O modelo mais rápido e potente da história da Mercedes-AMG é totalmente elétrico. Recorre pela primeira vez a motores de fluxo axial diretamente inspirados na Fórmula 1, carrega 460 km de autonomia em apenas 10 minutos e já pode ser encomendado em Portugal, a partir de 160.500 euros.
Archaeologists have discovered an unusual artifact they say could represent the earliest known use of written numbers ever discovered in Mesoamerica.
The curious clay figurine features eleven small dots carved into its surface, appearing in three columns. Although its exact purpose remains unclear, researchers who report the discovery in Latin American Antiquity believe it could be one of the oldest examples of graphic notation that may have been used for rudimentary calculation or some similar purpose, dating to as far back as around 750 B.C.
Significantly, the researchers behind the recent study argue that this earliest known evidence of numerical writing could offer clues to “the relationship between numeration, bodies, and identity in ancient Mesoamerican worldviews.”
The Enigma of the Tab Figurines
The figurine, roughly the size and shape of a small television remote, was unearthed at an ancient Mesoamerican site located along Guatemala’s Pacific coast, known as La Blanca. It is among a group of similar artifacts archaeologists call tab figurines, and hundreds of these mysterious relics are known from past discoveries at the site.
Named for their unusual slab-like appearance, these figurines also bear anthropomorphic qualities, which include depictions of jewelry and other ornamentation, although the tab figurines do not directly resemble human heads beyond the presence of such ornaments.
A Remarkable Discovery at Ancient La Blanca
While similar past discoveries recognized as tab figurines have been made at La Blanca, the presence of dots appearing in columns makes this one very unique and presents a novel possibility: that the impressions on the statuette may not have been purely decorative.
“The ordered dots on the La Blanca tab figurine’s headdress, of course, raise more questions than they answer,” write authors Julia Guernsey, Stephanie M. Strauss, and Michael Love in their recent study. “This is often the case with unique examples such as this, which cannot be better contextualized within a larger grouping of like objects from La Blanca or elsewhere.”
The ceramic “tab” figurine with headdress band and potential dot numeration from the Joyas Group at the archaeological site of La Blanca, Guatemala, alongside an artistic rendering of the artifact by Julia Guernsey (Image Credit: J. Guernsey/South American Antiquity)
“Although one might be inclined to dismiss the La Blanca figurine as a curiosity or an isolated addendum to the complicated history of first writing in Mesoamerica,” the authors go on to note, “we believe that it merits this thorough discussion.”
Clues to Unraveling a Mesoamerican Mystery
A clue to the artifact’s purpose may arise from the association between tab figurines and the human head, a region of the body that is traditionally associated with individual identity. This is significant, since archaeologists recognize a potential link between numbers and individual identity in the world of ancient Mesoamerica.
Based on existing archaeological knowledge from the region, it is known that experimentation with numbers had already begun around the time the artifact is believed to have been made. One well-characterized numerical system is known as the dot-and-bar system, which, as the name implies, relies on dots and bars to convey figures of one and five units, respectively.
“In the Mixtec and Aztec codices, one easily becomes accustomed to reading even long strings of single dots and quickly approximating their quantity, a visuo-summation process known as subitizing,” the authors write.
“And no matter what form Mesoamerican numerals took, the vigesimal system was rooted in metaphors/mnemonics of the body: specifically, 10 fingers and 10 toes and concepts of personhood anchored to the number 20,” they add.
Also of significance is the K’iche’ word for person, winik, which is the same word used for the number 20, and for a simple reason: it refers to the ten fingers and ten toes of the human body.
Connections to Mesoamerican Personhood Concepts
Although the connections between the unique figurine unearthed at La Blanca and existing knowledge of Mesoamerican number systems are compelling, the researchers caution against interpreting the artifact solely through the lens of later Mesoamerican writing systems. One main reason why is that scholars think there probably wasn’t ever any single method for recording numbers across the region.
Still, the artifact nonetheless joins a growing body of evidence that could point to the fact that the inhabitants of La Blanca were experimenting with symbolic communication, and at a time centuries before fully developed writing systems emerged in the region.
While the exact meaning of the dots on the statuette remains unknown, the researchers behind the study make a compelling case for why the markings may have represented a name, a date, or another personal identifier. If correct, the placement of the dots may hint at an early connection between numeration, identity, and social expression during a period when some of Mesoamerica’s first urban communities were taking shape.
“Yet a question remains as to whether the identity expressed by the La Blanca tab figurine with its 11 dots was human, supernatural, or a combination thereof,” the authors concede, although concluding that their assessment of the artifact strongly points to the known associations between time, numbers, and the concept of personhood as envisioned in the minds of ancient Mesoamericans.
“Early Mesoamerican conceptualizations of time and the nature of being, perhaps, were not so very different from those of Aristotle for whom Paul Ricoeur noted, ‘Being in time [meant] more than existing when time exists. It [meant] ‘being in number.’”
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached atmicah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.
L’allineamento planetario di giugno 2026 continua a regalare uno spettacolo affascinante agli appassionati di astronomia. Anche se il momento culminante del fenomeno è ormai trascorso, Mercurio, Venere e Giove restano ancora visibili vicini tra loro nel cielo della sera, offrendo un’occasione unica per osservare tre pianeti allineati a occhio nudo. Le condizioni di osservazione rimangono […]
Lately, Nick Dixon has been suffering from ‘Long 90s’: the ailment whereby one feels a sudden and almost unbearable desire to return to the 1990s. It can strike at any time and particularly affects men over 40.
It's the U.S. law that allows wiretaps without a warrant for surveilling foreign targets. And the U.S. Congress just let it lapse. Sort of. NPR reports:
Each year, the provision is used by American intelligence agencies to collect the electronic communications of hundreds of thousands of foreigners located outside of the United States. The government says that more than 60% of the president's daily intelligence briefing relies on information collected under the authority. The tool officially lapsed at the end of the day on Friday. What happens now?
Intelligence collection under FISA's Section 702 is authorized annually by a federal court — and the law allows for that collection to continue for the duration of the court's authorization, even if the law lapses before the court's next approval. That means companies — electronic communications service providers, in this context — will still be legally required to turn over material to intelligence agencies.
Still, some lawmakers worry that the companies compelled to turn over communications may attempt to challenge the law in court, possibly leading to an indeterminately long window during which they stop providing intel. Advocates on all sides of the surveillance fight believe those challenges are ultimately likely to fail, but those closely linked to the intelligence community emphasize that even a small pause comes with risks ahead of major events like America's 250th celebration and the World Cup.
Over two years after Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission deployed a tiny, shape-shiftingrover on the Moon, the country’s space agency JAXA has finally revealed previously unreleased details about the first-of-its-kind autonomous robotic lunar exploration.
According to a statement announcing the recently published mission account, the SLIM team deployed the rover on the Moon’s surface, “after which the rover transformed from a tiny sphere into a wheeled robot that took images of the lander and its environment.” A second rover transmitted the data back to Earth, with all steps occurring autonomously.
The team behind the historic mission said their success could pave the way for swarms of small, transformable robots capable of exploring high-scientific value areas that larger spacecraft and robots cannot reach, including caves, tunnels, lava tubes, vents, and deep extraterrestrial craters.
The Benefits of Tiny Robots and Autonomous Shape-Shifting Rovers
In the published study, the JAXA team explains that robotic technologies like SLIM “are expected to drive substantial advancements in planetary exploration and resource prospecting” by performing tasks in extraterrestrial environments that are inaccessible to other platforms, including human astronauts. For example, the team noted that miniature robots offer tremendous weight savings over bulkier platforms, especially when added to missions with “strict payload limitations.”
“Miniature robots have the potential to reduce payloads and to reach cramped spaces such as small vents and craters that are inaccessible to larger, conventional robots,” they explain.
Still, the SLIM team notes that building tiny, shape-shifting rovers capable of exploring a variety of complex environments presents its own set of challenges. The most limiting constraints involve computational power and battery capacity. The team also observed that smaller robotics platforms inherently suffer from “reduced locomotion performance” due to their small size.
Now, when revealing the details of the SLIM mission, the researchers note that advancements in miniaturization and computational performance spurred by the Internet of Things “have catalyzed the emergence of smaller, lighter, and more intelligent rovers at lower costs.”
Introducing the ‘Hopping’ Lev-1 and the ‘Transforming’ Lev-2
To build a tiny, shapeshifting robot capable of exploring the lunar surface autonomously, team leader Daichi Hirano and colleagues designed the Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) system, which comprises LEV-1 and LEV-2. According to the team’s statement, LEV-1 can communicate directly with mission planners back on Earth. For locomotion, the robot moves via what the team termed “a controlled hopping mechanism.”
The second robot, LEV-2, starts out as a compact sphere 8 inches in diameter. However, once on the Moon, the mission controllers said that the tiny robot can transform into a “two-wheeled rover with cameras and a tail stabilizer.”
“Here, we introduce a two-wheeled centimeter-scale rover, designated Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2), also known as SORA-Q (named after the Japanese words for space and sphere), which transforms into a wheeled configuration from a compact spherical form, enabling efficient traversal of soft lunar terrains,” they write.
Transformers Make Autonomous Robotic Exploration History
According to the new mission details, the SLIM lander deployed LEV-2 “immediately before its landing on the lunar surface.” In the mission details, the team explained that upon deployment, the rover autonomously extended its wheels, tail stabilizer, and cameras, “thereby enhancing its mobility and stability on soft lunar terrain.”
Overview of the motion sequence on the lunar surface. (A) Deployment of LEV-1 and LEV-2 from the SLIM lander prior to landing on the lunar surface. (B) Data transmission from LEV-2 through LEV-1 to the Earth. (C) Mode transition and motion sequence on the lunar surface. Image Credit: D. Hirano.
After deployment, LEV-2 navigated the lunar surface in the immediate area around the lander. According to the published study, “the palm-sized rover accomplished autonomous lunar exploration by navigating around the SLIM lander, capturing images of both the SLIM lander and its environment.” Critically, the rover’s exploration was autonomous and “without reliance on ground-based teleoperation,” marking a historic first in lunar exploration.
After finishing its exploration, the tiny robot transmitted images of its adventures to LEV-1. The hopping rover then transmitted the data to Earth. The team notes that all these steps were also accomplished autonomously.
The team notes that the LEV-2 shape-shifting rover operated for “more than 100 minutes: before losing communication with LEV-1. Although determining the exact cause may require direct examination of the two robots, Hirano’s team suspects that issues caused by LEV-1’s hopping motions or battery depletion “may have contributed to connectivity issues.”
When discussing the implication of an autonomous, shape-shifting rover successfully navigating the lunar surface and completing its mission directives, the team concedes that the capabilities of a single, small rover like LEV-2 “are inherently limited.” However, they also note that their mission success highlights the potential of this category of robotic platform “as independent explorers, capable of accessing environments beyond the reach of a primary large spacecraft.”
“Swarm-controlled small robots are poised to be deployed in high-risk yet scientifically valuable environments, such as vents, caves, and steep slope craters, that are inaccessible to larger, conventional rovers,” the researchers conclude. “This approach promises to enhance both the efficiency and safety of future planetary surface exploration.”
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
The unveiling of the new garment by Prada and Axiom Space took place at Prada’s SoHo location in Manhattan just days before the announcement of the Artemis III crew, according to the New York Timesfashion desk. With black-clad waiters circulating champagne and healthy juices through the Rem Koolhaas-designed venue, the intersection of fashion and space exploration was once again on full display.
“The future of space exploration will not be built by any one entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is proof of that,” said Dr. Jonathan Cirtain, Axiom Space CEO and President, in a statement.
“By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently, and that is exactly the kind of cross-industry thinking that will define the next era of human spaceflight,” Cirtain added.
Some might be surprised to learn this is not the first time NASA has collaborated with a fashion house. The first modern spacesuit was designed and crafted by a group of international designers at the Latex Corporation (ILC). In the 1960s, this company was best known for manufacturing bras and girdles.
Notably, a version of its A7L spacesuit was worn by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission. Designers developed the A7L to protect astronauts from the harsh conditions of space and the lunar surface.
The suit was constructed using materials such as neoprene, Beta cloth—which helped protect astronauts from extreme temperatures—and aluminized Mylar. Overall, it was a highly complex, multilayered design.
The new LCVG collaboration draws on Prada’s expertise in knitting, craftsmanship, and advanced design. The resulting garment is a next-generation system developed using sophisticated 3D modeling techniques.
The suit is designed to maintain cooling and ventilation while remaining comfortable during spacewalks lasting up to eight hours. Thanks to its high-performance materials, it can also be worn repeatedly during long-duration missions.
“When we unveiled the AxEMU, we announced that the collaboration between Prada and Axiom Space would continue beyond that first milestone,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability, in a statement.
“Today, we are proud to present a new achievement born from the unique combination of Axiom Space’s pioneering expertise and Prada’s know-how in design, patternmaking, and advanced materials, ahead of humanity’s return to the lunar surface,” Bertelli added.
In 2024, Axiom Space and Prada unveiled the AxEMU’s outer layer, designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the lunar South Pole. Their latest collaboration on the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment builds on that partnership, focusing on astronaut comfort, thermal regulation, and reliability inside the spacesuit.
“We look forward to continuing this collaboration with Axiom Space, pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers together,” adds Bertelli.
The LCVG keeps astronauts cool during spacewalks by circulating chilled water through tubes woven into the garment, removing body heat and venting it through the spacesuit. It also delivers fresh oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, helping astronauts remain safe and comfortable in the harsh environment of space.
“Every minute astronauts spend outside their vehicle, the LCVG is working to keep them safe,” said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Development.
“It manages their thermal environment, supports their breathing, and does it all while they’re pushing their bodies to the limit,” Ralson added. “The work we have done with Prada has taken that capability to a level we could not have achieved alone.”
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.
Risques de blessures accrus, cycle menstruel ignoré, besoins spécifiques passés sous silence : le football féminin évolue encore avec des références masculines. La Fifa veut désormais combler ce retard et faire tomber les tabous.
Lo scienziato Wu Yican ha annunciato l'avvio dei test in Cina su un prototipo di reattore nucleare da 10 megawatt abbastanza piccolo da poter essere trasportato sul cassone di un camion. Sviluppato dal consorzio FDS, il dispositivo promette una vita utile fino a 60 anni e una singola carica di combustibile capace di garantire autonomia energetica per tre decenni consecutivi. L'applicazione principale punta a soddisfare l'enorme richiesta elettrica dei data center dedicati all'intelligenza artificiale, svincolandoli dalle reti nazionali, ma il sistema potrebbe alimentare anche isole remote e installazioni militari isolate. Nonostante l'interesse globale per i reattori mobili – monitorati attentamente anche dal Pentagono con il Progetto Pele – la comunità scientifica internazionale mantiene una rigida cautela: restano da sciogliere i nodi cruciali legati al peso delle schermature antiradiazioni e alla sicurezza strutturale del modulo in caso di incidenti stradali o sabotaggi.
Scientists found a concerning Alzheimer’s link involving glucosamine, a joint supplement used by millions. A widely used supplement marketed for joint pain relief may be linked to faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research from University of Florida scientists. The study found that people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who reported taking glucosamine [...]
Archaeologists believe a site in present-day northern Iraq may preserve the remains of an ancient city whose fall was recorded in texts from ancient Mesopotamia.
While ancient texts described the event, the physical traces were not discovered until recently. Excavations at Kurd Qaburstan in the Kurdistan region have now revealed the clearest archaeological record of Middle Bronze Agesiegewarfare found in the area.
During the 2024 and 2025 excavation seasons, a team led by Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida and director of the Kurd Qaburstan Project, recovered 20 cuneiformtablets and more than 100 administrative sealings from destruction layers inside the Lower Town East Palace.
A Lost Archive
This collection represents the first substantial group of cuneiform texts found on the Erbil Plain, and their dating is unusually precise. Scribes wrote several tablets within days of one another, clustering around the period recorded as the city’s fall, which allows researchers to closely align the archaeological and historical records.
Epigraphers Paul Delnero and Parker Zane, from Johns Hopkins University and Yale University, are leading the translation effort with art historian Marian Feldman. The texts include palace administrative records and at least one letter that may mention a senior official from the ancient city of Qabra.
Some inscriptions may also correspond to destructions recorded on the Victory Stele of Dadusha, a monument that documents military campaigns in the region from the same period.
Burned Layers
The physical signs of the attack are clear. Collapsed buildings, burned layers, and numerous broken pottery pieces all show signs of a coordinated and sustained assault. The team found two layers of destruction, one above the other, which match the recorded events of Qabra’s conquest.
Within these layers of destruction, bioarchaeologist Andrea Zurek-Ost of Michigan State University identified the remains of 17 people. Several seem to have died where they fell, possibly including palace workers. Archaeologists found one individual face down over a stone basin. Researchers are now using isotopic and ancient DNA analyses to learn more about who these people were, where they came from, and how they might have been related.
Mapping The City Before It Fell
The destruction layers tell the story of the city’s final chapter. A magnetometer survey covering over 80 hectares provides a picture of what the city looked like before its fall.
Led by Andrew Creekmore III at the University of Northern Colorado, the survey detects buried structures by measuring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. It revealed a monumental wall with bastions surrounding the site, fortifications that match those shown on the Victory Stele of Dadusha and support the identification of Kurd Qaburstan as ancient Qabra.
Researchers also found a preserved street with a drainage system, along with areas used for food processing and textile production. These features indicate that the city was more complex than researchers usually expect in northern Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamian history has often focused on southern cities such as Uruk, viewing the south as the birthplace of urban civilization. The evidence from Kurd Qaburstan challenges that view.
“The evidence from Kurd Qaburstan shows that northern cities could be large, complex, and politically significant, with administrative systems, fortifications, and infrastructure comparable to those of the best-known southern sites,” Earley-Spadoni says.
Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.
Scopri come il nuovo bersaglio molecolare GRK2 potrebbe migliorare le terapie per la demenza e l'Alzheimer, aprendo a nuove prospettive di trattamento.
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 132, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, happy soccer, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
Millions of people take glucosamine every day in the hope of reducing joint pain and maintaining mobility as they age. The supplement has long been marketed as a natural way to support joint health, particularly for people with osteoarthritis. Because it is sold over the counter and does not require a prescription, many consumers assume […]
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