US Navy fighter jets have fought Houthi drones in a high-tempo operating environment over the Red Sea.A first-of-its-kind battle in early 2024 highlighted another air-defense option for the Navy.The Navy eventually added more air-to-air missiles to its F/A-18 fighter jets.US Navy fighter jets fought a first-of-its-kind air battle against enemy drones over the Red Sea early last year, Business Insider has learned. Then, months later, Navy jets began flying with a new missile loadout.The fight was the first successful naval engagement of an enemy drone with an air-to-air missile. It showed what was possible, setting the stage for the Navy to give its F/A-18s a greater air-defense role with a new heavy air-to-air "Murder Hornet" configuration.Unit award documents obtained by BI show that on January 9, 2024, units from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group were patrolling Red Sea shipping lanes when Houthi rebels launched a large-scale attack with drones and anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles.Two Navy destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason engaged five of the drones, while a third destroyer, USS Laboon, engaged two anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile.Meanwhile, aircraft launched from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower the lead ship in the strike group to help confront the threat. The aircraft from Carrier Air Wing- 3 engaged five drones, marking the first successful naval engagement of a hostile drone with an air-to-air missile, one of the documents said. F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets fly over the destroyer USS Laboon during flight operations in the Red Sea in March 2024. US Navy photo The document said that "following the successful engagement" of the drone, the conventional loadout on the F/A-18 fighter jet was changed to support drone defense with more cost-effective weapons "while saving higher-end ordnance for more significant threats.""Higher-end ordnance" appears to reference surface-to-air missiles launched from American warships.These weapons can intercept drones, but they are significantly more expensive than missiles launched from a fighter jet. Ship-based interceptors such as the Standard Missile-series interceptors are better suited, from a cost perspective, to taking down enemy ballistic and cruise missiles rather than cheaper drones.A Navy official told BI that the F/A-18 loadout was changed because of a range of lessons the sea service learned during the Houthi conflict. They said the fighter jets were eventually given more air-to-air munitions. Specifically, they were armed with a new configuration of four AIM-9X and five AIM-120 missiles.Senior Navy officials have previously said that the new munitions configuration offered greater, much-needed firepower for the counter-drone fight in the Red Sea.The AIM-9X is the newest model in the Sidewinder family of short-range missiles. The AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is a beyond-visual-range weapon. Both munitions are made by American defense contractor RTX Corporation. An F/A-18 with the Murder Hornet loadout launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in April 2024. US Navy photo The office of the Chief of Naval Operations later identified a Boeing-made F/A-18 with a nine-missile configuration as a "Murder Hornet," a play on the fighter jet's actual name, the Super Hornet.The CNO's office confirmed the new loadout was used in combat last year. It was first spotted on an F/A-18 during flight operations on the Eisenhower in the Red Sea in April 2024, as the Ike and the other ships in its strike group were deployed to the Middle East to confront the Houthis and their attacks on shipping lanes.The conflict with the Houthis has been described as a complex, high-tempo operating environment, especially during Eisenhower's deployment. The January 2024 incident demonstrated what the F/A-18 could do against enemy drones, as these aircraft went on to destroy more during the deployment.US forces have intercepted nearly 500 Houthi drones since the conflict began in October 2023. In March 2024, F/A-18 Super Hornets were spotted sporting drone and missile kill markings.The Eisenhower carrier strike group fired nearly 800 munitions, including almost 60 air-to-air missiles, during its monthslong Middle East deployment, which ended last summer. Documents reviewed by BI showed that the strike group as a whole was recommended for a Combat Action Ribbon for its actions between October 2023 and May 2024.

Henry of Skalitz is back with an RPG that stands among the genre's biggest and best find out why you need to play it in our Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 reviewTech20:00, 05 Feb 2025Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is vast and authentic(Image: Warhorse Studios)Do you remember when you first played Skyrim, way back in 2011? Bethesda has arguably struggled to replicate that magic, but the game remains legendary for its commitment to freedom, keeping all of its underlying systems and mechanics as under the hood as possible to help players believe theyre exploring a real world.I mention Skyrim as a touchstone because, like escaping that dragon back in 2011, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the closest Ive come to truly feeling lost in a virtual location. And, while Baldurs Gate 3 and The Witcher 3 offer their opinionated viewpoints on what an RPG can be, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is worthy of joining that holiest of RPG pantheons.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a huge RPG(Image: Warhorse Studios)Ive not played the first Kingdom Come Deliverance, but as I mentioned in my preview, this is a world with dirt under its metaphorical fingernails in a way that would make many RPGs run for a hot shower.Warhorse Studios rendition of late medieval Bohemia is brimming with muck. Many of its towns are muddy, its people are filthy, and in one very early cutscene, a main character gets a bucket of faeces thrown over them.Wading through this river of s*** is Henry of Skalitz, the protagonist of the first game who appears to be on the upswing after the horrific events that began his journey. The man who saw his village burned to the ground and his family slain is doing alright for himself, with a role as the chief bodyguard of the entitled but likeable Hans Capon.Deliverance 2 is one of the best-looking games around on PS5 Pro(Image: Warhorse Studios)The two begin the games story on a road trip to deliver a letter in a time of political unrest, and at times feels a little like The Inbetweeners if they rode on horseback. The two have undeniable chemistry together, but its not long before Henry is back to peasant life after a turn of events that involves no small amount of chaos and quick thinking.While Henry has his own history, and a series of motivations that rotate throughout the 127 hours I spent in Bohemia, hes also somewhat of a blank slate. He can become a warrior, or simply enjoy the simple life in many regards.That mundanity may sound less appealing, but theres a staggering amount of detail poured into the kind of things other RPGs would chuck into a menu. Want to brew a potion? Youll need ingredients, a recipe, access to a cauldron, a timer for boiling it, a mortar and pestle for manually grinding its parts, and a bottle to keep it in.Henry can forge his own weapons(Image: Warhorse Studios)The same applies to ensuring you strap on your armour with the correct hood underneath, keep yourself clean (even in this stinky time, the townspeople wont chat if youre covered in blood), and even forging your own weapons.Theres a demand for a players patience and understanding thats rare outside of more obtuse genres like extraction shooters, and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 delights in making players engage with its systems.The result is a level of immersion that even the genres finest cant attain, with rolling fields and stone walls a pleasing change from the more fantastical ice caves of Skyrim or monster-ridden swamps of The Witcher.Henry is one of the best protagonists in a while, but you can play him how you'd like(Image: Warhorse Studios)My biggest concern in the first dozen or so hours of Deliverance 2 was one of menu diving. Its a lot to take in at first, with items needing to be put in pouches for quick access, food needing to be eaten to stay cognizant, and the small matter of needing to get some rest every now and again.If it sounds oppressive, fear not Warhorse has done a great job of immersing players without its demands hanging like a millstone around their necks. If, like me, you remember Far Cry 2s overbearing Malaria system and were worried youd be juggling too many things to actually have fun, then you can rest easy.There are also a huge number of skills which mean your Henry of Skalitz is likely going to be very different to mine. There are the usual RPG staples like being able to carry more, while others are more flexible.The game often features areas densely packed with NPCs(Image: Warhorse Studios)I invested as many points into conversational skills as I could, and found the game to be much more rewarding while I active roleplayed a more sly Henry who used his sword as a last resort.Im particularly impressed at how often this was an option, too. Many RPGs give a semblance of choice before nudging you into swinging your weapon anyway, and while you wont be able to complete a pacifist run of Deliverance 2, youll be surprised at how often you can sidestep a scrap.Nowhere in the games two (2!) huge, sprawling open-world maps typifies this more than Kutenberg. The city, near Prague and still standing, is approximated with a staggering amount of detail and, according to the devs, historical accuracy. Its absolutely massive, and home to a whole host of opportunities and side quests that could mean you realistically spend hours there and never venture beyond.If you felt bowled over by reaching Baldurs Gate in Baldurs Gate 3, you may actually find your jaw dropping when you reach it.Combat takes some getting used to, but it rewards a cool head(Image: Warhorse Studios)Naturally, a time will come when swords need to be drawn, however, and while I was a little concerned in my earlier coverage about getting to grips with the combat system, Im pleased to say at a certain point it just sort of clicked.While firearms are few and far between (and take an age to reload, thanks to historical accuracy), bows are much simpler but I much preferred getting up close and personal with my foes.Swords have a heft to them, with a series of directions that account for blocking and directional strikes. Time a block perfectly to parry, then follow up with a riposte. Swing too many times, though, and youll be knackered (especially in heavy armour) and you could leave yourself defenceless.This leads to a back-and-forth that always feels dangerous. A single swing wont kill Henry, but it could have dire consequences if bleeding is left untreated, or if it leads to a follow-up attack while hes gassed.Tackling multiple foes is a surefire way to find yourself in the gutter, too. Not because of the targeting, which is pretty smooth, but just because its easy to find yourself surrounded and unable to recover when Henry turns into that zombie from the Shaun of the Dead pub scene and hes being clubbed from every angle.Article continues belowI could write about Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 for another few thousand words, but the short version is that its one of the best RPGs of the last decade, and maybe even beyond.Its commitment to realism means it certainly asks a lot of players, but it more than returns that with a genuinely gripping narrative and flexible RPG systems that make it unforgettable.Reviewed on PS5 Pro. Review code provided by the publisher.

Oppo has been atrendsetter on the smartphone stage, especiallyamong foldable smartphones. The companys Find N5 folding smartphone is gaining traction for its claim that its as thin as the USB-C port will allow. Well know more details when the folding phone debuts globally in about two weeks. Sadly, this is one svelte smartphone we wont see coming to the States anytime soon. Oppos upcoming Find N5 flagship foldable is making the rounds on Chinese social media. Oppos Find series product manager, Zhou Yibao, has been teasing the device since last month. The pictures thus far reveal that the Find N5 is thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro Max when splayed out in tablet mode. Another photo shows its thickness relative to a stack of physical credit cards. Information about the specifications inside is still pretty limited, though Zhou summarized some specs on Weibo. The phone will rely on a 3D printed titanium alloy hinge and will be the first Android device equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Extremewere only on Elite here in the U.S., at least as far as phones you can buy outright. Zhou also teased IPX9 waterproofing despite the super-thin chassis, though the rating is not enough to keep out dust. The Find N5 will charge fast at 50W and provide reverse charging for other devices in tow. Oppo is OnePluss parent brand overseas. The companies merged years ago, and now, we look to what Oppo does with its marquee devices to see whats coming to the U.S. through OnePlus down the pipeline. Theres still no successor to the well-rated OnePlus Open, which is why this has excited us all. The biggest problem with foldables is that theyre still quite bulky when shut closed. It looks like manufacturers are all in the race to make theirs the thinnest they can be without compromising too much of the value-adds.

In the world of comic books, the need for an endless array of villains to fight, and be ultimately defeated by, superheroes has meant some colorful and weird baddies have been created over the years. But in comic-book movies, villains are treated largely seriously, particularly in the towering realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To that end, the next MCU movie to hit theaters, Captain America: Brave New World, is putting a more threatening spin on some of the comics sillier antagonists. In a new Entertainment Weekly featurewhich reminds readers that Captain America: Serpent Society was used as a joke title all the way back in 2014, as part of a Kevin Feige-hosted event announcing Marvels Phase Three filmsBrave New World star Giancarlo Esposito, producer Nate Moore, and director Julius Onah explained that the Serpent Society, which Moore admitted can be very goofy in the comics, will be nothing to joke about in the new film. Figuring out how to do that was a key consideration early on. You take something that seems inherently ridiculous, and you figure out what the context of it could be, Moore explained to EW. And then we just got to work with a really talented actor, he added, meaning Esposito. Esposito is well aware of how his character, Seth Voelker aka Sidewinder, appears in the source material. I went back to the comic. I figured out what the guy looked like. I didnt want to look like that, he said. [Onah] wanted a groundedness of what Im going to bring to it, but I wanted to borrow some color, the lining of the coat color, different subtleties from the original comic so I knew I could be channeling Seth Voelker. In Brave New World, Esposito said, the character is very delicious and powerful, while Onah teased that Espositos Sidewinder brings a grounding and a gravitas to the Serpent Society.Well get to witness what sounds like a genuinely menacing take on Sidewinder when Captain America: Brave New World opens 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.

Ashland Residence / Dimster ArchitectureSave this picture!Courtesy of Dimster ArchitectureHousesSanta Monica, United StatesArchitects: Dimster ArchitectureAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:7202 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Ashland is a single-family residence perched atop a hill overlooking the Santa Monica Bay. The corner lot provided unique opportunities for design and orientation. The L-shaped scheme maximizes privacy towards the streets while exposing the interior to the garden and afternoon sun, encouraging indoor/outdoor living.Save this picture!Save this picture!The building mass is divided between two separate structures and articulated with curved carvings. The sunken living room features 10-foot sliders on two sides that serve as both passive cooling vents and direct connection to the gardens. The home offers flexible spaces for entertaining, meditation, work and hobbies and the potential for future multi-generational living. A simple stair, concealed behind an open screen, leads to the second-floor.Save this picture!The master suite spans the building's width, while other bedrooms enjoy unique treetop views. The wood siding features a classic rainscreen design. The air gap serves three essential functions: first is ventilation and protection for the longevity of the wood, second is an insulating buffer against temperature fluctuations, and third as an effective sound barrier. Two primary entries offer different experiences for approach.Save this picture!Save this picture!A more formal front entry is reached through an inviting garden space of native plants. A side gate accesses the home between the two buildings under a trellised canopy, acting as a transitional space between inside and out; allowing either direct access to the kitchen or as a gateway to the yard and pool. Throughout the house, a cohesive and calming palette of materials and textures completes the concept.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeDimster ArchitectureOfficePublished on February 05, 2025Cite: "Ashland Residence / Dimster Architecture" 05 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026397/ashland-residence-dimster-architecture&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

You guys asked for it, and today, we have answers and, more importantly, a ton of free resources. Enjoy! Get Character Creator 4 - https://bit.ly/3b16Wcw Get Jinny For Free: https://connect.clo-set.com/jinny Get Retopo Planes for Clothes: https://blendermarket.com/products/retopo-planes?ref=110 Get Free 5 Character Basemesh Bundle: https://www.reallusion.com/character-creator/free-3d-character-base.html Get Free BASE MESH (MALE): https://artstn.co/m/N6JL7 Get Free BASEMESH(Female) : https://artstn.co/m/W8wlr Get More Free BaseMesh : https://www.renderhub.com/pharah-best-girl/pharah-from-overwatch-for-blender-30 Get Blender Human BaseMesh Bundle: https://www.blender.org/download/demo-files/ Get Premium Blender Addons: https://bit.ly/3jbu8s7 Learn to Animate in Blender: https://bit.ly/3A1NWac Get Iclone 8.5 - https://bit.ly/38QDfbb FiberShop - Realtime Hair Tool: https://tinyurl.com/2hd2t5v Big Ref Database: https://bit.ly/3PLtaQ8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Weekly Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3lpfvSm Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/asknk Discord: https://discord.gg/G2kmTjUFGm Twitter: https://bit.ly/3a0tADG ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blender Premium Tutorials Blender Tutorials #1: https://bit.ly/3nbfTEu Blender Tutorials #2: https://tinyurl.com/yeyrkreh Learn HardSurface In Blender: https://bit.ly/3E5nP2T 3D Cars Building, Rigging & Animation: https://bit.ly/4h5HXEq Cinematic Car Animation Course: https://bit.ly/3ORFccG Alive! - Animation Course: https://bit.ly/3AEFvyA Human - Realistic Portrait Creation: https://bit.ly/2XvMT1j ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro00:35 Getting Started00:48 Free 3D Character Basemesh Assets01:11 Creating Our Custom Character In Character Creator.01:49 Exporting Mesh from CC402:22 Bringing Your 3D Character Into Jinny03:34 Getting Your Garment On04:42 Modifying Your Garment05:47 Working with Free Closet Assets06:33 Dressing Up!07:02 Texturing & Exporting07:42 Importing Model to Blender08:03 Fixing Your 3D Model09:00 Weight Transfer09:57 Rigging Your Model with Mixamo11:04 Additional Information12:10 Subscribe#asknk #free3D #clothing #simulation #blendercommunity #blendertutorial #free3Dmodels #free3Dresources #freetextures #freematerials #freefriday #premium #b3d #blender3d #free #addons #blenderaddons #new #3dnews #release #update Thumbnail Art:**Artworks used on thumbnails are to support artists who used the principal or third-party tools discussed within the video.** #SupportsArtist

Head to https://squarespace.com/cgmatter to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CGMATTER.blend https://www.cgmatter.com/severancenumbers

Photo of Remontnoye (3766-3637 calBCE), with a spiral temple ring. (Credit: Natalia Shishlina (co-author of "The Genetic Origin of the Indo-Europeans"))NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsAncient DNA analysis has allowed us to make some groundbreaking discoveries, and its time to add a new one to the list.Ron Pinhasi and his team in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna have uncovered new details about our linguistic roots. In collaboration with Harvard Universitys ancient DNA lab, the team has filled a gap in the Indo-European linguistic record that has puzzled scientists and historians for centuries in a new study published in Nature.What are Indo-European Languages?There are over 400 variations of the Indo-European language which are spoken by over half of the worlds population. These variations include all languages with Germanic, Romantic, Slavic, Indo-Iranian, and Celtic ancestry.Due to it being such a widespread and widely-spoken language, scholars and hobbyists alike have been fascinated with investigating the languages origins and its spread across Europe and parts of Asia.This study identified a missing link in this rich and complex history of language.How Ancient DNA Put the Puzzle TogetherMuch of the study of Indo-European languages focuses on whats called steppe ancestry. But what exactly is that?Steppe ancestry refers to the Pontic-Caspian steppes located north of the Black and Caspian Seas. Thanks to genetics and ancient DNA, we already know that the population who lived in this area, known as the Yamnaya culture, began to migrate over and out of the steppes around 3,100 B.C.E.This expansion across Europe and Central Asia is considered by many to be the most influential demographic event of the last 5,000 years, as it created the genetic component still seen in most modern populations today.Through migration, both hunter-gatherer and early farming groups mixed and mingled, sharing their genomes and, more importantly for this study, their languages.Prior to this study, the only branch of Indo-European-speaking populations that were not proven to share in steppe ancestry were those speaking Anatolian, which includes the Hittites.Hittite, as a language, has a distinct linguistic history, as it exhibits archaic aspects of Proto-Indo-European that are not present in any other successor. But even though they clearly speak a form of Proto-Indo-European, science has never been able to explain where they got it.But Pinhasi and his team, via their analysis of ancient DNA from over 435 individuals across archaeological sites in Europe and Asia, have now provided an answer.The Missing LinkWith their new genetic information, the study suggests that the reason the Hittites did not show any signs of steppe ancestry is because their linguistic ancestry actually comes from another, equally important, group.The new population comes from the steppes of a different location: between the North Caucasus Mountains and the lower Volga. This Caucasus-Lower Volga (CLV) population has now been revealed to be even more important to human history than couldve been imagined.Through this new study, scientists were able to prove that 80 percent of the Yamnaya population, who is credited with the spread of Indo-European languages and the genetic makeup of modern humanity, actually are descendants of the CLV population. Furthermore, ancient DNA suggests that 80 percent of Yamnaya ancestry can be connected back to this newly-described group.The gravity of this revelation cannot be understated, as Ron Pinhasi said in a press release that this discovery of the CLV as a missing link marks a turning point in the 200-years-old quest to reconstruct the origins of the Indo-Europeans and the routes by which these people spread.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:As the marketing coordinator at Discover Magazine, Stephanie Edwards interacts with readers across Discover's social media channels and writes digital content. Offline, she is a contract lecturer in English & Cultural Studies at Lakehead University, teaching courses on everything from professional communication to Taylor Swift, and received her graduate degrees in the same department from McMaster University. You can find more of her science writing in Lab Manager and her short fiction in anthologies and literary magazine across the horror genre.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

Deep envisions several of its 'sentinel' units parking beside each other to from an underwater research center. Credit: DeepShareHumanity (or at least an eclectic subset of it) has been obsessed with exploring the deep seas for hundreds of years. Rudimentary forms of submarines and diving bells were envisioned as far back as the 16th century. More recent advances in submarine and submersible technology in the past hundred years, however, have made it possible for divers and explorers to spend an increasing amount of time underwater, in some cases for weeks on end. Now, according to The Guardian, one British company called Deep is taking that interest to an extreme. With the deep financial backing of an anonymous investor, the company is working towards creating a permanent human settlement under the sea.Deeps plan revolves around the creation of specially designed, house-sized submersibles they call sentinels. Equipped with multiple bedrooms and a communal area, these mobile research stations could one-day house residents at 80 meters below the oceans surface. If realized, the underwater homes could give scientists and researchers more prolonged access to unexplored areas of the deep sea than previously possible. It could also draw the attention of wealthy underwater deep-sea tourists eager to manifest their dreams of living for weeks or possibly months surrounded by the ocean.What will the underwater homes look like?If successful, Deeps small-house-sized sentinel units will let scientists and other would-be oceanic explorers live below the surface for longer periods of time and with some greater semblance of normalcy. The sentinels are currently being tested at Deeps facility in Gloucestershire near Wales. The floor units feature a recreation area, six bedrooms, a kitchen, and crucially, a bathroom with running water and a toilet. Deep envisions up to six people living in these underwater homes at a time. Several sentinels could also be placed next to each other to form a kind of underwater research station. The facilities are constructed using a special steel they say can withstand pressures of up to 200 meters below the surface. Initially, Deep plans to have its living facilities sit at a depth of 80 meters before plunging further down.The multi-floor sentinel units feature six bedrooms, a recreational area, and running water. Credit: Deep The overall mission of the project is to aid in scientific research and ocean exploration. By spending more time comfortably at lower depths, Deep says researchers may have a sustained presence in the ocean which will allow for more detailed studies of remote areas still filled with mysteries. Recreation areas onboard the sentinels can also function as an underwater laboratory. For now, according to The Guardian, Deep is preparing its participants to spend 28 days underwater. But Mike Shackleford, Deeps chief operating officer, says the long-term vision is much more ambitious.The goal is to live in the ocean, for ever, Shackleford told The Guardian. To have permanent human settlements in all oceans across the world.How human could survive underwaterLiving underwater requires some psychological adjustments. Deep sea divers typically breathe in a mix of helium and oxygen to avoid nitrogen narcosis. Something similar happens when living in a sentinel. After a certain period of time in deep water, the inert gases breathed in by a diver, or in this case, a sentinel resident, dissolve into body tissues and eventually reach an equilibrium with the pressure in their particular depth. This, Deep Director of Scientific Research Dawn Kernagis says in a blog post, is referred to as the principle of saturation. That equilibrium, or saturation, is the key to comfortably staying in deep water for prolonged periods of time.Once saturation is reached, the diver can stay at the bottom for days, weeks, and months without needing any additional decompression time, Kernagis said. All they need is a place to stay down there and the basics to sustain life (food, water, oxygen).The longest anyone has ever spent continuously underwater is 100 days, so its still unclear what if any physiological damage would occur to residents in deep sea environments for several years at a time. The more immediate concern, according to research published in The Lancet, is how a half dozen people will handle living among each other in tight corridors. Disturbances in sleep caused by a lack of sunlight and the stresses of a cramped environment could take a toll on residents mental health.That all may sound promising, but turning that theoretical idea into a reality will present challenges on multiple fronts. Currently, Deep is testing in a highly controlled, 260-foot-deep lake. Moving this out into the ocean will introduce new variables like extreme weather and possible disturbances from wildlife or other vessels. Theres also the uncomfortable specter of the OceanGate Titan submersible, which infamously imploded in 2023 killing all five passengers onboard. Unlike OceanGate, Deep says it is working closely with Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an international accreditation agency, to make sure its submersible and underwater homes meet safety regulations. Still, even with the best preparations, the ocean presents a unique challenge. Shackleford noted as much in The Guardian report.Basically, everything wants to kill you, he said.Humans are testing the limits of livabilityPrivate companies and nation-states alike are racing to build new habitats for humans in a place once considered unlivable. The Bjarke Ingels Group, an architecture firm based out of Denmark, in 2019 introduced the concept of Oceanix City a floating archipelago of platforms the firm says could one day house 12,000 people. Outside of Earth, NASA says its looking into a surface habituation system to allow future astronauts to stay on the moon for prolonged periods of time. China, meanwhile, has laid out an ambitious initial roadmap to build out a lunar base on the moons South Pole by 2035. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has, for years, envisioned a future human colony on Mars, though its unclear if thats even technically possible with modern technology.For now, at least, the most accessible alien world might be the still largely unexplored dark depth below the ocean surface.

Nature, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00314-wA comprehensive atlas of the human hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates many bodily functions, including temperature, sleep and appetite, has been built using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. The atlas reveals previously unappreciated anatomical and cellular diversity, insights into obesity genetics and key therapeutic differences between humans and mice.