Scheme of cacao fruit and beans

0

An article published in the journal “PLoS ONE” reports the discovery of four previously unknown cacao lineages in Peru. A team of researchers conducted an analysis of 390 cacao trees representing traditional Amazonian varieties, and the results led to the discovery of the previously unknown lineages. This also provides a better understanding of the genetic characteristics of cacao in different regions. Two of the lineages discovered through this study also offer new potential for achieving improved flavor in chocolate.

Treason by John Walker

0

The novel “Treason” by John Walker was published for the first time in 2020. It’s the second book in The Descendants War series and follows “Triton”.

The archaeologists aboard the starship Triton are trying to figure out how to access the information contained in the ancient Kahl artifact they found. Meanwhile, a Rhulin outpost, allied with the Prytin, is under attack, apparently by pirates equipped with the best Kahl weapons. Their target appears to be a scientist conducting research on the planet.

General Renz Divol is offered a new chance to prove his worth, but the situation becomes complicated for him. A Kahl base where highly classified information is store is attacked by a highly trained group, also thanks to the knowledge of the base systems. The group’s members are mostly Kahl, perhaps connected to the mysterious Prophet whom Milna Lithe is investigating undercover.

Deceit by Peter Darvill-Evans

0

The novel “Deceit” by Peter Darvill-Evans was published for the first time in 1993. It’s No. 13 in the “New Adventures” range by Virgin Publishing and follows “The Pit”.

The Seventh Doctor seems more lost than ever. Bernice Summerfield is concerned, also because the TARDIS appears to be having some stability issues. An infection is plaguing the TARDIS and, by extension, the Doctor, who must find a way to eliminate it. A contact from an old friend leads the travellers to the planet Arcadia.

Agent Isabelle Defries of Earth’s Office of External Operations leads an expedition to the planet Arcadia. Her team includes a so-called Dalek Killer, a criminal used to fight the Daleks. However, there are no Daleks on Arcadia, but a more sinister threat. It’s not the kind of threat that can be attacked with weapons like those wielded by the group’s explosives expert, Ace.

The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick

0

The novel “The World Jones Made” by Philip K. Dick was published for the first time in 1956.

Doug Cussick works for federal security and decides to report a fortune teller named Floyd Jones to his superiors. Initially, they think he’s a small potato and not worth arresting, but when Cussick claims that Jones spoke of alien creatures arriving to Earth, they realize he knows secret information.

Jones’ interrogation shows that he does indeed know the future, at least for a year. Cussick discovers that alien creatures do exist, even if they appear to be only single-celled organisms, who are arriving on Earth and have been dubbed wanderers. A plan to eliminate Jones fails, and it ends up helping him seize power while a project to colonize Venus is underway.

A photo and a drawing of the holotype of Zhengheornis buyu.

0

An article published in the journal “Science Advances” reports the identification of a bird that lived approximately 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, and shows a step in the evolution from the tail type typical of dinosaurs to that of birds, equipped with a so-called pygostyle. A team of researchers led by Wang Min of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who named it Zhengheornis buyu, studied a fossil discovered in 2024 that has a tail with 15 vertebrae, while early bird relatives had tails with over 30 vertebrae.