Blogroll

How to watch Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans online for free

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 07:00

TL;DR: Watch Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The IPL, one of the most popular sporting events of the year, is back and it's back with a bang.

Kicking off three weeks ago, the 2024 season is well underway with ample talent on display. The latest fixture will see Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans hit the pitch, with players such as Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill on display.

Want a piece of the action? Fret not, you can watch Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans for free from anywhere in the world.

When is Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans?

Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans starts at 3 p.m. BST on April 21. Thi fixture takes place at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, India.

How to watch Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans for free

JioCinema is offering free live streams of every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app.

JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can unblock this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in India

  4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

  5. Watch Punjab Kings vs. Gujarat Titans for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select IPL fixtures for free.

If you want permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including India

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Save 43% on a versatile charging cable for almost any smart device

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 06:00

TL;DR: The InCharge® X Max 100W 6-in-1 Charging Cable is on sale for £17.63, saving you 43% on list price.

Leave the tangled mess of chargers at home. Remote workers and frequent travellers could get a lot of mileage out of a cable compatible with almost any smart device, and that’s exactly what the InCharge® X Max 100W Charging Cable brings to the table. This five-foot cable has two connectors on each end, so you can plug into USB, Lightning, USB-C, and Micro-USB all with one cord. For a limited time, this InCharge® X Max is on sale for just £17.63. 

At first, the X Max may look like any ordinary Lightning to USB cable, but both ends fold to reveal a second connector. Transfer files between iPhone and Android with USB-C to Lightning or use the same cable to charge your iPad and your wireless speakers. Pair the X Max with a compatible AC adapter, and you could even get up to 100W ultra-fast charging, or get up to 18W for iPhone fast charging. Data transfer runs at an impressive speed, too. You could get data transfers up to 480Mbps. 

If you’re relying on a single cable for all your charging and data transfer, it’s probably best if that cable can take some punishment. The X Max is made from sturdy TPU Plastic, braided nylon, and aramid fiber. The manufacturer claims the TPU guards increase bending strength, and the nylon reinforcement could help resist abrasion. If you lose your AC adapter, you may even be able to charge one device using another in a pinch. 

Use the same cable to power your iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Android, and Micro-USB speakers. For a limited time, get the InCharge® X Max 100W Charging Cable while it only costs £17.63. 

Opens in a new window Credit: InCharge InCharge X Max 100W Charging Cable £17.63 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru online for free

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 06:00

TL;DR: Watch Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

One of the most anticipated cricket events of the year, the IPL, is back, and it's back with a host of impressive players and electrifying atmospheres. We're just three weeks into the season, so there's still plenty of action to catch. The next fixture will see Kolkata Knights and Royal Challengers Bengaluru take to the pitch.

If you want to catch the action, don't worry, you can watch Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru for free from anywhere in the world.

When is Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru?

Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru starts at 11 a.m. BST on April 21. This match will take place at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata, India.

How to watch Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru for free

JioCinema is offering free live streams of every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app.

JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can unblock this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in India

  4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

  5. Watch Kolkata Knights vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select IPL fixtures for free.

If you want permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including India

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Manchester United vs. Coventry City online for free

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 06:00

TL;DR: Stream Manchester City vs. Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's not exactly been a season to remember for Manchester United, but winning the FA Cup could at least give fans something to cheer about. Of course, they are not there yet. Coventry City are standing in their way, with big dreams of an FA Cup final.

If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Coventry City for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester United vs. Coventry City?

Manchester United vs. Coventry City kicks off at 3:30 p.m. BST on April 21. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Coventry City for free

Manchester United vs. Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final will be broadcast live on ITV1, with free live streaming available on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK. This process makes it look like you're connecting from the UK, so you can access ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

  4. Visit ITVX

  5. Stream Manchester United vs. Coventry City for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Manchester United vs. Coventry City before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including the UK

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Manchester United vs. Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 21

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 04:00

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for April 21's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Happy and cheerful.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter J.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #1037 is...

JOLLY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 21

Mashable - Sun, 04/21/2024 - 03:00

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for April 21's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: The blueprint

  • Green: Train-adjacent

  • Blue: Alliteration

  • Purple: Types of ears

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Embodiment

  • Green: Related to Trains

  • Blue: Starting with the Same Sound

  • Purple: Ear___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #315 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • Embodiment: EXAMPLE, IDEAL, MODEL, SYMBOL

  • Related to Trains: CAR, CONDUCTOR, STATION, TRACK

  • Starting with the Same Sound: CYMBAL, SCIMITAR, SIMMER, SYMPHONY

  • Ear___: DRUM, MARK, WAX, WIG

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Every TV show that's been canceled in 2024 so far, from 'Our Flag Means Death' to 'Minx'

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 20:32

Every year, the TV world is a double-edged sword. Yes, we get many new shows to get excited about. But we also lose beloved shows and underrated gems to cancellations. 2024 is no different.

2024's cancellations so far have been brutal. The loss of Our Flag Means Death prompted fan mourning and collective action to save the show, including taking out a billboard in Times Square. The '70s-set comedy Minx got axed by Starz, its second cancellation after Max canceled it in 2022. And the loss of Schmigadoon! means we'll never get to hear the 25 new songs already written for Season 3. We're being robbed here!

From Our Flag Means Death to Schmigadoon! and beyond, here are all the TV shows that have been canceled in 2024 so far.

SEE ALSO: 38 TV shows we can't wait to see in 2024 AppleTV+

Schmigadoon! — Canceled after two seasons

Disney+

American Born Chinese — Canceled after one season

Disney Channel

Secrets of Sulphur Springs — Canceled after three seasons

Hulu

This Fool — Canceled after two seasons

Max

The Flight Attendant — Canceled after two seasons

Julia — Canceled after two seasons

Our Flag Means Death — Canceled after two seasons

Rap Sh!t — Canceled after two seasons

Netflix

Obliterated — Canceled after one season

Ratched — Canceled after one season

The Witcher — Renewed for a fifth and final season

Paramount+

Evil — Canceled after four seasons, with Season 4 airing this May and four bonus episodes set to follow

Star Trek: Lower Decks — Renewed for a fifth and final season

Wolf Pack — Canceled after one season

Starz

Minx — Canceled after two seasons

TruTV

Tacoma FD — Canceled after four seasons

This story will be updated as new shows are canceled.

UPDATE: Feb. 18, 2024, 9:26 a.m. EST This story has been updated to include the cancellations of "The Witcher," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," "Evil," "Wolf Pack," "Tacoma FD," "Obliterated," "Ratched," "This Fool," and "Secrets of Sulphur Springs."

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 20

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 15:07

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 20 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 20

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, April 19, 2024:

AcrossBicycle wheel : circle :: ___ : radius
  • The answer is Spoke.

Locker room amenity
  • The answer is Towel.

Naughty thing to do in a chorus class
  • The answer is Lipsync.

Frequently, in poetry
  • The answer is Oft.

Medical research org.
  • The answer is NIH.

Party guest's guest
  • The answer is Plus one.

Politician with a six-year term
  • The answer is Senator.

Crustaceans in the genus Cyclops have only one of this organ
  • The answer is Eye.

DownSuppress, as a yawn

The answer is Stifle.

Many a song on the Billboard Hot 100
  • The answer is Pop tune.

Yelps of pain
  • The answer is Ows.

Headlining speech at a convention
  • The answer is Keynote.

Weather phenomenon with a Spanish name
  • The answer is El Nino.

Hacks (off), as branches
  • The answer is Lops.

One-named singer who starred in "Moonstruck"
  • The answer is Cher.

"I've been thinking ..."
  • The answer is Say.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NASA video shows stunning scene from extremely volcanic world Io

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 13:00

NASA's Juno spacecraft recently swooped by the most powerful volcano in our solar system, on the most volcanic world known to exist.

The space agency captured detailed views of the over 127-mile (200-kilometer) wide volcano, which has created an expansive lava lake. It's a volcano on Jupiter's moon Io, called Loki Patera. "It's absolutely stunning, stunning imagery," Ashley Davies, a planetary scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory who researches Io, told Mashable earlier this year. Now, the agency has used the imagery to create an animation of what this extreme volcanic environment looks like from the Jovian moon.

It's both a hellish and majestic space scene. At the end of the short clip, you can see how the dominant gas giant Jupiter looms in the distance.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

"There is amazing detail showing these crazy islands embedded in the middle of a potentially magma lake rimmed with hot lava," Scott Bolton, the Juno mission's principal investigator, said in a statement. "The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io’s surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth." (The lava field is likely covered with a smooth or glassy crust.)

Close-up views of Loki Patera, the horseshoe-shaped feature on the left in both images. The image on right, taken on Feb. 3, 2024, shows a lot of surface reflectance, likely from a smooth or glassy lava field. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Björn Jónsson CC NC SA

Io is blanketed in hundreds of erupting volcanoes because it's relentlessly locked in a tug-of-war between nearby objects, including the colossal Jupiter.

"Not only is the biggest planet in the solar system forever pulling at it gravitationally, but so are Io’s Galilean siblings — Europa and the biggest moon in the solar system, Ganymede," NASA explained in a statement. "The result is that Io is continuously stretched and squeezed, actions linked to the creation of the lava seen erupting from its many volcanoes."

It's a wild solar system out there. We're learning a lot — and will soon learn a lot more.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Alien planets might teem with purple — yes, purple — life

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 12:30

NASA has already spotted a diversity of rocky, Earth-like worlds in the cosmos. But unlike our verdant planet, many of these worlds may flourish with purple life — if life exists out there, that is.

It's easy to imagine organisms elsewhere resembling the colors of trees, algae, grasses, and beyond that dominate our Earthly reality. This green life soaks up certain light waves from the sun to fuel energy-creating photosynthesis, and the green-pigmented compound chlorophyll helps drive this profoundly successful process. New research from astrobiologists and microbiologists, however, suggests life elsewhere may likely make energy with different types of light from the sun, and use compounds with purple pigments rather than green.

It's not a far-fetched idea. After all, some microbes on Earth are purple. It's just that on Earth, in our now oxygen-rich environment, green life (using "oxygenic photosynthesis") has prevailed in most ecosystems.

"But that doesn't have to be the case on other planets," Lígia Fonseca Coelho, a microbiologist at Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute who led the research, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

The research was recently released in the peer-reviewed science journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. A major goal was to show how space observatories could — and should — look for the telltale signs of purple life when observing distant planets beyond the sun, called exoplanets. Extremely powerful, forthcoming telescopes, such as the Extremely Large Telescope in the lofty Chilean mountains and the Habitable Worlds Observatory (which would orbit in space), will look into the atmospheres of such far-off worlds and determine their composition and habitability.

"Stop just looking at the green. Look at the purple as well."

The scientists plucked over 20 purple-colored bacteria from different ecosystems, such as lakes and marshes in Massachusetts and New York, measuring their vibrant pigments and how they give off light. Then, they simulated the "light signatures" — the unique color and chemical fingerprints that would be visible in an alien planet's reflected light — and found these purple bacteria would generate vivid, identifiable signatures.

"Stop just looking at the green. Look at the purple as well," Coelho emphasized. "We could miss a sign of life because of our bias."

Lígia Fonseca Coelho holding a sample filled with purple-pigmented bacteria. Credit: Ryan Young / Cornell University A NASA conception of an Earth-like exoplanet. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Purple life might not simply exist. It might even be common.

The most abundant stars in our Milky Way galaxy are small red stars, called red dwarf stars. (The closest star to Earth is a red dwarf called Proxima Centauri.) They're just a fraction of the sun's size, and are the coolest stars in temperature. Accordingly, most of the light a red dwarf gives off is lower-energy (in infrared or red lightwaves), so any nearby organisms will likely need to use this infrared light (which is invisible to our eyes) to power their cells. "If life exists on the planet, it will use that [infrared] energy instead," Coelho explained. Crucially, on Earth, purplish bacteria thrive in these lower-energy environments.

On a planet where green microbes and organisms couldn't survive, or aren't best suited to survive, purple-pigmented alien life could outcompete them, and come to dominate.

"It might be that Earth was purple."

It's even possible that such purple bacteria once flourished on an early Earth. After all, our planet has only had oxygen for about half of its 4.5-billion-year lifespan. There was a time before green, oxygen-emitting, photosynthesizing plants blanketed the world. Different bacteria, surviving on different chemical processes, may have thrived.

"It might be that Earth was purple," Coelho said.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NASA excitedly confirms it will fly a sci-fi craft on distant moon

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 12:00

Folks, it's happening.

NASA announced its unprecedented Dragonfly mission — which will fly a car-sized craft with eight spinning rotors around Saturn's moon Titan — is confirmed for flight. The mission, in advanced stages of its design and fabrication, has an approved budget, ride (a heavy-lift rocket), and launch date in 2028.

"Dragonfly is a spectacular science mission with broad community interest, and we are excited to take the next steps on this mission," Nicky Fox, who heads the space agency's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. "Exploring Titan will push the boundaries of what we can do with rotorcraft outside of Earth."

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Titan, located some 880 million miles beyond Earth, is a fascinating world. Larger than our moon, it's the only moon in our solar system that harbors a thick atmosphere and bodies of surface liquid — though the sprawling seas on Titan are composed of liquid methane, not water. Meanwhile, Titan's icy dunes are teeming with the organic ingredients needed for life (as we know it) to develop. That's where Dragonfly will repeatedly land, take off, and explore over some three to five years.

It's a realm of great scientific intrigue because the pristine surface hosts the ancient, "prebiotic" conditions that could have provided the brew for life to eventually form in our solar system. It's like a primordial Earth.

"This really is the only place in the solar system that has this kind of chemistry," Elizabeth "Zibi" Turtle, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the principal investigator of the mission, told Mashable in 2023.

This image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows the sun reflecting off Titan's northern methane seas. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Univ. Arizona / Univ. Idaho A conception of Dragonfly zooming above Titan's dunes. Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL / Steve Gribben

What's more, while the nuclear-powered spacecraft identifies what organic molecules are on Titan, and how they formed, the mission can also address whether it's a habitable world (meaning whether it could host living organisms) and look for potential signatures of life.

The deep space mission, like many such endeavors, saw ballooning costs that resulted in budget problems and delays. The now $3.35-billion spaceflight (total including operations) was beset by "additional costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain increases, and the results of an in-depth design iteration," NASA explained.

But now the cosmic deal is sealed. After a six-year journey, the Saturn-bound craft is expected to land on Titan in a decade, in 2034. With the moon's low-gravity and thick atmosphere — which make it easy to generate lift — the buzzing craft will take flight to disparate locations on this frigid world.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This nova is on the verge of exploding. You could see it any day now.

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:30

Any day now, people will look up and see a distant star exploding. 

Though Earthlings will be able to observe this celestial event as if it just happened, the cataclysmic blast occurred some 3,000 years ago, perhaps in the time of Solomon, the king who built the first temple in Jerusalem. Through the Iron Age, medieval times, and the Industrial Revolution, the explosion's light hurtled through space, only to reach this planet's doorstep now. 

The beacon beaming from the darkness will come from T Coronae Borealis, a star system where a dead white dwarf star will flash in a spectacular nova, according to NASA. Astronomers are calling it one of the stargazing highlights of the year

This particular star remnant is intriguing because it experiences periodic outbursts. Experts have determined it detonates about every 80 years. That means there are people alive who could have witnessed its last eruption in 1946. But hardly any adults today will live to see the next one. 

Here's everything you need to know about this extraordinary event. 

SEE ALSO: Spectacular Webb telescope image shows a stellar death like never before Tweet may have been deleted What is a nova?

A so-called "nova" is a type of stellar explosion — not to be confused with a supernova, the obliteration of an enormous star before it collapses into a black hole or neutron star

For a nova, you need a white dwarf, the shriveled corpse of a dead medium-size star. If a white dwarf can steal stellar material from a nearby living star, hydrogen will heap onto the white dwarf's surface, raising its temperature and eventually igniting like a bomb. 

The nova doesn't destroy the white dwarf — rather, the explosion causes it to spew elements like carbon and iron back into space. 

Normally, white dwarfs are too dim to see with the naked eye, but the flash created by this runaway nuclear reaction is so immense, the dead star should brighten exponentially. The phenomenon earned the name nova, which means "new" in Latin, because it looks as though a new star suddenly appeared in the sky, only to recede into the darkness days later. 

T Coronae Borealis is composed of a white dwarf co-orbiting a red giant star. The white dwarf goes nova cyclically, about every 80 years. Credit: NASA Goddard illustration What is T Coronae Borealis?  

T Coronae Borealis is a nova from a binary star system about 3,000 light-years away in our own Milky Way galaxy. It is created by a small, Earth-size white dwarf co-orbiting a red giant star — that is, a sun-like star in its senior years, running out of nuclear fuel. 

Red giants bloat between 100 to 1,000 times their original size as they near death. As the red giant sloughs its outer layers, the white dwarf collects the matter. The sun, central to our solar system, is predicted to become a red giant in 5 billion years or so. 

Walter "Will" Golay, a graduate student at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told Mashable that not all novas are recurrent, but T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB for short, is on an intriguing cycle. 

"Since the mass transfer (from the companion star) is roughly constant over many years, basically what that means is it's going to build up, build up, build up, explode, blow all that mass off, and then it's going to start all over again," he said. 

A nova explosion does not completely destroy a white dwarf star. Credit: NASA Goddard graphic When will it go nova?

Astronomers believe T CrB is on the verge of going nova. They predict it will happen sometime between now and September 2024. The last nova happened in February 1946. 

"The way we know that it's going to happen soon is right before the last explosion in 1946, the system dimmed quite a bit, and that just happened," said Golay, who is planning to study the event with the Submillimeter Array telescopes in Hawaii. "Once it was observed that it dimmed, people got on alert."

"Once it was observed that it dimmed, people got on alert." Researchers are gearing up to observe the nova with telescopes. Credit: NASA Goddard

NASA and other institutions intend to post updates on the sighting, including from the NASA Universe account on X, formerly Twitter.

After hitting peak brightness, the nova will continue to shine for another handful of nights. Then, for about a week, people will be able to catch a glimpse of it with the help of binoculars. 

Where will the nova be in the sky?

The nova outburst will appear in Corona Borealis, a small semicircular constellation flanked by Bootes and Hercules in the northern sky. If you weren't a scout, you can download an interactive star chart app on your phone to get your bearings. 

The free NASA app, for example, has a basic sky view under its "featured" tab that uses location data to pinpoint major stars. The nova will be somewhere in the region between the mapped Vega and Arcturus stars. Golay's favorite app to find sources is called Star Walk, which may have in-app charges. 

When it happens, it will not flash or flicker, but simply look like a new star where there wasn't one before. The magnitude of the explosion is expected to be such that this ephemeral point of light will become brighter than Polaris, aka the North Star

The nova will be somewhere in the region between the Vega and Arcturus stars. Credit: NASA

Usually, people who live in rural areas have the stargazing advantage. But in this case, a little city light pollution may help narrow the field, filtering out everything but the very brightest objects: The nova should be among the standouts. 

It's a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, and scientists are eager to learn from it. 

"Let's say half of all stars are binary stars. That means that half of all exoplanets have binary stars. It's important in the search for other habitable worlds that we understand how their host stars are behaving," Golay said. "Obviously, you don't want to live on an exoplanet around the star that explodes every 80 years."

Categories: IT General, Technology

How Japanese dry gardens inspired 'Shōgun's stunning title sequence

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

How do you distill the essence of a show as complex and sprawling as Shōgun into a title sequence that lasts about 90 seconds? If you're Elastic, the design studio behind opening sequences for shows like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon, you turn to inspiration from 1600s Japan.

SEE ALSO: 'Shōgun' review: 2024's first great TV epic is here

Designer Nadia Tzuo, the creative director of Shōgun's title sequence, revealed to Mashable that initial directions for the credits focused on design elements and art styles from that era of Japanese history, such as paintings or architectural details. However, the idea that most immediately caught the team's attention was that of Japanese dry gardens, made up of sand and gravel.

"Initially, that direction was called 'the walled garden,' which described Japan very well at the time," Tzuo told Mashable. "It was like its own world in a way, since it closed borders to foreign contact and wasn't easy to reach."

With that concept in mind, Japan — and the entire conflict of Shōgun — becomes a world made miniature in the title sequence. The sun rises over a peaceful dry garden, where the rocks represent land and the gravel between them represents oceans. From there, we see John Blackthorne's (Cosmo Jarvis) ship sailing into view; battles between the forces of Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira) follow soon after. Yet given the garden's smaller scale and the viewer's distance from it, there's still a sense of observational remove. For Tzuo, this remove is intentional, corresponding with how one should experience a dry garden in real life.

"The garden is meant to be watched from a far distance. Not too far, but you're not supposed to be in it. It's providing a third-person point of view," Tzuo explained. "This observational point of view matches the feeling of the whole concept of the show, because Blackthorne is an outsider. He's observing all the things happening, and he can't do much about it."

SEE ALSO: 'Shōgun's writers love all the Blackthorne and Yabushige memes

Even though we're somewhat removed from the garden itself, it's hard to miss the detail at work in these opening titles. The gravel itself took quite a bit of time to perfect, as Tzuo and her team had to ensure it didn't look powdery and had the correct weight. They also researched the architecture and layout of Osaka Castle, as well as the designs of the many ships present in the sequence. They also received digital 3D models from Shōgun's production team so the imagery could remain consistent throughout. One especially fun detail is the inclusion of the show's model for the fishing village Ajiro, which you can spot on the mossy base of one of the dry garden's rocks.

Elsewhere, you can catch key symbols from the show raked in the garden's gravel. Mariko's cross get blown away as war engulfs the garden, an image that's especially heartbreaking given her fate in episode 9. Toranaga's three-flower crest features prominently as well. The crest itself corresponds to that of the real-life Tokugawa clan and shogunate, whose founder Tokugawa Ieyasu inspired Shōgun author James Clavell when creating the character of Toranaga.

Thanks to the presence of the crest, the figure of the shogun looms large throughout the opening credits, but nowhere more so than in their final moments. After the credits take a turn from peaceful towards all-out war, we watch a mountain under siege crumble — a nod to the pivotal episode 5 earthquake, Tzuo noted — to unveil a massive mask bearing Toranaga's crest. Not only are we witnessing the rise of the shogun, but we're also seeing the arc of the show play out over the course of the credits.

"The shogun is born through war and destruction," Tzuo said. "That's what it always has been, and that's something we wanted to bring into the title."

Shōgun is now streaming on Hulu, with the finale premiering April 23.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers online for free

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Stream Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs for free on Ran.de. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA playoffs are finally here. Most of the top teams and players have been cruising for months, but there's no time for that kind of behavior anymore. It's time to get serious, because a lot of the first-round matchups are absolutely incredible. We can't pick a favorite, but the battle between the 76ers and Knicks is surely going to be one of the best.

If you want to watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers?

Game 1 of the New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers series starts at 6 p.m. ET on April 20. This game takes place at Madison Square Garden.

How to watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers for free

Fans can live stream Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs for free on Ran.de.

Ran.de is geo-restricted to Germany, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Germany, meaning you can access this streaming service from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Germany

  4. Connect to Ran.de

  5. Watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on sites like Ran.de, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Germany

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Game 1 of New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Save almost $40 on this color-matching tool

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Through April 21, pay only $59.97 (reg. $99) for the Nix Mini 2 color-matching sensor.

Ever experienced putting together an outfit in your head, only to realize that it actually looks horrible once you take the pieces out of your closet and try it on? The same thing happens when you're doing a DIY home project like painting your walls. Just because it looks good on Pinterest or some magazine doesn't mean it would work IRL.

If you want precision for your projects, a tool like the Nix Mini 2 can come in handy. It's essentially a sensor that can scan virtually any surface and identify its brand-name paint and sRGB HEX, CMYK, and LAB color code equivalents with impressive accuracy. Through April 21, you can score one on sale for only $59.97, just in time for your spring projects.

The Nix Mini 2 comes equipped with a high-resolution color sensor for precise processing and automatic error detection. This just means that when you use it to scan a surface, it's designed to yield accurate results 99% of the time, ensuring that what you see is what you get. It's equipped with highly calibrated LED and its own light source for consistent, precise scans, and it can even block out ambient light, allowing for perfect measurements under any light condition. It works with just about anything, too, including painted walls, vinyl, leather, plastic, and more.

Since Nix Mini 2 boasts a compact design, you can slip it into your purse, and whip it out whenever you need to scan a color, or just when inspiration strikes. You can also take advantage of the accompanying app to integrate it with software like Photoshop. With the app, you can organize your scans, create collections, and share them with friends and colleagues.

Never guess (or second guess) a color again. Through April 21, you can score the Nix Mini 2 color-matching sensor on sale for only $59.97, no coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nix Sensor Nix Mini 2 Color-Matching Sensor $59.97 at the Mashable Shop
$99.00 Save $39.03 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Save $67 on these innovative translation earbuds

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Through April 21, you can score a pair of the Mymanu CLIK S translation earbuds for only $89.97 (reg. $157), no coupon needed.

Experiencing a language barrier can easily send anyone into a tailspin. Few things are more overwhelming and anxiety-inducing than being in a place where you can barely understand anyone, let alone decipher signages just to get around. Google Translate can only get you so far, but if you want a reliable tool for real-time translation, the Mymanu CLIK S can get the job done.

The Mymanu CLIK S are earphones that are engineered for instant speech-to-text and text-to-speech translation. A pair normally retails for $157, but through April 21, you can cop them on sale for $89.97, no coupon needed.

These wireless earbuds allow you to communicate with over two billion people, thanks to its support for more than 37 languages, including English, Cantonese, Arabic, Italian, French, and Korean. They work in tandem with the MyJuno app, MyManu's proprietary translation app, so conversations are also visually displayed on your smartphone in the language of your choice, making communication a breeze.

While these earbuds are primarily marketed as translation devices, they also function as traditional earphones in that they deliver crystal-clear HD sound for streaming your favorite music and podcasts, answering calls, reading texts and notifications, and more. They come with various-sized memory foam ear tips to ensure a secure and comfortable fit, and the built-in battery lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge, which can be extendable to 30 with the included charging case.

Consider yourself a gym rat? These earbuds claim to be water-resistant, making them safe from sweat and moisture, too. They also pair with virtually any device, including iOS and Android gadgets, allowing you to dole out commands to either Siri or Google with a push of a button.

Break language barriers with the Mymanu CLIK S earbuds. They normally retail for $157, but you can get them on sale for $89.97 through April 21.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: MyManu Mymanu CLIK S: Award-Winning Translation Earbuds $89.97 at the Mashable Shop
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Categories: IT General, Technology

Get Microsoft Visio at a major discount: just $20

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Through April 22, get a Microsoft Visio 2021 lifetime license for Windows on sale for $19.97 (save $230).

While we all love the classic suite of Microsoft Office apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and their siblings — you might be missing out on other tools if you’ve never expanded your Microsoft repertoire. We’d like to introduce you to Visio, an app that helps you build diagrams and flowcharts more efficiently than the tools above. Through April 22, you can get a lifetime license for Windows on sale for $19.97 (reg. $249.99). 

The missing piece in your Microsoft toolkit

Microsoft Visio aims to help you visualize your ideas, processes, reporting structures, or anything else you want to bring to life. Start with premade templates, starter diagrams, or stencils made for flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, or brainstorming maps. Or, freestyle your own creations from scratch.

Then, browse over 250,000 shapes to customize the look and feel of your projects. Visio is a lot more intuitive than trying to create similar flowcharts on tools like PowerPoint or Word.

Visio also lets you link diagrams to live internal and external data sources, helping you share insights with team members, draw additional insights, and stay organized. You can even upload an Excel, Exchange, or Microsoft Entra ID file and have Visio automatically generate an org chart. That’s just one advantage of expanding your Microsoft toolkit.

Another unique feature is being able to use your stylus or finger on touch-enabled devices to draw or annotate your projects. The possibilities of what you could create with Visio start right here, right now with this limited-time offer.

Secure your Microsoft Visio 2021 lifetime license for Windows while it’s on sale for $19.97 (reg. $249.99) until April 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this low price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows $19.97 at the Mashable Shop
$249.99 Save $230.02 Get Deal
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Get a lifetime of premium flight deal alerts from Matt's Flights on sale for $80

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Through April 21, let Matt's Flights Premium Plan get you access to the best airfare prices. A lifetime subscription is just $79.97, saving you hundreds.

Finding great deals on travel essentials is thrilling for some. But many of us don't like the act of continually searching multiple airline sites, plugging in the info, and looking for deals. If you don't have the time or patience to do such a thing, this offer on a lifetime subscription to Matt's Flights Premium Plan is on sale for just $79.97. However, this price only lasts through April 21.

After you redeem your code, sign up for Matt's Flights, and you'll be alerted nearly instantly to reduced-rate flights and mistake fares in your region and location. That means you can focus on work, the family, or that passion project while Matt and his team do the work for you.

As a Premium Plan member, you also get access to Matt himself. You can email him your travel date and destination, and he will get back to you with the best airfare possible. It's like having an assistant devoted to helping you save money on all your flights. And the best part is, this offer gives you this access for life.

With customer support available 24/7 and five times more flight deals sent to you than free members, members are reported to save up to 90% on domestic and international flights. The Premium Plan allows unlimited custom search requests and 3+ deals per week.

Save money on flights, so you can splurge on that fancy restaurant or souvenir once you get to your destination. 

A lifetime subscription to Matt's Flights Premium Plan is available for just $79.97 when you order by April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Matt's Flights Matt's Flights Premium Plan (Lifetime Subscription) - Save up to 90% on Domestic & International flights $79.97 at the Mashable Shop
$1,800.00 Save $1,720.03 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Get a refurb iPad Pro, case, and glass screen protector for $160

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

TL;DR: Through April 21, save $439 on this grade-B refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pro with a black plastic case and tempered glass screen protector and get it for just $159.97 (reg. $599).

We really have to give it to the iPad — it’s innovative, versatile, and looks pretty great in your hands, all while commanding a premium price. Well, that was until we discovered refurbished devices. This refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pro that comes with a black case and glass screen protector is on sale for $159.97 (reg. $599) for a limited time.

Save 73% on this refurbished iPad bundle

Buying refurbished devices is similar to purchasing a used car. While they aren’t fresh off the dealer’s lot, they could still offer years and years of powerful performance at a much lower price.

Each retailer has their own grading standards, and we don’t sell any refurbished devices that haven’t undergone thorough inspection, testing, and cleaning. This 9.7-inch iPad Pro was given a grade “B” refurbished rating based on its light to normal signs of cosmetic wear and minimum 70 percent battery health.

Here’s what else this iPad has:

  • 9.7-inch Retina display with 2048x1536 resolution. Stream, read, or take notes in vivid detail.

  • 10-hour battery life. Enjoy freedom from cords on commutes and when traveling.

  • Apple A9X processor and 2GB of RAM. That’s what makes this iPad a ‘Pro’ model.

  • 32GB of storage. Add your favorite apps and store photos and videos.

  • 12MP rear iSight and 5MP FaceTime cameras. Take photos and join video chats with friends and family.

  • Pre-installed tempered glass screen protector and a black snap-on case. Protect your purchase from potential drops.

Score an affordable iPad

Grab your 9.7-inch iPad Pro with a black case and glass screen protector while they’re on sale for $159.97 (reg. $599) until April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro 9.7" A1673 32GB WiFi Silver Bundle (Refurbished) $159.97 at the Mashable Shop
$599.00 Save $439.03 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Earth will look wildly different in millions of years. Take a look.

Mashable - Sat, 04/20/2024 - 11:00

The ground is moving.

It's a creeping movement, but a momentous one. Some 200 million years ago, a single, extraordinary supercontinent called Pangea dominated Earth. Ultimately, landmasses ruptured and pulled apart, creating the world we see today. Yet the continents never ceased drifting. And in some 250 million years' time, computer simulations suggest that a supercontinent may again prevail.

"It might end up looking a lot like Pangea did when the dinosaurs were roaming around," Hannah Davies, a geologist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences who researches future continental change, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: What will happen when the next supervolcano erupts, according to NASA

While it's certain the continents have migrated and continue to migrate — owing to a preponderance of evidence from rocks, fossils, the fit and shape of our continents, and beyond — it's still uncertain how, exactly, such massive geological change will play out in the distant future. Yet visualizations made possible with modern computing have given scientists an improved view of our planet's geologic future. As we learn more about the behavior of Earth's tectonic plates (upon which continents move) and how our planet evolved in the past, these models will become better refined, Davies emphasized. (Other types of earth science modeling, like climate modeling, have proven remarkably accurate.)

"I have no doubt that we'll see another supercontinent," Damian Nance, a distinguished professor emeritus of geology from Ohio University, told Mashable. "I have a lot of questions about when that might happen and what that might look like. The jury is still out."

"I have no doubt that we'll see another supercontinent."

There are currently around four leading candidate ideas for the next, distant supercontinent. The animation below, created using software that constructs and visualizes geologic activity on Earth, shows a supercontinent, dubbed "Aurica," forming near Earth's equator. The Pacific Ocean closes, and eventually the Atlantic does too. (Some online platforms might not display the video below; if so, here's a YouTube version.)

In another supercontinent scenario called "Amasia," today's continents drift northward, except for Antarctica, and amass around the North Pole. Under a different geologic regime called "Novopangea," wherein the continents largely continue moving as they are today, the Atlantic Ocean continues to spread apart, but the sprawling Pacific closes. A fourth leading supercontinent candidate is the tropical "Pangea Ultima," wherein continents form around an Atlantic that stops spreading apart. Last year, a group of scientists used a supercomputer to model the climate on a supercontinent like Pangea Ultima, and found it would host inhospitable surface environs (owing to a surge in volcanism, heat in the tropics, and lack of marine cooling in the sweltering interior). Without evolving, many species likely couldn't survive on much of the scorching surface.

A simulation of the supercontinent "Novopangea." Credit: Hannah Davies Tweet may have been deleted

Millions of years ago, Pangea's vast equatorial interior was also likely a dry, arid landscape, and hosted expansive deserts. "The interior of a supercontinent would be pretty horrific," Nance noted. This almost certainly posed challenges and evolutionary pressures for ancient life; yet even so, those harsh conditions saw huge biological successes: Some life that began developing on Pangea would later come to dominate Earth. "You can think of Pangea as being both the cradle of dinosaurs and mammals," Nance marveled.

The next supercontinent — be it Aurica, Amasia, Novopangea, or Pangea Ultima — probably won't be Earth's last. The continents glide over Earth's heated mantle, a thick region of semi-solid rock, which convects (somewhat like hot wax circulating in a lava lamp) and moves the continents above. "The driving force is mantle circulation," Nance explained. Geologists don't expect this process to stop for a long, long time. In fact, the continents are likely in a slow-motion supercontinent cycle — with massive landmasses repeatedly converging, breaking apart, and converging once again.

"We could end up with six or seven supercontinent cycles throughout Earth's history," Davies explained, noting the planet may have already had four or five supercontinents. 

The potential future supercontinent "Amasia." Credit: Hannah Davies

Nance suspects geologists are getting tantalizingly close to solving some of the big uncertainties, which lie hundreds to thousands of miles below in the mantle, that will drive the future direction of the continents. For example, continents tend to move away from areas where hot rock is welling up in the mantle — similar to how a potato in boiling soup will move away from the hottest boil. Crucially, knowing how these deep geologic phenomena behave won't simply help predict the next supercontinent. "Ultimately, it's enormously important," Nance emphasized. "It tells us how Earth works."

A question that looms large is, when the continents next collide into a great mass, surrounded by an even greater sea, who will be around to witness it? Human civilizations, born with the rise of agriculture, have only existed for some 12,000 years. It's difficult to envision the next decade, if not the next century.

"We could end up with six or seven supercontinent cycles throughout Earth's history."

Might humans be around to inhabit a supercontinent in some 200 or 250 million years? "That would be a grand old age for a species," Nance marveled. It would mean existing for much longer than the dinosaurs, which went extinct after 165 million years. Yet after deflecting a number of giant, menacing asteroids and avoiding self-annihilation, it's possible. But species evolve.

"The sheer timeframes involved boggles the mind a little bit," Davies mused. "There's definitely a chance we'll be around in 250 million years, but we'll be quite different."

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