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During a hike in the Swiss Alps, he stumbled upon an unusual 20th-century wagon embedded in a receding glacier.

2025-04-02 04:05:59 By Linda Rodriguez

Breathtaking evening panorama of Bachalp lake/Bachalpsee, Switzerland. Exciting autumn sunset in Swiss alps, Grindelwald, Bernese Oberland, Europe. Beauty of nature concept background. — Andrew Mayovskyy - stock.adobe.com - for illustrative purposes only.

In the Swiss Alps, the retreat of glaciers is revealing items that have been trapped in ice for hundreds of years. To date, archaeologists have unearthed artifacts from World War I, arrows dating back 1,300 years, and the preserved bodies of hikers who went missing long ago.

In November of last year, a hiker named Sergio Veri stumbled upon what seemed to be a two-wheeled bamboo cart from the 20th century. However, archaeologists are still uncertain about its true nature.

While strolling through the Splügen Pass in the Swiss Alps, close to the Switzerland-Italy border, Veri stumbled upon a peculiar device.

The elevated route links Switzerland's Hinterrhein valley to Italy's Valle San Giacomo. He spotted the cart amidst the thawing Schwarzhorn Glacier.

According to a social media update from the Canton of Graubünden, “The wagon-style design, featuring two wheels and crafted from bamboo sticks and laces, is estimated to be fairly recent, likely dating back to the 20th century.”

The mysterious object has left specialists puzzled. Abandoned in the heights of the Alps, it is constructed from bamboo and secured with cords, a detail that stands out. However, bamboo is not indigenous to Switzerland and only made its way to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Incorporating this material introduces an intriguing element that obscures the purpose and background of the object. The presence of bamboo suggests that the artisans had access to foreign resources.

The Archaeological Service of Graubünden has yet to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the cart. They are reaching out to the community for assistance, inviting anyone who possesses knowledge regarding the object's function or how it was made to get in touch with them directly.

Since that time, social media users have been buzzing with theories about the purpose of the bamboo structure. Some have proposed that it might have served as a cart for smuggling goods during World War I, while others believe it could be an early climbing apparatus utilized by adventurers or researchers, or perhaps even a component of a 20th-century aircraft.

Several commenters concurred on the wagon's utility, suggesting that it likely facilitated the movement of supplies.

"Given that the wheels appear unsuitable for supporting a heavy load for an extended period, I suggest that it was an early form of a winch designed to help transport supplies uphill," one individual noted.

"It's a type of pull cart, designed for a person or mule to walk ahead of it, constructed from bamboo to ensure it's lightweight for navigating mountain trails and rough landscapes," added another.

The Splügen Pass boasts a rich historical background that is important to consider. During the Roman period, it functioned as a significant trade route, as evidenced by historical sources such as the Roman Tabula Peutingeriana.

With glaciers around the globe melting at an accelerating pace, it's anyone's guess what discoveries archaeologists might unearth next.

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The Exciting Mathematics of 2025 (Featuring Two Demonstrations of a Classic Greek Theorem)

Say goodbye to the tetrahedron and welcome the generalized enneadecagon! Welcome to 2025! A lovely year, filled with excellent things. Obviously, we’re not talking about the state of the planet – that’s pretty terrible, all things considered. But the math? That is delectable. The spatial design of 2025 One of the most straightforward observations about the upcoming year is that 2025 is a perfect square. Specifically, it can be expressed as 45 multiplied by 45, indicating that if we were to create a large square with each side measuring 45 units, the overall area would amount to 2025 square units.  View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Feel free to verify the numbers for yourself if you're skeptical. Image credit: ©IFLScience That’s not all, though: because it’s an odd square, it’s also a centered octagonal number – which, much like with square numbers, is precisely what it sounds like: it means we can draw a perfect octagon using exactly 2025 pieces. 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For instance, consider the number 18: it has six divisors, which are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18, and it can be evenly divided by six. In the same vein, the number 2025 possesses 15 divisors, with one of them being 15. To enumerate them all, the complete list of divisors for 2025 includes 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, 27, 45, 75, 81, 135, 225, 405, 675, and 2025. Theorems from the year 2025 Let’s get onto the good stuff, shall we? We’ve already seen that 2025 is a perfect square, but dig a little deeper and we see some even prettier patterns. Forty-five, the number’s square root, is also a triangular number, and that means we can write it as a sum of consecutive numbers. Like this: 45 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9. This indicates that  2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)2,  which is nice for sure, but that’s not all. 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Image credit: ©IFLScience However you prove it, though, the math doesn’t lie: the sum of (n cubes) equals the (sum of n) squared. And now is as good a time as any to rave about this nice little result, since 2025 proves it perfectly. Happy New Year!

BepiColombo Successfully Concludes Last Flyby of Mercury, Set for Orbital Mission in 2026

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Space Photo of the Week: Hubble's 23-Year Journey to Capture the Tilted Spiral Galaxy

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Experts indicate the age at which you're most inclined to form lasting friendships.

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Inflatable Starshade for Habitable Exoplanets

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. An artist's illustration showcasing the innovative strategy put forward by the 2025 NIAC-selected Inflatable Starshade for Earth-like Exoplanets project. John MatherNASA Goddard Space Flight Center We will design the first family of ISEE’s (Inflatable Starshade for Earthlike Exoplanets) with sizes from 35 to 100 m diameter. A starshade would enable any telescope to observe exoplanets, a top priority for astronomy worldwide. Compared with other starshade concepts, we aim for a lower mass, cost and complexity, while still providing high performance and science yield (>100 targets). Our starshades would be compatible with the 6 m diameter Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) now being planned, as well as the world’s largest telescope, the 39 m diameter European Extremely Large Telescope now being built in Chile, working as part of the HOEE, (Hybrid Observatory for Earthlike Exoplanets), and other future telescopes. We need to observe oxygen at visible wavelengths and ozone at UV. An ISEE, positioned between a target star and the telescope, would block the starlight without blocking the exoplanets. Starshades have perfect optical efficiency, they work with any telescope, and they can block the starlight much better than the requirement, for a star >1010 times brighter than the target. The alternative technology employs an almost flawless and highly stable space telescope, similar to HWO, equipped with an internal coronagraph designed to block starlight from obscuring the planet's image. Coronagraphs offer significant benefits, including their compact size, ease of testing, and immediate availability. Nonetheless, existing coronagraphs have yet to achieve the necessary contrast levels. Additionally, the development of an ultraviolet coronagraph remains unfeasible. If the stringent requirements for extreme picometer stability and optical precision of HWO and its coronagraph could be eased by integrating a starshade, it would allow for the construction of HWO at a significantly reduced cost and lower risk. Therefore, if ultraviolet observations of exoplanets are crucial, utilizing a 35 m starshade in conjunction with HWO emerges as the sole viable option. The HWO is set to be NASA's next major observatory and will feature a high-performance coronagraph designed for exoplanet observation. This decision has shifted the dynamics regarding the competing starshade technology. However, a starshade mission might still be deemed necessary under certain conditions: A. If the HWO and its coronagraph cannot be constructed and validated as needed; B. If the HWO needs to observe exoplanets in UV wavelengths, or if a 6 m HWO is insufficient to target the desired celestial bodies; C. If the HWO does not perform adequately after its launch, and servicing or instrument upgrades are not feasible; D. If HWO observations reveal that intriguing exoplanets are scarce, too far away, obscured by dense dust clouds surrounding their host stars, or cannot be fully analyzed with an upgraded HWO; or E. If HWO findings indicate that the next phase requires UV data, or a telescope significantly larger than what future HWO coronagraph enhancements can provide. An inflatable starshade presents a solution to the primary challenge associated with traditional starshade designs: their complex mechanical structures. Historically, starshades have not been launched, as they require precise shapes and edges, along with accurate propulsion and positioning. Previous designs utilizing discrete components can be enlarged to meet the dimensions needed for HWO (35-60 m) and HOEE (100 m), but they tend to be bulky, difficult to prototype, and thus incur significant costs and risks. Our target mass budget is set at 250 kg for the 35 m HWO variant, 650 kg for the 60 m option, and 1700 kg for the 100 m HOEE model. We plan to refine our concepts and create comprehensive designs along with finite element models to assess strength, stiffness, stability, and thermal performance. Additionally, we will establish small-scale testing facilities to address challenges such as the bonding of large, high-strength material sheets within inflatable configurations. Key deliverables will encompass mass and power budgets, evaluations of strength and stiffness, and laboratory testing of essential components. We will also revise the mission concepts for HWO and HOEE in light of the new starshade specifications.Depending on advancements in the HWO mission, starshades may be essential for enhancing our understanding of exoplanets. An inflatable starshade could facilitate their implementation.

Elon Unleashes Cybertrucks, Combines Forces from SpaceX and Tesla for Humanitarian Mission in LA/Malibu

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. On November 21, 2019, Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, showcased the newly revealed all-electric, battery-powered Cybertruck at the Tesla Design Center located in Hawthorne, California. (Frederic J. Brown - AFP / Getty Images) Elon Musk revealed that both Tesla and SpaceX have allocated resources and staff to assist those affected by the fires in Los Angeles, as residents are forced to evacuate and face the loss of their homes. Musk shared on Sunday evening via X that Tesla and SpaceX staffers are “driving around areas in greater LA/Malibu that are in tough shape with free WiFi, drinks & snacks.” Tesla & SpaceX personnel are driving around areas in greater LA/Malibu that are in tough shape with free WiFi, drinks & snacks https://t.co/304vjlXSoc — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 13, 2025 He shared a post from Tesla that outlined a “summary of initiatives” undertaken by the electric vehicle company to assist both its employees and the wider community. Those endeavors proved to be remarkably extensive. Tesla is providing housing accommodations, transportation, and meals for employees who had their homes “lost or destroyed” amid the historic fires. The company successfully restored all Supercharger locations to operation, with the exception of the Pasadena Supercharger, which was situated in the heart of the fire. Beyond those responses, Tesla deployed two Megapack Chargers, which are essentially massive energy storage units that help with grid reliability, on Friday to “relieve congestion in Thousand Oaks for evacuation & families losing power due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs.” The company deployed another unit the next day to Altadena “for first responder support, providing power & Starlink connectivity.” Tesla has dispatched an additional two Megapack Chargers to San Bernardino and is in the process of installing more in the Palisades, the areas that suffered the greatest damage from the recent fires. Mobile Powerwall Units have been set up in Altadena and Topanga Canyon with assistance from various nonprofit organizations to supply power for devices and refrigerators. Additionally, several Cybertrucks equipped with Starlink are stationed across the city, including in Altadena, Pasadena, Zuma Beach, and Malibu. The Cybertrucks are equipped with compartments filled with water and snacks. To put it differently, Tesla, SpaceX, and Musk have made significant efforts to support not just their employees, but also the entire community. Musk did the same after hurricanes destroyed large parts of the southeastern United States a few months back. However, the initiatives in California proceed in spite of some lingering tensions with the state's Democratic leadership. In November, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal to provide rebates for electric vehicles, excluding Teslas. This decision has faced significant criticism, with many viewing it as a form of political revenge against a billionaire adversary who has recently allied with the Republican Party. Musk called the exclusion of Tesla “insane,” especially because the company is the only car producer to make electric vehicles in the Golden State, according to a report from the New York Post. In summary, while California's leaders chose to distance themselves from Musk, he remained loyal to the state. Even as Newsom whines about his enemies politicizing the fires, Musk going out of his way to help the state is about as unpolitical a move as he possibly could have made. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

China's 'Batwoman' researcher continues to carry out hazardous coronavirus experiments despite concerns over lab leaks.

Chinese researcher Shi Zhengli, aged 60, remains actively engaged in studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan. Leading virologists warn that her research could have a 'potentially catastrophic' effect as we approach five years since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli has allegedly earned the nickname 'batwoman' (file). A Chinese scientist is still conducting "potentially catastrophic" research into coronaviruses five years on from the start of the Covid pandemic which claimed millions of lives worldwide, according to experts. Shi Zhengli, 60, is one of the world's leading scientists working on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan. She has reportedly earned herself the nickname "Batwoman" as a result. She was thrown into the spotlight in late 2019 when a new form of coronavirus emerged in the region, with some scientists questioning whether Covid-19 leaked from a lab. In December, a two-year congressional investigation into the pandemic concluded the "weight of the evidence" suggests a lab leak was responsible. US lawmakers said in the report: "More and more senior intelligence officials, politicians, science editors, and scientists increasingly have endorsed the hypothesis that Covid-19 emerged as the result of a laboratory or research related accident." View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Her ongoing research has been labeled as 'potentially disastrous' (file). Nevertheless, leading virologists assert that Zhengli's team is still engaged in potentially harmful coronavirus research in Wuhan. In a study released in Nature, she proudly highlighted her team's achievement in creating the first "tailored" coronavirus "receptors." This advancement could enable researchers to modify viruses, allowing them to infect various species, including humans. Robert Redfield, the director of America's CDC during the pandemic, told The Sun: "It's potentially dangerous research. You are taking a non-pathogenic virus and changing it so that it could end up being dangerous to humans. You may have a pathogen that is restricted to pigs - but now you could totally change it so that it's highly infectious to other species too. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. An expert notes that Zhengli is 'experimenting with bat viruses and altering their receptors' (file). "She is experimenting with bat viruses and altering their receptors, which could enable them to infect animals like cows or chickens. This is a risky move with potentially disastrous outcomes. It might lead to a new pandemic affecting either animals or humans." Dr. Alina Chan, an expert in genetic engineering, stated that it seems Zhengli's team has now succeeded in "isolating" additional novel coronaviruses. She expressed concerns that this research is "risky" and prompts inquiries about the intentions of Zhengli's team regarding the handling of these new viruses once they cultivate them in the laboratory.

Columbia Basin Inhabitants Excited After Spotting Daytime Meteor and Space Debris

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The meme "Will Smith enjoying a plate of spaghetti" marks the inaugural AI benchmark meme.

Perhaps the sole one? View pictures in App save up to 80% data. AI video generators have made significant strides in their brief history, and an unexpected benchmark that many of us use to gauge this advancement has—due to various reasons—manifested as videos of Will Smith enjoying spaghetti. As one user pointed out on flight simulation forum AVSIM in late September 2024, these videos have become an AI benchmark. The difference in quality between the original AI-generated Will Smith eating spaghetti video—which went viral after it was posted to the r/stablediffusion subreddit by u/chaindrop in March 2023—and subsequent iterations—is stark. The AI improved significantly in movement, detail, and realism. About a year apart between these “Will Smith Eating Spaghetti” videos. Wild progress and can’t believe this became the AI-generated video Turing Test. pic.twitter.com/65UONEXhzg— Bearly AI (@bearlyai) January 5, 2025 So significantly that nearly a year after the initial nightmarish iteration went viral on X.com, the actor shared a parody video of himself pretending to be an AI-generated rendering eating spaghetti—and people were unsure of what was real, and what was AI. Which is arguably when it crossed over from viral video to meme. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The reason behind Will Smith eating spaghetti becoming the unofficial standard for AI video generation remains a mystery. From a technical standpoint, it's quite a challenging task. AI generators have consistently struggled with accurately depicting food (which frequently appears distorted), hands (which seldom show the right number of fingers), and the intricacies of the eating process as a whole. Additionally, the abundance of noodles adds another layer of complexity for the AI to manage. But culturally speaking, as with any meme, the why doesn’t so much matter. It is as much a method of communication as it is an inside joke. Much like the Utah Teapot of the late ’70s and ’80s—a famous 3D model and computer graphics benchmark that was kind of a pre-meme meme—Will Smith eating spaghetti videos have become a cultural reference that breaches the gap between tech and pop culture. It has become an AI litmus test for the layman, a way for the culture at large to participate and track developments in the latest big tech wave. 2023 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti was comically gruesome. 2024 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti is plausible. 2025 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti might not be recognizable as AI at all (the actor’s real-life parody of the spaghetti-eating videos is undoubtedly hastening this certainty, providing generators with more exact data to replicate). At which point AI benchmarks will become more difficult to articulate and define, and memes will continue to feel more niche as the social internet grows increasingly fragmented. Tutto passa.

How to observe the rare comet that will be visible from Earth this month

If it's not to your liking, you can always choose to wait an additional 160,000 years. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The universe is brimming with intriguing celestial objects and various marvels, and you could have the chance to witness one in just a few days. If, for some reason, you don’t know the names of every rock moving through the infinite vacuum of space, then you might have missed the upcoming news. Comet G3 ATLAS (C/2024) is on its way, and you could have the chance to see it! Don’t worry if the name doesn’t sound familiar; it was just discovered not long ago. It was discovered in early April 2024 and was the third comet found that month and identified by the facility Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), according to PEOPLE. As for where it came from, Space.com reports that it's believed to have originated from Oort Cloud, which is comprised of millions of tiny icy objects estimated to be 10 trillion miles from the Sun. Nevertheless, astronomers suggest that spotting it in the night sky could be more challenging than one might think. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The comet is anticipated to shine more brightly than Venus (Getty Stock Image) On January 13, the comet is anticipated to reach its perihelion, signifying that it will be at its nearest position to the Sun. At this time, the comet will come within approximately 8.3 million miles of the Sun. The same day, it's also predicted to reach its closest point to Earth. This time around, many more people can catch a glimpse of it in the clear sky using rather basic technology, binoculars or a telescope - and if visible, it'll look like a bright star with a white or golden color, Space.com says. Although both the Northern and Southern hemispheres will have opportunities to see it, those in the Southern hemisphere will find it easier to catch a glimpse. According to the Sky and Telescope Organization, skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere might have the ability to spot the comet 'extremely low in the southwestern sky' from about January 15 to 18. The Planetary Society reports that while some experts anticipate the comet may disintegrate as it approaches the Sun, recent studies suggest that Comet G3 has experienced similar encounters before. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. With fairly simple technology, you should be able to identify it (Getty Stock Image) Data indicates that it is estimated to follow an orbit of roughly 160,000 years, suggesting it has undertaken an extraordinary journey. This challenging orbit suggests that the comet has probably endured at least one close encounter with the Sun in the past. While it's tough to predict a comet's visibility, Forbes reports that the comet is said to be shining at -4.5 magnitude, which is brighter than Venus. Although some may view this as a negative indication, comet observer John Bortle shared with Space.com that there have been reports of 'unusual' characteristics, including a 'shadow of the nucleus', which typically does not indicate any disruption. Bortle remarked, "I believe the odds of it surviving are roughly equal, around 50:50." It's definitely worth a try.