precious

One day, Liz Jensen’s son, Raphaël, meets death in the garden. It’s a bird: a great tit that he picks up and brings inside. ‘‘I found a sleeping bird,’’ he says to his mother, who explains that this particular bird will not be waking up. They dig a hole for it and hold a funeral. “Not a bird any more, we tell him. Underground, it will rot and magic into something else. But this makes no sense to him. He puts snail shells on the little grave and howls.”At the age of 25, Raphaël meets death again. He is on a training run in…

Nothing brightens up my day more than seeing my adorable cat curl up in my lap for a nap or run to the door to greet me when I get home from work. He might be a bit demanding when he’s hungry, and his teeth can be a little too sharp at times. But I wouldn’t trade that little guy for the world. Adopting an animal into your family can simultaneously change your life and theirs. We all need love and companionship, even furry little creatures, and knowing that you saved a precious animal from a life in a cage is a great…

Rare find: A diamond sticking out of a piece of kimberlite rock. Credit: ETH Zurich / Andrea Giuliani Few gemstones are more difficult to find than diamonds. Geologists from ETH Zurich and the University of Melbourne have now established a link between their occurrence and the mineral olivine. This could make the search for diamonds easier in the future. …

The New York Times lawsuit against OpenAI late last year over the tech company’s use of the newspaper’s journalism to train its large language model (LLM) represented a major move in unprecedented times. It also could portend a shift in the Big Tech/content creator relationship—one that was fraught to begin with and might now turn increasingly litigious. At the heart of the suit is the question of data, and whether the companies behind LLMs can claim “fair use” in gobbling up that data.When we think about the amount of…

In a world of megapixels and autofocus, finding the perfect camera can be as thrilling as composing a breathtaking shot. Our curated guide dives deep into the technical intricacies, demystifying jargon to ensure you make an informed decision. From mirrorless marvels to DSLR dynamos, we've sifted through the digital landscape to present you with exclusive deals on cutting-edge cameras. Discover the power of image stabilization, sensor sizes, and low-light capabilities as we…

January 29, 20242 min readRising temperatures are melting an area of the Swiss Alps where scientists have been working to collect centuries-old ice cores that contain evidence of past environmental conditionsBy Chelsea Harvey & E&E NewsAn epiglacial torrent or bédière on the surface of glacier de Corbassière, Grand Combin mountain massif, Swiss Alps. CLIMATEWIRE | If glaciers have memories, climate change is erasing them.Rising temperatures are melting an area of the Swiss Alps where scientists have been working…

A recent breakthrough in Earth science sheds new light on the origins of precious metals like gold and platinum, challenging conventional wisdom. This groundbreaking research, conducted by scientists at Yale University and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports Interesting Engineering. Here's a summary of the findings:Gold and platinum have long fascinated humanity due to their scarcity, beauty, and industrial significance. The study…

In the realm of wedding photography, where emotions dance freely and love takes center stage, the Premios FdB has been a beacon of excellence for over a decade, honoring the crème de la crème of nuptial captures from around the globe. As we unveil the mesmerizing winning photographs of the 2023 edition, it’s evident that this year has set a new benchmark for the artistry and creativity encapsulated in wedding photography.A distinguished panel of judges, comprising Emre Nelsi from Turkey, Maxi Oviedo from Argentina, and…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Four in five primary caregivers of nine-month-old babies reported cuddling, talking and playing with their little one several times a day, in England's first national long-term study of babies in over two decades, led by UCL (University College London). More than half engaged in physical or…

If Richard Morrison unravelled the Oppenheimer film reel from its new home in Melbourne’s Imax cinema, he wouldn’t have to stop until he reached Sandringham Beach, more than 18 kms away.He won’t be doing that.Morrison is one of only two people in Australia who are qualified to show the much anticipated Christopher Nolan film, about the physicist and architect of the Manhattan Project, in Imax 1570 format: the largest and highest resolution film format currently in existence.With a running time of three hours, the 1570…