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An Anonymous Coward writes:

Open AI claims that AI has found a solution to the Navier-Stokes Millenium Prize problem.

The Navier-Stokes equations are a good model for most fluids we see around us like water and air. They are partial differential equations, and their solution is the velocity of the fluid --- a field that varies with both location in space and time. The Millenium Prize problem asks whether it is possible to start the equations with smooth initial conditions and smooth forcing, but still reach a solution with a singularity (i.e. infinite velocity at some time and point in space). One may either prove that such solutions stay smooth for all time, or one may construct an example which has a finite time "blowup"; the claim by OpenAI is that they found solutions with singularities. The result itself is interesting and it will most likely have some consequences within fluid dynamics, but these are medium to long term things that are hard to predict. I personally am not capable of judging the validity of the result (FWIW Sabine Hossenfelder explains reasonably well why the result might not be valid despite the "lean confirmation").

Sadly, the whole thing is clouded by allegations of not-exactly-plagiarism. In their statement OpenAI does not deny that their internal models may have been trained on research performed by others. To be more clear, there exists professor Tristan Buckmaster who was working with a friend from Anthropic on exactly this problem, and exactly this approach to the problem, and prof. Buckmaster used OpenAI's tools. I personally found prof. Buckmaster's statement a good read, and I don't want to forget this blog post by Curtis Pyke.

I believe the larger story is the AI agent collective. In the Hugging Face hack many AI agents started talking to each other and worked together to achieve their goals. OpenAI states that to solve the Navier Stokes problem, they purposefully set up to 10000 agents to work in groups that could communicate internally. At the same time OpenAI states that we are not prepared for AI --- the BBC has a broader text on controlling AI here.

I believe the larger story is that these AI agent collectives look a lot like global workspaces. This whole thing fits in nicely with the fact that humans consider themselves superior to other animals because they have language: unconstrained communication of different components is what leads the collective to have an actual chain/train of thought (the communication log).

I believe there is more to say, but I want to start a discussion, not to lecture. I apologize if I left anything important out.

Original Submission

Tim Curry has died at age 80

The British actor was known for iconic roles like Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise.

Curry earned three Tony nominations and a Daytime Emmy and released three musical albums in his career

The British star got his start on stage in the West End, starring in the original London production of Hair in 1968 after attending Birmingham University. But according to the actor, he fudged his own experience to get a part in the show. "When asked if he had professional experience and an Equity card, Tim lied about both," his website reads. "By the time the producers found out the truth, they were sufficiently impressed with his talent and presence to sponsor him for his union membership."

In 2012, Curry suffered a major stroke and has used a wheelchair since. Curry, who never married and has no children, mostly pulled back on his acting career then, focusing instead on voiceover projects.

Dolly Parton has passed away.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-death-cause-country-music-legend-singer/89232175007/

Dolly Parton, the "Queen of Country" singing icon with a personality as bold as her signature blond coif and rhinestone-encrusted outfits, has died. She was 80 years old.

Parton's death was announced in a video message from her family on her social media pages and confirmed to USA TODAY.

[...] Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the death of his aunt [...]

[...] My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us for ever.

Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil; she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.

The 2nd crew member of the F15E shot down over Iran has been successfully rescued. The Pentagon has released that he is a colonel and was the Weapons Systems Officer on board the aircraft. He has suffered 'minor injuries' but is otherwise reported to be in good condition.

A large operation involving over a 'dozen' aircraft was mounted and he was recovered from high ground in a mountainous region. The rescue was conducted under fire from Iranian forces. No casualties have been reported.

looorg writes:

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize

Somewhat better then the IG Nobel is the actual Nobel prizes. Winners started to be announced this week. So far Medicine and Physics, others to be revealed in the following days as I write this.

Physics. "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit"
Medicine. "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance"

Chemistry.
Literature.

Peace.
Economic Science.

https://www.nobelprize.org/all-nobel-prizes-2025/

Original Submission

News is breaking that Robert Redford has died at his home age 89.

Qatar reserves the right to respond to the attack

Pentagon says there is no information of any casualties.

Iran claims that they have fired 6 missiles, one in response for each bomb dropped on Fordo. It appears that Qatar (and possibly the US too) were pre-warned.

All missiles were intercepted before hitting their targets.

Al Udeid is the the home of the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) which is manned primarily by the US but also by UK and other allies. It is also a major military air hub in the region and would have had some responsibility for oversight of the recent US attack on the nuclear sites.

President Trump's Response

[paraphrasing] The Iranians have made a weak response and we were warned by them in advance. I thank Iran for the warning which gave us the ability to ensure that no lives were endangered. We hope that discussions can now be restarted. I will encourage Israel to also enable negotiations to be restarted. [end paraphrasing].

USA bombs Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan
US President Donald Trump says American forces have conducted "very successful" strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan and that all US planes are now out of Iranian airspace.

Trump's Truth Social
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

[Updated 22 Jun 1313z - following statements by Secretary of Defence and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--JR]

Operation Midnight Hammer

75 x TLAMs - Precision Guided Weapons (PGW), 14 x MOPs GBU-57 used by 7 B2s, operational feint by sending 6 x B2s westward into the Pacific area, 7 x B2s continued eastwards. The B2s are still airborne and were observed refuelling over the Azores a few hours ago on FlightRadar24 (at least 18 tanker aircraft operating racetracks but the B2s were still radio silent). TLAMs were also fired by USN assets in the southern Persian Gulf. Over 120 aircraft involved in the mission including F16, F22, F35, ISTAR, AAR. Battle damage assessment will take time to collect and analyse.

US forces involved in the attack were not engaged and appear to have achieved total surprise. All assets are accounted for but some are still airborne.

Original Submission

quietus writes:

The President of the United States has declared that the 17 million inhabitants of the capital city of a country should immediately evacuate.

Republican Congressman (and engineer) Thomas Massie (Kentucky) has stated that he will introduce a war powers resolution today, Tuesday, to prevent the President of the United States going to war without first consulting Congress.

"This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution."

[Editor's Comment: This has been released with significant reservations. The departure of Trump from the G7 was accompanied with a statement that said "it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that." Of course, this can be read in 2 different ways. It is possible that Iran is prepared to surrender or the US might be taking its own action in support of Israel. We would welcome your comments.--JR]

Original Submission

c0lo submitted the following article:

Mount Etna erupts as large plumes rise from Italian volcano:

Italy's Mount Etna has erupted, with large plumes of ash and smoke seen rising from the volcano.

Images and video from the island of Sicily showed volcanic material spilling out of the volcano on Monday morning.

A number of explosions of "increasing intensity" were recorded in the early hours on Monday morning, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory said.

The full scale of the eruption is currently unclear and disruption appears to be minimal, with flights departing and arriving as usual at the island's airports.

Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes, so eruptions are not uncommon and its outbursts rarely cause significant damage or injury.

Ground movements indicated the latest eruption happened on the south eastern edge of the volcano, according to INGV. This appears to be where a known 200m-wide vent is.

Footage shared throughout Monday shows a rapidly moving mix of ash, gas and rock - known as a pyroclastic flow - emerging from the site and moving down the side of the volcano.

Geologists monitoring the eruption said it was likely that part of volcano's crater collapsed and that this was the material being carried down its slopes.

Pyroclastic flow can be very dangerous to the surrounding area, but there has been no indication of an imminent threat.

In its most recent update, INGV noted that the volcanic material had not yet gone past the Valley of the Lion, the point on the approach to the summit where tourist trips stop.

INGV said it first recorded changes in the volcano's activity at 00:39 local time (22:39 GMT), before clarifying that there was an ongoing "Strombolian" eruption.

The size of Strombolian eruptions can vary but are often characterised by intermittent explosions, which occur due to the presence of gas in the magma chamber within the volcano.

When the gas bubbles reach the surface, they can burst suddenly, throwing material skywards. The process is not dissimilar to letting gas out of a fizzy drink.

These types of eruptions can be particularly dangerous for nearby aircraft.

A red alert was reportedly issued earlier on Monday, possibly suspending flights operating nearby, but this was later downgraded.

Mount Etna's last notable eruption came in February and caused the island's Catania airport to divert dozens of flights because of ash clouds.

Tourists were also warned to stay away from the volcano's lava flows.

See also:

• Mount Etna erupts, shooting a massive ash cloud into the sky and raising alerts

Original Submission

At 9:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time on June 1, 2025, instruments registered a geomagnetic K-index of 8, creeping toward 9 – a level rarely reached outside the most intense solar episodes.

Such readings signal strong electric currents racing through Earth's magnetic shield – the first sign that a severe solar storm disturbance has arrived.

Power operators, satellite controllers, and frequent flyers have good reason to pay attention. The disturbance is expected to last through at least June 3, bringing elevated radiation, intermittent radio dropouts, and a possible encore of the dazzling aurora that spilled far south earlier this spring.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center classifies the ongoing episode as G4, the second-highest rung on its five-step geomagnetic scale.

A glance at the agency's three-day outlook shows just how busy the next 48 hours could become: the greatest expected three-hour Kp for June 1–3 averages 7.67, with individual windows pushing well into G4 territory.

Forecasters concede there is a chance – though a small one – that conditions might briefly spike to G5, the extreme category reserved for once-in-a-decade storms.

[...] One of the perks of a strong storm is an expanded auroral oval. Forecasts hint that curtains of green and red could wander as far south as Alabama and northern California tonight and tomorrow night, weather permitting.

For many Americans, that means simply stepping outside after dark could reveal rippling colors usually reserved for Arctic latitudes.

The best views often come after local midnight, when Earth's night side lines up with the prevailing solar-wind flow.

Some sites of interest:
    • NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
    • UAF Geophysical Institute Aurora Forecast
    • Aurora Labs Norway
    • Space Weather Live

Related: The Sun is Producing Strong Solar Flares; Are There More Than Expected During This Solar Cycle?

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/pope-francis-dies-on-easter-monday-aged-88.html

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/mozilla-warns-users-to-update-firefox-before-certificate-expires/

  By Bill Toulas

        March 12, 2025 11:01 AM

Mozilla is warning Firefox users to update their browsers to the latest version to avoid facing disruption and security risks caused by the upcoming expiration of one of the company's root certificates.

The Mozilla certificate is set to expire this Friday, March 14, 2025, and was used to sign content, including add-ons for various Mozilla projects and Firefox itself.

Users need to update their browsers to Firefox 128 (released in July 2024) or later and ESR 115.13 or later for 'Extended Support Release' (ESR) users.

"On 14 March a root certificate (the resource used to prove an add-on was approved by Mozilla) will expire, meaning Firefox users on versions older than 128 (or ESR 115) will not be able to use their add-ons," warns a Mozilla blog post.

"We want developers to be aware of this in case some of your users are on older versions of Firefox that may be impacted."

A Mozilla support document explains that failing to update Firefox could expose users to significant security risks and practical issues, which, according to Mozilla, include:

        Malicious add-ons can compromise user data or privacy by bypassing security protections.
        Untrusted certificates may allow users to visit fraudulent or insecure websites without warning.
        Compromised password alerts may stop working, leaving users unaware of potential account breaches.

Users are recommended to check and confirm they're running Firefox version 128 and later via Menu > Help > About Firefox. This action should also automatically trigger a check for updates.

It is noted that the problem impacts Firefox on all platforms, including Windows, Android, Linux, and macOS, except for iOS, where there's an independent root certificate management system.

Mozilla says that users relying on older versions of Firefox may continue using their browsers after the expiration of the certificate if they accept the security risks, but the software's performance and functionality may be severely impacted.

"We strongly advise you to update to the latest version to avoid these issues and ensure your browser stays secure and efficient," advises Mozilla.

Mozilla has also set up a support thread for users who encounter problems or need help updating their Firefox browsers.

Users of Firefox-based browsers like Tor, LibreWolf, and Waterfox should also ensure they're running a version based on Firefox 128 and later.

Original Submission

The suspect in the New Orleans attack that killed 15 people on New Year's Day did not act alone, US investigators believe.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen, is believed to have driven a pick-up truck into a crowd on a busy New Orleans street, before exiting the vehicle and firing a weapon. He was shot dead by police at the scene.

The FBI says an Islamic State (IS) group flag was found inside the vehicle he was driving, while two improvised explosive devices were found nearby.

FBI assistant special agent Alethea Duncan said the agency did not believe Jabbar was "solely responsible" and were investigating the incident as an "act of terrorism".

At least 15 killed, dozens hurt on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as driver intentionally slams truck into crowd

A man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter early on New Year's Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said. A black ISIS flag was flying from the truck's rear bumper, and the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

The man driving the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said.

In televised remarks Wednesday evening, President Biden said the FBI has determined that just hours before the attack, Jabbar "posted videos to social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."

The vehicle was an electric Ford pickup truck that appears to have been rented, the FBI said. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on social media Jabbar rented the truck on Dec. 30, while living in the Houston area, before heading to New Orleans.

Authorities probe possible military link between suspects in New Orleans attack and Trump Tower Cybertruck blast

The potential link was just one thread being pulled by officials Thursday, a day after 15 people were killed when a man plowed a pickup truck flying an ISIS flag through New Year's Day revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Authorities are investigating a possible military connection between the New Orleans car-ramming suspect and the person who died after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Las Vegas' Trump International Hotel on New Year's Day, two law enforcement sources familiar with the cases told NBC News.

The potential link was just one thread being pulled by officials Thursday, who were also searching a site in Texas a day after a man drove a pick-up truck flying an ISIS flag into New Orleans' busy Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year's Day, killing 15 people and injuring at least 30 others.

The FBI is investigating it as a terrorist act. Authorities are still looking into "people of interest," New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told NBC News' "TODAY" show Thursday.

day of the dalek writes:

NOAA has issued a rare G4 watch for a severe geomagnetic storm that is expected on October 10 and 11. G4 refers to NOAA's scale for the intensity of geomagnetic storms, which ranges from G1 to G5. Prior to the geomagnetic storm in May of this year that reached G5 intensity, the last G4 watch was issued in January of 2005.

This watch was issued for a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred around 03 UTC on October 9 and is expected to reach Earth around 12-15 UTC on October 10. An article from the Washington Post states that the speed of the CME, around 2.5 million miles per hour, is the fastest that a CME has been ejected toward Earth during the current solar cycle. From my very limited understanding of space weather, it seems that faster CMEs generate higher ram pressures against Earth's magnetosphere and can result in more severe geomagnetic storms. The x-ray brightness of solar flares gets a lot of attention, and this was an X-class flare (the highest level on the classification scale), this was an X1.8 flare whereas flares have been observed at least up to X28. The high speed of the CME, however, seems to be a factor in the potential for a severe geomagnetic storm.

One of the main questions that we can't answer until the CME gets to within about a million miles of Earth is the orientation of its magnetic field. If the CME's magnetic field is aligned in the same direction as Earth's, it will produce a less severe geomagnetic storm than if it's aligned in the opposite direction. An excellent resource for data about space weather and this CME is NOAA's space weather enthusiasts dashboard. There's a lot of data on that page that is useful if you're concerned about the possibility of viewing auroras or potential disruptions to the power grid, so hopefully some of the comments can explain a bit more about what it means. I don't know a whole lot about space weather, but I'll try to offer a cursory explanation of what I believe some of it means.

The solar visible light shows where sunspots are currently observed, whereas the LASCO C3 images are observed from satellites can be used to see CMEs when they occur. A CME will appear like an explosion outward from the sun's corona. The data is input into a model called WSA-ENLIL, which predicts the density and radial velocity (outward from the sun) of solar wind plasma. A higher plasma density or a faster radial velocity should result in a stronger geomagnetic storm. This is also useful for estimating when a CME will reach Earth. I believe the GOES magnetometer data is used to measure how much the Earth's magnetic field is compressed or stretched and can identify the onset of geomagnetic storms. The ACE MAG and SWEPAM data are satellite-derived measurements of the solar wind. In addition to showing the plasma speed, temperature, and density, the Bz and Phi variables show the orientation of the magnetic field in the solar wind. If Bz is positive, it's a northward-oriented magnetic field. However, a negative Bz indicates a southward-oriented magnetic field, the opposite direction of Earth's magnetic field, and this can result in more severe geomagnetic storms. Basically, a strongly negative Bz around -10 or even -20 would be more favorable for a strong geomagnetic storm. The aurora forecast is a short-term forecast (~30 minutes to an hour) of the probability of auroral activity over a location, though auroras may be visible near the horizon in areas equatorward of what the forecast shows.

There's a lot of data on NOAA's space weather dashboard that can be useful for anyone hoping to see the auroras. My understanding of space weather is very limited, so if anyone else has a better understanding of what the data means, please share the information in the comments. Although a G4 or even a G5 geomagnetic storm is possible, but there's still a lot of uncertainty until the CME gets very close to Earth.

Original Submission