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
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
-
Word
-
Excel
-
PowerPoint
-
Outlook
-
OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
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 today’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.
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 was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
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:
Gibberish.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
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 today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
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.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
