It is midday on the Venezuelan coast, but the breeze feels like evening. The waves cross at odd intervals, silencing everything on the boat and making it feel, at the very least, like a rollercoaster. “You have to feel the sea to be able to cross it,” says Will from the stalled engine of his fishing boat. The boat has been used to carry donations to towns such as Puerto Cruz, Puerto Maya, and Cepe, about two hours by boat from La Guaira, the coastal city hardest hit by the June 24 earthquakes. The quakes left these coastal communities partially cut off from Catia del Mar, their main source of supplies. Brisón is a word heard along Venezuela’s central…

Galaxy Digital has pledged up to $5 million in grants to open-source developers building post-quantum cryptography for Bitcoin. The company also formed a quantum advisory council under its Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Initiative, which it announced Tuesday. The council includes Barry Sanders, professor and scientific director of Quantum City at the University of Calgary; Damien Bérubé, an MIT Sea Grant Knauss fellow; and Eran Tromer, professor of computer science at Boston University. The grants will fund quantum-resistant upgrade proposals, post-quantum cryptography, Bitcoin signature schemes, wallet and custodian migration tooling and formal security…

Josie Gibson showed off the results of her liposuction in a 'get ready with me clip' after she revealed she's on the lookout for a partner. The TV personality, 41, previously revealed she has had £7,000 worth of the surgery and recently showcased her 'new arms' in social media clips. Lipoedema is a medical condition causing abnormal, symmetrical buildup of adipose tissue (fat), which typically manifests in the legs, buttocks, hips and arms. Josie revealed in March she had 45 per cent of her arm removed in a brachioplasty, which is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the upper arm. In a new video on her Instagram page on Tuesday,…

The minister who is today at the centre of the NEET controversy, the paper leak that jolted the nation in 2024 and again this year, is Dharmendra Pradhan. Nearly three decades ago, Pradhan himself led a protest against a paper leak in Odisha in 1997. It was the year when the newly formed Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was trying to prove its majority in Parliament. Around the same time, a question paper leak surfaced in Odisha. Dharmendra Pradhan, then the National Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and on the verge of joining the BJP, led a protest of 1500 students against the then state government of Indian National…

Beluga whales airlifted to new US homes after former marine park closed down A group of six beluga whales that were rescued from a closed-down marine park in Canada have been transported to their new homes in the US. Thirty whales were saved from Marineland, a theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, which closed in 2024 after it could no longer care for the mammals. Acadia, Lillooet, Osiris and Sierra arrived safely at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday (21 July), while Bertie Botts and Frankie were relocated to SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas. Footage shows the mammals being airlifted to safety with heavy-duty cranes as they began their journeys. They…

Zendaya has sparked fury after she wore 3,000-year-old earrings during her press tour for The Odyssey. The 29-year-old actress, who played the goddess Athena in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's Greek epic, wore the ancient Iranian artefacts during a photo call in London earlier this month. The 18-karat, yellow gold medallion discs date back to the first millennium B.C., according to CNN, and are attributed to the Ziwiyi hoard. They were discovered in the 1940s after the hoard - a trove of ancient artefacts- was looted by shepherds. The actress was quick to receive backlash, with critics questioning the use of precious and culturally…

Laser-driven feedback effects reveal new ways to engineer conductivity in strongly interacting systems Atomic illustration with electrons (Courtesy: Shutterstock/Agsandrew) According to band theory, materials with partially filled energy bands and unpaired electrons should conduct electricity, but in Mott insulators this rule is broken. In these materials, the repulsion between electrons is so strong that they cannot move freely and become localized. When sufficient energy is supplied (for example by light), electrons can form a doublon (two electrons on one site) and a hole (an empty site). These excitations can move, enabling electrical…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

Dozens of researchers funded by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality received notices last week that they would not receive future installments of funding for their ongoing research grants. While frustrating, the development was largely not a surprise to these researchers, many of whom had been waiting months for renewed funding or been unable to get explanations as to why the funding spigots had run dry from staffers at the agency. The notices punctuated nearly a year of uncertainty for health services researchers funded by AHRQ and left those who lost funding concerned about the future of their field. AcademyHealth, a professional…

A video from Delhi's Connaught Place has started a conversation about empathy, parenting and the values children grow up with. The clip, which shows a child throwing a stone at a sleeping stray dog while his parents walk away, has left many social media users questioning why acts of cruelty towards animals are often dismissed instead of corrected. Shared on X, the clip shows a stray dog lying peacefully on the pavement, seemingly asleep and not bothering anyone. Moments later, a young child is seen walking past the animal, picking up a stone and throwing it at the dog. The startled dog immediately gets up, while the child walks away. What has drawn…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

Dinto Solar Wins Bid in China Datang's 1 GW HJT Module Procurement LONGGANG, China , July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dinto Solar has won a bid in the 1 GW heterojunction (HJT) module category under China Datang Corporation Ltd.'s 2026–2027 photovoltaic module framework procurement programme. The successful bid marks another step in the commercial adoption of HJT technology by one of China's largest state-owned power producers and reflects the growing role of HJT in utility-scale solar development. China Datang is one of China's leading state-owned power generation companies, with renewable energy projects spanning utility-scale PV, distributed…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

For many in Japan, cicada cries are as much an integral part of summer as fireworks, shaved ice and sweltering heat. And, according to researchers, some may be extending their performances well past sunset in Tokyo and other urban areas. A study using automated recording devices found that two common species continued calling at night in urban areas, but not in protected green spaces without artificial lighting. The findings suggest that streetlights and higher urban temperatures may be altering cicadas’ daily rhythms, according to researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Azabu University and Tamagawa University. The study was published April…

The Ministry of Education has informed the Lok Sabha that only 6% of candidates who appear for the University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) qualify for eligibility as Assistant Professors. Among these qualified candidates, UGC awards 11,750 Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) every year. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply to questions raised by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the Lok Sabha. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAID Responding to questions on the number of NET qualifiers and JRF awardees, Majumdar said, "The University Grants Commission (UGC) provides JRF based…

A single dose of psilocybin, the psychedelic substance in magic mushrooms, may produce physical changes in the brain that remain detectable for as long as a month, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and Imperial College London. The study, published in Nature Communications, involved healthy adults who had never previously used a psychedelic. Although none of the participants had a diagnosed mental health condition, the findings may offer clues about why psilocybin has shown therapeutic potential for depression, anxiety, and addiction. Researchers focused on temporary increases in brain "entropy," a term describing the variety and…

According to historical reports, the GunaiKurnai, an Australian Aboriginal nation, used caves as the stage for magic, healing, and cursing rituals. Over roughly 25,000 years, these rituals left behind a curious souvenir—ancient layers of plant crystals, according to a new study. In a Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology paper published today, researchers found rare organic remains from ceremonial rituals in Cloggs Cave, GunaiKurnai Country. Investigations into old pits in the cave presented strong evidence that people, likely the GunaiKurnai, intentionally selected and brought grass into the cave for ceremonial use. The GunaiKurnai are known to…

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. The entry into the limestone cavern known as Cloggs Cave resembles a massive cathedral door. Situated on a bluff in southern Australia not far from the town of Buchan, Victoria, this very cave has beckoned members of the Australian Aboriginal nation called the GunaiKurnai for generations. Direct evidence of their visits is literally baked…

Across roughly 1,000 generations, GunaiKurnai Old Ancestors carried whole grass plants into the dark interior of Cloggs Cave and burned them across the floor. The resulting ash may have served a purpose described in GunaiKurnai traditional knowledge, helping practitioners perform magic and track the footsteps of anyone who entered, including spirit-Beings. Reaching the main chamber meant passing through a curving corridor less than 3 feet wide. It continued for approximately 16 feet before ending in a nearly 4-foot drop to the cave floor. Through it, people transported grasses with their roots, stems, leaves, and flower heads still attached.…