A new species of giant deep-sea isopod has been identified in the Bahamas after researchers with OceanX deployed traps on the seabed. A cousin of the much beloved terrestrial roly-poly pill bugs‚ they serve a similar ecological role in the nutrient cycle‚ making them a vital part of the ecosystem.These alien-like critters have see-through bodies and big buggy eyes that help them search for prey in the gloomy depths. If you’re wondering what a roly-poly on steroids eats 600 meters (1‚969 feet) below the sea‚ they’re partial to sea cucumbers‚ sponges‚ and nematodes‚ but will also scavenge any morsels that rain down from above.The new species was discovered during a 2019 mission led by OceanX and the Cape Eleuthera Institute that deployed baited eel traps and light traps in the Exuma Sound at depths between 540 and 656 meters (1‚172 and 2‚152 feet). At sizes between 4 and 6 centimeters (1.5 and 2.4 inches)‚ they’re described as large compared to other species in their genera‚ most of which are less than 3 centimeters (1.2 inches).It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.Images courtesy of OceanXThe chonky boi has been named Booralana nickorum‚ named after two family members of study senior author Edward Brooks. It joins two other species from the marine Cirolanidae to be discovered in the Caribbean region since 2010: Bathynomus maxeyorum and Bathynomus yucatanensis.Its segmented body is protected by a hardened exoskeleton which is white at a push‚ but nearing translucent. There’s no need for flashy coloration when you live in a habitat that’s almost completely devoid of light.You can see its guts and things‚" study co-author Nicholas Higgs told Live Science. According to Higgs‚ who is director of research and innovation at the Cape Eleuthera Institute‚ it was clear to the team that the new species was “definitely different from anything we've seen before" when they first observed it onboard the research vessel.The isopod’s discovery comes as part of an OceanX mission that was focused on identifying both deep-sea and mid-water species‚ testing 3D models of little-known organisms‚ investigating the expansion and feeding state of sargassum falls (seaweed on the ocean floor)‚ and satellite tagging bluntnose six-gill sharks at depth. And if you get a new-to-science species of giant see-through isopod to boot? As they say‚ there are many benefits to being a marine biologist.The study is published in Zootaxa.

Baleen whales have paired blowholes‚ while toothed whales have just one. This has led scientists to suspect that baleen whales‚ like humans and many land creatures‚ can use subtle differences in the strength of a scent to detect the direction it’s coming from. It’s not an easy hypothesis to test‚ however‚ given that the largest creatures on Earth don’t make great lab animals. A study reveals some baleen whales are more suited to stereo sniffing than others‚ offering a path for further investigation.Whales and dolphins have paired nasal passages‚ but these come together as a single blowhole in species such as orcas and dolphins. When you’ve got sonar‚ presumably a hint of directional smelling capacity just isn’t that useful for detecting large prey.Things are different for baleen whales‚ which feed on vast quantities of krill and other small prey. They require enormous quantities of food to maintain their vast body size‚ which requires finding their prey first. The water is wide‚ and random hunting seldom works.When small animals known as zooplankton feed on the photosynthesizing organisms at the base of the ocean food chain‚ the phytoplankton release the gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Perhaps this is their way of calling for help‚ because sea birds are known to detect DMS to find food‚ sometimes from more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) away with a favorable wind.Scientists have speculated that baleen whales may also use DMS to home in on food‚ since their diet is also attracted to phytoplankton. To do so‚ however‚ they would need to come to the surface‚ and be able to detect the direction from which the DMS comes. Attempts to test this have provided some support but have ultimately proven inconclusive.Conor Ryan of the Scottish Association for Marine Science and colleagues reasoned that the separation of the two blowholes‚ known as nares‚ in different baleen whales might provide a clue. Widely separated eyes and ears provide better depth perception and directional hearing. Likewise‚ the larger the gap between nares‚ the better an animal can tell where a smell comes from. They also reasoned that whales that feed on surface zooplankton would benefit more from such capabilities than those baleen whales such as humpbacks that feed further up the food chain on small fish‚ or dive deep for their prey like gray whales.Another effect of the separation between nares is the wings of spray produced when the whale blows through them.Image credit: John Durban and Holly Fearnbach. Authorized by permit # 17355 from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries ServiceRather than trying to lure whales in a particular direction through the release of DMS‚ as others have done‚ the team filmed 14 whale species at sea to measure the relationship between nare separation and preferred prey.The findings match their expectations. The closer the prey to the phytoplankton level in the food chain‚ the wider the whale’s nare-gap‚ relative to its body width. To confirm the stereo-smell hypothesis the authors propose future studies focus on whales that rely most on plankton for prey.The study authors note this does not prove whales use DMS specifically to find patches of krill‚ but it does suggest that those that hunt closer to the bottom of the food chain use smell of some sort.There’s more practical significance to the work than might first meet the eye (or nose). Just as our sounds are interfering with whales’ capacity to communicate‚ human-produced smells are making the ocean a more confusing place. Growth colonies on floating plastic produce DMS‚ and if this really is what whales are using to hunt‚ they’re probably at more risk of ingesting fatal quantities of plastic. It’s s already thought this is a factor in seabirds’ plastic consumption.The study is published in Biology Letters.

A tortoise in Brazil has received a new lease of life thanks to a one-of-a-kind 3D-printed prosthesis. Filó the 25-year-old Chelonoidis carbonarius – or jabuti‚ as the species is known locally – had been left unable to walk following surgery to correct a severe reproductive condition‚ yet now zips around on wheels.Veterinary doctor Giuliano Setem told IFLScience that he had “never had a [tortoise] patient with such a bad injury” prior to encountering Filó. Weighing 20 kilograms (44 pounds)‚ the reptile was placed in Dr Setem’s care after developing complications from an operation to treat egg retention.This occurs when poor diet‚ lack of sunlight‚ or other lifestyle factors disrupt a tortoise's ability to produce calcium. This‚ in turn‚ results in weak-shelled or misformed eggs that break inside the animal’s reproductive system‚ releasing their contents and creating the ideal conditions for bacterial infection.When egg retention is diagnosed‚ vets usually carry out a routine operation to remove the eggs along with the entire reproductive system. Unfortunately for Filó‚ her surgery was conducted by a veterinarian who was not a reptile specialist.After the operation‚ the tortoise suffered necrosis of the plastron bone‚ which forms the bottom of the shell and protects the abdomen. Part of the plastron then broke off‚ exposing the coelomic membrane.   “In addition to the loss of a portion of her shell‚ Filó has also developed paresis [partial paralysis] of the pelvic limbs‚ which has become more critical in recent months‚” explained Dr Setem. “This makes it difficult for her to move around and obtain food‚ and she frequently becomes soiled.”It’s currently unclear if the hind leg mobility problem was caused by nerve compression due to egg retention or “some carelessness by the surgeon during the procedure”. Regardless of the cause‚ Dr Setem knew that he would have to think outside the box to find a solution‚ and called upon the services of 3D designer Cícero Moraes.A CT scan of Filó's injury.Image courtesy of Giuliano Setem/Cícero MoraesHaving previously created the world’s first 3D-printed tortoise shell‚ Moraes studied computerized tomography (CT) scans of Filó’s injury before designing a prosthetic that both protects the wounded region and enhances the tortoise’s mobility. Describing the contraption to IFLScience‚ Moraes explained that “it is a base that attaches‚ in a non-retentive way‚ to the defect caused by the surgical procedure‚ in order to protect the region from external elements‚ [and] at the same time four structures [that] come out‚ each with a wheel rotating‚ which allows Filó to walk without putting all her weight on [her] paws.” As can be seen in the above video‚ Filó has been testing the limits of the device‚ which stands up well to everything she throws at it.

When I’m interviewed about liberal tilt in the media‚ I’m usually pretty confident. But I can still be rattled for a moment when someone breaks out the silly old Eric Alterman argument – his book in 2003 was titled “What Liberal Media?” When I appeared on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal‚” host Kimberly Adams read a passage to me from Eric Levitz at Vox.com. It hummed with that addled Alterman vibe: “Trump has a much better apparatus for maintaining the approval and enthusiasm of his party’s voters‚ and for seeding politically favorable narratives‚ than Biden does.” The subhead plainly claimed: “The US media landscape is tilted against Biden.” In this alternative universe‚ “Fox News is more consistently propagandistic than MSNBC and boasts a 42 percent larger viewership. Right-wing talk radio dwarfs the influence of progressive alternatives.” The idea that Fox is more “propagandistic” than MSNBC is mere opinion. But the idea that Trump has a larger messaging machine ignores the overwhelming power of the “legacy media‚” the big brands. The evening newscasts of ABC‚ CBS‚ and NBC far outnumber Fox. In one weekly ratings period in January‚ ABC had 8.77 million viewers‚ NBC 7.34 million‚ and CBS 5.44 million. That’s about 21.5 million combined. The average primetime ratings number for Fox is 1.8 million. Their last Trump town-hall program with Sean Hannity gathered 3.2 million viewers. As for the idea that conservative talk radio “dwarfs the influence of progressive alternatives‚” that completely ignores National Public Radio‚ whose programming is distributed to more than 1‚000 public radio stations across America. Their marketing website proclaims they have the number-one and number-two “drive time news/talk radio programs in America.” They claim a weekly audience of 44 million‚ and argue “84 percent of NPR listeners take action in response to something heard on NPR.” But C-SPAN viewers didn’t hear the most hilarious Eric Levitz passages. He insists “there is a fundamental asymmetry in the media diets of Democrats and Republicans. The former tend to trust‚ and seek out information from‚ formally independent and nonpartisan news outlets‚ while the latter almost exclusively trust conservative opinion journalism such as that produced by Fox News and right-wing talk radio.” This is the lamest dodge imaginable. “Our” outlets are “formally independent and nonpartisan‚” which is about as persuasive as “Bill Clinton was formally monogamous.” Anyone who thinks MSNBC viewers want “formally independent TV” hasn’t noticed how they bellyache on social media when they let Republicans appear‚ or a host like Andrea Mitchell is deemed as insufficiently hyperpartisan. Then there’s this gem: “And although the [New York] Times and [Washington] Post might subject Trump to withering scrutiny‚ they feel no obligation to boost Democrats’ political fortunes.” Stop‚ we all need to breathe between laughing fits! Anyone who’s recently become familiar with the argumentation of Eric Levitz might start with his unintentionally humorous discourse on how people may have found headless babies after Hamas terrorists rampaged through Israel last October 7‚ but “the report established that babies were found headless‚ a fact that lends plausibility to claims of beheading‚ but which does not prove them.” The “progressives” at Vox may envy Fox‚ and they may try to blame Biden’s cratering approval ratings on insufficient levels of propaganda from the “nonpartisan” media outlets they prefer. But it’s ridiculous to argue Donald Trump is receiving more positive and promotional press treatment than Biden in 2024.

If there's one thing I've secretly always wanted‚ it's a samurai Warframe. In a game renowned for fast-paced action and cutting-edge style (pun entirely intended)‚ the samurai archetype fits like a glove - especially because the game's poster child‚ Excalibur‚ is indeed a sword user. However‚ it looks like a Japanese-inspired Warframe isn't in the works at the moment‚ but a few others are. Continue reading Warframe isn’t getting a samurai frame‚ yet MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Warframe on Steam Deck‚ Warframe builds‚ Warframe system requirements

It's looking like we could soon be getting a lower-spec variant of the RTX 3050‚ with a new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB version having appeared briefly on an Austrian online retailer. With slightly reduced specs across the board‚ the card will offer even lower performance than the current 8GB model but also comes with a 46% lower TDP of just 70W. The new Nvidia contender for a best-budget place on our best graphics card list has been rumored for a few months‚ with us first reporting on it three months ago then again fresh rumors appeared a month ago. However‚ this is the first time we've seen suggestions the card is out in the wild‚ imminently ready for sale. Continue reading New Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 variant appears with 46% less power usage MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review‚ DLSS explained‚ Best graphics cards

Following confirmation of the MSI Claw prices and launch model specs‚ we now know it will beat the Steam Deck in one crucial area. All Steam Deck models can currently connect to an external VRR (variable refresh rate) display‚ but the native display does not feature it. Thanks to confirmation from MSI‚ we know that all Claw A1M models will feature VRR. The Steam Deck OLED may be the best handheld gaming PC‚ but that doesn't mean it's perfect. Only the ROG Ally currently has a VRR display amongst the big three handhelds‚ as the Legion Go doesn't include it. The MSI Claw‚ though‚ is set to launch with the feature‚ although that date is still unknown. Continue reading MSI Claw to beat the Steam Deck in one crucial area MORE FROM PCGAMESN: MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC review‚ MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X Trio review‚ Best gaming motherboard

Faster Than Light is the game that made stress‚ pressure‚ and the imminence of total annihilation feel like fun. Before Bethesda’s space opera Starfield‚ or beloved roguelikes such as Hades and Dead Cells‚ FTL propelled us into the deepest recesses of the cosmos and left us to fend for ourselves. Engines malfunctioned. Airlocks were breached. Entire crews were unceremoniously ejected into the vacuum of the universe. But after enough playthroughs and some hard-learned lessons‚ Faster Than Light transcended its sharp learning curve to become one of the richest and most rewarding games of 2012. Now more than a decade old‚ FTL remains one of the best in the roguelike genre‚ and it’s got a gigantic unofficial expansion - enough to fill a fan-made sequel - available right now. Continue reading 12 years later‚ classic roguelike FTL has a huge unofficial expansion MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelikes‚ Best space games‚ Best strategy games

Following a datamine that hinted that the currently unobtainable Kor'Kron War Wolf had been assigned Trader's Tender‚ in turn meaning it could be added to a future World of Warcraft Trading Post‚ Blizzard has confirmed that all high-tier mounts and rewards will not be added to the rotating store. Continue reading Worrying WoW mount rumor finally addressed by Blizzard MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW Dragonflight tier list‚ The best WoW addons‚ WoW Dragonflight review