Scientists have discovered “plastic rocks” on Trindade Island, a conservation area for endangered green turtles off the Brazilian coast. The rocks, known as plastiglomerates, are created from sediment and debris fused together by melted plastic. The discovery is yet another reminder of just how deeply embedded plastic pollution is in Earth's geology.

The source of the pollution was traced back to fishing nets, which are prevalent on Trindade Island’s beaches. Plastic from these nets melts and mixes with beach material when temperatures rise.

One expert described the discovery as evidence that humanity has entered the Anthropocene, an era defined by human activities that impact Earth’s atmosphere, climate and other geological processes. The presence of plastic in earth’s geological records shows just how alarming this development truly is.

This disturbing finding highlights the need for more rigorous action against plastic pollution, especially in our oceans where discarded materials can accumulate and become part of our planet's natural systems.

A new dating app is claiming to offer something different for men struggling to find love online. But instead of providing a valuable service, it’s only fueling the fire of criticism aimed at modern dating apps. Called CupidBots, the app was created by ex-Tinder employees who claim that their algorithm can automatically curate potential matches based on previous swipes.

For $15 a month, users will receive help from an artificial intelligence system which selects similar looking women to those previously right-swiped on their accounts. Beyond simply curating though, it also uses AI chatbots to break the ice with anyone matching with its user, masquerading as the man behind the profile and continuing conversation until the woman agrees to a date or shares their contact information.

While CupidBot’s spokesperson insisted that the goal isn’t to “objectify women,” everything about this app seems designed precisely for that purpose: treating women purely as an object and tricking them into playing along.

The company claims that straight men suffer most from dating apps but is surprisingly unaware of research consistently showing how many women have experienced harassment on these platforms. Instead, they are creating an app that uses AI chatbots to potentially harass women until they agree to date them.

What Critics are Saying

The app has sparked outrage among critics who accuse it of perpetuating harmful stereotypes and making light of genuine issues faced by users of current dating apps. It has also been criticized for presenting itself as a solution without actually addressing the root cause of problems in online dating communities.

The Future of Online Dating?

CupidBots may be indicative of where online dating is headed in the future; automation may increasingly take over human interaction and decision-making when it comes to finding love online. However, what this means for social interactions between people could have severe consequences if not carefully examined.

If anything is clear though, it is that apps like CupidBots completely miss the point when it comes to building meaningful relationships based on respect and trust between individuals.

Palaeontologists have discovered that a sauropod, Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, from the Late Jurassic epoch had the longest neck of any dinosaur on record. Its neck stretched over an incredible 15 metres based on analysis of its vertebrae; six times longer than a giraffe.

The dinosaur was originally discovered in Xinjiang province in China in 1987 but only a few bones were preserved, including some of its vertebrae and a rib. It was named officially in 1993 but its size and scale haven’t been fully established until now.

Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York compared the relative proportions of the remaining vertebrae from M. sinocanadorum, to related dinosaurs for which complete fossils are available to establish their estimate regarding the length of its neck. They also analysed how this dinosaur could have carried such weight by putting remaining vertebrae into a CT scanner revealing that between 69% and 77% of each bone’s interior was empty space.The researchers’ findings suggest that cervical ribs interlinking below the neck helped support it while lightweight bones allowed for it to be pumped full of air.

Natalia Jagielska at the University of Edinburgh is excited about what future research can reveal: “The long-necked dinosaurs evolved their own, different ways of coping with giantism and supporting long necks, and there are numerous amazing deposits with long-necked sauropods across China”.

This discovery adds to our knowledge about palaeontology and evolutionary science – proving once again that there is always more we can learn about these fascinating creatures!