The Codebook/GRECO-BIT consortium has significantly expanded the existing dictionary of DNA sequences recognized by proteins that act as transcription regulators.
Through the execution of over four thousand experiments, researchers managed to discover specific DNA sequences for 177 out of 332 proteins. These sequences define the DNA regions that proteins are capable of recognizing.
The project authors estimate that the obtained data adds about one hundred previously unknown motifs, which is equivalent to increasing the existing set by approximately 15 percent. The results of this scientific work are presented in five publications, with the main article being published in the journal Nature.
A recent study investigated how the dodo perceived its surroundings before disappearing, using only two complete skulls known globally: one kept at the Natural History Museum Denmark in Copenhagen, Denmark, and another at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Researchers from the University of Lethbridge, Canada, led this international investigation, whose results were published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. The analysis focused on the digital reconstruction of the bird's brain space within the skull, comparing it to live pigeons and doves.
The scientists concluded that the dodo's sensory universe showed significant differences compared to living birds. The bird might have possessed a more flexible daily activity pattern, extending into sunrise and sunset. Furthermore, they suggest that the dodo had a more developed sense of smell than its current relatives and a greater aptitude for processing tactile information, aided by its large upper beak.
Peter Andrew Hosner, an associate professor and avian curator at the Natural History Museum Denmark and co-author of the study, commented that although the dodo is a well-known extinct animal, little was known about its actual life. He highlighted that access to one of the two complete skulls allowed for an unprecedented comparison with living relatives, generating new insights into how the bird interacted with its environment.
The anatomical comparison indicated a unique combination of sensory traits. The findings suggest that the dodo was not necessarily active only during the day, but could also operate at dawn and dusk. The possibility was also raised that the bird relied more on smell and used its upper beak to capture tactile data from the environment.
The researchers emphasize, however, that anatomy alone does not provide an exact determination of the bird's behavior; the results serve as indications of how the dodo might have obtained food and interacted with its island habitat in Mauritius before its extinction in the late 17th century, without offering a definitive portrait.
Hipsley added that the dodo's skull is distinct from any living bird, making it complex to interpret. Comparing the digital reconstructions of the two available skulls provided a more robust basis for identifying typical species characteristics and inferring its way of life.
Contrary to the common representation that the dodo was clumsy and unintelligent, the new study found no evidence that the bird possessed cognitive abilities inferior to those of live pigeons and doves. Instead, the findings point to a species with unique sensory adaptations, developed over millions of years on an isolated island.
Hosner concluded that the research establishes a new benchmark for understanding the bird's ecology and behavior, helping to overcome myths and build a more accurate picture of how this extraordinary creature lived before disappearing.
The Copenhagen skull is on permanent display at the Natural History Museum Denmark. The tomography was conducted during preparations for the inauguration of a new museum building, with permanent galleries planned for 2027, at which time researchers could examine the specimen with such detail.
Microsoft announced on Friday (07) that the Edge browser will begin the process of disabling extensions built under the Manifest V2 standard. This change will directly impact users of traditional ad blockers, such as uBlock Origin.
This change follows a trend already established by Google Chrome. The transition will be implemented gradually throughout 2026, starting with the browser's test versions before being applied to the stable edition. The company justifies this migration by the need to centralize the extension ecosystem on the Manifest V3 platform.
In practice, those who use legacy extensions in Edge may face the loss of functionality of these add-ons. Users of affected ad blockers will have three options: update to Manifest V3 compatible versions, such as uBlock Origin Lite; opt for another already adapted blocker; or switch to a browser that still supports Manifest V2 extensions.
Microsoft notified that Manifest V2-based extensions will be progressively disabled by default starting this month. Before this rule is implemented, users will receive alerts and suggestions for equivalent versions available in the new format.
According to the company, the volume of old extensions with relevant usage in the Edge add-on store is limited. It was reported that there are 58 extensions with significant usage that still depend on Manifest V2, and only three of them do not have versions available in the latest standard.
The main consequence will be felt by users of the traditional version of uBlock Origin, since this blocker depends on the technology that will be discontinued by the browser. As a solution, Microsoft suggests adopting uBlock Origin Lite, designed to operate within the restrictions of Manifest V3.
For those who prefer to keep using old extensions, there is the alternative of migrating to browsers that maintain support for Manifest V2. Opera, for example, has expressed an intention to preserve this compatibility as long as it is technically feasible, as does Firefox, which also emerges as an option for users of the older model.
Microsoft plans to finalize the adaptation of regular Edge users by the end of 2026. In managed corporate environments, the removal of support should occur later, scheduled for early 2027.
OpenAI announced on Friday, the 7th, the suspension of internal activities related to Astra, an artificial intelligence model under development. This decision was motivated by analyses that detected significant progress in areas such as autonomous programming and cybersecurity, raising the possibility that the system could reach a critical level of offensive digital capability.
OpenAI itself took this measure after internal evaluations and expert opinions indicated that the model might be approaching the risk parameters defined within its preparation framework. The central concern lies with systems capable of performing complex digital security tasks without human intervention.
This announcement comes amid various incidents related to security testing in artificial intelligence models. The company clarified that Astra was not involved in the previous incident that occurred with Hugging Face, as mentioned in past assessments.
The suspension was triggered because internal checks showed that Astra had shown notable improvements in functions related to code generation and digital security operations. According to OpenAI, such results were sufficient to suggest that the model could reach the maximum alert level foreseen in its preparation structure.
The company's internal criteria define that an artificial intelligence has critical cyber capability if it is able to discover and create unprecedented vulnerabilities, of various severity levels, in protected real systems without human help, or if it can formulate complete attack plans against robust targets starting from generic goals.
The organization emphasized that this evaluation does not imply that Astra carried out attacks or exploited flaws in external systems. OpenAI reiterated that the model under development did not participate in the episode involving Hugging Face.
In response to this alert, OpenAI announced its intention to raise the security requirements applied to models with greater potential and related activities. Among the measures disclosed is the implementation of stricter controls.
Additionally, the company stated that it has established comprehensive monitoring to track any actions considered risky or potential signs of deviation in applications built on artificial intelligence agents. The Astra case serves to intensify the debate on how technology corporations should reconcile the advancement of more powerful systems with effective mechanisms to restrict dangerous uses. In this instance, OpenAI's own internal analysis served as the basis for temporarily pausing the model's progress until new security standards were implemented.
