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'Abundant venom levels!' Alert raised as a newly identified 'big boy' funnel-web spider capable of causing death within 15 minutes is found.

2025-04-08 19:00:54 By Robert Johnson

Atrax christenseni has officially been recognized as one of the most venomous spider species in the world.

Australian scientists have discovered a new species of funnel-web spider that is almost double the size of its nearest relative and has the ability to inject "large quantities of venom."

Dubbed the 'Big Boy', the deadly arachnid can grow up to 9cm in length and possesses longer fangs than the common Sydney funnel-web spider.

The recently identified species, known as Atrax christenseni, was found in the vicinity of Newcastle, approximately 170 kilometers north of Sydney, and has been recognized as one of the most venomous spiders in the world.

Researchers indicate that its more substantial venom glands and elongated fangs might be capable of piercing through protective gloves, and similar to its relative from Sydney, it can be lethal within 15 minutes if antivenom is not administered.

\u200b\u200bArachnologist Kane Christensen first encountered the spider in 2018. — Arachnologist Kane Christensen first encountered the spider in 2018.

In 2018, spider specialist Kane Christensen made his initial discovery of these extraordinary arachnids while employed at the Australian Reptile Park.

Upon informing the Australian Museum in Sydney, researchers verified that it was a previously undiscovered species, which they subsequently named to honor Christensen.

"It's hard to believe. Having a spider that I'm deeply passionate about named in my honor feels like a dream realized. It's truly thrilling," Christensen shared with 9News.

The spider can reach a body length of up to 4.5cm and possesses venom glands that are considerably larger than those of typical funnel-web spiders in Sydney. Christensen remarked, "The size of this male specimen is simply... astonishing."

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\u200bSpecialists indicated that the spider might be spotted roaming around a garage or bedroom. — Specialists indicated that the spider might be spotted roaming around a garage or bedroom.

After conducting thorough DNA analysis, researchers have validated the existence of three separate species of funnel-web spiders in the area.

In addition to the recently uncovered Newcastle funnel-web, scientists have also recognized the 'traditional' Sydney funnel-web (Atrax robustus) and the Southern Sydney funnel-web (Atrax montanus).

The Newcastle species has been located within a 25km radius of the Newcastle region and is not expected to migrate southward to Sydney. Professor Kristofer Helgen, head of the Australian Museum Research Institute, described it as "a remarkable milestone in the study of spider biology."

DNA analysis has shown that the Newcastle funnel-web spider and the Sydney species diverged from a common ancestor approximately 17 million years ago. Although this spider possesses a highly toxic venom, specialists have verified that the current antivenom is still effective against this newly identified species.

Kane Christensen referred to the finding as 'incredible.'

Since the development of antivenom in the 1980s, there have been no recorded fatalities from funnel-web spider bites in Australia.

Nonetheless, Christensen cautioned those who find themselves in close proximity to the spider.

"I definitely wouldn't advise getting close to them; the amount of venom they produce is significant," he cautioned.

Professor Geoff Isbister, who heads the Clinical Toxicology department at Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, pointed out that the spider's increased size might result in a higher quantity of venom with each bite. He added that the antivenom is "extremely effective if administered promptly, ideally within one to two hours following the bite."

Newcastle funnel-web spiders typically reside in garages, bedrooms, and various parts of homes, often entering during the night. The male spiders are especially active from November to April, as they venture out after dark in search of potential mates.

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Discover the Secrets Behind Pruney Fingers: A Dive into Biology, Evolution, and Health

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Ever wondered about pruney fingers? Dive into this intriguing occurrence that highlights aspects of biology, evolution, and the crucial role of staying hydrated. The Unexpected Science of Wrinkled Fingers For centuries, the phenomenon of pruney fingers has intrigued people. While many believe that it’s simply a result of being in water for too long, the truth is more intricate, involving our nervous system and evolutionary biology. When our hands are submerged, the nervous system sends signals that prompt the skin to wrinkle. This response is not just a trivial consequence of wet skin; rather, it has an important function, reflecting a mechanism that has been refined over generations of evolution. A Benefit of Evolution The capacity to produce pruney fingers presents notable advantages for survival, especially for our forebears. Picture a setting where the ability to obtain food and endure challenges relied greatly on agility and grip strength. The wrinkling of finger skin improves traction in moist environments, whether it's scaling rocky terrains, collecting water plants, or gripping slippery objects. This evolutionary characteristic exemplifies nature's cleverness, highlighting how biological changes can significantly impact a species' survival and prosperity. The Importance of Staying Hydrated It's fascinating how hydration levels can greatly impact the extent of skin wrinkling. Proper hydration not only promotes overall skin health but also plays a crucial role in determining the visibility of wrinkles. When the body is lacking hydration, the skin loses its elasticity, resulting in a diminished wrinkling response. By recognizing the connection between hydration and skin health, individuals may be encouraged to focus more on these aspects, ultimately enhancing their overall well-being. Comprehending Skin Wellness Healthy skin is a sign of overall wellness. Keeping your body hydrated is vital, not only to avoid wrinkled fingers but also for numerous skin functions. Water plays a key role in preserving skin elasticity, controlling temperature, and delivering important nutrients. Focusing on hydration can promote skin health and may also improve the skin’s response to wrinkling when needed—like during boating, swimming, or other water-related activities. Effective Strategies for Achieving Ideal Hydration To enhance your hydration, try adding more foods with high water content to your meals. Fruits such as cucumbers, watermelon, and oranges can significantly boost your daily fluid consumption. Establishing a habit of taking regular water breaks can serve as a helpful reminder to keep your hydration levels in check throughout the day. Staying properly hydrated is one of the easiest and most effective approaches to improve your skin health and overall performance in everyday tasks. Delving Deeper into the Marvels of Biology The phenomenon of pruney fingers encourages us to recognize the remarkable adaptations our bodies have undergone. This biological marvel provides a chance to explore the intriguing realm of human evolution. Gaining insight into how our forebears adjusted to their surroundings not only enhances our understanding of biology but also fosters a greater appreciation for the wonders of human progress. Incorporating Knowledge into Everyday Living Gaining awareness of these biological functions can result in meaningful lifestyle adjustments. By prioritizing proper hydration or understanding the benefits of our body's inherent reactions, mindfulness can elevate routine behaviors into effective strategies for promoting holistic health. Investigating how our nervous system influences skin reactions enhances our understanding of biological processes. Whether we're leisurely swimming, doing the dishes, or indulging in a soothing bath, this physiological phenomenon highlights the remarkable connection between our bodies and their surroundings. Final Thoughts: Embrace the Intricacies of the Natural World Wrinkled fingers are not just a trivial response to being submerged in water; they represent a fascinating convergence of biology, evolution, and health. This intriguing phenomenon highlights the intricate complexities of nature. By exploring the reasons behind this reaction, we can cultivate a greater appreciation for our bodies and recognize the critical importance of hydration in preserving skin health. As you delve deeper into the wonders of biological responses, keep in mind the significance of staying hydrated, embrace the subtleties of natural evolution, and use this understanding to enrich your everyday life.

A Unique Celestial Event Will Illuminate the New England Sky on January 21-22

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe Through YouTube It's time for a most beautiful celestial event here in New England, and to make it even more exciting, there's an app for that, too. The free Night Sky app will allow you to be a bit more interactive. It's a powerful stargazing guide that, in this particular moment, will help you with all the planets lighting up the sky. According to the Star Walk website, get ready for the parade of planets if you will. How absolutely cool does that sound? On January 21 and 22, six of our planets will line the sky, and you can simply look up just after sunset for the show to begin. Welcome Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Whether you find yourself amidst the sparkling city lights of Boston or relaxing on a blanket by the shore of the New Hampshire Seacoast, it promises to be a truly enchanting experience. According to the Science Alert website, it's not uncommon for two or three planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, but having several at the same time and getting to see most of them is pretty rare. That said, it will happen again next month, too, adding Mercury into the mix. Now, while we'll easily see Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn with our naked eye, grab some high-powered binoculars to make sure you can see Neptune and Uranus. From time to time, the planets align on the same side of the Sun during their orbital paths, allowing us to observe them simultaneously in the night sky. This celestial event will occur on the evenings of January 21 and February 28. Once again, shortly after sunset on the evenings of January 21 and 22, they will begin to show up, with the optimal time for viewing being one hour after the sun goes down. Again, the free Sky Night app will allow you to find the planets easily because they won't all be lined up right next to each other. Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies. Meanwhile, here's a video to get you prepped. 13 Maritime Superstitions of Fishermen and Sailors Gallery Attribution: Jolana Miller 7 Renowned Fast Food Chains Originating from New England We all recognize that America Runs on Dunkin, but it's not the sole major American fast food chain that originated in New England... Gallery Credit: Jon Rineman

Introducing the Most Primitive Organism on Earth

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. To keep things concise and straightforward, I’ll assume that anyone reading this is familiar with the fundamentals of evolution. If you happen to be reading this from a confined bathroom on your parents’ community laptop, part of an evangelical group, I apologize. I’m not equipped to be your guide to contemporary science. For everyone else, it’s clear that the majority of life forms on our planet have evolved into their current states through extensive adaptation, developing features such as opposable thumbs, gills, or even poison-filled sacs.  You might be curious if there exists a creature that got it right on the first attempt—a flawless example that possessed all it required from the instant it came into being. Which organism on our planet has undergone the least transformation throughout the ages? Well, I have the answer for you, but it’s probably not as exciting as you were hoping for (I’ll also note that I’m not including microorganisms because the answer being “bacteria,” well, that’s no fun at all).  If I had to place my bets, I’d put my money on the horseshoe crab. It seems like these strange little creatures are destined to be the first to make contact with extraterrestrial beings. Alternatively, one might wish for a formidable apex predator, one that has never faced defeat and comes armed with natural spines and sharp edges from the very beginning.  The response is not related to either of those options. It's somewhat expected, in a peculiar way, that the apparent victor is simply a soggy collection of cells: the sponge. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Shutterstock Not only have they been well-equipped to handle pretty much the entirety of life on Earth, sponges are also the oldest animal on earth, the first to emerge from life's single common ancestor: a phylum. Since roughly 640 million years ago, sponges have been perfectly content to float around and filter-feed on bacteria, and that lifestyle has never needed a drastic change. Of course they've branched off, and there’s many more species than there used to be, but that number still tops out at about 5,000.  In other words, SpongeBob SquarePants might trace his lineage all the way back to the very first multi-cellular organisms on Earth.

Do Cows Actually Align Themselves With Earth's Electromagnetic Field?

In 2008, scientists analyzed satellite imagery of grazing cows and discovered something rather surprising. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Presenting the cow compass! Image source: Labellepatine/Shutterstock.com. In 2008, a group of researchers examining deer and cattle made an intriguing discovery. They observed that both species, whether grazing or at rest, tend to orient their bodies along the north-south axis. "Farmers and attentive nature and countryside observers know that most cattle and sheep, when grazing, face the same way," the team explained in their study. "The farmers’ wisdom and experience indicate that cattle face into the wind, whereas sheep face away from the wind; the animals expose the maximum body surface area to the sun when sun basking in cold but sunny times of the day." Although it is known that these animals often orient themselves in a specific direction while grazing, there has been limited scientific research into the reasons behind this behavior. In their investigation, the research team examined Google Earth satellite images capturing cows grazing globally, observed roe deer during their grazing and resting periods, and studied the body imprints left in the snow by red and roe deer. While they tried to consider elements like wind direction and the Sun's position in the sky, the researchers ultimately discovered that all these animals consistently aligned themselves along the magnetic north/south axis in statistically significant proportions. "The team stated, 'Since climatic elements such as wind, sunlight, or temperature do not seem to be prevalent directional influences that account for the widespread alignment, we deduce that the magnetic field is the sole and most probable factor responsible for the observed orientation.' They further added, 'Our examination of cattle in areas with naturally high positive and negative declinations offers compelling evidence supporting the notion that the Earth's magnetic field serves as the guiding signal.'" Though a strange result, it's not entirely out of the realms of possibility. Some animals, generally smaller than cows and deer, have been shown to have magnetoreception, or the ability to perceive the Earth's magnetic fields. In fact, it's surprisingly common, and particularly useful in migratory birds, likely aiding navigation.  In a subsequent investigation, the researchers suspected they had discovered indications that "orientation behavior" might be interfered with by the extremely low-frequency magnetic fields produced by high-voltage power lines. The team emphasized that the exact mechanism behind the orientation behavior remains unclear, although there are several hypotheses.  "For instance, the radical pair hypothesis proposes an intimate coupling of magnetic sensing with vision. According to this hypothesis, magnetic fields are perceived as visual patterns, which are dependent on both field direction and intensity," the team wrote in their study. "Thus, it is conceivable that the oscillations of the direction and intensity resulting from the [Earth's magnetic field] and [alternating magnetic field] interaction may blur magnetically modulated visual patterns and, in turn, compromise or disrupt magnetic compass orientation." Although the concept is intriguing, it might be premature to discard your compass in exchange for a more entertaining cow compass. 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"Indeed, if most views were made on cloudless sunny days, then the animals were possibly reducing their body exposure to the sun. We thus believe that the cattle’s reported south-north alignment observed in earlier studies could perhaps, at least in part, be attributed to thermoregulation, possibly overriding a magnetic alignment. Similar sun-reducing behaviour has been observed in springbok and in black wildebeest, and was demonstrated to be linked to thermoregulation in those studies." In summary, additional and more detailed research might be required to understand the reasons behind cows' tendency to align themselves while grazing and resting. For now, it's best not to rely on them as a substitute for a compass.

Certain Areas of Idaho Are Expected to Experience Arctic-Like Conditions Next Week

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Utilized with the consent of Mike McFadyen. I thought the upper teens were cold in the Magic Valley.  I watched this morning as the Twin Falls thermometer bottomed out at 17 degrees.  Rough, yes, but in some parts of Idaho, they would’ve gladly traded places. Mike McFadyen owns a ranch near Fairfield.  Camas County is a bit higher (sometimes by a lot) above sea level.  His temperature settled in at 10 below zero at one point Tuesday morning.  By next Tuesday, it’s likely to be even colder at Mike’s ranch.  And we’ll still be better off than much of the nation.  By Inauguration Day, temperatures in the eastern two-thirds of the lower 48 are expected to be 20 degrees below average. For anyone from Idaho planning to be in Washington for Inauguration Day, expect cold and snowy weather.  There have been some historically cold precedents. The pattern is a continuation of what we’ve been seeing in recent weeks across the continent.  A friend lives near St. Petersburg, Florida.  She woke to a low of 36 degrees on Sunday morning.  That’s rough for people there, but a lot like one of our January daytime highs.  Just remember that the heat and moisture make that state almost unbearable in summer.  It may get hotter here in summer, but the dew point is low. I keep thinking that if we can get through another couple of weeks we’ll be in the clear, but my hopes have been dashed in the past.  A guy I worked with had grown up in Buhl.  He described the weather in southern Idaho as winter until one day in late spring when you suddenly switch to 100-degree highs every day.  Like someone flipped a switch.

A recent study suggests that Earth's moon may have once possessed rings similar to those of Saturn.

Recent research suggests that moons within our solar system might have possessed rings in the past, similar to those found around planets, raising intriguing questions about the absence of ringed moons in the present day. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. A depiction of a moon resembling Earth’s satellite, encircled by shimmering icy rings. Recent studies indicate that this scenario might have been a feasible existence for several moons within our solar system. None of the moons in our solar system possess rings today. But a new study indicates that such rings, if created, could remain stable for a million years, even while being gravitationally pulled by other solar system objects. The findings deepen the mystery of why these satellites are now ring-free. Rings surround many members of our planetary family. Saturn is perhaps the best-known example, swathed by eight main rings made of thousands of smaller ringlets, but the other three outer planets also possess rings, the Voyager space missions revealed. Composed of chunks of ice and rocks of varying sizes, these ring systems are maintained by small shepherding moons, whose gravitational forces tug the chunks and tweak their positions. More recent studies using ground-based telescopes have revealed rings encircling several centaurs — asteroids beyond Jupiter’s orbit — and minor planets, including the egg-shaped Haumea. Even Earth and Mars may once have had rings. However, no study so far has definitively spotted rings around any of the solar system's 300-odd moons. (A 2008 study claiming that Jupiter's moon Rhea possessed a ring turned out to be a false alarm.) This absence is all the more intriguing because the physical processes that create rings can theoretically occur on both planets and their satellites. A ring can form around an object when debris starts orbiting it, said Matthew Tiscareno, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. This debris could be kicked up from the body's surface following an asteroid or comet collision, or may consist of icy plumes ejected by powerful cryovolcanoes. Over time, gravitational forces along the body's equatorial bulge flatten out the debris into a ring, Tiscareno told Live Science in an email. But lots of moons have suffered asteroid impacts or have cryovolcanoes — and yet, they remain ringless. The search for the elusive lunar rings These observations prompted Mario Sucerquia, an astrophysicist at France's Grenoble Alpes University, and colleagues to investigate whether moon rings could be stable at all. A 2022 study Sucerquia co-authored found that theoretically, isolated moons could have stable rings around them. But that study didn't consider the gravitational effects of other moons and planets. To investigate this, in the new study published Oct. 30, 2024 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Sucerquia and colleagues selected five sets of spherical moons and their neighboring planets, including Earth and the moon. For each set, the team added rings to all the satellites, then simulated how the rings would behave over a million years, while being pulled gravitationally by their parent moon, other nearby moons and the planet. The researchers also calculated how chaotically the ring particles moved over a millennium, to determine the rings' stability. The researchers expected to find that the rings were unstable, but the model showed that, barring a few moons, including Saturn's "Death Star" moon Mimas, these moon rings were stable — particularly Jupiter’s Iapetus. Even Earth's moon had a 95% chance of supporting a stable ring system in the simulations. Sucerquia shared with Live Science via email, "[W]e were not expecting that moons situated in a challenging gravitational setting, influenced by numerous other moons and planets, would be able to preserve stability in their rings." He added, however, that "instead of obliterating the rings, these harsh environments have enhanced their beauty by forming intricate structures such as gaps and waves, akin to what we see in Saturn's rings." View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Currently, none of the 293 moons in our solar system, as illustrated in this image, possess permanent rings. What happened to all the rings? So why don't the moons have rings today? The authors suggest that non-gravitational factors, including the sun's radiation and charged particles from the magnetic fields of the moons' parent planets, caused any previous rings to disintegrate. There are differing opinions regarding the conclusions of the study. Tiscareno, who did not participate in the research, believes that over time, the rings were probably disrupted by the gravitational forces exerted by the moons that orbit the planet. "Because most solar system moons rotate very slowly (keeping the same face towards their planet as they orbit, as our moon does to Earth), any ring particles must be orbiting the moon much faster than the moon spins," he said. So gravitational tugs from the parent moons, over long stretches of time, would "cause the ring particle orbits to decay until they eventually impact the surface of the moon," he said. In other words, if our moon ever had rings, they crashed to the lunar surface long ago.

Scientists are amazed by the revelation of a novel technique for decomposing plastic: 'This represents a revolutionary advancement in technology.'

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Image Courtesy: iStock Scientists in South Korea have developed a new method of decomposing one of the world's most common types of plastic, BusinessKorea reported. The breakthrough could have major implications in plastic recycling. Polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly known as PET plastic, is one of the more ubiquitous types of plastic, used in everyday items such as plastic soda and water bottles, clothing, seatbelts, and more. It is usually made from crude oil and causes environmental harm at every stage of its production and life cycle. In order to recycle PET plastics more efficiently, scientists developed a biocatalyst (a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction) named KUBU-M12, which is able to break down plastic in a way that mimics how natural substances decompose. According to reports, KUBU-M12 has achieved the highest recorded performance for a biocatalyst in plastic decomposition to date. "This is a groundbreaking technology that enables permanent recycling of even contaminated plastics that cannot be recycled," said research co-lead Professor Kim Kyung-jin of the Department of Biotechnology at Kyungpook National University. While it is vital that our society moves away from traditional plastic products, instead embracing some of the many alternatives that now exist, there is still an astonishing amount of oil-derived plastic in existence, and it's not going anywhere on its own.  So, it stands to reason that we need ways to recycle this plastic efficiently instead of just letting it pile up in our landfills, in the environment, and in our oceans, where it is responsible for killing huge amounts of marine life every year. In the United States, as little as 5% of plastic waste actually gets recycled, per Beyond Plastics — whether you go through the trouble of sorting it or not. While it would still require some amount of political will to actually make it happen, enhanced recycling technologies could spur some governments to improve those numbers. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Awesome Selections

DNA Analysis Reveals Celtic Women Dominated Iron Age Britain 2,000 Years Ago

The pioneering Iron Ladies. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Boudicca, the iconic queen, is renowned for fiercely opposing the Romans. Image credit: Jane Rix/Shutterstock.com When the Romans first entered the British Isles, they found a land ruled by warrior queens and other high-status women – or at least, that’s how Julius Caesar and other witnesses described the situation in this new and strange territory. And while modern historians have tended to distrust these ancient Roman accounts as over-exaggerated and inaccurate, a new analysis of 2,000-year-old DNA suggests that women really were the big dogs in prehistoric Britain. The idea that these ancient societies may have revolved around females has previously been supported by finds in Celtic cemeteries in Dorset, southern England, where a tribe known as the Durotriges lived from roughly 100 BCE to 100 CE. At these sites, female burials typically contain the most lavish grave goods, suggesting that women may have held positions of political, military, and social influence. Building on these previous discoveries, researchers have now sequenced the DNA of 55 individuals from the Durotrigian burial site of Winterborne Kingston, along with two more from other nearby cemeteries. To gain a sense of how these ancient societies were structured, the study authors analyzed levels of diversity in mitochondrial DNA – which is inherited only from the mother – as well as the Y chromosome, which is transmitted from father to son. Consequently, these two segments of the genome can be utilized to track an individual's maternal and paternal ancestries, revealing that over two-thirds of the individuals interred at Winterborne Kingston are descendants of a previously unidentified maternal lineage.  “We reconstructed a family tree with many different branches and found most members traced their maternal lineage back to a single woman, who would have lived centuries before,” explained study author Dr Lara Cassidy in a statement. “In contrast, relationships through the father’s line were almost absent,” as evidenced by high levels of Y-chromosome diversity among the cemetery’s men. Such a finding suggests that these men all came from elsewhere, while the women were local. "According to Cassidy, this indicates that husbands relocated to their wives' communities after marriage, suggesting that land may have been inherited through the female lineage. This practice is referred to as matrilocality, which stands in opposition to the patrilocal societies that have traditionally been viewed as the standard in much of prehistory."  “Cassidy notes that this is the inaugural documentation of such a system in European prehistory, suggesting a trend towards female social and political empowerment. While this phenomenon is uncommon in contemporary societies, it may not have always been so.” View pictures in App save up to 80% data. This Durotrigian was buried with jewelry including an amulet depicting military victory.  Image credit: Bournemouth University Curious about the prevalence of matrilocal societies in ancient times, the researchers analyzed the genomes of individuals from 156 burial sites throughout Europe, dating from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age. Intriguingly, they discovered signs of matrilocal practices at six distinct locations, all located in Iron Age England. “Throughout Britain, we observed cemeteries indicating that the majority of individuals could trace their lineage back to a limited group of female ancestors,” stated study author Professor Dan Bradley. “In Yorkshire, for instance, a prominent maternal line was established prior to 400 BCE. We were taken aback to discover that this was a common occurrence with ancient origins across the island.”  Bringing things full circle, the researchers say their findings provide credence to the tales told by the likes of Julius Caesar and other Roman authors. According to these reports, the earliest British rulers were women, including the legendary warrior queens Boudicca and Cartimandua, both of whom kicked a significant chunk of Roman butt in the first century CE. “It’s been suggested that the Romans exaggerated the liberties of British women to paint a picture of an untamed society,” explains excavation director Dr Miles Russell. “But archaeology, and now genetics, implies women were influential in many spheres of Iron Age life.” The study is published in the journal Nature.

The Webb telescope has recently cracked the 'universe-shattering mystery'.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. A depiction of the James Webb Space Telescope as it travels around the sun, located one million miles away from Earth within our solar system. Credit: SA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez The James Webb Space Telescope might not have broken our understanding of the universe, after all. Previously, astronomers used Webb to spot curious, faint, and extremely ancient red dots that they surmised were giant galaxies. But there was a problem. It shouldn't have been possible for such massive galaxies — the earliest of which formed just some 500 to 700 million years after the universe was created — to have enough material to form copious amounts of stars and solar systems. (The universe is about 13.7 billion years old.) New insights from the powerful space observatory, orbiting 1 million miles beyond Earth, suggest the faint light of these distant "little red dots" is actually generated by active black holes at the center of the galaxies. That means the red light we see isn't coming from the glow of a prodigious number of stars. "This is how you solve the universe-breaking problem," Anthony Taylor, an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin who co-authored the research, said in a statement. "Nasa clarified, 'In contrast to what some headlines suggest, cosmology is not in disarray,' alluding to previous media reports about the cosmic dilemma." The findings were showcased during the 245th gathering of the American Astronomical Society. Astronomers looked at a wide population of the red objects observed so far, spanning a number of different Webb surveys and elapsing hundreds of millions of years. Around 70 percent of the red objects "showed evidence for gas rapidly orbiting 2 million miles per hour (1,000 kilometers per second)," NASA explained. That's a telltale sign of a strong black hole: Black holes — which are objects wielding extreme gravitational power — amass accretion disks of super-heated, rapidly spinning dust, gas, and particles. If the scientists' findings are accurate, the illumination you observe from the red objects beneath is produced by the black holes located at the core of these ancient galaxies. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. A selection of the "little red dots" observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Dale Kocevski (Colby College) The tweet might have been removed. The situation, however, is not entirely resolved. Mashable Rapid Velocity Looking for more incredible stories about technology, space, and science that are truly out of this world? Subscribe to Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Astronomers plan to continue their exploration of the intriguing red dots. Notably, these objects start to show up in significant quantities approximately 600 million years post-Big Bang, only to see a dramatic decrease in their numbers around 900 million years later, which corresponds to 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. What could be the reason behind this? Are they possibly being hidden from our view? Webb scientists will continue weighing their novel observations with our understanding of how the universe works. Dale Kocevski, an astronomer from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, who spearheaded the research, remarked, "There are often multiple ways to interpret the puzzling characteristics of the little red dots. It's an ongoing dialogue between theoretical models and observational data, striving to achieve a harmony between what corresponds effectively and what contradicts." The remarkable capabilities of the Webb telescope The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system. Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and likely will for decades to come: - Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021. - Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't. "It reveals the truth," Creighton remarked. - Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find? "We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021. Already, astronomers have successfully found intriguing chemical reactions on a planet 700 light-years away, and have started looking at one of the most anticipated places in the cosmos: the rocky, Earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST solar system.

Unveiling the Remarkable Strength of Celtic Women and Their Daughters

Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Numerous female skeletons were discovered interred alongside precious items such as pottery. New research suggests that women in Britain 2,000 years ago may have transferred land and wealth to their daughters rather than their sons, indicating that communities were organized around maternal lineage. Skeletons discovered in Dorset revealed DNA evidence indicating that Celtic men relocated to reside with the families and communities of their wives. Researchers discovered indications of an entire community that developed over generations centered on the female lineage of a family, likely tracing back to a single woman. "According to Dr. Lara Cassidy, the lead author of the study from Trinity College Dublin, this suggests that during the Iron Age in Britain, women held significant power and were capable of influencing the society's direction in various aspects." Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The archaeologists were thrilled to discover skeletons remarkably well-preserved in the clay soil of Dorset. This marks the first documented instance of communities forming around women in ancient European history. Researchers suggest that the communities likely devoted significant resources to their daughters, anticipating that they would inherit their mothers' social standing. Dr. Cassidy remarks, "While it's quite uncommon in today's societies, this may not have always been true." The team discovered indications that it occurred in various locations across Britain, implying that it was prevalent. The communities examined thrived during the era of Boudica, the warrior queen who spearheaded a revolt against Roman forces in East Anglia circa AD 61. Dr. Cassidy analyzed the DNA extracted from the skeletal remains of 57 members of a tribe known as the Durotriges. This group inhabited Winterborne Kingston in Dorset during the period spanning from 100 BC to AD 100. A team of archaeologists from Bournemouth University excavated the skeletons from a burial site. Through the analysis of mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited exclusively from mothers, Dr. Cassidy discovered that the majority of women in the community share a familial connection that stretches back several generations. In contrast, the Y chromosomes exhibited significant diversity, which is inherited from father to son, suggesting that men from various families integrated into the community through marriage. Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The remains of individuals from the Durotriges tribe were remarkably well-preserved. The DNA examination suggests that the majority of the ancestral lineage can be traced back to one particular woman. The findings suggest that this society operated under a matrilocal structure, where a husband would relocate to reside within his wife's community. Dr. Cassidy states, "One of the most apparent advantages for a woman is that by staying at home, she maintains her support network. Her parents, siblings, and family members remain close by." "Your husband is the one entering the picture; he is the unfamiliar face in the community and relies on your family for his support and land," she continues. The researchers discovered similar evidence of matrilocality in skeletal remains from additional burial sites, including those located in Cornwall and Yorkshire. She argues that instances of influential women in ancient societies have frequently been overlooked as isolated cases rather than the standard, but these discoveries call that perspective into question. Archaeologists Professor Miles Russell and Professor Martin Smith discovered additional proof indicating that women held a significant status. Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Researchers from Trinity College and Bournemouth conducted excavations and analyses on the remains of 57 individuals. "We find quite elaborately furnished graves with high status objects of wealth. Every time we find that, it occurs in women's graves, so we think wealth was being transferred down the female line," says Prof Martin Smith at Bournemouth University. The results also support ancient Roman texts that indicated women in Britain held considerable power, arguably even greater than that of their counterparts in Rome. However, Romans such as Julius Caesar considered that to be a mark of primitiveness. "According to Professor Miles Russell from Bournemouth University, 'Women in Britain held significant power, contributing to a more egalitarian society. This was a major issue for the Romans, who lived in a highly patriarchal culture. To the Romans, this characteristic made the Britons appear as the epitome of barbarism.'" Most societies today follow a patrilocal structure, where women relocate to the communities of their husbands. However, certain matrilocal communities can still be found today or have existed in the recent past, such as the Akans in Ghana, West Africa, and the Cherokee in North America. Researchers suggest that Iron Age Britain might have been matrilocal, as men were often absent due to warfare. Dr. Cassidy likens it to World War II, a time when women experienced an increase in their political and economic influence. According to her, matrilocal societies tend to have a lower likelihood of facing internal conflicts. "It has the potential to foster a sense of togetherness among nearby communities and villages. By separating clusters of related males, it prevents the formation of deep bonds and the onset of conflicts with neighboring related males," she proposes. The results have been released in the scientific publication Nature. Follow Georgina on Blue Sky.