Groundbreaking discovery that'll see autism diagnoses skyrocket... with one group of Americans hit the hardest
The latest research out of Princeton University and the Simons Foundation uncovered four unique subtypes of autism, each with its own genetic 'fingerprint' - finally explaining why some children show signs early while others aren't diagnosed until school age.
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Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal exactly what a neanderthal human hybrid would look like
It has been over 40,000 years since the last of the Neanderthals, our ancient human cousins, disappeared from the Earth. But from the shape of your nose to whether someone is an early riser, Neanderthal genes are still shaping many of our lives today. Starting from around 250,000 years ago, ancient homo sapiens and Neanderthals met, lived alongside each other, and often had children together. Now, MailOnline has asked leading paleoanthropologists to reveal what those hybrid children would have looked like. Scientists believe that hybrid children would inherit traits from both of their parents. That means hybrids might have a Neanderthal's long arms and short legs with the smaller skull of a Homo sapiens. Likewise, some of the hybrid children may have had strong Neanderthal facial features but the upright posture and long legs of a modern human. In some cases, this hybridisation process could even lead to the formation of unusual, new traits, not found in either parent. What would a hybrid look like? In a new research paper published this month, scientists revealed that a 5-year-old girl who lived 140,000 years ago was likely a Neanderthal-Homo sapiens hybrid. The girl's skull had been found in the Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel, Israel, in 1929 in the earliest known human cemetery alongside seven adults, two other children, and the bones of 16 other hominins. Originally, anthropologists classified the girl and all the bodies in the cemetery as Homo sapiens. However, when researchers re-examined the skull with CT scanning, they found that it had a mixture of both neanderthal and homo sapiens traits. Anne Dambricourt-Malassé, a paleoanthropologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and co-author of the study, told MailOnline that this girl's skeleton tells us what hybrids might have looked like. Dr Dambricourt-Malassé says that the girl had 'a powerful neck, a little higher than Homo sapiens, her forehead was less bulging.' The girl also showed a 'slight subnasal prognathism', meaning that her jaw would have jutted out much like the famous 'Habsburg chin'. 'Her smile showed a dental arch with the canines and incisors aligned and end-to-end, the upper and lower teeth touched,' says Dr Dambricourt-Malassé. Her spine shows that she would have had a more upright position than a Neanderthal, who typically walked with a curved back. However, the girl's jaw, spine, and pelvis all bear features that appear to be more Neanderthal in their origin. Overall, the girl might not look radically different to a modern human, but there would be noticeable differences in their features. New facial features In addition to having a mixture of traits from both parents, some researchers believe that interbreeding might have given rise to entirely new characteristics. In animals, hybrids often pick up new features that aren't present in either parent. For example, hybrids between Russian and Chinese mice often have huge heads, while coyote-wolf hybrids grow strange extra teeth or unusual 'gaps' in their bones. Likewise, Professor Israel Hershkovitz, an anthropologist from Tel Aviv University and a leading expert on human interbreeding, told MailOnline that this happens with humans as well. Professor Hershkovitz says: 'A good example is the bony ridge above the orbits [the eye socket], which is unique to the Skhul people.' This was 'not rounded but straight and continuous, protruding forward like a visor.' What would a hybrid look like after multiple generations? The so-called 'Skhul 1 Child' is extremely rare because Dr Dambricourt-Malassé and her co-authors believe she is the direct offspring of a Neanderthal and Homo sapiens. However, most examples of interbreeding show evidence of a gradual mixing over a much longer period of time. Professor Hershkovitz says: 'You have to distinguish between first-generation hybrid and long-running process. In the first case, Professor Hershkovitz says the hybrid will look much like their father or mother, with a few traits from the other parent. Hybrids formed over potentially thousands of years of inbreeding, meanwhile, will 'generally possess the shape of either the Neanderthal or Homo sapiens but will still show some traits of the other population.' According to many researchers, this is why we find examples of hybrids that exhibit a mosaic of traits from both human species. These hybrids would usually have some mixture of traits from both lineages. João Zilhão, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Barcelona, told MailOnline: 'Based on the fossils we have, in some cases it was body proportions, in other cases it was the morphology of bones in the cranium, in other cases it was the shape of the mandible, in still others the shape or the tissue composition of the dentition [teeth]. One example of such a hybrid is the 'Lapedo child', whose remains were found in Portugal's Lapedo valley in 1998. The child's heavy limbs and stocky build resembled those of a Neanderthal, but their chin and other features were unmistakably from Homo sapiens. Using novel dating methods, subsequent research has shown that this child probably died sometime between 27,780 and 28,550 years ago. This was extremely unusual since Neanderthals were supposed to have died out 40,000 years ago. That means this hybrid population was keeping Homo sapiens and Neanderthal genes alive over 10,000 years after the last 'pure' Neanderthals had vanished. Two separate species? According to Dr Zilhão, a co-author on the study, this shows that the two species must have been interbreeding far more frequently than most scientists were ready to consider. Dr Zilhão says: 'All the genetically 'modern' specimens from the time of contact that have been genomically sequenced have been shown to have 'pure' Neandertals in their family history dating back no more than four to six generations. 'At least 45 per cent of the specifically 'Neandertal' part of the Neandertals' genome is still found among present-day humans. 'You can compute yourself what the odds are that such facts can be explained other than by interbreeding being the rule rather than the exception.' Scientists believe that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals had two major periods of overlap and interbreeding. The first occurred around 250,000 years ago in what is now the modern-day Levant and lasted nearly 200,000 years. Followed by a second, shorter period of overlap of a few thousand years from about 45,000 years ago when Homo sapiens arrived in Europe. Over that time, some scientists think that the two species became extremely interconnected. Professor Hershkovitz believes that in the Levant, there were no 'pure' populations, only a population that looked like Neanderthals but had some Homo sapiens genes and a population that looked like Homo sapiens but retained some Neanderthal genes. Perhaps more controversially, Dr Zilhão and a few other scientists now argue that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals were not really distinct species all along. Dr Zilhão says: 'This shows that Neanderthals were Homo sapiens too. They were a West Eurasian variety, or race if you wish, of Homo sapiens.' A close relative of modern humans, Neanderthals went extinct 40,000 years ago The Neanderthals were a close human ancestor that mysteriously died out around 40,000 years ago. The species lived in Africa with early humans for millennia before moving across to Europe around 300,000 years ago. They were later joined by humans, who entered Eurasia around 48,000 years ago. These were the original 'cavemen', historically thought to be dim-witted and brutish compared to modern humans. In recent years though, and especially over the last decade, it has become increasingly apparent we've been selling Neanderthals short. A growing body of evidence points to a more sophisticated and multi-talented kind of 'caveman' than anyone thought possible. It now seems likely that Neanderthals had told, buried their dead, painted and even interbred with humans. They used body art such as pigments and beads, and they were the very first artists, with Neanderthal cave art (and symbolism) in Spain apparently predating the earliest modern human art by some 20,000 years. They are thought to have hunted on land and done some fishing. However, they went extinct around 40,000 years ago following the success of Homo sapiens in Europe.
Geeky Gadgets
an hour ago
- Geeky Gadgets
xAl Grok 4 : Elon Musk's Latest AI Model Demonstrated
What if the future of artificial intelligence wasn't just about solving problems but fundamentally reshaping how we think, create, and interact? Enter Grok 4, the latest breakthrough from XAI, a system so advanced it blurs the line between human ingenuity and machine precision. From acing PhD-level problems to optimizing real-world industries, Grok 4 doesn't just set new standards—it obliterates them. In a world increasingly reliant on AI, this isn't just another upgrade; it's a paradigm shift. And who better to unveil its fantastic potential than Elon Musk, a figure synonymous with pushing technological boundaries? Brighter with Herbert explore how Grok 4's reasoning and tool integration are redefining what AI can achieve. From transforming biomedical research to crafting immersive entertainment experiences, its applications span industries and disciplines, promising to reshape both economies and everyday life. But beyond its technical brilliance lies a deeper question: how will humanity adapt to a tool this powerful? Join us as we delve into the capabilities, challenges, and future implications of Grok 4, and discover why it's not just a technological leap—it's a glimpse into a new era of possibility. Grok 4: AI Revolution Unmatched Capabilities and Real-World Achievements Grok 4 demonstrates exceptional versatility across a wide range of disciplines, achieving near-perfect scores on academic benchmarks such as the SAT, GRE, and even advanced PhD-level problems. Its reasoning abilities extend beyond theoretical challenges, excelling in fields such as mathematics, physics, engineering, and the humanities. This remarkable performance is driven by advanced reinforcement learning techniques and seamless tool integration, allowing Grok 4 to solve complex problems with extraordinary precision. Real-world applications of Grok 4 further underscore its adaptability and fantastic potential: Optimizing vending machine networks in business simulations, showcasing its ability to manage intricate operations and improve efficiency. Analyzing massive biomedical datasets to uncover insights that could accelerate medical research and innovation. These achievements highlight Grok 4's capacity to address pressing challenges across industries, making it a valuable tool for businesses, researchers, and policymakers alike. Training and Computational Advancements The development of Grok 4 involved a substantial increase in computational resources, with a tenfold boost in training compute compared to its predecessor, Grok 3. This was made possible by using a vast infrastructure of 200,000 GPUs, allowing the refinement of its algorithms on an unprecedented scale. Advanced reinforcement learning techniques played a critical role in enhancing its problem-solving capabilities, making sure consistent and reliable performance across diverse tasks. Future iterations of Grok aim to incorporate multimodal understanding, allowing the system to process and interpret images, video, and audio with greater accuracy. This evolution will enable Grok to interact more effectively with real-world environments, further expanding its applications and utility. xAl's Grok 4 Intro and Demo with Elon Musk Watch this video on YouTube. Take a look at other insightful guides from our broad collection that might capture your interest in Grok 4. Fantastic Applications Across Industries Grok 4's capabilities extend far beyond academic benchmarks, offering practical solutions for industries ranging from healthcare to entertainment. Its ability to analyze vast datasets and generate actionable insights streamlines workflows, drives innovation, and enhances decision-making processes. Key applications include: Automation: Enhancing efficiency in manufacturing and logistics by optimizing processes and reducing operational costs. Enhancing efficiency in manufacturing and logistics by optimizing processes and reducing operational costs. Creative industries: Assisting in the generation of assets for video games, movies, and other interactive content, fostering creativity and innovation. Assisting in the generation of assets for video games, movies, and other interactive content, fostering creativity and innovation. Biomedical research: Supporting medical diagnostics and hypothesis testing by processing complex datasets and identifying patterns. For example, Grok 4's ability to simulate real-world scenarios and generate video content positions it as a valuable tool for businesses, researchers, and creative professionals. Its adaptability ensures that it can meet the unique demands of various sectors, driving progress and efficiency. Future Innovations and Multimodal Capabilities The roadmap for Grok 4 includes significant advancements in multimodal capabilities, allowing it to process and understand images, video, and audio with greater sophistication. These developments will unlock new possibilities in areas such as: Interactive content creation: Facilitating the development of AI-generated video games, immersive entertainment experiences, and dynamic storytelling. Facilitating the development of AI-generated video games, immersive entertainment experiences, and dynamic storytelling. Social media platforms: Enhancing user engagement through AI-generated video and audio content tailored to individual preferences. Enhancing user engagement through AI-generated video and audio content tailored to individual preferences. Humanoid robotics: Allowing real-world interactions and collaborative problem-solving with humans, paving the way for advanced robotics applications. Additionally, specialized coding models are being developed to streamline software development processes, making them faster, more efficient, and accessible to a broader range of users. Addressing AI Safety and Ethical Challenges As AI systems like Grok 4 grow more powerful, making sure their alignment with human values and ethical principles becomes increasingly critical. XAI has prioritized the integration of transparency, accountability, and truth-seeking behaviors into its models to ensure societal benefit. Key safety measures include: Rigorous testing: Identifying and mitigating potential risks to ensure the system operates reliably and safely. Identifying and mitigating potential risks to ensure the system operates reliably and safely. Safeguards: Implementing measures to prevent misuse and unintended consequences, protecting users and society at large. By addressing these challenges, XAI aims to build trust in AI systems and their applications, making sure they remain beneficial and aligned with societal interests. Economic and Societal Impacts The economic implications of Grok 4 are profound. By automating complex tasks and driving innovation, it has the potential to significantly boost productivity and expand the global economy. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and entertainment stand to benefit from increased efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced capabilities. On a societal level, Grok 4's advancements could improve quality of life through innovations in education, healthcare, and cultural expression. Its ability to generate creative content, such as video games and movies, opens new opportunities for engagement, storytelling, and artistic exploration. Advancements in Voice and Interaction Grok 4 introduces new improvements in voice synthesis, delivering natural-sounding AI voices with enhanced emotional expression and reduced latency. These advancements make interactions with AI systems more intuitive, engaging, and human-like. Applications include: Customer service: Improving user experience through natural voice interactions and personalized support. Improving user experience through natural voice interactions and personalized support. Education: Allowing personalized learning experiences through conversational AI, tailored to individual needs and preferences. Allowing personalized learning experiences through conversational AI, tailored to individual needs and preferences. Entertainment: Offering immersive and lifelike interactions in virtual environments, enhancing user engagement and enjoyment. Benchmark Performance and Leadership On key benchmarks, Grok 4 consistently outperforms its competitors, demonstrating exceptional reliability, adaptability, and robustness. Its ability to tackle long-term simulations and solve complex problems positions it as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, setting new standards for performance and innovation. Shaping the Future of AI Grok 4 represents a fantastic step in the evolution of artificial intelligence. Within the next year, AI-generated video games, movies, and interactive content are expected to become mainstream, driven by Grok's advanced capabilities. The continued acceleration of AI development promises to unlock new possibilities, fostering progress in both practical and creative domains. With its advanced reasoning, tool integration, and real-world applications, Grok 4 is poised to redefine the boundaries of AI. Its potential to transform industries and society underscores the profound impact of this technological milestone, shaping the future of innovation and human progress. Media Credit: Brighter with Herbert Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Sunday scaries' is real health threat ‘increasing your risk of heart attack', experts warn
CALL it "Sunday scaries" or "Monday blues", dreading the start of a new week can trigger long-term stress and take a toll on your heart health, scientists warn. The anxiety isn't just workplace related - retirees also displayed signs of heightened stress on Mondays after they'd stopped working. Researchers from the University of Hong Kong dubbed this the "Anxious Monday" effect. It suggests dysregulation of the body's stress management system - which is known to drive heart disease - is linked to the start of the week, regardless of work status, researchers said. Previous research has shown a 19 per cent increase in heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths on Mondays, the study authors also pointed out. They believe spikes in Monday heart attacks were unlikely to be random. Lead author Professor Tarani Chandola from the department of sociology, faculty of social sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), said: 'Mondays act as a cultural 'stress amplifier'. 'For some older adults, the week's transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. "This isn't about work - it's about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end." Feelings of stress and anxiety are linked to cardiovascular disease through a key biological mechanism called hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation. The HPA axis is the body's main way of responding to stress and results in the release of cortisol - known as the stress hormone - in the body. HPA axis dysregulation is characterised by excessive levels of cortisol production, which has previously been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and death, researchers explained. Feeling stressed Watch our 4-minute at-home yoga workout scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and tension It's also known to contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. The study team set out to examine whether "HPA-axis dysregulation is greater on Mondays than on other days, and whether this association is greater for working compared to non-working adults", they wrote in the Journal of Affective Disorders. They assessed data from over 3,500 older adults taking part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, including hair samples that showed cortisol levels in participants' bodies. People who reported feeling more anxious on Mondays had 23 per cent higher cortisol levels in their hair samples than those who felt anxious on other days. This was also seen among retirees, challenging assumptions that workplace stress alone explains "Monday blues". For many of us, stress can be a part of our daily life - to the point that we don't pick up on red flags until it's too late. Stress can affect you physically and mentally, as well as causing changes to your behaviour, the NHS notes. You may experience some of the following signs when struggling with stress: Headaches or dizziness Muscle tension or pain Stomach problems Chest pain or a faster heartbeat Sexual problems Difficulty concentrating Struggling to make decisions Feeling overwhelmed Constantly worrying Being forgetful Being irritable and snappy Sleeping too much or too little Eating too much or too little Avoiding certain places or people Drinking or smoking more If stress is taking a toll on your life, that's a sign to seek help for it. Try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member or health professional. You could also contact Samaritans, call: 116 123 or email: jo@ if you need someone to talk to If you need more support, you can get free talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the NHS. You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without a referral from a GP. Source: NHS Researchers concluded: 'This study found strong evidence for an association between reporting anxiety on Mondays and HPA-axis dysregulation. 'The anxious Monday association with HPA-axis dysregulation measured subsequently was evident among both working and nonworking older adults, with no reduction in the association among those not at work." The findings suggest social patterns - not just job demands - embed themselves in human physiology, with lasting health risks, researchers said. Previous studies have pointed to higher stress hormone levels among people on weekdays versus weekends, but the latest research is the first to pinpoint Mondays as uniquely disruptive. Researchers hope addressing Monday-specific stressors could pave the way for new strategies to combat heart disease. "Hospitals and clinics need to plan for increased CVD events on Mondays," they also suggested. "Most people should adapt to their feelings of Monday anxiety over their working life course. "However, for some people, there is a lack of adaptation to Monday anxiety, and this does not appear to diminish when they stop working."
