This article first appeared in Issue 16 of our free digital magazine CURIOUS. Were you to stare into the eyes of a tiger‚ you might clock that it has round pupils – just like ours – moments before it severed your carotid. It could be assumed it’s a predatory adaptation‚ then‚ but look into the peepers of domestic cats and you’ll see they have vertical slits. What’s up with that?We interviewed principal investigator Marty Banks of the Banks’ Lab‚ UC Berkeley’s visual space perception laboratory‚ to find out more about how and why pupil shape varies among terrestrial animals. It turns out there are some general rules‚ but the mongoose has no time for them.How do pupils vary among animals?MB: We looked at terrestrial animals‚ and there are three prominent shapes. One is circular‚ another is a vertically elongated slit‚ and finally‚ the horizontally elongated pupil.Are they associated with certain lifestyles?MB: Absolutely. The horizontal pupil – with only one exception we could find – is associated with prey animals. It was very clear that these animals tend to almost always have eyes on the side of their head instead of frontal eyes like we do.How does that influence how they see the world?MB: The fact that their eyes are on the side of their head allows them to see almost 360 degrees around them. Something we can’t do‚ obviously. The elongated pupil benefits that panoramic vision by letting in more light‚ so the left eye can see behind the animal on the left‚ and the longer pupil allows more light to get into that direction so they can see better.Interestingly‚ the fact that the pupil is narrow vertically‚ has the effect of sharpening horizontal contours the animal might see. And they might well need that for placing their feet on the ground as they try to run away from a predator.Subscribe to our newsletter and get every issue of CURIOUS delivered to your inbox free each month.What about the vertical slit?MB: Many of those animals have frontal eyes‚ not eyes on the side of the head‚ and they are very likely to be predators – quite likely ambush predators. These are predators that don't run down their prey but rather wait and hide and then pounce when the prey comes close to them. The domestic cat is an example of that.We also found a correlation between the animal’s height and whether they had a vertical slit pupil or not. Taller animals in the predator family tend to have circular pupils‚ like the lion and the tiger. And shorter animals like the domestic cat tend to have vertically slit pupils. We did a complicated analysis to show that actually makes sense.We think these animals use blur as a cue to distance‚ helping them to judge the distance of the prey that they're going to pounce on. That cue is more useful if the eye is close to the ground‚ and less useful if the eyes are above the ground and the animal is larger.How does that work?MB: Any photographer knows this‚ if they want to take a picture with a sharp image at one distance and a blurry background‚ or a blurred foreground‚ they open the aperture of their camera. That provides a very useful cue that the blurry things are farther away than the sharp things in the foreground.Photographers do that with a circular aperture‚ these animals appear to do it through a vertical swing aperture. So‚ their vertically extended pupil is large‚ which creates a nice blur signal. The horizontal extend to the pupil is small‚ and our argument is that that's useful for another depth cue called stereo offsets.Are there animals that don’t fit the mold?MB: There’s one very clear exception for which we have no explanation: the mongoose. It’s a small carnivorous mammal that has eyes on the front of its head. So‚ you’d expect them to have either a vertical slit pupil or a round pupil‚ but they have horizontal pupils. That animal does not fit our account at all.CURIOUS magazine is a digital magazine from IFLScience featuring interviews‚ experts‚ deep dives‚ fun facts‚ news‚ book excerpts‚ and much more. Issue 19 is out now.

The search for life on Mars has been one of the most enduring and exciting quests of humanity. Ever since we first set our eyes on the Red Planet‚ we have wondered if it ever harbored life‚ and if so‚ what kind of life forms they were. One of the most promising places to look for signs of ancient life on Mars is Jezero crater‚ a 45-kilometer-wide depression that was once a lake billions of years ago. Scientists believe that this lake could have been a suitable environment for microbial life to flourish‚ and that some of these microbes could have left behind fossils in the rocks and sediments. That’s why NASA sent its Perseverance rover to Jezero crater in 2021‚ with the main goal of collecting and caching samples that could contain traces of past life. Perseverance has been busy exploring the crater‚ drilling into rocks‚ and storing the samples in sealed tubes. But how do we know that these samples are worth bringing back to Earth? How can we be sure that Jezero crater was indeed a habitable place in the past? Well‚ Perseverance has another tool to help answer these questions: a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) that can peer beneath the surface and reveal the hidden layers of history. The GPR works by sending out radio waves and measuring how they bounce back from different materials. By analyzing the reflections‚ scientists can create a map of the subsurface structure and composition. Recently‚ Perseverance used its GPR to scan a region of Jezero crater called “Citadelle”‚ where it had collected some of its samples. The results were stunning: the GPR detected multiple layers of sediment that indicated that Citadelle was once part of an ancient lakebed. This is a major discovery‚ as it confirms that Jezero crater was indeed filled with water in the past‚ and that the samples collected by Perseverance could potentially contain fossil evidence of ancient life. However‚ there is still a long way to go before we can verify this hypothesis. The samples collected by Perseverance are not enough to conclusively prove the existence of life on Mars. They need to be analyzed in more detail by sophisticated instruments on Earth. That’s why NASA and ESA are planning a daring and ambitious mission to bring the samples back home. This mission will involve several steps and spacecrafts‚ and will take several years to complete. The first step is to send ESA’s Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) to Jezero crater‚ which will carry a small rover called Fetch. Fetch will drive around the crater and collect the sample tubes left by Perseverance. It will then return them to the SRL‚ which will launch them into orbit. The second step is to send another spacecraft called the Earth-return orbiter (ERO)‚ which will rendezvous with the sample container in orbit and capture it. The ERO will then head back to Earth and release the container into the atmosphere‚ where it will land safely with a parachute. The final step is to retrieve the container and transport it to a secure laboratory‚ where scientists will carefully open it and examine the samples inside. This will be a historic moment‚ as it will mark the first time that we have brought back material from another planet. The analysis of the samples could take years or even decades‚ but it could also revolutionize our understanding of Mars and its history. It could reveal whether Mars ever had life‚ and if so‚ what kind of life forms they were. It could also shed light on how life originated and evolved in our solar system‚ and whether we are alone in the universe. The search for life on Mars is not over yet. It is only just beginning. The researchers published their findings Jan. 26 in the journal Science Advances. The post Perseverance rover may already have found signs of life on Mars appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Dog owners know this all too well: our furry friends always want to be part of the action. Whether you’re cooking dinner‚ lounging in front of the TV‚ or even in the bathroom‚ your loyal companion‚ Rex‚ is right there with you. Tail wagging‚ eyes bright with excitement‚ he’s always ready for whatever comes next.... The post Man leaves dog in car while in store and comes out to find pup making a very loud scene appeared first on Animal Channel.

Authorities handed down a lifetime ban to an Idaho high school wrestling coach for hitting an opposing wrestler during a match last weekend‚ the Idaho Statesman reported. But the circumstances are a bit unusual given that the coach's son was the other wrestler in the match‚ and the coach — Russell Brunson— said he was trying to protect his son from getting choked. What are the details? The Statesman said video of the incident shows Brunson — an assistant coach for Rocky Mountain High School — getting on the mat and hitting a freshman from Nyssa‚ Oregon‚ at least three times during the Jan. 20 Skyview Duals match in Nampa‚ Idaho. Officials had to stop the match to get Brunson off the mat‚ the paper said. Niki Scheppers‚ spokesperson for Idaho's West Ada School District‚ told the Statesman that Brunson wasn't ejected from the tournament. 'What would you if your kid was getting choked out?' Brunson penned a Jan. 22 letter to the District Three Board of Control‚ the local arm of the Idaho High School Activities Association‚ the Statesman said. Brunson said he thought his son was put into an illegal choke hold and feared he was about to pass out‚ the paper noted. “As a coach‚ the normal reaction would be to yell and point it out to the ref‚ but my reaction as a dad took it one step too far‚” Brunson wrote‚ according to the Statesman. “What would you do if your kid was getting choked out‚ just 2 feet in front of your face? If I had more time‚ I probably could have made a better decision. But it all happened‚ I panicked‚ and it was over in less than 3 seconds.” Scheppers told the paper that Brunson resigned Jan. 21 from his volunteer coaching position‚ and the board of control on Jan. 23 banned him from coaching any Idaho high school sport or activity for life. The board also barred Brunson from attending any state high school sporting event for the rest of this school year and the 2024-25 year‚ the Statesman reported. "The board felt the actions of coach Brunson were egregious and unacceptable‚” board president Craig Woods wrote in a letter Jan. 23 to Rocky Mountain‚ the paper said. “There is no place for this type of behavior in high school athletics‚ and it will not be tolerated.” Scheppers added to the Statesman that Brunson plans to appeal the ban on attending events. The paper said Brunson's son will finish his senior season next month. The Statesman said Brunson declined an interview request Jan. 24 but provided the paper with a statement. "There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th‚” he wrote in a text message‚ according to the Statesman. “I should not have stepped onto the mat and tried to break up the wrestling match. I saw my child in a potentially dangerous position and reacted rashly. I have reached out to the [Nyssa wrestler’s] family directly and sincerely apologized for my inappropriate reaction.” Criminal charges? The paper added that the Nyssa School District in Oregon has not ruled out seeking criminal charges. “We are collaborating with the family‚ athletic associations‚ school district officials and‚ if necessary‚ law enforcement to investigate this incident‚” Nyssa Athletic Director Joshua De Anda wrote in an email to the Statesman. “Both Nyssa High School and Nyssa School District are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.” The West Ada School District also is investigating‚ Scheppers added to the paper. Nampa police opened an investigation as well‚ Big Country News reported. Brunson apologized in his letter to the board and wrote that his actions weren't premeditated‚ the Statesman said. “My initial reaction (as you’ll see from the video) was correct‚” Brunson wrote‚ according to the paper. “I yelled that he was getting choked and tried to show the ref. But in the last 2 seconds‚ I was wrong. I don’t know what happened. I was scared‚ and my instinct was to push the other kid off of him so the choking would stop and he could breathe. If I could go back and replay those 2 seconds of my life‚ I would. But unfortunately‚ it’s too late.” Anything else? The Statesman at the bottom of its story embedded Brunson's letter to the board‚ and in that letter was a link to a video of the incident Brunson said is from his phone "so you can see the angle and my point of view during the incident." The web address in the letter is www.RussellBrunson.com/thevideo. The main part of the internet address — minus the "thevideo" extension — goes to Brunson's marketing and sales website. Big Country News characterized Brunson as "a social media influencer and millionaire." However‚ the complete address — www.RussellBrunson.com/thevideo — goes to a Facebook post by marketer Marley Jaxx that advocates for Brunson and includes the secondary-angle video Brunson mentions in his letter to the board. While the YouTube video of the incident recorded from a high angle appears to show Brunson throwing his right hand three times at the opposing wrestler‚ the below clip from the floor angle shows Brunson slapping the wrestler once with an open right hand and then throwing his right hand a second time. Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Marley Jaxx However‚ the clip ends right in the middle of the second thrown hand — whether or not it comes in contact with the wrestler isn't clear. Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Marley Jaxx A third thrown hand apparently visible in the YouTube video isn't included in the floor-angle clip. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The news of Sports Illustrated going under last month and laying off its entire staff should not have been surprising. Print media is in its death throes‚ after all. The magazine‚ once emblematic of sports journalism and gracing every newsstand‚ grocery checkout aisle‚ and dentist’s waiting room in the country‚ had already been reduced to a shell of its former glorious self. According to a statement on behalf of Manoj Bhargava‚ the firings “had absolutely nothing to do with the AI issue at all.” The layoffs came a mere five months after billionaire Manoj Bhargava‚ the 5-Hour Energy drink founder‚ purchased SI in the first place. But that isn’t all. In the ballgame of corporate-owned media‚ the publishers of Sports Illustrated have a hot new prospect. Artificial intelligence-driven journalism is warming up in the bullpen‚ set to replace dead-armed human reporters who have been faltering on the pitcher’s mound for decades. And the hits don’t stop comin’‚ and they won’t stop comin’. Other publications recently have also announced massive newsroom layoffs‚ including the Los Angeles Times‚ National Geographic‚ Time‚ and more. A preponderance of staffers getting canned are also members of a newspaper union. These well-paying gigs include benefits‚ health care‚ expense accounts‚ and so on. Personally‚ when these stories came out‚ I was prepared to do the typical “Go Woke‚ Go Broke” and “Learn to Code” trolling that everyone else in conservative media was content to roll with. Newsrooms nationwide have been racked with the “advocacy journalism” scourge by reporters‚ editors‚ and publishers who would rather push an agenda than stick to the facts. But digging deeper‚ something odd caught my eye. Sports Illustrated is ground zero‚ using AI to aid (or replace) human reporters. We shouldn’t be shocked when other publications follow suit. How legacy media dies Corporate consolidation has been the name of the game in mass media for a lifetime. Publications are bought out by other publications bought out by investment groups‚ then spun off to other corporate entities in a murky game of insider baseball. Take Sports Illustrated. It was first published in 1954 and was a subsidiary of the Time-Life magazine organization‚ which eventually merged and became Time Warner. Once famous for its titillating swimsuit editions and weekly sports coverage‚ the publication had been reduced to a thin flyer‚ with barely any articles‚ coming out once a month. Sports Illustrated is not really even a magazine any more. It’s a brand name. In 2018‚ SI and other Time Inc. media holdings were spun off and sold to the Meredith Corporation‚ which then sold SI to Authentic Brands Group for $110 million. ABG then leased the Sports Illustrated publishing rights to yet another media company called theMaven‚ which eventually changed its name to the Arena Group. In August 2023‚ Indian-born businessman and 5-Hour Energy drink magnate Manoj Bhargava bought controlling interest in the Arena Group. Maybe enough human editors will be kept aboard to prompt a journalism chatbot to produce 400 words about Taylor Swift or some similar TikTok trending topic? Bhargava in December fired Arena Group CEO Ross Levinsohn‚ a former vice president and interim CEO at Yahoo‚ along with several other executives amid an “AI scandal.” AI-generated news stories with fake authors and headshots were being used to fill editorial copy at Sports Illustrated. These stories were eventually taken down and a lame excuse given as to why they appeared in the first place. But the publishers had already bobbled the ball. According to a statement on behalf of Bhargava‚ the firings “had absolutely nothing to do with the AI issue at all.” None of this should have come as a surprise. On February 3‚ 2023‚ Arena Group and Levinsohn issued a gushing press release announcing a partnership with a pair of AI firms called Jasper and Nota to help editors use “AI technology to rapidly identify trending topics and relevant proprietary archival content and photos to produce trending and evergreen articles.” The Wall Street Journal produced a similarly gushing article on the same day‚ touting how the Arena Group’s suite of publications was using chatbot technology from ChatGPT creator OpenAI to generate content as well. What AI will replace Moving forward to January 19‚ 100 of Sports Illustrated’s editorial staffers — mostly union employees — were fired after Bhargava could not come up with the $3.75 million quarterly payment to Authentic Brand Group for its licensing fee. $3.75 million is chump change to billionaire Bhargava. According to the Associated Press‚ both corporate entities are negotiating a license renewal. It seems‚ however‚ there will be a “significant reduction” in the workforce at Sports Illustrated and perhaps its sister publications‚ regardless of the outcome. During a scandal about using AI-generated editorial content with fake sports reporters‚ it was highly convenient that the “mistake” of missing a quarterly licensing payment would result in most of Sports Illustrated’s staff being let go. How will the editorial hole be filled? How fortunate that Manoj Bhargava and the Arena Group‚ now facing an editorial hole in their flagship publication with a dearth of human reporters to fill it‚ have been pioneering artificial intelligence to produce content that already demonstrates “strong audience engagement.” It doesn’t take a genius to predict that someday‚ very soon‚ a corporate-owned legacy media outlet will pull the trigger and unapologetically go full AI. The profit motive is already there‚ as well as the novelty. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos‚ owner of the Washington Post‚ declared recently that AI is “much more likely to help us and save us even than they are to unbalance‚ hurt us‚ and destroy us.” Maybe enough human editors will be kept aboard to prompt a journalism chatbot to produce 400 words of copy about Patrick Mahomes‚ Taylor Swift‚ or some similar TikTok trending topic? Maybe. Maybe not. The writing is already on the wall.

Asus has shown it's still putting plenty of energy into supporting the Asus ROG Ally‚ with a handful of recent tweets detailing the latest and future features of its Asus ROG Ally updates. These include a new quick-access TDP slider in the most recent update‚ but Asus has also reassured ROG Ally owners that a future update will also include support for AMD Fluid Motion Frames (FMF)‚ the frame-generation‚ frame rate-boosting technology that it announced recently. For those not familiar with AMD FMF‚ it's a graphics technology similar to Nvidia's DLSS 3 and AMD's FSR 3 frame generation‚ creating an AI-enhanced estimation of new frames based on a combination of previous frames. This in effect creates a much smoother-feeling‚ higher frame rate without a huge amount of extra GPU power required to create the frames. Crucially‚ though‚ unlike DLSS 3 and FSR 3‚ FMF doesn't require the game to have the feature built into it‚ but can instead work with any game via the graphics driver. Continue reading Asus ROG Ally takes fight to Steam Deck with frame generation update MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review‚ Best gaming CPU‚ Radeon RX 7800 XT review

What is the best RAM 7 loadout? Anyone even remotely familiar with Warzone will remember the RAM 7 - a hard-hitting assault rifle with a quick fire rate‚ and one with a fairly large problem: the recoil can get way out of hand with sustained fire. Sustained fire makes up a fair chunk of your encounters in Urzikstan‚ so we’ve fixed that unwieldy recoil with our best RAM 7 loadout. The Warzone new season is here and it looks like it's the perfect time to give the RAM 7 another go. We’ve created a loadout that will bring the AR back into the hearts and minds of players‚ even putting it up with the best Warzone assault rifles. Here is the best RAM 7 loadout for Warzone. Continue reading The best RAM 7 loadout for Warzone MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Warzone loadouts‚ Best AR in Warzone ‚ The best guns in Warzone

If you're excited about the possibility of classic PC games being given a new lease of life thanks to Nvidia's RTX Remix‚ you might want to consider that these upgrades don't come without a considerable cost. In a recent demo showing off Max Payne with RTX Remix modifications‚ the game does look considerably better when running on one of the best graphics cards with path tracing. However‚ the performance numbers take a huge hit‚ while GPU power consumption also nearly doubles. Continue reading 23-year-old PC gaming classic will melt your GPU with raytracing remix MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best old games‚ Best story games‚ Best action-adventure games

Three American troops were killed and 25 were injured in a drone strike on U.S. forces in Jordan on Sunday.

Alyssa Milano DRAGGED for Cruising Around in $200K Porsche DAYS After Begging Others to Fund Son's Team