Drop the leash ChatGPT can now write erotica as OpenAI eases up on AI paternalism ChatGPT relaxes rules on sex and "gore" generations while prohibiting illegal content. Benj Edwards Feb 14, 2025 4:44 pm | 27 Credit: filo via Getty Images Credit: filo via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOn Wednesday, OpenAI published the latest version of its "Model Spec," a set of guidelines detailing how ChatGPT should behave and respond to user requests. The document reveals a notable shift in OpenAI's content policies, particularly around "sensitive" content like erotica and goreallowing this type of content to be generated without warnings in "appropriate contexts."The change in policy has been in the works since May 2024, when the original Model Spec document first mentioned that OpenAI was exploring "whether we can responsibly provide the ability to generate NSFW content in age-appropriate contexts through the API and ChatGPT."ChatGPT's guidelines now state that that "erotica or gore" may now be generated, but only under specific circumstances. "The assistant should not generate erotica, depictions of illegal or non-consensual sexual activities, or extreme gore, except in scientific, historical, news, creative or other contexts where sensitive content is appropriate," OpenAI writes. "This includes depictions in text, audio (e.g., erotic or violent visceral noises), or visual content."So far, experimentation from Reddit users has shown that ChatGPT's content filters have indeed been relaxed, with some managing to generate explicit sexual or violent scenarios without accompanying content warnings. OpenAI notes that its Usage Policies still apply, which prohibit building AI tools for minors that include sexual content.The need for grown-up modePreviously, ChatGPT has been known to restrict its output under a sense of what you might call "knowing what's best for the user," which has typically been called paternalism in the AI field.Aside from restricting the creation of pornography, paternalism in AI can get in the way of professionals using ChatGPT for analysis of crime scene descriptions by law enforcement, certain types of news stories, legal documents that may include violence or sexual content, and sometimes medical texts. That kind of interference from AI assistants has led to calls for an uncensored (or even a less-censored) version of ChatGPT over time. As OpenAI itself explains in the document:"Following the initial release of the Model Spec (May 2024), many users and developers expressed support for enabling a grown-up mode. We're exploring how to let developers and users generate erotica and gore in age-appropriate contexts through the API and ChatGPT so long as our usage policies are metwhile drawing a hard line against potentially harmful uses like sexual deepfakes and revenge porn."OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has mentioned the need for a "grown-up mode" publicly in the past as well. While it seems like "grown-up mode" is finally here, it's not technically a "mode," but a new universal policy that potentially gives ChatGPT users more flexibility in interacting with the AI assistant.Of course, uncensored large language models (LLMs) have been around for years at this point, with hobbyist communities online developing them for reasons that range from wanting bespoke written pornography to not wanting any kind of paternalistic censorship.In July 2023, we reported that the ChatGPT user base started declining for the first time after OpenAI started more heavily censoring outputs due to public and lawmaker backlash. At that time, some users began to use uncensored chatbots that could run on local hardware and were often available for free as "open weights" models.Three types of iffy contentThe Model Spec outlines formalized rules for restricting or generating potentially harmful content while staying within guidelines. OpenAI has divided this kind of restricted or iffy content into three categories of declining severity: prohibited content ("only applies to sexual content involving minors"), restricted content ("includes informational hazards and sensitive personal data"), and sensitive content in appropriate contexts ("includes erotica and gore").Under the category of prohibited content, OpenAI says that generating sexual content involving minors is always prohibited, although the assistant may "discuss sexual content involving minors in non-graphic educational or sex-ed contexts, including non-graphic depictions within personal harm anecdotes."Under restricted content, OpenAI's document outlines how ChatGPT should never generate information hazards (like how to build a bomb, make illegal drugs, or manipulate political views) or provide sensitive personal data (like searching for someone's address).Under sensitive content, ChatGPT's guidelines mirror what we stated above: Erotica or gore may only be generated under specific circumstances that include educational, medical, and historical contexts or when transforming user-provided content.Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 27 Comments

Antarctic ice on 1 Jan 2024NASAs Scientific Visualization StudioEarths climate isnt easy to cool down especially if you want it cold enough for ice caps to form. According to a model of the geological forces shaping the climate over the past 420 million years, reaching such ice house temperatures requires a combination of rapid rock erosion removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and less CO2-releasing volcanic activity.Despite record high temperatures on brief human timescales today, Earths climate is currently colder than usual. When you look back in the geological past and you try to

HBO renewed Sam Levinson's "Euphoria" for a third season in February 2022.The show is still eyeing a return in 2026 and began filming in February 2025.Barbie Ferreira and Storm Reid will not reprise their roles as Kat and Gia, respectively.HBO's popular drama series "Euphoria" will be back for another installment but the characters will no longer be in high school.The show, which is created, written, and directed by Sam Levinson, centers on a 17-year-old drug addict named Rue Bennett (played by two-time Emmy winner Zendaya).In early February 2022, amid a bonkers and wildly memed second season, HBO announced that "Euphoria" was renewed for a third season.Here's everything we know so far about season three.The season 3 cast will consist of core characters, with a few shake-ups Zendaya as Rue in season two, episode six of "Euphoria." Eddy Chen/HBO On February 14, 2025, HBO announced that Zendaya, Hunter Schafer (Jules Vaughn), Jacob Elordi (Nate Jacobs), Eric Dane (Cal Jacobs), Sydney Sweeney (Cassie Howard), Alexa Demie (Maddy Perez), and Maude Apatow (Lexi Howard) will reprise their roles.Colman Domingo, who won an Emmy for his performance as Rue's NA sponsor Ali, will return as a guest star. Martha Kelly, who played a drug lord named Laurie, and Chloe Cherry, who appeared as Faye, have been upped to series regulars.Season three will feature two new series regulars, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Toby Wallace, and a slew of guest stars: Rosala, Marshawn Lynch, Kadeem Hardison, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Priscilla Delgado, James Landry Hbert, and Anna Van Patten.The same day, Variety reported that Dominic Fike will reprise his role as Elliot. The musician joined the show during season two, with his character driving a wedge between Rue and Jules. He also enabled Rue's addictions.HBO reps didn't immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Fike's reported involvement. Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard in season two, episode three of "Euphoria." Eddy Chen/HBO Don't expect to see everyone back, though.Barbie Ferreira (Kat Hernandez) was the first to exit the show in August 2022, months after she reacted to rumors and reports of on-set tension with showrunner Sam Levinson during an interview with Business Insider."I've seen so many different things and a lot of it is untrue and some of it's kind of like mundane little things," she told BI in March 2022.During an appearance on the podcast "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard" in April, Ferreira said that her exit was a "mutual decision" because her character's arc ran its course.Storm Reid, who starred as Rue's younger sister Gia, recently told TMZ that she wouldn't return due to scheduling conflicts. It's unclear if Nika King will reprise her role as Leslie, Rue and Gia's mom.Eric Dane said that his character, Cal Jacobs, will get redemption Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs on season two, episode four of "Euphoria." HBO In a 2022 interview with Variety, Dane said that Cal's story would continue in season three.Cal was last seen getting arrested after his son Nate called the police on him."There's gonna be redemption," Dane said. "I mean, that's the trajectory he's on. I can't imagine Cal's life from solitary confinement. It's tough to work Cal into the storyline when he's behind bars."However, Dane's promise of redemption for his character should be taken with a grain of salt since his comments were made long before the plan for season three was solidified.There will be a time jump, showing the characters out of high school Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs on season two of "Euphoria." Eddy Chen/HBO Heidi Bivens, a stylist and the costume designer for "Euphoria," spoke about her work on the series in an April 2023 interview with Vogue and said there was "talk of it being about five years in the future, and that they're not in high school anymore."A time jump would also make sense considering that Zendaya, a producer on "Euphoria," previously told The Hollywood Reporter that she hoped the next season would show Rue's life beyond high school. Plus, most of the stars are in their 20s, unlike their teenage characters."I want to see what Rue looks like in her sobriety journey, how chaotic that might look," Zendaya said. "But also with all the characters, in the sense where they're trying to figure out what to do with their lives when high school is over and what kind of people they want to be."Elordi also expressed skepticism that season three would pick up exactly where fans last left the high school-aged characters."I'm assuming that we'll have to go forward, otherwise it's going to seem like a weird bit," Elordi said during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in January."I'm going to have a bad back walking down the hallway, you know?" he joked.In March 2024, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported that season three would include a time jump. HBO and Max chairman and CEO Casey Bloys confirmed this during an interview with Variety in June."One of the issues I think that Sam is thinking about is that he doesn't want to have it in high school anymore," Bloys said. "That's where it was set and what made sense then. So when you take it out of that, there's a lot of back and forth about where to set it and how far in the future to set it and all that stuff. But I think he's got a take that he's excited about, and he's busy writing."Levinson previously said he envisioned season 3 as 'film noir,' but this could have changed Zendaya as Rue Bennett on season two, episode one of "Euphoria." Eddy Chen/HBO In Zendaya's Elle cover story in August 2023, Levinson said that season three will "explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world."It's important to note, however, that Levinson productions famously change direction on a dime, even during filming. In a press junket interview for season two, Elordi told Business Insider that the scripts for those episodes were "changing pretty regularly for the longest time."The direction for season three is still up in the air.Variety reported in March 2024 that HBO wasn't pleased with Levinson's revised scripts that he submitted in late 2023 and early 2024. Those new scripts reportedly had Rue working as a private detective, an idea that HBO shut down.Variety said that Zendaya pitched her character as a sober twentysomething surrogate mom. Insiders told Variety that her idea was also turned down because it didn't feel aligned with the show's tone. The publication added that even though Zendaya is an executive producer, "she doesn't have veto power over the scripts."Per a report published by THR in July 2024, Zendaya was opposed to Levinson's private detective pitch. Sources told the publication that Zendaya and Levinson's once-close working relationship has become strained and tense amid the show's delays.'Euphoria' won't return until 2026, and it'll probably be the final season Zendaya as Rue in a first-look image for season three of "Euphoria." HBO The show's production was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood writers' and actors'strikes.In a January 2024 interview with TheWrap, Bloys said that Levinson was "in the thick" of writing season three.Two months later, Deadline reported that season three was delayed again this time due to Levinson's scripts not being completed. Deadline said that filming was supposed to start "within the next couple of months." With the indefinite delay, the stars were allowed to take on other jobs.In July, HBO confirmed that production on season three would begin in January 2025.During a 2025 slate previewevent in November, Bloys said that season three will be comprised of eight episodes.At a tech and media conferencein December 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said "Euphoria" was eyeing a 2026 return.Filming for season three finally began in February 2025, and HBO shared a first-look image of Zendaya as Rue. Shortly after, Orsi told Deadline that nothing's confirmed yet regarding the show's future beyond season three, "but it's been discussed that this is the end.""I think you will be very satisfied with this season, and how we bring each of the characters' whole narrative," Orsi said.

Music fans should watch "Sly Lives!"Sly Stone led Sly & The Family Stone. Stephen Paley/Sony Questlove, who won acclaim for his 2021 directorial debut "Summer of Soul," focuses his second documentary feature on the groundbreaking funk band Sly & The Family Stone. "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" details the band's legacy in the music industry, featuring interviews from Andre 3000, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, and Clive Davis, among others.Streaming on: HuluAnd for Broadway lovers, there's "Waitress: The Musical."Sara Bareilles plays Jenna in the version of "Waitress: The Musical" now streaming. FilmNation Entertainment The Tony-nominated Broadway show, based on the 2007 film of the same name, features songs composed by Sara Bareilles. The filmed version of "Waitress: The Musical" features Bareilles as Jenna, a small-town waitress stuck in an abusive marriage.Streaming on: MaxFor something family-friendly, watch "Flow."Cat is the main character of "Flow." Sideshow and Janus Films The Oscar-nominated animated movie Latvia's entry in the best international feature category follows a cat (dubbed simply "Cat") who embarks on an epic journey after its home is destroyed by a devastating flood.Streaming on: Max"Yellowjackets" returns this week.The teen Yellowjackets on season 3. Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Yes, the teen Yellowjackets are still stranded in the wilderness when season three returns and no, we're not much closer to figuring out what, exactly, is going on there and if it's something definitively supernatural.The present-day portion of the story, meanwhile, picks up after the unexpected death of adult Natalie (Juliette Lewis) in the season two finale.Streaming on: Paramount+ with ShowtimeSo does "The White Lotus."Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff in season three of "The White Lotus." Fabio Lovino/HBO HBO's hit satirical anthology series returns for its third season, this time following guests and employees at the Thailand property of the fictional White Lotus resort chain.Streaming on: MaxAnd another new season of "Love Is Blind" is here.Madison is a main character on "Love Is Blind" season 8. Netflix The eighth season of "Love Is Blind" follows singles in Minneapolis looking for love. Five couples leave the pods engaged, but as per usual it's not likely all five will make it to the altar.The first six episodes (featuring the entire blind-dating pod portion of the "dating experiment" and the first episode of the couples' getaway trip) are out now.Streaming on: Netflix"Cobra Kai" aired its final episodes.William Zabka in "Cobra Kai." Netflix The series finale of the "Karate Kid" spinoff/reboot aired this week, bringing the redemption arc of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) to its conclusion. But fear not: the ending of "Cobra Kai" season six, part three won't spell the end of the franchise, which is getting a new movie in May.Streaming on: NetflixLooking for something light and romantic? Check out "La Dolce Villa.""La Dolce Villa" stars Scott Foley. Netflix Netflix's latest original rom-com centers on a businessman (Scott Foley) who unexpectedly finds love after he travels to Italy to stop his daughter from restoring a dilapidated villa.Totally how most of these 1-euro home renovations go!Streaming on: NetflixExcellent news for horror lovers: "Longlegs" is finally streaming.Maika Monroe stars in "Longlegs." NEON The indie release from filmmaker Osgood Perkins was one of the biggest (and most successful) movies of 2024 largely thanks to Neon's brilliant marketing campaign that built up anticipation through cryptic teasers and a mysterious billboard with a phone number that led callers to pre-recorded messages from Nicolas Cage's Longlegs, the film's enigmatic villain.Go watch and and then come back here for a rundown of the "Longlegs" ending.Streaming on: Hulu

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the nations only government agency dedicated to conserving plants and animals, has frozen its vast portfolio of international conservation grants, Vox has learned. The agency, which supports wildlife protection in the US and overseas, ordered many of the organizations it funds to stop work related to their grants and cut its communication with them. According to USFWS internal communication shared anonymously with Vox, the agency has frozen grants for international projects that amount to tens of millions of dollars.The freeze jeopardizes dozens of projects to conserve wildlife around the world, from imperiled sea turtles in Central America to elephants in Africa. Grant programs from the federal government protect species whose habitats straddle borders, and they also benefit Americans, such as by reducing the risk of pathogens like coronaviruses from spilling into human populations. Send us a tipDo you have information to share about the Fish and Wildlife Agency or government efforts to protect biodiversity? Reach out to Benji Jones on Signal at 641-919-7862 or at benjijones@protonmail.com.On January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for a three-month pause on foreign development assistance. The effort suspended funding under the US Agency for International Development, the nations humanitarian and development agency, as part of a broader effort to dismantle the agency (which does literal life-saving work). USAID also funds biodiversity conservation overseas, on the scale of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Some of those funds support grants for international conservation under the US Fish and Wildlife Service, making a pause on its grants somewhat expected. (On February 13, a federal judge temporarily lifted the pause, which should soon allow foreign aid money to flow again. Its not clear whether this means the Service will lift its freeze on grants.) But the Fish and Wildlife Service funding freeze goes well beyond conservation projects supported by USAID. Numerous other projects are supported directly by the Fish and Wildlife Service and, according to some of their recipients, could not accurately be described as foreign development assistance and thus shouldnt be impacted by Trumps pause. In other words, money should still be flowing to organizations that work to conserve wildlife overseas with support from the Fish and Wildlife Service. Instead, the agency has put all of those projects on ice.The sudden suspension of Fish and Wildlife Service grants reveals how government agencies are scrambling to fall in line behind new leadership, often lacking clarity on how to carry out the Trump administrations orders. Legally, the Service may still be able to fund many of its international grantees, though experts I spoke to said the funding falls into a gray area. One Fish and Wildlife Service Employee familiar with the agencys international efforts said they think agency leadership thought the optics would be better if they halted funding for all international projects. The employee spoke with Vox on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak with the press. The employee told Vox they fear the Trump administration will be hostile towards international conservation efforts. In his first term, President Trumps administration moved to weaken the Endangered Species Act the nations strongest wildlife protection law, implemented by the Fish and Wildlife Service and other environmental regulations meant to protect threatened animals and their ecosystems. I hope that most people care about wildlife, even if I fear they do not, they told me. This week, further inflaming concerns about wildlife protections, the Department of Interior laid off more than 2,000 employees as part of broader government job cuts. The Fish and Wildlife Service is part of the Interior Department.RelatedThe far right is going green?International conservation is a little-known part of the Fish and Wildlife Services remit. The agency, which had a budget of about $4 billion in 2024, works to protect some of the worlds most endangered and globally recognized animals including elephants, rhinos, and primates. Many of them live in poor regions of the world that lack funding for conservation, making US government support essential. Animals, such as migratory birds, also move and live across borders, so conserving them requires working internationally. Americans undoubtedly benefit from curbing threats to wildlife overseas, which, among other things, can cause zoonotic diseases. As the worlds largest economy, the US has precipitated the declines of animals abroad. Mining rare earth metals for our smartphones, for example, has helped destroy forests in Africas Congo Basin, whereas US carbon emissions drive global climate change a threat to many species, and especially coral reefs. Several nonprofit organizations that receive funding from the Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed with Vox that they received stop-work orders. Any costs associated with their grants would be temporarily disallowed, they were told, according to two emails reviewed by Vox. The grants range from under $100,000 to a few million. In an email from agency leadership, Fish and Wildlife Service staff were directed on what to say in response to questions from grantees about funding: The Department of the Interior continues to review funding decisions to be consistent with the Presidents Executive Orders. The Departments ongoing review of funding complies with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders. Funding from the Service supports most of the worlds major conservation groups, such as the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS). Peyton West, the FZS US executive director, said that money at least some of which is now on pause goes a long way. It helps support, among other things, anti-poaching efforts in a game reserve in southern Tanzania that have helped elephant populations rebound. Less poaching means less illegal wildlife trade and all the illegal activity that goes along with it, West said.The grants from USFWS Species Funds are probably the most efficient grant funds we have because theyre so targeted, she told Vox. The goal is to do one thing protect the worlds most iconic but vulnerable species and the focus is on the basic core needs to make that happen. Several other organizations that receive funding from the Fish and Wildlife Service declined to go on the record, in fear that drawing attention to themselves may put their funding from the federal government at risk. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the Fish and Wildlife Service, did not respond to a request for comment. The National Audubon Society, which also has grant funding from the Service, directed Vox to a February 6 statement from the organization. Audubon is prepared to work with the new administration, Congress, and our partners to meet the challenges ahead and secure a future where birds and people thrive, Audubon CEO Elizabeth Gray said in the statement. The Fish and Wildlife Service spends an almost invisible fraction of taxpayer money, compared to other government efforts. What it does, however, is vital and cannot be overlooked, environmental advocates told me. There are so many issues with efficiency in our government, but I think its fair to say that the USFWS species conservation funds are managed very well in that respect, West said. They are also probably the best bang for buck of any of our grants because they focus on critical core activities, they leverage other funding, and they bring law and security into some of the most remote areas in the world. See More:

The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff. Today Im focusing on the Justice Department dismissing charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a move that has raised questions about the integrity of the justice system.Whats the latest? At least seven federal attorneys have resigned in protest after Donald Trumps DOJ directed them to dismiss corruption charges against Adams.In her resignation, Manhattans US attorney accused the new DOJ leadership of a quid-pro-quo: Adams would get his charges dropped, and in exchange, he would cooperate with the Trump administrations crackdown on undocumented immigrants in New York City.Thats a serious charge. Whats the evidence?Theres a suspicious confluence of timing. Adams agreed Thursday to open a major NYC jail to federal immigration officers, exempting the facility from sanctuary city laws, and he promised further cooperation as well. The prosecutor, Danielle R. Sassoon, says Adamss attorneys told the DOJ they would help with immigration enforcement but only if the charges were dismissed. Heres what Trump border czar Tom Homan said today about Adams: If he doesnt come through, Ill be back in New York City. Ill be in his office, up his butt, saying, Where the hell is the agreement we came to? (Its unclear exactly which agreement hes referencing, but it doesnt sound great.)What does the administration say? Adams denies any quid pro quo, and Trumps team says Adamss prosecution was political to begin with a Biden administration effort to punish Adams for criticizing its immigration policy. You can read the indictment and judge for yourself.Whats next? The Justice Department has the option to revive the charges after the New York mayoral election in November.Whats the big picture? If true, the quid pro quo charges suggest the administration is using law enforcement to leverage cooperation with its agenda. Thats a dangerous precedent, undermining the rule of law a cornerstone of a free society.And with that, its time to log off... Its choose-your-own-adventure Friday. If youre feeling motivated and hungry for learning, check out todays episode of the Today, Explained podcast. Its about the Sephora makeup empire and the reckoning it faces. If youre exhausted and would like to watch a Saturday Night Live sketch so funny that professional comedians cannot get through it without breaking, heres a true gem.See More: Politics

By Passant Rabie Published February 14, 2025 | Comments (0) | The Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning view of the bright Alpha Centauri A (on the left) and Alpha Centauri B (on the right). ESA/NASA Our nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri, is moving towards us at a slow and steady pace. In about 3,000 years, the triple star system will be at its closest point to Earth, but new research proposes that material from Alpha Centauri has already made its way to our solar system. And more is on the way. Alpha Centauri is currently 4.37 light-years from Earth, a relatively close distance from a cosmological perspective. Our nosy neighbor happens to be a triple star system made up of two Sun-like stars, Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, and a red dwarf known as Proxima Centauri. As it travels through the cosmos, the busy star system ejects material into interstellar space. A study, which was accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal, estimates that around one million objects from Alpha Centauri have steadily crept into our solar system over the past 10 million years. In 2017, a long, cigar-shaped object cruised through our solar system unannounced. Oumuamua, as it came to be known, was the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system. Its origin, however, remained largely mysterious. Where did this oddly-shaped space rock come from? To better understand interstellar objects, the researchers behind the new study used Alpha Centauri as a case study, examining whether material from the nearby star system could make its way to orbit around the Sun. Things are always in motion in space. Gravitational tugs, magnetic fields, and interstellar drag pull objects toward our solar system, and only objects larger than 10 microns can survive the journey, according to the study. Using computer models that simulated the delivery of material from Alpha Centauri in the relatively recent past, the researchers found that approximately one million objects larger than 328 feet (100 meters) may be lurking in the Oort Cloud, a giant spherical bubble surrounding the Sun thats the most distant region of our solar system.Considering how far they are, these objects could be extremely difficult to detect. Theres a far-fetched, one-in-a-million chance that one of those objects is within 10 astronomical units (AU) of the Sun. A single AU is the average distance of Earth to the Sun, so at 10 AU, were talking about a distance near Saturns orbit. Any material currently leaving that system at low speed would be heading more-or-less towards the solar system, the paper reads. To be clear, the study proposes an idea based on computer simulations; astronomers have yet to detect any interstellar material from Alpha Centauri. That said, if such material exists, identifying it would be a crucial first step, as studying bits and pieces of this nearby star system could provide valuable insight into Alpha Centauri.Proxima Centauri has two exoplanets in its orbit, an Earth-sized planet situated inside the habitable zone (that sweet spot where liquid water can persist at the surface) and a super-Earth located farther out. Alpha Centauri A is suspected to host a Neptune-sized exoplanet, but scientists have yet to confirm its detection. More planets are likely to orbit the triple star system, and those planets may be habitable. Therefore, understanding the interstellar material that may have come from Alpha Centauri could provide new insights into how planets form and the search for life on exoplanets.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Isaac Schultz Published February 10, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 31, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 14, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 7, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 6, 2025 Isaac Schultz and Passant Rabie Published January 4, 2025

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A new model upends the decades-old hard steps theory that intelligent life was an incredibly improbable event and suggests that maybe it wasn't all that hard or improbable. The team of researchers said the new interpretation of humanitys origin increases the probability of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. (Credit: NASA)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsWhat are the odds of humanity emerging, well, anywhere? Conventional wisdom says that our emergence, evolution, and development on Earth were extremely improbable. But a new model says that humans gaining a foothold here wasnt that difficult and its not outside the realm of possibility that intelligent life could develop elsewhere in the universe, according to a paper in Science Advances.This is a significant shift in how we think about the history of life, Jennifer Macalady, a Penn State professor and co-author of the paper, said in a press release. It suggests that the evolution of complex life may be less about luck and more about the interplay between life and its environment, opening up exciting new avenues of research in our quest to understand our origins and our place in the universe.Hard Steps Out of Step?The old model explaining our evolutionary origins is called hard steps. Theoretical physicist Brandon Carter in 1983, argued that our existence was highly unlikely. He reached that conclusion by comparing the time humans needed to evolve compared to the total lifespan of the Sun. The result of that ratio is an extremely low probability.Now some scientists argue that Carters premise is flawed, and therefore its results are invalid. In the new study, a team of scientists argued that Earth's environment was initially inhospitable to many forms of life, so it doesnt make sense to compare our evolutionary timeline to the life of the Sun.Read More: How Are Humans Still Evolving?Windows of OpportunityInstead, we should only consider evolutionary steps once a planets environment reaches what the scientists call a permissive state. For example, life required a certain amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Once microbes and bacteria took hold and started producing oxygen through photosynthesis, a window of opportunity opened for more complex life forms.We're arguing that intelligent life may not require a series of lucky breaks to exist, Dan Mills, a research fellow at the University of Munich and lead author on the paper, said in a press release. Humans didn't evolve early or late in Earths history, but on time, when the conditions were in place. Perhaps its only a matter of time, and maybe other planets are able to achieve these conditions more rapidly than Earth did, while other planets might take even longer.The hard steps theory predicts that few if any other civilizations exist throughout the universe, because so many complex events must happen in a particular sequence, rendering the outcome of intelligent life as highly improbable.Factors Necessary for LifeThe new study turns that idea on its head. It says that windows of habitability opened over Earth's history. Changes in nutrient availability, sea surface temperature, ocean salinity levels, and oxygen levels in the atmosphere all paved the way for increasingly complex life forms to arise. Were taking the view that rather than base our predictions on the lifespan of the sun, we should use a geological time scale, because that's how long it takes for the atmosphere and landscape to change, Jason Wright, a Penn State professor and author of the paper, said in a press release. These are normal timescales on the Earth. If life evolves with the planet, then it will evolve on a planetary time scale at a planetary pace.Looking for Signs of LifeThe researchers plan to test their alternative model. They intend to re-evaluate just how difficult each of the hard steps were. They will also examine the essential factors single and multi-cellular microorganisms need to establish themselves under various environments, including low oxygen levels and temperatures. They also recommend searching exoplanets atmospheres for biosignatures, including oxygen.The researchers are confident that such analysis will change how we think about the possibility of life beyond Earth.This new perspective suggests that the emergence of intelligent life might not be such a long shot after all, Wright said.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.1 free article leftWant More? 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The Palomar 48-inch telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California with an image of the Milky Way in the background. The stars represent the number of supernovae discovered in each direction, and the inset is an image of a galaxy after (left) and before (right) the supernova exploded. (Credit:Mickael Rigault)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsThe finale of a stars life has enthralled scientists for years, yet questions continue to surround the explosions of white dwarf stars the most common path that stars take during the later stages of their evolution. New research, however, has shed light on the astounding variety of ways that a white dwarf star can explode, capturing almost 4,000 of these events scattered across the distant universe.The explosions were detailed in a dataset and a collection of 21 associated studies published in a special issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics. The large sample size was obtained by Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), a Caltech-led astronomical sky survey at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County. The sheer amount of white dwarf explosions resulting from incidents like star collisions or star cannibalism may help to enlighten astrophysicists on dark energy and its potential role in the universes expansion.A White Dwarf's End At the end of most stars lives, they enter the white dwarf stage as they run out of nuclear fuel. The stars outer layers are shed, and all thats left is a core of hot matter that cools down over billions of years and eventually crystallizes.However, a white dwarfs story changes when it is part of a binary star system. In this arrangement, a white dwarf star usually pulls mass from a nearby companion star. When a white dwarf exceeds a threshold called the Chandrasekhar limit about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun it becomes primed to explode.This type of explosion, known as a type Ia supernova, has historically been used by astrophysicists to measure distances in the universe, leading them to postulate that the universe is constantly accelerating. A murky piece of this process is dark energy, an intangible force that has been proposed based on the luminosity of type Ia supernovae. Type Ia supernovae are also referred to as standard candles due to their known luminosity, which acts as the basis for determining how far the supernovae are from Earth.An Assortment of Explosions The true nature of dark energy is still being debated, but the newly observed diversity of white dwarf explosions may lead to a better understanding of the concept. The nearly 4,000 supernovae events detected by ZTF represent the largest sample size to date, introducing an expanded perspective on the end of many white dwarf stars' lives.Thanks to ZTFs unique ability to scan the sky rapidly and deeply, it has been possible to discover new explosions of stars up to one million times fainter than the dimmest stars visible to the naked eye, said Kate Maguire, an astrophysics professor at Trinity College Dublin involved with the research, in a statement.ZTFs observations showed a range of different explosion events, including collisions of two stars and even instances of cannibalism, in which a white dwarf star consumes its companions in binary systems.The array of explosions also varied in terms of luminosity, which will aid researchers in their search for answers to dark energy and the acceleration of the universe.The diversity of ways that white dwarf stars can blow up is much greater than previously expected, resulting in explosions that range from being so faint they are barely visible to others that are bright enough to see for many months to years afterwards, said Maguire, in a statement.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:European Space Agency. Gaia reveals how Sun-like stars turn solid after their demiseCenter for Astrophysics. Neutron Stars and White DwarfsJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.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