SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 24, 2023--

Antarctica might be the only continent on Earth with no natural human habitation, but it’s emerged that an “Antarctica accent” is very much a thing. Despite having no locals, thousands of scientists have made up an ever-changing population in research stations over the years. The continent is so isolated and the level of interaction between researchers is so intense, that a common accent is beginning to emerge there despite people coming from different parts of the world. At its busiest points in the year during the summer, Antarctica is home to around 5,000 people. Only around 1,000 people live there during the winter months. The idea of accents changing due to human interaction on Antarctica is no different to the phenomenon seen throughout history at a glacial pace. However, given the very specific sample size, it’s an opportunity for scientists to study it at a much quicker rate and on a much smaller scale. Experts at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich published a study in 2019 which focused on the change in accents observed in 11 people who took part in the British Antarctic Survey. @human.1011 There’s an Antarctic Accent! #language #linguistics #english #antarctica Of the 11 who were studied, eight came from England, one from the US, one from Germany and one from Iceland. Their voices were recorded every six weeks, and the team found that over time they developed longer vowel sounds. There was a physical change too, with participants pronouncing the “ou” sound in the front of their mouths rather than the back of their throats. Speaking to IFL Science, Jonathan Harrington, study author and Professor of Phonetics and Speech Processing at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich said: "The Antarctic accent is not really perceptible as such – it would take much longer for it to become so – but it is acoustically measurable. "It's mostly an amalgamation of some aspects of the spoken accents of the winterers before they went to Antarctica, together with an innovation. It's far more embryonic [than conventional English accents] given that it had only a short time to develop and also, of course, because it's only distributed across a small group of speakers.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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The Apple iPhone is one of the most popular mobile devices in the world, but the company has issued a new danger warning to users that could help save lives. Popular among those particularly in the West, iPhones are prevalent in most people’s everyday lives, ever since the first one was released in June 2007. However, Apple has issued a stark warning for those who leave them charging overnight, highlighting a risk of fire, electrocution and injury. The warning by Apple comes under its updated user guide under the article titled, “Important safety information for iPhone” in which it is warned that charging phones over long periods poses a risk. It read: “Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device, its power adapter, or a wireless charger when it’s operating or connected to a power source for long periods of time. “For example, don’t sleep on a device, power adapter, or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow, or your body, when it’s connected to a power source. “Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging. Take special care if you have a physical condition that affects your ability to detect heat against the body.” The company confirmed consumers can use “‘Made for iPhone’ or other third-party cables” that are compliant with relevant safety regulations. But, it added: “Other adapters may not meet applicable safety standards, and charging with such adapters could pose a risk of death or injury.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A terrifying video has shown just how little time world leaders have to act in the event that nuclear weapons are launched. In the video, shared by the educational channel Kurzgesagt, a potential scenario of a country launching nuclear weapons is set up, with a commander talking the viewer, from the point of view of a world leader, through what is going on. The commander explained that an enemy had released nuclear weapons primarily targeting military bases and nuclear command centres. Secondary targets include oil refineries, power stations and ports. The commander grimly explained: “Deaths from the blast and burns may be a few million today. It’s morning rush hour and there’s not much to be done for people stuck in traffic.” Radiation effects from the blast, the commander explained, would be dependent on the weather and direction of the wind. Those in populated urban areas would be less able to flee and there would be “dozens of millions of deaths” in just a few weeks. It is explained that the 400 nuclear weapons in silos need to be launched “now” before they are taken out by the enemy warheads. Nuclear-capable bomber planes need to take off within two minutes to stand any chance of getting out of the blast. The horrifying intensity of the nuclear war continues as the commander explains that there is nothing that can be done for civilians and that if the order is not given immediately, the war could be over before they even have a chance to retaliate. Thankfully, the scenario was only fake, but the video ended by explaining that the world has been very close to a similar situation unfolding several times due to mistakes or errors – and that it only takes one person to give the order. In 1955, a Russian radar detected what it thought was a missile launch from a submarine, causing its military to be on high alert. But, it turned out it was actually a scientific rocket studying the auroras. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 24, 2023--

Futures tracking the Nasdaq 100 index jumped on Thursday after a stellar forecast from Nvidia boosted investor confidence