Astounding

Scientists have discovered a new species of giant anaconda, the northern green anaconda, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The discovery was made during an expedition invited by the Waorani people. The team’s findings highlight the genetic uniqueness of the species and the ecological threats facing the Amazon, underscoring the urgent need for conservation efforts. Credit: Jesus RivasA team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.Professor…

The first private spacecraft to softly land on the moon carries a Canadian instrument that will test the possibility of building an observatory at the Lunar south pole.The phone booth-sized lander by Intuitive Machines, named Odysseus, launched on Feb. 15 and touched down on Thursday near a small impact crater about 300 kilometers from the moon's south pole.It was a stressful event with navigation and communication issues, but 15 nail-biting minutes after it landed, mission control confirmed that they were receiving a…

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, February 5th, 2024, ChainwireAfter Sui’s TVL surged more than 1500% over the last five months of 2023, its TVL has more than doubled since the start of 2024Sui, one of the fastest-growing Layer 1 blockchains, continued its impressive DeFi growth, surpassing $500M in Total Value Locked (TVL) and solidifying itself in the top 10 of DeFi ecosystems. Alongside this torrid ascent of TVL, on-chain activity has exploded as well. Weekly DeFi volume is up 63 percent over the previous…

Researchers established the world’s largest gene bank of ancient human DNA, analyzing remains from up to 34,000 years ago to trace the spread of genes and diseases. Key findings include the historical introduction of multiple sclerosis risk genes into Europe and the genetic origins of neurodegenerative diseases. This study, offering new insights into disease evolution and treatment, marks a significant advance in understanding the interplay between ancient genetics and modern health.Researchers have created the world’s…

After years of a long bearish winter, many can’t wait for the bull market. The SEC decision on Bitcoin ETFs, approving the investment product, has led to a collective sigh of relief. After all, it has been years of waiting, and it is expected to play a significant part in the next bull run. Worth mentioning is the next Bitcoin halving, which is just a few months away. The combination of these factors has resulted in a venture capitalist predicting two years of Bitcoin (BTC) volatility. Meanwhile, Gala (GALA)…

Quirks and Quarks18:53Unearthing a small-brained hominid species that challenges human exceptionalismIn 2013 renowned paleoanthropologist Lee Berger sent a couple of cave explorers into a cave system in South Africa to see what they could find. Little did he know they’d return with photos of fossilised hominid remains that would upend everything we thought we knew about what makes us special. He and his colleagues discovered an entirely new species of ancient human relatives, called Homo naledi, that lived a few hundred…

It’s not going out on a limb to say you have never seen a performance quite like Emma Stone’s in Poor Things. In this adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel, from New Greek Weird director, Yorgos Lanthimos, she plays Bella Baxter, an adult woman with the mind of an infant who embarks on a journey of self-discovery through fantastical Victorian-era steampunk cityscapes. It’s a tour de force of finely honed slapstick and wonky wordplay, at the service of a plausible, sincere character arc. And it’s very, very funny.Critics…

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just dropped a short video on X (formerly Twitter) where he highlighted the achievements of the company in the artificial intelligence division. In the ‘Pace of AI innovation in 2023' video, he provided a few examples where organizations used AI tools by the company to make a positive impact on the world. Microsoft launched Copilot earlier this year, powered by OpenAI's GPT technology, and used it to build its own AI products for enterprises. In the span of just a few months, Microsoft has…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeThe Oppenheimer cast walked the red carpet on Tuesday (11 July) for the film’s world premiere in Paris, France.A select number of journalists attended the screening and the first reactions have been effusive in their praise.Irish actor Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders), 47, stars as “the father of the atomic bomb”, Robert J Oppenheimer, in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated…

The crypto market is currently in a bearish state, causing investors to suffer significant losses. Finding a crypto project that can generate substantial profits during this downturn is like finding a treasure. 1inch, a popular cryptocurrency, has seen its price plummet by over 95% from its peak, resulting in massive losses for early investors and potential losses for latecomers. In search of better opportunities, many 1inch investors are considering cutting their losses and investing in a new hybrid meme coin. According…