Skull fragments found in Spain point to previously unknown ancient humans
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Until now, the oldest-known human species in western Europe was the slender-faced Homo antecessor, dating back around 850,000 years.
But research published in the journal Nature 'introduces a new actor in the history of human evolution in Europe', lead study author Rosa Huguet of Spain's University of Rovira i Virgili told a press conference.
The fossilised upper jawbone and partial cheekbone of Pink were discovered at the Atapuerca archaeological site in northern Spain in 2022.
Scientists reconstructed the bone fragments using traditional conservation and restoration techniques with advanced imaging and 3D analysis tools. Photo: Maria D. Guillen/IPHES-CERCA via Reuters
Since then, a team of Spanish scientists have been working to find out more about Pink, whose nickname is a reference to prog rock band Pink Floyd.
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AllAfrica
3 days ago
- AllAfrica
China's AI leap elevating stealth fighter ambitions
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported that Chinese scientists have developed advanced aircraft-design software they claim breaks the 'curse of dimensionality,' a computational barrier that contributed to the US Navy's cancellation of its X-47B stealth drone program in 2015. Led by Huang Jiangtao at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, the team introduced a geometric sensitivity computation method that enables optimization of hundreds of variables—such as stealth, aerodynamics and propulsion—without increasing computational load. Unlike traditional methods that grow exponentially more complex, their approach decouples gradient computation costs from design intricacy and integrates radar-absorbent materials directly into aerodynamic sensitivity equations. Their paper, published in Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica, demonstrated dramatic improvements using the X-47B as a case study. The researchers say this breakthrough could provide critical technical support for next-generation low-observable aircraft, including China's J-36 and J-50 fighters and stealth drones. As sixth-generation fighter programs worldwide face delays or cancellations, China's approach—emphasizing algorithmic efficiency over raw computing power—may save time and resources in stealth warplane development. The SCMP has also previously reported that China's Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute is using the DeepSeek AI platform to tackle complex engineering challenges and reduce time spent on technical reviews, freeing researchers to focus on core innovation tasks. Lead designer Wang Yongqing has stated that the technology is already generating new ideas and approaches for aerospace development, and confirmed steady progress on new variants of the multi-role J-35 stealth fighter. This progress may be underpinned by China's development of increasingly capable AI models. Nature reported this month that Moonshot AI's Kimi K2, an open-weight agentic large language model, matches or surpasses Western and DeepSeek models. The report indicates that Kimi K2 appears to excel in coding, scoring high in tests such as LiveCodeBench. According to Nature, unlike traditional 'reasoner' models, Kimi K2 is designed to execute complex multi-step actions using external tools autonomously, and its accessibility via API at low cost has spurred rapid adoption on platforms like Hugging Face. However, in an April 2025 ChinaTalk article, Lennart Heim noted that while Chinese AI models are likely to match US counterparts in performance, the latter retains a decisive edge in computing capacity, driven by more advanced AI chips and superior system integration at scale. Moreover, Gregory Allen, in a March 2025 report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, stated that DeepSeek trained its V3 model using 2.8 million graphics processing unit (GPU) hours on Nvidia H800 chips—export-compliant processors specifically designed to comply with the US's October 2022 chip controls. Allen noted that although DeepSeek's publications claimed exclusive use of H800s, reporting from SemiAnalysis and Chinese media—cited in the report—alleged that DeepSeek's R1 model may have been trained using banned Nvidia H100 chips. He reported that SemiAnalysis estimated DeepSeek's parent company, High-Flyer Capital, had acquired 50,000 Hopper-generation GPUs, including 10,000 H100s, 10,000 H800s, and 30,000 H20s. Allen further observed that Nvidia's A800 and H800 chips initially skirted US export controls until regulatory updates in October 2023 closed those loopholes. In addition to relying on US AI chips, China depends on US Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software for chip development. Reuters reported that the US has lifted export controls on EDA software, coinciding with China's relaxation of rare-earth export restrictions. Despite efforts toward indigenous advanced AI chip production—particularly Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines—the Hunan Printed Circuit Association noted this month that China remains at an early developmental stage, encountering significant issues with throughput, durability, and integration into existing ecosystems. These chip-related limitations may have sharp implications for the development of strategic Chinese platforms, notably the H-20 stealth bomber. According to the 2024 US Department of Defense (DoD) China Military Power Report (CMPR), the H-20 is a critical next-generation long-range bomber designed to bolster China's nuclear triad and extend military reach beyond the Second Island Chain. The report states that the H-20, based on a flying-wing design similar to the US B-2, is expected to surpass an 8,500-kilometer range and carry conventional and nuclear payloads, giving China its first true strategic bomber and global strike capability. It notes that the H-20 has yet to be revealed or flight-tested and may only enter service by the 2030s. In contrast to the H-20, General Thomas Bussiere, head of US Air Force Global Strike Command, stated in an interview this month with Air & Space Forces Magazine, that a second developmental B-21 bomber 'should fly shortly,' following the first unit's initial November 2023 flight. The magazine reports that production acceleration was enabled by Congressional approval of a $4.5 billion increase through a reconciliation bill, which Bussiere described as expected and based on over a year of analysis regarding capability, cost, and ramp-rate potential. Bussiere told the publication that this expansion reflects a growing recognition of the strategic value of long-range strike, particularly amid the challenge of sustaining aging Cold War-era bombers and an increasingly volatile global environment. While the official production goal remains 'more than 100' B-21 bombers, the article notes that Bussiere informed the Senate Armed Services Committee he supports assessing an increase to 145 aircraft, citing strategic shifts such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's expanding strategic forces. Air & Space Forces Magazine adds that General Anthony Cotton, head of US Strategic Command, also advocates for raising the total to 145 aircraft. Highlighting the role of AI in accelerating B-21 development, Newsweek reported in December 2023 that AI optimized digital design and engineering processes, including simulation-based testing before physical construction. 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South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Astronomers observe birth of a solar system for the first time
Astronomers said on Wednesday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315 - which resembles our own Sun in its youth - 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by massive rings of gas and dust called protoplanetary discs, which is where planets form. Inside these swirling discs, crystalline minerals that contain the chemical silicon monoxide can clump together. This process can snowball into kilometre-sized 'planetesimals', which one day grow into full planets. In our home Solar System, the crystalline minerals that were the starter dough for Earth and Jupiter's core are believed to have been trapped in ancient meteorites. Now astronomers have spotted signs that suggest these hot minerals are starting to solidify in the disc surrounding HOPS-315, according to a new study in the journal Nature.
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
China's Chang'e-6 findings reveal asteroid strike may have altered moon's far-side mantle
China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission has yielded groundbreaking findings about the moon's hidden history, revealing evidence that a colossal asteroid strike more than 4 billion years ago could have fundamentally altered the deep interior of its far side. The research was published as four open-access papers on Wednesday in Nature, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious scientific journals with headquarters in London. While these papers are available to all readers regardless of subscriber status, Chinese teams are reporting a wave of scientific findings from the country's lunar programme that American government scientists may be locked out of because of a US decision to cancel subscriptions to Nature and other Springer Nature journals. 01:57 China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side Officials cited budget concerns and dismissed the journals as 'junk science', which could hinder government scientists – including key Nasa researchers – from having access to major discoveries. The new analysis of the returned far-side rocks suggests that part of the moon's deep interior was stripped of important chemical ingredients more than 4 billion years ago – likely during a giant asteroid impact. The collision was so powerful it not only carved out a 2,500km-wide (1,550-mile) crater on the moon's far side – the largest of its kind in the solar system – but also changed the make-up of the moon's mantle hundreds of kilometres below the surface, according to a team led by scientists at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing. Lava later erupted from this damaged mantle and cooled into volcanic rock that is depleted in elements such as titanium and thorium, as well as water. These samples are the most chemically depleted moon rocks ever studied – more so than any returned by the US, Soviet or earlier Chinese missions, which all came from the moon's near side, the team reported in Nature on Wednesday. Chang'e-6 is the first and only mission to return samples from the moon's far side. It landed in the South Pole-Aitken basin in June 2024 and brought back 1.9kg (4.2lbs) of soil, mostly from a 2.8 billion-year-old volcanic eruption.
