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Daily Mirror
12-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Camera dropped 2.4 miles beneath ocean surface – what it films leaves scientists floored
A surprising discovery was captured on film almost 2.4 miles deep using a remotely operated underwater vehicle, with researchers exploring a canyon when they spotted it A peculiar octopus resembling Disney's Dumbo has been captured on camera two miles below the ocean surface by thrilled marine biologists. The elusive sea creature was recorded nearly 2.4 miles down using a remotely operated submersible. Scientists were investigating a canyon when the pink sea creature suddenly began flapping its ear-shaped fins. It bears an uncanny likeness to the beloved 1941 Disney character Dumbo. The extraordinary footage was obtained during an expedition to examine the Mar del Plata submarine canyon. This enormous canyon sits in the South Atlantic Ocean, roughly 193 miles east of the Argentine city sharing its name. Marine biologists reckon it's the first-ever recorded sighting of a Dumbo octopus in Argentine waters, according to What's The Jam. The expedition is being spearheaded by the US-based Schmidt Ocean Institute, collaborating with Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development. The pink creature, spotted last Tuesday (5 August), belongs to a genus fittingly called the Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis). Seventeen recognised species comprise the genus, each boasting distinctive fins protruding from the mantle above their eyes. They represent the deepest-living octopuses on record, flourishing in an extreme environment of immense pressure and freezing temperatures. Unlike most octopuses, which depend on jet propulsion, the Dumbo octopus possesses a jelly-like body and travels by beating its fins. Just days before, on 26 July, the same expedition recorded a "cheeky" starfish featuring a bottom-like crease between its arms. Social media users were quick to point out its striking resemblance to Patrick Star from the popular cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants. Kristen Kusek of the Schmidt Ocean Institute said: "The 'bum' is normal, and not a bum at all, but it's fun to see folks enjoying it. "It has to do with seawater circulating in its body - a totally normal process." Dumbo octopuses have a line of around 65 to 68 suckers on each arm, as well as protrusions known as cirri, which are akin to hair. This means they fall into the cirrate octopus group. They generally grow to about 20 to 30 centimetres, but the largest example of the adorable cephalopod was a whopping 1.8 metres long and weighed 5.9kg. They are known to live in the deep oceans at depths of 1,000 to 7,000 metres, which includes both the bathyal and abyssal zones, where there is no sunlight and the water is icy cold. In 2020, a Dumbo octopus was filmed at a depth of nearly 7,000 metres in the Java Trench in the Indian Ocean. It suggests that the creatures may also live in the deepest depths of the ocean, known as the hadal zone. In comments recorded on the Natural History Museum's official website, Jon Ablett, the senior curator in charge of mollusca at the London museum, said Dumbos look 'very different' from other types of octopuses. He noted that they are 'very blobby and gelatinous,' meaning they have an 'otherworldly, alien-like look,' particularly when they are brought to the water's surface.
Gizmodo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
Popular UV Manicure Lamps Might Be Frying Your Skin at the Molecular Level
UV LED nail lamps are very trendy right now, allowing people to quickly wrap up their manicures at the salon or in the comfort of their own home. But it now appears that these products can come at a potentially serious cost. Scientists in Argentina led the study, which examined how the UV dose emitted by a modern manicure lamp affected common skin molecules. They found that just a few minutes of exposure altered these molecules in ways that could be harmful to skin. Though the long-term health effects of these devices, including their potential cancer risk, are still unclear, the researchers say more should be done to warn the public about them. 'We demonstrate that the radiation dose emitted by the nail polish dryer device during a typical gel nail manicure session effectively degrades molecules present in the skin,' the authors wrote in their paper, published earlier this year in Chemical Research in Toxicology. These lamps are used to quickly dry regular manicures and to cure semi-permanent gel manicures. They're commonly seen at nail salons and can also be purchased for home use. The first versions of these devices emitted higher doses of UVA radiation—the kind responsible for tans and sunburns—than today's typical LED devices, according to study researcher María Laura Dántola. But LED lamps still emit some UVA radiation, and their health impacts on exposed skin haven't been thoroughly studied yet, the researchers say. Dántola and her team subjected molecules commonly seen in our skin to a standard manicure lamp, and it didn't take long for them to see meaningful changes. 'After a four-minute exposure, the duration of a typical manicure cycle, we observed that all the compounds studied underwent modifications that led to an alteration of their biological functions,' said Dántola, a researcher at Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), in a Spanish-language statement from CONICET, translated into English using Google Translate. An earlier study in 2023 found that manicure lamps can damage the DNA in human skin cells and cause mutations—changes that could then possibly raise the odds of cancer. A 2024 review also concluded that 'prolonged and repeated exposure to UV nail lamps may pose a low risk of skin cancer.' That said, the review also noted that the overall evidence on these health risks remains weak and limited for the time being. Still, for manicure lovers worried about their skin, there are steps you can take to mitigate any potential risks. When getting a gel manicure, for instance, you can wear gloves that only expose your fingertips. Alternately, you can apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to your hands beforehand (SPF-only products do not protect against UVA). And if you're getting a regular manicure, you can stick to air blowers or fans to dry your hands without any UV. The study researchers also argue that more regulation is needed for UV lamp manufacturers, including labeling that explicitly offers these tips to at-home users. 'We consider it important that these devices provide information about the harmful effects that uncontrolled use can cause, and that they also recommend the implementation of preventive measures,' Dántola said. 'In this way, people can decide, under their own responsibility but with information, how they want to use them.'
