ret24: August 2024

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Monday, August 5, 2024

Banksy has officially acknowledged that the new goat mural located in south-west London is indeed his work.

A goat is situated atop a narrow wall, with rocks cascading down, illustrating the precariousness of the animal's position. This artwork is attributed to Banksy.

The implications of the street artist's latest addition to London's art landscape will certainly spark intense discussions, although it is unlikely that the elusive Banksy is proclaiming himself as the greatest of all time.

The silhouette of the goat, accompanied by falling rocks and a CCTV camera directed at it, is rendered in Banksy's distinctive stencil technique and has been spotted on a wall near Kew Bridge in Richmond, located in south-west London. The authenticity of this piece, created by the artist known for his politically charged messages, was confirmed through a post featuring the image on his Instagram account.


This work is thought to be his first public piece since a performance at Glastonbury in June, where a boat designed by the artist was surfed through the crowd during sets by the Bristol indie punk band Idles and rapper Little Simz.

The act was criticized by then Home Secretary James Cleverly, who labeled it as “trivialising” the issue of small boat crossings and “vile.” In response, the artist remarked that the reaction was “a bit over the top.”

The Bristol-based artist expressed that it was the actual boat he financed, which was detained by Italian authorities after rescuing unaccompanied minors at sea, that he found to be “vile and unacceptable.”

In March, the artist produced a mural of a tree in Finsbury Park, north London, using green paint on a wall behind a pruned tree to create the illusion of leaves, alongside a stencil depicting a person wielding a pressure hose. The vibrant green matched the color used by Islington Council for local street signage.

Banksy is globally recognized for his signature art in public venues, including walls in London, Brighton, Bristol, and the West Bank barrier that divides Israelis and Palestinians. Notable collectors of his work reportedly include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Christina Aguilera.

David Lynch has stated that he is currently too unwell to direct films in person

Movie producer David Lynch has said he is currently excessively sick to coordinate movies face to face and could chip away at projects from a distance.

Lynch stated in an interview with Sight and Sound magazine: Because I've had emphysema from smoking for so long, I have to stay at home, whether I like it or not. I cannot leave. And before I run out of oxygen, I can only walk a short distance.

He continued: Even if I had a cold, it would be very bad for me to get sick because of Covid. Therefore, I would probably direct from my house, which I wouldn't like at all. I enjoy being in the middle of things and getting ideas there. But if it comes to it, I would try to make a film from home.

The 78-year-old made a follow-up statement on X to make it clear that he would not stop working after his remarks drew strong criticism from fans.

He wrote, "I have now quit smoking for over two years." The good news is that, with the exception of emphysema, I am in excellent health after recent tests. I will never retire because I am so happy. I want you to know how much I value your concern. Love, David."

Antelope Don't Run No More, a feature film script that was apparently finished in 2010, and Wisteria/Unrecorded Night, a rumored 13-part Netflix series that was supposedly in development in 2020, are two of Lynch's unfinished projects.

Lynch stated in the interview with Sight and Sound that the root of his health issues was a complicated relationship. Although I absolutely adored smoking, it ultimately bit me. It was important for the craftsmanship life for me: the tobacco, its smell, smoking, lighting things, sitting back, smoking, and looking at your work or thinking about things are all part of it. in no way like it in this world is so gorgeous. I'm dying from it all the time. So I needed to stop."

Friday, August 2, 2024

Which Dinosaur had 500 teeth?

Nigersaurus is a herbivorous dinosaur that measured approximately 30 feet in length and existed around 110 million years ago in the region now known as the Sahara Desert in Niger. This dinosaur thrived in a verdant habitat, coexisting with the carnivorous Suchomimus, as well as other herbivorous species such as Ouranosaurus and Lurdusaurus, along with the formidable SuperCroc. Nigersaurus possessed a fragile skull and an exceptionally wide mouth, equipped with teeth specifically designed for grazing on low-lying vegetation. This peculiar long-necked dinosaur is notable for its broad, straight-edged snout, which housed over 500 replaceable teeth. The fossilized skull of Nigersaurus is recognized as one of the earliest dinosaur skulls to undergo digital reconstruction through the use of CT scans.


Our initial week in the field has been extraordinary! We have stumbled upon remarkable discoveries at every turn. On the first day, we uncovered the bones of the peculiar long-necked dinosaur Nigersaurus. This sauropod dinosaur boasts an unusual skull with up to 500 slender teeth. Our main objective for this expedition is to locate the remaining parts of this unique dinosaur so that we can study and reconstruct it for public viewing.

We are rapidly approaching this goal as we discovered a skeleton a few days later! The skeleton is positioned on its side with the tail arched upwards, measuring about 15 feet in length. Carefully, we removed the sand from the 110 million-year-old bones and created channels between the major sections of the skeleton. Soon, we will encase each section in plaster for transportation back to the laboratory.

But the surprises with Nigersaurus do not end there. Chris led us to a flat area of purple sandstone where he found the upper jaw of a baby Nigersaurus, small enough to fit on a silver dollar! This hatchling was likely less than a year old when it perished and fossilized.

A new carnivorous discovery

During a stroll across a flat area, Gabe made an astonishing discovery - the partially exposed bones of a new meat-eating dinosaur. She carefully uncovered the upper jaw, along with nearby backbone and hip bones. This dinosaur was a formidable predator, with the skeleton estimated to be around 30 feet in length. We are hopeful to uncover more evidence of this sharp-toothed creature as the field season progresses.

An enormous crocodile

Our interest extends beyond dinosaurs to encompass all the animals and plants that inhabited the ancient streams and forests 110 million years ago. Among the most common fossils we encountered in the first week were those of a huge crocodile.

What is the Deadly Chandipura Virus Affecting India?

Indian state of Gujarat, health officials report 48 deaths from acute encephalitis syndrome in the past month, with many cases linked to an outbreak of the Chandipura virus (CHPV). This marks the most severe outbreak in recent decades.

Chandipura virus, an emerging tropical pathogen, has a high mortality rate among children under fifteen. There is no standardized treatment or antiviral therapy due to limited understanding of its interaction with the host. However, laboratory studies suggest that ribavirin, vesiculopolins, and favipiravir may inhibit the virus's growth.


First discovered during an acute febrile outbreak in Nagpur, India, in 1964–1965, CHPV was later isolated in 1980 from patients with encephalopathy. The virus belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus within the Rhabdoviridae family, which includes the rabies virus.

CHPV is primarily transmitted by sandflies and mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti species. It is considered the most significant vesiculovirus due to its high fatality rate, ranging from 55% to 77%. The virus has been recorded in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa.


During non-outbreak periods, the virus is believed to persist in nature through sandflies. Although no other vertebrate hosts have been found in endemic areas of India, CHPV has been isolated from hedgehogs in Senegal, and macaques in Sri Lanka have shown antibodies against it.

Symptoms of CHPV infection include fever, convulsions, vomiting, and neurological issues, which can quickly progress to encephalitis, coma, and death. Children under 15 are particularly vulnerable. Previous outbreaks have shown a high mortality rate, such as the 2003 outbreak in Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 183 lives, mostly children under 12, and the 2005 outbreak in Gujarat with a 78% mortality rate.

The exact mechanism of the virus remains unclear, though it is suspected to cause neurodegeneration and neuronal death.

26 March in history

On 26 March , many important historical events across different countries have taken place—from Bangladesh’s Independence Day in 1971 to pea...