Latest news with #ComplutenseUniversityofMadrid
Business Standard
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
"Session Based on Open Dialogue Results at SPIEF-2025 is Important for BRICS": Foreign Experts on the Discussion
India PR Distribution New Delhi [India], June 20: Doctor of Economics and Professor at Complutense University of Madrid, Juan A. de Castro de Arespacochaga, emphasised the special significance of the session "Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth" that opened SPIEF-2025. This session set the tone for the forum's business program and the future economic agenda of global development. The expert shared his observations on the forum's sidelines in St. Petersburg from June 18 to 21. "This was a key session because we had a truly open dialogue about the future. Of course, I think this will be important for Russia, BRICS, and those countries that today represent the global majority. These are countries that will become the leading seven states by 2050. Undoubtedly, this is important for Russia, but it's also important for the whole world. I was in Russia in 2023 and have come back now. Both then and now, I notice optimism, dynamics, and development here. And all the businesspeople and leaders here see this too," noted Juan A. de Castro de Arespacochaga. According to the expert, the discussion that took place and the entire SPIEF-2025 will become a powerful impulse for the economic growth of Global South countries. Tiago Rudiger, CEO of Tanssi Foundation, emphasised that the results of the National Centre "Russia" Open Dialogue, which played a special role in forming the forum's agenda, were the foundation of the session "Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth. " He added that without the large-scale event of NC "Russia," the substantive start of the SPIEF-2025 business block would not have taken place. "I believe that the Open Dialogue several months ago in Moscow was an amazing event. It gave me great pleasure to participate in it and become part of such a large-scale event. The event was brilliantly organised, and the discussions on various issues and spheres proved productive. It was a diverse and open dialogue--exactly as it should be. The event featured a wide geography of participants and an extensive range of topics," shared the expert from Brazil. SPIEF-2025 will take place in St. Petersburg from June 18 to 21. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin moderated the session "Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth." At the session organised by NC "Russia," participants discussed the report on the results of the Open Dialogue prepared by the Centre for Cross-Industry Expertise "Third Rome." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This May Be The World's Oldest Human Fingerprint, And That's Not All
Around 43,000 years ago, a Neanderthal dipped their finger in ocher and stamped the very center of a pebble. This one small marking on this one small stone still exists to this day. It was discovered in 2022 in the San Lázaro rock shelter of Central Spain, and it may be the world's oldest complete human fingerprint. More than that, it could also be one of the oldest known artistic representations of a human face. That latter claim remains controversial, but the red fingerprint does sit in the very middle of the pebble, below two divots and above another – an artistic 'boop' right where a nose should be. On site, the face immediately jumped out to archaeologists, led by David Álvarez-Alonso at the Complutense University of Madrid. If the team is right, this stone was probably carried from the nearby river to the San Lázaro rock shelter. The Neanderthal who selected it must have seen something special in its shape to take it home and paint it with ocher, especially as it seems to serve no functional purpose and no other ocher has been found at the site. "The ocher dot does not appear as a shapeless addition or a mere stain," explain the authors, "rather, it contains a fingerprint that implies the pigment has been applied specifically with the tip of a finger soaked in pigment." There's always a chance the print was made by accident. But Álvarez Alonso and colleagues think it is more likely the marking was an intentional act of imagination and symbolic art – a skill we have only just started giving Neanderthals credit for. "If we had a pebble with a red dot on it that was done 5,000 years ago by Homo sapiens, no one would hesitate to call it portable art," Álvarez Alonso told Sam Jones at The Guardian. "But associating Neanderthals with art generates a lot of debate. I think there's sometimes an unintentional prejudice." The study was published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. Robot Hand Could Help Scientists Decode Why Tickling Makes Us Giggle Earliest Known Whale Bone Tools Discovered in Europe's Museum Collections Are Dogs Replacing Babies in Countries With Declining Birth Rates?
Economic Times
30-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Neanderthals may have created the first known symbolic art as scientists discover world's oldest human fingerprint
Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed a 43,000-year-old pebble bearing a Neanderthal fingerprint, potentially the oldest known. The red ocher mark, deliberately placed on the stone, suggests artistic expression and symbolic thought. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about Neanderthal intelligence and their capacity for abstract thinking, adding to growing evidence of their symbolic behavior. A 43,000-year-old ocher fingerprint, pressed onto a potato-shaped stone by a Neanderthal, may be the earliest evidence of symbolic art, and the oldest known human fingerprint ever discovered. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The world's oldest fingerprints What does the fingerprint resemble? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Previous discoveries Archaeologists have uncovered what may be the world's oldest known human fingerprint, left by a Neanderthal approximately 43,000 years ago on a pebble in central Spain. The remarkable discovery can reshape our understanding of Neanderthal discovery was made at the San Lázaro rock shelter near Segovia, where researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid unearthed a quartz-rich granite pebble bearing a deliberate red ocher mark. The pigment, identified as iron oxide, not native to the cave, was applied with a human fingertip, leaving behind a clear whore pattern characteristic of a fingerprint. Also Read: Advanced weapons built 80,000 years ago, unearthed in Russia, have no human connection The pebble itself features three natural indentations resembling eyes and a mouth. The red ocher mark aligns precisely where a nose would be, suggesting the Neanderthal artist may have perceived a face in the stone and enhanced it with pigment, a phenomenon known as pareidolia. Forensic analyses, including multispectral imaging and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the intentional placement of the pigment and the presence of a human fingerprint. Statistical modeling indicated a mere 0.31 percent chance that the red dot's alignment with the indentations occurred by coincidence, reinforcing the idea of deliberate artistic finding adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting Neanderthals engaged in symbolic discoveries include engraved bones, modified talons, and cave paintings attributed to Neanderthals, challenging the notion that symbolic thought was exclusive to Homo sapiens. However, interpretations of the pebble's significance vary among experts. Anthropologist Bruce Hardy noted that while the ocher application was intentional, "symbolism is in the eye of the beholder." Archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes suggested the mark could represent a navel rather than a nose, cautioning against definitive conclusions about its differing opinions, the discovery underscores the complexity of Neanderthal cognition and their capacity for abstract thought. The pebble, likely transported from the nearby Eresma River, shows no signs of utilitarian use, indicating it may have served a symbolic or decorative purpose.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Neanderthals may have created the first known symbolic art as scientists discover world's oldest human fingerprint
Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed a 43,000-year-old pebble bearing a Neanderthal fingerprint, potentially the oldest known. The red ocher mark, deliberately placed on the stone, suggests artistic expression and symbolic thought. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about Neanderthal intelligence and their capacity for abstract thinking, adding to growing evidence of their symbolic behavior. A 43,000-year-old ocher fingerprint, pressed onto a potato-shaped stone by a Neanderthal, may be the earliest evidence of symbolic art, and the oldest known human fingerprint ever discovered. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The world's oldest fingerprints What does the fingerprint resemble? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Previous discoveries Archaeologists have uncovered what may be the world's oldest known human fingerprint, left by a Neanderthal approximately 43,000 years ago on a pebble in central Spain. The remarkable discovery can reshape our understanding of Neanderthal discovery was made at the San Lázaro rock shelter near Segovia, where researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid unearthed a quartz-rich granite pebble bearing a deliberate red ocher mark. The pigment, identified as iron oxide, not native to the cave, was applied with a human fingertip, leaving behind a clear whore pattern characteristic of a fingerprint. Also Read: Advanced weapons built 80,000 years ago, unearthed in Russia, have no human connection The pebble itself features three natural indentations resembling eyes and a mouth. The red ocher mark aligns precisely where a nose would be, suggesting the Neanderthal artist may have perceived a face in the stone and enhanced it with pigment, a phenomenon known as pareidolia. Forensic analyses, including multispectral imaging and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the intentional placement of the pigment and the presence of a human fingerprint. Statistical modeling indicated a mere 0.31 percent chance that the red dot's alignment with the indentations occurred by coincidence, reinforcing the idea of deliberate artistic finding adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting Neanderthals engaged in symbolic discoveries include engraved bones, modified talons, and cave paintings attributed to Neanderthals, challenging the notion that symbolic thought was exclusive to Homo sapiens. However, interpretations of the pebble's significance vary among experts. Anthropologist Bruce Hardy noted that while the ocher application was intentional, "symbolism is in the eye of the beholder." Archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes suggested the mark could represent a navel rather than a nose, cautioning against definitive conclusions about its differing opinions, the discovery underscores the complexity of Neanderthal cognition and their capacity for abstract thought. The pebble, likely transported from the nearby Eresma River, shows no signs of utilitarian use, indicating it may have served a symbolic or decorative purpose.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal eating watermelon could reverse erectile dysfunction and boost your sex drive
New research has revealed that eating watermelon may help boost men's sex lives by reversing erectile dysfunction and improving fertility. The study, published in the journal Current Research in Food Science, noted that all the benefits of the refreshing snack is due to the fact that it's full of antioxidants. Study author Haitham Al-Madhagi, from Thamar University in Dhamar, claimed that the fruit works the same way as Viagra. In other words, watermelon relaxes blood vessels by boosting production of nitric oxide. Researchers said in the study: 'Watermelon has played an important dietary and medicinal role throughout the history of mankind. However, the mechanism for its therapeutic actions on male reproduction remains unknown. 'The antioxidant properties of watermelon have been shown to improve sperm quality, male sexual dysfunction, and to improve testicle function.' It comes after scientists suggested that vitamin D deficiency can fuel erectile dysfunction and even make libido-boosting drugs less effective. Spanish scientists found that those with diagnosed vitamin D deficiencies had reduced function in their corpora cavernosa, the spongy tissue in the penis that is crucial for maintaining erections. The new research, by specialists from the Complutense University of Madrid, involved taking samples of corpora cavernosa tissue from 12 human donors with vitamin D deficiency. The researchers then stimulated the tissue using an electrical probe to test the function of the nerves. They found that donors with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D had the weakest responses to electric stimulation. In a separate experiment, the same researchers fed rats a diet free from vitamin D, and found these animals were less responsive to the erectile dysfunction Viagra, compared to rats not on the diet. 'Our results suggest that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the lack of response to this first-line treatment of erectile dysfunction', said Dr Miguel Olivencia, a researcher at Complutense University and co-author of the study. He added: 'The findings raise the possibility that restoring vitamin D in patients with vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction would improve sexual performance.'
