Latest news with #ancestors
CTV News
6 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Nearly 3,000-year-old Mayan complex discovered, featuring pyramids and canals
This photo released by the Guatemalan government shows two anthropomorphic sculptures that "represent an ancestral couple." (Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports via CNN Newsource) Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a nearly 3,000-year-old Mayan complex in Guatemala, revealing sanctuaries, pyramids and a unique canal system that could shed further light on the ancient civilization, the country's culture minister said Thursday. The complex was discovered across three sites — Los Abuelos, Petnal and Cambrayal — near the significant Mayan site of Uaxactún in the Petén region of northern Guatemala, the ministry said in a statement. The Mayan civilization arose around 2,000 BC and reached its height between 400 and 900 AD, predominantly in modern-day Mexico and Guatemala. During its height, people built temples, roads, pyramids and other monuments, and developed complex systems of writing, mathematics and astronomy. Los Abuelos, which means 'The Grandparents' in Spanish, lies around 13 miles (21 kilometers) from Uaxactún and gets its name from two human-like rock figures found at the site, believed to represent an 'ancestral couple,' the ministry said. These figures, along with several sacred sanctuaries, suggest it was an important site for Mayan rituals, said Luis Rodrigo Carrillo, Guatemala's vice minister of culture and sports, in a press briefing announcing the findings. 'Located here is one of the most important ritual centers in the region, with notable sanctuaries, helping to reassess our understanding of Mayan history,' the ministry said in a video announcing the discovery. East of Los Abuelos lies Petnal, which features a 33-metre-high (108-foot) pyramid. At its peak are two preserved rooms adorned with murals depicting various symbolic representations, Carrillo said. In Cambrayal, around three miles (4.8 kilometres) from Los Abuelos, scientists also identified 'unique' water canals inside a palace, marking a notable discovery, the ministry said. Nearly 3,000-year-old Mayan complex discovered The complex was discovered in northern Guatemala. (Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports via CNN Newsource) 'These sites form a previously unknown urban triangle whose existence we were unaware of until now… These new archeological discoveries constitute a testament of Mayan culture's greatness, which today we are making known to the whole world,' the ministry said. The discoveries were made by Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists, alongside international experts, as part of the Uaxactún Regional Archaeological Project (PARU) and with backing from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, officials said. While rare, discoveries of new Mayan sites still occasionally happen, thanks to new research and technological improvements. In April, archaeologists uncovered a mysterious 1,700-year-old altar containing human remains in the nearby ancient city of Tikal, approximately 23 kilometres (14 miles) south of Uaxactún. Although discovered in a ruined Mayan city, archaeologists believe it wasn't decorated by Mayans, but was instead the work of artists trained hundreds of miles away in Teotihuacan. Scientists in recent years have also detected new sites using laser mapping technology, revealing the interconnectivity of Mayan cities, towns and villages. By Alysha Bibi and Diego Mendoza, CNN
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Disturbing truth behind levitating manholes in US state fueling fears of impending catastrophe
A video has taken the internet by storm, showing manhole covers lifting off the ground during heavy rains that have reignited fears of an impending storm. The clip, which is going viral on X, claims water has been rushing beneath New Orleans streets, pushing manhole covers several inches into the air across multiple neighborhoods. It has sparked fears among Louisiana locals, as the scene reminds them of Hurricane Katrina when manhole covers reportedly floated due to catastrophic flooding that killed nearly 1,400 people and destroyed around 300,000 homes. While video has been viewed more than six millions times on X, users have questioned its authenticity and claims that levitating manholes predict incoming storms. However, manhole covers can be displaced during heavy rainfall due to hydraulic pressure buildup in the sewer or drainage system. The city has been inundated with rain over the past week, receiving more than two inches just last night. Manhole covers, though heavy, is typically not bolted down and can be lifted by the force of rising water. 🔥🚨BREAKING: New Orleans Louisiana residents are claiming that a massive storm similar to Katrina could be approaching their city this year after manholes began levitating. New Orleans natives claim that 'this is a sign from the ancestors' and that this same phenomenon was… — Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) May 23, 2025 A manhole cover rises several inches as water gushes from below in New Orleans. The incident is among several caught on viral TikTok and X videos, raising concerns about underground pressure and city infrastructure Much of New Orleans sits below sea level, making its drainage system heavily reliant on pumps to remove rainwater. When those pumps can't keep up, water backs up, causing street flooding and, in severe cases, forcing manhole covers to pop off. In New Orleans, where folklore and spiritual traditions run deep, some residents see the manhole covers as more than just mechanical failures. 'In our culture, we believe nature gives us signs,' said Marie Johnson, a longtime resident, in an interview with the online magazine HypeFresh. 'These videos remind me of stories my grandparents used to tell.' However, levitating manholes are not rare in New Orleans. 'I live in New Orleans and work downtown — they do this with every heavy rain,' one user posted on X. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans on August 29, 2005, causing $125 billion in damages. More than 50 breaches in the city's levee system led to flooding that submerged 80 percent of the city. The city's Sewerage and Water Board operates a complex system designed to manage heavy rainfall. However, as climate change brings more frequent and intense storms, the infrastructure faces mounting pressure. In response to past failures, the US Army Corps of Engineers invested $14.5 billion to upgrade the city's flood protection system, which is designed to withstand a so-called 100-year flood event. Yet concerns remain about its long-term resilience, especially as weather patterns become more extreme and unpredictable. Recent studies show parts of New Orleans are sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 millimeters per year, further increasing flood risk. This land subsidence, combined with sea-level rise, threatens to erode the city's defenses over time. Officials have increased preparedness efforts. With no current hurricane threats, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is taking proactive measures to prepare for heavy rain. Crews have begun lowering canal levels citywide to increase stormwater storage. Drainage teams are closely monitoring capacity and working to reduce the risk of flooding. Currently, 88 of the city's 93 drainage pumps are operational. The system can manage about one inch of rain in the first hour and half an inch each hour thereafter. If rainfall exceeds those rates, officials warn that temporary street flooding is likely. NOAA's 2025 Atlantic hurricane season outlook predicts a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season, with 13 to 19 named storms expected, including 6 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes. The agency, which holds 70 percent confidence in these projections, credits advanced forecasting models and tracking systems for improved preparedness. 'Threats from hurricanes extend well beyond the coast,' said acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm. 'As we saw last year with Hurricanes Helene and Debby, inland flooding can be just as dangerous. Early, accurate forecasts save lives.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
From Leaping Leo to the Big Dipper: Here's how to see the bright stars of spring rising in the east this season
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The constellations march ever westward from month to month, with old ones disappearing into the sunset as new ones rise in the east. This is because the stars run like clockwork on a specific schedule. Thanks to the fact that our Earth rotates on its axis once every 23 hours and 56 minutes, a star — any star — rises and sets four minutes earlier every day than it did the day before. This motion means that any given array of constellations will appear in the same location of the sky two hours earlier each month. So, the celestial scene you witnessed by staying up until 11 p.m. in mid-April is already there at dusk in mid-May. At this time of year, as the last of the bright patterns of winter decline in the west, the milder stars of spring have ascended to dominate our southern and eastern skies. For those of us living in the cities, surrounded by smoke and haze and bright lights, it becomes easy to overlook the beauty of the night. For seldom do we travel out into the country, far from the lights of humanity to enjoy this grandeur. Our distant ancestors, however, had no such concerns; they could see the sky at night perfectly from wherever they were. Their imaginations were not weakened by pictures in newspapers and magazines, movies or television. The night sky provided their sole entertainment, and they weaved stories filled with imagination, using patterns of stars for illustration. These patterns — the constellations — are the legacy of their imagination; the constellations that we know have their origins in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, thanks to the ancient Greeks and Romans. These constellations (plus some modern ones) are now accepted everywhere in the West. But what about traditional cultures in the rest of the world? Interestingly, the night sky contains a number of star patterns so striking that almost every culture in the world has recognized them. Several of them occupy our current spring sky. Probably the most famous is positioned almost directly over our heads this week as darkness falls: the Big Dipper. Officially, the Dipper is not a full-fledged constellation, but an asterism — just a part of the constellation known as Ursa Major, the Great Bear. And indeed, Ursa Major is a big bear. Along with the seven stars that compose the Big Dipper, its surrounding stars sprawl across a whole quadrant of the sky. In area it's the third biggest constellation, behind Hydra the Water Snake and Virgo the Maiden. Interestingly, the ancient Greeks associated the seven stars of the Big Dipper with a bear long before they added the surrounding stars to complete the picture of a ferocious animal with a head and paws some two millennia ago. But what made the Greeks think of a bear? The Dipper's handle must be the bear's long tail, yet bears possess short, stubby tails. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: See the night sky up close with the Celestron NexStar 4SE, an ideal telescope for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) believed that the bear was the only animal that could survive in the frigid north — indeed, our word "arctic" is derived from arctos, which is Greek for "bear." By this logic, only a bear could inhabit the northern sky. We can use the Big Dipper to find other familiar stars and constellations currently adorning our springtime sky. The two stars forming the outer end of the Dipper's bowl, are known as the "pointer" stars and currently point straight down toward Polaris, the North Star, which is due north. The aim isn't perfect but close enough. Polaris marks the end of the tail of Ursa Minor the Little Bear, or the handle of the Little Dipper, whose stars are quite faint, except the North Star and the two in the front of its bowl; these have been called the "Guardians" because they seem to march endlessly, like sentries circling the pole. At New York's Hayden Planetarium, we would ask our audiences to imagine that the bowl of the Dipper was filled with water. "Now, imagine if we poked a hole in the bottom of the bowl and let the water spill out. Who would get wet?" With our electric pointer, we'd then follow the imaginary flow of water down to a pattern of stars composed of a triangle and a backward question mark shape that's about 1½ fist-widths at arm's length tall. This is the "Sickle" that marks the head and mane of Leo the Lion. The Sickle is a landmark of the spring skies; it's composed of six stars, the brightest of these is Regulus, a blue-white first magnitude star, 79 light years away which marks the base of the Sickle. The pointer stars of the Big Dipper point in one direction to the North Star; in the other direction to the triangle that makes up the lion's hind quarters and tail. Going back to the Big Dipper, if we follow the curve of the Dipper's handle past its end star for about 30 degrees ("three fists"), you'll come to a brilliant star — in rank, the fourth brightest in the sky — which shines with a distinct orange hue known as Arcturus, in Boötes the Herdsman. The other stars of Boötes are much fainter, of third and fourth magnitude. Most of them form a kite-shaped figure extending close to the Dipper's handle, although my personal preference is to visualize Boötes as an ice cream cone. Arcturus (at a magnitude of -0.05), one of the few stars mentioned by name in the Bible, is a giant, about 25 times the diameter of our sun and 36.7 light years away. Boötes is chasing the Bears with a pair of Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), which makes a small constellation between Arcturus and the Dipper's bowl. If we continue to follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle past Arcturus, we eventually will "speed to Spica," the brightest star of Virgo the Maiden. Spica is a blue-white first magnitude star 250 light-years away. The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States; it is interesting to note that the light from Spica that started on its journey toward Earth at the time that the Declaration of Independence was ratified in 1776, will finally arrive next year. More night sky: — Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening's sky — Night sky, May 2025: What you can see tonight [maps] — Best stargazing apps 2025: AR apps and virtual star maps to help you navigate the night sky Just to the right of Spica, the most striking star pattern in the spring skies next to Leo's Sickle is a little four-sided figure of fairly bright stars, resembling a triangle whose top has been removed by a slanting cut. Like most of the constellations it bears little resemblance to the object it is supposed to represent: Corvus the Crow. Just follow the direction of its slanting top toward the left (east) and you will soon comet to Spica. In the old allegorical star atlases, Virgo is holding a spike of wheat where Spica glows, evidently representing the harvest time which occurs in mid-October when the sun is passing that bright star. And apparently, Corvus is lying in wait to snatch the wheat from out of Virgo's hand! At least that's the story. At this time of the year, eleven first magnitude stars are in the sky simultaneously as the sky darkens. Brilliant Sirius, a winter luminary and the brightest of all the stars, is disappearing in the west-southwest, while Deneb, a star of the summer season, is just beginning to peek above the north-northeast horizon. And our spring evening sky is also augmented with two bright planets. Low in the west-northwest is brilliant Jupiter, which will remain in view for another few weeks before it vanishes into the bright evening twilight. And much higher in the southwest sky glows Mars. Currently located against the dim stars of Cancer, on June 17 — just a few days shy of the official end of spring — it will call attention to itself in the west after dusk by forming a striking "double star" with Regulus. The planet will be just a trifle dimmer than the star but their proximity intensifies the orange-yellow of Mars and the blue-white of Regulus. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
Oldest footprints of first ‘reptile' found by fossil hunters
More than 300 million years ago, long before the age of dinosaurs, there lived a four-legged, clawed creature that had evolved to survive and reproduce entirely on land, away from the shark-swarmed seas where its ancestors first appeared. It could lay eggs on land, unlike amphibians. The creature was part of a large group known as 'amniotes.'
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Aussie actress Claudia Karvan breaks down over ‘tragic' revelations
Claudia Karvan didn't have high hopes when she agreed to appear on SBS' genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? She might be one of Australia's best-loved actors, but Karvan confessed she was worried it might present an acting challenge beyond even her: Pretending to be fascinated by the show's findings about her family history. Karvan says at the top of her episode, which airs this Tuesday on SBS, that she doesn't expect to feel much of a connection to her deceased ancestors during this fact-finding mission. She's soon proven wrong, though, and at one point even breaks down on camera as a tragic family secret is uncovered. 'My biggest fear was I thought I'd be bored and that I would have to act like I was interested in all these foreign names and pieces of archival footage and documents,' Karvan told ahead of her episode airing. 'But that was completely reversed: I was engaged, and I loved being out of control. I loved been taken on this mystery trip.' Karvan's dive into her family's past takes her to the UK and Cyprus, where she's visibly moved by the suffering her ancestors endured, from a great-grandmother who grew up 'loveless' in an orphanage with a death rate so high it had its own morgue to a great-grandfather who survived World War I despite having one of the most dangerous occupations imaginable: A balloon operator or 'balloonatic', responsible for surveying the land from on high (while being a sitting duck for any enemy snipers). But Karvan doesn't agree when I suggest her ancestors' lives – indeed much of human history – seems rather grim. 'My takeaway wasn't that their lives were grim – it was how resilient they all were. That's what blew me away. I learned a lot about resilience and how constructive and industrious my ancestors were. I couldn't have prepared myself for that,' she said. Nor could she have prepared herself for one heartbreaking revelation during the episode. A historian hands Karvan the death certificate for one of her war hero ancestors, and she immediately breaks down as she learns that he survived the war only to later die by suicide. Karvan said filming that particular scene was 'pretty full-on.' Her own late father would've been eight or nine when that tragic suicide rocked the family, and yet it was information that was never passed down to her. But there were happier discoveries too, as Karvan identified a theme with many of the women in her families that she could trace to her mother and herself: Strong, independent women who followed their passions, regardless of whether that was what society expected of them at the time. 'I think I imagined that a lot more of our lives were preordained by 'nurture,' but now I'm more in the camp where I feel what's reflected in my life is more 'nature'' Karvan says. 'It turns out I've inherited a lot, which I was surprised by.'
