Ex-beachfront property? Field of mounds on Mars may be sign of erosion at the edge of an ocean What may have been an ancient shoreline has signs of a water-driven transformation. John Timmer Jan 20, 2025 5:14 pm | 0 The Mawrth Vallis region of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona The Mawrth Vallis region of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFor decades, we have been imaging the surface of Mars with ever-finer resolution, cataloging a huge range of features on its surface, studying their composition, and, in a few cases, dispatching rovers to make on-the-ground readings. But a catalog of what's present on Mars doesn't give us answers to what's often the key question: how did a given feature get there? In fact, even with all the data we have available, there are a number of major bits of Martian geography that have produced major academic arguments that have yet to be resolved.In Monday's issue of Nature Geoscience, a team of UK-based researchers tackle a big one: Mars' dichotomy, the somewhat nebulous boundary between its relatively elevated southern half, and the low basin that occupies its northern hemisphere, a feature that some have proposed also served as an ancient shoreline. The new work suggests that the edge of the dichotomy was eroded back by hundreds of kilometers during the time when an ocean might have occupied Mars' northern hemisphere.Close to the edgeTo view the Martian dichotomy, all you need to do is color-code a relief map of the Martian surface, something that NASA has conveniently done for us. Barring a couple of enormous basins, the entire southern hemisphere of the red planet is elevated by a kilometer or more, and sits atop a far thicker crust. With the exception of the volcanic Tharsis region the boundary between these two areas runs roughly along the equator. There's a clear difference between Mars' northern and southern hemispheres, called the Martian dichotomy. Credit: NASA There are two mysteries associated with this dichotomy. One is how it got there, with ideas that range from an abortive early form of plate-tectonics to various planet-shaping impact scenarios. The second is whether it served a function early in the planet's history. All indications are that Mars had a warmer, watery past, and there have been proposals that included an ocean filling Mars' northern basin. But that has also been subject to debate.The new work focuses on an area called Mawrth Vallis, which sits at the edge of the dichotomy. Relative to the northern basin, it's a kilometer-high plateau cut by a major outflow channel that seems to have been caused by one or more massive floods. The slopes surrounding the plateau feature different types of clay-derived minerals, suggesting the area had been subject to interactions between the original materials and water.Rather than focusing on the plateau itself, the work focuses on the neighboring lowlands, which include a large region dotted with thousands of buttes and mesas that rise roughly a kilometer above the surrounding plains. Using data from the ESA's Mars Express mission, they determine that these features tend to top out at the same height as the nearby plateau. And, using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, they determined that the clays present along the slopes match those found on the plateau as well.Their conclusion from this is that the mesas and buttes are the remains of what was once a far larger plateau, which was largely eroded away on the side facing the northern basin. And that erosion took place across a pretty significant distance, as the buttes extend hundreds of kilometers away from the present highlands.And, just as at the highland plateau, these mounds hint at a water-based process that modified the rocks from the top down. That's because the deeper clays are often magnesium-rich, which tends to happen when water comes in contact with volcanic rocks or material with similar chemistry. Closer to the surface, things transition to aluminum- and iron-rich clays. These clays can occur when the water source is acidic or can be simply due to longer exposure to water, as the magnesium clays are a bit more soluble.A shoreline transformed?The huge area covered by these mounds gives a sense of just how significant this erosion was. "The dichotomy boundary has receded several hundred kilometres," the researchers note. "Nearly all intervening materialapproximately 57,000cubic kilometers over an area of 284,000square kilometers west of Ares Vallis alonehas been removed, leaving only remnant mounds."Based on the distribution of the different clays, the team argues that their water-driven formation took place before the erosion of the material. This would indicate that water-rock interactions were going on over a very wide region early in the history of Mars, which likely required an extensive hydrological cycle on the red planet. As the researchers note, a nearby ocean would have improved the chances of exposing this region to water, but the exposure could also have been due to processes like melting at the base of an ice cap.Complicating matters further, many of the mounds top out below one proposed shoreline of the northern ocean and above a second. It's possible that a receding ocean could have contributed to their erosion. But, at the same time, some of the features of a proposed shoreline now appear to have been caused by the general erosion of the original plateau, and may not be associated with an ocean at all.Overall, the new results provide mixed evidence for the presence of a Martian ocean. They clearly show an active water cycle and erosion on a massive scale, which are both consistent with having a lot of water around. At the same time, however, the water exposure the mesas and buttes have experienced needn't have come through their being submerged by said ocean and, given their elevation, might best be explained through some other process.Nature Geoscience, 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01634-8 (About DOIs).John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 0 Comments

HealthResearch is revealing the complex relationship between sleep and the gut microbiome, raising the prospect that eating better during the day might help you get a better nights rest 20 January 2025 Foxys_forest_manufacture/Getty ImagesThere are many things we can blame for a bad nights sleep screen time, stress, too much booze. Now there is another culprit: the microbes in our gut.This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.We have long known that our microbiome has a powerful influence on our health, and new research is revealing that this extends to our sleep, too. But it is a complex, two-way relationship. The microbiome is influencing sleep, and sleep is influencing the microbiome, says Elizabeth Holzhausen at the University of Colorado Boulder. The good news is that there are ways we can intervene.At first glance, the link between your stomach and sleeping patterns might not be obvious, but a growing number of studies are shedding light on the impact they have on each other. For instance, a 2023 study of 720 people found that diversity of microbes in the gut was associated with better sleep. Likewise, a look at nearly 1000 people by researchers at Kings College London (KCL) and other institutions, in association with the personalised nutrition company Zoe, found that irregular sleep patterns were linked to a boost in the number of unfavourable bacterial species associated with poorer health outcomes.Whats more, changes in the composition of the gut microbiome are associated with several sleep conditions. Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, for instance, which causes sleepers to physically act out their dreams during REM sleep, is linked to a depletion of gut bacteria that produce the short-chain fatty acid butyrate and a rise in bacteria that increase inflammation.

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, the Bidens greeted the Trumps on the North Portico of the White House.Joe Biden and Jill Biden welcomed Donald Trump and Melania Trump. Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Former Vice President Kamala Harris and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff also greeted Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance.Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff greeted JD Vance and Usha Vance. Alex Brandon/AP Attendees took their seats in the Capitol Rotunda, where the inauguration was held due to freezing temperatures.The Capitol Rotunda. ANDREW HARNIK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Tech billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk, were seated on the inaugural platform.Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk at Donald Trump's inauguration. Julia Demaree Nikhinson - Pool/Getty Images Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama took their seats in the Rotunda.Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George Bush, Laura Bush, and Barack Obama at Donald Trump's inauguration. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Vice President JD Vance was the first to be sworn in.JD Vance. Saul Loeb/Pool photo via AP President Donald Trump took the oath of office at noon as per tradition.Donald Trump. Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images "The golden age of America begins right now," Trump said in his inaugural address, which included numerous policy proposals.Donald Trump's inaugural address. Kevin Lamarque - Pool/Getty Images After Trump's address, Carrie Underwood sang "America the Beautiful."Carrie Underwood. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Bidens departed the Capitol on Marine One, completing the peaceful transfer of power.Marine One leaving the Capitol. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

When it comes to speeches, there are two Donald Trumps. The first is Teleprompter Trump, who reads a prepared speech and tends to be staid, sleepy, and insincere. The second is Rally Trump, who riffs in front of a cheering crowd and is wild, aggressive, and more true to the person that Trump really is.We saw this duality on display immediately after Trumps inauguration. In his official inaugural address in the Capitol Rotunda, Teleprompter Trump delivered a largely unmemorable performance a sleepy address that gave audiences little substance to remember it by. In an impromptu follow-up performance given to the overflow crowd in nearby Emancipation Hall, Rally Trump made an appearance giving a rambling but undeniably more energetic monologue that Trump himself described as a better speech than the one I made upstairs.Rally Trumps speech was a much better guide to what actually animates Trump than the more buttoned-down teleprompter address. And the portrait the second address painted is of a man who remains convinced of his own fictions and obsessed with revenge against those who challenged them.The Rally Trump speech really got going when Trump began talking about things he left out of the official inaugural address. He singles out prospective pardons for January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters as an important example, saying its action not words that count and youre gonna see a lot of action on the J6 hostages.You can see how deeply Trump cares about transforming the official history of January 6. Its not good enough that he is returning to office: He needs to rewrite what happened such that the people who rioted to try and steal the 2020 election for him are the victims hostages rather than criminals. Its all in service of the grander goal of insisting that Mr. Trump cannot lose and never has, and of using his new powers to try and force reality to match this insistence.Similar thinking was at work in Trumps next riff on outgoing President Bidens preemptive pardons for potential Trump prosecution targets like General Mark Milley, Liz Cheney, and Bidens own family members.Trump insisted these people were very, very guilty of very, very bad crimes, accusing the January 6 committee which he referred to as the unselect committee of political thugs of deleting all the information on Nancy Pelosi (its unclear what criminal statute this would fall under). Its clear that Trump really does want to go after these people as part of his campaign to rewrite the events of the 2020 election; the extent to which hes stymied by Bidens pardons remains an open question.Over the course of the next half hour, Trump continued down his revisionist lane.Trump implied that Liz Cheney opposed him not because of any perceived threat to democracy but because her dad was a war profiteer. He spent a while disputing a specific piece of January 6 testimony that he attempted to seize the wheel of the presidential limousine to drive to the Capitol. He explicitly restated that the 2020 election was rigged against him, and then insisted that we would have won the state of California in 2024 if it werent for illegal votes.The point is not that any of this is new ground for Trump. Rather, its that none of it is.In his first truly authentic speech after returning to office, where he felt unchained to discuss what he really cared about, he spent the bulk of the time obsessing over election results and January 6, endlessly litigating the past and (at times openly) stating his desire to seek recompense and revenge for the indignity of losing an election.The Rally Trump speech was the truest reflection of the once-and-current presidents feelings and, I suspect, his governing priorities. And four years of a president who uses his power to punish political enemies and reward his lawbreaking friends does not augur well for American democracy.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More: Politics

New dinosaur horror game skips PC version because of vulgar modsMichael BeckwithPublished January 20, 2025 5:09pmUpdated January 20, 2025 5:09pm Therell be no Xbox version either but thats due to lack of time and resources (TeamKill)Despite using PC footage in its announcement trailer, a new dinosaur horror game will end up being exclusive to the PlayStation 5.With Capcoms Dino Crisis series still MIA, and no sign of a release date for Jurassic Park: Survival, hopefully the newly announced Code Violet from American studio TeamKill Media can satisfy our need for dinosaur gaming action.Its already slated for a July launch this year and while it looks to be taking itself more seriously than Capcoms agreeably cheesy Exoprimal, it at least promises a shootout against a T-Rex.Code Violet is so far only coming to PlayStation 5, but even though the trailer uses footage captured on PC the developer has ruled out a dedicated PC version because it doesnt want people modding the game.TeamKill pins the blame on sexual mods, presumably referring to mods that render characters in skimpier clothes or sometimes none at all.We do not want anyone modding vulgar versions of the main character as well as other characters in the game, reads a scathing post from TeamKills X account.It adds that such mods would destroy their artistic vision, and Making a joke out of our art and possibly tarnishing the reputation of our voice actresses and actors is not worth the extra money we can make.While that seems a rather strange thing to say, TeamKill is the only studio out there to oppose the idea of modding, especially when it comes to inappropriate extra.In 2021, the talent agency for Japanese actor Takuya Kimura prevented Sega from porting the Judgment games to PC (per Kotaku). This was because the agency wanted to protect Kimuras likeness, which is used for the main character.Kimura is a massive star in Japan, so the possibility of his Judgment character model being altered by fans may have spooked his agency. Although an agreement was clearly reached since PC ports for both games eventually arrived.Elsewhere, companies like Square Enix have explicitly asked that modders dont make anything inappropriate for their games, while others like Capcom have gone so far as to have them removed. The sillier mods are often left alone (NexusMods/Capcom)Even when actual human likenesses arent involved, nude mods can earn game companies the wrong kind of attention. One infamous example from 2023 saw the hosts of a livestreamed Street Fighter 6 tournament accidentally leave a nude Chun-Li mod on (via Kotaku).Capcom never formally commented on the matter, but a video it posted on anti-cheat and anti-piracy measures in PC games several months later said that certain mods are offensive to public order and morals and can be detrimental to the company. Both in terms of reputational damage and in terms of workload.Most recently, multiplayer shooter Marvel Rivals became a hotbed of custom-made character skins and while some simply swapped non-Marvel characters into the game, there was no shortage of nude skins either.More TrendingSo, it shouldnt have been too surprising that the games season one update saw any and all mods disabled. Developer and publisher NetEase Games told IGN: It is not recommended to modify any game files, as doing so carries the risk of getting banned.In the wake of this, character artist Del Walker, whos previously worked for studios like Respawn and Naughty Dog, said in an X post there are a number of reasons why mods for live service games tend to be banned.Aside from NSFW mods potentially harming a studios reputation and artistic vision, Walker pointed out that if players can get custom skins for free, theyd feel less inclined to spend money on the official skins: Studios aint about to let you mess with their income.There are some studios that actively support the modding scene. Bethesda and Larian Studios have introduced tools to allow for more complex mods though theyre incresing the exception rather than the rule. Unsurprisingly, Marvel Rivals modders have already found a workaround (NetEase)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.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

Altadena, California was the home of the esteemed Afrofuturism pioneer who wrote Parable of the Sower.

Petapa Market Renovation / Taller MRD + DF ArquitectosSave this picture! Jess Omar Luis SalvatierraMarketSanta Mara Petapa, MexicoArchitects: DF Arquitectos, Taller MRDAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:4650 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Jess Omar Luis SalvatierraMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. What we found on the site was a publicly fractured urban and social space, with a very rich program established by the PMU led by SEDATU, which began the unification and integration. Among the pre-existing elements related to the cultural character of the site, there was a public market completely affected by the earthquake of 2017, a church of high heritage value with a strong sense of belonging and beauty that has recently been restored, both prominently featuring brick and clay in ochre tones.Save this picture!An integral layout of the entire block was projected in such a way that through its gestures and intentions; represented with enclosures, pavements, landscaping, plazas, retaining walls, pergolas among other elements, the mentioned program will be unified. We started with the restoration of the market, a project that preserves its origins and forges its legacy with clay tile roofs, wooden beams, and pitched roofs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Taking this construction as a starting point, a pattern emerges to continue the sloped roofs in the sports court and multi-purpose covered plaza that propose a human and urban scale for the municipality and for pedestrians. An open plaza continues that, through a circular esplanade, crosses the roadway, dialogues, and connects with the church, generating a personal link and reducing the importance of the roadway.Save this picture!It concludes with the last section, which is the preschool, which maintains the pattern of the same orthogonal structure and its exposed framework. It is a single-story building whose rooftop is utilized, framing the impressive view of the mountains. It was built with concrete and apparent ochre-colored prefabricated elements, bricks, and clay tiles in the same tones. Cleanliness, order, scale, and respect for its context predominate.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Santa Mara Petapa, MexicoLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeDF ArquitectosOfficePublished on January 20, 2025Cite: "Petapa Market Renovation / Taller MRD + DF Arquitectos" [Renovacin del mercado Petapa / Taller MRD + DF Arquitectos] 20 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025916/petapa-market-renovation-taller-mrd-plus-df-arquitectos&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

The Ushikawa man fossils found in the late 1950s turns out not to be bona fide.After the bones were discovered in a Toyohashi quarry in 1957 and 1959, they were reported to represent rare examples of Late Pleistocene human remains. However, doubts about the accuracy of that identification started bubbling up soon after the finding. Those concerns increased in the 90s, with some suggesting that the fossils might be animal, not human remains. But without any formal research, that hunch couldnt be verified.Now a team led by paleoanthropologist Gen Suwa of the University of Tokyos University Museum and his colleagues have, after detailed analysis, confirmed that the bones came not from an ancient human, but a 20,000-year-old bear and reported their findings in the journal Anthropological Sciences.The Truth About the Famous FossilsThe team compared the Ushikawa Man fossils with bones from 24 specimens of brown bears and Asiatic black bears. They used a variety of observational measurements and techniques.Then they took CT scans of parts of the Ushikawa Man fossils and some of the comparative specimens. They analyzed the fossils using cross-sectional imaging and 3D modeling to reach their conclusion.From these observations and taking into account the individual variation in bear bone morphology, we were able to determine that the Ushikawa 'human humerus' fossil is a fragment of the shaft of a bear's radius, and that the femoral head fossil is also bear bone, said the authors in the paper.Ironically, the now-falsified finding helped energize Japanese paleontology and archeologists.Historical ContextThe explanatory text describing replicas of the replicas on display in the Toyohashi City Museum of Art and History will be updated. "Although the 'Ushikawa man' remains were found to be nonhuman, their historical scientific significance as a contribution to the subsequent development of paleoanthropological research remains unchanged, was quoted in the Japanese newspaper Mainichi.Noboru Murakami, the museum's head curator, said that bear bones more than 20,000 years old are still valuable historically. The explanatory text of the replicas on display in the museum will be updated.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:Before 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.

Stack CommerceShareWe may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more Ready to dive into the world of coding and software development without breaking the bank or having to go back into a classroom? The Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + 2025 Learn to Code Certification Bundle isjust $55.97 (reg. $1,999) and gives youlifetime access to a powerful development tool and 24 courses that cover everything from coding basics to advanced data science techniques.Whether youre an aspiring developer, a career switcher, or just someone curious about how all this tech magic works, this bundle has everything you need to level up your skillswithout the hefty price tag. This is the ultimate one-two punch for mastering the world of coding and software development.This offer gives you access to a professional-grade development environment alongside 24 multi-lesson courses, totaling over 320 hours of training.Visual Studio is renowned for its streamlined interface, powerful debugging tools, and seamless integrations for building everything from mobile apps to enterprise-level software. Pair that with courses on front-end, back-end, full-stack, and even data science topics, and youve got a comprehensive developer toolkit.This isnt just a random collection of courses. Its a carefully curated learning path that starts with coding basics and takes you through cutting-edge tools and trends, like data storytelling. As Gartner predicts, 75 percent of all data will be consumed through data storytelling by 2025and this bundle helps you get ready for the future.Youll cover everything from front-end development with JavaScript and React to machine learning and Python for data analysis. Dive into DevOps principles, master SQL databases, and gain insights into cloud platforms like AWS. And all of it is taught with actionable, real-world examples to help you land a job or build your own projects.Dont miss this dynamic digital duo.Pick up the Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + 2025 Learn to Code Certification Bundle while its on sale for just $55.97 (reg. $1,999).StackSocial prices subject to change.Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle $55.97Get It Here

Nature, Published online: 20 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00070-xA statistician offers a masterful guide to embracing the unknown.