DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Lost for centuries, Silk Road cities are revealed by drone technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Hannah Peart | Hannah Peart Is An Intern In The Nbc News London Bureau. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Traversed centuries ago by camel-back traders, two long-lost medieval cities that once thrived along the ancient Silk Road have been uncovered by drones sent searching for their secrets. This groundbreaking research in southeastern Uzbekistan could shift our understanding of the Silk Road, a vast network of trade routes that spanned from China to the Mediterranean. But the new research shows the Silk Road network was larger than previously predicted. Although many large urban centers have been discovered in Central Asia, the vast majority of archaeologically documented cities are in lowland riparian settings. The research indicates the two cities produced iron or steel to sell, as well as providing fuel for Silk Road travelers, with the region being surrounded by dense juniper forests.

Persons: Michael Frachetti, Louis, Farhod Maksudov, Frachetti, Tim Williams, ” Organizations: Washington University, Uzbekistan’s National Center of Archaeology, NBC News, University College London Locations: Central Asia, Uzbekistan, China, St, Tashbulak, England, Tugunbulak

☆ Fourth ape dies from infection at Jacksonville Zoo
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Rebecca Cohen Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A fourth ape has died from a shigella infection that has been plaguing animals at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for weeks, the Florida zoo announced on Facebook this week. Kevin, a 3-year-old western lowland gorilla, "succumbed to the illness," the zoo said. "He fought very hard against the infection, showing signs of recovery at times," the zoo said. It added that the infection typically spreads through feces, food and water and can be more severe in the ape population. Kevin was born in April 2021 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to father Lash and mother Madini, the zoo said.

Persons: Kevin, bonobo moneys —, Lash, Madini Organizations: Jacksonville Zoo, Gardens, Facebook, Health, Care Locations: Florida

☆ Banksy London Zoo mural offers clue to why wild animals have been appearing all over city
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London AP —Workers arriving at the London Zoo early Tuesday were surprised to discover an unexpected exhibit that suggested the animals were being set free. A mural by elusive street artist Banksy showed a gorilla holding up the entrance gate as birds took flight and a sea lion waddled away. James Warren/SIPAPRE/APThree monkeys by Banksy adorn a bridge over Brick Lane in London on August 7, 2024. Aitor Alcalde/Getty ImagesEach of the works posted on Banksy’s Instagram page have included a London Zoo hashtag, said Dan Simmonds, animal operations manager at the zoo. It was not clear if the zoo mural would be the final in the series.

Persons: Banksy, James Warren, Aitor, Dan Simmonds, ” Simmonds, “, Carl Court, Simmonds, ” Organizations: London AP — Workers, London Zoo, Aitor Alcalde, Getty, Cyclists, selfies Locations: London, Charlton, Brick Lane, London's Chelsea, Bristol, England, City

☆ Lawrence Hylton photographs Hong Kong’s creatures of the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong is home to more than 1,000 animal species, including this giant shield mantis. Lawrence Hylton Snakes are Hylton's favorite animal to photograph, but getting close enough can be a challenge. Lawrence Hylton Hylton started photographing wildlife at the age of 17. Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong has over 245 species of butterflies including the fish-line silkworm, pictured here. Lawrence Hylton Here, Hylton gets a close-up view of a local stag beetle.

Persons: Lawrence Hylton’s, Hylton, “ I’m, ”, Lawrence Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Here, “, ” Hylton, Bosco Chan, WWF Hong Kong, Chan Organizations: CNN, WWF Locations: They’re, Hong Kong, British, China, Hong, Kong, Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong, WWF Hong

LONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia's Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded. The species has only been scientifically recorded once before, by a Dutch botanist in 1961. A different echidna species is found throughout Australia and lowland New Guinea. Kempton's team survived an earthquake, malaria and even a leech attached to an eyeball during their trip. They worked with the local village Yongsu Sapari to navigate and explore the remote terrain of northeastern Papua.

Persons: David Attenborough, James Kempton, Kempton, Kempton's, Yongsu, William James, Alex Richardson Organizations: Oxford University, Thomson Locations: British, Dutch, Australia, New Guinea, Papua

☆ Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna: Long-lost mammal rediscovered in Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded. Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, named after British naturalist David Attenborough, was photographed for the first time by a trail camera on the last day of a four-week expedition led by Oxford University scientists. A different echidna species is found throughout Australia and lowland New Guinea. Kempton’s team survived an earthquake, malaria and even a leech attached to an eyeball during their trip. They worked with the local village Yongsu Sapari to navigate and explore the remote terrain of northeastern Papua.

Persons: David Attenborough, James Kempton, ”, “, ‘, ” Kempton, Kempton’s, Yongsu Organizations: CNN —, Oxford University Locations: British, Dutch, Australia, New Guinea, Papua

☆ This otherworldly image of an alien-like golden crab has won gold in Wildlife Photographer of the Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Grand Title went to a picture of a very strange crab. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn image of a rare golden horseshoe crab gliding close to the sea floor has won Laurent Ballesta the grand prize at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, selected the winning picture from about 50,000 entries. VISHNU GOPAL / Wildlife Photographer of the YearPhotographer Vishnu Gopal followed characteristic footsteps at his campsite into the Brazilian rainforest. Mike Korostelev / Wildlife Photographer of the YearMike Korostelev spent two years visiting Kosi Bay, South Africa, to ingratiate himself with the local hippopotamuses.

Persons: Laurent Ballesta, —, Kathy Moran, Vishnu Gopal, GOPAL, Mike Korostelev, ingratiate, Juan Jésus Gonzales Ahurrada, Juan Jésus Gonzales, didn't, Bertie Gregory, Weddell, Karine Aigner, Karine Organizations: Service, Wildlife, West Texas Locations: London, Pangatalan, Philippines, Bay, South Africa, USA

☆ Sumatran rhino birth offers glimmer of hope for species almost hunted to extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The calf’s birth represents hope for a species threatened with extinction due to illegal poaching and habitat loss. An endangered female Sumatran rhino calf walks next to her mother at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary of Kambas National Park, Lampung, Indonesia on September 30. They are more closely related to extinct woolly rhinos than other rhino species and are covered in long hair. Sumatran rhinos typically live in dense tropical forest, both lowland and highland, on Sumatra and are generally solitary in nature, according to IRF. A 25-year-old female named Iman died of cancer on November 24, 2019 at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary.

Persons: Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Ratu, Antara, Iman, Tam –, – Organizations: CNN, Ohio’s Cincinnati Zoo, Ministry of Environment, Forestry, Twitter, Environment, International Rhino Foundation, Rhino, Reuters, Borneo Rhino Locations: Indonesia, Andalas, Ohio’s, Sumatra, Asia, Lampung, Indonesian, Malaysia, Borneo

☆ Morocco earthquake lights: strange light phenomenon before some quakes is a long standing mystery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Reports of “earthquake lights,” like the ones seen in videos captured before Friday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco, go back centuries to ancient Greece. He has coauthored several scientific papers on earthquake lights, or EQL. To better understand earthquake lights, Derr and his colleagues gathered information on 65 American and European earthquakes associated with trustworthy reports of earthquake lights dating back to 1600. Other theories about what causes earthquake lights include static electricity produced by the fracturing of rock and radon emanation, among many others. At present there is no consensus among seismologists on the mechanism that causes earthquake lights, and scientists are still trying to unlock the mysteries of these outbursts.

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, CNN, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

☆ ‘Earthquake lights’ phenomenon is a long-standing scientific mystery. Here’s what experts think is behind them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: there’s, ”, John Derr, Juan Antonio Lira Cacho, Derr, Antonio Lira, Freund, Derr’s, “ Organizations: CNN —, Friday’s, Geological Survey, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Geophysics, San Jose University, NASA Ames Research Center Locations: Morocco, Greece, Pisco, Peru, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, China, Sichuan, Earthquakes, Guayaquil, Ecuador

CNN —Zookeepers at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium arrived to a pair of unexpected discoveries Thursday morning: a newborn baby gorilla and the news that its mother wasn’t a male gorilla. The gorilla, Sully, has lived at the facility with her mother since 2019 and was thought to be male until “the gorilla care team discovered her holding the unexpected baby gorilla early Thursday,” the zoo announced in a news release. There are an estimated 100,000 left in the wild across central Africa, says the Columbus Zoo. The surprise discovery builds on a history of gorilla conservation at the Columbus Zoo. The facility “was the first zoo in the world to welcome the birth of a baby gorilla” in 1956, according to the release.

Persons: CNN — Zookeepers, Sully, it’s, “ Organizations: CNN, Columbus Zoo, Aquarium, International Union for, Nature Locations: Columbus, Africa

☆ A 'Frankenfish' that can live without water for days and officials instruct to kill on sight was spotted deep in Missouri, worrying conservationists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Emily Swaim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"They're in the Mississippi River already, so that is a huge highway for the species," Knuth said. Dave Knuth, Duck Creek Conservation AreaWhile northern snakeheads normally avoid humans, they are very protective of their young. In 2019, researchers looked at how the Blackwater River watershed changed before and after northern snakeheads invaded. Dave Knuth, Duck Creek Conservation AreaIf you happen to spot a northern snakehead, the US government recommends killing it right away. If you find and kill a northern snakehead, you can report the capture to your local fish and game agency.

Persons: Dave Knuth, Knuth, White Organizations: Service, Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, DC, Washington Post, Fish Commission, Conservation Area, Conservation Center Locations: Missouri, Midwest, Wall, Silicon, Duck, Conservation Area, Asia, Africa, Crofton , Maryland, East, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Northern, Mississippi, Blackwater, North America

☆ Farm boom, fires make Bolivia No. 3 in world for forest loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lucinda Elliott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A burnt forest is pictured at the Guarani Nation Ecological Conservation Area Nembi Guasu in the Charagua region, an area where wildfires have destroyed hectares of forest, Charagua, Bolivia, August 23, 2019. REUTERS/David Mercado/FILE PHOTOMONTEVIDEO, June 28 (Reuters) - Forest loss in Bolivia accelerated by about a third last year with clearances in the country trailing only giant neighbor Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a forest monitoring project report shows, blaming farm expansion and fires. The South American country lost nearly around 3,860 square kilometers (1,490 square miles) of primary forest in 2022, according to Global Forest Watch, an area nearly the size of Rhode Island. Fires, some linked to land clearances, have also played a big part in forest loss in recent years, the Global Forest Watch report said. In a report on Monday Global Forest Watch, backed by the nonprofit World Resources Institute and drawing on forest data collected by the University of Maryland, said the world lost an area of old-growth tropical rainforest the size of Switzerland last year.

Persons: David Mercado, Marlene Quintanilla, Daniel Larrea, Lucinda Elliott, Adam Jourdan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Ecological Conservation, REUTERS, Democratic, Global Forest Watch, Nature Foundation, Global, Watch, Monday Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute, University of Maryland, Thomson Locations: Guarani, Charagua, Bolivia, MONTEVIDEO, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rhode Island, Santa Cruz, Beni, Bolivian, Switzerland

☆ Lost ancient Mayan city discovered in the dense, remote jungle of Mexico by archaeologists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient Mayan city in Mexico. The lead researcher said that it must have been an important site between 250 AD and 1000 AD. The previously unknown village was discovered in the Yucatán Peninsula by a team from the Archeology Council of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. The site sprawls has several pyramid-like structures measuring around 50 feet in height, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said. Sprajc said that the site most likely underwent changes between 800 and 1000 AD and then experienced the collapse of the Lowland Maya civilization in the 10th century.

Persons: sprawls, —, Ivan Sprajc, Ṡprajc, Sprajc Organizations: Service, Archeology, National Institute of Anthropology, Mexico's National Institute for Anthropology, University of Houston Locations: Mexico, Central, Campeche, Lowland, Guatemala, Belize

☆ Ancient Maya city discovered in Mexican jungle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The city includes large pyramid-like buildings, stone columns, three plazas with "imposing buildings" and other structures arranged in almost-concentric circles, the INAH institute said. INAH said the city, which it has named Ocomtun - meaning "stone column" in the Yucatec Maya language - would have been an important center for the peninsula's central lowland region between 250 and 1000 AD. It is located in the Balamku ecological reserve on the country's Yucatan Peninsula and was discovered during a search of a largely unexplored stretch of jungle larger than Luxembourg. The Maya civilization, known for its advanced mathematical calendars, spanned southeast Mexico and parts of Central America. Pre-Hispanic ball games, widespread throughout the Maya region, consist of passing a rubber ball representing the sun across a court without the use of hands and getting it through a small stone hoop.

Persons: INAH, Ivan Sprajc, Sprajc, Sarah Morland, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology, Mexico's, Read, MEXICO CITY, Central America, Thomson Locations: Campeche, Mexico, MEXICO, Yucatan, Luxembourg, Central

☆ Up to 1.7 billion T. rex dinosaurs lived on Earth, a new study found. But scientists aren't sure where all the bones went.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New calculations suggest that 1.7 billion T. rexes lived on Earth from 65.5-68 million years ago. This dichotomy between how many T. rexes lived and how few fossils we have of them shows us just how rare fossilization is and how much more we have to learn about these majestic creatures. Warpaintcobra/Getty ImagesMarshall was the lead author of an earlier study that estimated 2.5 billion T. rexes once roamed Earth. Of the roughly 1.7 billion, or so, T. rexes who roamed our planet, scientists have only uncovered a few hundred fossils, equating to fewer than 100 total dinosaurs. Despite their prime conditions for fossilization, if Giebeler's calculations are correct, scientists have only found about 0.0000002% of the T. rex that lived on Earth.

☆ Butterfly group named after 'Lord of the Rings' villain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The “distinctive fused orange rings” that encircle black-and-white eyespots on the hindwings of this group led the researchers to name the genus Saurona, according to a recent study published in the journal Systematic Entomology. The Eye of Sauron glows in the 2001 film "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." … It’s a very fine scientific paper.”Distinguishing a special groupThe researchers documented two new species in the Saurona genus, named Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera. Female saurona butterflies have slightly more rounded wings than males, but are otherwise similar in pattern, the authors found. Giving newly described genera or species names drawn from pop culture can draw attention to underappreciated species, Huertas said.

☆ A year in Azerbaijan: From the Grand Prix to the ski slopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Words Cnn Staff | Photo Illustrations Woojin Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Anyone who has tuned in to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has seen a tantalizing glimpse of what the capital Baku has to offer. This year’s Grand Prix comes at the height of spring, often said to be Azerbaijan’s most beautiful season. Juan Vilata/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in spring Prev NextSummers in Azerbaijan are hot, so getting out of the city is a good idea. Alexander Melnikov/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in fall Prev NextWrap up, because even at its coldest Azerbaijan still has plenty to offer. You’ll learn much more at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

☆ More than two-thirds of elephant habitat lost across Asia, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Elephants have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat across Asia, the result of hundreds of years of deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure, a new study has found. The study found that the greatest decline in elephant habitats was in China, where 94% of suitable land was lost between 1700 and 2015. Meanwhile, more than half of suitable elephant habitats have been lost in Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia’s Sumatra. The era also saw “new value systems, market forces, and governance policies” reaching beyond the cities of Europe into the forests of Asia – speeding up elephant habitat loss and the fragmentation of the species, the study found. Habitat loss also means elephants are migrating from their usual territories, creating “challenges for human communities that have little experience with elephants,” the study said.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

☆ SpaceX Starship’s explosion is not the failure it appears to be, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rocket launches are like opening a box of chocolates, only riskier — you never know what you’re going to get. When a rocket is set to leap off the launchpad, there’s a good chance of seeing a stunning liftoff or a spectacular failure. The lead-up to this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was a dramatic roller coaster. The rocket blasted off from the launchpad in South Texas and roared 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, researchers have a new theory about why the Vikings abruptly departed in the mid-15th century: rising sea levels.

☆ Rising sea levels may have forced the Vikings out of a successful settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Why they abandoned a successful settlement is a mystery that historians never have been able to fully explain. The idea that sea levels would have been rising as temperatures fell is a little counterintuitive, according to the researchers. However, Earth’s oceans aren’t like a bathtub, and the study noted that changes in sea level don’t affect all areas equally. The Greenland Ice Sheet readvanced during Viking occupation of the eastern settlement and peaked in the Little Ice Age. That advance caused sea level rise near the ice margins because of the sinking of Earth’s crust, according to the study.

[1/4] Soy plants are pictured on a farm in Enconada, on the outskirts of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, January 7, 2023. The tensions underscore a sharpening of a deep-seated rivalry between Santa Cruz and La Paz - Bolivia's farming hub and the political capital respectively - that have long butted heads over politics and resources. La Paz is an Andean stronghold with a large indigenous population that has traditionally titled towards the ruling socialist MAS party. "They can't resist on their own", said Montenegro, adding the rising economic pressures would force Santa Cruz producers to re-start supply within the country. Every Santa Cruz person has to fight, all Bolivians must fight for the well-being of Bolivia, for freedom."

☆ Hundreds of trucks snarl Bolivia farm region as blockades hit business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Agustin Marcarian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Agustin MarcarianPAILON, Bolivia, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Hundreds of trucks lined highways in Bolivia's farming region of Santa Cruz on Tuesday, as protesters blockaded routes out of the region following the arrest of the local governor, and hard-hit local businesses urged a return to order. Protests have gripped the lowland region since the Dec. 28 arrest of right-wing local leader Luis Camacho on "terrorism" charges related to an alleged 2019 coup against then president Evo Morales. Another source at a local business group said it would be hard for the region to maintain long protests and road blockades, with many still reeling from a lengthy strike last October and November. In Santa Cruz city, protesters have clashed nightly on the streets, burning cars and tires and offloading fireworks. "We are a peaceful people, we want peace, we want to work under normal conditions," said Gabriela Arias, protesting for Camacho's release in a women's march in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz leaders pledge to fight until Camacho is released, picketing government buildings and stopping transport of grains. "We have a mandate from our assembly that nothing leaves Santa Cruz and that is what we are going to do," said Rómulo Calvo, head of the powerful Pro Santa Cruz civic group. Marcelo Cruz, President of the International Heavy Transport Association of Santa Cruz, said routes were being blocked so no trucks could leave the province. "No grain, animal or supply from the factories should leave Santa Cruz for the rest of the country. "Santa Cruz is the economic stronghold of Bolivia," said Gary Rodríguez, General Manager of the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE).

Search resuls for: "Lowland"

25 mentions found