The blue eyes were about to disappear under the Roman Empire. Now we know why

About 35,000 years ago, in Buran-Kayato the north of the mountains of Crimea, the first person who knows that he had blue eyes died. Since then, the story of the Iris clear has been complex, violent and very interesting. Today, thanks to the improvement of genetic analysis techniques, we know many things. In recent years, it has been said that effectively The Vikings had blue eyesthat the eyes of the steppe peoples were surprisingly dark and that, during the Roman Empire, the clear eyes almost disappeared. How do we know all this? Davide Piffer used 4,133 old genomes (They covered 44,000 years) to explain when the blue eyes arose, how they were selected generation after generation and why today there are people who still have them. Why do we have blue eyes? At the genetic level, which is what interests us in this case, the explanation is simple: As Piffer himself explained“Blue eyes genetics focuses on two neighboring genes on chromosome 15: OCA2 that controls the production of melanin in the iris, and Herc2 which contains a regulatory element “. In the case of brown eyes, “Herc2 ‘active’ OCA2 effectively to produce enough pigment.” With blue eyes, the situation is different: a mutation in RS12913832 weakens HERC2 control and the least amount of melanin is perceived as bluish or greenish eyes. That is, there is a genetic ‘trace’ that allows us to dive in ancient DNA to know how (with a certain degree of variability) the eyes of our ancestors. What did you discover? This is how Piffer confirmed That the Vikings had mostly blue eyes, the steppe peoples had them darker than expected and that the current prevalence of clear eyes is due to fairly recent factors. He also discovered something curious: that the story of Rome is much more complicated than it seems. While in ancient Rome the blue eyes appear in 22.2%of the population and in medieval Rome in 21.4%, during the empire that figure fell 4.2%. What happened here? The best known explanation. For Pifferthis agrees with the increase in European northwestern descent during those periods. During the first period, although the genetic base is mostly anatolia, there was a high influence of Yamnas groups. During the last one, the arrival of Germanic groups “such as longobardos and ostrogods” would change the general genetic mix. On the other hand, during the years of Roman hegemony, the most purely Latin features had disproportionate prestige that caused a boom of brown eyes. For years, this has been part of the consensus of populations genetics. However, it is not so clear. The demograph Lyman Stone He analyzed exhaustively The Roman genomes of those 4,133 samples to determine if we really had sufficient data to talk about the eyes of the Romans. Their conclusions, between failures in dating and historical confusion, are that we do not have them. According to Stone, there are reasons to think that in the metropolitan area of ​​Rome the blue eyes were reduced (as a consequence of the increase in immigration). In the same way, it is very likely that in the empire there were more people with brown eyes in 200 d. C. that in 300 d. C. (After all, the Empire grew hugely). This is true even if Bologna’s genetics did not change at all. What about blue eyes, then? It is a question that, for the first time, we have technology to answer. However, we have no samples to do so. As Lyman saidold DNA is a fantastic tool, but it is still difficult to interpret correctly. So the answer to the initial question (why (do we believe) the Romans did not have blue eyes?) It is simple: because we do not have enough data. And this configures our world vision much more often than we are willing to admit. Image | Amanda Dalbjörn | Clemens van Lay In Xataka | Every time you think about everything the Romans managed to do, remember that they did it intoxicated with lead

Some Amazon made in the US hid a fantastic option for privacy. Alexa +’s arrival will disappear

In recent times Amazon launched three models of his family with an interesting option that yes, was only available in the US and in English: local processing of voice recordings. That prevented users from They had to send those recordings to the Amazon cloud and supposed an interesting improvement in privacy. That option will soon stop being available. Less privacy. The products that allowed this feature, explain In The Vergeit was the Echo Dot (4th generation), echo show 10, and echo show 15. As of March 28, those devices of the Amazon Echo family will stop being able to process the audio locally on the device itself. Thus, all audio clips will end up transferred to their servers to be processed in their cloud infrastructure. AI as an excuse. In Ars Technica They indicate how Amazon has explained in an email to this publication that the change is due to the new use of AI models in Alexa+. Specifically, they assure, By continuing to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative functions that depend on the processing power of the safe cloud of Amazon, we have decided to stop supporting this function. Alexa+ in sight. After this decision is the launch of Alexa+the new version of this voice assistant that will now be enhanced by AI models. To process these models, however, the power of the Amazon cloud is needed, which according to the company makes it impossible for requests to be processed at home as happened so far. Voice recognition. The new AI system that will govern these devices will also have more advanced options to recognize the voice of who is using it and thus be able to respond more precisely and contextually, something that the company calls Voice ID. This characteristic forces Amazon to eliminate the privacy function that was present before, although very limitedly: it is likely that many users of these models did not even know that such privacy characteristic was available. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to in your echo. Users of these devices will not be able to avoid this sending of audio clips even if Alexa+will not use: Amazon will also send those audios even if they do not use said service with ia. The Alexa+ service based on AI models will be included in the Amazon Prime subscription. Another condemnation for privacy. Apart from that special option, the Amazon Echo family devices allow to control certain privacy options like him time that the recordings were stored If they reach their servers. Controversies of the past. In April 2019 it was revealed how Amazon employees listened recordings with the excuse of improving the service. That made The controversy will jump And in fact they already had problems with the suspicion about privacy When Alexa began to be available in Spanish. Amazon promises to protect that data. In that email to Ars Technica Amazon also assured that “Alexa’s voice requests are always sent to the Amazon security cloud, which was designed with security protection layers to keep customer information safe.” They also point out that there will still be various controls to refine that way of managing user data. In Xataka | The announcement of the new Alexa hides an awkward truth: the silent sunset of the Solo-Voz interface

You have a few days to see this magnificent science fiction film by the director of ‘Ex Machina’ that will disappear from Netflix

They were the early days of Netflix’s mass implantation, when it was still far from being the aesthetic and thematic roller in which it has ended up becoming. The platform premiered in 2018 ‘Annihilation‘, a film that had gone through a nightmare struggles to see the light due to its daring proposal, which made cinemas only in a few countries. Finally, Netflix acquired rights and premiered it as their own world. Now, after being one of the exclusive jewels of its catalog, the platform announces that it will withdraw it on March 11. Behind her is Alex Garland, an essential name for modern science fiction who has signed as a scriptwriter or director as daring and personal as’Ex machina‘,’Men‘, ‘Devs‘,’Civil War‘or the script of’ dredd ‘or ’28 days later’. However, with ‘annihilation’ the project was choked: it was the adaptation of the start of the trilogy of books ‘Southern Reach’ by Jeff Vandermeer, an unclassifiable science fiction work very complicated to translate into a conventional narrative argument. ‘Aniquilación’ starts when the husband of a biologist returns from a secret mission in an area cordoned off by the army, zone X, and of which nothing is known. To find out what has happened, he joins a group of five scientific women to discover which intentions has the alien force that controls it. Others have entered the area before her, but no one has ever returned. Zone X is the great finding of this film that, even needing more footage to explain its final stretch, and simplifying too much the fascinating proposal of the book, Throw a series of suggestive images of the fauna and flora of the place that are among the great recent findings of the genre. Excellently interpreted and with a rambling production design, it should be reviewed before Netflix disappears, because who knows how and when we will enter the X zone again. Header | Netflix In Xataka | Within Alex Garland’s mind, the renovator of modern science fiction thanks to works such as ‘Devs’ or ‘Ex-Machina’

The least popular names that could disappear in 2025

The world of baby names is constantly changing, reflecting the fashions, preferences and values ​​of each generation. According to a recent BabyCenter report, several classic and popular names from decades past are losing ground as Generation Beta begins to define their identity. In this article, we tell you What are the names in danger of extinction and the new trends that will mark 2025. The baby names that could disappear in 2025 The names associated with British royalty, traditionally considered timeless, They are falling from grace. Monarchies such as those of Catherine, Anne, Edward, Albert and Phillip have ceased to be a reference for future parents. For example, Catherine fell more than 200 positions on the lists of most used names. This trend reflects a preference for more modern or unique options. Names that dominated the 80s and 90s are also disappearing. Jamie, a favorite from that era, has fallen to the top spot among female names that are rapidly falling out of favor. Other names like Katie, Remy, Liv and Analia also face a decline in usage, leaving room for more current names. In parallel, female names associated with the Millennial generation, like Chelsea, Kelsey, Erin and Alexis, are no longer attractive to future parents, those looking for fresher and less common options. Among boy names, Jamal is positioned as the most rapidly declining, with a drop of more than 400 positions in the popularity rankings. Significant declines have also been observed in names such as Esteban, Cannon, Emery and Taylor, all considered less relevant today. Another declining trend is that of names ending in “aden”, like Jaden, which were once the benchmark for modern names, but now seem to have fallen out of fashion. Even nicknames are facing a drastic change. Short, pet names like Liv, a variant of Olivia, have fallen more than 250 positions. Similarly, Billy, short for William, has lost more than 160 places in popularity. Parents now seem to prefer full or more distinctive names, leaving behind these classic options. The rising names for 2025 Although some names are disappearing, others are quickly gaining popularity. According to BabyCenter, The most loved names for girls in 2025 include Olivia, Amelia, Emma, ​​Sophia and Charlotte, while for boys the favorites are Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah and Mateo. In addition, new names have entered the top 100 for the first time. Options like Walker, Bennett, Adriel, Ember and Oakley are gaining ground, displacing favorites from previous years like Kayden, Dominic, Aaron, Eva, Jasmine and Sarah. 10 female names in danger of extinction 1) Jamie2) Katie3) Remy4) Liv5) Analia6) Karina7) Belle8) Erin9)Bristol10) Lilia 10 male names in danger of extinction 1) Jamal2) Stephen3)Cannon4) Emery5)Taylor6) Kareem7) Idris8) Camilo9) Matthias10) Danny Why are naming trends changing? The decline of some names reflects cultural and generational changes. Social media, film, music and global influences play a crucial role in these decisions. Modern parents look for names that stand out for their originality, that have a special meaning or that reflect their values ​​and aspirations. Besides, names related to nature, like Ember and Oakley, are gaining popularity, showing a stronger connection with ecological and sustainable themes. On the other hand, traditional names or names associated with specific eras, such as the 80s and 90s, are considered less relevant or fresh. For parents-to-be, choosing the perfect name can be a challenge, whether it’s tradition, originality, or meaning. But what is certain is that each generation brings a unique touch to this tradition, keeping the dynamism of the world of names alive. Is your name or that of your children on the extinction or trend lists? Keep reading: * The baby names that will be a trend in 2025* What name do bad people have, according to statistics?* 3 factors you should consider when choosing a name for your baby

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.