Scientists have developed new ultrasound technology that can induce immediate “hibernation”, they say. The system can be aimed at the head and bring on “torpor” a state similar to hibernation where mammals suppress their metabolism, reduce their body temperature and slow down other processes. The researchers behind the new system successfully brought it on in mice and rats, after pointing the ultrasound pulses at the animals’ heads. They suggest that it could work in humans – and might have important applications for long-distance space flight or medicine, they say. While further work is needed to understand how it might work on people, they suggest that it could be used when people have experienced acute emergencies or severe disease, for instance. If someone is in a car accident, for instance, they could essentially be put on ice until their organs are used for transplantation, for instance. It might also be useful in long journeys through space, where it would help reduce the amount of resources that people might stay alive if they are travelling to Mars or other distant locations. Mammals and birds keep high body temperatures and burn through a lot of energy. That characteristic is useful host of ways, but almost means that they require a lot of food and other resources. Some animals are able to limit the drawbacks of that situation by inducing torpor, which turns down many of those processes. It means that they use less energy, but are able to come back to living as normal after, without damage to their body. Humans are not able to do that. But if they were, it would be incredibly useful – which has led to the search for a noninvasive, safe and reliable way of inducing that state. The scientists found that directing ultrasound pulses at mice’s heads for around 10 seconds brought on the same conditions as torpor, with their heart rate slowing, their body temperature cooling and their metabolism slowing. They also built a special system that was able to measure that body temperature and send more of those pulses if a mouse appeared to be coming back to normal. Without that, however, the mice would wake back up again, returning to normal metabolism and body temperature. There are still a host of dangers, however. Experiments have shown that it is dangerous to bring animals back from those deep “torpid” states, and that they might not recover. If the mice were in cold environments, for instance, they did not spontaneously wake up. And any experiments in humans would be at risk of repeating those safety issues for people. The work is described in a new paper, ‘Induction of a torpor-like hypothermic and hypometabolic state in rodents by ultrasound’, published in Nature. Read More Apple lays bare danger of losing your health data What is Twitter Spaces and why did it go so wrong during DeSantis’s 2024 launch? Electric car range set to double with first production of breakthrough battery Apple lays bare danger of losing your health data What is Twitter Spaces and why did it go so wrong during DeSantis’s 2024 launch? Electric car range set to double with first production of breakthrough battery

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday signed a bill into law that will limit most abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

Earth has received the first ever ‘alien message’ after a simulation of what extraterrestrial contact could look like was sent out by scientists. The SETI Institute produced the simulation of a radio wave from a Mars orbiter and gave hint of how alien contact would be received. The exercise was conducted to prepare experts for the “profoundly transformational experience for all humankind”. The signal was successfully decoded after taking just 16 minutes to travel through space and be picked up by telescopes on Earth. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It all took place as part of the A Sign in Space project led by Daniela dePaulis, who said during the live-streamed event: “It was very real. This is not the first time we have received a signal from TGO [ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter], but this one is a real message.” The signal had to be decoded, as it couldn’t be heard on Earth without being altered. Victoria Catlett is the GBO software engineer and she explained: “A radio signal is not inherently sound, but a light wave. “When we receive it with something like a car radio, that light wave gets translated into the up and down movement in the speaker - and that is what you hear.” Of course, there’s no evidence that aliens exist at this point, but it’s good to know that we’re prepared. It comes after it was revealed that aliens could be mapping out the planet via the signals mobiles are emitting. It’s all to do with the radio transmission towers which are key to millions of people communicating around the world. These towers are constantly pumping out microwave signals as we call and message one another, and they’re found across a huge area of the Earth’s surface. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday cut back on the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate wetlands under the Clean Water Act, rolling back federal safeguards in a long-running dispute between the government and a couple who owns property in Idaho.

Government minister pushes back against EU and US calls for removal of Sultan al-Jaber as head of COP28.

Refunds are being offered to ticketholders after the rest of the tour was axed.

Beyoncé is paying tribute to the late Tina Turner.

By Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's domestically produced space rocket successfully delivered a commercial-grade satellite into

She was the distinct voice behind hits like Proud Mary and The Best, but singer Tina Turner also became known for her on-stage fashion. Throughout a career spanning more than six decades, the singer, who died aged 83 on Wednesday, donned some iconic – and very glittery – looks over the years, and became synonymous with rock and roll. These are some of her most memorable fashion moments… The early years In perhaps one of the earliest iterations of the now commonplace ‘naked dress’, Turner dared to bare her figure in a sheer sparkly moment, with long, draping sequin strands.Off-duty diva During the Seventies, Turner was rarely photographed casually without her husband, Ike Turner, who she was married to from 1962 until their divorce in 1978. Her oversized leather jacket, messy straight hair and wool scarf were quite the deviation from her on-stage glamour, but showed her natural beauty. Fiery look Worn by Cher, Turner and Beyonce, Bob Mackie’s now infamous flame dress has become synonymous with stardom, and its glittering silhouette is one of Turner’s most well-known looks. The dress will feature in the V&A exhibition Diva, celebrating the “power and creativity of iconic performers” starting in June. Fabulously funny Turner appeared alongside Elton John in Wogan’s first show, sporting a very Eighties hairdo, huge earrings and a silky top, as she laughed and joked with the entertainer. The mane event Turner’s hair was allegedly overbleached in the Sixties and from then, she often wore wigs. Her iconic, wild, voluminous look became well known, and in her memoir, she commented that she was often nervous entering into new relationships with men, because of how they would see her wig. Legs for days When Turner performed on her Wildest Dreams tour in Cardiff in 1996, she wore a minuscule camisole dress covered in sparkles, bringing her own spin to the popularity of slip dresses in the Nineties. All that glitters In 2009, Turner took to the stage in Dublin in an angular gold top with a chevron pattern, and sparkling cut-offs with shining stilettos showing her truly glamorous style and ability to keep up on stage. Metallic, shiny looks were a staple for Turner throughout her career. Queen Bees At the 2008 Grammys, Beyonce channelled her fellow music icon, as the pair took to the stage, with Turner donning silver leggings and a tight corset with a short ‘do. In a tribute to the late star on her official website, Beyonce wrote “My beloved queen. I love you endlessly.”

Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy has suggested that the 'Indiana Jones' franchise could carry on without Harrison Ford.

Bryan Cranston felt as if he was a musical instrument in an orchestra working under the direction of Wes Anderson in 'Asteroid City'.