Latest news with #UniversityofGeneva
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Groundbreaking movie with 100% rating is 'has warning for us all'
Three Colours: Red is the final film in the critically acclaimed Three Colours trilogy, which explores the core values of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity The concluding chapter of a captivating trilogy, this film has left an indelible mark on audiences, exploring powerful themes of politics, social matters and human connections. Three Colours: Red serves as the finale to the Three Colours trilogy, following Blue and White, with each examining the fundamental principles of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Released in 1994, this groundbreaking psychological mystery represents the work of a single creative vision, written, directed and produced by filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. Admirers of arthouse cinema have been thoroughly captivated by the feature, awarding it a perfect 100 per cent rating on review platform Rotten Tomatoes. The film's exploration of intimate bonds and the way people's destinies become intricately woven together has resonated deeply with audiences, who have penned glowing testimonials, reports the Express. One viewer declared: "The greatest accomplishment in cinema of the 1990s. You must see all three films in the trilogy: White, Blue, then Red, and watch them in that order. They are amazing, the masterwork of a genius who died shortly after completing the trilogy." The visual palette of each instalment reflects its titular hue, enhancing the artistic brilliance of this exceptional cinema, as numerous critics have observed. Another review proclaimed: "This is a gorgeously shot film. The story is very different and unique in its tone and characters, so well written and acted by some amazing performers. This is a must-see." Another commented: "It is a warning of what may come if we isolate ourselves from others and cut off communication." Since its debut, Three Colours: Red has been hailed as the crowning achievement of the trilogy, earning its place among the finest French language films ever crafted. The film garnered industry-wide acclaim, securing three prestigious Academy Award nominations, including Best Director for the late Kielowski. The narrative follows Valentine, a University of Geneva student who moonlights as a model and finds herself trapped in a controlling relationship with her boyfriend. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she accidentally injures a dog belonging to a retired judge, leading to an unlikely friendship despite their apparent differences. Red delves into themes of destiny, interconnectedness, and the intricate web of human relationships. One review praised: "The cinematography and camera angles used were very intriguing, and the use of colour was interesting. The colour red was used to signify the important characters in the movie and to highlight important things. What a great movie and what a lovely actress. Very cute and charming." Join our Shopping & Deals WhatsApp for the best bargains and fashion news WHATSAPP: Get the best deals and exclusive discount codes straight to your phone via our WhatsApp group. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Some of these articles will contain affiliate links where we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from them. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Serving as the concluding chapter of the series, Red represents the final piece of Kielowski's cinematic puzzle. Following this film, Kielowski declared his departure from the world of filmmaking. Tragically, just two years later, he passed away unexpectedly, leaving Red as a testament to his remarkable cinematic legacy.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb telescope reveals 'Sleeping Beauty' galaxies in the early universe — snoozing where they weren't supposed to exist
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have discovered over a dozen "dormant" galaxies that paused their star formation within the first billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery, made with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), illuminates a fascinating phase in the lives of early galaxies and could provide more clues about how galaxies evolve. There are several reasons why galaxies may stop forming new stars. One is the presence of supermassive black holes at their centers. These behemoths emit intense radiation that heats and depletes cold gas, the most important ingredient for star formation. Additionally, larger neighboring galaxies can strip away this cold gas or heat it, leading to a halt in star formation. As a result, these galaxies may remain dormant indefinitely, or become "quenched." Another reason galaxies become inactive is stellar feedback. That's when the gas in the galaxy gets warmed and expelled due to stellar processes like supernovas, intense stellar winds, or the pressure associated with starlight. The galaxy thus goes through a temporary "quiet" period. "This is usually a temporary phase, which usually lasts about 25 million years," Alba Covelo Paz, a doctoral student at the University of Geneva and the lead author of a new study describing the findings, told Live Science in an email. Over millions of years, the gas that was pushed out falls back in, and the warm gas cools again. Once there is enough cold gas again, the galaxy can start forming new stars. While the dormant phase is commonly observed in nearby galaxies, astronomers have found only four dormant galaxies in the first billion years of the universe. Of those, three had masses below a billion solar masses and one had a mass above 10 billion solar masses. The limited observations and scattered properties of dormant galaxies were not sufficient to get a clear picture of early star formation. Related: 'Previously unimaginable': James Webb telescope breaks its own record again, discovering farthest known galaxy in the universe But using JWST's sensitive spectroscopic data, an international team of astronomers discovered 14 dormant galaxies with a wide range of masses in the early universe, showing that dormant galaxies are not limited to low or very high mass ranges. The findings were uploaded to the preprint database arXiv on June 27 and have not been peer-reviewed yet. Taking a breather Researchers didn't expect to see dormant galaxies in the early universe. Because these galaxies are young, they should be vigorously forming many new stars, astronomers thought. But in a 2024 paper, researchers described the first discovery of a dormant galaxy in the early universe. "The first discovery of a dormant galaxy in the early universe was such a shock because that galaxy had been observed before with Hubble, but we could not know it was dormant until JWST," Paz said. That's because, unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST's NIRSpec instrument can both see light from these galaxies that has been redshifted to near-infrared wavelengths, and also provide spectroscopic details about it. Astronomers were curious to know why early galaxies stopped forming stars and whether this was common among a wide range of stellar masses. One hypothesis was that the galaxies had bursts of star formation and then quiet periods, before starting again. Paz and her team looked for the galaxies that were in between bursts of star formation. They used publicly available galaxy data in the DAWN JWST Archive. They examined the light of about 1,600 galaxies, looking for signs of new stars not forming. They also focused on clear signatures of middle-aged or old stars in the galaxies' light. The team found 14 galaxies, ranging from about 40 million to 30 billion solar masses, that had paused star formation. "We now found 14 sources supporting this burstiness process, and we found that all of them have halted star formation between 10 [million] and 25 million years before we observed them," Paz explained. That means these 14 galaxies were found to follow a stop-and-go fashion of star formation rather than continuously forming stars, and they have been quiet for at least 10 million to 25 million years. This relatively short snooze hints that stellar feedback, such as supernovas or stellar winds, caused them to go quiet and that they may eventually restart their stellar factories, Paz said. However, there is still uncertainty, she added. "We cannot confirm it for sure because we don't know how long they will remain dormant, and if they happen to stay dormant for another 50 million years, this would mean the cause of their quenching is different," Paz explained. RELATED STORIES —Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS transforms into a giant 'cosmic rainbow' in trippy new telescope image —'Ice cube' clouds discovered at the galaxy's center shouldn't exist — and they hint at a recent black hole explosion —Behold, 'The Beast': Gigantic animal-like plasma plume 13 times wider than Earth hovers over the sun This scenario would suggest that the galaxies are dead. Nevertheless, the current properties of these galaxies support a cycle of fits and starts. Because dormant galaxies are so rare, much about them remains mysterious. However, astronomers hope future observations will help shed light on these snoozing star factories. An upcoming JWST program called "Sleeping Beauties" will be dedicated to discovering dormant galaxies in the early universe, Paz said. This program will allow astronomers to estimate how long a galaxy remains in this quiet phase and help them understand the bursty star formation process. "There are still many unknowns for us, but we are one step closer to unravelling this process," Paz said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Two key factors of dementia risk that outweigh all others
Tackling hearing loss early and making an effort to maintain social relationships could delay the development of dementia later in life, promising new research has found. Studies have long suggested that around four in ten cases of the memory-robbing condition could be preventable. Addressing vision loss, treating depression and doing plenty of exercise are all ways of reducing the risk. Now Swiss scientists, who tracked more than 30,000 adults, have revealed a significant link between hearing loss, loneliness and memory decline. Writing in the journal Communications Psychology, scientists at the University of Geneva said: 'Addressing hearing impairment alongside loneliness—even in socially integrated individuals—may be crucial for promoting cognitive health in later life. With increasing longevity, understanding the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive functioning is of utmost importance for ageing societies.' In the study, the researchers analysed 33,741 adults aged 50 and over enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Over a 17 year period they found that older adults who said they felt lonely—even if they were not socially isolated—showed steeper cognitive decline as their hearing deteriorated compared to socially integrated individuals. Participants who were both isolated and lonely consistently performed worse across all cognitive tasks including immediate and delayed recall and verbal fluency. According to the researchers, this could be because memory processes like retrieving information are used more by people who interact with others on a regular basis. Additionally, researchers found that lonely individuals found hearing loss more distressing than their non-lonely peers, highlighting the psychological burden of the condition which could contribute to memory loss. The researchers concluded that their findings support the theory that both objective and subjective social isolation are relevant to dementia risk. 'Our design uncovered a significant role for loneliness in shaping the extent to which sensory decline is linked to cognition,' the researchers added. However, the researchers acknowledged that causality could not be inferred. They added: 'Our findings indicate that both hearing impairment and psychosocial factors such as loneliness and social isolation may be relevant to cognitive functioning in later life. This underscores the importance of a holistic approach that combines auditory health with psychosocial support to maintain cognitive health in later life.' In response to studies such as this, experts at Alzheimer's Research UK are now calling on the government to include a hearing check in the NHS Health Check for over-40s. Dr Isolde Radford, from the charity, said: 'We don't yet know if hearing loss directly causes dementia or whether it causes other conditions that, in turn increase our risk. What we do know is that hearing loss, like dementia, isn't an inevitable part of ageing. This simple step could help millions identify hearing loss earlier and take appropriate action, such as wearing hearing aids, that may help reduce their risk of dementia.' It comes as a landmark study last year also suggested almost half of all Alzheimer's cases could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors. To reduce dementia risk throughout life, the commission also made 13 recommendations for both people and governments. These include making hearing aids available for all those who need it, reducing harmful noise exposure, and increased detection and treatment access for high cholesterol among the over-40s. Experts claimed the study, published in medical journal The Lancet, provided more hope than 'ever before' that the memory-robbing disorder that blights the lives of millions can be prevented. Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia and affects 982,000 people in the UK. It is thought to be caused by a build-up of amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together and from plaques and tangles that make it harder for the brain to work properly. Eventually, the brain struggles to cope with this damage and dementia symptoms develop. Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time. Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Hearing loss and loneliness can accelerate cognitive decline in older adults study finds
A large-scale European study has found older adults experiencing hearing loss and loneliness could be at triple the risk of cognitive decline. Researchers from the University of Geneva in Switzerland wanted to investigate how social isolation and perceived loneliness can affect cognitive function and memory. Published in Communications Psychology, the researchers analysed data from more than 33,000 adults over age 50 across 12 countries. Participants were surveyed every two years about daily lives, including usual activities, social connections, and perceptions, before undertaking tests on cognitive functions like episodic memory. The researchers identified three distinct profiles: people who are socially isolated and feel lonely, people who are not socially isolated but still feel lonely, and people who are socially isolated but do not feel lonely. They then investigated whether each profile had a different trajectory of reduced cognitive function, finding those with hearing impairments who felt lonely experienced faster cognitive decline — regardless of their level of social isolation. That combination of perceived loneliness and hearing impairment could put people at two to three times' the risk of such decline. ''We found that people who were not socially isolated but who felt lonely saw their cognitive decline accelerate when they were deaf,'' co-author and university professor Matthias Kliegel said. With about 30 per cent of people over 60 having hearing loss, the findings underscore the importance of addressing the social and emotional aspects of hearing loss as well as its physical elements. The World Health Organization estimates almost 2.5 billion people will have some form of hearing loss by 2050, 700 million of whom will require hearing rehabilitation.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists pinpoint two key factors which increase dementia risk more than any other - one is frighteningly difficult to avoid
Tackling hearing loss early and making an effort to maintain social relationships could delay the development of dementia later in life, promising new research has found. Studies have long suggested that around four in ten cases of the memory-robbing condition could be preventable. Addressing vision loss, treating depression and doing plenty of exercise are all ways of reducing the risk. Now Swiss scientists, who tracked more than 30,000 adults, have revealed a significant link between hearing loss, loneliness and memory decline. Writing in the journal Communications Psychology, scientists at the University of Geneva said: 'Addressing hearing impairment alongside loneliness—even in socially integrated individuals—may be crucial for promoting cognitive health in later life. 'With increasing longevity, understanding the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive functioning is of utmost importance for ageing societies.' In the study, the researchers analysed 33,741 adults aged 50 and over enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Over a 17 year period they found that older adults who said they felt lonely—even if they were not socially isolated—showed steeper cognitive decline as their hearing deteriorated compared to socially integrated individuals. Participants who were both isolated and lonely consistently performed worse across all cognitive tasks including immediate and delayed recall and verbal fluency. According to the researchers, this could be because memory processes like retrieving information are used more by people who interact with others on a regular basis. Additionally, researchers found that lonely individuals found hearing loss more distressing than their non-lonely peers, highlighting the psychological burden of the condition which could contribute to memory loss. The researchers concluded that their findings support the theory that both objective and subjective social isolation are relevant to dementia risk. 'Our design uncovered a significant role for loneliness in shaping the extent to which sensory decline is linked to cognition,' the researchers added. However, the researchers acknowledged that causality could not be inferred. They added: 'Our findings indicate that both hearing impairment and psychosocial factors such as loneliness and social isolation may be relevant to cognitive functioning in later life. 'This underscores the importance of a holistic approach that combines auditory health with psychosocial support to maintain cognitive health in later life.' In response to studies such as this, experts at Alzheimer's Research UK are now calling on the government to include a hearing check in the NHS Health Check for over-40s. Dr Isolde Radford, from the charity, said: 'We don't yet know if hearing loss directly causes dementia or whether it causes other conditions that, in turn increase our risk. 'What we do know is that hearing loss, like dementia, isn't an inevitable part of ageing. 'This simple step could help millions identify hearing loss earlier and take appropriate action, such as wearing hearing aids, that may help reduce their risk of dementia.' It comes as a landmark study last year also suggested almost half of all Alzheimer's cases could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors. To reduce dementia risk throughout life, the commission also made 13 recommendations for both people and governments. These include making hearing aids available for all those who need it, reducing harmful noise exposure, and increased detection and treatment access for high cholesterol among the over-40s. Experts claimed the study, published in medical journal The Lancet, provided more hope than 'ever before' that the memory-robbing disorder that blights the lives of millions can be prevented. Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia and affects 982,000 people in the UK. It is thought to be caused by a build-up of amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together and from plaques and tangles that make it harder for the brain to work properly. Eventually, the brain struggles to cope with this damage and dementia symptoms develop. Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time. Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
