PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty ... [+] Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesFormer UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to face Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday in Riyadh. However, Adesanya has some fans on X worried following a post on Thursday night.Adesanya posted: Am I gonna miss weightOne fan wrote: Plz dont the next card is trash we looking forward to this fight night.A second fan commented: Izzy noooooooo.The former champion is quite the jokester, and it should be noted that two minutes later, he replied to a post from Marvel Updates that asked if Jonathan Majors deserves a second chance as Kang.For whatever thats worth, Adesanya doesnt appear to be that on edge, but you never know. In case youre wondering, Adesanya doesnt just want to see Majors back as Kanghe also wants him to play his good friend Francis Ngannou in a biopic about the former UFC and current PFL Super Fights heavyweight champions life.MORE FOR YOUThat film could be epic, but whos playing Dana White? I digress.The time for weigh-ins is drawing close. The event is set to begin on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. ET. The ceremonial weigh-ins are at 9 a.m. ET on Friday. This means Adesanya and others should be in the final stages of cutting to get down to the contracted weight.For Adesanya and Imavov, that weight can be no more than 186 pounds. For the record, in 28 professional mixed martial arts fights, Adesanya has never missed weight. Therefore, it would be pretty surprising if he did ahead of this fight.SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria poses on the scale during the UFC 293 ... [+] official weigh-in at the Hilton Sydney hotel on September 08, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesThat said, he is 35 and turning 36 in July. As fighters age, it is normal for it to become a bit more difficult to make weightespecially for a tall middleweight like Adesanya, who stands 64".If Adesanya does miss weight, it is highly unlikely the main event will be canceled. The scrap with Imavov is a big one and very important to the card because of its implications for the 185-pound title picture and Adesanyas star power.LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - JUNE 07: Nassourdine Imavov of Russia poses on the scale during the UFC Fight ... [+] Night weigh-in at The Galt House Hotel on June 07, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesImavov, who also has never missed weight, comes into the bout on a three-fight win streak. A win over Adesanya could land him a title shot later in the year, though he is behind Khamzat Chimaev, wholl get the winner of the UFC 312 main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.Hell likely want Adesanya on weight for the fight. Well know shortly whats happening with every fighter on the card. In case you missed it, here is the lineup of fights set for UFC Saudi Arabia at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.Updated UFC Saudi Arabia Fight Card:Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov Middleweight (185 lbs)Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Michael Page Middleweight (185 lbs)Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik Heavyweight (265 lbs)Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira Bantamweight (135 lbs)Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andr Muniz Middleweight (185 lbs) CANCELEDMuhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli Featherweight (145 lbs)Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen Heavyweight (265 lbs)Terrance McKinney vs. Damir Hadovi Lightweight (155 lbs)Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis Lightweight (155 lbs)Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva Flyweight (125 lbs)Bogdan Grad vs. Lucas Alexander Featherweight (145 lbs)Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues Heavyweight (265 lbs)Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Bolaji Oki Lightweight (155 lbs) CANCELEDStay tuned for more fight week coverage, culminating with post-event content on Saturday afternoon.

Therell be huffing and puffing, and probably a fair amount of creaking and clattering, too. Were talking about the first-ever long-distance running race between robots and humans, which is set to take place in Beijing in April.The special event is being organized by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town) in the Chinese capitals Daxing district, which is home to more than 140 robot-related companies.Recommended VideosTech firms, research institutions, and robot clubs from around the world are being invited to enter their bipedal bots in the 13-mile running race, which will also include some 12,000 humans, local media reported.Please enable Javascript to view this contentIn a bid to make the race competitive, participating robots must have a humanoid appearance as well as a mechanical structure thats capable of bipedal walking or running, organizers said.And as you might expect, wheels are strictly forbidden.Additional rules stipulate that the height of a robotic competitor has to be between 19.7 inches (50 centimeters) and 78.7 inches (2 meters), and have a maximum extension distance from the hip joint to the sole of their feet of at least 17.7 inches (45 centimeters), Sky News reported.Participating robots can be remote-controlled or fully autonomous, and teams are allowed to swap out batteries during the race if required.As for the human competitors, were assuming theyll be closely monitored in case any rogue runners try to trip up robotic rivals threatening to outpace them.Interest has been growing in racing humanoid robots against human athletes, especially in China. Last fall, a humanoid robot called Tiangong drew attention when it raced the last 100 meters of the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing, and shortly after that a couple of quadruped robots ran as pacesetters at the Hangzhou Marathon.With impressive advancements continuing to be made in the world of humanoid robots, theres expected to be a lot of interest in Aprils long-distance running race.Editors Recommendations

Some people can wiggle their ears using ancient musclesShutterstockA useless muscle that allows some people to wiggle their ears actually activates when we strain to hear something.Our ape ancestors lost the ability to pivot their ears when they diverged from monkeys millions of years ago, but some of the muscles and brain neurons that underpin this trait remain in humans today. AdvertisementMany scientists have assumed that these so-called auricular muscles are obsolete, even if they do enable ear wiggling. But in 2020, Daniel Strauss at Saarland University in Germany and his colleagues found that they actually become activated in response to hearing sounds from different directions, prompting them to wonder whether this also happens when people are concentrating on listening.To explore this, the researchers got 20 people with typical hearing, all aged between 22 and 37, to take three hearing tests of varying difficulty. They all involved focusing on a 5-minute audiobook clip narrated by a female voice while skin sensors measured electrical activity in their auricular muscles.In an easy test, the researchers quietly played a podcast hosted by a male voice at the same time as the audiobook. In a medium-difficulty task, they added a quiet clip of a female voice, similar to the one in the audiobook, to the set-up. In the hardest test, both background clips were made louder. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday.Sign up to newsletterThe researchers found that the largest auricular muscle, the superior auricular muscle, became most activated during the difficult test. Its pretty amazing to see this nearly forgotten muscle working so hard during effortful listening, says Strauss.The team didnt assess if activation of this muscle assisted the participants ability to focus on the main audiobook, but measuring its activity could provide an objective way to assess listening effort. This could help develop better hearing aids, which aim to minimise listening strain, says Strauss.But first, larger studies involving people of different ages and with a range of hearing abilities need to verify the results, says Yusuf Cakmak at the University of Otago in New Zealand. The team also didnt account for eye movements or facial expressions, which can affect the activity of auricular muscles, he says.Strauss hopes to address some of these points in the future. More studies are needed to gain a deeper understanding of this neural fossil in our brain and how to make use of it, he says.Journal reference:Frontiers in Neuroscience DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1462507Topics:anatomy

Watch group Swatch saw its sales decline by more than 12% and its profits by 75% in 2024.It attributed its weak results to a "persistently difficult market situation" in China.2024 was a bad year for luxury brands, from LVMH and Kering to Champagne producers.Swatch reported weak sales and a major slump in operating profits in 2024, owing largely to weak demand from Chinese consumers.The luxury watch group, which owns watch big league brands like Omega, Tissot, and Longines, saw its sales decline 12% and its profits drop about 75% last year.In the earnings press release published on Thursday, the group posted net sales of 6.7 billion francs, or $7.4 billion. This was a 12.2% decline from 2023 when it earned 7.9 billion francs.Its operating profit dropped about 75% from about 1.2 billion francs in 2023 to 304 million francs in 2024.The group attributed the results to a "persistently difficult market situation and weak demand for consumer goods overall in China."Swatch's press release said sales in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, slid around 30% in 2024.It also added that there was a "huge drop in demand for consumer goods" in Southeast Asian markets, which it said are "heavily dependent on Chinese tourists."However, it reported stronger sales in other key markets, such as the US, Japan, India, and the Middle East. It said that in the US, Tissot sales exceeded $100 million for the first time.Overall, luxury Swiss watchmakers struggled with weak demand in 2024. In September, Bloomberg reported that Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin, Swiss luxury watch brands owned by Sowind Group, turned to the government for financial support to cope with low demand.Meanwhile, the Rolex resale market has also been cooling for more than two years after its COVID-era high, owing partly to a surge of watches coming into the market.A bad year for luxury goodsWatches are not the only luxury products impacted by waning demand in China.In 2024, overall luxury spending stagnated, and big brands saw their share prices drop. Kering, the owner of Gucci, YSL, and Balenciaga, saw its stock fall more than 40% last year.And luxury conglomerate LVMH's sales declined by 3% in the third quarter of 2024, partly because of weakened consumer confidence in China.Representatives for Swatch did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

By Margherita Bassi Published January 31, 2025 | Comments (0) | If you can wiggle your ears, you're using the same muscles our ancestors used millions of years ago to swivel our ear shells. From rawpixel.com via Freepik Tens of millions of years ago, our ancestors could swivel their ears to pick up sounds, much like cats and dogs do today. Humans lost that ability over time, and the muscles that once controlled ear movement are now mostly uselessexcept for a few people who can still wiggle their ears. But new research shows that these muscles still react when we listen intently, hinting at their primordial function. Researchers in Germany and the U.S. found that the muscles once used to move our ears, known as auricular muscles, still activate when we focus on competing sounds, as if trying to revive our distant ancestors ability to swivel or prick our ears. Though its unclear if this improves our hearing abilities today, their research indicates that the harder we try to listen, the more we engage those muscles. Excitingly, the findings also shed light on a vestigial part of our bodyand a once-useful ability lost to evolution. There are three large muscles which connect the auricle to the skull and scalp and are important for ear wiggling, Andreas Schrer of Saarland University, who led the study, said in a statement by the journal Frontiers. These muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, exhibit increased activity during effortful listening tasks. This suggests that these muscles are engaged not merely as a reflex but potentially as part of an attentional effort mechanism, especially in challenging auditory environments. Previous research had already linked activity in the posterior and superior auricular muscles (the largest auricular muscles) to attentive listening, suggesting that our primate ancestors used them to move their ear shells and funnel sounds to their eardrums. Schrer and his colleagues, however, wanted to determine whether the muscles were more active when people had to listen harder. As detailed in a study published today in Frontiers, the researchers attached electrodesdevices that detect electrical impulsesto the auricular muscles of 20 participants without hearing problems, and instructed them to listen to an audiobook emitted from speakers. The participants listened to the audiobook at various difficulty levels, and took a quiz on its content at the end. Sometimes the researchers played a distracting podcast at the same time, and occasionally the sounds came from different directionsbut the task was always achievable, according to the researchers. If the participant gave up because it was too difficult, the activity linked to auricular muscle effort would cease.Ultimately, the researchers observed that the posterior and superior auricular muscles displayed different activity depending on the acoustic situation. The more effort participants exerted to hear the audiobook, the more the superior auricular muscles contracted. Additionally, when the audiobook played behind the participant, the participants posterior auricular muscles activated in a way that might have pointed their ears in that direction, if we still had that ability. The exact reason these [muscles] became vestigial is difficult to tell, as our ancestors lost this ability about 25 million years ago, Schrer explained. One possible explanation could be that the evolutionary pressure to move the ears ceased because we became much more proficient with our visual and vocal systems.Ultimately, it seems like the superior auricular muscles reacted to how difficult the listening task wasactivating more during the hardest listening taskswhereas the posterior auricular muscles were triggered by the direction of the sound. The ear movements that could be generated by the signals we have recorded are so minuscule that there is probably no perceivable benefit, Schrer added. However, the auricle itself [the ear shell] does contribute to our ability to localize sounds. So, our auriculomotor system probably tries its best after being vestigial for 25 million years, but does not achieve much. What are the practical applications of these almost-useless ear muscles? Though the researchers admit that further research in more realistic conditions must confirm their results, superior auricular muscle activity could potentially serve as a physical indicator of listening effort.So the next time someone demands, are you listening? watch outthey might soon have the tools to verify your answer.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Margherita Bassi Published January 30, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published December 22, 2024 By Margherita Bassi Published December 7, 2024 By Ed Cara Published November 17, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 5, 2024 By Ed Cara Published November 3, 2024

Drishti / Hiren Patel ArchitectsSave this picture! Vinay Panjwani and Ishita SitwalaAhmedabad, IndiaArchitects: Hiren Patel ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:20000 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Vinay Panjwani and Ishita Sitwala Lead Architects: Hiren Patel More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Architecture is more than just constructing spaces; it is about shaping experiences and crafting environments that reflect individuality while addressing the nuances of daily life. For Hiren Patel Architects (HPA), this philosophy has been a guiding force since its inception in 1989. Founded by Ar. Hiren Patel, the firm has consistently redefined architectural boundaries, weaving together art, design, and functionality to create spaces that resonate deeply with those who inhabit them.Save this picture!Over three decades, HPA has grown into a beacon of architectural excellence, renowned for its commitment to transforming conventional ideas and pioneering future-forward designs. This residence in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, for a technocrat couple and their family, is a vivid manifestation of that visiona 20,000-square-foot sanctuary that masterfully balances luxury, personalisation, and multigenerational living.Save this picture!The journey into this architectural masterpiece begins with a thoughtfully designed approach plaza, where every element serves both aesthetic and practical purposes. The granite floors, red glass granite walls, and wooden canopies form a harmonious palette that exudes elegance while ensuring durability. This grand entrance leads seamlessly to the main house and the parents' wing, creating a sense of cohesion despite their distinct functions.Save this picture!Ample parking for seven cars and an east-facing garden add further layers of functionality and serenity. The garden, bathed in the gentle light of dawn, offers a tranquil spot to begin or end the day, setting the tone for the experiences that unfold within the home.Save this picture!Step inside, and the first impression is of light and openness. A double-height space, awash in the morning sunlight, creates an ambience that is both uplifting and inviting. This central hub connects the formal living, dining, and family rooms, each distinct in its purpose yet united by a fluid design language. The layout is a study in balancewhile the open design encourages connection and interaction, each space retains its identity, ensuring comfort and adaptability. The integration of outdoor verandas enhances this flow, providing opportunities for al fresco dining, intimate conversations, or grand celebrations under the open sky.Save this picture!The interiors of the home are a testament to understated luxury. A clutter-free aesthetic allows the architecture to take centre stage while the owners' collection of curated artwork introduces personal narratives into the space. These artistic accents, carefully chosen, mirror the refined sensibilities of the technocrat couple. Dominating the central space is a grand staircase, a sculptural marvel illuminated by bespoke lighting installations. It is not merely a functional element but a statement of elegance, drawing the eye upward and creating anticipation for what lies beyond.Save this picture!The residence's private areas are crafted with meticulous attention to the family's lifestyle. The ground floor features a serene Puja room, enriched with Rajasthani craftsmanship, blending cultural heritage with contemporary design. A spacious gym offers a retreat for physical well-being, reflecting the importance of health in modern living. The first floor houses the son's quarters, thoughtfully designed with a dedicated study for productivity and a home theatre lounge for relaxation. The master suite serves as a serene retreat, featuring a private terrace and an office space, seamlessly blending leisure with work.Save this picture!Recognising the importance of autonomy within a family dwelling, the parents' wing is designed as a tranquil retreat. A private veranda offers moments of solitude while maintaining proximity to the main house. This thoughtful division ensures that multigenerational living is both harmonious and respectful of individual needs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!At the heart of the home lies the central veranda, a communal space that overlooks the pool and gazebo. This area serves as a nucleus for family gatherings, embodying the spirit of connection and relaxation. The home's exteriors encapsulate a modern aesthetic that is as functional as it is visually striking. The flat roof, generous overhangs, and a combination of plastered and stone-clad walls lend the structure a timeless appeal. These design elements are not merely ornamentalthey address climatic considerations, ensuring the home remains cool and comfortable amidst Ahmedabad's warm climate.Save this picture!This residence is more than a house; it is a work of art, a culmination of Hiren Patel Architects' philosophy of merging functionality with soul. Every corner of the home reflects a deep understanding of the family's needs, their lifestyle, and their aspirations. By balancing tradition with innovation, HPA has created a residence that is not just an ode to architectural brilliance but a beacon of thoughtful living.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on January 31, 2025Cite: "Drishti / Hiren Patel Architects" 31 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026238/drishti-hiren-patel-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/121166577 . Here is a demonstration of Global Wind Controller updated to unreal engine 5.5. Using the wind controller, we will be able to change,- Direction of the wind- Power/Strength of the wind- Turbulence level. These settings will be applied globally. So, all the trees and grass blades will change their wind bending direction according to the settings in global wind controller. I originally developed the wind material setup in unreal engine 4 and full tutorial is available in following link as a part of unreal open world series. You can follow the same tutorial in Unreal 5 As well. https://youtu.be/ECdc-pr8y0w // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue4 #indiegamedev

Only about 10 to 20 percent of people can wiggle their ears. Deposit PhotosShareOur distant ancestors had several body parts that have become fairly useless over the course of evolutionour wisdom teeth, the tails that are present during the sixth week of gestation, and the auricular muscles in our ears. The auricular muscles helped change the shape of the shellor pinnaof the ear and helped humans living millions of years ago listen closely. They are still used by roughly 10 to 20 percent of people with the fun ability to wiggle their ears.However, these vestigial muscles might be used more than scientists once believed.study published January 31 in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.There are three large muscles which connect the auricle to the skull and scalp and are important for ear wiggling, Andreas Schreer, a study co-author and neuroscientist from Saarland University in Germany, said in a statement. These muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, exhibit increased activity during effortful listening tasks. This suggests that these muscles are engaged not merely as a reflex but potentially as part of an attentional effort mechanism, especially in challenging auditory environments.Sounds vying for attentionThis new study used a technique called electromyography to try to determine how hard a person is listening without asking individuals to report it. Electromyography measures the electrical activity in a muscle and can help scientists pinpoint activity in the auricular muscles that is already linked to listening closely. Similar research found the largest musclesposterior and superior auricular musclesreact during attentive listening. These muscles pull the ears up and back and scientists believe that they have historically been involved in moving the pinna in order to capture sounds.The exact reason these became vestigial is difficult to tell, as our ancestors lost this ability about 25 million years ago, Schreer said. One possible explanation could be that the evolutionary pressure to move the ears ceased because we became much more proficient with our visual and vocal systems.To see if these muscles are more active during more difficult listening tasks, the team studied 20 people without any documented hearing problems. They first put electrodes on the participants auricular muscles. Then, they played an audiobook and some distracting podcasts from speakers positioned in front of or behind the listeners. All 20 participants underwent 12 five-minute trials, covering three different levels of difficulty.[ Related: Yes, humans are still evolving. ]During easy mode, the podcast was quieter than the audiobook, while the speakers voice was a stronger contrast to the audiobook. In the medium and difficult modes, the researchers added a podcast that sounded more like the audiobook and made the distractors louder. However, they had to make even the most difficult situations achievable because if the participants gave up, a physiological effort would not register on the machines.The team then asked the study participants to rate their effort levels and to estimate how often they lost what was going on during the audiobook in each trial. Participants were also quizzed on the material in the audiobook.Just trying its bestThe team found that two auricular muscles reacted differently to the various conditions. The posterior auricular muscles reacted to changes in direction. By comparison, the superior auricular muscles reacted to the difficulty level of the task. The participants self-reported measures of how hard it was to listen and how often they lost track of the audiobook also increased in line with the difficulty of the task. The accuracy of their responses to questions about the audiobook also dropped significantly between the medium and the difficult mode.According to the authors, this correlated with the superior auricular muscles activity levels. These muscles did not activate more during the medium mode than they did during the easy mode, but were very active during the difficult mode. This suggests that the activity of these muscles could provide an objective measure of listening effort. However, it remains unclear if the muscle activity actually helps people hear better.The ear movements that could be generated by the signals we have recorded are so minuscule that there is probably no perceivable benefit, said Schreer. However, the auricle itself does contribute to our ability to localize sounds. So, our auriculomotor system probably tries its best after being vestigial for 25 million years, but does not achieve much.Additional research is necessary to confirm the results and develop any practical applications. Like many hearing studies, the sample size was relatively small and made up of younger individuals without hearing problems. Larger and more diverse participant groups tested in more real-world conditions are needed in order to confidently say that these muscles are doing more than just sitting in our ears.Investigating the possible effects of muscle strain itself or the ears miniscule movements on the transmission of sound is something we want to do in the future, said Schrer. The effect of these factors in people with hearing impairments would also be interesting to investigate.

Nature, Published online: 29 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00264-3Samples from Bennu contain the chemical building blocks of life but with a twist.

Nature, Published online: 29 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00184-2Low- and middle-income countries are under-represented in research into the gut microbiome, and addressing this is key to understanding the link between gut-resident microorganisms and health. A large study of the microbiomes of African women provides a resource for microbiome discovery and a framework for equitable research in this area.