This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Voxs newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions.Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on a food dye called Red No. 3, which has been linked to cancer in animal studies.The news comes on the heels of a bill that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September that bans six other food dyes from school cafeteria menus, largely over concerns that the dyes could cause behavior problems in kids. Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trumps pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, has also singled out dyes, pledging in October to tell the cereal companies: Take all the dyes out of their food.All this can be confusing, even for people who consider themselves reasonably savvy consumers of food and science news (read: me). Do we need to throw out all our Ring Pops? Why is RFK Jr., noted vaccine skeptic and leader of the Trumpian Make America Healthy Again movement, on the same side as Newsom, a vocal Trump opponent, and some very mainstream epidemiologists and public health experts? Lets break it all down.Synthetic food dyes are liquids or powders added to foods and drinks to make them look cool; nine are currently in use in the US (itll be eight when the Red No. 3 ban takes effect in 2027). The dyes show up in everything from Doritos to pickles RFK Jr. has been especially critical of Froot Loops. To understand the controversy around these ingredients, it helps to understand the history of the FDAs Red No. 3 ban. In the 1980s, researchers found that consuming Red No. 3 led to an increased risk of thyroid cancer in male rats. Human studies have not shown such a risk, and the FDA says the danger to rats has to do with aspects of rat biology that dont exist in humans. But in 2022, food watchdog groups petitioned the FDA, arguing that the agency was legally required to ban any substance shown to cause cancer in animals. Last week, the FDA agreed. Theres no new data, and still no evidence that red candy, icing, or cherries cause cancer in people, but the additive will be phased out of the food supply over the next two years.The science on dyes and behavior is more complicated. Researchers have long been concerned that the food colorings might exacerbate symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 2021, a review of the available research conducted by Californias Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found evidence that dyes were associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects, such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and restlessness in sensitive children. Its not clear what makes a child sensitive to these dyes the researchers found effects in children both with and without an ADHD diagnosis. And while one particular dye, Red No. 40, has gotten the most attention with respect to ADHD symptoms, some studies look at several dyes together, making it hard to know which one is producing the effect.More research is needed, but some experts say theres enough there to suggest some restrictions on synthetic dyes in the food supply. Certainly within our schools, we shouldnt be promoting foods that have these, Asa Bradman, a professor of public health at University of California Merced who worked on the 2021 review, told me.How the conversation around dyes got so overblownBut that nuanced message isnt what youll find on large swathes of TikTok and Instagram, where influencers call dyes toxic and poison and instruct parents to eliminate all dyes from their childrens diets to radically improve their behavior. The conversation around dyes has become part of a much bigger discourse around food, children, and health, with RFK Jr. and some clean eating influencers arguing that parents need to cut a laundry list of ingredients out of their familys diet in order to keep their kids healthy.Cutting out dyes wont make all kids better-behaved, because not every child is sensitive to dye in the first place. And severely restricting foods has its own risks, Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian and host of the podcast Rethinking Wellness, told me. Its one thing just to keep your home pantry stocked with dye-free snacks (though they tend to be more expensive). But when you get into people who are like, Im reading every label, Im not letting anything touch my kids lips that has a dye in it, Harrison said, I think that is setting up kids for a pretty disordered relationship with food.A restrictive diet can also cause unnecessary fear, said Zo Bisbing, a psychotherapist specializing in disordered eating. Shes seen families whose kids have panic attacks at birthday parties because theyre not sure if theyre allowed to eat the cake, she told me. Stress and anxiety, whether its the parents or the childs this is not good for health, Bisbing said.Restricting dyes and other ingredients targeted by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers can also be a gateway to embracing more harmful beliefs, like the idea that vaccines are dangerous, Harrison said. Its just important to know that grains of truth can coexist with misinformation and conspiracy theories.Theres also some ableism in the idea that if we got rid of the dyes in food, wed eliminate ADHD, Bisbing said a neurotype thats likely existed for millennia and that comes with both difficulties and benefits. Its worth noting that RFK Jr.s questioning of vaccines is also rooted in the debunked idea that they cause autism, another form of neurodivergence. As long as we look at ADHD and autism as problems to be solved, were really spending our energy on the wrong thing, Bisbing said.Conversations about kids and food are likely to grow louder if RFK Jr. is confirmed. But amid the noise, families can still foster a healthy, relaxed attitude toward eating, experts say. For Harrison, its pretty simple: Allowing your kids some flexibility, and having a home where all foods are accepted and all foods are good.What Im readingThe Trump administration has announced that federal immigration authorities can arrest people at schools, reversing a long-held policy of avoiding these areas. Advocates are worried the change will make some immigrant parents afraid to take their kids to school, leading them to miss out on education.School lunch debt continued to climb in 2024. However, eight states now have universal free school meal programs, and a ninth, New York, could soon join them.Personal-finance influencers are convincing kids they can attract wealth with a growth mindset, and its messing up their ideas about work, money, and life.My older kid is now exclusively consuming Gravity Falls-related content, including the graphic novel Gravity Falls: Lost Legends. From my inboxEarlier this month, I wrote about legislation that aims to keep kids off social media, often with the goal of protecting their mental health. But reader Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, notes that in an analysis he performed with colleagues, we concluded that, as of yet, the evidence was unable to link social media use to youth mental health, contrary to many public beliefs.And last week, after I wrote about the kids whose schools have been destroyed by the California wildfires, a reader shared this list of learning specialists and tutors offering pro bono services for kids affected by the fires. This list, meanwhile, includes therapists who are offering help.Thanks to everyone who has written to share thoughts and resources, and as always, you can reach me at anna.north@vox.com.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:

Dragon Age sales 50% less than expected as EA FC 25 sales disappointMichael BeckwithPublished January 23, 2025 12:39pmUpdated January 23, 2025 12:39pm EA Sports FC 25 was the UKs best-selling game last year and its still not doing well enough for EA (EA)EA has had a rough Christmas, with its two biggest autumn titles both significantly underperforming.As one of the biggest independent publishers in the world (and one of the few left after Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard) EA is not used to sales failure but it seems the last few months have been rough, when it comes to sales of two its biggest new titles.EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed enough for the company to readjust its targets for the 2025 fiscal year, with the latter selling half what EA originally expected.Thats going to put extra pressure on their upcoming slate, except thats looking rather slim at the moment, with only Hazelights new co-op title Split Fiction, the new skate., and some MySims PC ports currently planned for this year.EA will almost certainly have some Nintendo Switch 2 titles as well (new MySims titles were leaked by mistake last week) and its not clear when exactly the new Battlefield will be out but it looks like theres going to be some tense boardroom meetings for the rest of this year.According to their latest financial results, EA expects to have made about $2.2 billion (about 1.8 billion) in sales for their third financial quarter (October 2024 to December 2024), when it originally hoped to achieve around $2.4 billion to $2.55 billion (or 1.95 billion to 2.07 billion).This also means EA has cut its expectations for the 2025 fiscal year. Originally, it was aiming to make $7.5 billion to $7.8 billion (about 6.1 billion to 6.33 billion) by the end of March, but that target has dropped to a range of $7 billion to $7.15 billion (about 5.7 billion to 5.8 billion).Dragon Age fans will be disappointed to hear that EA isnt impressed with The Veilguards performance. This was the first new entry from BioWare since 2014s Dragon Age: Inquisition, but it seems to have either not appealed to enough of the old fans or not attracted enough new ones.EA says The Veilguard engaged approximately 1.5 million players during the quarter, which sounds impressive on its own. But EA adds that this is nearly 50% less than expected, meaning it hoped to have upwards of three million players.Its EA Sports FC 25s underperformance thats far more shocking, though. EAs football games have long been one of its key moneymakers, but not only did the newest entry not meet expectations, EA blames a lack of growth in its Global Football business as the main culprit for its revised figures.Global Football had experienced two consecutive fiscal years of double-digit net bookings growth, explains EA. However, the franchise experienced a slowdown as early momentum in the fiscal third quarter did not sustain through to the end.This suggests sales for EA Sports FC 25 either havent been as strong as the last couple of entries, despite being the best-selling game of 2024 in the UK, or are only a slight improvement but still less than what EA wanted.More TrendingWe wont know any exact revenue numbers though, until EA shares its full earnings for the third fiscal quarter on February 4. In the meantime, CEO Andrew Wilson has expressed confidence that things will pick up for EA Sports FC 25 later this year.This month, our teams delivered a comprehensive gameplay refresh in addition to our annual Team of the Year update in EA Sports FC 25; positive player feedback and early results are encouraging, says Wilson.We remain confident in our long-term strategy and expect a return to growth in [the 2026 fiscal year], as we execute against our pipeline.EA Sports FC 25 is only the second entry in the series since the franchise abandoned the FIFA name. The first entry sold better than ever but fans have been frustrated with last years game after complaints of persistent bugs that suggest the game was released before it was finished. Will things pick up before EA Sports FC 26 comes out? (EA)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

Jennifer Garner teases just howFantastic Four: First Steps Silver Surfer will come to life. ParamountsChildren of Blood and Bone adaptation has found its young heroes. Plus, Amazon drops a boatload of new pictures from Wheel of Times return. Spoilers get! The Fantastic Four: First Steps Speaking to Who What Wear, Jennifer Garner confirmed that, unsurprisingly, her take on the Silver Surfer is a motion capture performance. You have to imagine everything when youre doing it, as if youre auditioning even though we had the sets, I didnt have my costume or hair and makeup or anything. Alien: Romulus Sequel Daniel Richtman (via Comicbook.com) alleges that Ellen Ripley will play a role in theRomulus sequel, utilizing de-aging technology. Return of the Living Dead Tarman celebrates Christmas in this behind the scenes clip from the new Return of the Living Dead. Dog Man Dog Man is off the Petey the Cat case in a new clip from Dog Man. Heart Eyes Elsewhere, the killer rides a carousel in a new clip from Heart Eyes. A Knights War A knight faces witches and demons to save a cursed womans soul in the trailer for A Knights War, coming to VOD this February 11. Children of Blood and Bone Variety reports thatThe Acolytes Amandla Stenberg,Doctor Whos Tosin Cole,The Woman Kings Thuso Mbedu, andOutside the Wires Damson Idris will star in Paramounts adaptation of Tomi Adeyemis novel. Mbedu will play Zelie, who goes on a quest to restore magic to her kingdom after it was stolen by a tyrannical king, while Cole will play her brother Tzain, with Stenberg and Idris playing royal siblings Amari and Inan, who join them to fight back against their fathers corrupt rule. The Wheel of Time Amazon has released a series of new images from season 3click through to see more. Common Side Effects Adult Swim has released a new clip for its pharmaceutical industry conspiracy-comedy, Common Side Effects. Yellowjackets Finally, Showtime has released a full trailer for the third season of Yellowjackets premiering this February 14. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Yesterday, Samsung wowed the tech world with its global launch of the Galaxy S25 series. If youre eyeing these cutting-edge devices, heres why pre-ordering from Samsungs official store is your best bet.See Galaxy S25 Series at Samsung.comDouble Storage, Same PriceSamsungs ditched the 128GB option, recognizing modern needs for more space. Now, youre getting double the storage without paying extra: The Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB is priced at just $1299, down from $1419, and matches the cost of the 256GB model. Same discount applies for the Galaxy S25 and S25+. This applies across the board get 512GB for 256GB pricing, or 1TB for the cost of 512GB. Its perfect for those who love capturing high-quality photos and videos.See Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung.comInstant Samsung CreditDepending on your chosen model, youll receive between $50 and $150 in instant Samsung credit. This bonus can be used on accessories that are already discounted. For instance, if you opt for the Galaxy S25 Ultra or S25+, you can snag the Galaxy Buds3 Pro for free using this credit. There are also substantial discounts on Galaxy Watches (including the most premium Watch Ultra) which ranges from 50% to 80% off.Massive Trade-In OffersTrading in your old smartphone can save you up to $900 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Even if youre eyeing the base Galaxy S25 model, you can still get up to $500 in trade-in value (and $700 in trade-in value for a Galaxy S25+). This is an great opportunity to upgrade to the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor so that you can fully utilize all of Samsungs new AI features.See Galaxy S25 at Samsung.comExclusive Color OptionsSamsungs official website offers exclusive colorways for all three Galaxy S25 models (Titanium Jetblack or Jetgreen for the S25 Ultra, etc.). These unique shades arent available through any other retailer, giving you a chance to truly stand out with your new device.Samsung Rewards CashbackEarn 1.5% back in Samsung Rewards points on your entire purchase. While it might seem small, these points accumulate and can be used across Samsungs entire store, helping you save on future purchases.Guaranteed Timely DeliveryBe among the first to get your hands on the new Galaxy S25 series. Pre-orders through Samsungs official site are guaranteed to ship starting February 7th worldwide. This isnt always the case with other retailers who might struggle with stock issues.When you combine all these bonuses and advantages, the cost of these premium smartphones drops significantly.Lets break it down for the Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB:Initial price: $1299 (already $120 off the original $1419)Potential trade-in: Up to $900 offInstant Samsung credit: $150Cashback: 1.5% of your purchaseAfter applying these pre-order discounts, youre getting Samsungs most premium Android device arguably the most advanced smartphone on the market for a fraction of its retail price. Remember, this is a very limited-time pre-order special that disappear in less than a week. Samsung reserves the right to end the offer at any time, we really recommend not to wait for too long.See Galaxy S25 at Samsung.comSee Galaxy S25+ at Samsung.comSee Galaxy S25 Ultra at Samsung.com

"You Have to Leave Some Space for the Future People to Interpret": In Conversation with Zhu PeiOver the last eight years, I have interviewed Beijing-based architect and educator Zhu Pei several times. His persistent quest to combine traditional planning and construction principles with innovative formal and spatial sensibilities intrigues me. His latest projects, including Zijing International Conference Camp (2022) and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum (2020), are widely published and represent his most mature works. Yet, he is convinced that his best building is in the making. "This is going to be amazing! I feel so excited!" the architect told me, referring to his now under-construction Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory in Gansu province in Northwestern China. "I hate column-beam solutions. I want column-free spaces for the public building," he continued. Our conversation took place earlier this year on a video call, complete with dozens of relevant illustrations.Save this picture!The architect spoke to me from his house in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where he likes to spend time whenever it is possible to break from his responsibilities in Beijing, where Zhu Pei leads a ten-person practice and heads the Architecture School at the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts, CAFA. We discussed his upbringing in Beijing, his reasons for going into architecture, and the lessons he learned from his mentorsprofessors Guan Zhaoye, Yang Tingbao, and Charles Correa, under whom he studied at the University of California at Berkeley. Another fundamental figure for Zhu Pei is Le Corbusier. His Oeuvre Complete in Eight Volumes is a constant companion for the architect who owns several sets. Like Le Corbusier, Zhu Pei developed Five Points that define his philosophy. They constitute Incomplete Integrity, Sponge Architecture, Cave and Nest, Sitting Posture, and Structure and Form. All five are explained in detail in the video.Save this picture!In our conversation, Zhu Pei repeatedly compared architecture to art and nature. "If we don't treat architecture as art, it will disappear," he insisted. His work is a kind of bridge between tradition and innovation, gained knowledge and creativity, history and modernity. A courtyard and a garden are perpetual metaphors for Zhu Pei's architecture. He thoroughly explained the intentions behind the design of the Conference Camp, Imperial Kiln Museum, and Ruins Museum. All three projects exemplify such design strategies as leaving buildings incomplete and not fully occupied, seeking inspiration in traditional village settlements, breaking architecture into elements, reacting to local culture and climate, and, while relying on traditions, never bluntly following conversions. Related Article Beijing Architecture City Guide: 28 Projects to Understand Contemporary Architecture in a 3,000-Year-Old City In conclusion, Zhu Pei spoke about trying to forget what he has done in the past, the evolution of his work, how his practice operates, teaching, and being the dean at CAFA. Underlining architecture's multidiscipline nature and complexity, he concluded, "You have to love architecture!" Earlier this year, Zhu Pei's Exhibition, "Poetic Imaginations: Interweaving Architecture with Traditional Values," showcased six completed and under-construction projects at the Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin.Save this picture!Zhu Pei (b. 1962, Beijing, China) is one of China's leading architects. He completed his studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the University of California at Berkeley and founded Studio Zhu Pei in 2005. Apart from the abovementioned Imperial Kiln Museum, Performing Arts Center, and Ruins Museum, the architect's most notable works include Zibo Art Center (2020), CUBE Art Museum at 798 (2020), Shou County Culture and Art Center (2019), Minsheng Museum of Modern Art (2015), Taimiao Art Museum (2015), and Cai Guoqiang Courtyard House Renovation (2007). Zhu Pei taught at Harvard and Columbia Universities; he has been the dean and professor at the School of Architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, CAFA, in Beijing since 2018, and he is a visiting professor at Yale University. In addition to Aedes in Berlin, the architect's works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Venice Biennales, Centre Pompidou, Victoria and Albert Museum, Kassel, and MAXXI.Save this picture!Save this picture!Vladimir Belogolovsky (b. 1970, Odesa, Ukraine) is a New York-based curator and critic who runs his Curatorial Project focusing on curating and designing architectural exhibitions worldwide.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Vladimir Belogolovsky. ""You Have to Leave Some Space for the Future People to Interpret": In Conversation with Zhu Pei" 23 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026107/you-have-to-leave-some-space-for-the-future-people-to-interpret-in-conversation-with-zhu-pei&gt ISSN 0719-8884More interviews from ourYouTube ChannelSave!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

Back in the days of yore, language translation was a highly specialized profession, critical for coordinating diplomacy or international trade. The first bilingual dictionary book, Vocabularius ex quo, was a German-Latin set of words published in 1467, while clay tablets containing lists of works in Sumerian and Akkadian date back as early as 2300 B.C.Language translation has become easier over the years in many cases thanks to the work of linguists and other anthropologists. The development of computers and eventually, artificial intelligence, has given a massive push to language translation, taking it out of the hands of specialists or weighty books and into our phones.But how has translation applications like Google Translate developed over time, and what were their predecessors?How Computer Translation StartedPeople have tried to use computers to translate languages since the mid-20th century.The idea of online translation was something that people strived for when computers began, says Jaroslaw Kutylowski, the CEO of DeepL, a company that provides translation services using neural systems.In fact, one of the first uses of computers for something beyond numbers was an experiment conducted in 1954 after several years of work by researchers at Georgetown University and IBM. The demonstration only translated around 250 words using six grammar rules mostly brief statements in Russian about science, law and military affairs that were converted into English in a matter of seconds.The possibilities of this program were limited though, and the translation required a lot of post editing. Not much progress was made for the next decade. In fact, experiments were so underwhelming that a report released in 1966 by the Automatic Language Processing Advisory Committee, set up by the U.S. government and made up of linguists and machine translation researchers, determined that there wasnt much hope in the near-term.The Committee indeed believes that it is wise to press forward undaunted, in the name of science, but that the motive for doing so cannot sensibly be any foreseeable improvement in practical translation, the report said.The Beginning of SYSTRANThe report effectively killed most work on translation for years, except for System and Translation (SYSTRAN). Peter Toma, a scientist who believed the road to world peace could be achieved through communication, started SYSTRAN in the late 1960s.The company worked with the U.S. Air Force, and used machines to translate instructions from Russian to English for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, a joint U.S.-Soviet space mission launched in 1975.SYSTRAN continued to develop their product, which was used by the online search engine AltaVista, which created Babel Fish in the late 1990s, and would later be bought by Yahoo! At least in the early days, the tool had limited translation abilities, only handling up to 150 words.Thats a lot of work, and it requires combined effort by linguists and coders, Kutylowski says, adding that it gets even more complicated with languages with incredibly complicated grammar like Japanese or Finnish.Google didnt catch up to Yahoo! until 2006, when it launched Google Translate. The latter has gotten increasingly sophisticated, moving from simple text translation online to phone applications. In 2014, Google acquired Word Lens, which allowed users to point their phone camera at written words on things like road signs or menus and get a translation. Word Lens also helped Google improve its ability to listen to spoken words and translate them.The Role of Artificial IntelligenceThe trouble was language translation remained an imperfect science at best. In general, the world of computer translation progressed from doing one word at a time, to short phrases, to sentences over a period of roughly half a century, says Kutylowski.But machines are still apt to miss things like context, making words with two or more meanings sometimes hard to translate. But in 2016, artificial intelligence had opened new possibilities for machine translation. Google began to work with neural machine translation, which essentially meant creating a neural network that wouldnt just translate words or phrases, but entire passages.DeepL started using neural networks to build a translation program to sell to international companies in 2017. Weve been in this gold rush of neural networks, Kutylowski says. Translation has such a broad application both in private and in business.To do this properly, he says that you need massive amounts of passages that have already been translated between one language and another. Experts ideally need scientific text, legal text, and all types of language that are translated to teach the machine learning systems how to better operate. Neural machine translation is an attempt to create neural systems that operate more like a human brain. Rather than teach it grammar, Kutylowski says, it just picks up the text and learns more like humans, who can pick up a language without implicitly learning any grammar rules.That overall learning process, and the overall operation of systems, goes towards the way that we as humans learn a language, he says.These systems are getting better and better at translating, but they will likely always have flaws. The trouble is, communication is an imperfect science, even for two humans that speak the same language. An online translating program can only be as good at translating as humans are at communicating in the first place.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:History of Information. The First Public Demonstration of Machine Translation OccursNASA. Apollo-Soyuz Test ProjectJoshua Rapp Learn is an award-winning D.C.-based science writer. An expat Albertan, he contributes to a number of science publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, Hakai, and others.

Stack CommerceShareWe may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more After a few years of working on a laptop, I realized my posture had become distinctly turtle-ish. The screen is low, so I hunker down to look at it head-on. That means I dont sit straight and bring my head down low like Im hiding between my shoulders. At this point, my spine probably looked like a weird horseshoe.Thats why Ive been looking at the CASA HUB. Its an 8-in-1 aluminum foldable USB-C stand, and Im hoping itll keep me from putting my weird turtle spine through shell.This device stand works for tablets or lightweight laptops, already a huge plus. It has an adjustable aluminum design thats durable but doesnt take up too much space. Im hoping the adjustable angle really helps break some of my turtle tendencies.This hub is built for more than just comfort. It also comes with eight connectivity ports, including a 4K HDMI output, USB-C Power Delivery input, two USB-A ports, and SD/microSD slots. Translation: it makes switching between work, streaming, and creative projects ridiculously easy. This is really where it earns the price tag. $100 would be steep for an ergonomic stand on its own, but this thing basically makes laptops feel like desktops.What caught my eye was the hubs ability to support crisp 4K@60Hz resolution. Whether Im watching a movie, editing photos, or sharing my screen for work, the visuals promise to stay sharp and seamless. And the hub doesnt just stop at video output; its designed with simultaneous SD and microSD card use in mind, which means I can finally back up files from my camera without juggling adapters. As a Mac user, Im always looking for ways to cut down on adapters because, wow, Ive had to collect a lot.The CASA HUB 360 is also super portable. The lightweight, foldable design should make it easy to carry around, and the silicone pads keep it stable on any surface. Sorry to put all the local chiropractors out of business, but my back deserves this.Copy my idea and give your back a break.Get the CASA HUB 360 Foldable USB-C Hub while its on sale for $99.99. Thats the best price online, too.StackSocial prices subject to change.CASA HUB 360 8-in-1 Aluminum Foldable USB-C Hub Stand $99.99See Deal

ShareThis article was originally featured on The Conversation.Hidden beneath the dunes, a mysterious creature glides through the sand.This is not one of the giant worms of Arrakis in Frank Herberts sci-fi epic, Dune. Rather, its an enigmatic and tiny mammal found only in the deserts of Australia the marsupial mole.There are two related species of the marsupial mole.Notoryctes typhlops, or southern marsupial mole, is found across the deserts of central and southern Australia. It is also alsocalled itjaritjariby the local Indigenous Aangu peoples.Notoryctes caurinus, or the northern marsupial mole, is found in the deserts of northwestern Australia. It is also calledkakarratulby the local Indigenous Martu people.Until recently, these elusive animals have been nearly impossible to study. But ourrecent study in Science Advanceshas finally started to unravel the basis of their incredible desert power.Rarely observedMarsupial moles are small, about the length of a pencil, and weigh between 40 to 70 grams. They have a tubular body, yellow hair and limbs that barely protrude from their sides.Rather than building permanent tunnels like their namesakes in the northern hemisphere,they swim through the loose sands of Australias deserts.The subterranean lifestyle of marsupial moles, along with the vastness of the deserts they inhabit, means they are rarely observed. In fact, there are only a handful of sightings each decade.New technologies, new insightsNew DNA technologies can provide a window into the lives of cryptic species such as the marsupial mole that cant be studied effectively in the wild.To this end, our team worked with theAustralian Biological Tissue Collectionat the South Australian Museum to acquire two tiny tissue samples frozen more than a decade ago from a southern marsupial mole.From these, we extracted extremely long fragments of DNA needed to produce a genome assembly. This is a digital representation of every base or letter that makes up the marsupial moles genetic code.Because DNA contains both the instructions for how to make an organisms traits and a record of its evolutionary history, we were able to glean remarkable insights into this cryptic species.Unique adaptationsMarsupial moles have a variety of unique adaptations that help them survive in their harsh environment. For example, their eyes are tiny and located beneath their skin, making them functionally blind.By comparing the sequences of eye genes to those of related marsupials, we were able to show that marsupial moles first lost genes critical for the eyes lens. This probably happened because a clear image isnt very important underground.This was followed by genes for colour-sensing cone cells in the retina. After the eye had lost considerable function, the last genes to degrade were the ones active in rod cells, important for low-light conditions.In mammals living on the surface, these changes would likely be harmful. Yet, by occurring in the right order, the stepwise degradation of eye genes allowed the marsupial moles ancestors to change gradually without harming their fitness.This is a beautiful illustration of how both adaptations and disorders can share a similar genetic basis, with the line between them being shaped by their context.Other traitsSequencing the genome allowed us to study other traits in marsupial moles.For example, we showed that a key gene involved in testicles dropping during puberty is likely to have also degraded in this species. This may help to explain why male marsupial moles lack a scrotum and have their testes perched in their abdominal wall.We also found that marsupial moles have two copies of a gene encoding haemoglobin the molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells. This is important because sand has low oxygen levels and poor air movement.Moreover, this duplicated haemoglobin gene is typically used in newborn mammals.The pouch of a marsupial is already a low-oxygen environment, so marsupial moles needed to evolve ways to avoid their young suffocating. Having more haemoglobin may help.Tracing the moles evolutionary heritageFor years the marsupial moles strange, specialised traits have frustrated attempts to determine precisely who its closest relatives actually are. But sequencing its genome has allowed us to trace its evolutionary heritage.To do this, we examined a special type of DNA sequence calledretrotransposons.These are short stretches of DNA that can make copies of themselves that get randomly inserted across an animals genome and passed down through generations.Our examination revealed marsupial moles are a sister group tobandicootsandbilbies, with carnivorous marsupials like theTasmanian devilbeing distant cousins.Long-term declineAlmost nothing is currently known about the population health of marsupial moles. However,deserts are among the ecosystems most threatened by climate change.Given this, we also sought to glean the first insights into how marsupial mole populations have changed over time.Using patterns of genetic diversity across the marsupial mole genome, we were able to show they have likely experienced a long-term decline in effective population size that began around 70,000 years ago. This corresponds with historical changes during the last glacial period, suggesting the decline was because of climate change rather than human actions.Its unclear precisely how genetic diversity lost over tens of thousands of years will affect the marsupial moles ability to continue its record of adaptation to extreme environments.However, these findings highlight that new, more expansive efforts to study marsupial moles through genetic methods may be needed to ensure they arent lost to the sands of time like too many other Australian mammals.

NewsAnimalsMole or marsupial? This subterranean critter with a backward pouch is bothGenetics finally reveal where this enigmatic animal belongs on the family tree This Australian mole, shown eating a centipede, may look like South Africas golden mole but it is more closely related to kangaroos than to the other moles of the world.Mike Gillam/Auscape/Minden PicturesBy Susan Milius33 seconds agoEvolving a dig-in-the-dark mole lifestyle comes with radical anatomical changes, making it hard even to guess the animals closest relatives. Thats why the true identity of Australias most enigmatic and cryptic mammal, the marsupial mole, has been called into question for decades.The two fit-in-your-hand Notoryctes species are elusive. Ive never handled, or even seen, a marsupial mole in my life, and I almost certainly never will, says Stephen Frankenberg, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Sightings are rare. Even in Australia, he says, plenty of people have probably never even heard of them.

Nature, Published online: 23 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00118-yAt-home DNA testing is no longer in high demand and critics have raised concerns about unreliable tests and privacy.