The Living Archives

Scientists have been looking at DNA to store all types of data — not just biological, but also digital. Yet while DNA is a great storage material, it’s also quite fragile. Water or heat can damage it easily — unless it’s given an amber-like coating. That new idea was borrowed from the 1993 movie Jurassic Park.In the film, scientists clone dinosaurs from DNA that had been extracted from mosquitoes trapped in amber. Shortly before being locked in that tree resin, millions of years ago, those skeeters had bitten a dino and sucked up some of its blood. The amber then preserved the insects — and the dino DNA inside them. This DNA, in fact, retained most of the information scientists needed to recreate a long-extinct dinosaur. At least in the movie, that is.Clearly, not everything in the movie was scientifically accurate. But it did spark an idea among scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. They developed a way to encase DNA in a material that functionally resembled the amber. In theory, they say, this could keep the DNA safe essentially forever. But if you need to read or otherwise “use” it, the DNA can also be extracted in a few hours.Their method isn’t the only way to store DNA. It is, however, cheaper and faster than other ways, the researchers say.

A British sustainable tourism expert has joined a campaign to save a protected area of Tenerife from hotel development, as thousands staged anti-tourism protests in holiday resorts across the Canary Islands.As Britons headed out for the half-term holidays, demonstrators gathered in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, El Hierro, and La Palma.On Playa de las Américas in Tenerife, they appeared on the beach, where tourists were sunbathing, and chanted: “This beach is ours.”Under the slogan “Canary Islands has a limit,” activists blamed mass tourism for pricing locals out of the housing market, draining resources such as water, and causing environmental damage. Authorities reported that at least 8,000 people participated.Sharon Backhouse, who owns GeoTenerife, a science, training, and research company, is fighting to save a protected area of Puertito de Adeje in Tenerife, which she says is threatened by the Cuna del Alma hotel development.After local authorities granted permission to begin construction in September, the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) declared the area a Site of Geological Interest, describing it as “high priority for protection” due to its volcanic deposits.The Canary Islands government may now halt the hotel development.

The first treatment of its kind for metastatic NSCLC, Optune Lua is approved for use concurrently with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel in adult patients with metastatic NSCLC who progressed on or after a platinum-based regimenResults of the pivotal Phase 3 LUNAR trial represent the first substantial improvement in median overall survival in more than 8 years for this patient populationOptune Lua is a wearable treatment that delivers Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), which exert physical forces on the electrically charged components of dividing cancer cells, resulting in cell deathROOT, Switzerland–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Optune Lua® for concurrent use with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel, for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who have progressed on or after a platinum-based regimen.“Novocure is committed to extending survival in some of the most aggressive and difficult to treat cancers. The approval of Optune Lua brings a new and urgently needed option for people with metastatic NSCLC who have progressed while on or after platinum-based chemotherapy,” said Asaf Danziger, CEO, Novocure. “We are grateful to the patients, caregivers, investigators and healthcare providers who supported the clinical trials that led to this approval.”Optune Lua is a portable device that produces alternating electric fields known as tumor treating fields (TTFields), which are delivered through non-invasive, wearable arrays. TTFields exert physical forces on the electrically charged components of dividing cancer cells, resulting in cell death.“There have been a number of important advances in first-line treatment for NSCLC, but this is an aggressive disease, and most patients will develop progression, with limited effective treatment options in second line and beyond,” said Ticiana Leal, MD, Associate Professor and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University School of Medicine and primary investigator of the LUNAR study. “The overall survival results we observed with Optune Lua in the LUNAR study mark the first substantial improvement in more than 8 years in this patient population which, when combined with Optune Lua’s lack of systemic toxicity, make this a compelling development for many patients and their physicians who need better treatment options for this advanced disease.”“We are excited patients with metastatic NSCLC have more options, which they urgently need,” said GO2 for Lung Cancer Chief Patient Officer Danielle Hicks. “The fight against lung cancer is always evolving, and the number of people affected by this disease is underappreciated. That is why Novocure’s commitment to advancing treatment is exciting for the whole lung cancer community.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued an urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in the escalating conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, urging stronger international efforts to halt the violence and facilitate the exchange of hostages in Gaza.The statement came during a high-level meeting on Saturday in Cairo with a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives, led by Congressman Tom Cole, chair of the Appropriations Committee.During the talks, al-Sisi emphasized the critical importance of restoring peace and stability in the region, warning that if the violence continues unchecked, it could spiral into a broader regional war."Decisive action is needed to secure a ceasefire and initiate the exchange of hostages in Gaza," al-Sisi told the US delegation, stressing the urgency of these steps to prevent further escalation.Central to his remarks was Egypt’s long-standing position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is not only necessary for resolving the current violence but is also the key to long-term peace and security in the Middle East."The creation of a sovereign Palestinian state is essential to defusing regional tensions and advancing towards a sustainable peace," the Egyptian leader stated, reaffirming Egypt’s support for a two-state solution.Egypt, alongside Qatar and the US, has been heavily involved in indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas for several months, but no substantial agreement has been reached.The talks have been hampered by Israel’s refusal to end its military offensive in Gaza, withdraw its forces, and allow the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.Despite these diplomatic efforts, Israeli operations in Gaza have continued to intensify since October 2023.In addition to the Gaza conflict, cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has escalated significantly in recent weeks.Late last month, Israel carried out extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah commanders, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.The violence has led to more than 1,500 deaths and displaced approximately 1.3 million people in Lebanon alone.Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with over 42,500 Palestinians killed since the war began.The latest Israeli operations have focused on northern Gaza, where airstrikes and ground invasions have decimated infrastructure, leading to widespread humanitarian suffering.Earlier this week, Israeli forces claimed to have killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who took charge following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.Despite the heavy toll, efforts to secure a ceasefire have been stymied by Israel's continued military objectives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that any agreement would allow Israel to continue its military operations until all of its war goals are achieved.This hardline stance has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, as well as from regional powers like Egypt, which have been pushing for an immediate cessation of hostilities.Egypt has long been a key mediator in the region, and al-Sisi’s call for a ceasefire reflects growing concerns about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in both Gaza and Lebanon.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move many warships from the naval base of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsular, which Russia annexed in 2014, due to attacks by Ukraine, a Russian-installed official was quoted as saying on Sunday.The remarks by Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian-installed senator for the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region and a former head of Russia’s space agency, are the first Russian official confirmation that the fleet has had to move from Sevastopol.Ukraine has repeatedly said its attacks on Russian warships in the Black Sea have forced Moscow to move ships to Novorossiisk.Rogozin told the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that Russia needed to get more serious about its drone development, the organisation of its military drone units and the development of electronic warfare and satellite positioning systems.“A military-technical revolution is taking place before our very eyes,” Rogozin said of the development of drones and electronic warfare, adding that the pace of innovation was changing the situation at the front every month.“The Black Sea Fleet is an illustrative example,” Rogozin was quoted as saying. “It was forced to change, basically, its residence due to the fact that our large ships became just big targets for unmanned enemy boats.”Russia had been behind on drone technology at the start of the 2022 war, and although it has since made significant advances, it needed to move faster, particularly in the focus of its weapons spending and the creation of special drone regiments, Rogozin said.He said satellite and surface guidance systems that could overcome electronic warfare were of particular importance to allow accurate targetting.

European Union candidate Serbia will continue to refuse to impose sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine despite Western pressure, Serbia’s leader said after his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he believes the call, what he said was his first in more than two years with the Russian president, will help “further development of relations and trust between Russia and Serbia.”“We talked as people who have known each other for a long time, as friends, and the ten-minute conversation was marked by a personal note, and we also talked about those who are weak (pro-Western) leaders,” Vucic said.Vucic quoted Putin as saying “what is good for Serbia is also good for Russia, what is good for the Serbs is also good for the Russians.”Vucic did not say whether he would accept an earlier invitation by Putin to attend a BRICS summit of emerging economies, led by Russia and China, in Kazan later this week.Although formally seeking EU membership, traditional Russian Slavic ally Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine though it has reluctantly condemned Moscow’s aggression. Vucic has said that imposing the sanctions wasn’t in Serbia’s national interest.He said Sunday he expects criticism from the West of his conversation with Putin, but stated that “Serbia is a sovereign country which makes its own decisions.”He also thanked Russia “for providing sufficient quantities of gas for Serbia at favorable prices.” Serbia was almost completely dependent on the Russian gas but has recently agreed to start to diversify its supplies.Serbia, which was never part of the Soviet bloc, on Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of its capital Belgrade from the Nazi World War II occupation, which was accomplished mostly thanks to former Yugoslavia’s communist partisans, but also the Soviet Red Army.Belgrade’s nationalist authorities marked the liberation date with a display of the pro-Russian sentiment, with thousands marching through Belgrade waving Russian flags and chanting slogans.At a meeting marking the anniversary, Vucic delivered a speech in the Russian language, which he said is a sign of respect for the Red Army, without which “there would not have been the liberation of Belgrade.”

Donald Trump on Sunday manned a fry station at McDonald's as tens and hundreds of his supporters lined up to see the former president pop out of the drive-thru window and serve them. After an employee showed him how to dunk baskets of fries in the oil, the 78-year-old took his turn and even helped fill some takeout bags after a bit.“It requires great expertise, actually, to do it right and to do it fast,” Trump said. He then took a shot at VP Kamala Harris, elaborating on his theory that she lied about working at the food chain.“I do appreciate it a little more. You say, ‘Give me french fries.’ I’ll never forget this experience.” Trump said.After someone reminded the former president that it was Harris' birthday on Sunday, he wished her. The McDonald's owner, Derek Giacomantonio said, “It is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community.”Read More: Why Donald Trump Is Canceling Mainstream Events Before Election Day | Know HereHe said in a statement that was why he accepted Trump's request “to observe the transformative working experience that 1 in 8 Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s.”Donald Trump is going to attend the Pittsburgh Steelers vs New York Jets game later in the day.Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.

With the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, many Israelis are sensing a window of opportunity to bring back the hostages still held in Gaza – and they are making their voices heard.Huge crowds of protesters gathered across several cities in Israel on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government make the return of the hostages their top priority — something they believe has not been the case so far.Sinwar was a hardliner with little interest in negotiating with Israel. The US, which mediated the talks in Cairo, has repeatedly accused him of being one of the main blockers of a ceasefire deal.His demise could pave the way to a ceasefire agreement. But getting there will depend on Netanyahu.The prime minister has long been trying to balance the demands of his far-right coalition partners, who seem dead-set on refusing any kind of deal with Hamas, with the increasingly loud calls from Israel’s Western allies, including the US, who are pressuring him to strike an agreement and bring the war in Gaza to an end.Now he is once again facing large-scale protests calling for him to act.