Latest news with #WaterResourcesResearch
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers develop game-changing tool to predict deadly natural disasters: 'Of paramount importance'
A recent study published in the Water Resources Research journal discussed using a new deep learning framework — known as Long Short-Term Memory Station Approximated Models, or LSTM-SAM — to predict the state of water levels during extreme weather events, in order to better forewarn and evacuate nearby civilians. With Atlantic hurricane seasons lending themselves to more frequent and intense storm surges over the past decade, the impact of today's hurricanes could prove devastating for individuals and homes that aren't prepared. In particular, the coastal flooding associated with many hurricanes in the Southern U.S. has a history of endangering lives, buildings, and ecosystems. Led by environmental engineering Ph.D. candidate Samuel Daramola, the researchers used a "transfer learning" technique to quickly and accurately make predictions with LSTM-SAM. While conventional storm prediction models rely on large bodies of weather and ocean data that are inefficient and expensive to assemble, LSTM-SAM estimates flood levels based on broader flood patterns recorded in the past. One unique appeal of LSTM-SAM, per news, is the fact that accurate, high-efficiency storm predictions no longer need to be limited geographically to regions that have access to powerful data-processing facilities. Since LSTM-SAM bases its predictions on storm-flood patterns as a whole, the technology isn't locale-specific and can be applied to regions with minimal prior storm data. "Other studies have relied on repetitive patterns in the training data," Daramola told "Our approach is different. We highlight extreme changes in water levels during training, which helps the model better recognize important patterns and perform more reliably in those areas." More Atlantic hurricanes than ever are making landfall, which means the devastation wreaked by these storms cannot be understated. In fact, according to a 2023 report by the Front Page, rainfall flooding was responsible for more than half of the casualties caused by tropical cyclones. "The need for reliable flood prediction frameworks is of paramount importance," continued. "Advanced deep learning tools like LSTM-SAM could become essential in helping coastal communities prepare for the new normal, opening the door to smarter, faster, and more accessible flood predictions associated with tropical cyclones." While we can't prevent hurricanes altogether, cutting-edge predictive innovations can help minimize the safety risks and allow residents time to plan for an evacuation. Meanwhile, since planet-warming carbon pollution considerably supercharges seasonal storms, we can take small steps to reduce our unfriendly contributions, such as installing home solar panels, repurposing household waste, and switching to an electric vehicle. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Scottish Sun
02-06-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Scientists ‘disprove' one of Jesus Christ's best-known miracles as study claims it was just ‘a natural phenomenon'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TEAM of scientists claims to have debunked one of Jesus Christ's most famous miracles — saying the Son of God may not have fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish after all. Instead, researchers believe it could have been a freak natural event in Israel's Lake Kinneret — known in the Bible as the Sea of Galilee — that brought a massive haul of fish to the surface for easy collection. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Ghent – Crucifixion paint on the wood from side altar in underground chapel of st. Baaf's Cathedral from 16. cent. on June 23, 2012 in Gent, Belgium. Credit: Getty 4 A vintage illustration of Jesus Christ, published in Germany, circa 1900. (Photo) Credit: Getty - Contributor The story of the 'Feeding of the 5,000' is told in all four Gospels, where Jesus is said to have blessed a small amount of food and miraculously distributed it to feed a vast crowd. But in a 2024 study published in Water Resources Research, scientists monitored oxygen levels, water temperature, and wind speed across Lake Kinneret — and say they discovered evidence of sudden mass fish die-offs caused by unusual weather patterns. Strong winds sweeping across the lake, they say, can churn the water and cause an 'upwelling' of cold, low-oxygen water from the bottom, which kills fish and sends them floating to the surface. According to the researchers, to anyone watching from the shore, it would look like fish were suddenly appearing by the thousands — creating the illusion of a miracle and allowing them to 'be easily collected by a hungry populace'. The team believes this could explain the Gospel passage where Jesus tells his disciples — after a fruitless night of fishing — to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, suddenly hauling in a bounty. However, Biblical scholars aren't buying it. Critics slammed the theory for missing the point entirely, pointing out that no fish were caught during the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The article on hit back, saying: 'Jesus simply took the five loaves and two fish, thanked God, broke the loaves, handed everything to his disciples, and the disciples handed the food out. No fish were caught!' According to Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus 'saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.' Brit shares 'proof' he's found Jesus's TOMB & Ark of the Covenant in cave When his disciples told him to send the people away to find food, he replied: 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat.' After blessing the five loaves and two fish, the Bible says: 'they all ate and were satisfied. 'And they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.' Despite the backlash, the researchers argue that understanding how fish may have mysteriously appeared in huge quantities doesn't take away from the spiritual message of the event — which many see as symbolic of generosity and faith. Still, religious sceptics say the study adds weight to theories that Jesus' wonders may have had natural explanations — while believers insist some things just can't be explained away by science. It comes after a stunning AI-generated video claims to reveal the true face of Jesus Christ — using images based on the mysterious Turin Shroud. Believers say the Shroud of Turin was the burial cloth wrapped around Jesus after his crucifixion. 4 AI has created a video of Jesus Christ by feeding it the Turin Shroud Credit: X 4 Christ can be seen smiling, blinking and praying in the video Credit: X Now, photos of the ancient linen have been processed through Midjourney, an AI image generator, to create a realistic image and video of Christ. The video shows Jesus blinking, smiling, and praying — potentially as he did before his crucifixion around 33AD. He appears with shoulder-length brown hair, a beard, brown eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. His skin tone is pale, which has sparked debate among academics and online. Last year, The Sun also used AI to recreate the Son of God's appearance. The Gencraft tool was fed the prompt 'face of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin' and returned images of a man with hazel eyes, a gentle expression, a neat beard, clean eyebrows, and long brown hair. Under his weary eyes, signs of exhaustion were visible. Many researchers agree that the man wrapped in the Shroud appeared to be between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with sunken eyes and a full beard. The markings on the cloth also show what some believe to be crucifixion wounds — including injuries to the head, shoulders, arms, and back, consistent with a thorn crown and Roman whips. The Bible recounts that Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers, crowned with thorns, and forced to carry his cross before dying in agony.
The Irish Sun
02-06-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Scientists ‘disprove' one of Jesus Christ's best-known miracles as study claims it was just ‘a natural phenomenon'
A TEAM of scientists claims to have debunked one of Jesus Christ's most famous miracles — saying the Son of God may not have fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish after all. Instead, researchers believe it could have been a freak natural event in Israel's Lake Kinneret — known in the Bible as the Sea of Galilee — that brought a massive haul of fish to the surface for easy collection. 4 Ghent – Crucifixion paint on the wood from side altar in underground chapel of st. Baaf's Cathedral from 16. cent. on June 23, 2012 in Gent, Belgium. Credit: Getty 4 A vintage illustration of Jesus Christ, published in Germany, circa 1900. (Photo) Credit: Getty - Contributor The story of the 'Feeding of the 5,000' is told in all four Gospels, where Jesus is said to have blessed a small amount of food and miraculously distributed it to feed a vast crowd. But in a 2024 study published in Water Resources Research, scientists monitored oxygen levels, water temperature, and wind speed across Lake Kinneret — and say they discovered evidence of sudden mass fish die-offs caused by unusual weather patterns. Strong winds sweeping across the lake, they say, can churn the water and cause an 'upwelling' of cold, low-oxygen water from the bottom, which kills fish and sends them floating to the surface. According to the researchers, to anyone watching from the shore, it would look like fish were suddenly appearing by the thousands — creating the illusion of a miracle and allowing them to 'be easily collected by a hungry populace'. Read more on religion The team believes this could explain the Gospel passage where Jesus tells his disciples — after a fruitless night of fishing — to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, suddenly hauling in a bounty. However, Biblical scholars aren't buying it. Critics slammed the theory for missing the point entirely, pointing out that no fish were caught during the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The article on hit back, saying: 'Jesus simply took the five loaves and two fish, thanked God, broke the loaves, handed everything to his disciples, and the disciples handed the food out. No fish were caught!' Most read in Tech According to Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus 'saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.' Brit shares 'proof' he's found Jesus's TOMB & Ark of the Covenant in cave When his disciples told him to send the people away to find food, he replied: 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat.' After blessing the five loaves and two fish, the Bible says: 'they all ate and were satisfied. 'And they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.' Despite the backlash, the researchers argue that understanding how fish may have mysteriously appeared in huge quantities doesn't take away from the spiritual message of the event — which many see as symbolic of generosity and faith. Still, religious sceptics say the study adds weight to theories that Jesus' wonders may have had natural explanations — while believers insist some things just can't be explained away by science. It comes after a Believers say the Shroud of Turin was the burial cloth wrapped around Jesus after his crucifixion. 4 AI has created a video of Jesus Christ by feeding it the Turin Shroud Credit: X 4 Christ can be seen smiling, blinking and praying in the video Credit: X Now, photos of the ancient linen have been processed through Midjourney, an AI image generator, to create a realistic image and video of Christ. The video shows Jesus blinking, smiling, and praying — potentially as he did before his crucifixion around 33AD. He appears with shoulder-length brown hair, a beard, brown eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. His skin tone is pale, which has sparked debate among academics and online. Last year, The Gencraft tool was fed the prompt 'face of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin' and returned images of a man with hazel eyes, a gentle expression, a neat beard, clean eyebrows, and long brown hair. Under his weary eyes, signs of exhaustion were visible. Many researchers agree that the man wrapped in the Shroud appeared to be between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with sunken eyes and a full beard. The markings on the cloth also show what some believe to be crucifixion wounds — including injuries to the head, shoulders, arms, and back, consistent with a thorn crown and Roman whips. The Bible recounts that Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers, crowned with thorns, and forced to carry his cross before dying in agony.
