This artists visualization of WASP-127b, a giant gas planet located about 520 light-years from Earth, shows its newly discovered supersonic jet winds that move around the planets equator. With a speed of 9 km per second (33 000 km/h), this is the fastest jet stream of its kind ever measured in the Universe. (Credit: ESO/L. Calada)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsPrepare to be blown away: Astronomers have recorded the most powerful planetary wind thus far a force that pummels a giant exoplanet with gales faster than the speed of sound.The jet stream sweeps WASP-127bs equator at over 20,000 miles per hour. Thats about 1,000 times more powerful than the gales that buffet Mt. Washington in New Hampshire one of the windiest places on Earth. The exoplanets winds blow 18 times faster than those on Neptune, which has the strongest winds ever measured in the Solar System.The discovery, made by using the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope (ESOs VLT) in Chile, was published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.Surpassing Wind RecordsThe massive gas planet is a tad larger than Jupiter but has a fraction of its mass. Ever since WASP-127bs discovery in 2016 (over 500 light years from Earth) astronomers have been fascinated by how its atmosphere behaves and the extreme weather it produces.Part of the atmosphere of this planet is moving towards us at a high velocity while another part is moving away from us at the same speed, Lisa Nortmann, a scientist at the University of Gttingen, Germany, and lead author of the study said in a press release. This signal shows us that there is a very fast, supersonic, jet wind around the planets equator.The jet winds move almost six times faster than the speed of the planets rotation. This is something we havent seen before, Nortmann said.Measuring Particle MovementThe astronomers first measured how the light of WASP-127bs host star travels through the planet's upper atmosphere. Then they probed its composition, finding both water vapor and carbon monoxide molecules there. Finally, they clocked the speed at which these molecules moved.They were astounded by its speed. But they were also surprised to see that one side of the atmosphere moved toward the telescope and the other side blew away. The researchers concluded that powerful jet stream winds around the equator explained that phenomenon. As on Earth, the WASP-127bs poles are cooler than the rest of the planet. Temperatures shift slightly between its morning and evening sides. New Frontiers in Space WeatherThe field of exoplanet research is rapidly advancing. But it faces some limitations. For example, weather studies like this one can only be conducted with ground-based telescopes. The instruments mounted on existing space telescopes lack the ability to measure wind velocity with the necessary precision.Bigger, stronger instruments, like ESOs Extremely Large Telescope (under construction close to the VLT in Chile) may allow researchers to look for extreme planetary weather even farther away. That leaves us with the question of how long will this wind record last?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:Astronomy & Astrophysics. CRIRES+ transmission spectroscopy of WASP-127 bBefore 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.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

President Trump's embrace of fossil fuels could lead to even more oil and gas-powered AI data centers. Credit: J. David Ake/Getty ImagesShareSome of the biggest names in tech came together this week to announce Stargate, a project they say will receive $500 billion in investment for US-based artificial intelligence infrastructure. The joint venture, spearheaded by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, aims to rapidly build out colossal new data centers crucial to future AI development. It will also prop-up new electricity plants needed to power these notoriously energy-intensive AI models.Stargate already has the blessing of newly-inaugurated president Donald Trump who this week said he has plans to unleash the US fossil fuel industry. Looser regulations on oil and gas extraction will make fossil fuels the obvious, cheapest choice to power Stargates ambitious AI agenda. American AI companies, some of which have publicly committed to offsetting carbon emissions with green energy sources, may now be poised to double down on fossil fuels during a second administration. Drill baby drill is coming for AI.What is Stargate?Donald Trump discussed how Stargate might play out during a press conference Tuesday night. Standing beside him were three of the plans key architectsOracle Co-founder Larry Ellison, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. In theory, the project aims to open up $500 billion in funding to build out new, US-based data centers meant to power AI in the coming years. SoftBank is the primary funder of the entity, and OpenAI will be responsible for the projects operations. Critics, including close Trump ally Elon Musk, have questioned whether or not the companies can actually secure the amount of investment theyve promised. Regardless, Stargate partners say they are already deploying $100 billion to build out the first set of data centers in Texas. Writing in a blog post this week, OpenAI said the multiyear efforts could ultimately create hundreds of thousands of US jobs and secure American leadership in AI.I think this will be the most important project of this era, Altman told Trump during the Tuesday press conference. We wouldnt be able to do this without you, Mr. President.All of that development cant come soon enough for AI firms. Companies, both in the US and abroad, are racing to ship products and constantly upgrade their AI capabilities. That all requires troves of data and servers which need to be housed in energy-intensive data centers. A Goldman Sachs forecast released last year estimated that data centers like these could account for 8 percent of total US electricity consumption by 2026, up nearly threefold from just 3 percent in 2022. To put that in perspective, The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates power demand from AI and cryptocurrency together will likely add at least one Sweden or at most one Germany in terms of electricity demand by next year. Those estimates were made prior to Trumps 2024 win. Now, with the presidents vocal support of Stargate, the total number of data centers and the electricity they demand may soar even higher.AIs insatiable energy appetiteNewer advancements in generative AI are uniquely responsible for a recent spike in electric usage. AI researcher Jesse Dodge told NPR last year he estimates a single question posed to OpenAIs ChatGPT may require as much energy as it takes to power a lightbulb for 20 minutes. Queries sent to large language models (LLMs), which were trained on trillions of parameters of data reportedly require 10 times the amount of energy as a simple Google search. Energy consumption increases even further with more complex AI-generated content. Studies have shown a single image created by an AI model like DALL-E may require around the same amount of electricity needed to fully charge a smartphone. AI-generated video requires even more electricity.And even though major tech companies like Google and Apple have publicly committed to ambitious renewable energy policy goals, much of this new AI electricity demand is currently being met by coal and natural gas. Google released a sustainability report last year revealing its greenhouse gas emissions had actually shot up 48 percent since 2019, a figure they attributed to further integrat[ing] AI into our products. Microsoft, which supports OpenAI, published its own report admitting its greenhouse gas emissions had risen by 29 percentsince 2020. They arent alone. Analysts at Goldman Sachs say growing energy requirements propelled forward by the broader AI race are leading to power demand the likes of which hasnt been seen in a generation.Nuclear and green energy investments wont cut itTech companies have made some efforts in recent years to try to satiate their growing energy appetite with renewable sources. Collectively, these companies have spent billions on wind and solar projects intended to offset their use of fossil fuels. The biggest players like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are also investing hundreds of millions of dollars into upgrading existing and creating entirely new nuclear power plants. Utility companies are even considering restarting decommissioned reactors to get in on the action as well. In theory, these could one day provide reliable and clean around-the-clock energy to support AIs energy while keeping carbon emissions at bay.But new nuclear plants will take years or even decades to become fully operational. Companies want the extra power now. The AI race isnt waiting for nuclear or even geothermal power to mature. Energy experts previously told Popular ScienceI think that the world is not prepared for what is about to happen in terms of AI demand, Jamie Beard, executive director of Project InnerSpace, a nonprofit focused on promoting geothermal power, told Popular Science.Trumps message to AI: Drill baby drillA new Trump administration is already making it easier to power data centers with fossil fuels. In the three days since being sworn in, President Trump has declared a so-called national energy emergency and committed to rolling back key Biden Administration climate pledges. Trump has already rolled black restrictions on drilling for oil in Alaska, overturned auto emissions standards, and lifted a pause on approvals for applications to export liquified natural gas. Though legally dubious, experts say a first-of-its-kind energy emergency may grant Trump the ability to fast-track new permits for fossil fuel infrastructure which, in turn, could increase energy supply and lower costs for data center owners. All of this, Trump said during his inauguration is meant to unleash the US energy sector despite some analysis suggesting the world might be approaching an oversupply of oil and natural gas.We will drill, baby, drill, Trump said during his inauguration speech. We will be a rich nation again, and it is the liquid gold under our feet that will help us do it.Thats likely all welcome news for data center owners and AI companies looking for cheaper, more readily available electricity. Though members of the Stargate Project have not publicly said where they intend to source the bulk of their energy from, the close connection with the Trump administration and the sheer volume of new infrastructure they are setting out to build makes fossil fuels the obvious choice. Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump, speaking with the Stargate executives Tuesday, said his administration would make it easier for these companies to generate electricity and suggested they could even do so on-site at newly built AI plants.They have to produce a lot of electricity and we will make it possible for them to get that production done very easily, at their own plants if they want, Trump said. At the AI plant they will build energy generation and that will be incredible. Its unclear if building energy operations inside an AI data center is possible in practice.An influx of fossil fuel-powered American AI companies threatens to increase CO2 emissions, raise global temperatures, and upend climate progress made in recent years. Some of AIs biggest supporters argue that this temporary environmental toll might be worth it to further develop a technology that, when matured, could be used to fight the most extreme consequences of climate change. Indeed, some AI models are already being used to increase energy efficiency and improve air pollution monitoring. AI is also playing an important role identifying areas rich in critical minerals needed to manufacture electric vehicles and other lower-emission products. But all of that risks coming at the cost of further warming the planet, which environmental scientists believe contributes to hurricanes, wildfires, and many of the other natural disasters that have become increasingly commonplace in recent years. That can make the AI energy gamble seem less like a logical bet and more like a cynical stumble into an oncoming fire.

Nature, Published online: 22 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00206-zHuge study highlights global discrepancy in hiring requirements plus, how cancer cells palm-off misfiring mitochondria to help avoid destruction.

Nature, Published online: 22 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08466-xProfiling of the location and transcriptome of tissue-resident memory CD8 T cell formation at single-transcript resolution finds regionalized signalling as the basis of immune diversity in the intestine and provides a conceptual framework for the study of tissue immune networks.

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Were all familiar with the reputation of Live2D artists, who consistently find innovative ways to make their creations stand out, even though the software is mainly intended for animating static 2D images and creating avatars. Live2D Rigger Sumireno shared that theyve discovered a way to create a halo using pseudo-3D objects in Live2D, which works best with simple objects.The artist is currently preparing a tutorial to show how its done, so keep an eye out and follow them on X/Twitter. As Evangelion angels can potentially become VTubers now, take a look at a couple of pseudo-3D objects weve previously shared, including a 3D body model combined with a Live2D head by rukusu20XX, and a full-body 3D model created entirely within Live2D by Live2Doll:Dont forget to join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post This 3D-Looking Halo Is Actually Made With Live2D appeared first on CG SHARES.

Fanatical is celebrating the start of the Year of the Snake with its annual Lunar New Year Sale. The sale runs until February 2, and not only are thousands of PC games on sale, the retailer is also throwing in bonus coupons and free games as part of the event. See All Lunar New Year Deals at Fanatical Some big, noteworthy discounts in Fanatical Lunar New Year Sale iinclude Crusader Kings III for $13.74 (was $50), Total Warhammer III for 21.69 (was $60), and Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Definitive Edition for $5 (was $60). You can also pick up most of the games in the Steam World series for less than $2 each, including Steam World Dig, Steam World Dig 2, Steam World Heist, and Steam World Quest. The latest entry in the franchise, Stream World Heist 2, is on sale for $12.89 (was $30).Continue Reading at GameSpot

As the line between handheld and home consoles blurs there's been more of a need--and want--for docks that can bridge the gap between small and big screen gaming. For most people, it's an experience that is familiar thanks to the Switch, but these days it's not a feature exclusive to Nintendo's devices. Everything from beefy hardware like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally to comparatively modestly powered emulation handhelds like Anbernic's various devices are capable of being plugged into a large screen for a more traditional gaming experience.Docks, then, are almost essential these days. Beyond functionality, I look for the aesthetic advantage a dock can provide. I like my devices nicely placed and positioned as something that looks good in a room, instead of just hanging out near a power outlet while on charge. With that in mind, my docks of choice have always come from JSAUX, which offers the ability to turn the Steam Deck, Ally, and any other PC-handheld into something that can actually function as a computer. Along with a HDMI out and few USB ports to connect peripherals to, JSAUX docks include an ethernet port, making both working and gaming with good internet stability much more viable.Razer's Handheld Dock Chroma isn't very different from these, despite being more expensive at $80. However, it does address a couple of key issues I always have with docks. The first of these is docks aren't typically very nice to look at and the second being the stability can often be an issue. Razer sent over a dock for testing; I've been using it for about a week and, as a whole, I'm impressed with it as an overall package. It doesn't do anything unique, but it does offer everything you would want and need from a hardware and connectivity standpoint while also being designed in a thoughtful way.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Palworld has grown tremendously since its release, and it seems that its developer, Pocketpair, intends to ensure it keeps doing so. The success of the game's major Feybreak update proves that, as it provided more content to help retain its relevancy and keep its community active. Still, one has to wonder how Palworld will keep up its momentum well into the future. Being a hybrid between survival and monster-capturing genres means it will have to introduce more interesting things that tap into both aspects. Fortunately, the Feybreak update shows there's no limit to how the game can grow.

Hollow Knight is, arguably, one of the best 2D side-scrollers of the last 10 years. It features an amazing world, challenging boss fights, and entertaining game mechanics that will put players skills and patience to the test. Many of the items available in the game, such as the Monarch Wings, can be used both to explore and reach new areas, and to dodge incoming attacks.