Photo Credit: Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Ancient DNA from Yunnan Uncovers Ghost Lineage Linked to Tibetan Ancestry Highlights 7,100-year-old Xingyi_EN carries DNA from a mysterious ghost lineage Study links ancient Yunnan DNA to modern Tibetan ancestry Central Yunnan ancestry tied to early Austroasiatic populations Advertisement A new study on a 7,100-year-old skeleton from China has revealed a "ghost" lineage that only existed in theories until now. Skeleton of the early Neolithic woman, known as Xingyi_EN, unearthed at the Xingyi archaeological site in southwestern China's Yunnan province. Her DNA links her to a deeply divergent human population that may have contributed to the ancestry of modern Tibetans. This study also reveals a distinct Central Yunnan ancestry connected to early Austroasiatic-speaking groups. This discovery makes Yunnan as a key region to understand the ancient genetic history of East and Southeast Asia. The detailed analysis of 127 human genomes from southwestern China is published in a study in the journal Science.Xingyi_EN: A Genetic Link to a Mysterious PastAccording to the study, radiocarbon dating indicates Xingyi_EN lived around 7,100 years ago and isotope analysis suggests she lived as a hunter-gatherer. Genetic sequencing revealed her ancestry from a deeply diverged human lineage—now named the Basal Asian Xingyi lineage. This lineage diverged from other modern human groups over 40,000 years ago and remained isolated for thousands of years without mixing with other populations.This "ghost" lineage does not match DNA from Neanderthals or Denisovans but appears to have later contributed to the ancestry of some modern Tibetans. Xingyi_EN represents the first physical evidence of this previously unknown population.Yunnan's significance as a reservoir of deep human diversityMost of the skeletons that the researchers sampled were dated between 1,400 and 7,150 years ago and came from Yunnan province, which today has the highest ethnic and linguistic diversity in all of China."Ancient humans that lived in this region may be key to addressing several remaining questions on the prehistoric populations of East and Southeast Asia," the researchers wrote in the study. Those unanswered questions include the origins of people who live on the Tibetan Plateau, as previous studies have shown that Tibetans have northern East Asian ancestry. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Ancient DNA, Yunnan, Ghost Lineage, Tibetan Ancestry, Human Evolution, Xingyi_EN, Paleogenetics, Archaeogenomics, Prehistoric Asia, Science Study Gadgets 360 Staff The resident bot. If you email me, a human will respond. More Related Stories

Software Engineer I - Application FrameworkSony PlaystationSan Mateo, California, United States5 hours agoApplyWhy PlayStation?PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.About the RoleJoin the PlayStation Client Application SDK Team as a Software Engineer I to develop, maintain, and improve the technology that empowers our client-side developers to deliver engaging and high-quality experiences for users on multiple platforms. Your influence will help define the future of PlayStation’s client application SDK.ResponsibilitiesImplement and improve cross-platform framework features and SDKs while collaborating with application teams to meet their feature and performance requirementsMaintain stability, performance, and quality of codebases by defining development standards while using automation to support internal CI/CD workflowsCollaborate with team lead and peers to seek/give feedback on pull requests and technical design documentsInfluence the architecture and performance of client applications, crafting the strategic direction of our SDKWork closely with teams from various functions to meet project requirements and ensure flawless integration across platformsQualificationsExperience writing high-performance and portable C/C++Experience with development on POSIX-complaint OSes and/or mobile platforms is highly desirableFamiliarity with cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelinesAdaptable and curious, with a passion for embracing new challenges and technologies in our SDK and developer toolingBonus QualificationsFamiliar with React Native, JavaScript, Python, and/or Linux developmentFamiliar with build system (CMake, Make, Ninja, etc.)Familiar with API and Solution DesignEqual Opportunity Statement:Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or membership in any other legally protected category.We also understand that you may not apply for a job unless you meet every listed qualification. If you think you might be a good fit, but aren't sure if you "check every box", please apply anyway. We know that dedicated and proficient team members come from diverse sets of backgrounds that may seem "non-standard" — and we encourage that! We also provide an excellent mentorship program to help level up those skills by pairing you up with someone who can help you reach your goals.If you're ready for something new, a chance to be challenged, to learn, and grow, we want to hear from you! Come join us in bringing the happiness of PlayStation to our fans.#LI-AT1Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights.At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.$133,300 — $199,900 USDEqual Opportunity Statement:Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

The Fearsome Megalodon Ate Basically Whatever It Wanted to Reach Its Daily 100,000-Calorie Need, Study Suggests Scientists previously assumed the giant, prehistoric sharks mostly feasted on whales, but it turns out they probably weren’t so picky An artistic reconstruction of the extinct megalodon. Scientists' ideas about how the megalodon looked are based on its fossilized teeth. Hugo Saláis via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0 Between 3 million and 20 million years ago, the largest predatory fish ever known hunted in Earth’s oceans. Called theOtodus megalodon), this giant shark grew up to 79 feet long, had teeth the size of human hands and could bite with the strength of an industrial hydraulic press. But what scientists know about the extinct creature has been almost entirely determined from fossil teeth—since paleontologists have yet to discover a complete megalodon, and the animals’ cartilaginous skeletons don’t preserve well. Now, new research on the mineral content of their teeth suggests megalodons ate pretty much whatever they wanted. Until recently, scientists assumed that megalodons satisfied their estimated 100,000-calorie daily needs by mostly eating whales. A study published Monday in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, however, suggests the prehistoric shark had a much more diverse diet than previously thought—akin to the great white shark’s “if it moves, it’s food” hunting strategy of today, writes Vice’s Ashley Fike. Jeremy McCormack with a fossilized megalodon tooth. Uwe Dettmar for Goethe University An international team of researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing the ratio of different variants, called isotopes, of the mineral zinc in 18-million-year-old megalodon teeth. Animals absorb zinc only through food, so this could offer a hint to their diets. Muscles and organs absorb more of the isotope zinc-64 than zinc-66, meaning that the higher up the food chain an animal is—or the more meat and fish it eats—the less zinc-66 it absorbs, and its ratio of zinc-66 to zinc-64 is lower, in turn. “Since we don’t know how the ratio of the two zinc isotopes at the bottom of the food pyramid was at that time, we compared the teeth of various prehistoric and extant shark species with each other and with other animal species. This enabled us to gain an impression of predator-prey relationships 18 million years ago,” Jeremy McCormack, a scientist from Goethe University Frankfurt and lead author of the study, says in a statement. Unsurprisingly, the isotope ratios in the teeth put the megalodon at the top of the food chain, alongside close shark relatives such as Otodus chubutensis. At the same time, however, the scientists noticed there wasn’t a huge difference between the megalodon and the lower-tiered animals, suggesting the sharks feasted on creatures from all rungs of the ladder. “They were not concentrating on certain prey types, but they must have fed throughout the food web, on many different species,” McCormack tells CNN’s Jacopo Prisco. “While certainly this was a fierce apex predator, and no one else would probably prey on an adult megalodon, it’s clear that they themselves could potentially feed on almost everything else that swam around.” The results also indicate that megalodon populations living in different habitats had slightly contrasting diets, potentially because of differing prey availability. More broadly, the study invites comparisons between the megalodon and its iconic extant relative, the great white shark. These comparisons, however, may have previously led to some overreaching assumptions. “Previous studies simply assumed that megalodon must have looked like a gigantic version of the modern great white shark without any evidence,” Kenshu Shimada, a vertebrate paleontologist at DePaul University and co-author of the new study, told National Geographic’s Jason Bittel back in March. He and colleagues had just published a different paper that reassessed the prehistoric shark’s size, suggesting that it had a more slender body than its smaller, modern cousin. The new study thus joins a host of research challenging widely held ideas about megalodons and their relatives, says Alberto Collareta, a paleontologist at the University of Pisa in Italy who was not involved in the research, to CNN. “These have led us to abandon traditional reconstruction of the megatooth sharks as ‘inflated’ versions of the modern white shark. We now know that the megalodon was something else—in terms of size, shape and ancestry, and of biology, too,” he adds. In fact, with both species eating generalist diets, great white sharks might have outcompeted megalodons for food and ultimately played a role in their demise. “Even ‘supercarnivores’ are not immune to extinction,” Shimada says in the statement. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Senior Software EngineerUnityTel Aviv, Israel18 hours agoApplyThe opportunityironSource from Unity, a cutting-edge large-scale ad network, is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our backend team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in distributed systems, data engineering and software engineering, and will be responsible for leading the design, development, and deployment of top quality data pipelines, data lake and an ML feature platform.What you'll be doingSystem Design and Architecture: Develop and maintain robust, scalable, and efficient distributed systems and data pipelines to help build the new generation of ironSource's ML feature platform.Research and Innovation: Stay current with the latest advancements in machine learning data pipelines, feature stores, and apply innovative techniques to improve data aggregations, monitoring, cleaning & filtering and preparing for ML training.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with data scientists, software engineers and product managers to build the data lakes and data pipelines.What we're looking forProficiency in programming languages such as Scala/Java.Hands on experience in streaming technologies (Kafka, Kinesis, SQS).Experience with key-value and distributed Data bases such as Redis, Aerospike andCassandraExperience in big data processing frameworks such as Apache Spark, Trino, Flink.Data Lake management knowledge: table formats (Iceberg, Delta). Data-warehouses (Redshift, Big Query, Snowflake)Proficiency with cloud platforms such as AWS, and experience with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.You might also haveexperience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch.experience with high scale distributed systems.MLOps systems - Model registry, Experiment Tracking, Feature Store management (Feast, Tecton), Workflow management (Kubeflow, Airflow)..Additional informationRelocation support is not available for this position.Work visa/immigration sponsorship is not available for this positionLife at Unity*Unity [NYSE: U] is the leading platform to create and grow games and interactive experiences. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, infrastructure experts, filmmakers, and more, use Unity to bring their imaginations to life across multiple platforms, from mobile, PC, and console, to spatial computing.As of the third quarter of 2024, more than 70% of the top 1,000 mobile games were made with Unity, and in 2024, Made with Unity applications had an average of 3.7 billion downloads per month. For more information, please visit Unity.Unity is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment and celebrate our employees across age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. Our differences are strengths that enable us to support the growing and evolving needs of our customers, partners, and collaborators. If there are preparations or accommodations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please fill out this form to let us know.This position requires the incumbent to have a sufficient knowledge of English to have professional verbal and written exchanges in this language since the performance of the duties related to this position requires frequent and regular communication with colleagues and partners located worldwide and whose common language is English.Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. Unity does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. Unity will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with Unity.Your privacy is important to us. Please take a moment to review our Prospect Privacy Policy and Applicant Privacy Policy. Should you have any concerns about your privacy, please contact us at DPO@unity.com.#SEN #LI-AO1 Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Senior Tax ManagerUnityBengaluru, India5 hours agoApplyThe opportunityCompany Overview:Unity Technologies is the creator of the world’s leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, and filmmakers, use Unity to bring their ideas to life. Our platform provides tools that enable businesses worldwide to innovate, scale, and bring new experiences to their users.At Unity, we are passionate about fostering creativity, collaboration, and growth. Join us to help power the next generation of creators in their journey to build amazing experiences.The Role:We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Tax Manager to oversee the Unity tax team in India and support the global team in a variety of strategic areas, including India tax, global tax provision, transfer pricing, Global VAT, and US indirect tax. Reporting to the Global Head of Tax, you will play a critical role in ensuring compliance, managing risks, and driving strategic initiatives related to tax within the region and across the tax organization. This position requires a hands-on, detail-oriented professional with a deep understanding of corporate tax, transfer pricing, and indirect tax operations across multiple jurisdictions. As we grow, this role will be pivotal in shaping our tax strategy in a fast-moving environment and ensuring alignment with Unity’s global tax policies and business objectives.What you'll be doingTax Compliance and Reporting - lead and manage tax compliance for India, including corporate income tax, GST, TDS, etc.; support the existing APAC tax operations team in managing tax compliance across APAC jurisdictions; oversee tax provision and reporting processes for APAC and global indirect tax; partner with the Finance org and external advisors to resolve compliance and reporting matters; build and oversee a team to support key tax compliance process for EMEA VAT, US indirect tax, and global transfer pricingTax Advisory and Planning - support business expansion and new initiatives from a tax perspective, including M&A activities, new product launches, and restructuring projects; provide regional tax expertise on corporate structure optimization, effective tax rates, and incentives; advise on cross-border transactions, intercompany charges, and ensure compliance with regional transfer pricing regulationsRisk Management and Audit Defense - proactively manage tax risks in the region by maintaining thorough documentation and staying up to date with changing tax laws and regulations; represent the company during tax audits and work collaboratively with tax authorities as necessary; ensure compliance with BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) requirements, including economic substance initiatives and Pillar 2 global tax initiativesBusiness Partnering - collaborate closely with finance, legal, and business teams to monitor and support Unity's regional operations; act as a trusted partner by providing clear communication and practical advice on tax matters including contract reviews; develop strong relationships with external tax advisors, government agencies, and other stakeholdersTax Process Improvement - identify and implement process improvements to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of tax workflows; support the deployment and integration of tax technology solutions for indirect and direct tax automation, partnering with IT when necessaryWhat we're looking forBachelor’s degree in Accounting, Taxation, Finance, or a related field; CPA, Chartered Accountant (CA), or an advanced degree in taxation is strongly preferred.10+ years of relevant tax experience, including in-house corporate tax in a multinational environment and/or Big 4 advisory firms with domestic Indian tax compliance expertise and exposure to APAC tax jurisdictions and 3+ years managing a team in-house and/or at Big 4 advisory firms.Strong expertise in regional corporate tax, transfer pricing, and indirect tax laws (familiarity with countries like China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, India, Taiwan, and others in APAC - knowledge of EMEA VAT and US indirect tax is a plus)Robust knowledge of international tax principles, including OECD guidelines, BEPS, and US GAAP, including ASC 740 tax reporting.Proven experience managing tax audits and disputes across multiple jurisdictions.You might also haveExceptional analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills, with a strong attention to detail.Advanced communication and stakeholder management abilities; able to distill complex tax topics for non-tax professionals.Knowledge or experience in working within the gaming, technology, or software-as-a-service (SaaS) industries.Familiarity with APAC regional tax incentives and grants for technology-driven businesses.Experience with tax technology tools (e.g, Alteryx, Onesource, Power Automate) is a plus.Additional informationRelocation support is not available for this position.Work visa/immigration sponsorship is not available for this positionLife at UnityUnity [NYSE: U] is the leading platform to create and grow games and interactive experiences. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, infrastructure experts, filmmakers, and more, use Unity to bring their imaginations to life across multiple platforms, from mobile, PC, and console, to spatial computing.As of the third quarter of 2024, more than 70% of the top 1,000 mobile games were made with Unity, and in 2024, Made with Unity applications had an average of 3.7 billion downloads per month. For more information, please visit Unity.Unity is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. If there are preparations or accommodations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please fill out this form to let us know.This position requires the incumbent to have a sufficient knowledge of English to have professional verbal and written exchanges in this language since the performance of the duties related to this position requires frequent and regular communication with colleagues and partners located worldwide and whose common language is English.Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. Unity does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. Unity will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with Unity.Your privacy is important to us. Please take a moment to review our Prospect and Applicant Privacy Policies. Should you have any concerns about your privacy, please contact us at DPO@unity.com.#SEN #LI-AM1 Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Senior Product ManagerUnityTel Aviv, Israel48 minutes agoApplyThe opportunityAt Aura, we build applications that enable mobile carriers to connect with their subscribers, providing opportunities to discover new apps and value-added services. We’re looking for an experienced Senior Product Manager to join our product team and lead the development of our core backend infrastructure and PlatformThe products you will lead are the technical backbone of our ecosystem, powering real-time decisioning and enabling scalable, flexible serving and management. In this role, you’ll work closely with Engineering, Data, Business, and Operations teams to build high-performance, reliable systems that support massive scale and ever-evolving business needs.What you'll be doingOwn the product vision, strategy, and execution for our Delivery Service and Backend Platform.Identify and define strategic product opportunities that support our growth and operational excellence goals.Translate complex business and operational needs into scalable backend capabilities and intuitive configuration flows.Collaborate daily with Business, R&D and Data teams to plan and deliver initiatives, resolve challenges, and continuously optimize backend system architecture.Write and maintain clear product specs and API documentation, and manage ongoing releases in a fast-paced agile environment.Serve as the go-to person for product-related decisions across the full development lifecycle — from planning to rollout and iteration.Proactively gather input and feedback from internal users (Ops, BizDev, Creative, Marketing) and convert it into prioritized product work.What we're looking forProduct management experience.A strong sense of ownership — you’re equally comfortable defining high-level strategy and sweating the technical details.Proven ability to manage cross-functional stakeholders and drive alignment between technical and non-technical teams.Ability to break down complex problems and communicate clearly, whether with developers or executives.Excellent English — verbal, written, and presentation.You might also haveExperience in ad-tech, real-time systems, or other performance-critical backend environments.Knowledge and hands-on SQL experience.Additional informationRelocation support is not available for this position.Life at UnityUnity [NYSE: U] is the leading platform to create and grow games and interactive experiences. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, infrastructure experts, filmmakers, and more, use Unity to bring their imaginations to life across multiple platforms, from mobile, PC, and console, to spatial computing.As of the third quarter of 2024, more than 70% of the top 1,000 mobile games were made with Unity, and in 2024, Made with Unity applications had an average of 3.7 billion downloads per month. For more information, please visit Unity.Unity is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment and celebrate our employees across age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. Our differences are strengths that enable us to support the growing and evolving needs of our customers, partners, and collaborators. If there are preparations or accommodations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please fill out this form to let us know.This position requires the incumbent to have a sufficient knowledge of English to have professional verbal and written exchanges in this language since the performance of the duties related to this position requires frequent and regular communication with colleagues and partners located worldwide and whose common language is English.Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. Unity does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. Unity will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with Unity.Your privacy is important to us. Please take a moment to review our Prospect Privacy Policy and Applicant Privacy Policy. Should you have any concerns about your privacy, please contact us at DPO@unity.com.#SEN #LI-SC1 Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Henry Goodsell captained a schooner similar to the one seen above. Credit: Deposit Photos Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. In 1995, a mystery skull washed onto a beach in Longport, New Jersey. Four years later, additional bone fragments were discovered less than two miles away on a shore in the neighboring southern New Jersey town of Margate. It would take another 14 years for even more skeletal remains to arrive on a beach another five miles away in Ocean City. But over those three decades, forensic experts and law enforcement couldn’t put a name to the individual known only as “Scattered Man John Doe.” After 30 years, the mystery has finally been solved thanks to a combination of genetic testing, historical research, and archival analysis. “Scattered Man John Doe” wasn’t a victim of foul play—he wasn’t even a comparatively recent death. Instead, the bones belong to Henry Goodsell, a 29-year-old merchant ship captain who perished along with his crew during a storm in the winter of 1844. The identification comes two years after state law enforcement reached out to the Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center. After sending bone samples to Intermountain Forensics, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying missing person remains, Ramapo undergraduates began crossreferencing archival files in the hopes of finding a lead. Genetic analysis results traced ancestry as far back as the 1600s, to Connecticut’s Litchfield and Fairfield counties. From there, they also started investigating newspaper reports of any shipwrecks off the coast of New Jersey. Eventually, the students flagged two articles dated from December 20 and 24, 1844. “The schooner Oriental… was lost on the evening of the 4th on Brigantine shoals and all hands with her,” read the Friday edition of the York Democratic Press. An initial report of the ‘Oriental’ shipwreck from December 20, 1844. Credit: Ramapo College According to the paper’s account, the ship left Bridgeport, Connecticut for Philadelphia with around 60 tons of marble intended for Girard College. While cautioning that it was “possible that the crew had taken off, and that the vessel had been abandoned. Four days later, however, newspapers across the northeast confirmed the worst case outcome. “The Bridgeport Standard (Conn.) has further accounts from this ill-fated vessel, which render it certain that all on board must have perished,” reported the Boston Daily Bee on December 24. The consensus at the time was that the Oriental likely sprung a leak before sinking less than a mile from the shoreline, but an intense storm prevented any rescue attempts. All five crew members including Capt. Goodsell ultimately drowned, but only one sailor “was thrown on the shore” five miles away. Authorities later identified him as John Keith before seeing that he was “decently buried,” according to the Daily Bee. Capt. Goodsell left behind a wife and three children. After digging deeper into his family tree, the students suggested he warranted a closer look from the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). On March 7, 2025, authorities collected a DNA reference sample from one of Goodsell’s great-great grandchildren. One month later, the NJSP confirmed “Scattered Man John Doe” to be the late Capt. Goodsell. “The ability to bring answers to families—even generations later—shows how far science and dedication can take us,” NJSP superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said in a university announcement on May 21. While Goodsell marks the school’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center’s  92nd consultancy project, Ramapo College reports it is one of the oldest cold case files ever solved using this advanced type of investigative genealogy.

Explorations in material take on a deeper meaning in the work of these four talented makers, whose collectible objects are as functional as they are covetable. We sat down with Chuma Maweni, Osanna Visconti, Simone Bodmer-Turner, and Ombia Studio Founder Cristina Moreno to talk about unexpected sources of inspiration, pivotal career moments, and experiences that shaped who they are and how they create today. Chuma Maweni The South Africa–based ceramist has put his stamp on traditional Zulu and Xhosa techniques.Gerheardt CoetzeeChuma Maweni in his Cape Town studio.When did you first think of yourself as a creator?CM: There wasn’t a defining moment that I remember, more a realization a few years ago that people, from curators to collectors to family, had started to take notice of my work and wanted to know more about it. That was a very affirming shift for me, particularly in terms of how my parents saw me.Lea CraffordChuma Maweni’s Zoliswa (Qavashe), a rounded mirror with a frame made of clay tiles.What would surprise people most about your process?CM: People are surprised when they realize that my works are made from clay. They often think they’re made of wood. When people think about ceramics, they tend to think of sculpture and vessels, not furniture.Delaire GraffiSibane (Maweni) in glazed stoneware, glass, and steel.What was the last trip you took that sparked your creative output?CM: Going home to Mthatha is always inspiring for me and my work. When I’m there I can practice smoke-firing using cow dung. I can literally watch the cows in the field while I work! There’s something very interesting about this idea of going back to the source.Hayden Phipps and Southern GuildThe installation iMvelaphi, on view at Southern Guild in Cape Town in 2024.Who is your dream collaborator?CM: Within the stable of my gallery, Southern Guild, I would love to collaborate with Adam Birch and Zanele Muholi. Osanna ViscontiThe Milanese metalworker is well known for her elegant pieces made with the lost-wax casting technique.Federico VillaVisconti in her Milan studio. When did you first think of yourself as a creator?OV: Ever since I was a child. At school I would take pliers, thin golden thread, and beads into the classroom and produce pieces to share with my classmates.Osanna ViscontiOsanna Visconti’s Bambù bookshelf in natural bronze.What would surprise people most about your process?OV: My eclecticism, just like the matter I shape. I am an artisan and an artist, and my practice spans art and technique, beauty and function. I am not a sculptor nor an industrial designer, even though I share my approach and quest for meaning with design.Osanna ViscontiVisconti’s cast bronze Campanula floor lamp.What was the last trip you took that inspired your creative output?OV: It was in a weekend house, looking at a magnolia tree of considerable size, with branches touching the windows. I grasped the life cycle of a flower, nature’s most exquisite creation, and it inspired my Magnolia collection of furniture in natural bronze.Osanna ViscontiVisconti’s cast bronze Bambu armchair. What music do you listen to while you work?OV: All piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Simone Bodmer-TurnerWorking in rural Massachusetts, Bodmer-Turner’s studio practice manages to span mediums and meanings.NEIGE THEBAULTBodmer-Turner applying a glaze to one of her chairs.When did you first think of yourself as a creator?SBT: I’ve always known one of my skills was being creative, but saying it out loud to my family, with the intention of doing creative work as my profession rather than as an extracurricular, set me on the path I am now on.What would surprise people most about your process?SBT: I do absolutely nothing with a computer or any technology—except email. Marco GallowayLamps from the Tulip series.What was the last trip you took that inspired your creative output?SBT: My partner and I have been learning to sail. Being on a boat in the middle of the ocean brings clarity, and the multipurposeness and collapsibility of spaces within a boat is so inspiring.What advice would you have for your younger self?SBT: Don’t tell yourself you can’t create something you’re passionate about just because you haven’t seen someone structure a practice that way before. Your gut will always know what’s right for you. Ombia StudioFrom her studio in Los Angeles, Cristina Moreno makes sculptural furniture in clay and wood.Courtesy of OmbiaOmbia Studio founder Cristina Morenoin her L.A. studio. When did you first think of yourself as a creator?CM: I started painting when I was two years old and have known ever since that creativity would forever be a part of me.David William BaumOmbia Studio’s Arena side table in ceramic.What would surprise people most about your process?CM: The technicality and how physically difficult it is to make these tables. When I have friends come by the studio, they’re always amazed—they never thought each piece could take so many steps and require so much muscle.David William BaumCleo, a five-legged ceramic side table.What was the last trip you took that impacted your creative output?CM: Production trips to Mexico City are always fruitful. Places that have a deep artisanal ancestry remind me that there is so much to learn, and beauty in the handmade. I’m still thinking about my trip to the gold museum in Bogotá, Colombia.David William BaumMusica, a sculptural dining chair.What was the last work of art you saw that inspired your output, and how?CM: I wouldn’t say art directly inspires my output. At least not consciously. I usually find that ancient functional objects are what really inspire me. This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE

Senior Development Manager31st UnionSan Mateo, California, United States2 hours agoApplyWE ARE GAMEMAKERSWho We Are:We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.We are currently working on Project ETHOS, a new free-to-play, 3rd person rogue-like hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre!Who You Are:We’re looking to add a thoughtful and strategic Senior Development Manager to facilitate communication and support one of our content teams in achieving a high level of excellence and player engagement on our high-priority AAA project. You will work with a team of talented Designers, Artists, Producers and cross-discipline Leads to balance scope with capacity, track progress, implement and improve processes, mentor people, and mitigate risks while upholding and maintaining a high quality bar.Responsibilities:Collaborate with a distributed team of Designers, Artists, Producers and dev partners to drive the roadmap and priorities for your team, and work with dependencies across global studio locations.Organize the direction, priority, and strategy for complex projects/teams while ensuring alignment with internal and external leadership.Be deeply involved in features development and resource planning.Build healthy, collaborative relationships with external teams or vendors while fostering an inclusive environment.Facilitate alignment through effective communication, problem-solving, risk identification and mitigation strategies.Maintain understanding of game release schedules and forecast project milestones.Manage and develop the Design team with thoughtful feedback, mentorship and career pathing.Required Qualifications:Proficient project management fundamentals including capacity planning, scope assessment and management, and project milestone planning.Solid grasp of project management software (e.g. JIRA, Microsoft Project, Confluence, Hansoft, etc.)Proven experience managing projects for both short and long iterations; being able to scope varied sizes and length of a project.Possess excellent people leadership skills and consistent record of effective management of senior resources.Leverage experience building cohesive teams; identify resourcing needs, providing developmental opportunities and ensuring that all employees reach their potential.You have an abiding love of video games, playing them, talking about them, creating them!The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $125,000 and $175,000 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an 'at-will position' and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.SECURITY NOTICE - We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate.Please know that 31st Union and 2K never uses instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews.If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience.Join our mission: Bring fun, inspiration and awe to our lives and to our community: https://thirtyfirstunion.com/values31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. This means that employment at 31st Union depends on your substantive ability, objective qualifications and work ethic – not on your age, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), height, weight, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), alienage or citizenship status, transgender, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition, AIDS/HIV, denial of family and medical care leave, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy status, childbirth, breastfeeding (or related medical conditions), marital status or registered domestic partner status, political activity or affiliation, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, arrest record, or taking or requesting statutorily protected leaves, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws.As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request a reasonable accommodation.#LI-Onsite #LI-HybridCreate Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Technical Project Manager31st UnionSan Mateo, California, United States11 minutes agoApplyWE ARE GAMEMAKERSWho We AreWe are a diverse group of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.We are currently working on Project ETHOS, a new free-to-play, 3rd person rogue-like hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre!Who You Are:You are an experienced Technical Project Manager with a strong ability to lead complex software projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You excel at translating stakeholder needs into clear, actionable plans and user stories. With a keen eye for detail and strong interpersonal skills, you navigate ambiguity, align cross-functional teams, and drive projects to successful completion. You thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about delivering impactful solutions that support both technical and creative teams.Responsibilities:Translate business goals into tactical project plans, forecasts, and measurable KPIs.Lead and align cross-functional teams, ensuring clear communication across global stakeholders.Manage external development teams to deliver effective software solutions.Regularly present project strategies, roadmaps, and progress updates to stakeholders.Identify and manage project risks, issues, budgets, and reporting.Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams and external studios.Required Qualifications:Proven experience in technical project management, especially in tools and pipelines for both technical and creative teams.Background in managing AAA game development projects and external teams.Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills across all organizational levels.Proficiency in agile methodologies and project management tools.Strategic and analytical thinking with a focus on execution and delivery.Strong project management skills with a proven track record of meeting and exceeding partner and customer expectations.Relevant experience:Extensive experience in the gaming industry, with a focus on AAA titles in the multiplayer shooter genre.The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $100,000 and $140,000 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an 'at-will position' and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.SECURITY NOTICE - We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate.Please know that 31st Union and 2K never uses instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews.If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience.Join our mission: Bring fun, inspiration and awe to our lives and to our community: https://thirtyfirstunion.com/values31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. This means that employment at 31st Union depends on your substantive ability, objective qualifications and work ethic – not on your age, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), height, weight, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), alienage or citizenship status, transgender, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition, AIDS/HIV, denial of family and medical care leave, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy status, childbirth, breastfeeding (or related medical conditions), marital status or registered domestic partner status, political activity or affiliation, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, arrest record, or taking or requesting statutorily protected leaves, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws.As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request a reasonable accommodation.#LI-Onsite #LI-HybridCreate Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply