Entertainment
Bizarre Noise Coming From Mariana Trench For Over A Decade Identified
After a decade, a mysterious sound emanating from the Mariana Trench has been identified. The strange noise, described by researchers as a “biotwang” was first heard coming from the deep sea canyon in 2014, and scientists speculated about its source for years. Recently, a stroke of good luck and new AI technology allowed a team of oceanographers to identify the noise.
The Mariana Trench “biotwang” is a bizarre, almost otherworldly sound that combines sounds people associate with animals and those they don’t. Beginning as a low, grunt-like sound, it’s followed by high-pitched noises that sound mechanical to many. Lauren Hareel, a member of the team that unraveled the mystery, compared the higher sounds to those the Enterprise made in Star Trek.
The technology that helped solve the Mariana Trench mystery could be a huge asset to Oceanographers working on other research.
While many found the sounds coming from the Mariana Trench to sound unnatural, it was a common theory among oceanographers that they were whale sounds. Unfortunately, confirming that theory was incredibly difficult as it would require researchers to see the animals for themselves while encountering the sound and then link the two sounds. Against all odds, a team was able to do exactly that.
A lucky break led to a research team working near the Mariana Trench to spot a group of Bryde’s whales. The rare whales were heard making a distinct sound, which the team recorded. There were a total of 10 sightings of the whales during the research trip and the sound was heard during all but one of those sightings, firmly linking the sightings to the noise.
While many found the sounds coming from the Mariana Trench to sound unnatural, it was a common theory among oceanographers that they were whale sounds.
Of course, the research team didn’t immediately identify the sound of Bryde’s whales as the mysterious Mariana Trench sound. When the research team was trying to look for matches to the audio they were confronted by a database of over 200,000 hours of recordings. Ann Allen, one of the researchers who made the discovery, claims that when she was overwhelmed by the volume of data her dad suggested reaching out to Google for help.
Ann Allen took her father’s advice and asked Google for assistance on the project, which led to the final breakthrough on the Mariana Trench sound mystery. Using AI trained to turn sound files into Spectrograms and then compare those results to find patterns, the team was able to link the whales to the “biotwang.” The AI tools made it possible to make that connection, which otherwise would have taken hundreds of thousands of hours of manual comparison, a nearly impossible task.
The depths of the Mariana Trench remain mysterious in many ways, but the chilling “biotwang” sound has finally been demystified.
The technology that helped solve the Mariana Trench mystery could be a huge asset to Oceanographers working on other research. In addition to connecting that specific whale population to the sound from a decade ago, it helped the team track their movements through other recordings of their sound. That tracking capability could help scientists chart the influence of environmental factors on specific animal populations.
The depths of the Mariana Trench remain mysterious in many ways, but the chilling “biotwang” sound has finally been demystified. A combination of hard work, new technology, and good luck led to the breakthrough, which could end up helping future oceanographers solve similar mysteries much more quickly. Google has made the sound-identifying AI tool open source, which means the next time a mystery noise is picked up in the depths, researchers will have a new way to track its source down.
Source: Scientific American
Entertainment
Get some new wrist candy with the CMF Watch Pro 2 at its lowest price ever
SAVE $39.01: As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s a discount of 49% and the lowest price we’ve seen.
$39.99
at Amazon
$79
Save $39.01
There are tons of smartwatches on the market if you’re in need of one. But if you’re willing to look beyond the Apple Watches or Samsung devices out there, you’ll find an awesome alternative from the Nothing brand that’ll save you some serious cash. Not only is it more affordable than the competition, but it’s got everything you could want and then some. In fact, one of the models is on sale right now.
As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s $39.01 off and a discount of 49%. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen.
This affordable smartwatch not only comes in an attractive form factor, but it has just about everything you could ask for. It has your average comms tools like Bluetooth calling and gesture control, a built-in mic and speaker, contacts, message reminders, and music control. But from there, it offers a wide range of sensors and data to help you take control of your health.
It offers a portable blood oxygen saturation monitor, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and so much more. All of this data, including workout information, steps, and much more, can be synced across all your favorite fitness apps, including Apple Health and Google Health Connect. There are 120 sports modes to choose from, GPS positioning, and even a 3D warm-up exercise guide to help get you on your feet each day.
Mashable Deals
With interchangeable watch straps and an attractive face, this extremely reasonable smartwatch is definitely one to rival Apple and Samsung. You’ll want to grab yours while it’s still down to the lowest price we’ve seen.
Entertainment
Get Ankers 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $60 less at Amazon
SAVE 15%: As of April 22, you can get the Anker Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $339.99, down from $399.99, at Amazon. That’s a 15% discount or $60 savings.
$339.99
at Amazon
$399.99
Save $60
Working off a laptop is great until you realize you only have two ports and need to plug something in. If you’re hooked up to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you’re pretty much out of luck on the rest. Not only that, but your previously uncluttered desk will most likely look like a Best Buy exploded (a rat’s nest of cords isn’t cute or helpful for anyone getting work done).
If you literally hate mess and cords as much as I do, you need a docking station to hide all that chaos and protect your aesthetic. Right now, Anker’s Prime TB5 Docking Station is on sale for $339.99 at Amazon, down from $399.99. (That’s a $60 price cut.)
Mashable Deals
Are you going to use all 14 ports at the exact same time? Probably not, but you’ll never have to dig through your bag for a specific adapter again. You just plug a single cable into your laptop, and the dock handles the rest. It features a Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, two Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, SD and TF card readers, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, an audio jack, and your choice of HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.1. It’s also fast enough to transfer a 150GB file in 25 seconds.
Entertainment
How I scored ad-free Paramount+ Premium for only 99 cents
SAVE $26: As of April 22, returning subscribers can score two months of ad-free Paramount+ Premium for only 99 cents per month with the code N8C27L. Usually $13.99 per month, that’s $26 in savings. Just note that your mileage may vary.
$0.99/month for 2 months (save $13/month) with code N8C27L
If you’re looking to save some money on your streaming lineup, my number one recommendation is to cancel your subscriptions. While it doesn’t work for every streamer, many will offer you a special discount to come back. Not to mention, you’ll be eligible for any new deals that may appear that are marketed to “new and returning customers.” Case in point: as of April 22, returning subscribers can get two months of ad-free Paramount+ Premium for just 99 cents per month.
I’ve tested this out myself, so I can vouch for it. When you navigate to Paramount+ and sign in to your existing account, you’ll be prompted to pick a plan. Select the Paramount+ Premium monthly plan for $13.99 per month. On the “Welcome back!” page, scroll down to the box that says “Have a promo code?” and enter N8C27L. Once you hit “apply” the price should drop to just 99 cents per month.
Credit: Paramount+
That’s all, folks. You can take advantage of two full months of ad-free Paramount+, Showtime, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, CBS live TV, UFC fights, and more for less than two bucks. That’s $26 total in savings.
Mashable Deals
Paramount+ has a surprisingly hefty library. Subscribers can enjoy Paramount+ Originals like Landman and RuPaul Drag Race All Stars, Showtime series like Dexter Resurrection and Yellowjackets, CBS hits like Survivor and NCIS, and nostalgic shows from Nickelodeon and MTV. Not to mention, there’s a lineup of movies that’ll keep you fully entertained for your two-month promotional period. Just be sure to cancel again before the second month is over if you want to avoid paying full cost. You can always sign up again when another deal arises. I know I will.
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