Scientists have found an explanation for a 'gravity hole' in the Indian Ocean. A gravity hole is an area where gravitational pull is low, causing the seafloor to sink. Deep beneath the ocean, there is one that is three million square kilometers in size and previously it has confused scientists. Now two researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Debanjan Pal and Attreyee Ghosh, think they have solved the mystery. More than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) beneath Earth's crust, they found cold, dense remnants of an ancient ocean plunged into a 'slab graveyard' beneath Africa some 30 million years ago, stirring up hot molten rock. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Pal and Ghosh retraced the formation of the massive geoid by modeling how tectonic plates skimmed over Earth's mantle for the past 140 million years. They ran simulations and compared the shape of the oceanic low those models predicted with observations of the dent itself. The models that reproduced the Indian Ocean geoid low in its current form all had one thing in common: plumes of hot, low-density magma wafting up beneath the low. These plumes, as well as a distinctive mantle structure, are what created the geoid low; if they rise high enough, Pal and Ghosh reckon. "In short, our results suggest that to match the [shape and amplitude of the] observed geoid low, plumes need to be buoyant enough to come up to mid-mantle depths," the pair wrote. The first of these plumes appeared about 20 million years ago, to the south of the Indian Ocean geoid low, and around 10 million years after the old Tethys Sea sank into the lower mantle. As the plumes spread beneath the lithosphere and inched towards the Indian peninsula, the low intensified. But more research needs to be done to work out what is really going on as not all scientists are convinced. Science is crazy. 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.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office is on sale for under £25. Software subscriptions

Cambodia’s long-serving, tough-talking leader, Hun Sen, says he is considering banning Facebook in his country, largely because he is fed up with the abuse he receives on it from his political foes abroad

Meta is adding new safeguards and monitoring tools for teens across its social platforms: parental controls on Messenger, suggestions for teens to step away from Facebook after 20 minutes, and nudges urging young night-owl Instagrammers to stop scrolling.

So far this year, we’ve mostly been seeing artificial intelligence pop up on our timelines as a tool for creating trivial things like odd news songs from classic bands or bizarrely sexualised images of classic artworks However, it looks like AI had a vital practical implementation recently after spotting a dangerous asteroid heading close to Earth that was originally missed by scientists. A 600-foot asteroid named 2022 GN1 was found thanks to a new algorithm, and it was revealed that our planet had a close shave with the object last year. As it’s now been revealed, 2022 GN1 flew a relatively close 4.5 million miles from Earth in September 2022. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It sounds like a huge distance, but it falls within the definition of a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA). At the time, it was completely missed due to it being obscured by starlight from objects in the Milky Way. The algorithm, named HelioLinc3D, spotted the object after observing data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) telescope. The team leader behind the algorithm, Mario Jurić, released a statement saying: “This is just a small taste of what to expect with the Rubin Observatory in less than two years, when [the algorithm] HelioLinc3D will be discovering an object like this every night. “But more broadly, it’s a preview of the coming era of data-intensive astronomy. From HelioLinc3D to AI-assisted codes, the next decade of discovery will be a story of advancement in algorithms as much as in new, large, telescopes.” Meanwhile, scientists think they have come up with a new approach to mitigating global warming: put up a giant “umbrella” in space to protect the Earth from excess sunlight. 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.

Streamer and Only Fans content creator Ashley Tea, took to Twitter to ask cam girls what's the weirdest request they/ve ever been asked, and it was definitely eyeopening. The replies were full of cam girls sharing the weirdest requests they've got from clients, some seeming almost unbelievable, one woman simply commented "where to start..." However, the majority seemingly had that 'one' request that stuck with them, and they were kind enough to share them with the internet. "Someone ask for a custom where I turned them into a turkey. cooked them in the oven, and then ate them from their PoV," one woman commented. She added that the request came when she first started out as a creator and is "honestly sad" that she didn't accept the request at the time. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Another cam girl shared that she "had someone ask me to take my hair extensions and clip them to a thing and pretend I had really long butthole hair." Many couldn't believe the request and asked if she had fulfilled it, but she explained that she hadn't because "he wanted me to do to for $35 so no. My base charge is 150." In the more shocking requests shared, one said that "a guy asked me to dissect a frog in my fanciest lingerie, did not do it lol." "My time has come," replied one cam girl to the question of what was her weirdest request. "I was asked to film myself pooping in a box, send him the poop, get in a call, and instruct him how to eat it. I said 'Sure! For $5,000.' 'I can only send $100, goddess." Another user replied asking her to clarify that if he had the money, would she have done it. "Yeah Probably!" She responded. Another creator shared that she had been asked for a video of her "driving in my car, seat close to the steering wheel, talking the whole time about how afraid of the airbag I am." This request went one step further, however, with the client asking for "a sequel 2 years later, where I am NOT afraid of the airbag anymore, and actually, I feel BETTER all scooted up!" Whilst many shared the strangest requests they had received, many said that they felt they couldn't even share the weirdest content they'd been asked to make, claiming it being too taboo for the mainstream internet. The Twitter thread wasn't short of stories, and gives a glimpse into the sometimes weird parts of being a cam girl. 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.

SK Hynix Inc. reported better-than-expected revenue, declaring the memory chip market is recovering because of surging interest in

Netflix Gaming's goal is to have a game for everyone and "blurring" the lines between its shows, movies and games".

Ancient clay tablets unearthed from ancient ruins in Turkey by archaeologists have revealed a language lost to the passages of time. The new language was discovered in the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire at Hattusa (known as Boğazköy-Hattusha). The well-preserved tablets are among many incredible artworks found at the site - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the past four decades, researchers have dusted off nearly 30,000 unique tablets - with most written in Hittite. New research, however, shows that some of the tablet haul shows that they are written in a language previously unknown to modern man. Of course, the meaning and words of this language have not been deciphered, but it appears from early inspection to branch off from languages used within the Hittite Empire - and is being referred to as Kalašma. archaeologist Interestingly though, researchers from the Istanbul Department of the German Archaeological Institute have noted that the new language is found within a recitation in a 'cultic ritual text'. While that's usually the basis of a middling horror movie, we're certain that there's nothing to worry about - it stems from an ancient Hittite practice. Professor Daniel Schwemer explains that the discovery wasn't unexpected. "The Hittites were uniquely interested in recording rituals in foreign languages," he said. These ritual texts provide insight into little-known languages, and thanks to this discovery, one more has been added to the list. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

China lashed out at Japan over Tokyo’s new export restrictions on some chipmaking technology and said it would

The “anti-competitive practices” of big tech firms pose an “existential threat” to UK journalism, while the risks from AI-generated misinformation are “greater than ever before”, editors have warned. A poll by the News Media Association, a trade body for the newspaper industry, found 90% of editors believe Google and Meta pose a threat to the news industry. The Government has been urged to resist calls to water down the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which will force tech firms to pay news publishers for content used on their platforms. The Government must resist pressure from the tech platforms to water down the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and pass this sensible legislation, which will help to level the playing field field between platforms and publishers and spur innovation and competition across the UK digital economy Owen Meredith, News Media Association Some 97% of editors said the risks posed by AI-generated misinformation are “greater than ever before” in the run-up to a general election, which is likely to take place next year. More than three-quarters (77%) of editors said news blackouts enforced by tech platforms weaken democratic engagement by limiting public access to trusted news. News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith said: “The findings of our survey clearly show the huge level of concern from editors about the impact of the tech platforms’ activities on the sustainability of journalism. “The Government must resist pressure from the tech platforms to water down the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and pass this sensible legislation, which will help to level the playing field field between platforms and publishers and spur innovation and competition across the UK digital economy.” Katie French, regional group editor at Newsquest, which owns many local newspapers, said: “While tech platforms have greatly enhanced our way of life by allowing unrestricted access to information and increased connection, they have severely impacted the business of news, and news brands such as my own have not been fairly compensated. “My titles have more readers than ever before in their history thanks to the global and national audiences our online content is exposed to. “However, we receive very little in the way of fair remuneration for the rich and high-quality service our content provides even by hosting our content or signposting readers to our stories through search engines. “Our very presence is giving credibility to these platforms that otherwise would be filled with clickbait, nonsense and unregulated information.” Original journalism everywhere should be protected Sun editor Victoria Newton The BBC’s plans to cut local radio provision and boost its online local news were also criticised, with 86% fearing it will “damage independent local journalism in the UK.” Sun editor Victoria Newton told the NMA’s Journalism Matters parliamentary reception on Tuesday: “Original journalism everywhere should be protected, as should the publishers that spend and invest in journalism. “I make a special mention for our vital local newspapers, without whom court cases and local democracy would go unreported. “These outlets should also be protected from the BBC’s expansionist activities, which risk driving them out of the market.” – A total of 30 editors responded to the online survey, which was carried out between August and September. Read More King warns of urgent need to ‘combat significant risks of powerful AI’ Kamala Harris arrives in the UK ahead of AI safety summit Study finds ‘deepfakes’ from Ukraine war undermining trust in conflict footage More than 500 potential cyber attacks logged every second, BT says AI being used to create child abuse imagery, watchdog warns ChatGPT and other chatbots ‘can be tricked into making code for cyber attacks’

As a result of the controversy, the Stake-backed platform has welcomed a record number of users