New Bird-Like Dinosaur from Mongolia Had Extremely Robust Hands
Science & Technology

New Bird-Like Dinosaur from Mongolia Had Extremely Robust Hands

Paleontologists have identified a new species of dromaeosaurid dinosaur from an almost complete and articulated skeleton found in the 2000s in Mongolia.Life reconstruction of Shri predict. Image credit: Connor Ashbridge / CC BY 4.0.The newly-identified dinosaur roamed our planet during the Campanian age of the Cretaceous period, between 75 and 72 million years ago. Based on several derived features in its skull, vertebrae and skeleton, the species is referrable to a group of bird-like theropod dinosaurs called the Dromaeosauridae. Named Shri predictit is only the second species in its genus; the other species, Shri deviwas described in 2021. “Dromaeosauridae is a clade of small- to medium-sized theropod dinosaurs known from several Cretaceous units from North America, Asia, Europe, South America and eventually Antarctica and Madagascar,” said lead author Andrea Cau and colleagues. “Feather-like integumentary structures, true pennaceous feathers and...
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Study outlines alternative approach to detecting inelastic dark matter particles
Science & Technology

Study outlines alternative approach to detecting inelastic dark matter particles

Despite knowing with a high degree of certainty that dark matter exists, we do not (yet) know what it is. Credit: Ralf Kaehler / SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory It is now understood that all known matter, i.e., studied by science and harnessed by technology, constitutes only 5% of the content of the universe. The rest is composed of two unknown components: dark matter...
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The Mandela effect tricks our brains with false memories. Is AI making it worse?
Science & Technology

The Mandela effect tricks our brains with false memories. Is AI making it worse?

Darth Vader never actually said “Luke I am your father.” Your favorite children’s book series was theBerenstain Bearsnot theBerenstein Bears. And the cow on Laughing Cow cheese never actually had a nose ring. These are some of the most famous examples of a phenomenon known as the Mandela effect —an experience where the public collectively misremembers an image, event, or phrase. It’s possible that modern advances in technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, could lead to similar confusion but with potentially negative consequences. Exactly what role AI might play in the creation of our memories is something that experts in both human memory and AI misinformation are interested to find out.Here’s how the Mandela effect explains the science of misremembering.What is the Mandela effect?The Mandela effect is a kind of false collective memory in which many people remember the same incorrect details...
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Science & Technology

CITAD trains BUK lecturers on fintech, blockchain technology

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), in partnership with the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), recently organized an intensive three-day workshop for university lecturers on Financial Technology (Fintech) and Blockchain. The main aim of the training was to deepen participants’ knowledge of digital financial systems and assist in integrating these new concepts into academic programmes. CITAD hoped the sessions would help make fintech and blockchain core parts of university teaching. Mr. Isa Garba, Senior Programme Officer at CITAD, stressed that the training would bridge the gap between academic theory and market needs. He noted that such programmes create valuable partnerships between the university and the wider community. Garba explained, “Academia is usually theory-based, while the market focuses on practical skills. Our goal is to make sure both work together for...
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