In March 2002, the Larsen B Ice Shelf collapsed catastrophically, breaking up an area about one-sixth the size of Tasmania. In a paper published today in Scientific Reports, we used nearly 1,000 film photographs of Antarctica from the 1960s to reconstruct exactly what five glaciers were like decades before the Larsen B Ice Shelf collapse. This allowed us to precisely calculate their contribution to sea-level rise. Although Antarctica is far away, and changing conditions there may seem distant, the changes can have a profound effect for us all. The removal of an ice shelf can cause glaciers to rapidly melt…
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High-street travel company went into liquidation in 2019. Official Receiver has realised assets including flight slots, hotel investments and former shops. Creditors urged to visit dedicated website to confirm their position. The Official Receiver has announced plans to return £280 million to creditors of the Thomas Cook group of companies, the high-street travel chain which went into liquidation in 2019. Following the collapse of the Thomas Cook group of companies, the Official Receiver has worked hard across a complex group of liquidations to realise all available assets for the benefit of creditors. This has included a broad range of…
Over the past decade, virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence, like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, have become integral to technologies such as smartphones and social media. More recently, a new type of human-like chatbots are on the rise: AI romantic companions. Chatbots are AI-powered programs that engage with humans through text, voice and images. Currently, over 100 AI-powered applications — such as myanima.ai, Eva AI, Nomi.AI and Replika — offer romantic and sexual companions with extensive personalization options, including physical and personality features. Exhibiting remarkable realism, adaptability and interactive fluidity, these AI chatbots can progressively evolve through conversation, fine-tuning…
Senator Fatima Payman’s defection over Labor Party policy on statehood for the Palestinians has generated wider discussion about the written and unwritten rules of Australian politics. One of those involves the vexed question of the role of religious faith. Scott Morrison’s prime ministership inevitably raised it. Morrison did not hide his evangelical Christianity. His strange memoir revived the issue because it showed Morrison’s faith was not incidental to his politics. By his own account at least, faith was its organising principle. So far as I’m aware, Morrison’s Christianity was not understood as a threat to social cohesion – weird, certainly,…
Growth Opportunities funding addresses structural barriers, improves job opportunitiesWASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of nearly $47 million in grants to 14 organizations to help overcome structural barriers and improve access to employment opportunities. This investment will also support communities addressing the violence, crime and poverty that limits educational and employment opportunities for people aged 15 to 24 and prevents them from reaching their potential.The fourth round of Growth Opportunities funding will support programs that provide jobs, skills training and supportive services, including leadership development and mentoring to prepare justice-involved youth and young people to succeed in…
The broader leftist coalition — under the banner of the New Popular Front — is falling out already. Its leaders on Sunday evening were sending conflicting messages about their goals. While Mélenchon said the left would apply “our manifesto, nothing but our manifesto,” the MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of a smaller party in the alliance, appeared more conciliatory, offering to “talk, debate and change political culture.” What might emerge from the mess? There’s no easy answer to this one. As no party has won outright, it’s possible the president could opt for a cooling off period that will give parties…
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, recently spoke of feeling hurt and angry at racist comments made about him during the UK election campaign. Anyone who’s experienced racist or other discriminatory language is likely to know what this is like. But is it more than just an emotional feeling? Research suggests that although words are abstract they really can cause a reaction similar to physical hurt. In fact, pain is intimately linked to language. A 2022 study from the Netherlands described short verbal insults as lexical “mini-slaps in the face”. The team measured physical reactions to short insults such as…
The Education Secretary has today (Monday 8 July), begun work delivering the government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. Bridget Phillipson will immediately embark on resetting the government’s relationship with the sector and transforming the image of teaching – seen by the government as key to both recruiting new teachers and retaining those already in classrooms. As one of her first steps in post, the Education Secretary will today write to all education workforces to make clear the valuable role they will play in this government’s agenda for change. The Education Secretary will hold a reception with key education stakeholders…
June 25 2024 marked a new “first” in the history of spaceflight. China’s robotic Chang’e 6 spacecraft delivered samples of rock back to Earth from a huge feature on the Moon called the south pole–Aitken basin. After touching down on the Moon’s “far side”, on the southern rim of the Apollo crater, Chang’e 6 came back with around 1.9kg of rock and soil, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The Moon’s south pole is designated as the location for the future China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This truly international endeavour has partners including Russia, Venezuela, South Africa…
Ensuring children have access to safe ways to engage in physical activity is essential to a healthy and balanced life. Sports play a crucial role in children’s physical and mental development, offering benefits such as improved health and social skills. However, the current structure of sports in Canada, overseen by the Department of Canadian Heritage, has faced significant challenges in addressing issues of safety, inclusivity and abuse. The fact that sports falls under the Department of Canadian Heritage underscores it as a vital part of our nation’s cultural fabric. This arrangement promotes national identity, multiculturalism and community building, aiming to…