Technologies

Scientists map 17,000-year-old woolly mammoth’s path using its tusk

One ancient male mammoth was quite the vagabond.

We might think of woolly mammoths as giant, lumbering beasts from a disappeared era, but a new study suggests their massive size didn’t stop them from tallying major miles in the frigid north thousands of years ago.

«It’s not clear cut if it was a seasonal migrator, but it coveredsome serious ground,» explains University of Alaska Fairbanks researcherMatthew Wooller, in a statement. «It visitedmany parts of Alaska at some point during its lifetime, which is prettyamazing when you think about how big that area is.»

Wooller led a team using chemical isotope data to map the life journey of a single mammoth that lived over 17,000 years ago. A paper on the findings is the cover story in this week’s issue of the journal Science.

The group of international researchers analyzed isotopic signatures in the male mammoth’s tusk from the elements strontium and oxygen, then cross-referenced that data with maps of isotope variation across Alaska created from analyzing the teeth of small rodents from around the state.

«From the moment they’re born until the day they die, they’ve got adiary and it’s written in their tusks,» said Pat Druckenmiller, apaleontologist and director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North. «MotherNature doesn’t usually offer up such convenient and life-long records ofan individual’s life.»

The ancient dental records show the big old boy lived to be 28 years old and in that time it covered enough of the Alaskan tundra, taiga and mountains to nearly circle the world twice.

This woolly one didn’t exactly have an easy journey, though. The analysis showed an abrupt shift around age 15 that likely means the mammoth was ostracized from its herd, which often happens with contemporary elephants. Later, a spike in nitrogen isotopes during the last winter of the animal’s life suggest it may have starved to death where its remains were eventually recovered above the Brooks Range.

That fate was a sad harbinger for the entire species. The individual mammoth was related to the last group that roamed mainland Alaska, likely outlasted by only a few small groups on northern islands.

The research also has a darkly relevant feel today for extant species in the north like polar bear that are seeing their traditional range dwindle as the Arctic takes on the brunt of global warming.

«The Arctic is seeing a lot of changes now, and we can use the pastto see how the future may play out for species today and in the future,»Wooller said. «Trying to solve this detective story is an example ofhow our planet and ecosystems react in the face of environmentalchange.»

Technologies

Chrome Autofill Now Supports Passport, Driver’s License and Vehicle Info

Soon, you’ll never need to remember anything ever again.

Computer users are accustomed to web browsers autofilling everything from names and addresses to credit card numbers. Now, Google Chrome is adding new enhanced autofill options that allow users to automatically populate fields for passports, driver’s licenses, and their vehicle’s license plate or VIN, Google said in a blog post on Monday.

Desktop users must choose to turn on the feature, which is called enhanced autofill. Otherwise, it stays off. To turn it on, open Chrome, and at the top right of your browser, select more, then settings, then autofill and passwords. Finally, choose enhanced autofill and turn it in.

Google says Chrome now can «better understand complex forms and varied formatting requirements, improving accuracy across the web.» The company also says that enhanced autofill will be «private and secure.»

This enhanced autofill update is available in all languages, and more data options will be supported in the coming months.

A representative for Google said the company had no additional comment.

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Chrome is a critical component in Google’s business. The web browser, currently the most popular in the world with a 73% market share, according to GlobalStats, provides the company with valuable user data that it uses to sell advertising. Advertising is how Google makes the majority of its revenues. New features help keep users loyal to Chrome, making it more difficult for them to switch to other browsers, including those from companies like Perplexity and OpenAI.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 4, #407

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 4, No. 407.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle makers will never run out of categories because they have discovered they can just pick one athlete and make a connections group out of four facts about that person. They do that today with the blue category, so if you don’t know that one player, you’re out of luck. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Get up and go!

Green group hint: College hoops.

Blue group hint: Famous basketball player.

Purple group hint: Not fair, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Energy.

Green group: Men’s college basketball teams with the most championships.

Blue group: Associated with Damian Lillard.

Purple group: Foul ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is energy. The four answers are pep, verve, vigor and zip.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is men’s college basketball teams with the most championships. The four answers are Kentucky, UCLA, UCONN and UNC.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Damian Lillard. The four answers are 0, Dame Time, Trail Blazers and Weber State.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is foul ____. The four answers are out, shot, territory and tip.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Nov. 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 4.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? There are a few tricky clues, so read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.