Latest news with #Researchers
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE America's favorite snack could put you at risk of colon cancer, terrifying new study reveals
You might want to consider holding the parmesan next time you order pasta. Researchers have found that eating too much cheese can cause changes in the gut linked to colon cancer. Your browser does not support iframes.
Sustainability Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Sustainability Times
'Your Face Just Snitched': E-Tattoos Now Detect Stress, Burnout, and Mental Collapse Before You Even Realize It
IN A NUTSHELL 🧠 Groundbreaking innovation : Researchers have unveiled a wireless electronic forehead tattoo capable of tracking and predicting mental fatigue in real-time. : Researchers have unveiled a wireless electronic forehead tattoo capable of tracking and predicting mental fatigue in real-time. 👨🔬 Flexible and personalized design : The e-tattoo adapts to individual facial contours, ensuring optimal signal quality without discomfort. : The e-tattoo adapts to individual facial contours, ensuring optimal signal quality without discomfort. 💡 Cost-effective solution : With hardware costs around $200, the e-tattoo offers an affordable alternative to traditional EEG systems, making it accessible for home use. : With hardware costs around $200, the e-tattoo offers an affordable alternative to traditional EEG systems, making it accessible for home use. 🛡️ Ethical considerations: The device raises privacy concerns and prompts discussions on balancing benefits with ethical challenges in cognitive monitoring. In an era of rapid technological advancements, the ability to monitor and understand our cognitive health is becoming increasingly essential. A groundbreaking innovation in wearable technology promises to revolutionize how we track mental workload and fatigue in real-time. Researchers have developed a wireless electronic forehead tattoo that not only measures brain activity but also predicts mental fatigue. This ultra-thin device could potentially be a game-changer in high-stakes professions where mental lapses can have serious consequences, such as truck driving or air traffic control. The implications of this technology could redefine workplace safety and individual well-being. A Flexible, Personalized Window Into the Brain The new e-tattoo is engineered to provide a unique insight into the brain by measuring electrical signals through electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG). Unlike traditional EEG headsets that are often cumbersome and uncomfortable, this e-tattoo adheres to the forehead like a temporary sticker. Its flexible, wavy circuitry is designed to conform to individual facial contours, ensuring strong signal quality without discomfort or interference. According to Nanshu Lu, the flexibility of this device is a critical breakthrough. Traditional EEG caps, despite having more sensors, struggle to obtain perfect signals due to varying head shapes. The e-tattoo overcomes this by allowing for personalized manufacturing based on facial features, ensuring precise placement and optimal signal reception. During tests, participants wearing the e-tattoo showed predictable changes in brain activity as tasks increased in difficulty. Notably, the device did more than just detect mental strain; it anticipated it by using a machine learning model to predict cognitive load, potentially enabling real-time alerts before mental fatigue becomes overwhelming. Discover the Top Nutrient-Rich Foods that Can Assist in Your Weight Loss Journey Low Cost, Big Impact The traditional EEG systems, often priced over $15,000 and requiring specialized training, stand in stark contrast to the affordability of the e-tattoo. With main hardware costs around $200 and disposable sensors at $20 each, this device could become widely accessible in various settings, from homes to workplaces. Luis Sentis, one of the authors, envisions a future where these devices are common household items, much like fitness trackers today. Despite its promise, the current version of the e-tattoo has limitations, such as only working on hairless skin. Researchers are already developing ink-based sensors for use on hairy regions, which would allow for full-head monitoring and more comprehensive data. This innovation could fundamentally change how organizations track and ensure the mental well-being of their workforce, providing insights that were previously unattainable. « This brewing habit could silently hurt you »: these common coffee preparation methods directly linked to increased heart disease risk The Science Behind Monitoring Mental Workload The ability to measure mental workload accurately is pivotal for enhancing performance and preventing burnout. The e-tattoo offers a solution by providing real-time data on brain activity. As cognitive demand rises, brainwaves such as theta and delta increase, indicating more effort, while alpha and beta waves decrease, signaling mental fatigue. These insights could lead to personalized interventions tailored to an individual's optimal mental workload. Understanding the nuances of mental workload is crucial for various industries. In high-stakes environments, such as aviation or healthcare, knowing when an individual is nearing their cognitive limit can prevent costly errors and improve safety. The e-tattoo's predictive capabilities offer a proactive approach, enabling timely interventions that could mitigate risks associated with mental fatigue. Cold Plunges Are a Scam for Women and Science Just Dropped the Mic on This Freezing Hot Fitness Fad Future Implications and Ethical Considerations The potential applications of the e-tattoo are vast, from enhancing workplace safety to improving personal well-being. However, the widespread adoption of such technology also raises ethical considerations. Privacy concerns are paramount, as continuous monitoring of brain activity could lead to misuse of sensitive data. Ensuring that data is handled responsibly and that individuals have control over their information will be critical as this technology becomes more prevalent. Moreover, as with any new technology, there is a need for regulatory frameworks to ensure safety and efficacy. Researchers and policymakers must collaborate to establish guidelines that protect users while fostering innovation. As we move forward, the question remains: how will society balance the benefits of real-time mental monitoring with the ethical challenges it presents? As technology continues to evolve at a pace faster than human adaptation, innovations like the e-tattoo offer a glimpse into a future where mental well-being is as closely monitored as physical health. Will we embrace this new era of cognitive awareness, or will the challenges of privacy and ethics hinder its potential? The answers will shape the future of how we understand and manage mental health. Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.7/5 (26)
Fox News
23-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Ancient Christian figurines discovered in 1,500-year-old desert graves
Archaeologists recently uncovered extraordinary artifacts from an ancient African Christian community in Israel, according to officials. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the finds on May 14. In a Facebook post, the organization said the objects were discovered during an excavation at Tel Malḥata, a mound in the Arad Valley of the Negev Desert. In ancient times, Tel Malḥata served as a crossroads that merchants from the Arabian Peninsula, India and Africa used. The items were found in 1,500-year-old graves of women and children, according to the IAA. Pictures show multiple figurines with human face shapes, along with scattered artifacts, including jugs and pottery fragments. Archaeologists also found other burial offerings, including glassware, bronze bracelets, and jewelry made of stone and alabaster. The burials were conducted according to ancient Christian tradition, with excavators describing the figurines as being "heads of African figures, carved in black wood." In a journal article, researchers said the figurines show that a Christian community lived in Southern Israel "about 1,500 years ago, possibly with some of its members coming from Africa." Said the article, "Carved from bone, and from ebony wood – a rare raw material originating from southern India and Sri Lanka – the figurines were designed in the form of women and men bearing prominent African facial features, and with a hole for the purpose of wearing them around the neck." The study added, "It seems their purpose was not only decorative, but also as intimate personal items carrying with them a story of identity, tradition and memory." The IAA noted that the artifacts were "carefully placed" among the deceased women and children, and after 1,500 years, they're still "exceptionally well-preserved." "It is possible that the figures represent ancestors, and thus they reflect traditions passed down from generation to generation – even after the adoption of the Christian religion," researchers said. The article continued, "It is likely that a woman and a child who were buried side-by-side, and in whose graves two of the figurines were discovered, belonged to the same family – and perhaps they were even mother and son." The IAA noted that unearthing African figurines in Christian graves in Israel is quite unusual and called the find "a rare discovery." "[It] deepens our understanding of the cultural diversity among the inhabitants of the country in this region about 1,500 years ago," the agency wrote. Eli Escusido, director of the IAA, described the findings as "moving, not only from an archaeological perspective, but also on a human level." He added, "They serve as a reminder that the Land of Israel has always been a crossroads of cultures and peoples – individuals arrived here, integrated into the local population, and yet still carried with them traditions and beliefs from distant lands." The grave discoveries are a few of many remarkable IAA finds in the past year. In December, the agency announced the discovery of the oldest-known Chinese inscription in Israel, which was found at the holy site of Mount Zion. In March, an Israeli child uncovered a 3,800-year-old Canaanite amulet at a mound called Tel Azeka, located in the Judean Foothills.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Very rare' African ebony figurines found in 1,500-year-old Christian burials in Israeli desert
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed three 1,500-year-old Christian burials that contain very rare figurines crafted from ebony and bone and depict people from Africa. The figurines — which were likely worn as pendants — might depict these individuals' ancestors, researchers wrote in a new study, which was published in the most recent 2025 issue of the journal 'Atiqot. It's possible that the buried individuals or their ancestors were Africans who had converted to Christianity and then moved to the Negev, the researchers wrote. "The figurines show that a Christian community lived in the south of the country about 1,500 years ago, possibly with some of its members coming from Africa," the researchers said in a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The three burials, which held the remains of two women and one child, were found within a cemetery near the archaeological site of Tel Malḥata in the northeastern Negev. The cemetery dates to the Roman-Byzantine period and has many cist, or stone-lined graves. Archaeologists have been excavating Tel Malḥata since the 1970s and have found artifacts showing that the site has been occupied off and one since the Middle Bronze Age (2000 to 1500 B.C.). During the early Roman period, the site had a fortress or fortified mansion, which later became "a central settlement and an administrative capital" during the Roman-Byzantine period, the researchers wrote in the study. Various papers have noted that the site sat on "an important trade crossroads through which passed luxury goods from Arabia and beyond," the team wrote in the study. Related: Ancient Egyptian queen's bracelets contain 1st evidence of long-distance trade between Egypt and Greece Trade likely brought the ebony to the individuals. Ebony is a black wood, which in this case came from the Ceylon ebony (Diospyros ebenum), a slow-growing tree from southern India and Sri Lanka. The Byzantine Empire began trading with India and Sri Lanka in the fourth century A.D., which provided the empire with plants, spices, cotton, silk and ebony, the researchers noted. The burials date from the sixth to seventh centuries A.D., a few centuries after this trade started. Of the five figurines analyzed, three are made from bone and two from ebony. While bone figurines were "common from the Neolithic period onward, and used in domestic rituals as well as in burials," the team wrote in the study that "ebony figurines are very rare." Even though the deceased were buried in Christian-style burials, "it is possible that the figures represent ancestors, and thus they reflect traditions passed down from generation to generation — even after the adoption of the Christian religion," the researchers said in the statement. One cist tomb held a woman who died between the ages of 18 and 21 and who had several grave goods: glass vessels, a bronze bracelet and a bone figurine depicting a woman, the researchers reported. Another cist tomb held a woman who may have been slightly older — she died between the ages of 20 and 30. She was buried with two alabaster jars and several grave goods, including one bone figurine showing the "upper part of a female body" and one ebony figurine that "depicts a very detailed face of a female, with typical African features," the researchers wrote in the study. RELATED STORIES —2,100-year-old farmstead in Israel found 'frozen in time' after owners disappeared —3-year-old picks up 'beautiful stone,' discovers 3,800-year-old scarab amulet in Israel —2,300-year-old grave in Israel contains remains of Greek courtesan who may have accompanied Alexander the Great's army The last cist tomb held the remains of a 6- to 8-year-old child who was buried with bronze jewelry and two figurines — one made of bone and one of ebony. The ebony pendant "shows a very detailed face and torso of a male figure, with typical African features," the researchers wrote in the study. "The figurine has long hair, and possibly represents an ancestor of the deceased." The ebony pendants in the woman's and child's graves are similar in size and style, which hints that they were related and were perhaps mother and child, the researchers said. "It is likely that a woman and a child who were buried side-by-side, and in whose graves two of the figurines were discovered, belonged to the same family — and perhaps they were even mother and son," the researchers said in the statement.
South China Morning Post
16-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Horses were running between Asia, North America 50,000 years ago: study
'We find that Late Pleistocene horses from Alaska and northern Yukon are related to populations from Eurasia and crossed the Bering land bridge multiple times during the last glacial interval,' the team wrote. Researchers in Britain , Canada, France, Russia and the United States published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Science on Friday. In the latest study, the scientists found that horses undertook multiple migrations across the Bering land bridge between 50,000 and 13,000 years ago, with genetic exchanges between North America and Eurasia in both directions. Among the studied fossils are Dalianensis horses, named after the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, near where they were unearthed. They are shown to have a mixed ancestry from both Eurasian and American populations. Ancient horses repeatedly migrated between North America and Eurasia, reaching today's Russian Far East near China , during the late Pleistocene when sea levels dropped and a land bridge connected the two continents, a new study found. 'We also find deeply divergent lineages north and south of the American ice sheets that genetically influenced populations across Beringia and into Eurasia.' Researchers in five different countries have found that some ancient horses shared both Eurasian and North American ancestry. Credit: Sacred Way Sanctuary Horses evolved in the Americas around 4 million years ago. About 20,000 years ago, warming after the Last Glacial Maximum submerged the Bering land bridge, which led to a decline in horse populations in North America. Advertisement They largely disappeared from the region about 10,000 years ago but continued to evolve and were domesticated in Eurasia. Spanish settlers likely reintroduced horses to the Americas in the 1500s. Horses were then moved through trade routes and became key to many Indigenous cultures across the American Southwest and the Great Plains. Lead author Ludovic Orlando, director of the Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics in France, said while some lineages native from America migrated and brought their genes far into Eurasia, a Eurasian lineage expanded from the Ural Mountains into western Alaska and all across the Arctic. Advertisement This region comprises present-day northern Russia, Siberia and Alaska. 'The lineage that migrated the other way around from America into Eurasia indeed reached out to China, since we find subfossils in the Sukhkaya cave in the Russian Far East, not far from the Chinese city of Dalian and next to the Jilin Province, carrying a fraction of American genetic ancestry,' he said. 'These subfossils are older than 50 thousand years ago, and related to Equus dalianensis from around Dalian.' Horses became key to many Indigenous cultures across the American Southwest and the Great Plains. Pictured is First Nations Elder Jane Stelkia and the Okanagan Nation horse. Credit: Little Pine Productions He said Dalianensis horses could be seen as 'a mixture of populations originating both from Eurasia and America'. Advertisement 'It implies that a Eurasian lineage first established and evolved in the region, and at some point mixed with another lineage that expanded in the region, and originated all the way up to America,' Orlando added. When asked about the motivations for horses to migrate vast distances across continents in both directions, he pointed to a Native American Lakota concept for the rationale for life forms to move. Orlando said when environmental conditions became suboptimal for horses and their associated microbes and food sources, 'they would reach out to other more favourable environments where they can thrive again, and maybe merge with other populations that would reinforce them'. Advertisement 'Migration is thus one of the key ways that life has to develop,' he said. 'Maintaining populations as they are and within limited habitats may not be enough as they could not [necessarily] thrive, mix and develop new alliances to face fast-changing environments.' 00:48 Thousands of horses gallop majestically as a herd for tourism festival in China Thousands of horses gallop majestically as a herd for tourism festival in China First author Yvette Running Horse Collin, a postdoctoral researcher in the archaeology, genomics, evolution and societies group of the laboratory in France, said horses 'moved great distances regularly until relatively recent times when their natural patterns were interrupted'. Advertisement 'For the Lakota, and many Indigenous Peoples, our relationship and science around the horse helps us to understand that the horse was designed to move,' she said. 'The horse is not only responding to change, it is also actually part of the change.' To conserve horses, Collin said it was important to protect other forms of life that move with horses. 'It is for this reason that one of the research outcomes of this study is to suggest the creation of corridors that would allow life to move – together – as needed,' she said. Advertisement 'One of our next steps will be to apply the findings in this study to preserve life in our traditional territory in the Black Hills of South Dakota and provide for the scientific measurement of those efforts.' Advertisement
