​More than a million deaths, the real number of victims of COVID in Russia ● More than 40% of the global population believes in witches ● The Paleolithic diet was much more refined and detailed than we imagined ● A colossal exoplanet was identified only 200 years ago light from Earth

Over a million deaths, the real number of victims of COVID in Russia

Data on the actual number of deaths caused by the COVID pandemic in Russia over the past two years have been inconsistent and marked by uncertainty. Despite this, initial reports showed a higher death rate than in other regions of the world.

In order to get the most clear picture of the situation, a joint team of researchers from Austria, Russia and Hong Kong conducted the most detailed analysis to date of deaths recorded in Russia during the pandemic. Specialists took into account not only regional characteristics, but also deaths that could be caused by restrictions, postponement of operations, travel bans, etc.

According to the new estimates, more than a million people lost their lives between 2020 and 2022, a 27-52% increase over the original data.

More than 40% of the world’s population believe in witches

The international study, which included data from 95 countries and sampled more than 140,000 people, shows that the myth of witches is still widespread among people. Thus, a study published in the journal PLOS One shows that more than 40% of the world’s population is convinced of the existence of witches.

It is true that the data are some estimates, especially since they do not include all regions of the world, but the average will be roughly around these estimates. It is also true that there are large regional differences. For example, in Sweden, only 9% of respondents believe in the existence of witches, while in Tunisia, 90% do.

Practically, the myth of witches exists in all cultures of the world, but beliefs related to their existence disappear among people with a higher level of education or a stable economic situation. On the other hand, the number rises dramatically in countries with low authority populations, conservative cultures and high levels of poverty.

Paleolithic diet was much more sophisticated and complex than we imagined

A widely held idea about prehistoric humans, whether Homo sapiens or Neanderthals, was that although they had a mixed diet, they were generally carnivores. In addition, their diet was limited to primitive, simple methods of cooking consumed meat or planets. For example, their simple exposure to fire or, occasionally, boiling.

According to a recent study published in the journal Antiquity, this idea is wrong. On the contrary, people in the past were much more refined when it came to cooking than we imagine. The new evidence is supported by recent discoveries at Shanidar Cave in Iraq, a cave known for its extraordinarily rich inventory from the 1950s to the present day.

In particular, stratigraphic levels that yielded Neanderthal fossils, some older than 70,000 years, identified carbonized remains of plants that had been ground up and mixed with water into a mixture used to season meat.

We are talking about mustard and wild pistachio, about chickpeas or wild peas, plants that have a rather bitter taste, but which in the modern kitchen, if they are soaked, cleaned and heat-treated, can taste. It appears that Neanderthals not only discovered these practices, they used them for tens of thousands of years. In fact, gastronomy and culinary practices have much more ancient origins than anyone might imagine.

A colossal exoplanet was discovered just 200 light years from Earth

The new solid planet, called TOI-1075b, discovered about 200 light-years from Earth, is one of the largest planets of its type ever discovered. With a mass nearly 9.95 times that of Earth, TOI-1075b has a density of 9.32 grams per cubic centimeter, compared to Earth’s 5.51 grams per cubic centimeter, making it an ideal candidate for a solid planet like Earth. Mercury, Venus. , or Mars.

The planet is very close to its star, orbiting it in just 14.5 hours. And this means that the probability that the planet will have an atmosphere rich in hydrogen or helium is extremely small. Rather, given the enormous temperatures on its surface, it is entirely possible that TOI-1075b is a planet whose surface is composed of liquid magma and whose atmosphere consists of vapor formed by vaporized rock.

TOI-1075b, according to astronomers, is an ideal candidate for studying the formation of so-called super-Earths, as well as how such an exoplanet can lose its atmosphere.

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