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☆ 'Intellectually inferior' humans caused Neanderthals to go extinct, a new book claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A new book “The Naked Neanderthal” says humans were the main cause thanks to their superior weapons. Compared to early humans, Neanderthals were muscular with a prominent brow and less pronounced chin. Since humans were the final species to occupy the cave, Slimak argues it's because they'd replaced those Neanderthals by wiping them out. Humans' superior weaponsScientists have found relatively few weapons belonging to Neanderthals , Slimak wrote. Yet genes can't tell us much about the nature of these interactions or how closely or amicably humans and Neanderthals lived.

Persons: Ludovic Slimak, —, April Nowell, sapien, “, ”, Slimak, Bill O'Leary, sapiens, they'd, Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology Hendrik Schmidt, Nowell, haven't, Nikola Solic, ” Nowell, Sapiens Organizations: Service, University of Victoria, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, Getty, Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology, Reuters Locations: Europe, East, Central Asia, Southern Siberia, Southern France, Chemnitz, France, Spain, Krapina, Croatia

☆ Human bones unearthed from a German cave have altered the timeline of ancient human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This led them to Ilsenhöhle cave in Ranis, Germany, one of several sites across Northwestern Europe where LRJ artifacts have been found. AdvertisementMining ancient DNAWhen they excavated the cave, the researchers uncovered more than just LRJ artifacts — they came upon tiny bone fragments, too. AdvertisementTo that end, they extracted DNA, which confirmed the bones belong to Homo sapiens, providing strong evidence that they were responsible for the LRJ artifacts. According to their data, Homo sapiens were present in Ranis 47,500 years ago — thousands of years earlier than previously thought. Geoff M. SmithQuestions remain about how warm-weather-adapted Homo sapiens survived such a dramatic transition.

Persons: —, Josephine Schubert, sapiens, ”, Jean, Jacques Hublin, Hublin, Tim Schüler, Max Planck, ” Hublin, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki, Homo sapiens, Marcel Weiss, “ It’s, sapien, Geoff M, Smith, Geoff Smith, “ Organizations: Service, Business, Burg, College of France, Max, Max Planck Institute, University of Kent Locations: Ranis, Europe, Germany, Northwestern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia

☆ Atlantic Ocean currents may be on the verge of collapse, which could plunge Europe into a deep freeze, a new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

“It also depends on the rate of climate change we are inducing as humanity,” van Westen said. AdvertisementThe Dutch team simulated 2,200 years of its flow, adding in what human-caused climate change does to it. They found after 1,750 years “an abrupt AMOC collapse,” but so far are unable to translate that simulated timeline to Earth's real future. "This value is getting more negative under climate change,” van Westen said. The world should pay attention to potential AMOC collapse, said Joel Hirschi, division leader at the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Rene van Westen, “, Bob Edme, ” van Westen, it's, van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, ” Rahmstorf, Tim Lenton, Thwaites, ” Lenton, Wei Cheng, Joel Hirschi, ” Hirschi, ” ___ Read Organizations: Service, Southern, Utrecht University, AP, United Nations, Earth Systems, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, University, Exeter, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Pacific, U.S ., United, National Oceanography Locations: Europe, Northwestern, Netherlands, Germany, Greenland, Americas, Africa, Florida, U.S, U.S . East Coast

Photos You Should See View All 21 Images“It also depends on the rate of climate change we are inducing as humanity,” van Westen said. The Dutch team simulated 2,200 years of its flow, adding in what human-caused climate change does to it. They found after 1,750 years “an abrupt AMOC collapse,” but so far are unable to translate that simulated timeline to Earth's real future. "This value is getting more negative under climate change,” van Westen said. The world should pay attention to potential AMOC collapse, said Joel Hirschi, division leader at the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Rene van Westen, “, ” van Westen, it's, van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, ” Rahmstorf, Tim Lenton, ” Lenton, Wei Cheng, Joel Hirschi, ” Hirschi, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Southern, Utrecht University, United Nations, Earth Systems, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, ” University of Exeter, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Pacific, U.S ., United, National Oceanography, Associated Press Locations: Europe, Netherlands, Germany, Greenland, Americas, Africa, Florida, U.S, U.S . East Coast, AP.org

☆ What old bones reveal about the earliest Europeans
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Modern humans, or homo sapiens, weren’t previously known to have lived as far north as the region where the tools were made. “The Ranis cave site provides evidence for the first dispersal of Homo sapiens across the higher latitudes of Europe. It also shows that Homo sapiens, our species, crossed the Alps into the cold climes of northern and central Europe earlier than thought. Using the same technique, the team also managed to identify human remains among bones excavated during the 1930s. However, the protein analysis was only able to identify the bones as belonging to hominins — a category that includes Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals.

Persons: weren’t, ”, Jean, Jacques Hublin, Max Planck, Marcel Weiss, Friedrich, “, hominins, neanderthalensis, Elena Zavala, ” Zavala, denning, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki “, Sarah Pederzani, William E, Banks, ” Banks, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, Max, Max Planck Institute, Alexander University Erlangen, Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, University of La, University of Bordeaux Locations: Europe, Ranis, Germany, France, Paris, Leipzig, Moravia, Poland, British, Nürnberg, Berkeley, Siberia, Eurasia, University of La Laguna, Spain, “

☆ Travel news: The world’s most peaceful countries in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments. CNN —In travel news this week: the world’s leading destinations for neighborliness and tranquility, what’s trending in aircraft interiors and top picks for city getaways and Asian hotels. World’s most peaceful countriesWhat do Iceland, Denmark and Ireland have in common, other than being Northwestern European countries with oceanic climates and gorgeous, green landscapes shaped by ancient glaciers? That’s what’s promised by Lufthansa Technik’s new cabin design for the upcoming BBJ 777-9 — the private jet version of Boeing’s new widebody aircraft, the 777X.

Persons: Hong Kong’s, That’s what’s, doored, —, ” Organizations: CNN, Northwestern, for Economics, Lufthansa, Geographic, Royal Caribbean Locations: getaways, Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, Hong Kong, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lima, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Cairo, Angeles

☆ Eurostar to Suspend Amsterdam to London Service for 6 Months
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Direct train service from Amsterdam to London on the Eurostar, the sleek, fast train that connects Britain to northwestern Europe, will be suspended for six months next year, the train company said. The closing, which will begin in June, is a result of renovations at Amsterdam Centraal Station, from which the Eurostar to London departs. “It’s a shame,” she said, adding that the train company has worked to entice people to take trains instead of planes for short distances. A flight from Amsterdam to London takes less than an hour. The train trip from Amsterdam to London takes about four hours, with stops in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, Brussels and Lille, France.

Persons: Carola Belderbos, Belderbos, “, ” Organizations: Eurostar, Dutch Locations: Amsterdam, London, Britain, Europe, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Brussels, Lille, France

☆ Cannibalism was a common funeral ritual in Europe 15,000 years ago, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Experts at London’s National History Museum reviewed literature to identify 59 Magdalenian sites that have human remains. There was also evidence to suggest that in some cases human remains were mixed with those of animals. They found that there were two distinct ancestral groups present in the region during that period – one of Magdalenian culture and another called the Epigravettian, a different European and geographically-distinct human culture. Map of Magdalenian sites where cannibalism has been identified in northwestern Europe. “However, this study provides pretty convincing evidence that ritual funerary cannibalism was practiced by people across Europe 20,000-14,000 years ago.”

Persons: Silvia Bello, ” Bello, “, ”, William Marsh, Thomas Booth, Francis Crick Organizations: CNN, Museum, History Museum, History, Francis Locations: Europe, England, France, Germany, Spain, Russia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal

☆ Thousands of redheads celebrate at annual festival in the Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Bryan, 21, looks at a woman, 20, both from Germany, as they attend the annual Redhead Days Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, August 27, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsTILBURG, The Netherlands, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Thousands of people gathered in the Netherlands this weekend to celebrate their red hair at the annual Redhead Days Festival in the southern town of Tilburg. Scottish Liam Hunter, 30, told Reuters attending the three-day festival made him feel better about himself. The Dutch festival started by accident after organiser and amateur painter Bart Rouwenhorst placed an ad in a regional newspaper in 2005 for 15 models with red hair and 150 people responded. In 2013, the festival entered the Guinness World Records book as the largest gathering of people with natural red hair with 1,672 redheads in the traditional group picture.

Persons: Bryan, de Wouw, Liam Hunter, Hunter, I'm, Redheads, Bart Rouwenhorst, Rouwenhorst, Piroschka van de Wouw, Bart Biesemans, Stephanie van den Berg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Guinness, Records, Thomson Locations: Germany, Tilburg , Netherlands, The Netherlands, Netherlands, Tilburg, Northern, Northwestern

☆ Richard Hanania’s Racism Is Backed by Silicon Valley Billionaires - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

And it served its intended purpose: to naturalize inequality of status and resources in an era defined by its yawning gaps between haves and have-nots. I mention all of this as context for Richard Hanania, a rising star among conservative writers and intellectuals. For years before appearing in the pages of newspapers and publications like this one, Hanania wrote articles for white supremacist publications under a pseudonym. “The reason I’m the target of a cancellation effort is because left-wing journalists dislike anyone acknowledging statistical differences between races,” he recently wrote. But his supposedly transgressive views are little more than the warmed-over dogmas of the long-dead ideologues who believed in the scientific truth of race hierarchy.

Persons: “, ”, Nell Irvin Painter, Brigham, Adam Cohen, Carrie Buck, John D, Rockefeller, Edwin Black, ” eugenicists, Richard Hanania, Hanania, Christopher Mathias, ” Hanania, ideologues Organizations: White People, Poland, Northwestern, American Eugenics, Rockefeller Jr, The Huffington, Blacks, New, ” Locations: Russia, Italy, “, New York City

Meanwhile, the black market for smuggled subsidised Nigerian fuel in Togo and neighbouring Benin and Cameroon has collapsed, further reducing demand for shipments via Nigeria. Average monthly West African (WAF) gasoline imports fell by 56% in the second quarter compared with the first, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. "The key point is demand from West Africa is drying up," said Refinitiv Lead Oil Analyst Raj Rajendran. There may simply be a baseline decrease in demand," said Sparta Commodities gasoline market analyst Philip Jones-Lux. The challenge is coming from the new refineries in the Middle East that are expanding from their traditional East Africa market to now include West Africa and beyond even to the Americas," Rajendran said.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Jeremy Parker, Raj, naira, Philip Jones, Jones, Lux, Rajendran, Shadia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Nigeria's, West, ARA, Reuters Graphics, Sparta Commodities, Thomson Locations: Africa, Nigeria, North America, West Africa, Europe, United States, Asia, Ukraine, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Sparta, Mideast, Russia, European, East Africa

☆ The rising cost of living isn't the only reason many in Asia are putting off retirement, Randstad says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Workers surveyed in China are the least likely to retire as soon as possible — even "in an ideal world," Randstad said. Edwin Tan | E+ | Getty ImagesThe cost of living crisis is delaying the retirement plans of working professionals worldwide, said recruitment agency Randstad. Its latest Workmonitor report found that only half of surveyed workers believe they can permanently leave the workforce before they turn 65, down from 61% last year. The annual report surveyed 35,000 people across 34 markets for their sentiments on the world of work. Workers feel they "need" work in their lives because having a stable job allows them to "feel valued and respected" by their peers, he added.

☆ Cold weather could cause French power cuts next week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Cold weather could lead to power cuts in France on Monday as delays to the restart of nuclear power following repair work leave supply lagging demand, analysts said. Nuclear power supply had been expected to reach around 40 gigawatts (GW) this week, but operator EDF's (EDF.PA) delay in restarting reactors meant it rose to only around 35 GW, leaving France more reliant on imports and gas-fired production. "If we remain at 35 GW, next week Monday could become quite tight: we expect the demand at otherwise seasonally normal levels, but 35 GW of nuclear would be too low to meet a possible demand peak at 73 GW," Gerl said. The current EDF schedule shows 3 GW of nuclear power returning to the grid next week, putting total capacity at 38 GW for the first cold spell of the peak demand winter season. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsGrid operator RTE said on Thursday France may face "some days" this winter when there was too little electricity supply.

After explosions - whose cause is under investigation - damaged the Nord Stream Russian gas pipeline system to Europe under the Baltic Sea, Putin in October proposed setting up a gas hub in Turkey, building on a southern route for exports. "Does Europe need the project, given the determination of the EU countries to forego Russian gas in the nearest future?" A source in Russia's pipeline gas exporting monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said be believed the hub would facilitate sales. "That will not be Russian gas, but gas from the hub," said the source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Neither Gazprom, nor the Kremlin provided a cost estimate for the Turkish hub idea.

☆ Europe now has so much natural gas that prices just dipped below zero
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN Business —Europe has more natural gas than it knows what to do with. Now, EU gas storage facilities are close to full, tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) are lining up at ports, unable to unload their cargoes, and prices are tumbling. The price of benchmark European natural gas futures has dropped 20% since last Thursday, and by more than 70% since hitting a record high in late August. Prices turned negative because of an “oversupplied grid,” Tomas Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS), told CNN Business. The bloc has ramped up imports of LNG from the United States and Qatar as natural gas imports from Russia plummeted.

☆ Shorter showers, slower driving and an Eiffel Tower blackout: How Europe plans to cut gas usage this winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We're already there … savings this month have already surpassed the 15% target," said senior energy strategist from Goldman Sachs, Samantha Dart. Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty ImagesShe added that northwestern Europe's estimated August gas consumption was 13% below average. "We believe this is more than enough savings to go through winter without blackouts or a heating crisis," Dart said, assuming that the average winter weather scenario holds. "Achieving the 15% reduction target vs business as usual will be difficult, but not impossible," Gloystein told CNBC. A cold winter could make it difficult to achieve the demand reduction needed in Europe.

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