SoylentNews

Strange Kaisen Linux 3.0 Announcement Comes With Message of Distro Being Discontinued

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://distrowatch.com/?newsid=12524
https://archive.ph/pDIIb

Exactly one year after Kaisen Linux's most recent release candidate, the project has announced version 3.0 of its Debian-based, desktop distribution. In an unusual move, the release announcement also includes a report that the distribution is being discontinued. "I would like to begin this blog post by announcing the end of the Kaisen Linux project with this latest release. I wish to embark on other professional and personal projects that will take up a considerable amount of my time, and for this reason, I can no longer continue developing Kaisen Linux. This release will therefore be the last. However, security updates will still be provided for two years, giving you time to switch to another Linux system and familiarize yourself with your new environment." The announcement goes on to share highlights of the new version: "KDE is now the default interface for Kaisen Linux, and is in version 6. SDDM is now the default display manager instead of lightdm. Lightdm was used instead of SDDM due to some missing customization settings, which were introduced with KDE version 6. Xfce is now available in version 4.20...." [...]

Tails Linux OS 7.0~Rc1 Release Candidate 1 Available for Testing

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://tails.net/news/test_7.0-rc1/

Test 7.0~rc1
2025-08-07

We are very excited to present you with a release candidate of the upcoming Tails 7.0.

We plan to release Tails 7.0 officially on October 16. You can help us by testing this release candidate already.

Tails 7.0 will be the first version of Tails based on Debian 13 (Trixie) and GNOME 48. It will bring new versions of many applications included in Tails.

We have tested 7.0~rc1 with the same extensive automatic and manual test suites that we use for regular releases. But, Tails 7.0~rc1 might still contain undiscovered issues.

We will provide automatic security upgrades for Tails 7.0~rc1, like we do for regular versions.

What is Tails OS?
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tails_(operating_system)

Announcement:
https://blog.torproject.org/tails-7_0-rc1-testing/

Changes and updates

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

        Replace GNOME Terminal with GNOME Console. (#20161)

        We broke the Root Terminal while working on this change.

        To open a root terminal, execute the following command in a regular Console.

$sudo -i

        Replace GNOME Image Viewer with GNOME Loupe (#20640)

        Remove Kleopatra from the Favorites menu. (#21072)

        To start Kleopatra choose Apps ▸ Accessories ▸ Kleopatra.

        Remove the obsolete Network Connection option from the Welcome Screen. (#21074)

Included software

        Update the Tor client to 0.4.8.17.

        Update Thunderbird to 128.13.0esr.

        Update the Linux kernel to 6.1.14.

        This improves support for newer hardware: graphics, Wi-Fi, and so on.

        Update Electrum from 4.3.4 to 4.5.8.

        Update OnionShare from 2.6.2 to 2.6.3.

        Update KeePassXC from 2.7.4 to 2.7.10.

        Update Kleopatra from 4:22.12 to 4:24.12

        Update Inkscape from 1.2.2 to 1.4.

        Update GIMP from 2.10.34 to 3.0.4.

        Update Audacity from 3.2.4 to 3.7.3.

        Update Text Editor from 43.2 to 48.3.

        Update Document Scanner from 42.5 to 46.0.

Removed software

        Remove unar. (#20946)

        Remove aircrack-ng. (#21044)

        Remove sq. (#21042)

Fixed problems

        Fix selecting the correct keyboard for certain languages. (#12638)

For more details, see the list of closed issues on the 7.0 milestone in GitLab.

Known issues

        Tails 7.0~rc1 requires 3 GB of RAM instead of 2 GB to run smoothly. (#18040)

        We estimated that less than 2% of current users will be affected.

        Tails 7.0~rc1 takes longer to start.

        We plan to fix this in the final Tails 7.0.

For more details, see the list of issues on the 7.0 milestone in GitLab.

Send your feedback

Please, report any new problem to either:

        tails-testers@boum.org (public mailing list)

        support@tails.net (private email)

Original Submission

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Polluted water was released into loch near Glasgow because Royal Navy failed to maintain 1,500 water pipes, says watchdog:

Radioactive water from the base that holds the UK's nuclear bombs was allowed to leak into the sea after old pipes repeatedly burst, official files have revealed.

The radioactive material was released into Loch Long, a sea loch near Glasgow in western Scotland, because the Royal Navy failed to properly maintain a network of 1,500 water pipes on the base, a regulator found.

The armaments depot at Coulport on Loch Long is one of the most secure and secretive military sites in the UK. It holds the Royal Navy's supply of nuclear warheads for its fleet of four Trident submarines, which are based nearby.

Files compiled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), a government pollution watchdog, suggest that up to half the components at the base were beyond their design life when the leaks occurred.

Sepa said the flooding at Coulport was caused by "shortfalls in maintenance", resulting in the release of "unnecessary radioactive waste" in the form of low levels of tritium, which is used in nuclear warheads.

In one report in 2022, the agency blamed the leaks on the navy's repeated failure to maintain the equipment in the area devoted to storing the warheads, and said plans to replace 1,500 old pipes at risk of bursting were "sub-optimal".

The leaks are revealed in a cache of confidential inspection reports and emails given to the investigative website the Ferret and shared with the Guardian, which Sepa and the Ministry of Defence fought to keep secret.

[...] The Sepa files show there had been a pipe burst at Coulport in 2010 and a further two in 2019. One leak in August 2019 released "significant amounts of water" that flooded a nuclear weapons processing area, where it became contaminated with low levels of tritium and passed through an open drain that fed into Loch Long.

While Sepa said radioactivity levels in that incident were very low and did not endanger human health, it found there were "shortfalls in maintenance and asset management that led to the failure of the coupling that indirectly led to the production of unnecessary radioactive waste".

hubie writes:

Toothpaste made from your own hair may offer a sustainable and clinically effective way to protect and repair damaged teeth:

In a new study published today [13 August 2025], scientists discovered that keratin, a protein found in hair, skin and wool, can repair tooth enamel and stop early stages of decay.

The King's College London team of scientists discovered that keratin produces a protective coating that mimics the structure and function of natural enamel when it comes into contact with minerals in saliva.

Acidic foods and drinks, poor oral hygiene, and ageing all contribute to enamel erosion and decay, leading to tooth sensitivity, pain and eventually tooth loss.

While fluoride toothpastes are currently used to slow this process, keratin-based treatments were found to stop it completely. Keratin forms a dense mineral layer that protects the tooth and seals off exposed nerve channels that cause sensitivity, offering both structural and symptomatic relief.

The treatment could be delivered through a toothpaste for daily use or as a professionally applied gel, similar to nail varnish, for more targeted repair. The team is already exploring pathways for clinical application and believes that keratin-based enamel regeneration could be made available to the public within the next two to three years.

In their study, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, the scientists extracted keratin from wool. They discovered that when keratin is applied to the tooth surface and comes into contact with the minerals naturally present in saliva, it forms a highly organised, crystal-like scaffold that mimics the structure and function of natural enamel.

Over time, this scaffold continues to attract calcium and phosphate ions, leading to the growth of a protective enamel-like coating around the tooth. This marks a significant step forward in regenerative dentistry.

[...] Dr Elsharkawy concluded: "We are entering an exciting era where biotechnology allows us to not just treat symptoms but restore biological function using the body's own materials. With further development and the right industry partnerships, we may soon be growing stronger, healthier smiles from something as simple as a haircut.

Journal Reference: Sara Gamea, Elham Radvar, Dimitra Athanasiadou, et al., Biomimetic Mineralization of Keratin Scaffolds for Enamel Regeneration, Advanced Healthcare Materials [OPEN], First published: 12 August 2025 https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202502465

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.osnews.com/story/143044/firefox-new-ai-features-cause-cpu-spikes-and-battery-drain/

Almost three weeks ago, Mozilla released Firefox 141 that, among other features like memory optimizations for Linux and a built-in unit converter, brought controversial AI-enhanced tab groups.

Powered by a local AI model, these groups identify related tabs and suggest names for them. There is even a "Suggest more tabs for group" button that users can click to get recommendations.

Now, several users have taken to the Firefox subreddit to complain about high CPU usage when using the feature, as well as express their disappointment in Mozilla for adding AI to the browser.

[...] If you are also dealing with CPU spikes and battery drain from Firefox's new AI features, you can disable them through the browser's advanced settings. Head to about:config in a new tab, accept the risk warning, and use the search bar to find the controls. To kill the AI chatbot feature, search for browser.ml.chat.enabled and set it to false. To stop smart tab grouping, search for browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled and set it to false.

Original Submission

turgid writes:

An article in The Conversation discusses a scientific paper which looks at a "gravitational bounce" from the Quantum Exclusion Principle which may take place inside black holes. The speculation is that this may form new universes.

The article states:

In a new paper, published in Physical Review D, my colleagues and I propose a striking alternative. Our calculations suggest the Big Bang was not the start of everything, but rather the outcome of a gravitational crunch or collapse that formed a very massive black hole – followed by a bounce inside it.

The general reasoning goes that inside the black hole, due to quantum effects, gravitational collapse does not result in a singularity (in contrast to predictions from Classical Physics). Due to the Quantum Exclusion Principle, the collapse is halted when a limit is reached and a bounce occurs, predicted by the Maths, producing a new universe "remarkably like our own." No new exotic theories are required to get this result.

A prediction from this theory is a small but non-zero positive spatial curvature which could be measured experimentally. Observations from the Euclid mission may be useful.

Is this plausible? It's an idea that's been about for as long as black holes have been predicted.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

With platforms caving to pressure from payment processors, adult content creators are left to figure out what's next:

With platforms caving to pressure from payment processors, adult content creators are left to figure out what's next.

Ash Parrishis a reporter who covers the business, culture, and communities of video games, with a focus on marginalized gamers and the quirky, horny culture of video game communities.

In the aftermath of itch.io pulling the sale of over 20,000 pages of adult content, the creators of that work are left feeling betrayed, exhausted, and fearful. The number of platforms that permit the sale of adult material is shrinking, and there's no guarantee the ones that remain will still permit it in the future. But now, with their livelihoods at stake, many creators and their communities have begun to push back and search for new ways to thrive.

"Before [itch.io], the NSFW comics community would grouse and complain and share feelings of anxiety," said Brad Guigar, a smut comic artist. "This time around, we're actually doing something about it."

For some, that means organizing massive call campaigns to pressure payment processors to reverse course and allow itch.io to host the content it had before. Others have decided to abandon the fickleness of platforms for their own websites. And yet others have decided that if they can't sell their game directly, they'll just make it free.

To some creators, the most disheartening thing about itch.io removing thousands of pages of adult content is that it's relatively unsurprising. The storefront is one of several in recent years that have embraced adult content only to shun it later when payment processors start asking questions. They've now found themselves booted from platform to platform, moving from Tumblr to Patreon to Gumroad, only to have the rug pulled out from under them each time.

"This time around, we're actually doing something about it."

When adult creators are regularly forced to find new places for their work, their business overall suffers. "I can never get ahead," said PixelJail, a creator who makes BDSM and other kink-related comics and illustrations. "I have to stop doing paid work to set up new accounts, backlog posting, pay for new subscriptions or services" and other administrative tasks.

PixelJail has now opted to set up their own websites. But even without the burden of conforming to a platform's rules, having one's own website isn't a guarantee of absolute safety. In the UK, where PixelJail lives, the recently implemented Online Safety Act requires that online platforms have "strong age checks" in place to prevent children from accessing pornographic or "harmful" content.

"I had to geoblock my websites in the UK, including my webstore," PixelJail said, meaning they no longer sell their work in their own country.

upstart writes:

Air pollution filters help scientists produce first UK wildlife survey using eDNA:

Social media post led to discovery that samplers measuring toxic particles in air can also detect fragments of DNA

As the UK's Big Butterfly Count reaches more than 100,000 submissions, an international group of scientists have produced the first national survey of biodiversity using an entirely different approach. Instead of looking for species by eye, they took advantage of the samplers around the UK that constantly measure toxic metal particles in the air, and used them to measure tiny fragments of DNA [YouTube video 4:09 --JE].

Dr Joanne Littlefair from University College London, part of the research team, said: "Organisms lose bits of themselves all the time – dead skin cells, fragments of hair or feathers, saliva, even faeces and urine. Some of this will blow up into the air and become airborne 'environmental' DNA or eDNA."

Researchers were able to detect more than 1,100 plants and animals which included familiar UK species – trees, commercial crops, earthworms, newts, robins and badgers – as well as species of conservation concern, including skylarks and hedgehogs. The team found 65 species of butterfly and moth, including the gatekeeper (no 3 in the Big Butterfly Count) as well as the purple hairstreak, a butterfly that lives mainly in oak trees and is often overlooked. They also found established invasive species such as grey squirrels and muntjacs as well species that have only just arrived in the UK, and fungi that are considered crop pests as well as the pathogen that causes ash dieback.

janrinok writes:

Physs.org is reporting on repurposing large electromagnets in research facilities:

Magnets are at the heart of many scientific instruments at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory. They are not like typical refrigerator magnets, which apply a relatively weak and uniform force to magnetic materials. These electromagnets are often incredibly large and powerful, with variable fields that can be controlled by changing the electric current that runs through them.

One of their applications is to apply magnetic force to subatomic particles. For example, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) is made of superconducting electromagnets that steer and focus particle beams as they circulate through the accelerator at nearly the speed of light.

To build these magnets from scratch or source brand-new ones, research facilities must make large investments in time and money. Fortunately, when experiments are upgraded or decommissioned, researchers can sometimes reuse magnets for a new purpose. The same electromagnets can be used for decades, placed in upgraded machines to help collect more precise data or even placed in entirely different machines to help carry out a brand-new scientific endeavor.

After 25 years of groundbreaking nuclear physics research, RHIC is completing its final run this year. Following the final collisions, Brookhaven will begin to transform this DOE Office of Science user facility into the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), the world's first collider of its kind.

While the upgrade will reuse much of RHIC's existing infrastructure—including one of RHIC's superconducting magnet ion rings—the EIC requires a new electron storage ring. To make that ring, EIC designers need hundreds of electromagnets to steer electrons around the 2.4-mile-circumference tunnel.

upstart writes:

Site director says 'a kind of camp, a favela' was founded in the ruins of city destroyed in AD79:

Archaeologists have discovered new evidence pointing to the reoccupation of Pompeii after the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius that left the city in ruins.

Despite the massive destruction suffered by Pompeii, an ancient Roman city home to more than 20,000 people before the eruption, some survivors who could not afford to start a new life elsewhere are believed to have returned to live in the devastated area.

Archaeologists believe they were joined by others looking for a place to settle and hoping to find valuable items left in the rubble by Pompeii's previous residents.

"Judging by the archaeological data, it must have been an informal settlement where people lived in precarious conditions, without the infrastructure and services typical of a Roman city," before the area was completely abandoned in the fifth century, the researchers said in a statement on Wednesday.

While some life returned to the upper floors of the old houses, the former ground floors were converted into cellars with ovens and mills.

"Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii re-emerges, more than a city, a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the site.

Evidence that the site was reoccupied had been detected in the past, but in the rush to access Pompeii's colourful frescoes and still-intact homes, "the faint traces of the site's reoccupation were literally removed and often swept away without any documentation".

"The momentous episode of the city's destruction in AD79 has monopolised the memory," said Zuchtriegel.

Archaeologists estimate that 15-20% of Pompeii's population died in the eruption, mostly from thermal shock as a giant cloud of gases and ash covered the city.

Volcanic ash then buried the Roman city, perfectly preserving the homes, public buildings, objects and even the people who had lived there until its discovery in the late 16th century.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Bill Gates Declares the End of the Smartphone Era and Unveils Its Surprising Replacement
https://archive.ph/3Wh2B

[...] According to Medium, Gates points to electronic tattoos, developed by Chaotic Moon and later acquired by Accenture, as the next big leap in personal technology. Instead of holding a phone in our hands, these tattoos could allow us to communicate, access the internet, and even monitor our health, all without a screen in sight.

The key advantage? These tattoos are integrated into the body. Imagine having a device embedded in your skin that lets you interact with the world through simple gestures or touch. It's sleek, unobtrusive, and possibly more intuitive than anything we've seen so far. The tattoos are powered by tiny nanocapacitors, and they don't require bulky batteries or displays, making them a far more subtle alternative to today's mobile devices.

You might be wondering, "What exactly are electronic tattoos?" Well, think of them as temporary skin applications that use smart ink filled with nanocapacitors. These tattoos can communicate with surrounding devices, letting you do things like send messages, browse the web, or even unlock doors—all with a simple swipe or gesture.

[...] Moreover, imagine the security risks. With biometric data stored on your skin, could someone hack into your tattoo or steal your identity in new and more dangerous ways? Digital security could take on a whole new meaning, as cybercriminals may look for ways to exploit this deeply integrated tech.

Still, there are undeniable advantages. The tattoos could replace the need for passwords, credit cards, or even physical keys. In theory, they could provide a level of security that's far more robust than anything we have today, thanks to their biometric uniqueness.

Another fascinating aspect of electronic tattoos is their potential to change how we think about health and wellness. The ability to monitor heart rate, sleep patterns, and other critical health markers continuously could help us catch potential health issues before they become urgent. In a world where wellness tech is rapidly evolving, these tattoos could provide more accurate, real-time health data than any current wearable.

Original Submission

fliptop writes:

'Learn to code' turned out to be one of the most misguided pieces of career advice, and college grads are bearing the brunt of it:

Manasi Mishra, a 21-year-old with a degree in computer science (CS) from Purdue University, shared in a TikTok video that despite her intelligence and hard work, she struggled to find a job for nearly a year. The only company that called her back for an interview during this time was Chipotle, and she did not get the job. It was only after her video went viral that Mishra finally secured a job offer last month.

Mishra's experience reveals an alarming trend: Many recent graduates who major in CS are struggling to find employment. According to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, those with degrees in CS and computer engineering (CE) face unemployment rates of 6.1 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively — figures that are more than double the rates seen among recent graduates in fields like art history (3 percent) and ethnic studies (2.6 percent). Furthermore, CS and CE rank as the third and eighth worst majors for unemployment out of the 70-plus majors the report tracked.

[...] Because AI performs coding tasks much faster and more cost-effectively, tech companies have been laying off existing entry-level employees and have also reduced the number of new job postings for entry-level positions. By July, more than 130,000 tech workers had lost their jobs, either because their employers replaced them with AI or chose to reallocate funds toward AI-related investments. Additionally, tech-related job postings decreased by 36 percent in July, compared to early in 2020.

[...] LinkedIn's chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, warned that the AI-driven job cuts by tech companies are only the beginning. The financial sector will be hit next as big Wall Street firms reportedly are planning to cut back hiring as much as two-thirds because they've replace junior analysts and bankers with AI. Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley predicted that AI will "replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S."

Related:

• Microsoft Research Tries to Predict Jobs Most Impacted (i.e., Lost) by AI
• Intel Axes Thousands of Technicians and Engineers in Sweeping U.S. Layoffs
• The Workers Who Lost Their Jobs To AI
• 'Tone Deaf': US Tech Company Responsible for Global IT Outage to Cut Jobs and Use AI
• More Microsoft Job Cuts Could Hit Non-Coding Staff And Middle Managers
• Software Engineering Job Openings Hit 5-Year Low Amid Industry Shift

Original Submission

janrinok writes:

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-spacex-competitor-amazon-satellites.html

SpaceX was not one of Amazon's original choices to fly its Project Kuiper broadband internet satellites, but Elon Musk's company just knocked out its second launch in less than a month for the company that seeks to compete with SpaceX's Starlink.

After four days of missed launch opportunities, SpaceX was back Monday for a successful fifth try, as a Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:35 a.m. Eastern time on the KA-02 mission, carrying 24 more satellites for Amazon's growing constellation.

The launch came after weather scrubs on Saturday at the launch site and Sunday at the booster recovery site. A pair of Thursday and Friday attempts were also called off as SpaceX took time to perform additional vehicle checks.

The first-stage booster for the mission made its first flight and will attempt a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic.

The launch comes less than four weeks since SpaceX flew the first of three contracted flights for Amazon.

day of the dalek writes:

Per Bloomberg (Alternate sources: CNBC and Reuters), the Trump Administration is weighing the US government potentially buying a stake in Intel. As CNBC reports:

Intel is the only U.S. company with the capability to manufacture the fastest chips on U.S. shores, although rivals including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung also have U.S. factories. President Donald Trump has called for more chips and high technology to be manufactured in the U.S.

The government's stake would help fund factories that Intel is currently building in Ohio, according to the report.

This comes a week after Donald Trump called for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign. While the reason behind Trump's call for Tan's resignation was not entirely clear, it is believed that it was due to Tan's investments in Chinese businesses. From CBS:

"The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately," Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, without providing additional details. "There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!"

The president's call for Tan's resignation comes after Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary on Tuesday expressing concern over Tan's investments and ties to Chinese businesses.

"Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms," Cotton wrote in the letter. "At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army."

Tan is an American citizen who was born in Malaysia, spent his youth in Singapore, and attended graduate school at MIT where he received a degree in nuclear engineering. Despite the comments about Tan last week, Trump's position on Tan remaining CEO of Intel seemed to soften earlier this week following a meeting between them (Alternate sources: AP and CNBC). From the New York Times article:

After the afternoon meeting at the White House, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that his discussion with Mr. Tan "was a very interesting one," though he did not elaborate. Mr. Trump said that Mr. Tan and cabinet members would meet next week and "bring suggestions to me," adding that the Intel chief's "success and rise is an amazing story."

Mr. Trump's post appeared to signal that he was changing his mind about any national security risk posed by Mr. Tan, 65, who became Intel's chief executive in March. Mr. Trump's call last week for Mr. Tan to resign, citing his past investments in Chinese companies, was one of the first times the president had attempted to directly intervene to change the leadership at a major publicly traded company.

The report that the Trump Administration is considering purchasing a stake in Intel seems to be a continuation of Trump's change in attitude toward the company and its CEO. In response to the Bloomberg report, Intel's stock surged 7% on Thursday. This is a developing story, and the White House has not yet commented.

Original Submission

hubie writes:

Swapping foods like premade lasagna for hand-made spaghetti Bolognese made a difference:

In a small randomized controlled trial, people lost twice as much weight when their diet was limited to minimally processed food compared to when they switched to a diet that included ultraprocessed versions of foods but was otherwise nutritionally matched.

The trial, published in Nature Medicine by researchers at University College London, adds to a growing body of evidence that food processing, in addition to simple nutrition content, influences our weight and health. Ultraprocessed foods have already been vilified for their link to obesity—largely through weaker observational studies—but researchers have struggled to shore up the connection with high-quality studies and understand their impact on health.

The ultraprocessed foods researchers provided in the new trial were relatively healthy ones—as ultraprocessed foods go. They included things like multigrain breakfast cereal, packaged granola bars, flavored yogurt cups, fruit snacks, commercially premade chicken sandwiches, instant noodles, and ready-made lasagna. But, in the minimally processed trial diet, participants received meals from a caterer rather than ones from a grocery store aisle. The diet included overnight oats with fresh fruit, plain yogurt with toasted oats and fruit, handmade fruit and nut bars, freshly made chicken salad, and from-scratch stir fry and spaghetti bolognese.

While the level of processing differed between the diets, the large-scale nutrition content—fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber—were similar, as was the proportions of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and starchy food. Overall, both diets adhered to the dietary guidance from the UK government, called the Eatwell Guide (EWG).

[...] On both diets, participants lost weight. But, they lost more by ditching the ultraprocessed foods. At the end of eight weeks, participants lost about 2 percent of their weight on the MPF diet, while they lost 1 percent on the UPF diet. The numbers are small, but the authors note that the trial period is short. Modeled over a full year, the researchers estimated that people who stuck to the MPF diet would lose between 9 percent and 13 percent of their weight, while those who stuck to the UPF diet would lose 4 percent to 5 percent.

In addition to more weight loss, the MPF diet is linked to more fat mass loss, fewer cravings, and lower triglycerides, a factor in cardiovascular health. On the other hand, participants had lower LDL (bad cholesterol) on the UPF diet. The researchers suggested that it would require longer periods on the diets to sort out the effects on cardiovascular health.

The study has several limitations, most notably its small size and brevity. However, it still gives researchers a lot to unpack, including why people lost more weight on the MPF diet. The authors suggest it could be because people simply end up eating more on the UPF diet; ultraprocessed foods are both "hyperpalatable" and crammed with nutrients, i.e., "energy dense." High density, fast eating, and less chewing might mean more intake, the authors speculate. In contrast, the MPF diet scored lower on the taste and flavor ratings, suggesting people may simply eat less.

[...] "The best advice to people would be to stick as closely to nutritional guidelines as they can by moderating overall energy intake, limiting intake of salt, sugar and saturated fat, and prioritizing high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts," Batterham said in a statement. But, she added, "choosing less processed options such as whole foods and cooking from scratch, rather than ultra-processed, packaged foods or ready meals, is likely to offer additional benefits in terms of body weight, body composition, and overall health."

Journal Reference:Dicken, S.J., Jassil, F.C., Brown, A. et al. Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03842-0

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Many countries banned from using PayPal for Steam games in latest payment processor drama:

Some observers believe the limitations are related to recent bans on Steam games. In July, titles with mature themes began to disappear. Valve claimed that some listings had content that didn't align with standards set by its payment processors. A controversy soon unfolded involving Collective Shout. The activist group, which is against the objectification of females, took credit for influencing the banks.

Critics argue that legal Steam games are being unfairly targeted. Still, there may be other reasons why PayPal is no longer an option for many buyers. Australia is the home to Collective Shout, and gamers in the country can still use the payment gateway.

It's possible that the banks PayPal works with in some countries have concerns about fraud. Customers using VPNs to access lower prices in other regions can also raise red flags. Regardless, gamers are growing frustrated over the power that payment processors have in the industry.

For now, Valve suggests that affected users choose their Steam Wallets, Steam gift cards, or a credit card as alternatives. Yet, major credit cards like Mastercard are also accused of interfering with gamers. The end result is that amassing a diverse Steam library is becoming more challenging.

Original Submission