US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to head to the Philippines on Tuesday to reinforce the American-Philippine alliance through cooperation and security matters, following a recent trade mission there by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. This is seen as the latest move in US intervention in the South China Sea issue.

But is the US support for the Philippines really as well-meaning and valuable as it appears? The answer may disappoint many Filipino politicians.

The US' cliché statements act more as a "betrayal of its ally," as it hyperbolizes the Philippines' illegally grounded military vessel at Ren'ai Jiao (also known as the Ren'ai Reef) in South China Sea as a "longstanding outpost," leading to further militarization of the South China Sea and adding fuel to the already tense situation in the region.

Nevertheless, many Filipino officials still see the US' empty promises as a lifeline, exposing their political naivety, analysts said.

This investigative piece will expose the logical flaws, contradictions, danger signals, and perfunctory attitudes replete in the US' statements. Some have even been described by Chinese analysts as "stupid and counterproductive" in relation to Philippine interests and will be an indelible and ugly historical record in US maritime legal practice.
Unprecedentedly malevolence

In its recent statements issued in October and December 2023, and March this year, the US State Department employed a surprising characterization - a "longstanding outpost" - to describe a military vessel that the Philippines illegally "grounded" at Ren'ai Jiao 25 years ago.

"Such a description is extremely symbolic because this is equivalent to making a dangerous characterization of the nature of this territory," said Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. "It has explicitly exposed the US' malevolence in its attempt to undermine peace in the South China Sea region."

The first time that the term "longstanding outpost" appeared was in an October 2023 statement, which said: "Obstructing supply lines to this longstanding outpost and interfering with lawful Philippine maritime operations undermines regional stability." The whole sentence reappeared in another statement in December 2023. The latest statement in March reads: "We condemn the PRC's repeated obstruction of [the] Philippine vessels' exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and its disruption of supply lines to this longstanding outpost."

"Outpost" is a military term that typically refers to a small military base or settlement located in a remote or strategic location. ChatGPT gave some examples of how US media sources have used the word in their news stories, such as "US Military Outpost in Syria Attacked by Pro-Assad Forces (The New York Times)," "US Troops Evacuate Outpost in Iraq amid Rising Tensions (Washington Post)," and "Al Qaeda Fighters Launch Attack on US Outpost in Yemen (Fox News)."

The US has used the word "outpost" only in "anti-terrorism wars" in recent years. "Obviously, building an 'outpost' at Ren'ai Jiao, viewing from the country's state department statement, implies a military action," Yang said.

Therefore, calling the Philippine vessel at Ren'ai Jiao a "longstanding outpost" in defiance of historical facts implies that the US has made clear its support for the Philippines' actions to promote militarization of the South China Sea, Yang told the Global Times.

"I don't know if the US government is aware of the significant implications of their words, or if it was released without careful review. We are truly concerned about the professionalism of US government officials and the standards of their work processes," Yang noted.

The extreme and irresponsible attitude of the US will undermine the current situation of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. It presents a clear opposition to China and ASEAN members' efforts to promote the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, betrays the principles and positions of navigation safety as well as the demilitarization in the South China Sea. It completely exposes who is the true troublemaker in the South China Sea region, according to the expert.

Embarrassingly self-contradictory

Ironically, the description of "longstanding outpost" appears to have put the Philippines in an awkward position.

In the statements, the US has repeatedly claimed its support for "the 2016 arbitration" and called Ren'ai Jiao a "low-tide elevation."

According to the so-called arbitration, some islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao (known as the Second Thomas Shoal in the West), are low-tide elevations or high tide features that "cannot be appropriated or subjected to sovereignty claims."

Not to mention that the Philippine government has not officially claimed Ren'ai Jiao as its sovereign territory. In a recent story by the Philippine News Agency, Raphael Hermoso, deputy assistant secretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, called Ren'ai Jiao (Ayungin in the Philippines) "a low-tide elevation within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf." That to some extent reflected the country's "official definition" of Ren'ai Jiao.

Therefore, we can see that US State Department's statements are contradictory in the country's stance over Ren'ai Jiao's sovereignty, Yang said, noting that building military installations out of one's sovereignty is an obvious act of war, which has clearly exposed the Philippines' evil attempts to militarize the South China Sea region.

Observers said that the US statements are apparently putting the Philippines in an embarrassing situation. This also makes the international community see more clearly the US' conspiracy to incite and escalate tensions in the region.

Perfunctory lip service

The US' stance on the Philippines is also extremely perfunctory.

Since the new government of the Philippines took office in May 2022, the US State Department spokesperson has issued nine statements on South China Sea disputes. Eight of them conspicuously bear the same title that reads "US support for the Philippines in the South China Sea."

These statements are repetitive and obsolete, basically focusing on three ungrounded points: Accusing China of not accepting the illegal international arbitration decision issued in July 2016, accusing China of "infringing on the Philippines' freedoms of navigation," and mentioning the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Experts say that these statements are very limited in scope. "The US State Department has almost no substantive power in the security cooperation mechanisms with other countries which involves military actions, information assistance, material support, and many other aspects. In the long-term operation of US politics, the actual role of the State Department in foreign affairs is very limited," Yang told the Global Times.

The recently deceased Henry Kissinger, while serving as Nixon's national security advisor, skillfully bypassed the State Department and completed the most shocking diplomatic action since the Cold War - the normalization of US-China relations.

The more crucial support for foreign entities is generally provided by the US National Security Council and the US Department of Defense, including the US Department of Homeland Security. All substantive measures taken by the US must also come from the White House, explained Yang.

"Take the recent example of the statement from US President Joe Biden on Coalition Strikes in Houthi-Controlled Areas in Yemen issued on January 11 as an example. Such actions require long-term international coordination and preparation, multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy by the Secretary of State, the use of the president's special powers, and subsequent approval from Congress. What's more, even for non-governmental organizations like the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, the US has rallied together with the UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, and went through a complicated process, not to mention in the South China Sea," Yang said.

In light of this, it is truly ridiculous for a few Filipino politicians to be jubilant, grateful, and verbose to rely on perfunctory verbal support from the US State Department, Yang said.

The contradictory, rough, and provocative statements from the US obviously stand in stark contrast to China's rational and restrained attitude in the South China Sea.

On March 7, 2024, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again elaborated on China's position on the issue of the South China Sea when he met the press during the just concluded two sessions.

Wang said that on maritime disputes, China has been exercising a high degree of restraint. China maintains that parties should find solutions that are acceptable to one and all by working in the spirit of good neighborliness and friendship, and on the basis of respecting historical and legal facts. But abusing such good faith should not be allowed. Distorting maritime laws cannot be accepted.

In the face of deliberate infringements, China will take justified actions to defend its rights in accordance with the law. In the face of unwarranted provocation, China will respond with prompt and legitimate countermeasures, said Wang.

China also urges certain countries outside this region not to make provocations, take sides, or stir up trouble in the South China Sea, Wang stressed.

A total of 92 Chinese suspects involved in cross-border telecom and online scams, including 14 fugitives wanted online, were apprehended and transferred to China in a recent joint operation cracking down on criminal dens in the China-Myanmar border area by law enforcement departments from both China and Myanmar. This marks the latest effort in the ongoing combat against telecom frauds from northern Myanmar targeting Chinese residents, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

To deepen the crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud in northern Myanmar targeting Chinese residents and further eliminate the telecom and online fraud dens, China's Ministry of Public Security deployed the public security organs in Pu'er, Southwest China's Yunnan Province to carry out the joint operation with the local law enforcement departments in Myanmar.

This operation represents another significant achievement in police cooperation cracking down on internet fraud by the Chinese and Myanmar authorities following the transferring of 352 Chinese suspects apprehended in northern Myanmar's Muse area in a joint operation in March.

The 92 Chinese suspects caught in northern Myanmar's Wa State include eight key figures and 14 fugitives wanted online. A large number of mobile phones, laptops and other criminal items were seized by the police in the operation.

Through investigation, the group of suspects were found hiding in a basement in Wa State, impersonating soldiers and carrying out fraudulent investment scams through social networking.

So far, all the suspects and evidence items involved in the case have been smoothly transferred to the Chinese side through the border port of Menglian county in Yunnan. China's Ministry of Public Security has deployed the public security organs in East China's Shandong Province and other places to bring back the suspects and investigate the case.

Since 2023, China's Ministry of Public Security has been deepening international and border law enforcement cooperation with Myanmar in an effort to resolutely curb the frequent and high incidence of telecom fraud originating from northern Myanmar. A series of joint actions conducted by the authorities have resulted in the transfer of 49,000 Chinese fraud suspects to China, contributing to the improvement of the situation regarding telecom fraud originating from northern Myanmar involving Chinese citizens.

However, there are still a few telecom fraud criminals in northern Myanmar's Wa State who harbor illusions, resist stubbornly and attempt to evade punishment.

Officials from the Ministry of Public Security said that in response to the situation of telecom fraud related to Chinese citizens in northern Myanmar, the public security organs will maintain their unchanged resolution and will not reduce their efforts. They will further strengthen international and border law enforcement cooperation and continuously increase strength in combating such crimes with special actions to comprehensively eradicate fraud dens, apprehend individuals involved in fraud in accordance with laws, and resolutely eliminate the "poisonous tumors" of telecom fraud crimes related to China in northern Myanmar, to effectively safeguard the property security and the legitimate rights and interests of the people.

According to state broadcaster China Central Television, Chinese and Myanmar police cooperated internationally, arresting 807 suspects involved in cross-border telecom fraud in the Muse area. Among them, 455 were Myanmar nationals and 352 were Chinese nationals. All Chinese suspects had been transferred to China as of March 31.

Even since the eruption of the recent Israeli-Palestine conflict, China has taken a proactive role in de-escalation, collaborating with the international community to spare efforts to bring an end to the fighting, safeguard civilian lives, and provide humanitarian aid.

In recent days, the Chinese Government's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun has made relentless trips to Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in a diplomatic effort to de-escalate the situation and ease hostilities. 

Meanwhile, in response to the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the China International Development Cooperation Agency has pledged an additional 15 million yuan ($2.05 million) in emergency humanitarian supplies. This aid aims to assist those affected by the conflict, in addition to previously allocated $1 million in cash assistance through the Palestinian National Authority and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.

During a meeting with Zhai on Sunday in Amman, the capital of Jordan, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, noted that the UNRWA regards China as an important partner, thanks China for its long-standing political support and financial assistance to the UNRWA, appreciates China's emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza since the conflict, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as soon as possible.

UNRWA, which was founded in 1949, is mandated to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees. The organization relies on voluntary contributions to finance its operations.

At the Wednesday media briefing, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that "China has no selfish interests in the Palestinian-Israeli issue. We stand for the protection of civilians, a ceasefire and an end to fighting, the opening of humanitarian relief corridors, the prevention of a greater humanitarian crisis, the resumption of political dialogue and negotiation, and the return of the Palestinian issue to the right track of the two-state solution so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East."

"As [China assumes] the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council this month and a responsible member of the international community, China will continue to work with the international community to ease the situation, protect civilians, advance humanitarian assistance, and resume peace talks," he said.

Chinese scientists have recently achieved ultra-low temperature refrigeration without the use of liquid helium, which is expected to have great application prospect in multiple high-tech fields such as deep space exploration, quantum technologies and materials science. The research result has been published in the scientific journal Nature.

Ultra-low temperature refrigeration using liquid helium was invented over a century ago, and has widely been used in national security and strategic high-tech areas such as deep space exploration, quantum technologies, materials science and large-scale research facilities. 

However, due to the relative scarcity of helium in nature, it has become an important challenge within the scientific community to achieve ultra-low temperature refrigeration without using helium. 

Chinese researchers from several scientific research institutes including the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, used a triangular-lattice cobaltate material to realize the helium-free cooling to a temperature of 94 millikelvin (minus 273.056 C) with frustrated quantum magnets, designating the effect as “giant magnetocaloric effect of spin supersolid.”

Supersolid is a quantum state exhibited by matter at very low temperatures approaching absolute zero (minus 273.15 C). 

Magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a heating or cooling of a magnetic material when the applied magnetic field changes. MCE can be used for cooling and may offer larger efficiencies than a conventional vapor-cycle refrigeration.

According to the research published in Nature, supersolids are long-sought-after quantum materials with two seemingly contradictory features: a rigid solid structure and superfluidity. The triangular-lattice cobaltate material provides evidence for a quantum spin analogue of supersolidity, with an additional giant magnetocaloric effect — discoveries that pave the way for helium-free cooling to temperatures below 1 kelvin with frustrated quantum magnets. 

Su Gang, a professor from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, co-author of the research and one of the key individuals who proposed the triangular-lattice cobaltate material to the research team, told the Global Times on Sunday that the discovery of this new state of matter and its new effects represents a significant breakthrough in fundamental researches. 

It also provides a new solution to the challenging problem of ultra-low-temperature cooling in China’s cutting-edge research areas such as deep space exploration, quantum technology, and materials science, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Thursday.

Li Wei, a researcher from the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who proposed the triangular-lattice cobaltate material together with Su, said that the biggest challenge in the follow-up work is the research and development of new devices and refrigeration systems. 

According to Li, how to translate the laboratory’s achievements into practical uses and refrigeration systems, so as to provide extremely low-temperature environment and sufficient cooling capacity for deep space exploration or quantum computing, poses certain challenges in both scientific and engineering aspects. 

Reviews from Nature praised the research published on Wednesday, calling it a high-quality experiment and expecting that it will spark widespread research interest. 

China Harbour Engineering Co (CHEC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Co, recently won the bid for the dredging project of the entrance channel and port basins for the Simandou iron ore project, the world's largest undeveloped iron ore deposit, in Guinea.

The dredging project represents a significant operational achievement for CHEC in the Guinea market, as stated in its official WeChat account on Friday.

This project also signifies another step forward in the development of the high-grade iron ore project, involving joint participation between Chinese enterprises and their international partners.

The expansion and breakthrough in the Simandou project further strengthen CHEC's collaboration with major mining clients in Guinea, solidifying its competitive advantage in the hydraulic engineering market and providing robust support for ongoing development in the Guinea national market, according to CHEC.

The dredging project has a duration of 21 months and involves dredging the shared channels and port basins of the Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), a consortium backed by Singaporean and Chinese companies, and the Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto.

The channel spans 22.60 kilometers, with a bottom width of 250 meters and an approximate dredging volume of 21.57 million cubic meters, according to CHEC.

The successful bidding of the dredging project occurred just a few days after the reported successful blasting of the No. 5 road in the Simandou mining area, marking another important progress in the mining project.

The successful blasting of the mining project for the first time establishes a solid foundation for subsequent production operations and a series of mine development works.

Infrastructure development for the Simandou mining project is underway after the project officially resumed substantive development in March 2023, following a one-year suspension.

The iron ore project is being progressed in partnership with CIOH, a Chinalco-led consortium, WCS, Baowu, and the Guinean government.

Rio Tinto, one of the investors in Simandou, announced in December 2023 a detailed financial investment plan, revealing that the southern Simandou mining area is expected to commence production in 2025 and increase annual production capacity to 60 million tons within the next 30 months.

The potential total reserves of iron ore in this mine are approximately 10 billion tons, ranking it third globally after Australia and Brazil. Upon production, the annual output is projected to range from 100 million to 150 million tons, contributing to 5 to 7 percent of the world's annual production, according to a Caixin report.

A decade since the first North American Shaolin Cultural Festival in 2013, the Shaolin Temple is once again hosting an official cultural exchange event in the US. 

The highly anticipated "2023 North American Shaolin Games" and a series of martial arts-related activities are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, the US, on November 11 and 12.

The announcement was made during a press conference held on November 7. 

Organized by the renowned Songshan Shaolin Temple in China, in collaboration with the Shaolin North American Association, the games are expected to serve as a platform for kung fu enthusiasts to show off their skills and promote the popularization of the ancient sport in North America. 

Approximately 500 Shaolin disciples from over 40 states in the US, as well as from countries ­including ­Canada and Mexico will ­participate in the events.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, said at the press conference that Shaolin kung fu is famous all over the world. 

Kung fu not only strengthens the body, but also uses martial arts to achieve Zen and enlighten people through wisdom. 

The kung fu competition is a long-standing tradition at the Shaolin Temple, which aims to enable Shaolin disciples to study more diligently and constantly surpass themselves, according to Shi.

During the opening ceremony, dignitaries from various fields will witness the top performers in various categories. 

The 2023 North American Shaolin kung fu stars - the top three in each discipline - will receive medals, trophies, certificates, and accolades as encouragement.

According to Shi, the tradition of Shaolin kung fu competitions has flourished overseas since 2011. 

Events like the European Shaolin Cultural Festival and the North American Shaolin Cultural Festival all regard the Shaolin kung fu competition as core content.

In 2022, the Shaolin kung fu online competition continued this tradition, uniting 5,320 participants from 94 countries and regions across six continents. 

Before coming to the US in 2023, the Shaolin Games had already been held in Zambia in Africa, Singapore in Asia, and Argentina in Latin America.

Shi, leading the visiting delegation, arrived in Los Angeles on November 1 to kick off a series of North American visits. 

During his visit to San Francisco on November 7, he delivered a speech titled "Zen Meets AI" at Meta's headquarters. 

In his address, he emphasized that while AI possesses remarkable data processing and analytical capabilities, and may display similar human perceptions through programs and algorithms, but it cannot replicate the awakened consciousness advocated by Zen Buddhism. 

He encouraged human beings to seek inner wisdom and ­transcendence, even in the face of AI advancements.

According to Shi, Zen ­Buddhism emphasizes that Zen practitioners can gradually improve their state of enlightenment through their own efforts. 

As a tool, AI can search and find relevant classics to solve various doubts that Zen ­practitioners encounter, providing assistance and convenience to Zen practitioners.

Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents has suffered at least one concussion, according to a survey of U.S. teens. And 5.5 percent reported two or more concussions diagnosed in their lifetimes, researchers report in the Sept. 26 JAMA.

About 13,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders participated in the 2016 Monitoring the Future survey, an annual national questionnaire of adolescent behavior and health given in schools. Among other questions, teens were asked whether they had ever had a head injury that was diagnosed as a concussion — 19.5 percent replied “yes.” Those teens were more likely than others to play competitive sports and be male, white and in a higher grade.

Previous studies have found that kids taking part in contact sports are at higher risk of suffering a concussion. These new data on actual prevalence of concussions, though self-reported, are important, say the authors, for crafting prevention efforts that protect teens from injuries.

Gene-editing tools heralded as hope for fighting invader rats, malarial mosquitoes and other scourges may be too powerful to use in their current form, two new papers warn.

Standard forms of CRISPR gene drives, as the tools are called, can make tweaked DNA race through a population so easily that a small number of stray animals or plants could spread it to new territory, predicts a computer simulation released November 16 at bioRxiv.org. Such an event would have unknown, potentially damaging, ramifications, says a PLOS Biology paper released the same day.
“We need to get out of the ivory tower and have this discussion in the open, because ecological engineering will affect everyone living in the area,” says Kevin Esvelt of MIT, a coauthor of both papers who studies genetic solutions to ecological problems. What’s a pest in one place may be valued in another, so getting consent to use a gene drive could mean consulting people across a species’s whole range, be it several nations or continents.

Researchers have constructed this kind of drive in yeast, a fruit fly and several mosquitoes, but none of the tools have been deployed yet in the wild (SN: 12/12/15, p. 16). Meanwhile, some researchers are already working to add brakes or off-switches into a new generation of gene drives.

The major concern is that current gene drives “are probably too powerful for us to seriously consider deploying in conservation,” says geneticist Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Gemmell is a coauthor of the PLOS Biology paper.
This opinion could prove especially controversial in New Zealand. In 2016, the government resolved to protect the nation’s imperiled biodiversity by exterminating invader rats, stoats and possums that are wreaking havoc on native species. Gene drives just might make that possible.

Though warning of perils, the researchers also propose some solutions. A weaker system, which Esvelt calls a daisy drive, splits up components of the drive called guide RNAs. These guide RNAs direct the gene-editing machinery to its DNA target, where molecular scissors then snip and swap genetic material. As genes get inherited or not in the chancy jumbling of sexual reproduction, descendants in later generations become less likely to inherit all the spaced-apart pieces needed to operate the gene drive.

Esvelt’s lab is working to create a daisy drive in two kinds of nematode worms and is looking at other species as well. Other labs are now working on tamer gene drives, too.

Anthony A. James of the University of California, Irvine says that the disease-carrying Anopheles mosquito species that he and his colleagues have equipped with gene drives are self-limiting. When females end up with two of the genes he’s inserting, they don’t “survive very well after they have fed on blood.” Researchers are now raising these mosquitoes to see whether the genes spread and then dwindle away. “We don’t need our genes to last forever,” James says, “only long enough to contribute to getting rid of malaria.”

Another lab’s current version of disease-fighter mosquitoes already has a touch of the daisy. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes engineered with some built-in parts of the gene editor have their guide RNA split into two parts and put on different chromosomes, says molecular biologist Omar Akbari of the University of California, San Diego. Pictures of many weird mosquitoes created this way — all yellow or with three eyes or forked wings — attest to the fact that the drive system works. Akbari’s research appears November 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Akbari is not very worried about the risk of accidentally wiping out disease-carrying mosquitoes. “A thousand children die every day,” he says. It would be unethical not to use a tool that could lessen the loss, he says.

He does recognize that the case for caution could be different for other species. “A lot of pet owners would be sad,” he says, if a gene drive went wrong and escaped worldwide during some future attempt to rid, say, Australia of its terribly destructive feral cats.

Magnetic poles are seemingly inseparable: Slice a magnet in half, and you get two smaller magnets, each with its own north and south poles. But exotic magnetic particles that flout this rule may be lurking undetected, some physicists suspect.

The hunt is in full swing for these hypothetical particles known as magnetic monopoles — which possess a lone north or south pole. Now, two groups of researchers have further winnowed down the particles’ possible masses and characteristics, using data from particle accelerators and the corpses of stars.
There’s good reason to suspect magnetic monopoles are out there, some physicists suggest. The particles’ existence would explain why electric charge is quantized — why it always seems to come in integer multiples of the charge of an electron instead of a continuous range of values. As a result, magnetic monopoles are popular. “A lot of people think they should exist,” says James Pinfold, a particle physicist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

If even a single magnetic monopole were detected, the discovery would rejigger the foundations of physics. The equations governing electricity and magnetism are mirror images of one another, but there’s one major difference between the two phenomena. Protons and electrons carry positive and negative electric charges, respectively, but no known particle has a magnetic charge. A magnetic monopole would be the first, and if one were discovered, electricity and magnetism would finally be on equal footing.

For decades, scientists have searched fruitlessly for magnetic monopoles. Recent work at the Large Hadron Collider, located at the particle physics lab CERN in Geneva, has reinvigorated the search. Magnetic monopoles might be produced there as protons slam together at record-high energies of 13 trillion electron volts.

Unfortunately, the latest search by Pinfold and collaborators with the Monopole and Exotics Detector at the LHC, or MoEDAL (pronounced “medal”), found no magnetic monopoles, despite analyzing six times the data as the project’s previous pursuits. Still, the new research has set some of the most stringent constraints yet on how easily the hypothetical particles may interact with matter, the MoEDAL collaboration reports December 28 at arXiv.org.
Magnetic monopoles may also dwell where magnetic fields are extraordinarily strong and temperatures are high. Under these conditions, pairs of monopoles might form spontaneously. Such extreme environments can be found around a special kind of dead star known as a magnetar, and in the aftermath of collisions of heavy atomic nuclei in particle accelerators. By studying these two scenarios, physicists Arttu Rajantie and Oliver Gould, both of Imperial College London, put new constraints on monopoles’ masses, the researchers report in the Dec. 15 Physical Review Letters.

If magnetic monopoles had relatively small masses, the particles would sap the strength of magnetars’ magnetic fields. That fact suggests that the particles must be more massive than about 0.3 billion electron volts — about a third the mass of a proton — the researchers calculate. That estimate depends on another unknown property of monopoles, the strength of their magnetic charge. The particles have a minimum possible magnetic charge. A magnetic charge larger than this baseline value would correspond to a minimum mass greater than 0.3 billion electron volts.

For a monopole with twice the minimum charge, Rajantie and Gould determined that magnetic monopoles must be more massive than about 10 billion electron volts, going by data from collisions of lead nuclei in the Super Proton Synchrotron, a smaller accelerator at CERN. Studying similar collisions of lead nuclei in the LHC could improve this estimate, due to the LHC’s higher collision energies.

While other experiments have set higher monopole mass limits than the new estimates, those analyses relied on questionable theoretical assumptions, Rajantie says. “These are currently the strongest bounds on the masses of magnetic monopoles that don’t rely on assumptions” about how the particles are created, he says.

The results are “very exciting,” says theoretical physicist Kimball Milton of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, who was not involved with the research. Of course, he adds, it’s “not as exciting as if somebody actually found a magnetic monopole.”

Even if monopoles do exist, the particles might be so heavy that they can’t be produced by accelerators or cosmic processes. The only magnetic monopoles in the universe might be remnants of the Big Bang. A future incarnation of MoEDAL, located on a mountaintop instead of in an accelerator’s cavern, could look for such magnetic monopoles that sprinkle down on Earth from space, Pinfold says.

When the 2017 Great American Eclipse hit totality and the sky went dark, bees noticed.

Microphones in flower patches at 11 sites in the path of the eclipse picked up the buzzing sounds of bees flying among blooms before and after totality. But those sounds were noticeably absent during the full solar blackout, a new study finds.

Dimming light and some summer cooling during the onset of the eclipse didn’t appear to make a difference to the bees. But the deeper darkness of totality did, researchers report October 10 in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America. At the time of totality, the change in buzzing was abrupt, says study coauthor and ecologist Candace Galen of the University of Missouri in Columbia.
The recordings come from citizen scientists, mostly school classes, setting out small microphones at two spots in Oregon, one in Idaho and eight in Missouri. Often when bees went silent at the peak of the eclipse, Galen says, “you can hear the people in the background going ‘ooo,’ ‘ahh’ or clapping.”
There’s no entirely reliable way (yet) of telling what kinds of bees were doing the buzzing, based only on their sounds, Galen says. She estimates that the Missouri sites had a lot of bumblebees, while the western sites had more of the tinier, temperature-fussy Megachile bees.
More western samples, with the fussier bees, might have let researchers see an effect on the insects of temperatures dropping by at least 10 degrees Celsius during the eclipse. The temperature plunge in the Missouri summer just “made things feel a little more comfortable,” Galen says.

This study of buzz recordings gives the first formal data published on bees during a solar eclipse, as far as Galen knows. “Insects are remarkably neglected,” she says. “Everybody wants to know what their dog and cat are doing during the eclipse, but they don’t think about the flea.”