With Ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it. You can copy many iso files at a time and ventoy will give you a boot menu to select them. Both Legacy BIOS and UEFI are supported in the same way. 420+ ISO files are tested. A "Ventoy Compatible" concept is introduced by ventoy, which can help to support any ISO file.Can I install Ventoy to a partition in my installed disc?Yes. You can install Ventoy to virtually any drive, including a partition on your local disk. This means it can be installed in most USB drives, removable HD, SD Card, SATA HDD and SSD.What operating systems are compatible with Ventoy?Ventoy is compatible with Linux, macOS and most versions of Windows, this includes Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. For Windows 11 Ventoy has the ability to bypass the hardware check when installing.What kind of BIOS does Ventoy support?Ventoy supports various BIOS that include the x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI, ARM64 UEFI and MIPS64EL UEFI BIOS.What are the best Ventoy alternatives?Rufus, YUMI and Etcher are among the most renowned Ventoy alternatives. Though only Etcher is compatible with macOS as is Ventoy.Features100% open sourceSimple to useFast (limited only by the speed of copying iso file)Directly boot from iso file, no extraction neededLegacy + UEFI supported in the same wayUEFI Secure Boot supported (1.0.07+)Persistence supported (1.0.11+)MBR and GPT partition style supported (1.0.15+)WIM files boot supported (Legacy + UEFI) (1.0.12+)Auto installation supported (1.0.09+)ISO files larger than 4GB supportedNative boot menu style for Legacy & UEFIMost type of OS supported, 300+ iso files testedNot only boot but also complete installation processISO files can be listed in List mode/TreeView mode Notes"Ventoy Compatible" conceptPlugin FrameworkUSB drive write-protected supportUSB normal use unaffectedData nondestructive during version upgradeNo need to update Ventoy when a new distro is releasedWhat's NewOptimization for VTOY_LINUX_REMOUNT implementation to support all Linux distros.Now linux remount is supported by default. So VTOY_LINUX_REMOUNT option now is deprecated, we don't need it anymore.Previous Release Notes:Update to latest Shim (Fix verifying shim SBAT data failed) (#2947)Support eweOS ISO (#3068)Fix the boot issue of SystemRescue 11.02+ (#2958) (#3058)Wana boot and install OS through network (PXE)? Welcome to my new project, iVentoy https://www.iventoy.comUpadte EFI boot files. Fix the Linpus Lite error on some computer.Fix the issue that VTOY_LINUX_REMOUNT can not take effect in latest openSUSE. (#2551)Fix the issue when installing on /dev/mdX device. (#2846)languages.json update

The Euclid Space Telescope has captured a remarkable image showing an extremely rare phenomenon: a ring of light around the center of a galaxy, known as an Einstein Ring. These structures appear in telescope images due to the distorting effects of gravity, and they allow researchers to study distant galaxies which might otherwise be insibile.The ring was spotted around the center of galaxy NGC 6505, located in our cosmic back yard at just 590 million light-years from Earth. The ring itself is created by light from a background galaxy which is a whopping 4.42 billion light-years away, and which has been distorted into the ring shape due to the mass of the foreground galaxy. This effect, called gravitational lensing, is not uncommon but it is rare for the galaxies to be aligned just so, to create a perfect ring of light.Recommended VideosAn Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing, said lead researcher Conor ORiordan of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany. All strong lenses are special, because theyre so rare, and theyre incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly special, because its so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe object was observed purely by chance, while the Euclid telescope was still in its testing phase in September 2023. Even though these images were fuzzy and out of focus, one of the researchers working on the images spotted clues that there could be something special to see and looked more closely.I look at the data from Euclid as it comes in, explained Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri. Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring. For me, with a lifelong interest in gravitational lensing, that was amazing.The Einstein ring is exciting for researchers not only because it is rare to see one, but also because it can help them study phenomena like dark matter and dark energy, which are invisible but can be studied by looking for their gravitational effects. Euclid will be studying dark matter by looking for these kinds of effects.I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known galaxy, which was first discovered in 1884, said Valeria Pettorino, Euclid Project Scientist. The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before. This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well. This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities.Euclid is going to revolutionize the field, with all this data weve never had before, said ORiordan.The research is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of Contents7. Midnight Mass (2021)6. Arcane: League of Legends (2021-2024)5. The Queens Gambit (2020)4. Baby Reindeer (2024)3. Wednesday (2022-present)2. Squid Game (2021-present)1. Stranger Things (2016-present)Netflix remains a global powerhouse for providing artistic and entertaining television shows to its subscribers. Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Stranger Things have grown into pop culture phenomenons and established the streaming platform as a cornerstone of worldwide media.Though the 2020s have multiple streaming services competing with exceptional programs, none have achieved the same level of success as Netflix. While it has delivered plenty of popular and well-crafted series, these seven shows stand out as the best Netflix has had to offer in the 2020s so far.Recommended VideosNetflix / NetflixFollowing the success of The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor, horror master Mike Flanagan unleashed another gripping saga with the miniseries Midnight Mass. After the shows protagonist is released from prison following a DUI that killed a young woman, he returns to his hometown to find it visited by a priest who unleashes dark miracles that raise philosophical questions about religion and addiction.RelatedSpecifically, the series is a frightening and emotional exploration of how people use religion to justify committing such heinous and destructive acts. While Flanagan made Bly Manor, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher in the 2020s, Midnight Mass stands out as an original and thought-provoking story with plenty of strong scares, surprising twists, and award-worthy performances.Stream Midnight Mass on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixThis mature video game adaptation conveys the conflict between two siblings as they are caught up and separated in a bitter war between the citizens of Piltover and Zaun. Arcanedoes a fantastic job adapting League of Legends into a TV show with its massive steampunk worldbuilding, beautifully detailed animation, and stellar voice acting. However, what drew audiences to this series was its emotional narrative and variety of well-rounded characters.No matter what side a character is on, Arcane doesnt portray them based on a black-and-white morality. The way the cast grows and changes throughout the series have made it one of the most beloved and sophisticated video game adaptations ever.Stream Arcane: League of Legends on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixThis period drama captivated viewers as it followed chess prodigy Beth Harmon as she fought to be the best at the game and battled her drug and alcohol addiction. Thanks to an exciting narrative, stunning visuals, and an enthralling performance from Anya Taylor-Joy, chess had never been so thrilling on television.But overall, The Queens Gambit appealed to its audience with its intelligent, grounded, and uplifting underdog story, which provided the perfect escape for people during the worldwide pandemic.Stream The Queens Gambit on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixCreated and led by actor/comedian Richard Gadd, this series follows a man being stalked by a violent woman, forcing him to confront her and his own unresolved trauma. Since this series is based on his real-life experiences, Gadd presents an intense and authentic portrayal of the destructive effects of stalking and sexual abuse long after it has occurred, as well as how far people are willing to go for attention.Baby Reindeer received massive acclaim and popularity, with Netflix adding an incredible amount of subscribers from the show. While the series developed an overly obsessive fanbase, very much reflecting the problems the show addresses, it was a masterfully crafted story that needed to be told as modern society continues to confront the true reality of abuse and how it persists in the present day.Stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixThis teenage horror comedy instantly became one of Netflixs most viral shows in 2022 as it became popular with Gen Z viewers, particularly on social media. Wednesdayalready had enough brand recognition as a story based on The Addams Family. However, the series was elevated by Scream Queen Jenna Ortegas lead performance as the sardonic and witty Wednesday Addams, whose rebellious teen spirit won over the hearts of countless audiences.The series also rose to the top thanks to the creative leadership of Alfred Gough, Mark Millar, and Tim Burton. This trio created an eye-catching masterpiece of black comedy and Gothic horror reminiscent of the latters greatest hits.Stream Wednesday on Netflix.No Ju-han/Netflix / NetflixThis South Korean sensation took Netflix by storm as streamers got hooked on watching the titular death game, in which a lower-class man competes against several other contestants for a grand prize to pay off his gambling debts.This ensemble thriller presented a smart, layered narrative brimming with dark satire, terrific performances, powerful social commentary, and several harrowing twists that kept its viewers gasping and guessing. Despite it not being a Hollywood production, Squid Gamerocked the world online, becoming Netflixs most-watched series and winning several awards.Stream Squid Games on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixEven after a three-year wait for season 4, Stranger Things rose to greater heights as it delved deeper into the mystery of the Upside Down and its ongoing war with Hawkins. Essentially releasing eight movies in its fourth season, this hit series delivered a sprawling and terrifying sci-fi epic that reinvented the franchise while making it more popular than ever before. Stranger Things proved it wasnt afraid to venture even further into the darkness with its story, as shown by season 4s shocking twist ending.However, as Vecna tormented the citizens of Hawkins in this, Stranger Things gave a heartfelt exploration of mental health that resonated with countless audiences, particularly in its iconic fourth episode. All this has established it as Netflixs greatest original series, with the shows final season being one of the most highly anticipated television events of 2025.Stream Stranger Things on Netflix.Editors Recommendations

Helsing, a German-British company focused on the integration of AI in defense platforms, and Mistral, a French developer of large language models, said they will combine their technologies to improve collaboration between soldiers and AI on the battlefield.

how soon before someone shoots one? Tesla turns to Texas to test its autonomous Cybercab The state is much more permissive than California for driverless vehicles. Jonathan M. Gitlin Feb 10, 2025 1:13 pm | 8 Credit: Aurich Lawson/Getty Images Credit: Aurich Lawson/Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreIf you live or drive in Austin, Texas, you might start seeing some new-looking Teslas on your roads later this summer. Tesla says it wants to start offering rides for money in the two-seater "Cybercab" that the company revealed last year at a Hollywood backlot. California might be the place with enough glitz to unleash that particular stock-bumping news to the world, but the Golden State is evidently far too restrictive for a company like Tesla to truck with. Instead, the easygoing authorities in Texas provide a far more attractive environment when it comes to putting driverless rubber on the road.During the early days of its autonomous vehicle (AV) ambitions, Tesla did its testing in California, like most of the rest of the industry. California was early to lay down laws and regulations for the nascent AV industry, a move that some criticized as premature and unnecessarily restrictive. Among the requirements has been the need to report test mileage and disengagements, reports that revealed that Tesla's testing has in fact been extremely limited within that state's borders since 2016.Other states, mostly ones blessed with good weather, have become a refuge for AV testing away from California's strictures, especially car-centric cities like Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. Texas amended its transportation code in 2017 to allow autonomous vehicles to operate on its roads, and it took away any ability for local governments to restrict testing or deployment. By contrast, companies like Waymo and the now-shuttered Cruise were given much more narrow permission to deploy only in limited parts of California.Texan highways started seeing autonomous semi trucks by 2021, the same year the Texas House passed legislation that filled in some missing gaps. But Tesla won't be the first to start trying to offer robotaxis in AustinWaymo has been doing that since late 2023. Even Volkswagen has been driving driverless Buzzes around Austin in conjuction with MobilEye; ironically, Tesla was a MobilEye customer until it was fired by the supplier back in 2016 for taking too lax an approach to safety with its vision-based advanced driver assistance system.Texas' rules say that autonomous vehicles are allowed to operate throughout the state as long as they comply with state traffic and vehicle laws and conform to federal rules regarding vehicle safety and AVs (such as they are). Cars must also have a data logging system and report any crashes. In effect, the state issues the car with a driver's license but without actually giving it a test first to prove that it's able to drive safely.Tesla's record with partially automated driving systems provides little confidence that the company will meet yet another of CEO Elon Musk's overly ambitious deadlines. Both Autopilot and "Full Self Driving" are the subject of multiple federal safety investigations, and testing last year showed the system disengaged about once every 13 miles (21 km).A quick look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's data from its standing general order to report any crashes involving an automated driving system or a partially automated driving assist like Tesla's shows a little more than 10 percent of ADAS crashes involving Teslas have occurred in Texas since 2021299 reports out of a total of 2,621 Tesla crashes. Oddly, all entries for Tesla have their narrative redacted due to possibly containing confidential material, a courtesy that was extended to no other automaker bar some (but not all) reports from BMW.Unlike the rest of the industry, Tesla has eschewed sensors like lidar and forward-looking radar for its driver assists and the supposedly fully autonomous Cybercab, an approach that NHTSA was looking more likely to demand fixes to, at least until the results of the 2024 election became clear. That would have required a very costly physical recall and would surely have harmed Tesla's share price despite that stock's immense reality distortion field.Assuming Tesla is able to start deploying its Cybercabs on Austin streetssomething its history suggests is not at all a sure betthere may be some confusion if the vehicles start crashing into or hitting other road users. That's particularly true since Texas' code says that the owner of the AV is responsible for that vehicle complying with applicable laws. But Texas requires that fault is determined in an accident to work out who is liable to pay for damages, responsibility that Tesla has steadfastly refused to accept in virtually all its Autopilot and FSD crashes.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 8 Comments

Sweep the dragon Dragonsweeper is my favorite game of 2025 (so far) The quick-hit Minesweeper-style RPG has just the right mix of logic and luck. Kyle Orland Feb 10, 2025 12:59 pm | 3 A promising start. Credit: Dragonsweeper A promising start. Credit: Dragonsweeper Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWhile writing a wide-ranging history of Windows Minesweeper for Boss Fight Books in 2023, I ended up playing many variations of Microsoft's beloved original game. Those include versions with hexagonal tiles, versions with weird board shapes, and versions that extend Minesweeper into four dimensions or more, to name just a few.Almost all these variants messed a little too much with the careful balance of simplicity, readability, reasoning, and luck that made the original Minesweeper so addictive. None of them became games I return to day after day.But then I stumbled onto Dragonsweeper, a free browser-based game that indie developer Daniel Benmergui released unceremoniously on itch.io last month. In the weeks since I discovered it, the game has become my latest puzzle obsession, filling in a worrying proportion of my spare moments with its addictive, simple RPG-tinged take on the Minesweeper formula.ExploresweeperLike Minesweeper before it, Dragonsweeper is a game about deducing hidden information based on the limited information you can already see on the grid. But the numbers you reveal in Dragonsweeper don't simply tell you the number of threats on adjacent squares. Instead, the "numbers are sum of monster power," as the game's cryptic "Monsternomicon" explains. So a revealed square with a "14" could suggest two 7-power devils nearby or two 5-power slimes and a 4-power ogre, or even seven 2-power bats in a particularly weird randomized arrangement.Destroying those monsters means eating into your avatar Jorge's health total, which is prominently displayed in the bottom-left corner. Jorge's health can safely go down to zero hearts without dyingwhich feels a bit counter-intuitive at firstand can be restored by using discovered health potions or by leveling up with gold accumulated from downed monsters and items. If you can level up enough without dying, you'll have the health necessary to defeat the titular dragon sitting in the middle of the board and win the game.Dragonsweeper's "Monsternomicon" isn't exactly easy to parse at first. Credit: DragonsweeperDragonsweeper's "Monsternomicon" isn't exactly easy to parse at first. Credit: Dragonsweeper The first few times I played Dragonsweeper, it seemed impossible to make significant progress. I'd defeat a few of the low-ranking monsters revealed at the beginning of the game, use all the level-ups and health potions I could, and then be stuck with no health in a situation where it seemed like I had to guess to continue. The balance between logic and luck seemed completely out of whack.The game didn't really click for me until I read a comment suggesting that I think of Jorge's hearts as a sort of "exploration budget" to probe the frontiers of unrevealed tiles. Instead of clicking on the monsters you can already see (or deduce directly), it's usually much smarter to click on multiple tiles if and when you can be sure those tiles won't kill Jorge.So if I see a revealed "14" tile with 10 points of known adjacent monsters, I know I can click the other adjacent tiles and take just four points of damage. In exchange for that health, I gain more board information and more gold and items to continue the cycle of healing and exploration. After literal decades of Minesweeper-honed instincts to never click a potentially dangerous box, Dragonsweeper had to train me that it was OK to trade "danger" for information in this way. Even death can provide valuable information for future runs. Credit: Dragonsweeper Even death can provide valuable information for future runs. Credit: Dragonsweeper While most Dragonsweeper monsters end up acting as simple damage sponges, a few have some hidden abilities or patterns that only become apparent after a bit of guess-and-check gameplay. It pays to follow the Monsternomicon's directive to "Observe Monster Patterns When Dead," looking at the fully revealed board to figure out the kinds of locations where certain monsters congregate and exploit that knowledge as you plan your strategy.Just one more dragonVariants like Mamono Sweeper and Runestone Keeper have similarly tried adding RPG systems to the basic Minesweeper formula in the past, but they ended up feeling a little too complex and difficult to parse for my tastes. Dragonsweeper adds just enough randomized monster battling and item collecting to stay interesting without becoming unwieldy under the weight of intricate systems.After a few hours of somewhat obsessive play, I got pretty good at consistently killing the dragon on the original version of Dragonsweeper. Then, late last week, Benmergui posted an update that greatly improved the user interface, modified some monster behaviors, and "adjust[ed] the challenge." The new version requires a little more care and deduction to make early progress, even though the vast majority of boards still seem solvable with careful play. Even after your first "win," you'll keep coming back to improve on your top score and completion time. Credit: Dragonsweeper Even after your first "win," you'll keep coming back to improve on your top score and completion time. Credit: Dragonsweeper Even after you've notched your first Dragonsweeper "win," there's still reason to keep coming back. The game's background scoring system encourages you to defeat not just the dragon but every single monster on the board, a feat that requires careful planning and a bit of luck in finding early gold piles. The latest update also adds an in-game timer (which is only revealed when you win), encouraging the kind of record-chasing speedruns that high-level Minesweeper is known for (my best Dragonsweeper run so far is just under four minutes, but I'm sure that can be improved).Even with a number of grand, bid-budget gaming epics in my backlog (and my review plate), Dragonsweeper has become the game I'm eager to return to with practically every spare moment I can find lately. It's a perfect "coffee break" game that requires just enough logic and strategy to focus my higher brain functions while offering enough luck to not be rote. As it happens, that's exactly what I'm looking for from a gaming distraction these days.Kyle OrlandSenior Gaming EditorKyle OrlandSenior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 3 Comments

A climate protesters flag in Dsseldorf, GermanyYing Tang/NurPhoto/ShutterstockLast month, researchers confirmed that 2024 was the first year to see global average temperatures rise more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. It was a symbolic moment, given the worlds collective goal, set in 2015 under the Paris Agreement, to keep long-term warming to a 1.5C threshold. But scientists were quick to stress that this goal is based on a 20-year average temperature, so global efforts to deliver on it are still technically at least in play.Yet experts are increasingly asking whether shorter periods of high temperatures could be a sign that the world has already breached 1.5C. Can we conclude that this target has bitten the dust? AdvertisementEmanuele Bevacqua at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchUFZ in Germany and his colleagues set out to investigate whether a single warm year above 1.5C could be a signal that long-term warming will soon reach that level.Using a combination of real-world observations and climate models, Bevacqua and his team studied warming thresholds already breached between 1981 and 2014. They found that the first single year exceeding 0.6C, 0.7C, 0.8C, 0.9C and 1C above the pre-industrial benchmark has consistently fallen within the first 20-year period in which the average temperature reached the same thresholds.By that measure, the first single year above 1.5C puts the world within the 20-year period scientists use to define 1.5C of long-term warming, the team concludes. It is highly probable that we are already within the 20-year period, says Bevacqua. We are most likely within the first 10 years [of the period]. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterThe findings chime with most predictions that long-term warming will reach 1.5C by the late 2020s or early 2030s. It is a confirmatory result of what researchers are already predicting, says Paulo Ceppi at Imperial College London.But monthly temperature data may tell a different, more concerning, story. June 2024 was the 12th month in a row with average global temperatures at least 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. In a separate study, Alex Cannon at Environment and Climate Change Canada used a climate model to compare the first time global temperatures reach 1.5C for 12 consecutive months with the time when the 20-year temperature average crosses 1.5C.He found that, in climate model simulations, a run of 12 consecutive months above 1.5C indicates an 80 per cent likelihood that long-term warming of 1.5C has already been reached, even when natural variability such as El Nio phases are accounted for. If you shift back into the real world, that would imply that theres a good probability we have already passed the long-term threshold [for 1.5C], he says.However, the conclusions are based on a climate model that assumes Earths atmosphere is very responsive to changes in CO2 concentrations. The model is also running a high emissions scenario, notes Duo Chan at the University of Southampton, UK. I will interpret the result with caution, he says. Cannon notes this limitation in the study and suggests that if the models climate sensitivity is tempered and run on a medium emissions scenario, the long-term crossing of the 1.5C threshold would probably occur before 2029, in line with estimates from the wider community.The conclusions also rely on models being able to accurately represent all drivers of warming and predict year-to-year variability in the global temperature. If the models underestimate this variability, then they would overestimate the probability of having exceeded 1.5C for a given number of months above the threshold, says Ceppi. More research is needed to verify how well climate models are simulating short-term variability, he says, particularly given uncertainties about effects such as the reduction in atmospheric aerosols from shipping. Aerosols reflect sunlight out of Earths atmosphere, and so using cleaner shipping fuels can paradoxically lead to increased warming.Such uncertainties mean we should be cautious about over-interpreting results from single studies. After all, the Paris Agreement is a major political treaty, and declaring one of its key goals dead and buried would have seismic consequences. [To answer] the question of whether or not we have exceeded the temperature levels referred to in the Paris Agreement, we would need to have very high scientific certainty, and we do not have that, says Carl-Friedrich Schleussner at the research institute Climate Analytics in Berlin, who contributed to Bevacquas study.Cannon says even with the results of his research, I dont have sufficient information to say that [the 1.5C goal has been breached] with any certainty. The problem, he says, is that climate models predicting this scenario didnt expect the recent run of record-breaking temperatures. Theres an inconsistency between the timing in the models and what weve actually observed.This implies the models are missing something that explains the recent surge of real-world warming. Most climate models dont take into account the reduction in aerosols from shipping, which is one possible explanation. Cannon says his work is unearthing warning flags that we need to understand things better.Yet even if it is too early to say whether the Paris goal has already been reached, to some extent this is splitting hairs. We are entering a 1.5C world, says Schleussner, with warming levels now very close to this critical threshold. The impacts that scientists told us will happen around 1.5C [of warming] are going to materialise.The truth of the matter is that the goals of the Paris Agreement hang in the balance, he stresses. If we continue on the current track, we will fail.Journal reference:Nature Climate Change DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02246-9Journal reference:Nature Climate Change DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02247-8Topics:climate change

An illustration showing Earths inner structureRostislav Zatonskiy/AlamyEarths solid inner core appears to have changed shape in the past 20 years or so, according to seismic wave measurements but the behaviour of these waves could also be explained by other shifts at the centre of the planet.Since the 1990s, models and seismic measurements have indicated that Earths iron-nickel inner core moves at its own pace. Over decades, the rotation of the inner core speeds up and slows down relative to the rest of the planet, affecting things such as the length of a day. AdvertisementThose changes in rotation are mainly due to magnetic forces generated by convection in Earths liquid outer core, says John Vidale at the University of Southern California. That flow is continually torquing the inner core.Those magnetic forces, or related processes, could change the shape of the inner core as well as its rotation in fact, some previous measurements of seismic waves passing through the planets centre seemed to indicate just that. But uncertainty about the cores rotation made it impossible to distinguish between a change in rotation and a change in shape.Now, Vidale and his colleagues have analysed seismic waves generated by 128 earthquakes off the coast of South America between 1991 and 2023. The waves were all measured by instruments in Alaska after passing through the planet. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterFrom these, the researchers identified 168 pairs of seismic waves that passed through or near the same area of the inner core but years apart. Identifying these matches was only possible due to recent work better constraining the changes in rotation of the inner core, says Vidale.Both waves in each pair that didnt pass through the inner core shared a similar pattern, suggesting nothing had changed in those areas within our planet between the first and second quake. But the waves in pairs that did intersect with the inner core didnt match, indicating something about the core had changed beyond what could be explained by differences in rotation.The researchers say this suggests the inner core not only slows down or speeds up its rotation over decades, but it also changes shape. They say these changes would most likely be caused by convection in the outer core pulling magnetically at the less viscous edge of the solid inner core, or by interactions between the inner core and structures in the lower mantle, the layer between our planets core and its crust.Hrvoje Tkali at Australian National University, who wasnt involved with the research, says this is a step forward towards resolving changes in the inner core beyond rotation. But he says a change in shape isnt the only explanation for the mismatched seismic waves.As Vidale and his colleagues acknowledge, those differences could also be caused by unrelated changes in the outer core, convection within the inner core itself or even eruptions of melted material from the inner core. Its really hard to tell, says Vidale. He suggests that studying more repeat earthquakes in the future will help identify changes in more detail.Tkali says more seismological measurements in remote places, like the ocean floor, would also help. This is critical to understanding the evolution of the Earths deepest interior, from the time of the planetary formation to the present day, he says.Journal referenceNature Geoscience DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01642-2Topics:

Some fashion brands are pausing influencer campaigns and blaming US tariffs.Prominent brands Halara and Shein have temporarily halted some campaigns.The moves come after President Trump announced new tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico.The trade wars have hit the influencer economy.Halara, a women's activewear brand, said it's pausing some sponsorship campaigns until March, citing concerns around the business impact of new US tariffs, per an email sent to a talent manager and viewed by Business Insider.Fast fashion retailer Shein informed one talent manager through an agency that it was temporarily pausing collaborative videos. It told another that it was deferring new campaign offers, saying the move was specific to creators with US audiences. In both instances, the company cited the US tariffs as the reason for its pause.The talent managers spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their future business dealings. Their identities are known to BI.Fashion brands that rely on Chinese manufacturing are some of the first to potentially be impacted by President Donald Trump's tariff policies.In its email, Halara said it would spend the next few weeks changing its warehouse strategy to adapt to US tariff policy. The company advised its influencers not to shoot any videos before March, as the products they're meant to promote may have changed by that point.Halara and Shein did not respond to requests for comment from BI. Whether the pause impacts some or all of the brands' US influencer-marketing spending is unclear.Halara, founded in 2020 by Joyce Zhang, has leaned heavily on social media and influencers to build its business. The company has a big presence on TikTok, where it has sold around 125,000 items through the app's e-commerce feature, Shop, as of Monday. The company runs an ambassador program for influencers and offers affiliate commissions to creators who boost sales.Shein similarly leans on creators to drive up sales, sponsoring influencer trips and running an affiliate program offering up to 20% commissions.Trump, in a February 1 executive order, added an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods and a 25% tariff on items from Canada and Mexico. (Tariffs on the latter two countries have been put on pause.)Trump's order also removed a duty and tax loophole, known as the de minimis exemption, that allowed brands like Shein and Temu to cheaply send goods to US consumers from China. Last week, Trump delayed removal of the exemption to give the Commerce Department more time to prepare.Mylen Yamamoto Tansingco, CEO of the influencer talent management firm Clique-Now, said her client's brand campaigns had not been directly impacted by the tariffs. But she said she's "anticipating a snowball effect" where increased pricing leads to less consumer spending, which then lowers marketing budgets.The trade wars may creep into other parts of the creator economyInfluencer marketers aren't the only ones in the industry bracing for impact.Creator agency The Network Effect works with a Chinese manufacturer for its Beyond Lost streetwear brand, founded by influencer Alyssa McKay.Cofounder Brian Nelson said the political back-and-forth poses daily worries."Currently we have a pretty big shipment for us on a boat on the way over" via UPS, Nelson said. "If any of this kicks into gear with China, we don't even know who pays what when it gets here."The Network Effect is seeking to diversify its manufacturing partners and plans to eat any immediate tariff-related costs. Nelson said the business "wouldn't be fine in a long-term scenario" without changes, however.Canada also remains an open question for the agency though tariffs are paused as it marks Beyond Lost's second-biggest consumer market after the US. (Goods ship from its Chinese manufacturer to the US, and then to Canada upon sale.)"You have to look at the headlines every day to kind of see where the hockey puck's moving," said the Network Effect cofounder Brian Mandler.If you know more about the recent impact of US tariffs on influencer marketing contact the author at: aperelli@businessinsider.com or through the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 646-768-4720).

Reid Hoffman said tech platforms embracing freedom of speech shouldn't mean more misinformation.The LinkedIn founder said on Monday that his platform "reflects my point of view on these things."Hoffman said it's "extremely important" for tech leaders to be working with the Trump adminstration.As tech companies like Meta move away from fact-checking, LinkedIn's cofounder Reid Hoffman doesn't want it to come at the expense of more misinformation. At the Paris AI Action Summit, Hoffman said having a space for "civil dialogue" is "incredibly important" but shouldn't mean more posts around topics like "anti-vax misinformation."While Meta and X have loosened their content moderation policies with Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk arguing that they can stifle free expression Hoffman suggested his own platform, LinkedIn, better "reflects my point of view on these things.""I think that it's important to get to the equivalent of fact-checking," he said on Monday, adding, "We're innovating in that direction.""What I would like to see more from the tech industry is less of a rollback where freedom of speech might mean anti-vax misinformation or other kinds of things, and more of a learning dialogue," Hoffman said in response to a question about Zuckerberg's recent policy changes. Hoffman's stance places him at odds with some of Silicon Valley's most powerful figures, including longtime ally Zuckerberg.While he defended the Meta CEO from criticism for attending Trump's 2025 inauguration, Hoffman has previously warned that social media companies have an obligation to uphold fact-checking standards."Social networks should, in fact, take a certain social responsibility," Hoffman told NPR last month.Unlike Zuckerberg, Musk, and other top tech executives, Hoffman was notably absent from Trump's 2025 inauguration. Several billionaires stood onstage, but Hoffman wasn't invited a reflection, he said, of his political differences and his position as an outspoken critic of Trump's policies."I assumed it's partly that I'm not a current CEO of a giant company, but the political difference with my fellow tech founders is hard to overlook," Hoffman, who backed Kamala Harris, told NPR.Despite Hoffman's exclusion from Trump's inauguration, when asked at the Paris AI Action Summit about the relationship between tech CEOs and Trump, he said he thought the "Trump administration staffing people who understand technology" was a good thing, adding, "It is extremely important for all governments to be in dialogue with the technology industry."He went on to compare AI to previous industrial revolutions, saying it will bring a "huge increase in productivity" but also challenges, "namely the transition that goes into how society fits, and so I think those organizations being in dialogue with governments is great."Hoffman said that tech companies "now, more than ever," need to be able to articulate their beliefs "about what society needs" and how they are building their technology.