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Ancient continent discovered beneath the ice of Antarctica

The ice sheets of Antarctica could be hiding the remains of a long-lost continent, according to satellite data collected by the European Space Agency (ESA). Research published in Nature Scientific Reports used information gathered by the Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission, a four year satellite project to measure the pull of Earth’s gravity, which orbited the planet from March 2009 to November 2013.

Researchers are still digging through all of the data produced by the GOCE mission, which is how the team from Kiel University in Germany and the British Antarctic Survey were able to spot shapes beneath the Antarctic ice. They combined the GOCE data with seismological data to create a 3D map of the crust beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. By using data on gravity gradients, they were able to look beneath the thick sheet of ice which covers Antarctica and to see the Earth’s crust beneath.

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They found fractured layers of the planet’s crust around Antarctica which resemble the crust near to coastlines in other parts of the world, suggesting that these coastlines used to match up. It is speculated that the cratons, which are an ancient part of the Earth’s crust, used to be connected to other continents as part of the supercontinent Pangea. In East Antarctica, the gravity data shows a similarity between the crust there and the crust in Australia and India, indicating that these areas used to be connected. By contrast, West Antarctica has a thinner crust with no cratons, suggesting that it must have been connected elsewhere.

These findings are interesting not only for geologists but also for our understanding of the history of the planet as a whole. The continents on our planet were likely joined as the single continent Pangea up until 160 million years ago when they started to fragment and form the continents that we know today. The findings also have a modern relevance, as they inform understanding of how ice sheets behave and how Antarctic regions will respond to rising sea temperatures and melting ice.

You can see a visualization of how plate tectonics formed the Antarctic region and how Antarctica became separated from Australia and India in the video below:

GOCE reveals Antarctic tectonics

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Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
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For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
So, while the long-term story is still developing, especially for older EVs, Germany’s data suggests that when it comes to simply keeping you on the road, EVs are pulling ahead — quietly, efficiently, and with far fewer breakdowns than you might expect.

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amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
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A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
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A humanoid robot running in a half marathon.

You may have seen robots dancing like the music icon Mick Jagger, doing parkour, or even painting on a canvas. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is eagerly anticipated, while Google and Meta are also planning to enter the field. The competition in the East, however, is on a different level altogether.

China just put humanoid robots to the test in the world’s first race of its kind, where they ran alongside humans in a half-marathon. A total of 21 robots lined up for the event in the Yizhuang half-marathon, following a long spell of supervised learning on roads. 

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