Sophie Turner gets candid about influence of social media
Sophie Turner is getting candid about the influence social media has had on her in recent years, revealing how it almost destroyed her in the process.
The actress, widely known for her role in Game of Thrones, opened up to FLAUNT Magazine about how social media proved to be damaging to her health after she was thrust into the spotlight following her breakout role in the HBO series.
She told the outlet how she ended up suffering from depression and anxiety at an early age.
Sophie highlighted, “I think social media was just really becoming a big thing after I started on Game of Thrones, so I got a couple of years of peace and quiet, and then I had to adjust. It had such a profound impact on my mental health, more than I could tell you. It almost destroyed me on numerous occasions.”
In addition, she explained how she suffered from a severe eating disorder in the years that followed, stemming from unwanted social media attention.
Despite all that she went through, Sophie is grateful for being saved by therapy afterward.
For those who aren’t aware, the actress was photographed by Nick Thompson for the cover interview, wearing Louis Vuitton and Bulgari for the shoot.
Inter Milan opened their Serie A campaign with an emphatic 5-0 win over Torino at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Monday.
Marcus Thuram struck twice while new signing Ange-Yoan Bonny also got on the scoresheet in a commanding display. Alessandro Bastoni and Lautaro Martinez were the other goalscorers.
Bastoni put Inter on the way with an 18th-minute header and Thuram doubled the lead with a fine strike before the break.
Martinez pounced on an error to put the result beyond doubt after 53 minutes before Thuram and Bonny completed the rout.
Earlier in the evening, Udinese and Verona played out a 1-1 draw at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Suat Serdar equalised for Verona 17 minutes from time after Thomas Kristensen had put the hosts ahead eight minutes into the second half.
In Spain, Athletic Bilbao secured their second LaLiga win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at San Mames.
Substitute Oihan Sancet scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after he had been fouled by Gerard Gumbau.
Adrian Liso scored twice, either side of a Juan Iglesias own goal, as Getafe won 2-1 at Sevilla.
It’s almost September, which means it’s almost new iPhone season.
Apple’s annual flagship launch extravaganza is theoretically weeks away, so we should probably stop, catch our breath, and review what we know so far. As always, there have been plenty of leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 launch over the past year. Some of them will undoubtedly be true, while others seem pretty sketchy. That’s just how these launches go.
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Let’s not waste any more time. Here is everything we know, everything we think we know, and everything we know we don’t know about the iPhone 17 so far.
What iPhone 17 models will we get?
First up, let’s establish exactly which iPhones we’re expecting in September:
iPhone 17
iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air
Naturally, there will be a base iPhone 17 model. That’s a given, as predictable as the sun setting at night. All indications point to the iPhone 17 getting Pro and Pro Max models, as well, which would be in line with previous Apple mobile releases from the past few years. It would be a real shock if Apple pivoted away from that.
SEE ALSO:
iPhones, Macs, and iPads will get GPT-5 via Apple Intelligence. Here’s when it happens.
That said, that doesn’t mean this year is bereft of surprises or big changes. Numerous leaks and rumors point to an ultra-thin model, potentially called the iPhone 17 Air. The Air could replace the Plus model that used to grace the iPhone lineup for the past few years, so instead of getting a bigger version of the base model, we’ll get something that has an identity of its own.
We don’t know exactly how big the Air will be, but leaks suggest it will measure in somewhere between 5 and 6mm of thickness. That would make it Apple’s slimmest iPhone yet, putting it in competition with the recently released Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a 5.8mm thick device.
iPhone 17 release date
For the past few iPhone launches, Apple has stuck with a rough “second week of September” time frame for its big, livestreamed announcement event. Thus, the week of Sept. 8 is one to watch this year, specifically Tuesday, Sept. 9. It would not be a surprise at all if Apple chose that date to give us the goods.
9to5Mac also pointed out that Apple always places the official release date of each new iPhone on the Friday of the week after the launch event, so keep an eye on Friday, Sept. 19 for the phone’s official release date.
Over at Forbes, reporter David Phelan recently made two more predictions about the iPhone 17 release. He also predicts a Sept. 9 announcement, but adds that Apple will likely confirm the date on Tuesday, Aug. 26. What’s more, he predicts the new iOS 26 update will officially arrive on Monday, Sept. 15 or Tuesday, Sept. 16.
iPhone 17 lineup: The specs
Obviously, we won’t see the full spec sheet for these phones until the second week of September, so none of this is certain. But we have a rough idea of what to expect from these phones.
Mashable Light Speed
Let’s start with the displays. Prolific leaker Ice Universe (via 9to5Mac) reported all the way back in July 2024 that these would be the approximate display sizes for each new iPhone:
Perhaps the most exciting rumor (at least for me, so far) that’s emerged about these new phones is that both the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will reportedly feature 120Hz displays, per MacRumors. Apple has frustratingly limited high refresh rates to its Pro phones for a few years now, even as budget Android phones like the Pixel 9a have had that feature for years. This would be a massive upgrade for Apple and would make the base and Air models even more appealing.
It’s also expected that the new iPhones will have new A19 chips inside them. As in previous years, the base model will likely have a regular A19 chip, while the Pro and Pro Max models will have a more powerful A19 Pro chip powering them. Leaker Fixed focus digital on Weibo suggested the Air model will have a slightly downgraded version of the A19 Pro chip instead of a base A19, potentially giving it some additional juice over the base iPhone 17.
What about the cameras?
Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable
Again, we won’t know the full, precise camera specs for the new iPhones until September, but there are some leaks to go off of for now.
Perhaps the biggest potential development this year is a selfie cam upgrade for the new iPhones. It sounds like they’ll have 24MP selfie lenses, up from 12MP on previous models. We’ll have to wait and see how that actually manifests in practice, but hey, a larger number is nice.
It also sounds like the Pro models will have a trio of 48MP lenses this time. Last year, the telephoto lens was only 12MP, so that could potentially be a big step up. One last thing to note is that the Air model will supposedly only have one rear camera, similar to the old iPhone SE and iPhone 16e models. No ultra-wide or telephoto shots for Air users, unfortunately.
The iPhone 17 colors
Leaker Sonny Dixon recently posted some photos of iPhone 17 dummy models that purported to show the color options for this year’s new models.
Perhaps the most striking one is a new orange color for the Pro models, which is definitely eye-catching, if nothing else. The Pro models also appear to have regular black, white, and dark blue options for people who want something a little less exciting.
Weirdly, the base model and Air seem to have less exciting color options this year than the Pro phones. In the photos, the base model appears in black, white, light blue, and pink. The Air, meanwhile, comes in black, white, beige, and light blue.
What about the iPhone Fold?
The as-yet-unnamed foldable iPhone, which tech reporters simply call the iPhone Fold, is rumored to be ready to enter production soon, but not for a 2025 release date. The most recent rumors point to a 2026 launch for Apple’s long-awaited foldable phone, which will reportedly be made with Samsung display technology.
So, unless Apple has a huge surprise up its sleeve, we won’t see a foldable iPhone until the launch of the iPhone 18 in 2026.
As for the specs, the iPhone Fold is shaping up to be exactly what you thought it’d be: An iPhone that transforms into a sort of an iPad mini. As of Aug. 25, the latest rumors say the iPhone Fold will have four cameras. In addition, leakers say it will have Touch ID instead of Face ID, and no SIM card.
Apple iOS 26: How will it change the way we use the iPhone?
Apple shared this prevew of Liquid Glass earlier this year. Credit: Apple
Here’s something we do know a lot about: Apple’s iOS 26. It’s not officially out yet for the wider public, as it’s scheduled to launch alongside new iPhones in September, but we’ve tried and tested a number of different beta versions, both developer and public ones.
One thing is certain: Apple didn’t change the naming scheme by accident. It’s the nineteenth major release of Apple’s mobile platform, and as it follows iOS 18, it should logically be called iOS 19. But Apple decided to switch to naming its iOS releases by year, and since this one covers a big chunk of 2026, it was thus named iOS 26.
There’s more to it, though. Apple’s iOS 26 brings a number of major changes to the platform, including the new, Liquid Glass design, a big overhaul of the Photos app, and various Apple Intelligence updates, including Live Translation and a smarter Siri. It’s not a radical departure from the previous iOS (Apple doesn’t really do radical departures), but it is a very notable upgrade.
Currently, iOS 26 is in its beta 7 iteration, meaning it’s quite mature and likely very similar to what we’ll see when the final version launches in September. Still, we’ll be on the lookout for any new features and upgrades once that happens.
What else could we get at the Apple event in September?
In addition to the iPhone 17, we fully expect Apple to drop new versions of the AirPods Pro and Apple Watch. But there could also be some surprises in store, as Apple is reportedly working on a new HomePod and Apple TV devices for 2025 as well. Finally, expect a ton of announcements related to Apple Intelligence, the name for Apple’s artificial intelligence features.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s iPhone 17 event looms: Every new product we expect to see
‘We do not assign a high likelihood that momentum from this campaign can fully inflect the business over the long run,’ BofA analysts say
A window display of actress Sydney Sweeney is seen on a window of an American Eagle store on Aug. 1 in New York City.
Early data has shown that despite the eruption in online discourse, American Eagle Outfitters Inc.’s “great jeans” ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has yet to help in-store traffic or sales. Now, BofA analysts are casting further doubt on the denim retailer.
Analysts there said Monday that American Eagle and Aerie – American Eagle’s intimates, activewear and swimwear brand – had little leeway to work around U.S. tariffs on imports and that it was a “tough time for a turnaround.”
“AE and Aerie are in tough positions to navigate tariffs,” they said, adding: “we do not think that either brand has much pricing power.”
The BofA analysts downgraded American Eagle’s shares (AEO) to underperform from neutral, sending them 2.7% lower during the day. The analysts also cut their per-share profit estimates by 8% for this year and 30% for next year.
As for the Sweeney campaign – which angered some progressives who said it amounted to an endorsement of eugenics, which angered conservatives who said that reaction was overblown – the analysts said “we do not assign a high likelihood that momentum from this campaign can fully inflect the business over the long run.”
“On AE, the jury is out on whether product outside of denim can gain momentum,” they said.
For Aerie, they said there were “secular challenges” in intimates and swimwear. “Pulling back on promos could curtail traffic, and we see risk that Aerie could pull back on store-opening plans next year if the retail environment remains tough,” they said.
Clothing retailers have been dealing with more muted demand over the past three years, as inflation forces some shoppers to cover expenses for more important things. As tariffs start to kick in, American Eagle, in its most recent annual report, said that a “substantial portion of our products are manufactured abroad, including in China,” which is the biggest target in President Donald Trump’s trade war.
The BofA analysts noted that the back-to-school season could bring potential upside. And they said that American Eagle had been cutting costs over the past few years.
However, they added, “we worry that the low-hanging fruit has been accomplished and marketing spend remains below peers.”
-Bill Peters
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
In this photo illustration, the Interactive Brokers LLC logo seen displayed on a smartphone.
Igor Golovniov | LightRocket | Getty Images
S&P Dow Jones Indices said Monday that it will add Interactive Brokers to the S&P 500 Index at the opening of trading on Thursday.
The brokerage service is replacing Walgreens Boots Alliance, which is being taken private in a deal with Sycamore Partners that is expected to close soon.
Interactive Brokers shares jumped nearly 5% in after-hours trading on the news. The stock has doubled over the past year, and is up 42% year to date.
Meanwhile, Robinhood Markets shares were slightly lower in extended trading. Some investors have had high hopes that the digital brokerage would be added to the index. Robinhood shares are up nearly 190% since the start of the year, putting its market cap at nearly $96 billion.
Talen Energy will take Interactive Brokers’ spot in the S&P MidCap 400, also Thursday, S&P Dow Jones Indices said. The independent power producer’s stock gained more than 3% in extended trading after the announcement. Talen has been seen as a beneficiary of increased power demand stemming from increased electrification and the rise of artificial intelligence data centers. Its stock has climbed 76% year to date.
On Sept. 2, Kinetik Holdings will replace Pacific Premier Bancorp in the S&P SmallCap 600, the index provider said. Pacific Premier Bancorp is set to be acquired by Columbia Banking System.
MELBOURNE (TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025) – Secret Sounds is thrilled to announce the incredible line-up of supports joining rising UK popstar, Bea and her Business, for her debut headline shows in Australia this September/October.
In Sydney, Bea will be joined by the soaring pop stylings of Carla Wehbe alongside New Zealand singer-songwriter MACEY, while the Melbourne show will feature Carla Wehbe again, this time with New Zealand’s own Harper Finn. Each act brings a unique flair to the stage, making these headline shows an unmissable celebration of fresh pop talent across both sides of the Tasman.
Bea and her Business arrives in Australia this September as support on The Wombats OH! The Ocean Australian Tour, as well as appearing at SummerSalt Festival alongside The Wombats, DMA’s, Ball Park Music and more. Her headline shows will take place on Tuesday 23 September at Howler, Melbourne and Thursday 2 October at Oxford Art Factory, Sydney.
Tickets on sale now at secretsounds.com
BEA AND HER BUSINESS AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2025
TORQUAY COMMON, TORQUAY^ SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
AEC THEATRE, ADELAIDE* SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
HOWLER, MELBOURNE – with Carla Wehbe and Harper Finn TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
FESTIVAL HALL, MELBOURNE* WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE* FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
THE STATION SC, BIRTINYA^ SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
UOW UNIBAR, WOLLONGONG^ SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY* WEDNESDAY 01 OCTOBER
OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY – with Carla Wehbe and MACEY THURSDAY 02 OCTOBER
FREMANTLE PRISON, FREMANTLE^ SATURDAY 04 OCTOBER
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
*Supporting The Wombats ^SummerSalt Festival
For complete tour & ticket information, visit: secretsounds.com
ABOUT BEA AND HER BUSINESS Drawing upon personal experiences which resonate across her generation, Bea and her Business specialises in instantly captivating pop songs which exude charisma, girl-next-door charm, and the conversational wisdom of a best friend.
Influenced by the likes of Lily Allen, Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds and Hayley Williams, it’s a skill which has set the self-taught London musician on the road to becoming the UK’s next international breakthrough star. Having released just two EPs – ‘Introverted Extrovert’ and ’Me Vs Me’ – songs such as ‘Born To Be Alive’ (a hit in Norway which saw her make her live debut in front of 100,000 people), ‘Never Love A Liar’ and ‘Safety Net’ are connecting with a huge global audience, leading to over 350 million views at TikTok and more than 100 million streams worldwide.
That fandom is reflected IRL too. Bea recently sold-out her biggest headline London show to date at KOKO in front of an audience approximately five times the size of her debut Omeara show almost exactly a year before. The headline tour also saw similar scenes at shows across the UK and Europe plus her first live performances in New York and Los Angeles. A wealth of tastemakers are also backing Bea’s ascent. Accolades so far have included Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist, Instagram’s Next Generation Artist and being named as a Spotify UK EQUAL ambassador, whilst radio support continues with Bea playing a special performance at Radio 1’s ‘New Music’ live show with English Teacher and playlisting across Europe.
ABOUT CARLA WEHBE You’ve never met an artist quite as exhilaratingly odd as Carla Wehbe. An elusive trait often misunderstood but highly prized in the music world; Wehbe’s is an unconventional uniqueness of vision that has become the hallmark of the likes of Bowie and Mercury. Oddness is a quest for a singular vision, even if that vision seems to have beamed in from another universe entirely. And few pursue it quite like Carla.
ABOUT HARPER FINN Harper Finn arrives with his highly anticipated debut album Silo Park; a kaleidoscopic soundscape born from his time in New York City and a period of personal transformation. Produced by acclaimed musician Sam Evian (Big Thief, Cass McCombs) in upstate New York, the record blends raw introspection with expansive, organic instrumentation.
From the haunting opener Man or Machine to the liberating single Doves and the psychedelic closer Silo Park, the album charts Harper’s journey of identity, solitude, and self-discovery against the backdrop of one of the world’s loudest cities. Following his Breakthrough Artist of the Year recognition in 2021 and the Gold-certified single Dance Away These Days, Harper has toured globally, including supporting Twenty One Pilots across South America. Silo Park marks his true arrival as a songwriter; introspective, unflinching, and ready to be heard.
ABOUT MACEY Raised in a musical family, MACEY draws inspiration from a wide range of sounds; from classical to The Beatles to Green Day and My Chemical Romance. His music blends these influences into raw, heartfelt storytelling that captures the essence of the human experience. After making his mark in New Zealand and abroad, MACEY broke through in 2023 with his debut album THE LOVERS, debuting at #3 on the NZ Album Chart and #13 on the Official Top 40. His latest EP ‘how to say goodbye’ explores love, loss, and vulnerability, with honest songwriting and captivating vocals that invite listeners into his world.
Kevin Jonas created a historic moment during the Jonas Brothers’ Greetings From Your Hometown tour stop in Boston, as he delivered his first-ever solo performance to a roaring crowd at Fenway Park.
The 37-year-old Jonas Brother stepped into the spotlight on August 23 to debut an original song titled Changing. Introduced by his younger brother Nick Jonas, Kevin walked onto the stage with his guitar and admitted to fans, “I’m super nervous,” before strumming through the heartfelt track.
The moment was made even more emotional with Danielle Jonas, Kevin’s wife of 14 years, watching from the audience. Danielle shared a video of herself crying on Instagram, writing, “Last night was a moment I will never forget. Hearing you sing your own song and watching your voice fill the stadium brought me to tears. I am beyond proud of you @kevinjonas and so grateful that everyone else finally got to hear the voice I’ve loved for so long.”
Their daughters, Alena (10) and Valentina (7), also witnessed the milestone performance via FaceTime, as Danielle captured their reactions in her post.
Following Kevin’s debut, Nick and Joe Jonas rejoined him on stage for an emotional embrace, while the crowd erupted in chants of “Kevin! Kevin!”
Kevin later reflected on Instagram, writing, “Thank you Fenway! Will never forget this night.” Nick Jonas also praised the Boston show, calling it one of his “favorite Jonas Brothers concerts ever.”
As the Jonas Brothers continue to celebrate 20 years of music, Kevin’s powerful solo moment highlighted not only the band’s lasting legacy but also his personal artistry, proving that even after two decades, the Jonas Brothers are still finding new ways to surprise their fans.
Results from the phase 3 VERIFY trial of rusfertide for erythrocytosis in patients with polycythemia vera led to the FDA decision.
The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to rusfertide for the treatment of erythrocytosis in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), according to a press release from Protagonist Therapeutics.1
Results from the phase 3 VERIFY study (NCT05210790) led to the decision, with data being presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Rusfertide is a potential first-in-class hepcidin-mimetic peptide.2
“We are very pleased with the FDA’s decision to grant breakthrough therapy designation to rusfertide, which underscores its potential to demonstrate substantial improvement over available PV therapies,” Dinesh V. Patel, PhD, president and chief executive officer at Protagonist, said in the press release.1 “We remain on track for [new drug application] submission of rusfertide in polycythemia vera by the end of this year.”
A total of 283 patients were randomly assigned to receive either rusfertide plus the current standard of care (CSC) or placebo plus CSC. The trial included 3 different parts:
Part 1a, where patients were assessed weeks 0 to 32 and treated with subcutaneous rusfertide or placebo at 20 mg every week, with dosing levels ranging from 10 mg to 90 mg;
Part 1b occurred from weeks 32 to 52, and rusfertide was given at the same dose as part 1a;
Part 2 occurred from weeks 52 to 156 and allowed dose levels of 10 mg to 120 mg.
The primary end point was clinical response from weeks 20 to 32.
Baseline patient characteristics for part 1a showed a median age of 57 years, 73.0% were male, 46.4% were in the high-risk category of being 60 years or older and/or having a prior thromboembolic event, the median PV duration was 2.9 years, and 23 patients required 7 or more therapeutic phlebotomies.
A total of 56.0% of patients in part 1a had concurrent cytoreductive medication, 39.2% had hydroxyurea, 13.3% had interferon therapy, and 2.7% received ruxolitinib (Jakafi). A total of 76.9% were responders in the rusfertide arm vs 32.9% in the placebo arm (P <.0001).
Across subgroups, rusfertide plus CSC maintained a response benefit compared with placebo plus CSC. The mean number of phlebotomies reduced from weeks 0 to 32 in the rusfertide plus CSC arm was 0.5 compared with 1.8 in the placebo arm (P <.0001). Additionally, 62.6% of patients in the rusfertide arm were able to maintain their hematocrit of less than 45% through week 32 compared with 14.4% in the placebo arm (P <.0001).
Those in the rusfertide arm had an improvement in their PROMIS Fatigue SF-8a total T-score at week 32 of –1.78 compared with 0.17 in the placebo arm; the least square mean difference was –1.95 (P = .0268). There was also an improvement in the MFSAF TSS7 score of –2.40 vs –0.54; the least square mean difference was –1.87 (P = .0239).
The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse effects between the rusfertide and placebo arms were injection site reactions (55.9% vs 32.9%), anemia (15.9% vs 4.1%), fatigue (15.2% vs 15.8%), headache (10.3% vs 11.6%), and COVID-19 (9.7% vs 11.0%). Discontinuation due to TEAEs occurred in 5.5% of patients in the rusfertide arm and 2.7% in the placebo arm.
Prior to randomization, 10 skin malignancies were detected, and during part 1a, 8 patients had non-PV cancer events. In 3.4% of patients in the rusfertide arm and 4.8% in the placebo arm, serious AEs occurred.
References
Rusfertide receives breakthrough therapy designation for treatment of erythrocytosis in patients with polycythemia vera. News release. Protagonist Therapeutics. August 25, 2025. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/4uekd7ce
Kuykendall AT, Pemmaraju N, Pettit K, et al. Results from VERIFY, a phase 3, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled study of rusfertide for treatment of polycythemia vera (PV). J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 17):LBA3. doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.17_suppl.LBA3
Jupiter holds secrets at its heart that continue to puzzle scientists. The largest planet in our Solar System has what researchers call a “dilute core,” a central region that doesn’t have sharp boundaries like once expected. Instead of a distinct rocky centre surrounded by layers of gas, Jupiter’s core gradually blends into the hydrogen-rich layers above it, creating a smooth transition zone.
This unusual structure was first discovered by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016. The finding surprised astronomers, who had assumed giant planets would have more clearly defined cores. The mystery deepened when observations revealed that Saturn appears to have a similar dilute core structure.
Juno awaiting its launch in 2011 (Credit : Bill Ingalls)
One popular explanation for Jupiter’s fuzzy core involved a catastrophic collision early in the planet’s history. Scientists theorised that a massive object, perhaps containing half of Jupiter’s core material, crashed into the young planet with such force that it thoroughly mixed the central region. This collision would have been so violent that it scrambled the dense rock and ice at Jupiter’s centre with the lighter hydrogen and helium surrounding it.
A team of researchers at Durham University decided to put this giant impact theory to the test using powerful computer simulations. Working with scientists from NASA, SETI, and the University of Oslo, they used the DiRAC COSMA supercomputer to model what would happen when massive objects collide with Jupiter sized planets. The team ran multiple simulations using cutting edge software, testing various impact scenarios including extremely violent collisions. They employed new methods to better simulate how materials would mix during such catastrophic events.
A picture of The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics Building, at Durham University (Credit : Padgriffin)
The results were clear and unexpected; none of the simulations produced a stable dilute core like the one Jupiter actually has. Instead, the computer models showed that after a giant impact, the dense rocky material would quickly settle back down, creating a sharp boundary between the core and the outer hydrogen layers, exactly the opposite of what Juno observed.
“We see in our simulations that this kind of impact literally shakes the planet to its core, just not in the right way to explain the interior of Jupiter that we see today.” – Dr. Thomas Sandnes from Durham University.
The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that Jupiter’s dilute core formed through a much more gradual process. Rather than being created by a single dramatic collision, the unusual structure likely developed as the growing planet slowly absorbed both heavy and light materials during its formation billions of years ago. This gradual formation theory gains support from the fact that Saturn also has a dilute core. Dr. Luis Teodoro from the University of Oslo pointed out that Saturn’s similar structure strengthens the idea that dilute cores are not the result of rare, extremely high energy impacts but instead form gradually during the long process of planetary growth and evolution.
These findings have implications beyond our Solar System. Astronomers have discovered many Jupiter and Saturn sized planets orbiting other stars. If dilute cores form gradually rather than through rare catastrophic events, it suggests that most of these distant worlds might have similarly complex internal structures. The research demonstrates that while giant impacts certainly played important roles in planetary formation, they cannot explain every feature we observe. As scientists continue to study our stellar neighbourhood and the thousands of planets beyond, mysteries like Jupiter’s core remind us that the universe still holds many surprises.
Source : New study counters idea that Jupiter’s mysterious core was formed by a giant impact
New research shows fat distribution predicts premature cardiovascular ageing more than BMI, revealing why visceral and liver fat harm the heart while lower-body fat protects women before menopause.
Structured Graphical Abstract: The association of body fat phenotypes and cardiovascular ageing was assessed in 21,241 participants. This showed how shared and sex-specific patterns of body fat are associated with protective and harmful changes in cardiovascular ageing. *Protective effects of oestradiol in pre-menopausal women.
In a recent article in the European Heart Journal, researchers investigated how different patterns of body fat distribution influence cardiovascular aging by gathering data from more than 20,000 individuals.
Their findings indicate that liver fat, muscle fat infiltration, and visceral fat predicted accelerated cardiovascular aging in men and women. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and android fat predicted higher cardiovascular age-delta in men only, while total abdominal adipose tissue was associated with adverse outcomes in both sexes. Gynoid fat was protective in pre-menopausal women, but in men, it was associated with a higher age-delta.
Background
Obesity is a complex condition marked by excess fat accumulation that harms health. It is increasing worldwide, affecting nearly half of adults. While obesity is commonly measured by body mass index (BMI), people with similar BMI can have very different risks for cardiovascular disease. This occurs largely because fat distribution matters.
Visceral fat, stored deep in the abdomen, is particularly harmful. It promotes vascular problems, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. Obesity also accelerates cardiovascular ageing. This process signals declining physiological resilience. It is linked to inflammation, genetic and metabolic factors, and tissue dysfunction.
Sex differences further complicate this picture. Women generally store more fat in the lower body, while men accumulate more visceral fat, which increases cardiovascular risk. Female sex hormones, especially before menopause, may offer protection by influencing metabolism and fat distribution. However, it remains unclear how these sex-specific fat patterns affect cardiovascular ageing.
About the study
This study analyzed data from over 21,000 UK Biobank participants aged 40–69, including those with existing cardiovascular disease, to capture the lifetime impact of fat distribution on cardiovascular ageing.
Cardiovascular age was predicted using a pre-trained machine learning model based on 126 imaging traits of cardiac structure, function, vascular dynamics, and myocardial tissue composition. The difference between predicted and actual age was calculated as the ‘cardiovascular age-delta.’
Whole-body and regional fat distribution were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This included assessments of gynoid, android, liver, muscle-infiltrated, visceral, and subcutaneous fat.
Cardiac MRI provided detailed measures such as ventricular volumes, ejection fraction, aortic distensibility, myocardial strain, and fibrosis. All imaging data underwent automated segmentation and quality control.
Associations between fat phenotypes and cardiovascular age-delta were tested with multivariable linear regression, stratified by sex. Additional analyses examined BMI, physical activity (via questionnaire-based metabolic equivalent scores), and blood biomarkers (lipids, sex hormones, and metabolites).
To explore causality, Mendelian randomization was conducted using genetic instruments from genome-wide association studies of fat depots and cardiovascular ageing. Finally, cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure were identified from health records, and their relationship with cardiovascular age-delta was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models.
Key findings
Researchers noted clear sex-related differences in fat distribution. Women generally had more abdominal subcutaneous, muscle-infiltrated, and gynoid fat, while men carried higher levels of visceral, android, and total body fat.
Age-related patterns also diverged; visceral fat increased more steeply in men, while subcutaneous fat declined slightly in both sexes.
Across the cohort, visceral fat, liver fat, muscle fat infiltration, and total abdominal fat were consistently associated with accelerated cardiovascular ageing in both sexes. However, sex-specific effects emerged.
In men, android and abdominal subcutaneous fat were linked to higher cardiovascular age-delta, while in women, gynoid, trunk, and whole-body fat were protective, especially before menopause. BMI was a weaker predictor than direct measures of fat distribution.
Physical activity partially reduced but did not eliminate visceral fat’s adverse impact on cardiovascular ageing.
Diabetes amplified the harmful impact of visceral and other fat depots, though metformin users showed a somewhat reduced effect.
Genetic analyses supported a protective role of gluteofemoral (gynoid-type) fat, while visceral and abdominal subcutaneous fat showed non-significant but harmful directions of effect.
Biomarker analyses revealed that higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B were associated with faster cardiovascular ageing, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and favorable lipid metabolites were protective.
Sex hormones also played a role: oestradiol was protective in pre-menopausal women but adverse in men, while free testosterone was linked to slower ageing in both sexes.
Cardiovascular events were ascertained from health records and modeled with Cox methods; atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes were associated with higher cardiovascular age-delta, whereas MACE and all-cause mortality were not significant in this cohort.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that obesity contributes to premature cardiovascular ageing, but fat distribution, rather than overall body mass, is the critical determinant. Visceral and liver fat, along with muscle fat infiltration, accelerated cardiovascular ageing in both sexes, while gynoid fat was protective in women, likely influenced by oestradiol before menopause.
These findings suggest that hormonal regulation and fat depot biology jointly shape sex differences in aging and emphasize the limitations of BMI as a risk measure, highlighting imaging-based fat assessment as a more precise tool.
Potential interventions include pharmacological strategies that reduce visceral and liver fat while mitigating inflammation and cellular senescence, for example, GLP-1 receptor agonists, with emerging roles suggested for SGLT2 inhibitors and other pathways, alongside lifestyle measures like diet and exercise.
Limitations include under-representation of older adults, limited ancestral diversity, and a cross-sectional design, which prevents tracking changes over time. Additional limitations include a lack of external validation at an equivalent scale, potential MR biases from sample overlap and pleiotropy, and unmeasured factors such as VO₂max and detailed diet. Overall, the study identifies adipose tissue distribution as a key modifiable factor in cardiovascular ageing and a promising target for extending healthspan.
Journal reference:
Sex-specific body fat distribution predicts cardiovascular ageing. Losev, V., Lu, C., Tahasildar, S., Senevirathne, D.S., Inglese, P., Bai, W., King, A.P., Shah, M., de Marvao, A., O’Regan, D.P. European Heart Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf553, https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf553/8237967
A picture of The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics Building, at Durham University (Credit : Padgriffin)