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WASHINGTON — A male orca’s best friend is his old mother.

That’s according to a recent scientific paper published in Current Biology, which found female killer whales that have undergone menopause prevent their sons — though not their daughters — from getting injured in fights.

Lead author Charli Grimes told AFP what drew her to the subject was just how rare menopause is in the natural world. Most animals with ovaries remain capable of reproducing until they die, with humans and five species of toothed whales the only known exceptions.

“A big question in our own evolutionary history is, how and why has menopause evolved?” she said.

“In human societies, older females play a role in moderating conflict, and now this latest research has found that that might also be the case in killer whales,” added the animal behaviour scientist at the University of Exeter.

The study looked at Southern Resident killer whales, which live off the Pacific coast of North America.

These whales live in matriarchal social units — typically consisting of a grandmother, her male and female offspring, and her daughters’ daughters. Female killer whales survive up to 90 years in the wild, and live more than 20 years beyond menopause.

Males will outbreed with females from other pods, but both males and females will stay within the social unit of their birth. Sons remain especially close to their mothers throughout their lives.

Bite marks

For their research, Grimes and colleagues examined the accumulation of “tooth rake marks” — scarring left behind when an orca bites another during rough play or fighting.

“These marks are really great for quantifying social interactions that are otherwise really difficult to observe, since most of the behaviour takes place below the surface,” she said.

The Centre for Whale Research in Washington state has carried out photographic censuses of Southern Resident killer whales since 1976, identifying individuals by their unique dorsal fins and saddle patches.

Orcas have no natural predators, and this subspecies feeds exclusively on salmon, as opposed to prey that can bite back. This means the tooth marks could only be inflicted by their own kind.

By analysing thousands of photos in a computer program, the team found males who lived with post-reproductive mothers had 35 per cent fewer tooth rake injuries compared to males who lived with breeding mothers, and 45 per cent fewer than those who lived without their mothers.

It’s thought that ceasing breeding frees up time and energy for mothers to protect their sons.

How exactly the post-menopausal moms are helping isn’t yet clear, said Grimes. It could be that older females use their knowledge of other pods to steer their sons away from troublemakers. 

Or, they could be intervening more directly when a fight is brewing, perhaps using vocalisations to call off their sons. It’s not thought that they get involved in fighting themselves, since they have very low rates of scarring.

Pass the fish

Daughters, however, were not found to have fewer tooth rakes with their mothers around.

Females are probably less involved in conflict to begin with, said Grimes. Sons moreover breed with multiple females, meaning there is a higher chance of their mother passing on their genes.

Ruth Mace, an anthropologist and biologist at the University College London who was not involved in the study, told AFP that the idea that post-reproductive life had evolved so women can help children is well established in humans. 

“So it is very interesting that this is also being established in killer whales,” she said.

“It’s [a] remarkable study, utilising an extremely valuable long-term dataset,” added Stephanie King, who specialises in dolphin research at the University of Bristol and was also not involved.

Prior work has shown older female orcas share their own fish, pass on ecological knowledge of where and when to find food, and improve their grandchildren’s survival rates.

An outstanding question is how exactly they bring about some of these benefits — something Grimes and her colleagues hope to answer by flying drones over the orcas, documenting what they do under the waves.

PARIS — Scientists said on Friday they have genetically engineered female fruit flies that can have offspring without needing a male, marking the first time “virgin birth” has been induced in an animal.

The offspring of the flies were also able to give birth without mating, showing that the trait could be passed down generations, in another first revealed in a study in the journal Current Biology.

Virgin birth, also called parthenogenesis, is rare but not unheard of in the animal kingdom.

The females of some egg-laying animals — such as lizards and birds — are capable of giving birth without mating, usually later in life when no males are available.

“For the first time, scientists have managed to induce virgin birth in an animal that usually reproduces sexually: the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster,” Cambridge University said.

Scientists revealed last month that a female crocodile in a Costa Rican zoo who had never been near a male laid an egg containing a fully formed foetus, the first recorded virgin birth for the reptile.

Sexual reproduction usually involves a female’s egg being fertilised by sperm from a male. But for parthenogenesis, the female develops the egg into an embryo all on her own.

Alexis Sperling, a researcher at the UK’s Cambridge University and lead author of the new study, told AFP that she had wanted to study virgin births ever since her pet praying mantis had one.

Seeking to find a genetic cause for the phenomenon, Sperling and several US-based researchers decided to experiment on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

The fly, which sexually reproduces normally, is one of the most studied animals for genetic research, meaning they could take advantage of more than a century’s worth of knowledge.

‘Exciting’

First the team sequenced the genomes of two strains of another fruit fly, Drosophila mercatorum. One strain reproduces solely via virgin birth, while the other needs a male.

The researchers then compared the results, aiming to pinpoint the genes behind virgin births. 

They then manipulated the genes of the Drosophila melanogaster to match what they saw in its close relative.

The result was “fully parthenogenetic flies, which was much to my delight”, Sperling said.

The research, which took six years, involved more than 220,000 fruit flies.

If the genetically engineered flies had access to males, they would reproduce as normal.

But among those kept in isolation, one to two per cent seemingly gave up on ever seeing a male around halfway through their life — around 40 days — and had a virgin birth.

Their offspring — which were all female, as is the case with all virgin births — had young of their own at around the same rate.

Sperling said that the feat would have been almost impossible to achieve in any other animal because of the wealth of data about fruit flies — and because of how difficult parthenogenesis is to study. 

Mammals — including humans — are not capable of having virgin births anyway because their reproduction requires certain genes from sperm. 

But Sperling said that more animals are probably capable of virgin births than is currently known, pointing to the recent crocodile discovery.

And while virgin births are thought to be “a last-ditch effort” to keep a species going, that theory has not been proven, she said.

Herman Wijnen, a researcher at the UK’s University of Southampton not involved in the study, said it was “exciting because it demonstrates how parthenogenesis can evolve in a sexually reproducing species as a back-up strategy for females that are unable to find a partner”.

“The genes that were manipulated in the fruit fly are ones that are shared with humans, but there are substantial differences between early development in flies and humans.”

Launched in 2021, the Chinese-built Volkswagen ID.6 electric-powered crossover has quickly proved to be an automotive hit in Jordan — especially with larger families — despite not being “officially” available, but rather shipped and sold by independent “grey” market auto importers.

If not quite as popular as its smaller, more affordable ID.4 sister model, uptake of the longer, 7-seat ID.6 nevertheless overshadows the German manufacturer’s “official” local line-up, which reflects a wider GCC-centric Middle East product strategy that overlooks the specificities and demands of smaller regional markets.

Two of a kind

Highlighting the different market requirements and import regulations between Jordan and the Gulf region, the Chinese-made ID.6 outsells Volkswagen’s closest officially-imported non-EV Teramont model by a wide margin in Jordan. Offered in two variants, Chinese ID.6s are produced in collaboration with two manufacturing partners, and include the ID.6 X, built by SAIC-Volkswagen — as featured — and the ID.6 Crozz by FAW-Volkswagen. The latter features slightly a more vertically-oriented lower intake style, and almost imperceptibly different bumper, grille and lighting element designs.

A dedicated EV from ground up, the ID.6’s design is taut, sharp and swept, yet incorporates curvy lines and edges. It is nevertheless bulky, with its high flanks necessitated by a large underbody battery pack. Its heft and high bonnet line are, however, visually reduced by the use of lower black cladding and vast alloy wheels offered in between 19-inches and up to 21-inches. Tall faux side intakes and dramatically squinting headlights meanwhile add visual aggression, and compensate for the lack of a functional grille.

Battery-powered balance

A modern 7-seat crossover SUV that utilises the original Volkswagen Beetle’s classic rear-engine, rear-drive layout, the ID.6 is essentially a more spacious longer wheelbase sister to the more popular ID.4. Powered by an 83.4kWh battery pack, the more powerful higher spec Pure and Pro versions’ compact electric motor develops 201BHP and 228lb/ft torque. Driving the rear wheels through a single-speed automatic gearbox, the ID.6 X Pure is estimated to carry its hulking, near 2.3-tonne mass through 0-100km/h in approximately 9.1-seconds and onto a 160km/h top speed.

Better balanced in how it serves up its output than most EVs, the ID.6 rides a near instant and muscular torrent of torque from standstill, but without too easily overpowering its driven rear wheels. Producing a proportionate level of power to torque, the ID.6 drives in a more progressive and linear manner. Responsively aggressive at low speed and versatile in building velocity when cruising, the ID.6 is, however, best at moderate speeds, while its acceleration vigour drops off somewhat beyond highway speeds, like most single-speed EVs.

Long range refinement

Delivering a long, claimed 617km single charge driving range, it is safe to assume a somewhat lesser range in “real world” conditions, topography and driving style from the ID.6. Charging time is meanwhile quoted at 40-minutes for an 80 per cent fast charge using a high capacity non-domestic DC charger, where available. Still falling short of the quick convenience of combustion vehicles’ refuelling time, the ID.6’s more conventional AC charging time is meanwhile estimated at up to 12.5-hours, depending on charger type and electricity supply.

A quiet, confident and comfortable motorway cruiser, the ID.6 is however most efficient in stop/start urban driving, where abundant torque usefully negates the need for multiple gear ratios, while regenerative brakes have more opportunity to recoup kinetic energy. A consummate commuter that conveniently recharges between long stops at destination, the ID.6 is very much an on-road vehicle, with little pretension of off-road ability, due to a low and heavy battery pack, two-wheel drive, absence of low-range gears, low front bumper, and little more ground clearance than a car.

Generous and grounded

A user-friendly town vehicle with its light electric-powered steering, reversing camera and parking sensors, the ID.6’ rear-motor, rear-drive configuration meanwhile produces a high level of traction when powering aggressively from standstill. Perhaps slightly reminiscent of sportier cars with similar configurations, the ID.6 is tidy on turn-in with its somewhat rear-biased weighting and low centre of gravity, but more susceptible to understeer than the shorter ID.4. With a grounded feel and well-controlling body lean, the ID.6’s big 255/50R20 tyres and longer wheelbase meanwhile help develop road holding when powering out of corners.

Refined inside, the ID.6 well absorbs most road imperfections, but can feel slightly firm over jagged bumps and cracks. Its horizontally-oriented design, digital instrumentation and large tablet-style infotainment screen, meanwhile create a fresh uncluttered and up-market ambiance, and driving position is supportive, well-adjustable comfortable and with commanding front views. Well equipped with safety convenience, assistance and infotainment features, the ID.6’s longer wheelbase over the ID.4 translates in spacious middle row legroom and good third row access. Luggage capacity meanwhile expands from 200-litres to 1,820-litres with rear rows down.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: Rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
• Battery: Liquid-cooled lithium, 83.4kWh
• Gearbox: 1-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 201 (204) [150]
• Power-to-weight: 88BHP/tonne*
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 228 (310)
• Torque-to-weight: 136Nm/tonne*
• 0-100km/h: 9.1-seconds*
• Top speed: 160km/h
• Range, CLTC: 617km**
• Charging, DC fast charger, 30-80 per cent/AC slow charging: 40-minutes/12.5-hours*
• Length: 4,876mm
• Width: 1,848mm
• Height: 1,680mm
• Wheelbase: 2,965mm
• Luggage volume, min/max: 200-/1,820-litres*
• Kerb weight: 2,280kg*
• Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion
• Suspension: MacPherson struts/five-link
• Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums, regenerative
• Tyres: 235/50R20
• *Estimate
• **China light-duty vehicle test cycle

By Rania Saadi
Rapid Transformational Therapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist

In today’s digital age, electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and video games have become an integral part of our daily lives. While these devices can provide many benefits, excessive screen time can have negative effects on our physical and mental health, especially on our children. 

An easy addiction

As parents, it’s important to find ways to encourage your child to take a break from electronics and engage in other activities. To be able to do this, we need to first empathise with the reasons our children get addicted to their screens.

Here are some of the reasons:

• Screens give continuous stimulation, feedback and validation: One of the primary reasons for screen addiction is the instant gratification that electronic devices provide. Every time you like, share, get a reply, or win a game, the brain gets a hit of dopamine — the “feel good” hormone. The more your child receives this, the more need there is for it and the more need to feel satisfied

• Online is a “free-of-judgement” zone: There are few consequences online when you get something wrong. You can always restart, try the level again, or hide behind a username, so no one knows it is you. This anonymity enables your child to take risks without worrying about failing or being judged by others for their performance

• There is no failure online: You simply cannot lose if you just keep playing! It’s guaranteed and free of any anxiety or consequences. Which is something our children cannot find in real life challenges because our mind will always keep us away from taking risks for the sake of our protection

• Feeds the need to belong: We come to this world seeking connection and avoiding rejection. Online, this is so much easier to do than in “real” life. Your child doesn’t need to put in effort to try and create connections. They simply need to find a game they like and start playing. The more likes, followers and engagement they receive, the more they feel loved, accepted and belonging. It makes your child feel validated and seen

• Social media platforms can also create a sense of FOMO or fear of missing out, where individuals feel the need to constantly check their devices to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events. This can lead to a compulsive need to stay connected and a fear of being left out

• They don’t need to deal with real life problems: Online, your child is the one in control. Screens can provide an escape from conflict or uncomfortable situations. Screens become therefore, a coping mechanism to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or situations. And any time they feel that the pressure is too much, they can simply log on and enter a world of their own choosing

It’s important to note that screen addiction can be a complex issue with multiple contributing factors; there is no single solution that will work for everyone. However, understanding the root causes of screen addiction can be a helpful first step in addressing the issue and developing healthy screen habits.

Here are some suggestions: 

• Creating a positive environment: A positive environment will support positive behavioural change. In the case of screen addiction, this may involve creating a tech-free environment at home and encouraging alternative activities that your child enjoys

• Encouraging open communication: Communication is key to creating healthy relationships, this may involve having open and honest conversations with your child about why reducing screen time is important and the benefits of alternative activities

• Using positive reinforcement: A child’s first and foremost need from spending time on screens, is to feel validated, seen and heard. Therefore, fulfilling your child’s needs in these areas, is crucial. And it only can happen by praising your child for their accomplishments offline- in real life, while helping them, learn from their unwanted experiences/mistakes

• Focusing on building self-esteem: Low self-esteem is often at the root of many behavioural issues, including addiction. In the case of screen addiction, this may involve helping your child build their self-esteem by focusing on their strengths, encouraging them to try new things and praising their efforts

• Practicing self-compassion: This involves treating yourself with kindness and understanding, rather than harsh criticism. Reducing screen time is a challenging process and being patient and kind with yourself and your child as you work to develop healthier habits will help in kicking the habit

Getting your kids off electronics can be challenging, but it’s important to find ways to encourage them to engage in other activities. By validating their needs and leading by example, you can help your children develop healthy screen habits and improve their physical and mental well-being. Remember, it’s all about finding a balance that works for your family and the will to adjust, as needed. By working together, you can create a more fulfilling and enjoyable family life.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

PHOENIX — What happens to the body when a human gets heatstroke? How can we protect ourselves in a warming planet? To answer these burning questions, Arizona researchers have deployed a robot that can breathe, shiver and sweat.

The southwestern state’s capital Phoenix is currently enduring its longest heat wave in history: on Friday, the mercury exceeded 43ºC for the 22nd day in a row, an ominous demonstration of what’s to come in a world impacted by climate change.

For humans, such heat represents a potentially lethal threat, one that is still not fully understood. But for ANDI — a one-of-a-kind humanoid robot at Arizona State University — it’s a lovely day out.

“He’s the world’s first outdoor thermal mannequin that we can routinely take outside and ... measure how much heat he is receiving from the environment,” mechanical engineering Professor Konrad Rykaczewski told AFP. 

ANDI is “a very realistic way to experimentally measure how a human person responds to extreme climate” without putting people themselves at risk, Rykaczewski says. 

At first glance, ANDI — which stands for Advanced Newton Dynamic Instrument — resembles a simple crash-test dummy. 

But its epoxy/carbon fibre skin conceals a treasure trove of technology, such as a network of connected sensors that assess heat diffused through the body. 

ANDI also has an internal cooling system and pores allowing it to breathe and sweat. There are 35 independent thermal zones and, like humans, the robot — which cost more than half a million dollars to build — sweats more from its back.

Until now, only a dozen or so mannequins of this type existed, and none of them could venture outdoors. 

They were mainly used by sports equipment manufacturers to test their technical clothing in thermal chambers. 

Researchers hope the robot will provide a better understanding of hyperthermia — that is, when a body overheats, a condition that is threatening a growing proportion of the world’s population as a result of global warming. 

For obvious ethical reasons, “nobody measures core temperature increase while somebody’s getting heatstroke”, says Rykaczewski. But the effects of heat on the human body are still not fully comprehended. ANDI gives researchers a chance to understand.

Accompanied by MaRTy (Mean Radiant Temperature), a mobile weather station that measures the heat reflected by the buildings around it, the robot is taking its first steps outside in Phoenix — an ideal laboratory in which to prepare for tomorrow’s climate.

“How do we change what we wear? How do we change our behavioural patterns, and adjust them to temperatures that are of this order of magnitude?” says Rykaczewski.

Andi is also infinitely reprogrammable. The research team can make “digital twins of the mannequin to look at different segments of the population”, explains Jennifer Vanos, a climatologist involved in the project. 

For example, the older you get, the less you sweat. Young people will need different protection from athletes or people in poor health. With ANDI, scientists can simulate the thermoregulatory mechanisms specific to each individual.

They can also test the robot in a variety of situations. For example, Phoenix is dry — what about humid heat? How does the human body cope in hot winds? 

Their research will be useful for designing heat-resistant clothing, rethinking urban planning and protecting the most vulnerable.

In Phoenix, which opens dozens of cooling centres for the homeless every summer, their findings could guide the actions of social workers. 

“How long should a person stay in a cooling centre to cool off, so that their core temperature goes down to a level that’s safe again? We can answer that question with Andi,” says Vanos. 

The team also dreams of developing low-cost sensors to be used on building sites to adjust working hours according to the heat actually felt on site and the health of the workers — rather than based on general weather conditions. 

That could be a “step towards better safety than just these blank recommendations per city, per state, per country”, Rykaczewski says.

Such specific, tailored solutions could have global impacts, redrawing entire cities.

“If the future of Paris looks like Phoenix now, we can learn a lot about how do we design buildings,” says Rykaczewski.

PARIS — A vast area at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean earmarked for controversial deep sea mineral mining is home to thousands of species unknown to science and more complex than previously understood, according to several new studies.

Miners are eyeing an abyssal plain stretching between Hawaii and Mexico, known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), for the rock-like “nodules” scattered across the seafloor that contain minerals used in clean energy technologies like electric car batteries.

The lightless ocean deep was once considered a virtual underwater desert, but as mining interest has grown scientists have scoured the region exploring its biodiversity, with much of the data over the last decade coming from commercially-funded expeditions. 

And the more they look the more they have found, from a giant sea cucumber dubbed the “gummy squirrel” and a shrimp with a set of elongated bristly legs, to the many different tiny worms, crustaceans and mollusks living in the mud.

That has intensified concerns about controversial proposals to mine the deep sea, with the International Seabed Authority on Friday agreeing a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep sea mining regulations, despite conservationists’ calls for a moratorium.

Abyssal plains over 3 kilometres underwater cover more than half of the planet, but we still know surprisingly little about them.

They are the “last frontier”, said marine biologist Erik Simon-Lledo, who led research published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution that mapped the distribution of animals in the CCZ and found a more complex set of communities than previously thought. 

“Every time we do a new dive we see something new,” said Simon-Lledo, of Britain’s National Oceanography Centre. 

Campaigners say this biodiversity is the true treasure of the deep sea and warn that mining would pose a major threat by churning up huge plumes of previously-undisturbed sediment. 

The nodules themselves are also a unique habitat for specialised creatures. 

“With the science as it is at the present day, there is no circumstance under which we would support mining of the seabed,” said Sophie Benbow of the NGO Fauna and Flora. 

The Clarion-Clipperton zone has both its age and its size to thank for the unique animals discovered there, scientists say.

The region is “mind-bogglingly vast”, said Adrian Glover, of Britain’s Natural History Museum, a co-author both on the study with Simon-Lledo and on the first full stocktake of species in the region published in Current Biology in May. 

That study found that more than 90 per cent of species recorded in the CCZ — some 5,000 species — are new to science. 

The region, which was considered to be essentially barren before an increase in exploration in the 1970s, is now thought to have a slightly higher diversity than the Indian Ocean, said Glover.

He said sediment sampling devices from the region might only capture 20 specimens each time — compared to maybe 20,000 in a similar sample in the Antarctic — but that in the CCZ you have to go much further to find the same creature twice. 

Scientists are now also able to use autonomous underwater vehicles to survey the seabed. 

These are what helped Simon-Lledo and his colleagues find that corals and brittlestars are common in shallower eastern CCZ regions, but virtually absent in deeper areas, where you see more sea cucumbers, glass sponges and soft-bodied anemones. 

He said any future mining regulations would have to take into account that the spread of animals across the area is “more complex than we thought”.

The nodules likely started as a shard of hard surface — a shark tooth or a fish ear bone — that settled on the seabed and slowly grew by attracting minerals that naturally occur in the water at extremely low concentrations, Glover said.

Each one is likely millions of years in the making. 

The area is also “food poor”, meaning fewer dead organisms drift down to the depths to eventually become part of the seafloor mud. Glover said parts of the CCZ add just a centimetre of sediment per thousand years.

Unlike the North Sea, formed from the last ice age that ended 20,000 years ago, the CCZ is ancient. 

“The abyssal plain of the Pacific Ocean has been like that for tens of millions of years — a cold dark abyssal plain with low sedimentation rates and life there,” Glover said. 

Because of this, the environment impacted by any mining would be unlikely to recover in human timescales.

“You are basically writing that ecosystem off for probably centuries, maybe thousands of years, because the rate of recovery is so slow,” said Michael Norton, environment programme director, the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council. 

“It’s difficult to argue that that is not serious harm.”

SAN FRANCISCO — After a wildly successful first few days, Threads popularity has waned in the weeks since Meta launched its challenge to Twitter, which lives on despite its problems.

The average amount of time people spend on Threads daily has plummeted more than 75 per cent since the platform made a rock star debut on July 6, according to data from Sensor Tower, a market analysis firm.

Threads was quickly billed as a potential death knell for Twitter, a platform that has tumbled into chaos under the leadership of mercurial tycoon Elon Musk.

The launch saw sign-ups of more than 100 million users in less than five days, smashing the record of AI tool ChatGPT for fastest-growing consumer app and creating relief and excitement amongst early adopters fleeing Twitter.

“I actually closed down my Twitter account after starting Threads,” said Brooklyn resident Lauren Brose, head of marketing at a tech start-up.

“I used to love Twitter. After Elon Musk took over Twitter, I found that the entire environment just changed completely.”

But weeks later, Threads has since seen a “material decline in new sign-ups”, Sensor Tower said.

Twitter continues to dominate its space as a platform for online comment and news, and Musk “would have to completely destroy it” to drive away its audience for good, according to Silicon Valley investor and analyst Jeremiah Owyang.

“Will Threads kill Twitter? Absolutely not. It’s just not equivalent”, he said.

Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries at its launch, though it is not available in Europe because parent company Meta is unsure how to navigate the European Union’s data privacy legislation.

Twitter is thought to have around 200 million regular users but it has suffered repeated technical failures since Tesla tycoon Musk bought the platform last year and sacked much of its staff.

Musk, also the boss of SpaceX, has alienated users by introducing charges for previously free services and allowing banned right-wing accounts back on the platform.

There is little doubt that Threads had a major leg up compared to other wannabe Twitter alternatives. 

Several rivals have emerged but most are niche platforms without the capacity to grow at the necessary scale to dethrone Twitter.

But Meta was able to easily prompt Instagram users to start Threads accounts, tapping into a base of at least a billion users at the image-focused social network.

Not about news?

Threads has a lot to prove, and features to add, to become a formidable Twitter alternative, according to Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg.

It needs to foster creators to engage users, and to find its own identity separate from Instagram and Twitter, Enberg said. 

“Given that Twitter is in a state of disarray, the brilliant move that they did was using the existing social graph from Instagram for rapid and seamless adoption,” Owyang said of Threads.

The downside is that’s not the user base “that you want to have chats with or to do microblogging”, he added.

Instagram users typically engage with the service for images or videos, not commentary or controversy, Owyang noted.

“It is a very different crowd on Instagram,” Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said of a comparison to Threads.

Twitter is known as a forum for news and politics, topics that Threads has no interest in spotlighting, according to a recent post by Threads and Instagram boss Adam Mosseri.

Meanwhile, Twitter is seen as an established home for posts by journalists, celebrities, athletes, politicians and others.

Another roadblock to Threads growth is that Meta is holding it back from the European Union, Milanesi said.

While people frustrated with Musk-owned Twitter are seeking alternatives, no single competitor has established itself as the ideal option.

Twitter quitters have become a “diaspora” of sorts, spread across Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads and other platforms in search of a new social media home, Owyang reasoned.

“Many people have left Twitter, and that will continue,” Owyang said.

“But the issue is where are they going? There’s no one centralised place to go.”

The Threads app has been downloaded more than 184 million times globally since its launch, according to Data.ai Intelligence.

“But, the app hasn’t proved to be materially different from Twitter in terms of features/functionality,” said Sensor Tower senior insights analyst Abe Yousef.

LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” conquered North American box offices in its debut weekend as it raked in a stunning $155 million, while the other half of the movie-going event of the summer, the dark biopic “Oppenheimer”, also scored big with $80.5 million in revenue, industry Estimates reported on Sunday.

Legions of pink-clad moviegoers swarmed theatres to give “Barbie” the biggest opening weekend of any film this year — and the biggest ever for a female director — said industry monitor Exhibitor Relations. 

The much-anticipated “Barbenheimer” cinematic weekend, during which “Barbie” and Universal’s “Oppenheimer” were both released, spurred hundreds of thousands of people to take in both flicks, organising their own double features.

The coincidental same-day release of the two starkly different but highly anticipated films — one following an iconic doll ready to paint the world pink and the other about the scientist who helped invent the atomic bomb — created a bottom-up pop-culture phenomenon that transcended the individual marketing for either.

Together, they also provided a shot in the arm for theatres hit hard by the pandemic as well as the rise of streaming services.

“The subtext of the joke of ‘Barbenheimer’ is that these couldn’t be two more different movies,” David A. Gross, of Franchise Entertainment Research, told AFP.

At the same time, he added, “The movie industry has a very healthy record of accommodating two big pictures. Moviegoers go when there are hot movies.”

In a Sunday note, Gross wrote that the opening for “Barbie” was “record-shattering”.

“No comedic film of any kind has opened higher than $85.9m over a 3-day weekend,” he wrote.

“Barbie has become what we call a zeitgeist movie. It seems to be hitting a chord,” he told AFP.

“Oppenheimer,” for its part, saw a “superb opening”, Gross wrote. 

DIY double features

According to industry estimates, some 200,000 people were thought to have purchased tickets to both films on the same day.

Emma McNealy, 35, was one of them.

“I had heard online people were planning to do it and it sounded funny to me,” the account manager told AFP. “At first I wasn’t planning to because I didn’t feel like anyone else would want to spend the whole day doing this for the bit, but luckily a friend was in.”

While both films fuelled interest in the other, it was “Barbie” that pulled her in to try the double feature.

“I am sure I would have watched [‘Oppenheimer’] eventually, but not on opening weekend,” she said. “I think a lot of women like that a Barbie is getting more layers in this telling, it’s not just candy-coated fluff.”

Millions more were likely to catch both films on separate days.

“This was a phenomenal experience for people who love movies on the big screen,” president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners Michael O’Leary said in a statement Sunday. 

“It was a truly historic weekend.”

The “Barbenheimer” films together left a massive gulf between the weekend’s top two box office spots and the number three slot, occupied by “Sound of Freedom”.

The controversial action thriller from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, which critics say plays into QAnon conspiracy theories, brought in $20.14 million.

Fourth and fifth place saw the sort of franchise sequels that have come to dominate box office recently. 

Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” the latest in the long-running series starring Tom Cruise, brought in $19.5 million.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, from Disney, brought in $6.7 million. This “Indy” episode, likely the last, again stars Harrison Ford as a whip-cracking archaeologist.

Rounding out the top 10 were “Insidious: The Red Door” ($6.5 million), “Elemental” ($5.8 million), “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” ($2.8 million), “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” ($1.12 million) and “No Hard Feelings” ($1.07 million).

Combining class and convenience with desirability, driving dynamics and devastating performance, the compact super saloon is a traditionally German-dominated segment that brilliantly bridged the gap between emotional and engaging sports cars and executive saloons. 

It is, however, a segment that is quickly nearing extinction with the rise of soulless electrification and ever-growing popularity of clumsy crossovers. That said, three of the finest, most visceral, powerful and last devoutly petrol-headed examples have come not from Germany, but Italy, the UK and the US.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio GTA

Quite possibly the finest super saloon of its era, the inimitable Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio delivered a beguiling recipe of seductive style, dynamic prowess, explosive performance and optional driver involving three-pedal 6-speed manual gearbox when first launched in 2015. Since then, the Italian manufacturer has upped the ante with the even more extreme Quadrifoglio GTA and GTAm iterations of its sublime super saloon, inspired by the iconic 1965 Giulia GTA.

Unveiled for Alfa’s 110th anniversary in 2020 and launched a year later with just 500 examples promised, the Giulia Quadrifoglio GTA may still listed as current model, but will certainly be remembered as Alfa’s last great car, when electrification and crossovers gain dominance. Powered by a 30BHP more powerful version of its standard super saloon sister’s Ferrari-developed 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, the GTA produces 533BHP at 6,500rpm and 443lb/ft torque at just 2,500rpm.

Scintillatingly swift with its reduced 3.8-second 0-100km/h acceleration time and 300km/ top speed, the GTA incorporates more lightweight materials for a 100kg reduction, and improved suspension set-up and aggressive air flow management for better agility, handling, road-holding and stability. The even lighter and more hardcore track-focused but still street-legal GTAm meanwhile gains a large rear wing, roll cage in place of the rear seats, and 6-point harness front race seats.

Specifications

Engine: 2.9-litre, twin-turbocharged V6-cylinders

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive, limited-slip rear differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 533 (540) [397] @6,500

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 443 (600) @2,500

0-97km/h: 3.8-seconds

Top speed: 300km/h

Length: 4,669mm

Width: 1,923mm

Height: 1,445mm

Wheelbase: 2,820mm

Weight: 1,605kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone/multi-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 265/30R20/285/30R20

Jaguar XE SV Project 8

Stylish and sporty with perky performance and playfully wayward but intuitively balanced handling even in entry-level variants, the Jaguar XE was meant to take on the German-dominated compact executive saloon segment head-on. Failing to yield exponential sales growth for Jaguar in the premium segment, the XE will partly be remembered as a delightful car that should have done much better, when Jaguar becomes a fully electrified and more luxury-oriented manufacturer.

Skipping past mere XE super saloon status, the super “duper” SV Project 8 variant — courtesy of Jaguar’s SVO skunkworks division — became the British manufacturer’s most powerful road car ever produced. Launched in 2015 and ostensibly set for a limited 300 car run — but still listed on some Jaguar websites — ­the wild and be-winged Project 8 is a compact brute that even outmuscles the legendary 1992-94 Jaguar XJ220 supercar.

Powered by a thuggish version of Jaguar’s glorious, growling and outgoing 5-litre supercharged V8 engine, the Project 8 develops a mighty 592BHP at 6,500rpm and 516lb/ft torque throughout 3,500-5,000rpm for devastatingly quick 3.7-second 0-100km/h acceleration, and a 322km/h top speed. Putting power down with a combination of agility and stability, the Project 8 incorporates lightweight carbon-fibre components, enhanced and adjustable suspension, an extensive and also adjustable aerodynamic kit, and all-wheel-drive.

Specifications

Engine: 5-litre, supercharged V8-cylinders

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive, electronic limited slip differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 592 (600) [441] @6,500rpm

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 516 (700) @3,500-5,000rpm

0-100km/h: 3.7-seconds

Top speed: 322km/h

Length: 4,713mm

Width: 1,954mm

Height: 1,436mm

Wheelbase: 2,835mm

Weight: 1,745kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone/integral-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 265/35R20/305/30R20

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

With an aggressively sounding name that can’t but bring to mind a certain type of attack helicopter and notorious mercenary group, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is something of a brutalist riposte to slinkier and more svelte European super saloons. The most powerful version of Cadillac’s compact executive saloon, the Blackwing gains a more aggressive body kit with improved downforce, over the ‘garden variety’ CT4-V performance model.

Well complementing the basic CT4’s squinty headlights, sharp creases and complex surfacing that also includes vertical side lighting elements that pay homage to big Caddies of yesteryears, the Blackwing has a distinctly and muscularly American aesthetic quality. Nestled under a domed bonnet, the Blackwing is, meanwhile, powered by a powerful 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, driving the rear wheels through an enthusiast-pleasing traditional 6-speed manual gearbox or sophisticated optional 10-speed automatic.

Introduced in 2021, the Blackwing produces 472BHP at 5,750rpm and 445lb/ft torque throughout 3,500-5,000rpm, to rocket through 0-97km/h in 4.1-seconds in manual guise, and 3.9-seconds with the optional auto. Topping out at 304km/h in either specification, the hefty, near 1.8-tonne Blackwing meanwhile features an electronic limited-slip rear differential to channel its muscular output for enhanced agility and stability, and adaptive magnetic dampers for improved body cornering control and comfort.

Specifications

Engine: 3.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V6-cylinders

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive, electronic limited-slip differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 472 (479) [352] @5,750rpm

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 445 (603) @3,500-5,000rpm

0-97km/h: 4.1-seconds

Top speed: 304km/h

Length: 4,765mm

Width: 1,815mm

Height: 1,422mm

Wheelbase: 2,776mm

Weight: 1,751kg

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson strut/five-link, adaptive dampers

Tyres, F/R: 255/35R18/275/35R18