A drinking fountain marked “colored,” a segregated waiting room, or a sign separating public spaces by race could tell the story of an entire social system. During the Jim Crow era, these ordinary sights became symbols of a country where racial separation was woven into everyday routines, shaping where people could go, what services they […]

An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: Border Patrol is running secretive predictive policing units that analyze Americans' financial activity and other data, then feed that intelligence to local police who pull people over who are not suspected of any specific crime, but which the government thinks may be worth searching, 404 Media has found. The units, the name of which 404 Media is revealing here for the first time, are called Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams (PITT). In one case, a PITT analyzed the financial activity of a man who was driving across Montana, and local authorities stopped him under the pretense of an obstructed license plate and charged him with a DUI. 404 Media identified one PITT in the Spokane Sector, Washington, which polices the U.S. border with Canada, and another in the Laredo Sector, Texas, which polices the border with Mexico. The findings add to an Associated Press investigation from last year which found Border Patrol was using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) as part of the same wide-spanning predictive policing program. "The bottom line is genuine probable cause cannot be synthetically generated," Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center For Democracy & Technology, told 404 Media in an email. Here Border Patrol seems to be "using parallel construction to cloak the reason behind its car stops in secrecy. If we can't meaningfully review and evaluate these systems, we can't trust them," he added. [...] The DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows that Border Patrol is analyzing the financial activity of Americans to find people to pull over. The Associated Press's investigation found the predictive policing program is also heavily using ALPRs to track potential targets' movements. It is not clear how exactly Border Patrol is monitoring Americans' financial activity. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) declined to answer what financial activity the agency was monitoring, and whether it obtained a warrant or not. A CBP spokesperson told 404 Media in an email: "U.S. Border Patrol uses intelligence-informed analysis and planning to support national security operations, allocate resources, and help identify potential threats and bad actors to public safety. These efforts are conducted consistent with applicable law, policy, privacy protections, and oversight requirements." The statement continued: "For operational security reasons, we do not discuss specific analytical methods, data sources, targeting criteria, investigative techniques, system capabilities, or deployment details. Public disclosure of such information could compromise law enforcement operations and investigations as well as creating safety risks for agents and the public." Rob Frommer, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, told 404 Media: "The government's increasing use of mass surveillance -- whether that surveillance comes via ALPRs, financial records, or the like -- coupled with predictive policing is a recipe for tyranny. We fought a revolution for the idea that we are citizens, not subjects. Yet schemes like CBP's Predictive Intelligence Targeting Team treat all Americans as if they are potential suspects. This is not just wrong, it's unconstitutional, and IJ will keep pushing courts and Congress to end this attack on Americans' security."

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On September 12, 1961, a landmark event took place in the history of the R.1127: the second prototype (XP836) completed a flight through the full profile – vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight, transition to hover, and vertical landing. This confirmed in practice the viability of the VTOL concept with thrust-vector control incorporated into the R.1127’s design. […]

The post The Birth of the “Harrier,” Part 5: Testing and Prospects appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

Uma novo estudo da CashNetUSA revelou que a Apple é a segunda Big Tech estadunidense com mais vagas de emprego de nível inicial abertas no LinkedIn, ficando atrás apenas da Tesla.

Mais precisamente, 57,4% das vagas publicadas pela gigante de Cupertino são de baixa senioridade — um ponto percentual a menos que a montadora do bilionário Elon Musk. Fecham o Top 5 a IBM (32,4%), a Intel (20,9%) e a NVIDIA, que aparece com 5,3% — o mesmo número da Uber, com a qual divide a quinta posição.

Isso, no entanto, não quer dizer que entrar para o quadro de funcionários da Apple é fácil — já que, apesar da abundância de vagas de nível inicial (54, para ser mais preciso), ela ainda tem uma relação candidato-vaga de 55:1. Em primeiro lugar no ranking supracitado, a Tesla conta com uma proporção de “apenas” 23,5:1 — a menor entre as Big Techs analisadas no estudo.

Quando consideramos todo o mercado (e não apenas empresas de tecnologia), a Maçã fica na quinta posição entre as empresas mais competitivas dos EUA. Na frente dela, temos a NVIDIA (68,4:1), a IBM (88,4:1), a The Walt Disney Company (164,8:1) e o Morgan Stanley (180,9:1).

Para montar seu estudo, a CashNetUSA analisou, como dito, dados de vagas do LinkedIn referentes a “13 grandes empresas de tecnologia dos EUA reconhecidas mundialmente”. A firma de pesquisa também classificou cada empresa com base no número de candidatos que se inscreveram para cada vaga disponível.

O estudo completo pode ser conferido nessa página.

The United States recently held Game of Drones, bringing together small drone manufacturers at Edwards Air Force Base for an event focused on the design, assembly, and flight testing of unmanned aircraft. The event was jointly organized by the Experimental Test Force at Edwards, part of the 412th Test Wing, and US-X, a recently established […]

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Three years ago environmental regulators discovered garbage burning deep inside California's Chiquita Canyon Landfill, reports the Los Angeles Times. [Alternate URL here.] "Few imagined the calamity that would follow. "Somehow the landfill's pollution control system introduced oxygen below, causing decades-old waste to rapidly decompose, generating intense heat and eventually widespread smoldering, federal and state environmental agencies say." The broiling temperatures released toxic gases and hazardous liquid waste that bubbled up to the surface. Residents living in the nearby communities of Val Verde and Castaic have phoned in thousands of complaints about stench and lived with nausea, dizziness and trouble breathing. The underground fire has tripled in size since first confirmed in 2023. Recently a towering mound of landfill garbage perched on the hillside has warped and threatens to trigger an avalanche of garbage and chemical-filled liquid, or leachate, according to the California water board... At first, local officials described the problem in Los Angeles County at Chiquita Canyon landfill as a rare, even unprecedented disaster. But since then, California regulators have learned that at least two other landfills are wrestling with high temperatures and similar conditions. Scorching temperatures have overtaken at least 30 acres of El Sobrante landfill near Corona in Riverside County. Excessive heat and emissions have also been detected at Avenal landfill in the San Joaquin Valley. The discoveries raise an unsettling question: How many landfills are dealing with these disasters? Are they a broader problem in California...? Chiquita Canyon closed at the end of the 2024 and stopped accepting new garbage. But the fire is expected to last for years as it continues to consume decades-old trash. "Underground landfill fires are complex, nearly impossible to extinguish once they break out," according to the article. "As regulators search for a solution, residents find themselves struggling with the wait." Some residents have worn gas masks — or sold their homes.

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Bell Textron has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of the Navy with an estimated value of approximately $300 million. The agreement was signed in August 2026 at Bell’s manufacturing facility in Amarillo, Texas. The contract combines fixed-price, fixed-price incentive, and cost-reimbursement elements with fixed-fee provisions. The base contract, with options for extension […]

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Ukrainian drone operators have already destroyed a substantial number of Russian armored vehicles and even aerial targets using low-cost Shrike drones priced at approximately $400. Thousands of these platforms are now undergoing a major upgrade with an AI-enabled autonomy system that allows them to independently track and engage moving targets. In mid-July 2026, the Ukrainian […]

The post U.S.-Developed AI Enables Fully Autonomous Target Engagement for Ukrainian FPV Drones appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

Ukrainian manufacturer F-Drones has delivered its first batch of F10 FPV drones to the U.S. military under the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program. The initial shipment consists of 2,000 unmanned aerial vehicles, making the F10 the first Ukrainian drone authorized for export to the United States as part of the initiative. According to Militarnyi, the first […]

The post Ukrainian F10 Drones Arrive in United States: Pentagon Receives the First 2,000 UAVs from F-Drones appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

This week, U.S. forces in the Middle East intercepted and destroyed an Iranian Shahed-series drone using an interceptor drone that had previously been combat-tested in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official cited by Business Insider. The engagement marked the first operational use by the U.S. military of the American-developed Merops system to destroy a hostile […]

The post Tested in Ukraine: U.S. Downs an Iranian Shahed Drone for First Time Using AI-Powered Merops Drone appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

The U.S. Space Force has begun deploying the Meadowlands system developed by L3Harris. The new electronic warfare capability is designed to disrupt adversary satellites by transmitting high-power electromagnetic signals. The U.S. Space Force has opened a new chapter in the contest for control of orbit – not with missiles or lasers, but with a trailer-mounted antenna. Recently […]

The post Everything You Need to Know About Meadowlands System: How United States Is Learning to Jam Satellites appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

The U.S. Air Force has successfully carried out the first-ever missile launch from an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft developed under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The test was conducted in partnership with defense company Anduril Industries, with the YFQ-44A unmanned aircraft serving as the test platform. During the exercise, the aircraft launched an AIM-120 […]

The post The era of combat drones: A US Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle has destroyed a target with a combat missile for the first time appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

For over two centuries, enslaved people across North America risked everything to escape bondage, and slaveholders had a ready tool to try to stop them: the local newspaper. As print publications spread through American towns and cities in the 18th and 19th centuries, enslavers turned to their pages to post detailed notices seeking the capture […]

The 1930s brought the worst economic collapse in American history. Banks failed, unemployment soared past 20 percent, and most households operated on tight, uncertain budgets. Yet wedding photographs from this decade tell an unexpected story. Brides and grooms frequently appeared in attire of striking sophistication, sculpted gowns, tailored suits, and carefully chosen accessories that seem […]

In the early 1970s, the Ohio River was both a vital economic artery and a stark reminder of the environmental costs of industrial growth. Barges carried coal, steel, chemicals, and other goods through the heart of the Midwest, while millions of people depended on the river for drinking water, recreation, and livelihoods. At the same […]

Walking into a school cafeteria in the 1970s meant more than just finding a seat. The moment you set your lunchbox down on that long, noisy table, every kid around you took notice. Before you even opened it, a silent verdict had already been passed. That small rectangular box, usually dented, always loud when it […]

Incluso los animales más simples, sin cerebro ni órganos especializados, dedican una parte sustancial de su vida a dormir. Un nuevo estudio revela que medusas y anémonas marinas pasan cerca de un tercio del día en reposo, un hallazgo que refuerza la idea de que el sueño surgió como un mecanismo ancestral para proteger las células nerviosas.

Dormir es una de las conductas más desconcertantes de la biología. Durante horas, los animales reducen su actividad, reaccionan peor a los estímulos y se exponen a riesgos evidentes. Aun así, la gran mayoría de los seres vivos con sistema nervioso lo hacen de manera regular. La pregunta de por qué el sueño es tan universal ha acompañado a la ciencia durante décadas, y suele abordarse desde el estudio de cerebros complejos, como los de mamíferos y aves. Sin embargo, una investigación reciente ha llevado la mirada mucho más atrás en la historia evolutiva.

El trabajo se centró en dos animales marinos pertenecientes al grupo de los cnidarios, una de las ramas más antiguas del árbol evolutivo con neuronas. Se trata de la medusa invertida Cassiopea andromeda y la anémona marina Nematostella vectensis. Ambos carecen de cerebro y poseen, en su lugar, una red difusa de células nerviosas repartidas por el cuerpo. A pesar de esa simplicidad extrema, los investigadores descubrieron que estos organismos muestran patrones de sueño sorprendentemente similares a los de animales mucho más complejos.

Dormir sin cerebro

Para determinar si una medusa o una anémona están dormidas no basta con observar si permanecen quietas. Los científicos utilizaron un criterio habitual en estudios del sueño animal: la reducción de la capacidad de respuesta a estímulos. En condiciones normales, estos cnidarios reaccionan rápidamente a cambios de luz, movimientos del agua o estímulos mecánicos. Cuando su respuesta se vuelve más lenta y errática, y ese estado es reversible, se considera un equivalente funcional del sueño.

Mediante este enfoque, el equipo observó que tanto Cassiopea como Nematostella pasan alrededor de ocho horas al día en un estado de reposo profundo. En términos relativos, eso supone aproximadamente un tercio del ciclo diario, una proporción muy cercana a la que se observa en los seres humanos. En el caso de la medusa invertida, el patrón es aún más llamativo: además de dormir por la noche, suele realizar un breve descanso adicional durante el día, comparable a una siesta.

El hallazgo desafía la idea de que el sueño esté ligado exclusivamente a cerebros capaces de procesar información compleja, almacenar recuerdos o regular emociones. Estos animales no sueñan, no aprenden de la misma manera que los vertebrados y no poseen estructuras neuronales centralizadas. Aun así, duermen, y lo hacen durante una fracción notablemente constante de su vida.

Ritmos opuestos, misma necesidad

Aunque la cantidad total de sueño es similar, el momento en que ocurre varía entre ambas especies. La medusa invertida es principalmente diurna: pasa las horas de luz activa y reduce su actividad cuando cae la noche. La anémona marina, en cambio, muestra un comportamiento casi opuesto. Su actividad aumenta al atardecer y durante la noche, mientras que el reposo más prolongado se concentra en las primeras horas de la mañana.

Las causas de estas diferencias también parecen distintas. En Cassiopea andromeda, la luz actúa como el principal regulador. Cuando el entorno se oscurece, el animal entra rápidamente en un estado de reposo. Si se altera artificialmente el ciclo de luz y oscuridad, su patrón de sueño se ajusta en consecuencia. En Nematostella vectensis, por el contrario, el sueño está gobernado por un reloj biológico interno que sigue funcionando incluso en condiciones de oscuridad constante.

Pese a estos contrastes, el resultado final es casi idéntico: una cantidad diaria de sueño muy estable. Para los investigadores, esta coincidencia sugiere que existe una necesidad fisiológica profunda que impone un “mínimo” de descanso, independientemente de cuándo se produzca. La función del sueño, por tanto, podría ser más básica y antigua de lo que se pensaba.

El vínculo con el daño en el ADN

La pregunta clave es por qué un animal tan simple necesitaría dormir. Sin un cerebro que consolidar recuerdos ni una mente que ordenar experiencias, ¿qué se gana con el reposo? La respuesta propuesta por el estudio apunta a un proceso celular fundamental: la reparación del ADN.

Durante los periodos de actividad, las neuronas de medusas y anémonas acumulan daños en su material genético. Estas lesiones pueden deberse a múltiples factores, como el metabolismo normal de la célula o la exposición a la radiación ultravioleta. Al analizar los tejidos nerviosos, los investigadores comprobaron que los niveles de daño en el ADN disminuyen de forma significativa durante el sueño.

Cuando los animales fueron privados de su descanso habitual, el daño genético continuó acumulándose. El efecto no era sutil: las diferencias entre animales bien descansados y aquellos mantenidos despiertos eran claras y consistentes. Según los autores del trabajo, esto indica que el sueño actúa como una ventana temporal en la que las neuronas pueden activar mecanismos de reparación sin las interferencias asociadas a la actividad constante.

Este resultado fue descrito en un artículo publicado en la revista Nature Communications, donde se plantea que la función original del sueño pudo haber sido, precisamente, proteger la integridad de las células nerviosas en los primeros animales con sistemas neuronales.

Cuando el sol induce al sueño

Para reforzar esta hipótesis, el equipo realizó experimentos adicionales. Expuso a medusas y anémonas a radiación ultravioleta, conocida por causar roturas en el ADN. Tras la exposición, ambos animales aumentaron de manera notable la cantidad de tiempo que pasaban dormidos. Un efecto similar se observó cuando se les administró una sustancia química que induce daños genéticos de forma controlada.

“Cuanto mayor es el daño en el ADN, mayor parece ser la presión para dormir”, señalan los autores del estudio. Esta relación directa sugiere que el sueño no es solo una consecuencia pasiva del cansancio, sino una respuesta activa a un problema celular concreto. Dormir permitiría a las neuronas detener temporalmente su actividad y dedicar recursos a la reparación.

Desde una perspectiva evolutiva, este mecanismo tendría mucho sentido. Las neuronas son células muy especializadas que, a diferencia de otras, no se dividen ni se reemplazan fácilmente. En organismos primitivos, perder neuronas podía comprometer funciones esenciales para la supervivencia. El sueño habría surgido como una solución eficiente para mantenerlas en buen estado.

Un papel inesperado de la melatonina

Otra de las sorpresas del estudio fue el papel de la melatonina. Este compuesto, conocido como la “hormona del sueño” en humanos, se produce en el cerebro y ayuda a regular los ritmos circadianos. Cuando los investigadores administraron melatonina a las medusas y anémonas durante sus fases activas, ambos animales entraron en un estado de reposo prolongado.

El efecto se produjo independientemente de si la especie era diurna o nocturna. En otras palabras, la melatonina inducía el sueño incluso cuando el animal normalmente estaría despierto. Esto indica que los mecanismos bioquímicos que responden a esta molécula ya existían mucho antes de la aparición de cerebros complejos y glándulas especializadas como la pineal humana.

“El hecho de que la melatonina funcione en animales sin cerebro sugiere que los componentes químicos del sueño son extremadamente antiguos”, destacan los investigadores. La regulación hormonal del descanso podría haberse establecido en los primeros sistemas nerviosos, y luego haberse conservado y refinado a lo largo de cientos de millones de años de evolución.

Una función que se amplió con el tiempo

A partir de estos resultados, los autores proponen un escenario evolutivo en el que el sueño aparece inicialmente como un proceso de mantenimiento celular. En los primeros animales con neuronas, dormir habría servido principalmente para reparar el ADN y preservar la funcionalidad de las células nerviosas. Con el paso del tiempo y el aumento de la complejidad del sistema nervioso, el sueño habría incorporado nuevas funciones.

En vertebrados y, especialmente, en mamíferos, el descanso nocturno se asocia hoy con la consolidación de la memoria, el aprendizaje, la regulación emocional y la eliminación de desechos metabólicos del cerebro. Según esta visión, estas funciones serían añadidos relativamente recientes sobre una base mucho más antigua.

El estudio de medusas y anémonas ofrece así una ventana al pasado profundo de la biología. Al observar cómo duermen animales que se parecen poco a nosotros, es posible identificar qué aspectos del sueño son esenciales y cuáles son producto de una evolución posterior. La idea de que una conducta tan cotidiana como dormir tenga su origen en la necesidad de reparar el ADN de unas pocas neuronas primitivas refuerza la noción de que, incluso en la biología más simple, el descanso nunca ha sido un lujo, sino una necesidad vital.

Este trabajo se suma a una creciente línea de investigación que busca comprender el sueño no solo como un fenómeno del cerebro humano, sino como un rasgo fundamental de la vida animal. Medusas y anémonas, silenciosas y aparentemente simples, se convierten así en inesperadas maestras sobre uno de los grandes misterios de la existencia.

The U.S. Navy has signed a major agreement with Boeing valued at approximately $880 million. The primary purpose of this funding is to significantly upgrade and maintain training systems for aircrews and maintenance personnel operating the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft. This initiative is intended to substantially improve fleet combat readiness and strengthen capabilities […]

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A further illustration of the drive to accelerate defense programs is the U.S. Air Force’s decision to involve an active operational pilot in joint flights with a test pilot during the early stages of the B-21 Raider nuclear bomber’s flight-test program. Military aircraft testing traditionally follows a well-defined sequence that precedes operational deployment. Historically, this […]

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Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from PetaPixel: China dominates the consumer drone market, so it is perhaps surprising that it is no longer possible to fly or even purchase a drone in Beijing. The new law that passed last month makes it illegal to buy, rent, or fly a drone without prior approval from the authorities. Users must also complete an online training session and pass a test on drone regulations. Under the new rules, drone users are also not allowed to repair or replace their drones in Beijing. Not only that, but a drone in a repair shop must be picked up in-person, rather than sent back by delivery. The BBC reports that drones must now be registered before being brought into and out of the Chinese capital. "I have to apply for permission for each flight, which is very inconvenient," drone enthusiast Steven Wang tells CNN. "And starting this year, the wait time is getting longer, and the reasons for rejection are becoming more vague." Despite China being the birthplace of the consumer drone industry, it is increasingly difficult for hobbyists to fly there. Beijing authorities say that the rules are made to "strengthen the management of unmanned aerial vehicles" and "safeguard the security of the capital."

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