Astronomers have finally weighed a wandering “rogue” planet, uncovering a Saturn-mass world flung into the galaxy after a dramatic planetary breakup. A new study reports that astronomers have direc... Read more Astronomers have finally weighed a wandering “rogue” planet, uncovering a Saturn-mass world flung into the galaxy after a dramatic planetary breakup. A new study reports that astronomers have directly measured both the mass and distance of a newly found free-floating planet by observing it at the same time from Earth and from space. This rare [...] Show less

Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites, researchers found shocked quartz—evidence of intense hea... Read more Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites, researchers found shocked quartz—evidence of intense heat and pressure consistent with a comet airburst rather than volcanism or human activity. The event could have sparked massive fires, blocked sunlight, and triggered a rapid return to ice-age conditions. These harsh changes may explain the sudden loss of megafauna and the disappearance of the Clovis culture. Show less

 Oreocharis scutifolia  Z. Xie & H. H. Kong,  in Xie, Peng, Zhang, Ding, Wen et Kong. 2024. 盾叶马铃苣苔  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ece3.704... Read more  Oreocharis scutifolia  Z. Xie & H. H. Kong,  in Xie, Peng, Zhang, Ding, Wen et Kong. 2024. 盾叶马铃苣苔  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70442ABSTRACTA peltate-leaved new species, Oreocharis scutifolia Z. Xie & H. H. Kong, endemic to the Dry–Hot Valley of the Jinsha River Basin, Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated here. It is similar to O. cordatula (Craib) Pellegr. and O. aurantiaca Baill. in floral characters but differs in its peltate leaf blades, which are unique in the genus (and only occur in one population of O. henryana Oliv., but its flowers are smaller, campanulate, and deep purple). Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on transcriptome data confirmed its systematic position to be sister group with O. henryana, O. cordatula, O. minor Pellegr., and O. aurantiaca Baill. (LPP = 1), and well apart from the remaining members of the genus. The new species O. scutifolia is assessed as “Critically Endangered” following the IUCN categories and criteria, due to its small and single population, thus making it face serious threats from human disturbance, invasive plants, shrinking habitat, and decreasing habitat quality.Keywords: new taxon, Oreocharis scutifolia, peltate leaves, taxonomy, dry–hot valley of YunnanOreocharis scutifolia Z. Xie & H. H. Kong sp. nov. (A) habitat, the Quercus franchetii Forests; (B) population, invaded by Ageratina adenophora; (C) habit; (D) mature leaves: Adaxially blade (left) and abaxially blade (right); (E) immature leaves; (F) Cyme; (G) left side view of the flowers; (H) Calyx; (I) front view of flower; (J) opening corolla, showing stamens and staminode; (K) pistil and disk; (L) Dehiscent capsules. Photographs by Zhi Xie.Oreocharis scutifolia Z. Xie & H. H. Kong sp. nov.Zhi Xie, Na-Na Peng, Miao Zhang, Guo-En Ding, Fang Wen and Hang-Hui Kong. 2024. Oreocharis scutifolia (Gesneriaceae), a Peltate-Leaved New Species From the Dry–Hot Valley of the Jinsha River Basin, Yunnan, China. Ecology and Evolution. 14(10); e70442. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70442 [24 October 2024]  Show less

A new series of research cruises will study rare abyssal species in areas slated for mining

Moss may look insignificant, but it can carry a hidden forensic fingerprint. Because different moss species thrive in very specific micro-environments, tiny fragments can reveal exactly where a per... Read more Moss may look insignificant, but it can carry a hidden forensic fingerprint. Because different moss species thrive in very specific micro-environments, tiny fragments can reveal exactly where a person has been. Researchers reviewing 150 years of cases found moss has helped solve crimes across multiple countries, including one case where it led investigators directly to a buried child. The study urges law enforcement to pay closer attention to these silent witnesses. Show less

I've recently discovered (or at least found a good use case for it) the satisfy matcher in RSpec. My intention was to ensure an attribute contained a string and not another string (within have_att... Read more I've recently discovered (or at least found a good use case for it) the satisfy matcher in RSpec. My intention was to ensure an attribute contained a string and not another string (within have_attributes). I tried a few variations of the code below, but none of them worked: message = Message.first expect(message).to have_attributes( conversation_id: conversation.id, customer: "[email protected]", response: include("Hello, world!").and(not_to(include("Subject:"))) ) While inspecting rspec-expectations's source code in search of an exclude matcher or something similar, the satisfy matcher stood out as a good fit: expect(message).to have_attributes( conversation_id: conversation.id, message: satisfy do |message| message.include?("Hello, world!") && !message.include?("Subject:") end ) It's pretty self-explanatory, isn't it? The test will pass if the block returns true. Show less

Use kamal‑proxy to expose your Docker containers simply and with automatic TLS certificate management.

Ruby just turned 30 and celebrated with Ruby 4.0 on Christmas Day. While the tech industry chases shiny frameworks, Ruby keeps quietly powering billion-dollar companies like Shopify, GitHu... Read more Ruby just turned 30 and celebrated with Ruby 4.0 on Christmas Day. While the tech industry chases shiny frameworks, Ruby keeps quietly powering billion-dollar companies like Shopify, GitHub, and Airbnb. Here's why this "boring" choice is your smartest tech bet. Get cost-effective cloud computing designed with the needs of developers in mind and save 50-70% compared to Big Tech. American Cloud ensures migration is a breeze with experienced white-glove service. Unlike Big Tech, we don't trap customers in. Your freedom to choose will never be infringed. Learn more about American Cloud → Show less

Manchester City fans are left surprised as Pep Guardiola has named Nathan Ake in their starting XI against Sunderland.

For the first time, children will be offered vaccination on the NHS against the common infection which, in rare cases, can be very serious.