Archaeologists Make Groundbreaking Easter Island Discovery
Rapa Nui has long been seen as the epitome of a remote community, with historical records indicating that it developed in isolation without other Polynesian communities after it was established in 1200 A.D. However, the new research has found that Rapa Nui was influential in the development of other East Polynesian cultures and influenced the passing of some ceremonial ideals across the Pacific. Using radiocarbon dating, experts in Pacific archaeology Paul Wallin and Helene Martinsson-Wallin found that marae temple structures—intricate rectangular clearings which were used for community ceremonies—originated on Rapa Nui rather than on one of the connected islands, as was previously believed.
'The most important finding is that, based on C-14 dating, we can observe an initial west-to-east spread of ritual ideas," Wallin explained. "However, the complex, unified ritual spaces (known as marae) show earlier dates in the east."The results show that the Polynesian islands were far more interconnected and sophisticated than previously thought. It is believed that since ceremonial practices made their way from Rapa Nui to other Pacific settlements indicates a high level of maritime activity operating in the Polynesian islands, which pushes against any ideas of isolationism.
"The migration process from West Polynesian core areas such as Tonga and Samoa to East Polynesia is not disputed here," the study reads. "Still, the static west-to-east colonization and dispersal suggested for East Polynesia and the idea that Rapa Nui was only colonized once in the past and developed in isolation is challenged."
The study has largely reconceived how history views Rapa Nui and the Polynesian islands, and challenges commonly accepted ideas about the movement and development of ritual temple sites in East Polynesia," according to Wallen. 'The findings suggest a more complex pattern than previously thought. Initially, it has been shown that ritual ideas spread from west to east. Later, more elaborate temple structures developed on Easter Island, which then influenced other parts of East Polynesia in an east-to-west movement."Archaeologists Make Groundbreaking Easter Island Discovery first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 9, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Watch out for videos of ginormous anacondas in Amazon River
Claim: A series of videos shows massive, real-life anacondas swimming through the Amazon River. Rating: In July 2025, several videos began circulating across social media platforms, allegedly showing aerial footage of gigantic anacondas slithering through the Amazon River. These videos, some of which received millions of views, appeared to show unnaturally large snakes moving through dense jungle waterways. One TikTok post (archived) with the footage gained over 36 million views on TikTok. Similar videos spread across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, X and Reddit. However, these videos did not depict real-life events. They were created using AI video generation tools, most likely Sora, a text-to-video model developed by OpenAI. Many of the clips included a subtle watermark in the bottom-right corner indicating the use of such a tool. Additionally, no reputable news agencies or wildlife organizations reported any recent sightings of extraordinarily large anacondas in the Amazon River. While green anacondas (Eunectes murinus) are indeed among the largest snakes in the world and inhabit the region, the ones shown in these videos are far larger than any known specimen, and clearly fabricated. As such, we have rated these videos as fake. Wave of AI anaconda videos spreads online The TikTok profile (archived) @ which had over 387,300 followers as of this writing, featured dozens of AI-generated videos, many of which depicted surreal wildlife scenes, such as giant anacondas in the Amazon rain forest (see screenshot below). (TikTok user @ One of the user's TikTok videos (archived) reached over 12 million views, with a caption reading: During a routine surveillance mission over the Amazon River, a military helicopter crew spotted something unbelievable — a massive black anaconda gliding through the jungle waters. The size and speed of the serpent stunned the crew, and the footage is sending chills across the internet!Was this just a freak encounter… or is something colossal lurking in the Amazon depths? The description further stated 📍Location: Amazon River Basin 🎥 Type: AI-generated concept" and featured "#AIConcept" hashtag, among other ones. While this video at least included the disclosure that it was AI-generated, many viewers seemed to take it at face value, expressing shock and belief in the video's authenticity. Most other viral versions of the footage, however, lacked any disclaimer or context indicating they were AI-generated. Additionally, the clips featured a subtle OpenAI Blossom logo watermark in the bottom-right corner, indicating they were created using the AI video generator Sora (see image below). (TikTok use @ Illustration) The TikTok user confirmed personally creating all the videos using the AI tool Sora, consistent with the watermarks visible in the clips. The videos also displayed several telltale signs of being artificially created. For example, the massive snakes appeared to float on the surface of the water without interacting realistically with their surroundings. What's more, the textures of the snakes' skin and the water looked unnatural and overly smooth, lacking the detail and complexity seen in real footage. Finally, no reputable media outlets reported any verified sightings of such creatures, and the snakes depicted in the videos were of a size far beyond anything known to science. While real green anacondas are among the biggest snakes on Earth, the exaggerated scale shown in these AI-generated clips indicated they were entirely fabricated. (Don't) do it yourself To test how easily such viral snake videos could be created, we used Sora. With just a simple prompt, reading: " "generate a video, a view from above, pretty high, showing multiple anacondas in amazon river," we were able to produce a video that closely resembled the viral videos circulating online. (Sora) The videos were created in under a minute, with no need for editing software or wildlife knowledge. Notably, this was done with a very basic, first-try prompt. With just a little more effort, such as specifying camera movement, lighting, environmental effects, or more natural snake behavior, the results could be made even more realistic and harder to distinguish from genuine footage. For reference, here's a video of a real anaconda: We regularly debunk AI-generated content, including a recent rumor claiming that "The Simpsons" predicted a July 2025 scandal in which a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert allegedly caught a tech CEO cheating with the company's chief people officer. - YouTube. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. AI Generated Content Articles | Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. Esposito, Joey. "Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal?" Snopes, 21 Jul. 2025, "Green Anaconda, Facts and Information." Animals, 13 Jun. 2025, OpenAI. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. Sora: Creating Video from Text. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
This test can predict how long a middle-aged person will live in just a few seconds
When it comes to longevity, it's not just about living for as many years as possible. The goal is to live healthier, and free of disease or injury, for as long as possible. Healthy aging often boils down to simple habits like exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet rich in fiber, getting enough sleep, and connecting with others. Even if a person practices these habits, is there a way to know how long they'll live? While there's no crystal ball for lifespan, there is a simple test you can take in middle age that may help predict how many years you have left. An exercise researcher reveals why this test can be a good indicator of longevity and a wakeup call to change your lifestyle. Longevity Tip of the Day: The Sitting-to-Rising Test May Predict How Long You'll Live The sitting-to-rising test (SRT) is a measure of how easy or difficult it is to sit on the floor without using the arms, hands or knees for support or balance, and stand back up again without assistance. The SRT assesses a person's non-aerobic physical fitness, which includes muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and a healthy body composition. These are also all indicators of healthy aging, Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo, a sports medicine physician and researcher at the Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, told NBC News. New research led by Araújo shows that a person's score on this test may predict how many years they have left to live, according to a report published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Araújo's team administered the SRT to 4,282 adults aged 46–75, using a 0-5 point system. A perfect score (five points) required going from a sitting to rising position unassisted. Any time a body part was used to balance or get up, one point was subtracted. The researchers followed up 12 years later and found that the vast majority of people with perfect scores were still alive, compared to less than half of those who scored four points or less. The authors concluded that the SRT was a strong predictor of natural and cardiovascular mortality. While the test doesn't directly prove that a perfect score results in a longer lifespan, 'it is quite reasonable to expect this,' Araújo told NBC News. Why It Matters 'Aerobic fitness is important, but muscle strength, a healthy body mass index, balance and flexibility are also vital for healthy aging,' Araújo said. The SRT is not perfect, but it is a reliable indicator of longevity because it assesses these factors. However, the real value of this test may be that it can serve as a warning sign to start changing your habits. Fortunately, the score you get on the test is not final. Instead, it can give a snapshot of your fitness level and what you need to improve upon — especially if you're in your 50s, which is an ideal time to start building healthy aging habits. If your SRT score is low, you can work on these deficits by building strength and balance to score higher, Araújo said. How to Get Started Always consult with your doctor before trying the test at home, especially if you have underlying health issues or injuries. In order to do the sitting-to-rising test, all you need is another person to keep score (you can use a 10-point system). Here's how: Start from a standing position. Slowly sit on the floor crosslegged without using any other body part to balance. Stand up from this position, without any assistance. Subtract one point every time you use your hand, knee, forearm, or side of your leg to help. If are able to sit down and stand back up with no assistance, you score a perfect 10. If you couldn't get off the ground, you score a zero. A good score would be considered eight or higher. TODAY's Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Gizmodo
A Rare Interstellar Object Is Zipping Through Our Solar System. This Brand-New Telescope Saw It First
Nearly a month ago, a mysterious object was seen hurtling through the solar system and later confirmed as an interstellar visitor traveling toward the Sun. Several telescopes have since turned their attention to the wandering object, but it turns out the brand-new Vera C. Rubin Observatory was the first to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS. In an act of cosmic serendipity, astronomers pointed the Rubin Observatory toward the patch of sky where the interstellar object appeared during its commissioning phase. Images captured by the observatory, perched atop a mountain in the Chilean Andes, later revealed the comet in its full glory. Rubin's observations of 3I/ATLAS were recorded on June 21, around 10 days before its official discovery, according to a recent paper available on the preprint website arXiv. The Rubin Observatory, overseen by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE), boasts the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy. Its car-sized, 3.2-gigapixel camera is designed to capture ultra-high-definition images and videos of the cosmos. The observatory unveiled its first images to the public on June 23, observing millions of galaxies and stars in the Milky Way over a period of just 10 hours. The images were not only beautiful—they also revealed supernovas and distant galaxies that could help astronomers study the universe's expansion. With its revolutionary precision, it's no wonder then that the Rubin Observatory captured the recently discovered comet before any other telescope. 3I/ATLAS was first spotted in data collected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) between June 25 and 29, and again on July 1. By July 2, the Deep Random Survey remote telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, had seen it too. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center confirmed that this comet came from outside our solar system on July 2, marking the third discovery of an interstellar object. Since then, astronomers have been rushing to gather as much data as they can on the mysterious object. The Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii, recently snapped a close-up view of 3I/ATLAS, capturing the comet's coma in extreme detail. Initial observations of 3I/ATLAS suggest it's the oldest comet ever found, around 2 billion years older than our solar system. Compared to the two previously discovered interstellar objects, 'Oumuamua and Comet 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is not only older, but it's also faster. A recent study, which has yet to undergo peer review, found that 3I/ATLAS has a hyperbolic velocity of about 37 miles per second (60 kilometers per second). Rubin's early observations of 3I/ATLAS are important considering they are the earliest images captured of the comet by a high-precision telescope. The new paper includes 49 images in total, although some were excluded because they were captured during Rubin's alignment sequence and were out of focus. Nineteen of the images were captured during intentional operations and confirm that 3I/ATLAS does in fact behave like a comet, with a cloud of gas and dust surrounding its icy nucleus, according to the paper. Just as it was the first to spot the comet, Rubin will also be the first to lose sight of it. On August 22, 3I/ATLAS will shift out of the area in the sky currently being watched by the observatory. Until then, the astronomers behind the paper will keep an eye out for the interstellar visitor in Rubin's images.
