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Unconventional approach to dark energy problem gives observed neutrino masses – Physics World
Unconventional approach to dark energy problem gives observed neutrino masses – Physics World
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Microplastics Linked to Worsening Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice : ScienceAlert
If you’re already genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, consuming microplastics could trigger cognitive decline, according to a new study in mice from researchers at the University of Rhode Island.
The researchers wanted to see how microplastics might interact with genetic Alzheimer’s risk to make brain dysfunction more likely – a combination of both the genes we’re born with and the environment we live in.
Two groups of mice were used, one with the APOE4 gene variant that increases Alzheimer’s risk, and one with the APOE3 variant that doesn’t affect risk. In each group, some of the mice had microplastics added to their drinking water, and some didn’t.
Related: Unexpected Link Between Menthol And Alzheimer’s Found in Mice
“There are modifiable factors we’re studying related to Alzheimer’s – diet, exercise, vitamins, and especially environmental toxins like microplastics,” says neuroscientist Jaime Ross.
“If you carry the APOE4, and you happen to consume a lot of microplastics, will this contribute to Alzheimer’s disease?”
Using tests designed to measure cognition, the researchers found that mice with APOE4 that consumed microplastics did begin showing signs of cognitive decline.
Mice with the APOE3 gene, and APOE4 mice that hadn’t been exposed to microplastics, behaved normally, suggesting that the combination of genetic risk and microplastics was driving the changes in the animals.
Intriguingly, the researchers noted sex differences in affected mice. The male APOE4 mice given microplastics showed signs of cognitive decline through apathetic behavior, while the female APOE4 mice given microplastics seemed to have impaired memories.
This actually matches what we see in humans with Alzheimer’s: men with the disease often show signs of apathy, while women often experience issues with memory. That makes the microplastics link worth investigating further.
“When you expose animals that are carrying the largest known risk factor in humans for developing Alzheimer’s disease to micro and nanoplastics, lo and behold, their behavior changes in a sex-dependent manner similar to the sex-dependent differences we see with Alzheimer’s patients,” says Ross.
The researchers looked at the influence of genes and microplastic exposure on mice. (Gaspar, et al., Environ. Res. Commun., 2025) The researchers also found that some signs of inflammation in the APOE4 microplastics mice matched what would be expected from Alzheimer’s. The mice didn’t develop the disease itself, but did show some changes associated with it.
While a single APOE4 gene does raise the risk of Alzheimer’s in people quite considerably, it’s still not a guarantee of the disease developing – many people with this genetic risk don’t get Alzheimer’s. That points to other factors being involved too, and scientists are making progress in understanding what those factors are.
Based on these study results, it seems as though exposure to plastic pollution could be one of these additional factors. We know microplastics can potentially get into the brain, but it’s still not clear exactly how harmful this exposure could be.
As is often the case with Alzheimer’s, it’s tricky to work out which brain alterations might be happening as a result of the disease, and which might be driving it in the first place. While this study only involved mice, it could be significant that Alzheimer’s-like changes were seen in a short period of time.
“It’s interesting that what we’re seeing in mice is similar to what we’re seeing in the real world,” says Ross.
“We want to encourage further research into the scourge of micro and nanoplastics.”
The research has been published in Environmental Research Communications.
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YouTube Thinks AI Is Its Next Big Bang
Google figured out early on that video would be a great addition to its search business, so in 2005 it launched Google Video. Focused on making deals with the entertainment industry for second-rate content, and overly cautious on what users could upload, it flopped. Meanwhile, a tiny startup run by a handful of employees working above a San Mateo, California, pizzeria was exploding, simply by letting anyone upload their goofy videos and not worrying too much about who held copyrights to the clips. In 2006, Google snapped up that year-old company, figuring it would sort out the IP stuff later. (It did.) Though the $1.65 billion purchase price for YouTube was about a billion dollars more than its valuation, it was one of the greatest bargains ever. YouTube is now arguably the most successful video property in the world. It’s an industry leader in music and podcasting, and more than half of its viewing time is now on living room screens. It has paid out over $100 billion to creators since 2021. One estimate from MoffettNathanson analysts cited by Variety is that if it were a separate company, it might be worth $550 billion.
Now the service is taking what might be its biggest leap yet, embracing a new paradigm that could change its essence. I’m talking, of course, about AI. Since YouTube is still a wholly owned subsidiary of AI-obsessed Google, it’s not surprising that its anniversary product announcements this week touted AI features that will let creators use AI to enhance or produce videos. After all, Google Deepmind’s Veo 3 technology was YouTube’s for the taking. Ready or not, the video camera ultimately will be replaced by the prompt. This means a rethinking of YouTube’s superpower: authenticity.
YouTube’s Big Bang
I had that shift in mind when I recently interviewed YouTube CEO Neal Mohan at his office at YouTube’s San Bruno, California, headquarters. Mohan took over as CEO in 2023 when his boss, Susan Wojcicki, left her post due to a fatal cancer. But first we chat a bit about the company’s history. Mohan reminds me that his own connection with the service began even before he joined Google in 2008, after his ad company DoubleClick merged with the search giant. He was struck by how the YouTube founders were first with a revelation that, he says, remains the core of the service. “It was not just that people were interested in sharing short clips about themselves and that it was done without a gatekeeper,” he says, “but that people were interested in watching them. That was the big bang inflection point. Our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world.”
Critics of Google’s power often argue that not only the public but also YouTube itself might benefit from a split from the mother company. Just think what the world’s biggest video company could do if it were truly independent. Mohan, a self-admitted Google loyalist, disagrees. “I don’t believe YouTube would be where it is if it weren’t part of Google,” he says. He says that being part of a giant company allowed YouTube to make long-term bets on things like streaming and podcasting. When I ask whether YouTube might be even more innovative on its own, he reminds me that YouTube has been sufficiently innovative to challenge legacy media in things like live sports while fending off challenges from competitors focusing on the creator economy.
YouTube has an advantage in breadth that Tiktok and Reels can’t dream of … “everything from a 15-second short to a 15-minute traditional long-form YouTube video to a 15-hour livestream and everything in between,” Mohan crows.
It’s currently pressing another advantage: Google’s AI technology. The announcements this week range from fun features like putting you or your friends’ bodies into videos showing astonishing acrobatic feats or allowing podcasters to make instant television shows from their audio conversations by having AI create visuals that resonate with the content of the chatter. Mohan says that, in a sense, AI is just the latest enhancement of the service. “When YouTube was born 20 years ago it was about using technology for more people to have their voice heard,” he says. “With AI, it’s the same core principle—how do we use technology to democratize creation?”
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Rosalba Carriera portrait breaks record as it fetches £508,000
CheffinsThe portrait of Coulson Fellowes by Rosalba Carriera A portrait by Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera has sold at auction for more than 20 times its estimate, fetching over £500,000.
The sum is a world record for a work by Carriera, who died in 1757, according to Cheffins auctioneers in Cambridge.
The painting, a portrait of Coulson Fellowes, who was MP for Huntingdonshire from 1741 to 1761, had a pre-sale estimate of £15,000 to £25,000 but went for £508,000.
It was the first time the work had come to market since it was painted 301 years ago.
The portrait was sold to a UK-based private collector via telephone.
It was painted in 1724 and recorded in Carriera’s diary when Fellowes visited her Venetian studio.
Fellowes is shown in the portrait as a young man before he became an MP. He was the son of barrister William Fellowes, of Eggesford, Devon.
The portrait was part of the Fellowes family collection at Shotesham Park near Norwich until the sale of the house and estate following the death of Maj Charles Fellowes in 1979, but it remained in the family.
Getty ImagesRosalba Carriera did several self-portraits during her life Carriera, who was one of the most fashionable artists of her day, created portraits of many notable figures, including Louis XV of France, English author Horace Walpole and French painter Antoine Watteau.
Her works are in the Louvre in Paris, The National Gallery in London, The Frick Collection in New York and other major galleries.
The previous sale record for a Carriera painting was £421,250, for a portrait of Irish soldier and politician Gustavus Hamilton sold in New York in 2002, Cheffins said.
The auctioneer’s Luke Bodalbhai said the Fellowes painting exhibited Carriera’s “talent as one of the leading lights of 18th Century portraiture”.
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‘We must replace this capability now’: New NOAA satellite to replace aging space weather sentinels launches Sept. 23
On Sept. 23, a spacecraft will launch with a clear mission — to keep a constant watch on the sun to help protect Earth from space weather. The satellite, Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1), is launching just in time, as scientists warn our aging fleet of solar sentinels is reaching the end of its life.
“It’s extremely urgent. These satellites, ACE, SOHO, DSCOVR, are all working beyond their design life,” Richard Ullman, deputy director, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations, said during a media press briefing on Aug. 21. “The need is urgent, and we must replace this capability now.”
For decades, Earth has relied on a handful of satellites parked a million miles away, including NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), launched in 1997, and NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), launched in 2015, to provide the first warning when potentially disruptive space weather is headed our way. But many of those spacecraft are operating well past their prime.
Why watching the sun matters
Solar storms do more than spark stunning auroras. When the sun launches eruptions of charged particles, they race across space and slam into Earth’s magnetic field. These events, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can disturb GPS signals, threaten astronauts, damage satellites and in extreme cases, even knock out power grids on the ground.
The only reason operators have time to prepare is thanks to spacecraft stationed at a sweet spot called Lagrange Point 1, or L1. From that lookout point, about 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) between Earth and the sun, satellites get a front-row seat to the complex space weather environment, including the solar wind. By measuring the solar wind speed, density and magnetic orientation, these satellites can give Earth anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour of warning before the storm arrives.
“These warnings are the first line of defense against the potentially devastating effects of space weather,” Irene Parker, performing the duties of the assistant administrator, NOAA Satellites, said during the media briefing.
SWFO-L1 will join other satellites such as DSCOVR orbiting about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. Positioned between the sun and Earth, this location is called Lagrange point 1. (Image credit: NOAA) A fleet in crisis
Until now, the job of keeping a watchful eye on the sun has mostly fallen to a handful of older missions. NASA’s ACE spacecraft has been working for nearly three decades, far beyond its intended five-year lifespan. The joint NASA-NOAA DSCOVR mission, launched in 2015 and intended to take over from ACE, has struggled with reliability. As of July 2025, it is offline following a software anomaly. There is currently “no timeline for restoration of data flow,” NOAA told Space.com in an email. For now, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is again relying on NASA’s ACE spacecraft as its primary source of solar wind data, alongside imagery from ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite, which carries the agency’s first operational compact coronagraph, according to NOAA.
“DSCOVR’s been, sadly, a bit of a disappointment,” Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov told Space.com in an interview. “We were supposed to be able to retire ACE.”
Even SOHO, launched in 1995 as a research mission, is still providing useful solar imagery and data long after its intended retirement in 1998.
ESA/NASA’s SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO coronagraph showing a view of the sun’s corona (outer atmosphere) today (Sept. 19). (Image credit: ESA/NASA SOHO) The current reliance on a nearly 30-year-old spacecraft highlights just how fragile our space weather monitoring network has become. If any of these missions were to fail without replacement, the consequences could be severe.
“We’re hanging on by a thread, literally, both funding-wise and getting new observations out there,” Skov told Space.com. “We are all used to single-point failures. And so does it frustrate or scare us? Not anymore, it just is the state of things.”
Enter SWFO-L1
NOAA’s new mission is designed to shore up this fragile system, ensuring that if ACE finally fails or DSCOVR cannot be recovered, real-time solar wind monitoring will continue uninterrupted. Once it arrives at L1, SWFO-L1 will measure the solar wind, magnetic fields, and high-energy particles streaming from the sun. These measurements will flow in real time to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, where forecasters issue alerts and warnings to everyone from airlines to power grid operators.
“It can’t stop an incoming threat, but it can give us time to prepare,” Parker said. “SWFO-L1 will give our forecasters at NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center the advanced tools they need to protect our country’s critical systems.”
What makes SWFO-L1 different is its focus. While spacecraft like NASA’s Parker Solar Probe or ESA’s Solar Orbiter are revolutionizing our understanding of solar physics, SWFO is dedicated to operations. It is not about scientific discovery as much as it is about reliability: making sure there is always an eye on the sun, feeding data into space weather models.
“We at the Space Weather Prediction Center are extremely eager for SWFO-L1 spacecraft to not only launch but get in position and start receiving solar wind observations into our operations,” said Shawn Dahl, forecaster, Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA’s National Weather Service. “This is a giant leap forward to our forecast of decision support services that we provide right here at the Space Weather Prediction Center.”
For the scientists who have been pushing for new investments in space weather monitoring, Sept. 23 marks the start of a new chapter.
“This launch is not just about a new satellite, it’s about building a more resilient future, ensuring that technologies we depend on are protected from the sun’s most extreme events,” Parker said.
And for the rest of us, whether we rely on GPS navigation, satellites for communication, or just want to enjoy the auroras, it means the sun will stay firmly in sight.
SWFO-L1 includes two compact coronagraphs (CCORs) that will image the sun’s corona. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio) Continue Reading
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Ollie Bearman believes Haas ‘in the fight’ after strong Friday in Baku
Ollie Bearman claimed “we look to be in the fight” after finishing fifth fastest in Free Practice 2 for Haas at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Bearman ended Friday’s FP2 session behind only the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers, with a time 0.598s off Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark, but set on the medium compound rather than the softs.
With Pirelli bringing the softest compound in its range, the C6, to Baku, it is expected that teams could elect to run the medium rubber in Qualifying to ensure the tyre can last the lap with minimal drop off.
“On the face of it, the lap time was very good,” said Bearman. “We’ve had a good car, honestly, all day. We were struggling a bit with top speed in FP1, but we’ve managed to improve that a bit in FP2, and we look to be in the fight.”
Since scoring points at three of the opening four weekends, Bearman has only registered once in the subsequent 12 – this coming at Zandvoort when he finished in sixth.
Asked of his points-scoring potential, Bearman added: “I hope so. I had a good feeling with the car, which is always the most important thing.
“I was struggling with a few issues out there – the brakes were not the best. We’ve got some work to do overnight to make sure we get it all together for Qualifying.”
In the sister car, Esteban Ocon backed up Bearman’s pace, setting the eighth fastest time, three-tenths back on his team mate.
“The car was behaving pretty decently today,” said the Frenchman. “From FP1 really, we saw that the grip was very decent. Now, we’ve tested a lot of different things across the cars, so we need to choose what is the best out there that we have to go with tomorrow. It’s not going to be easy to take the best choice.
“There are still some areas that we are lacking, so we need to look at that. But in corners, I think that we are pretty decent.”
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Bristol-based nursery worker charged with rape of toddlers
A nursery worker has appeared in court after being charged with multiple sexual offences against children in his care.
Nathan Bennett, 30, of Corston near Bath, Somerset, appeared at Bristol Crown Court earlier, where he did not enter a plea.
He was arrested on 14 August following a six-month investigation by specialist officers. The allegations all relate to incidents in Bristol earlier this year.
A case management hearing will take place on 14 November and a provisional trial date has been set for 2 February next year.
Mr Bennett is charged with two counts of rape and four counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
He is additionally charged with 12 counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and four counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Barrister Virginia Cornwall said the jury had around 30 minutes of video footage to look through in connection with the case.
Mr Bennett has been remanded in custody but there may be an application for bail in the future.
The children’s families are aware and are being supported.
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How and When to See the Partial Solar Eclipse This Weekend
This weekend, skywatchers in parts of the world will experience a special daytime show.
A partial solar eclipse will begin Sunday, September 21 at 1:29 p.m. EDT, with the maximum eclipse phase—when the moon covers the largest portion of the sun—occurring at 3:41 p.m. EDT, according to Space.com. The event will last until 5:53 p.m. EDT.
A partial solar eclipse takes place when the moon is directly between the Earth and sun and is blocking a portion of, but not the totality of, the sun.
According to Time and Date, only 16.6 million people live in areas around the Southern Hemisphere where at least part of the solar eclipse will be visible, and unfortunately that doesn’t include the U.S. The best places to see it will be in Antarctica and New Zealand. The point of greatest eclipse—where 80 percent of the sun will be blocked by the moon—will occur in a remote part of the far South Pacific Ocean, south of New Zealand, and close to Antarctica, per Space.com.
But you can watch the partial solar eclipse live via Time and Date’s livestream, which will be hosted on Space.com. While it’s never safe to look directly at the sun without solar eclipse glasses during an eclipse, viewing it with the naked eye on your computer screen is totally OK.
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British couple freed by Afghanistan's Taliban arrive in Qatar – Reuters
- British couple freed by Afghanistan’s Taliban arrive in Qatar Reuters
- British couple freed by Taliban hug daughter in emotional reunion in Qatar BBC
- Taliban releases elderly British couple from Afghanistan detention Al Jazeera
- Woman held by Taliban warns British couple ‘dying’ in prison BBC
- Taliban release detained elderly British couple from Afghanistan jail Dawn
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NSF, UKRI Unveil $10M Quantum Chemistry Research Initiative
The U.S. National Science Foundation and United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) are investing in eight joint research projects that could open the door to breakthroughs in quantum computing, ultra-precise navigation and secure communications. The effort is supported by $4.7 million from NSF and £4.2 million from UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Each project brings together U.S. and U.K. researchers to tackle an underexplored area in science: how quantum information affects chemical reactions and molecular systems, and how that knowledge can be put to use.
By harnessing the inherent complexity of chemical systems, the teams aim to surpass today’s quantum technologies, which primarily rely on atoms and photons. The partnership underscores the growing international momentum in quantum research, with the potential to create new and different types of molecular-based qubits and other fundamental components useful for quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications.
“Through a dynamic partnership, the U.S. National Science Foundation and UKRI are uniting top researchers to unravel the mysteries of quantum in chemical systems,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. “Building upon the President’s U.S.-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, this visionary partnership will reshape our knowledge of quantum mechanics and open new frontiers in quantum computing, sensing, and communicating.”
“By supporting bold, collaborative science, this partnership lays the foundation for advances that can transform everyday life,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of NSF director. “These projects demonstrate the power of shared investment in tackling real-world challenges, from more powerful computing to next-generation navigation and sensing tools.”
“This joint EPSRC-NSF investment in quantum information science in chemistry represents UKRI commitments towards exploring compelling scientific frontiers and working with our international partners,” says EPSRC Executive Director for Research Jane Nicholson. “These programmes will open new pathways for transformative science and the quantum technologies of the generation yet to come.”
Potential applications of the research include ultrasensitive molecular compasses, molecular-scale memory systems, and new types of qubits.
Beyond technology outcomes, the projects will provide training opportunities for graduate students and early-career researchers in disciplines such as quantum optics, molecular spectroscopy and nanofabrication. They will also strengthen long-term scientific partnerships between U.S. and U.K. institutions, advancing the goals of the U.S.-U.K. Technology Prosperity Deal, which supports collaboration in quantum, artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.
In addition to funding the eight projects, NSF and UKRI are launching new opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation:
By focusing on quantum phenomena in chemistry, NSF and UKRI are opening new frontiers in science with the potential to deliver real-world technologies that enhance the quality of life, provide new economic opportunities and strengthen national security.
/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.Continue Reading
