Latest news with #Bille
Gizmodo
05-07-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
This Weird Pyramid Always Lands on the Same Face, Confirming 40-Year-Old Theory
'Bille' is the first-ever monostable tetrahedron, or a pyramid-like shape with four triangular faces that has one stable resting position. What this means is that Bille, no matter how you throw it and how it lands, will flip back on exactly the same side every single time. In a recent preprint submitted to arXiv, mathematicians revealed the first physical model of Bille, closing a decades-old theory proposed by the renowned British mathematician John Conway. Made of lightweight carbon fiber and dense tungsten carbide, Bille represents an array of ridiculously sophisticated engineering decisions—making this as much a technological achievement as a mathematical one. It's no surprise, therefore, that its self-righting property additionally hints at some exciting applications for the spaceflight industry—which notably experienced two recent landing mishaps with toppled-over lunar landers. In his initial conjecture, Conway surmised that a tetrahedron with unevenly distributed weight across its sides would always flip to the same side, although a few years later Conway himself rejected the idea. Some mathematicians still thought there could be something to it, however, namely study co-author Robert Dawson, who almost succeeded in proving Conway right in the 1980s using lead foil and sticks of bamboo. 'But my recollection was that this only almost worked because of angular momentum,' Dawson, now a mathematician at Saint Mary's University in Canada, told Gizmodo. 'In the way that if a car comes across a bump in the road and it's already moving, it'll get over it thanks to angular momentum. But it might have a hard time starting up against that bump.' Ideally, the monostable tetrahedron shouldn't need another push to flop back on the 'base' side. For a while, it seemed like Conway's theory would end up in a box of really-cool-but-unlikely math ideas—until about three years ago, when mathematician Gábor Domokos and his student, Gergő Almádi at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, reached out to Dawson. Domokos, a long-time expert on tricky balancing problems in geometry, had already discovered the gömböc, a roundish object that balances only on two points like a roly-poly toy. While an impressive discovery, the gömböc, with its mostly round, multi-sided design, features relatively easy conditions for self-balancing, Domoko told Gizmodo. The fewer sides a figure has and the smaller the angles are on each side, the harder it is to make that figure monostable, he said. Picture the common six-sided die. 'If it is a fair die, it will land on each face with equal probability,' Domoko explained. Even if someone cheats and modifies the die by putting some extra weight on a couple of surfaces, the probability will shift slightly, but it should still be possible for the die to stand on all its faces. In that sense, the tetrahedron, with its pointy corners and tiny acute angles across its four sides, makes it the 'most difficult problem, the highest category' of shapes in terms of monostability—barring some kind of engineering miracle. Which really happened. After deriving a theoretical model to calculate Bille's dimensions, Almádi, an architecture student, spearheaded the quest to build a structure that, somehow, had one side made from a 'really heavy material, the lighter parts almost air, and an almost empty skeleton,' Domokos said. The team settled on carbon tubes for the skeleton and, for the base, dense tungsten carbide—a metal alloy twice as heavy as steel. Even after all that, an issue remained: For some reason, Bille kept landing on two different sides, not the one intended side. 'Then we looked at it, and there was a very small glob of glue which was sticking to one end!' Domoko exclaimed. Despite the chief engineer's assurances that it made no difference, Domoko insisted on removing the tiny blob of glue—the density and shape of which were also calculated with ridiculous precision. And—voilà. Bille made mathematical history. That said, the engineers played a huge role in making this possible, Domokos clarified. 'They were all part of the creation process—the geometry, engineering, and technological design. They all needed to click. If you take out any of these, it doesn't work.' To make sure Bille wasn't just a one-time dud, Domokos' team succeeded in making a second model—though this probably isn't something one could easily make at home. 'We wish good luck to anyone doing it,' Domokos joked. 'But somebody doing it now has a huge advantage compared to us, because we didn't know whether it would work.' Domokos is particularly excited to see what might become of Bille further down the line. One reason Domokos didn't want to stop at merely modeling Bille was because of gömböc, he explained. Like many aesthetically pleasing mathematical breakthroughs, gömböc got a lot of love from artistic communities and natural scientists drawing parallels between turtle shells and gömböc—which Domokos more or less expected. What he didn't expect was that Novo Nordisk, in collaboration with MIT and Harvard, would take interest in gömböc's design principles for an insulin capsule that self-rights itself once inside a stomach, eliminating the need for needle injections. 'And it sounded so outlandish—like science fiction,' Domokos said. 'Gömböc taught me that physical objects are crucial—there are many bright people out there who are not mathematically minded, but they can look at something and it will reflect in their minds many other things.' Still, it'll probably be a while—if ever—before Bille ends up in the blueprint for the latest lunar lander, which Domokos knows will be extremely challenging. 'When you develop something, you have to wait and technological innovation will catch up. Sometimes it takes 100 years, sometimes it takes 10 years. Mathematics is always a little bit ahead.'
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Nigerian communities set to have oil pollution High Court claims tried in 2027
Residents of two Nigerian communities who are taking legal action against Shell over oil pollution are set to take their cases to trial at the High Court in 2027. Members of the Bille and Ogale communities in the Niger Delta, which have a combined population of around 50,000, are suing Shell plc and a Nigerian-based subsidiary of the company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, which is now the Renaissance Africa Energy Company. The two communities began legal action in 2015, claiming they have suffered systemic and ongoing oil pollution for years due to the companies' operations in the African country, including pollution of drinking water. They are seeking compensation and asking for the companies to clean up the damage caused by the spills. The companies are defending the claims, saying that the majority of spills are caused by criminal acts of third parties or illegal oil refining, for which they are not liable. On Friday, Mrs Justice May ruled on more than 20 preliminary issues in the claims, following a hearing held in London over four weeks in February and March. She said that 'some 85 spills have, so far, been identified', but added that the case was 'still at a very early stage'. Her findings included that Shell could be sued for damage from pipeline spills caused by third parties, such as vandals, in efforts to steal oil, a process known as bunkering. She also said that while there was a five-year limitation period on bringing legal claims, a 'new cause of action will arise each day that oil remains' on land affected by the spills. The cases are due to be tried over four months, starting in March 2027. Reacting to the ruling, the leader of the Ogale community, King Bebe Okpabi, said: 'It has been 10 years now since we started this case, we hope that now Shell will stop these shenanigans and sit down with us to sort this out. ' People in Ogale are dying; Shell need to bring a remedy. 'We thank the judicial system of the UK for this judgment.' Matthew Renishaw, international development partner at law firm Leigh Day, which represents the claimants, said: 'This outcome opens the door to Shell being held responsible for their legacy pollution as well as their negligence in failing to take reasonable steps to prevent pollution from oil theft or local refining.' He continued: 'Our clients reiterate, as they have repeatedly for 10 years, that they simply want Shell to clean up their pollution and compensate them for their loss of livelihood. 'It is high time that Shell stop their legal filibuster and do the right thing.' A Shell spokesperson said that the company welcomed the judgment. They said: 'For many years, the vast majority of spills in the Niger Delta have been caused by third parties acting unlawfully, such as oil thieves who drill holes in pipelines, or saboteurs. 'This criminality is the cause of the majority of spills in the Bille and Ogale claims, and we maintain that Shell is not liable for the criminal acts of third parties or illegal refining. 'These challenges are managed by a joint venture which Shell's former subsidiary operated, using its expertise in spill response and clean-up. 'The spills referenced in this litigation were cleaned up by the joint venture regardless of the cause, as required by Nigerian law, working closely with government-owned partner NNPC Ltd, Nigerian government agencies and local communities. 'Clean-up certificates were issued by the Nigerian regulator NOSDRA.' The High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled in 2017 and 2018, respectively, that there was no arguable case that Shell owed the claimants a duty of care, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that there was a 'real issue to be tried'.
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Nigerian communities to take Shell to high court over oil pollution
Residents of two Nigerian communities who are taking legal action against Shell over oil pollution are set to take their cases to trial at the high court in 2027. Members of the Bille and Ogale communities in the Niger delta, which have a combined population of about 50,000, are suing Shell and a Nigerian-based subsidiary of the company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, which is now the Renaissance Africa Energy Company. The two communities began legal action in 2015, claiming they have suffered systemic and ongoing oil pollution for years due to the companies' operations in the African country, including the pollution of drinking water. They are seeking compensation and asking for the companies to clean up damage caused by the spills. The companies are defending the claims, saying that the majority of spills are caused by the criminal acts of third parties or illegal oil refining, for which they are not liable. On Friday, Mrs Justice May ruled on more than 20 preliminary issues in the claims after a hearing held in London over four weeks in February and March. She said that 'some 85 spills have, so far, been identified', but added that the case was 'still at a very early stage'. Her findings included that Shell could be sued for damage from pipeline spills caused by third parties, such as vandals, in efforts to steal oil, a process known as bunkering. She also said that, while there was a five-year limitation period on bringing legal claims, a 'new cause of action will arise each day that oil remains' on land affected by the spills. The cases are due to be tried over four months, starting in March 2027. Reacting to the ruling, the leader of the Ogale community, King Bebe Okpabi, said: 'It has been 10 years now since we started this case. We hope that now Shell will stop these shenanigans and sit down with us to sort this out. People in Ogale are dying; Shell need to bring a remedy. We thank the judicial system of the UK for this judgment.' A Shell spokesperson said that the company also welcomed the judgment. They said: 'For many years, the vast majority of spills in the Niger Delta have been caused by third parties acting unlawfully, such as oil thieves who drill holes in pipelines or saboteurs. 'This criminality is the cause of the majority of spills in the Bille and Ogale claims, and we maintain that Shell is not liable for the criminal acts of third parties or illegal refining. These challenges are managed by a joint venture, which Shell's former subsidiary operated, using its expertise in spill response and clean-up.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nigerian communities set to have oil pollution High Court claims tried in 2027
Residents of two Nigerian communities who are taking legal action against Shell over oil pollution are set to take their cases to trial at the High Court in 2027. Members of the Bille and Ogale communities in the Niger Delta, which have a combined population of around 50,000, are suing Shell plc and a Nigerian-based subsidiary of the company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, which is now the Renaissance Africa Energy Company. The two communities began legal action in 2015, claiming they have suffered systemic and ongoing oil pollution for years due to the companies' operations in the African country, including pollution of drinking water. They are seeking compensation and asking for the companies to clean up the damage caused by the spills. The companies are defending the claims, saying that the majority of spills are caused by criminal acts of third parties or illegal oil refining, for which they are not liable. On Friday, Mrs Justice May ruled on more than 20 preliminary issues in the claims, following a hearing held in London over four weeks in February and March. She said that 'some 85 spills have, so far, been identified', but added that the case was 'still at a very early stage'. Her findings included that Shell could be sued for damage from pipeline spills caused by third parties, such as vandals, in efforts to steal oil, a process known as bunkering. She also said that while there was a five-year limitation period on bringing legal claims, a 'new cause of action will arise each day that oil remains' on land affected by the spills. The cases are due to be tried over four months, starting in March 2027. Reacting to the ruling, the leader of the Ogale community, King Bebe Okpabi, said: 'It has been 10 years now since we started this case, we hope that now Shell will stop these shenanigans and sit down with us to sort this out. 'People in Ogale are dying; Shell need to bring a remedy. 'We thank the judicial system of the UK for this judgment.' Matthew Renishaw, international development partner at law firm Leigh Day, which represents the claimants, said: 'This outcome opens the door to Shell being held responsible for their legacy pollution as well as their negligence in failing to take reasonable steps to prevent pollution from oil theft or local refining.' He continued: 'Our clients reiterate, as they have repeatedly for 10 years, that they simply want Shell to clean up their pollution and compensate them for their loss of livelihood. 'It is high time that Shell stop their legal filibuster and do the right thing.' A Shell spokesperson said that the company welcomed the judgment. They said: 'For many years, the vast majority of spills in the Niger Delta have been caused by third parties acting unlawfully, such as oil thieves who drill holes in pipelines, or saboteurs. 'This criminality is the cause of the majority of spills in the Bille and Ogale claims, and we maintain that Shell is not liable for the criminal acts of third parties or illegal refining. 'These challenges are managed by a joint venture which Shell's former subsidiary operated, using its expertise in spill response and clean-up. 'The spills referenced in this litigation were cleaned up by the joint venture regardless of the cause, as required by Nigerian law, working closely with government-owned partner NNPC Ltd, Nigerian government agencies and local communities. 'Clean-up certificates were issued by the Nigerian regulator NOSDRA.' The High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled in 2017 and 2018, respectively, that there was no arguable case that Shell owed the claimants a duty of care, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that there was a 'real issue to be tried'.
Eater
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Thomas Bille of Belly and the Beast Takes Home James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas
On June 16, the winners of the 'Oscars of food,' as the James Beard Awards have been called, were announced. From Houston, the sole winner is Thomas Bille at Belly of the Beast in the Best Chef: Texas category. Bille tells deeply personal stories through his cooking, unraveling his family history and formative years living in Los Angeles. The restaurant began as a pop-up in 2018 and later opened as a counter-service restaurant in Old Town Spring in February 2020. COVID impacted the nation the following month, and in 2021 Bille was forced to close Belly of the Beast after a dispute over increased rent with the landlord. It reopened at its current location in 2023. The menu at Belly of the Beast combines his Mexican American heritage, French culinary training, and family memories into dishes that are personal, playful, and genre-defying. Previously, Belly of the Beast earned a Bib Gourmond at the first-ever Texas Michelin Awards ceremony. The 2025 nominees for Houston included Ema for Best New Restaurant; March for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program; and Emmanuel Chavez at Tatemó in the Best Chef: Texas category. Each year, the James Beard Foundation recognizes restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories such as Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, when chefs such as Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck emerged as winners. In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny following the cancellation of its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misbehavior and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, with plans to return in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. See More:
