Deal Days dropped 10TB of cloud storage to just $270 TL;DR: Internxt’s 10TB Lifetime Plan is $269.97 during Deal Days through June 28, giving you private, encrypted cloud storage with no subscriptions or recurring costs. $269.97...

For its first billion years the universe was lost in fog, a thick haze of hydrogen that swallowed light whole. Something burned it away, and astronomers have long wondered what. Now Hubble has caught a tiny, furious galaxy in the very act of clearing the murk, glimpsed as it was just 1.4 billion years after the big bang. It may be the smoking gun for how the universe first became clear.

Vladimiri BazaliiskiiArchaeologists have been excavating these prehistoric burials in Siberia for decades, but theyve now been found to contain historys first known bubonic plague cases.Though historys most infamous outbreak of the bubonic plague is the Black Death that killed half of Europe in just seven years during the mid-14th century, this lethal infection has actually been with humankind since before the dawn of recorded history. Now, scientists have just discovered the first known cases of bubonic plague in human history and they date back a whopping 5,500 years. While analyzing the skeletons of 46 prehistoric hunter-gatherers unearthed in Siberia, researchers found 18 cases of the plague. These plague victims are 500 years older than the previous earliest-known plague victim, and challenge commonly-held notions of how the plague spread during prehistoric times.The Discovery Of The First Known Bubonic Plague Victims In Human HistoryArchaeologists have been excavating the site of this discovery four prehistoric cemeteries around Lake Baikal in Siberia for decades. The region has been important for prehistoric research, as it was rich in resources and places where hunter-gatherers buried their dead for generations.Researchers have been intrigued by these mass hunter-gatherer graves for years, which contain an unusual number of children and adolescents.As detailed in a recent study published in Nature, researchers have made an historic discovery about these graves. The team analyzed the DNA of 46 skeletons from these burial sites that date back 5,500 years and found that 18 were infected with Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the bubonic plague.Angela LieverseDNA analysis of the hunter-gatherer skeletons revealed plague bacteria in 18 of them.There was very clear radiocarbon evidence that this mass mortality event took place over a very, very short period of time, so all of these deaths are occurring contemporaneously with each other, lead study author Ruairidh Macleod said to CNN.After radiocarbon analysis, researchers determined that two outbreaks of the plague occurred in this region a few hundred years apart.The researchers determined that these Siberian hunter-gatherers became infected with the plague after skinning and eating large rodents called marmots, which have historically been known to carry the plague bacteria. Marmot teeth pendants were also discovered buried in the graves. And with no plague doctors around, or any medical knowledge of any kind, these hunter-gatherers would have been helpless to the infection and succumbed to the torturous symptoms within a short span of time.Angela LieverseResearchers extracted DNA from teeth to illustrate how the plague was particularly lethal for children.The new study also found that the skeletons of the children and adults displayed genetic kinship, and that sometimes families were buried together. This indicates that there was a lack of understanding of how the disease spread, because family members might have become infected with plague while caring for one another.This plague strain, which is different from previously studied strains both ancient and modern, was particularly deadly for children.In order to understand why, researchers extracted genomes from the skeletons teeth, which revealed a superantigen, a microbial toxin that can cause dangerous and extreme immune responses. This toxin mainly affected children between the ages of 7 and 11 years old.How These Discoveries Change The Story Of The Bubonic Plagues OriginsThe plague has been responsible for some of the worst pandemics in human history. The most infamous is of course the Black Death of the 14th century that killed as many as 50 million people in less than a decade. Between the start of the Black Death in 1346 and the end of the plagues worst years in 1353, nearly half of Europe was wiped out.Vladimiri Bazaliiskii/Baikal Archaeology ProjectEntire families were killed off, with victims often deposited into one joint grave.Researching the origins of the plague remains important so that we can understand how different strains of it could evolve and spread even today.These recent findings push back against previous research concerning how the plague spread in ancient times, particularly in terms of human-to-human transmission and prevalence in hunter-gatherer societies.Before this study came out, researchers assumed that plague outbreaks only occurred in high-density areas or settlements, as opposed to small, nomadic hunter-gatherer groups.Hunter-gatherers are constantly moving around the landscape. The theory is that infectious disease cant really take hold and devastate entire communities in this way. Typically, if somebody gets ill, theyll move somewhere else. The fact that were finding this happening in an isolated group of prehistoric hunter-gatherers challenges that epidemiological theory, Macleod said at a news conference, according to CNN.Vladimiri Bazaliiskii/Baikal Archaeology ProjectThough historys most infamous outbreak of the bubonic plague is the Black Death that killed half of Europe in just seven years during the mid-14th century, this lethal infection has actually been with humankind since before the dawn of recorded history.Additionally, in previous research, older strains of the plague seemed to lack the characteristics that allowed them to spread, indicating to scientists that these early plagues rarely caused outbreaks. This older research left scientists unclear on the prehistoric origins of the plague and how it was transmitted before fleas and livestock became some of the primary vectors.Now, with the evidence of this small prehistoric outbreak in hand, researchers are questioning these previously-held notions of how the plague spread in ancient societies.Previous research has only found what seem to be sporadic, relatively isolated infections of the earliest versions of Y. pestis with no compelling evidence of human-to-human transmission chains, but the datasets may have simply been too incomplete to assess this as a possibility. This study changes that, Ian Light-Maka, a postdoctoral associate at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, told CNN.While this research is groundbreaking and likely suggests that there was prehistoric human-to-human transmission of the bubonic plague, more studies need to be done at comparable sites before we can completely rewrite the early history of humanitys most infamous infection.After reading about the earliest-known cases of the bubonic plague, learn about the Antonine Plague that killed 5 million ancient Romans. Then, discover how researchers found eight new populations of ancient hunter-gatherers in Europe.The post Historys First Known Cases Of The Bubonic Plague Were Just Found In 5,500-Year-Old Skeletons Unearthed In Siberia appeared first on All That's Interesting.

@_ghostpanther/TikTokThe lyrebird spotted in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.The stereotype about Australia is that everything living there can kill you. Theres some truth to this statement. For example, the country is home to the blue dragon slug, a sea creature with an immensely painful sting. Theres also the deadly blue-ringed octopus, a host of venomous snakes, and two species of spiders with bites that can be lethal to humans. But focusing on the dangers posed by some of these animals makes it easy to forget just how many other unique and beautiful species can be found in the country. One man recently stumbled upon one of those creatures and noticed something peculiar about it.The Unique Lyrebird Of AustraliaThe lyrebird, which is native to Australia, has a skill that has to be seen to be believed.In a video with over 9.1 million views, TikTok user @_ghostpanther documented an extremely rare wildlife encounter he had with the bird in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. Check this thing out, he says.The man then shows the bird hopping around with its plumage raised. While its feathers are unique, what makes the creature even more distinct is the variety of sounds that it makes. Between chirps, the creature lets out a string of mechanical-sounding whirrs. In a follow-up video, it makes sounds similar to other animals. The fk is that? the man asks in the video.Fir0002/Wikimedia CommonsThe superb lyrebird, one of the two lyrebird species found in Australia.Indeed, the lyrebird is known for its incredible ability to mimic sounds. The birds do have their own calls a mix of clear whistles, cackles, and shrieks but theyre difficult to distinguish from their mimicry, as they will copy the noises of just about anything.A famous clip from BBC Earth shows how a superb lyrebird can copy everything from the sound of a chainsaw to the click and whirr of a camera shutter. Lyrebirds can even imitate human speech. So, what purpose does this mimicry serve for the birds?Why Do Lyrebirds Imitate Sounds?Its believed that the type of behavior observed by the TikToker is a mating ritual.Lyrebirds will use their mimicry to attract a mate not only by impressing them, but by playing tricks on them. In a 2021 study published in Current Biology, a male lyrebird was recorded imitating the sound of a flock of birds. This was done, it seems, to convince a female lyrebird that she was in danger and that she should stay with the male.The lyrebird also dances. This sometimes involves choosing a specific place to show off and then shaking vines or sticks around them to exaggerate their performance. However, a male bird may also simply show off his plumage and walk around a female, making a variety of sounds in an attempt to impress her.While its not rare to hear a lyrebird in Australia, its less common to see one. They are not endangered, but they can be shy. This is why those looking to see a lyrebird in the wild are advised to go to parks at times when there are not many people present.In the TikTokers case, he says in the caption of one of his videos that his time with the lyrebird was a magical encounter that Ill never forget. Given their tendency to imitate the noises around them, its possible the lyrebird wont forget it either and will mimic some of the TikTokers words for his next potential mate. @_ghostpanther Blue Mountains magic watched this guy for about 30mins. Part 2 coming soon follow so you dont miss it. original sound _ghostpanther All Thats Interesting reached out to @_ghostpanther via email.After reading about the lyrebird of Australia, meet the quokka, Australias smiling marsupial. Then, learn about the extinction of the Tasmanian tiger.The post Man Goes On A Walk In The Australian Wilderness, Then He Comes Across An Incredibly Rare Lyrebird appeared first on All That's Interesting.

On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams died in his home in Paradise Cay, California. The actor was discovered with a belt around his neck, and investigators later found cuts on his left wrist. Tragically, it was soon confirmed that Robin Williams died by suicide at the age of 63.Up until that point, Williams had spent nearly his whole life making people laugh. A talented comedian and Academy Award-winning actor, he was highly respected among his peers and cherished by his millions of fans.Robin Williams/InstagramThree weeks before Robin Williams death by suicide inside his California home on August 11, 2014, he posted this photo on Instagram to celebrate his 63rd birthday. It was the last picture hed ever share with his fans before his tragic death.But despite his happy-go-lucky persona, Robin Williams struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction early on in his career. And later on in his life, he would grapple with mental health issues and physical ailments.Still, many of his family members, friends, and fans were stunned by his sudden demise and desperate for answers. How did Robin Williams die? Why did Robin Williams take his life? Tragic truths would soon emerge.This is the heartbreaking story of Robin Williams death and the terrifying disease known as Lewy body dementia that led to his suicide.The Hidden Struggle That Preceded Robin Williams DeathSonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty ImagesFor 40 years before the tragic death of Robin Williams, his work as a comedian and actor earned him millions of fans around the world.Robin Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1951. The son of an executive for the Ford Motor Company and a former fashion model, Williams was eager to entertain at an early age. From family members to classmates, the future comedian simply wanted to make everyone laugh.When he was a teenager, his family relocated to California. Williams would go on to attend Claremont Mens College and College of Marin before briefly moving to New York City to attend Juilliard School.Robin Williams soon went back to California to give the comedy world a try and created a popular stand-up act in the 1970s. Around the same time, he started appearing in numerous TV shows like Mork & Mindy.But it was in 1980 that Williams would make his big-screen debut in the movie Popeye as the titular character. From there, he starred in a number of successful films, including Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society. All the while, he continued to wow people with his comedic skills.For decades, Robin Williams lit up the big screen with his smile. But under the surface, he struggled with personal demons. In the 1970s and 80s, Williams developed an addiction to cocaine. He only quit when his friend John Belushi died of an overdose after partying with him the night before.Though he never touched cocaine again after Belushis death, he began to drink heavily in the early 2000s, which led to him spending time in rehab. All the while, Williams also battled depression. Despite the ongoing success in his professional life, his personal life was full of ups and downs.Still, it seemed like Williams could bounce back from any setback. And by the early 2010s, it looked like his darkest days were far behind him. But then, he received a heartbreaking diagnosis from his doctor.How Did Robin Williams Die?Peter Kramer/Getty ImagesFans were shocked when they learned about how Robin Williams died and the disease that led up to his death.Three months before his death in 2014, Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. He shared the news with his wife Susan Schneider Williams and his three children (from his two previous marriages). However, he wasnt ready to share the diagnosis with the public quite yet, so his loved ones agreed to keep his condition private for the time being.But in the meantime, Robin Williams struggled to understand why he was feeling paranoid, anxious, and depressed. He didnt feel like the Parkinsons diagnosis adequately explained those issues. So he and his wife planned to go to a neurocognitive testing facility to see if there was something else going on. But tragically, he would never make it there.On the night before his death, Robin Williams seemed like he was in a peaceful mood. As Susan Schneider Williams later explained, he was busy with an iPad and appeared to be getting better. The last time Susan saw her husband alive was around 10:30 p.m., just before she went to sleep.His last words that he said to her that night were: Goodnight, my love goodnight, goodnight. At some point after that, he relocated to a different bedroom in the home, where he would breathe his last.Bruce Glikas/Getty ImagesRobin Williams was misdiagnosed with Parkinsons three months before his death.On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead by his personal assistant at 11:45 a.m. At that point, his wife had left the house, thinking that her husband was asleep. But his assistant decided to pick the lock on the door.Inside, Robin Williams had clearly died by suicide. Discovered in a seated position on the floor, he had used a belt to hang himself, with one end tied around his neck and the other end secured between a closet door and door frame in the bedroom. Police later noticed superficial cuts on his left wrist.On a nearby chair, investigators found Williams iPad (which did not contain any information related to suicide or suicidal ideation), two different kinds of antidepressants, and a pocketknife with his blood on it which he had apparently used to cut his wrist. Since he was clearly already gone, no efforts were made to revive him, and he was declared dead at 12:02 p.m.There were no signs of foul play at the scene, and the only drugs in Williams system were caffeine, prescribed antidepressants, and levodopa a medication used to treat Parkinsons disease. An autopsy later confirmed that Robin Williams cause of death was suicide by asphyxia due to hanging.His loved ones and fans were devastated when they learned how Robin Williams died. Meanwhile, his publicist put out a statement that he had been struggling with severe depression in recent times. So, many assumed that this was the main reason why Robin Williams took his life.But only his autopsy would reveal the true culprit of his anguish. As it turned out, Williams had been misdiagnosed with Parkinsons and had a different disease which remains largely misunderstood to this day.The Crippling Disease That Helps Explain Robin Williams DeathGilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty ImagesRobin Williams with his wife Susan Schneider Williams in 2012.According to his autopsy report, Robin Williams was suffering from Lewy body dementia a devastating and debilitating brain disease that shares characteristics with both Parkinsons and Alzheimers.The Lewy bodies refer to abnormal clumps of protein that gather in the patients brain cells and essentially infiltrate the brain. Its believed that these clumps are responsible for up to 15 percent of all dementia cases.The disease heavily impacts sleep, behavior, movement, cognition, and control of ones own body. And it had certainly taken a toll on Williams.Still, doctors say he put up an impressive fight despite the difficulties. People who have great brains, who are incredibly brilliant, can tolerate degenerative disease better than someone who is average, said Dr. Bruce Miller, an expert familiar with Williams case. Robin Williams was a genius.But tragically, no one knew which disease Robin Williams had until after his death. This meant that an incredibly brilliant man was suffering from something that he couldnt even begin to comprehend which explained why he was so frustrated when it came to investigating his own symptoms.And although Robin Williams was due to visit a neurocognitive testing facility, his widow believes that the upcoming appointment may have stressed him out even more in the days before he would take his own life.I think he didnt want to go, Susan Schneider Williams said. I think he thought: Im going to get locked up and never come out.'Why Did Robin Williams Take His Own Life?While Robin Williams had struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism in the past, he had been clean and sober for eight years before he died.So for his widow, rumors that her husband had relapsed into his old habits again before his death made her feel angry and frustrated.Wikimedia CommonsAfter Robin Williams died by hanging himself at his California home on August 11, 2014, his widow learned that hed been suffering from Lewy body dementia.As Susan Schneider Williams later explained, It infuriated me when the media said hed been drinking, because I know there are recovering addicts out there who looked up to him, people dealing with depression who looked up to him, and they deserve to know the truth.As for the claims that Robin Williams took his life because he was suffering from depression, she said, It was not depression that killed Robin. Depression was one of lets call it 50 symptoms and it was a small one.After doing more research on Lewy body dementia and speaking to numerous doctors, Susan Schneider Williams attributed her beloved husbands suicide to the horrific disease that he didnt even know he had.Medical experts agree. Lewy body dementia is a devastating illness. Its a killer. It is fast, its progressive, said Dr. Miller, who works as the director of Memory and Aging at the University of California, San Francisco. This was about as devastating a form of Lewy body dementia as I had ever seen. It really amazed me that Robin could walk or move at all.While Robin Williams sadly never learned what disease he was suffering from, his widow felt a sense of relief that she could at least put a name to it. Since then, she has made it her mission to learn as much as she can about the illness, to educate others who may be unfamiliar, and to correct any inaccurate assumptions about what caused her husbands death.She and the rest of his family are also doing their part to make sure that Robin Williams memory lives on for years after his death. And theres no question that this beloved star will never be forgotten.After learning about Robin Williams death, read about Anthony Bourdains tragic demise and the sudden death of Chris Cornell as well as other tragic suicides of famous figures.The post How Did Robin Williams Die? Inside The Actors Tragic Suicide appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The perfect summer drink.READ MORE...

Robot vacuums and mops are expensive, which is why Prime Day is a great way to save hundreds on solid options like this combo vacuum-mop from Bissell.

YouTube Shorts is getting a makeover.

Brazils argument is that the judges orders are shielded by immunity even if they broke the law. Brazil hired an American law firm and filed a motion in a Florida federal court this week to defend