© National Science Foundation Ocean Observatories Initiative
Chemical traces preserved in ancient rocks indicate that marine environments were deteriorating long before the catastrophe that wiped out vast numbers of species at the end of the Triassic period, around 201 million years ago.
The post Ancient Oceans Began Losing Oxygen Millions of Years before End-Triassic Mass Extinction appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
A newly discovered crocodile relative from the Triassic had a beak, tiny arms, and walked on two legs, making it look more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than a crocodile. During the Triassic Period, the ancestors of many modern animal groups were branching into an astonishing variety of shapes and lifestyles. Evolution was experimenting with body [...]
A study suggests pigeons navigate using iron-rich immune cells in their livers that can respond to Earth’s magnetic field. The findings may solve a decades-old mystery about bird navigation and reveal a surprising new sensory role for the immune system. Pigeons are famous for their ability to travel long distances and still find their way [...]
Scientists have uncovered a fish-hunting raptor from Patagonia that may have stalked prey like a giant prehistoric heron. A newly identified dinosaur from Patagonia is giving scientists fresh insight into how some raptor relatives lived during the final chapter of the age of dinosaurs. The species, named Kank australis, appears to have spent much of [...]
The transplanted pig organs functioned for 36 hours before showing signs of rejection
By tracking fierce winds racing through the atmospheres of seven ultra-hot Jupiters, astronomers have uncovered the strongest evidence yet that magnetic fields shape weather on worlds beyond our Solar System.
The post Astronomers Detect Clearest Signs Yet of Magnetic Fields on Extrasolar Planets appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
China has unveiled the Z-21, a heavy attack helicopter that military analysts are comparing directly to the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian, the United States Army’s primary rotary-wing strike platform. The aircraft’s emergence marks a concrete step in China’s effort to field a domestically produced heavy attack helicopter capable of operating in high-intensity contested environments.
The Z-21 follows a tandem-seat, twin-engine configuration consistent with modern dedicated attack helicopter doctrine. Its airframe geometry — including stub wings for weapon pylons and a narrow fuselage cross-section — mirrors the layout optimized for survivability and aerodynamic performance in nap-of-the-earth flight.
The helicopter is reported to be powered by turboshaft engines developed domestically, a departure from earlier Chinese rotorcraft programs that relied heavily on foreign powerplant technology. Precise engine designation and shaft horsepower output have not been officially confirmed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Z-21 is equipped with a chin-mounted cannon and provisions for air-to-ground missiles, anti-tank guided munitions, and unguided rocket pods across four hardpoints on its stub wings. Reports indicate integration of a millimeter-wave fire control radar — analogous to the Longbow radar mast system on the AH-64E — enabling over-the-horizon target acquisition and engagement in degraded visibility conditions.
A multi-spectral targeting system mounted in a nose turret is expected to provide infrared and day/TV imaging for precision engagement. These are capabilities the AH-64E has carried operationally for over a decade, meaning the Z-21 would be entering the field at a level of sensor maturity the Apache already surpasses in software and network integration.
The AH-64E Apache operates with Link 16 datalink compatibility, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) with reconnaissance drones such as the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and a target handoff system that allows crews to pass fire missions across platforms in near-real time.
Whether the Z-21 has achieved comparable network interoperability within PLA joint-force architecture remains unclear from available information.
On gross weight and payload, the Z-21 appears to fall in a similar class to the Apache’s roughly 10,400 lb (4,717 kg) maximum takeoff weight, though official Chinese specifications have not been released. This matters operationally: payload capacity directly constrains the missile and fuel load carried on a given mission profile, affecting both range and lethality.
The AH-64E incorporates radar-absorbent materials, infrared suppression on exhaust outlets, and a ballistically tolerant rotor system designed to sustain hits from 23 mm projectiles. It is not yet established whether the Z-21 meets comparable protection standards.
Engine reliability and maintenance logistics for domestically produced Chinese turboshafts also carry uncertainties, given the historical difficulties PLA aviation programs have faced in achieving consistent turbine performance at scale.
For readers interested in how rotary-wing platforms fit into broader strike architectures, the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program offers relevant context on next-generation attack helicopter requirements being pursued in parallel.
The Z-21’s development fits within a wider PLA modernization effort that has prioritized closing capability gaps in close air support and anti-armor warfare. Taiwan Strait contingency planning, as well as high-altitude operations along the Sino-Indian border where the Z-10 medium attack helicopter has already deployed, likely informed the Z-21’s design requirements.
A heavier, more capable platform extends the PLA’s ability to conduct sustained attack helicopter operations in mountainous or fortified terrain where ordnance load matters.
Until the Z-21 completes operational testing and enters confirmed PLA service, claims about its combat effectiveness relative to the AH-64E remain speculative. The gap between a prototype photograph and a battle-ready weapons system in serial production is one that Chinese aerospace programs have historically taken years to close.
Microsoft has developed a new AI agent that can run autonomously around the clock to complete tasks across Microsoft 365 applications.
Microsoft Scout, unveiled at the company’s Build event Tuesday, is a new type of always-on agent based on the OpenClaw agent framework that Microsoft calls “autopilots.”
These act on a user’s behalf with their own governed Entra identity, Omar Shahine, corporate vice president at Microsoft, said in a blog post.
“Autopilots stay active in the background, understand how work gets done across your apps and systems, and take action without needing to be prompted each time,” said Shahine, a Microsoft veteran who recently announced he is leading a new team to bring OpenClaw-based personal assistants to Microsoft 365 apps.
Microsoft Scout connects to apps such as Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint, and accesses data from chat, email, calendar, and contacts. Accessed via Teams, it can also interact with a user’s browser and with external apps via model context protocol (MCP). The tool functions across cloud, desktop, and the web.
Shahine said Scout can reduce mundane tasks that office workers face, such as coordinating and scheduling meeting times with colleagues, or blocking times in a user’s calendar based on upcoming work commitments. “It can also spot risks, like stalled decisions, so you can address them before they become blockers,” he said.
It’s available as an “experimental release” to customers of the company’s Frontier program, Microsoft said, and will require Intune policy configuration and “opt-in attestation.”
Scout is the latest in a range of agentic tools available in Microsoft 365 apps, including Agent Mode, where users can interact with Microsoft 365 Copilot inside apps such as Word and Excel to create content, and Copilot Cowork — Microsoft’s version of Anthropic’s Claude Cowork agent that can complete tasks independently.
Despite the company’s big AI push, Microsoft has struggled to convince businesses that Microsoft 365 Copilot is worth the additional cost; it’s advertised at $30 per user each month for large businesses. Around 3% of Microsoft 365 customers pay for the add-on subscription, the company said in January, with 15 million paid users. (Microsoft announced last month that that figure has now risen to 20 million.)
It’s not clear whether Scout will be included in Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions or charged separately. Microsoft did not immediately provide additional details about pricing.
The launch follows Google’s recent announcement of Spark, an autonomous agent that runs within the Google Workspace application suite. Spark can also be considered a response to the launch of OpenClaw last year, initially under the name “Clawdbot.”
OpenClaw has drawn scrutiny due to apparent security flaws, but Microsoft promises Scout is built with “enterprise-grade security and controls, so it can be trusted in your organization from day one.”
For organizations that have already deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot, Scout doesn’t introduce entirely new data risks, said Jeff Pollard, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. But it “amplifies whatever data governance problems already exist. The difference this time: instead of surfacing sensitive data to users, it can potentially act on it.
“That makes it an active risk in terms of day to day operations,” Pollard said.
Potential security concerns echo those for AI agents and are exacerbated with personal agents such as Scout: amplified data exposure (since agents can interact with data and use tools autonomously); agent manipulation or prompt injection; unexpected actions, such as using tools or acting in ways that aren’t supposed to be allowed; and observability gaps related to understanding user and agent intent and the explainability of actions.
“However, these tools exist because they make AI far more useful for individuals, so security leaders can’t draw a line in the sand and say “no.” They have to adapt and figure out how to secure them,” said Pollard.
As with most new workplace technologies, Pollard expects adoption to start with “power users” who design and develop the use cases for the agent that can then expand more widely across users.
He warned that the accuracy of tools such as Microsoft Scout can fall short of user expectations. “LLM agents still struggle with goal alignment, multi-step reasoning drifts, and tool misuse,” he said. “Users aren’t always great at explaining what they want and LLM agents aren’t always great at providing what was requested. That’s a continuing problem.”
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