A paper claiming that there is a structure in Indonesia that is the oldest pyramid in the world has baffled archaeologists and prompted Wiley’s publication ethics team to conduct an investigation. The study concludes that a structure lies beneath the primitive site of Mount Gunung Padang in West Java, built over 27,000 years ago – before the emergence of the great pyramids of Egypt. However, critics argue that the buried layers likely occurred naturally, and there is no evidence that people had the skills necessary to build a pyramid at that time. The site has been linked to a marginal idea of an advanced global civilization that was wiped out over 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age.
Anglerfish Live an Upside-Down Life
Several species of anglerfish (Gigantactis spp.) have been observed swimming on their bellies, suggesting that this is a natural behavior for these deep-sea creatures. “Just when you think anglerfish can’t get any stranger, they outdo themselves,” says biologist Pamela Hart. Anglerfish live in the dark depths of the oceans. Females use the bioluminescent tip of their long, lure-like snouts to attract prey – apparently while being upside down. Researchers point out that this position allows the fish to ambush larger, faster animals without accidentally biting themselves.
Children Start Learning Language Before Birth
It appears that infants are ready to learn their native language by listening to their mother’s voice while in the womb. In a study conducted on 33 newborns, the brain activity of the children showed more indicators of learning after listening to recordings of their mother tongue compared to other similar languages. However, this does not mean that infants are necessarily deprived if they do not have direct exposure to speech before birth or if they learn a different language after birth. “Newborns can learn languages they were not exposed to before birth in the normal and natural way,” explains neuroscientist and study author Judith Gerfen.
How to Teach AI to Find Cells
Scientists are using deep learning methods to teach computers to perform a task where humans excel: selecting specific items, such as cell nuclei, from the dense and chaotic background of biological materials. Attempts to teach the skill of “segmentation” started with trained and optimized image analysis tools for a specific experiment – for example, detecting fluorescently labeled mouse liver cells. Now, scientists are working on user-friendly and universal image recognition algorithms to identify cell features across a range of images – even in three dimensions. “Better data, better classifications – that’s the secret,” says systems biologist David van Valen, who led the development of the well-known segmentation tool DeepCell.
How Climate Protests Can Influence Politics
Protesters may not be able to convince people what to think, but they may be able to influence what they think, writes sociologist Dana Fisher, economist Oscar Berglund, and psychologist Colin Davis. Confrontational tactics are often seen as disruptive, but it is a mistake to assume that this drives people away from the cause, the authors argue. At the same time, the general public does not necessarily mean that attention translates to greater public interest. “There is reason to believe that large numbers and diverse actions are necessary to achieve more direct results from climate protests,” the trio suggests.
The Complex Mathematics of Drawing Sands
Produces
Sand drawing, a tradition practiced in Vanuatu in the South Pacific, consists of complex shapes drawn with a single finger movement across a grid. The drawings have strict rules that can be described by graph theory, writes cultural mathematician Alban da Silva. Specialized artists have a repertoire of up to 400 designs and typically take breaks after what they call a round, which is a series of edges that begin and end at the same node. “These findings raise questions about the universality of mathematics and the form of mathematics in other cultures,” says da Silva.
Quote of the day: “This material, not exceeding a teaspoon, will keep us busy for years,” says cosmic mineralogist Sarah Russell passionately about obtaining 100 milligrams of black dust brought back by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu. (The Guardian | 3 minutes reading)
Today, I would like to bid farewell to A23a, the massive real iceberg that is moving again after being grounded for nearly 40 years. A23a is likely heading toward the South Atlantic and will eventually melt.
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Thanks for reading,
Katrina Kramer, Deputy Editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions from Flora Graham
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