuals or groups both inside and outside the country."DoNot Team, also tracked as APT-C-35, Origami Elephant, SECTOR02, and Viceroy Tiger, is a hacking group believed to be of Indian origin, with historical attacks leveraging spear-phishing emails and Android malware families to gather information of interest.In October 2023, the threat actor was linked to a previously undocumented .NET-based backdoor called Firebird targeting a handful of victims in Pakistan and Afghanistan.It's currently not clear who the exact targets of the latest malware were, although it's suspected that they were used against specific individuals with the aim of collecting intelligence gathering against internal threats.A notable aspect of the malicious Android app is the use of OneSignal, a popular customer engagement platform used by organizations to send push notifications, in-app messages, emails, and SMS messages. Cyfirma theorized that the library is being abused to send notifications containing phishing links that lead to malware deployment.Regardless of the distribution mechanism used, the app displays a fake chat screen upon installation and urges the victim to click a button named "Start Chat." Doing so triggers a message that instructs the user to grpermissionions to the accessibility services API, thus allowing it to perform various nefarious actions. The app also requests access to several sensitive permissions that facilitate the collection of call logs, contacts, SMS messages, precise locations, account information, and files present in external storage. Some of the other features include capturing screen recordings and establishing connections to a command-and-control (C2) server."The collected samples reveal a new tactic involving push notifications that encourage users to install additional Android malware, ensuring the persistence of the malware on the device," Cyfirma said."This tactic enhances the malware's ability to remain active on the targeted device, indicating the threat group's evolving intentions to continue participating in intelligence gathering for national interests."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

The 1990s might just be the last decade to have its own truly unique, recognizable style. Whether or not we were into the music, most of us went through even just a little grunge phase and embraced the look that came with it.RELATED |The Good, Bad and the Unforgettable: Iconic Photos of the 80sTheres a joke that some kids today think Nirvana is a brand, not a band. But the 90s were about more than grunge they had a style all their own.Colorful iMacsGetty Imagesloading...In 1999, Apple unveiled five new iMac colors and lowered the price Steve Jobs announced the companys remarkable comeback.The 90s: A Slower Era on the Brink of Rapid ChangeIn many ways, the 1990s were the last pre-HD era, a time when everything wasnt instant.Images on internet (watch below for reference) took ages to load, TV shows aired on a set schedule, and packages didnt arrive with the click of a button.RELATED |TIME WARP: 79 Photos That Scream Life in the '70sThe 90s felt like a decade where time sped up the closer you got to Y2K. Dial-up internet revolutionized the way we communicated (though it feels laughably quaint now), and Friends reshaped TV comedy. And lets not forget everyone wanted the Rachel haircut.The Rachel Haircut - Jennifer AnistonGetty Imagesloading...THE 'RACHEL': This photo was probably ripped from many magazines and handed to millions of hairstylists.OPPOSITES: Grunge and Bubblegum PopIt was also a decade of contradictions, too. Grunge dominated fashion and music, yet bubblegum pop and boy bands ruled the charts. If you werent on TRL in the late-90s, could you even call yourself famous? Keep scrolling for the iconic '90s photos.But the 90s were about more than entertainment, fads, and fashion. It was a time of major milestones and change. The 1995 O.J. Simpson trial ushered in the relentless 24-hour news cycle, while the (say it out loud) World Wide Web began connecting the globe in ways we never imagined.So, lets be kind and rewind to a time of Tamagotchis, Titanic, beepers and boy band battles.LOOK: Relive the 90s in These Iconic PhotosThese photos capture the good, the grungy, and the groundbreaking moments that defined the 90s and left their mark on history and pop culture.Gallery Credit: Stephen LenzREAD MORE: Beloved 90s Foods That No Longer ExistGet our free mobile appTotally 80s: The Pictures That Take You BackTake a nostalgic journey through the '80s with these iconic photoscapturing the fashion, toys, and unforgettable news events that left a lasting impact on a generation. Keep scrolling to relive the moments that defined the decade.Gallery Credit: Stephen LenzFiled Under: Friends, Seinfeld, UCRCategories: Galleries, Longform, Special Features, TV News

Essex mixed-use project to be located in Nigel Farages constituencyThe multi-storey car parkProposed Carnarvon Terrace buildingsSketch of the plans from an aerial view, showing the residential block and multi-storey car parkPlan of the site1/6show captionConran & Partners has submitted plans for a mixed-use regeneration scheme in Nigel Farages constituency in Essex.The 28-home development in Clacton-on-Sea will include 40% affordable housing, a series of council-run workspaces and a multi-storey car park.Clacton is among the most deprived towns in the East of England and was awarded 36.7m in Levelling Up funds from the government in 2023 to regenerate its town centre.Conrans scheme, designed for Tendring district council, is part of a wider 30m initiative aiming to create a new civic quarter in the centre of the seaside town.The project will regenerate an existing car park on the site which has become notorious for antisocial behaviour, aiming to create pedestrian-friendly areas and a new green gateway to the seafront.The four-storey residential block, Carnarvon Terrace, has been designed to act as the frontage of the wider scheme with the workspace further into the site including green public realm spaces for resting and play.The four-storey multi-storey car park, located next to an existing supermarket, will feature an exposed steel frame as part of an honest design approach intended to pay homage to the historic seaside character of the town.Proposed Carnarvon Terrace buildingsConran & Partners said it had drawn inspiration from Clactons Victorian heritage and its piers playful architecture in designing the scheme and choosing its material palette.The firms associate director Nick Edler said: Acting as a catalyst for Clacton-on-Seas long-term vision, our scheme reclaims green space and reinstates the finer urban grain typical of British towns.We are giving back to the local community with new council-run spaces, while creating a moment of pause - a green stepping stone - between the station and the seafront.The application was submitted just before Christmas and is expected to go to a planning committee in around three months.

If you struggle with sleep issues, you're not alone. It's estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans currently experience a sleep disorder, with over one-third of adults not sleeping enough. It's enough of a problem that about one in three adults nap daily to help make up the difference.Adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleepeach night, but with life's stresses, it can be difficult to find the rest your body needs. However, with these tips and tricks of the trade, you can find yourself counting sheep that much faster -- and staying asleep longer.How much sleep do I need?Adults should sleep between seven and nine hours each night. Appropriate amounts of sleep for children vary by age, with experts recommending naps for those under 7 years of old. If you're concerned about how much you may be sleeping (or not sleeping), you can use a sleep tracker to help keep tabs on your sleep schedule.Recommended Sleep by AgeAgeRecommended sleepBabies (Under 4 months)VariesBabies (4 months to 1 year old)12 to 16 hoursYoung Children (1 to 2 years old)11 to 14 hoursMiddle-Aged Children (3 to 5 years old)10 to 13 hoursOlder Children (6 to 12 years old)9 to 12 hoursTeens (13 to 18 years old)8 to 10 hoursAdults (19 years and older)7 to 9 hoursSource: National Heart, Lung and Blood InstituteHow can I improve my sleep quality?It's important to consider not just the quantity of sleep but alsosleep qualityto achieve truly restorative rest. Change your sleep habits before bed, incorporating relaxing activities like reading a book, taking a bath, meditating or having a cup of tea. Avoid electronics and artificial light and take magnesium before bed.How can I get a better night's sleep? Halfpoint Images/Getty ImagesConsider how your room is set up for sleep. For example, room-darkening curtains can block out extra light so you can sleep in on those lazy Saturdays. If your mattress is lumpy, consider upgrading to one of ourfavorite mattresses for more restful sleep without the tossing and turning. There is also a ton ofsleep tech to help you sleep faster and longer, such assleep headphones, sleep apps, smart sleep masks and white noise machines.How does age affect sleep?As we age, we tend to sleep less. The average sleep decreases to a nightly 6.5 to 7 hours, and it becomes harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, with older adults waking up an average of three or four times per night. This can be due to frequent urination, anxiety, insomnia and discomfort from chronic illnesses.What can I do if I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?Make your bedroom ready for sleep by dimming the lights, adding light-blocking curtains and lowering the temperature. Try to exercise during the day and limit your caffeine and alcohol intake before bed. Our Wellness Editors also suggest theirfavorite sleep products, such as the Drowsy Sleep Mask or Hatch Restore 2 Sunrise Alarm Clock. You can also use effectivesleep tips, like the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep hack, to fall asleep faster and enjoy more restful sleep.Is napping beneficial?There are several benefits of napping, including less fatigue, greater alertness and improved performance. You can also benefit from better memory and a faster reaction time to stimuli. However, daytime napping could affect your sleep at night. Some research also links naps longer than an hour to high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.How does food affect sleep?Alcohol is a well-known sleep deterrent, but there are other foods and beverages that can deter sleep. Spicy and acidic foods should be avoided as they can cause heartburn at night. Foods that are high in fat and protein can make you sleepy during the day, but complex carbohydrates can be a great option for before bed. Dmytro Betsenko/Getty ImagesWhat are the signs of a sleep disorder?Mayo Clinic lists several symptoms of sleep disorders, which include excessive fatigue during the day and trouble falling or staying asleep at night. You may experience tingly feelings in your arms or legs, or you may move too much in your sleep and grind your teeth. Abnormalities in breathing, such as snoring, snorting or gasping for breath, can also signify a sleep disorder. If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of a sleep disorder, ask your doctor for help. What happens if I don't get enough sleep?If you don't get enough sleep, it can impact your immune system, increasing your risk of getting sick. It can evenresult in chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, shortening your life expectancy. Instead of risking your health, consider thesetips to take charge of your sleep habits.What can I do if I wake up a lot during the night to pee?Nocturia, or frequent urination at night, can disrupt your sleep quality. To help, try to avoid eating and drinking before bedand limiting alcohol and caffeine. Take any medications earlier in the day when possible, and be sure to use the bathroom before bed. If you're concerned about nocturia, contact your doctor, as medication may be needed.What side is best to sleep on?If you're a side sleeper, the best side for you to sleep on will depend on a few factors. For example, sleeping on your left side might be better for people with acid reflux or if you're pregnant. Meanwhile, sleeping on your right side may be best for heart conditions.Why do I feel so tired?It's easy to feel exhausted from daily stressors. Lifestyle issues, lack of exercise and certain medications can all make it hard to sleep soundly at night. You may also be experiencing poor sleep habits, which can interfere with quality of sleep. That's why WebMD recommends you maintain the three pillars of health: sleep, diet and exercise. By maintaining a healthy diet and working out regularly, it's been proven that you can enjoy a better sleep schedule.Why do we dream?Much is still to be studied about why we dream, with experts holding different theories as studies continue. Some experts believe it's an important cognitive function that reinforces memory, while others believe it's a way of emotional management. It can be the brain's way of processing the day's events and clearing away unneeded information. Some experts believe that dreams have no meaning at all and are simply a natural part of sleep that hold no deeper meaning.

January 20, 20253 min readPeeing Is Contagious among ChimpsJust as people often yawn or scratch themselves when they see someone else do so, for chimpanzees, peeing is contagiousBy Meghan Bartels edited by Sarah Lewin FrasierChimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) urinating in tree, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, Africa. Eric Baccega/Nature Picture Library/Alamy Stock PhotoSome primates pee together. Ena Onishi already knew thatJapanese even has a word for when humans go off to the restroom together: tsureshon. Still, Onishi became curious when she noticed the behavior among the chimpanzees she was observing as a doctoral student at Kyoto University Wildlife Research Center. She knew about well-studied contagious behaviors, such as yawning in humans, and wondered whether the chimps might be displaying contagious urination.In a new paper, published on Monday in Current Biology, Onishi and her co-authors found that monkey see, monkey do does indeed appear to hold true for these chimpanzees (even though theyre not technically monkeys). Even more intriguingly, each animals status in the social hierarchy seems to influence which one pees and when. The finding represents the first known scientific study of contagious urination, according to the authors.Its not something I would have ever thought to study, for sure, says Matthew Campbell, a psychologist at California State University Channel Islands, who was not involved in the new research but has studied contagious behavior in chimpanzees. I thought it was clever and novel, and it leads to a lot of interesting questions.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Onishi and her colleagues studied 20 chimpanzees, mostly males, that lived in four groups in Kyoto Universitys Kumamoto Sanctuary between 2019 and 2021. The researchers gathered more than 600 hours of video footage of the endangered primates, then identified when each animal peed and where they were at the time. It was a bit overwhelming because I didnt know if I would get meaningful results or if all that effort would end up being for nothing, Onishi says. It was definitely nerve-racking at times!On the surface, it may seem like a silly topic, but it actually gets at something thats rather fundamental. Matthew Campbell, psychologistBy comparing the observations with computer simulations of randomized peeing, Onishi and her colleagues determined that, indeed, the chimpanzees were more likely to urinate within 60 seconds of one another than they would if they were behaving randomly. Distance also mattered: animals within just a few feet of the first chimp to go were much more likely to follow suit than chimps located 10 or more feet away.But perhaps the most interesting analysis came when Onishi and her colleagues considered social relationships among the peeing chimpanzees. They were surprised to find that a chimp that was pals with the first animal to pee wasnt any more likely to follow suit. But a chimp that was less dominant than the first to go was more vulnerable to contagious peeing.I initially expected that if social influences existed, they might resemble those seen in yawningsuch as stronger contagion between socially close pairs, Onishi says. Instead we observed a clear influence of social rank, with lower-ranking individuals being more likely to follow the urination of others.The new paper is just a first report, so plenty of additional research is needed to understand the phenomenonand what insight it sheds on chimpanzees lives. For example, scientists could do a similar analysis in wild animals, although Onishi expects the results would likely be consistent. Campbell also wonders whether the apparent synchronized peeing led by dominant chimps merely reflects the groups daily routines, in which relocations are orchestrated by the leading animal and may prompt a pre-road-trip bathroom stop.Study co-author Shinya Yamamoto, a professor at Kyoto University, says that the finding makes him think about chimps a little differently. This strengthens my impression of chimpanzees as social animals, he says. This study shows that even their physiological aspects are influenced by their social contexts.Campbell notes that depending on how precisely the behavior is transmitted between animals, the finding may also help to reveal how a chimpanzee understands its own body and whether it has a concept of urination. How this is working and what it means for the mental life of a chimpanzee, thats really the intriguing part to me, he says. On the surface, it may seem like a silly topic, but it actually gets at something thats rather fundamental.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film concept art reveals cut content and secret charactersFilm out digitally tomorrow.Image credit: Tian He Yan Studio News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 20, 2025 Concept art for the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film has been released, revealing cut content and a look at secret characters from the post-credits scene.The images are from Chinese designers at Tian He Yan Studio, shared earlier today on Weibo (some film spoilers ahead!).Coincidentally, the images have been released a day before the film becomes available digitally, just a month after its release in cinemas.Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Official Trailer 2Watch on YouTube"This time we are mainly responsible for the drawing of some keyframes and some character modeling," reads the post from Tian He Yan Studio. "The keyframe concept map helps to establish the tone style of the film, and can also assist in guiding the work of visual effects."Most of the images depict key events from the film. There's Shadow and Maria meeting, Eggman watching a telenovela, Super Sonic and Super Shadow battling in space, and that adorable Chao Garden restaurant scene.But there's more. Knuckles and Tails are seen riding a motorbike through the streets of London chased by a giant ball of debris, like something out of the Katamari games, in what I presume was a cut action sequence. Another image shows the three Sonic heroes in flight as they escape some sort of sand explosion, with Knuckles covered in scorpions. Image credit: Tian He Yan StudioTwo images are most interesting of all, though, showing both Amy Rose and Metal Sonic. Both of these characters are teased in the film's post-credit scene - it's unclear from this artwork if they were originally intended for this film instead, or if this artwork was created solely for their reveals.Either way, this could be an indication of what to expect in the confirmed film sequel Sonic 4. Amy, for instance, is seen standing over Sonic just as she does in her reveal, though there's a large destroyed robot that's not the Metal Sonic we see in Sonic 3. What's going on in the background? Image credit: Tian He Yan StudioThe other image shows Metal Sonic alongside Eggman wearing some sort of elaborate emperor garb, a cyberpunk-esque metropolis in the background. This was certainly not part of Sonic 3, with fans suggesting it could be some sort of bad future. If true, it would line up with theories the next film will be inspired by the time-travelling Sonic CD. Image credit: Tian He Yan StudioIf you're yet to see the film, or wish to watch it again, it'll be available digitally tomorrow (21st January).To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Last week, the animator behind the film's low poly credit sequence detailed its creation - including designing the first ever Classic Shadow."Sega and Paramount more closely align game and film worlds for an authentic Sonic romp with added Keanu cool," reads our film review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.