Episodi
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This week on Break It Down, astronomers have taken the first-ever close-up photo of a star outside of the Milky Way, putting weight back on after losing it could be down to your fat cells' “memories”, the mystery surrounding the Earth’s inner core “freezing”, footage shows a “giant” virus infecting a cell for the first time, the world’s thinnest spaghetto is 200 times narrower than a hair, and meet Dadu, a shark-hunting dog who survived alone on a remote island for nearly a year, and then became beloved.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Star outside the Milky WayFat cell “memories”Earth’s inner coreGiant virusThinnest spaghettiShark-hunting dog
Dog shoving children in the SeineShipwreck whiskeyLargest coralTrue Crime In ScienceSubscribe to the newsletter
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This week on Break It Down: turns out the one time we saw Uranus it was having an uncharacteristically windy moment, new meanings behind the Amazon’s most incredible rock art, the world’s largest coral found lurking off the Solomon Islands, a ~35,000-year-old saber-toothed baby comes complete with fur, whiskers, and toe beans, and amber found in Antarctica for the first time ever. Plus, can we phase out animal testing? Science is trying.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Uranus was having a bad day
Amazon rock art
World’s largest coral
Saber-toothed cub
Antarctic amber
Animal testing
Disco worm
Fire and ice
UAP hearing
We Have Questions
How Many Geese
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Episodi mancanti?
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This week in Break It Down: clues inside Pompeii victims' casts reveal they're not who we thought they were, the frogs of Chernobyl are doing just fine, cat physics and a crime of authorship, the North Atlantic is getting saltier and saltier, good news for double jabs, and a DNA scientist who picked up the research that would solve her own murder.
So sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...Links:
Pompeii Victims
Chernobyl Frogs
Cat Physics
Salty Atlantic
Double Jab
1985 Murder
We Have Questions
How Many Geese
Bats On Treadmills
Oldest Text
Tsunami: Race Against Time
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This week on Break It Down: a quantum cat experiment breaks a record for surviving over 23 minutes, Voyager 1 encountered a glitch but fixed itself with some old school tech, fossils from the Ordovician are a glittering new species, animals are getting drunk more than we thought, though we’re not quite sure why, kyawthuite is the rarest gemstone of them all, and we wish happy birthday to a giant, city-destroying lizard who has much more cultural impact than meets the eye.
Links:
Quantum Cat Experiment
Voyager Phoned Home
Fool’s Gold Fossils
Drunk Animals
Rarest Gemstone
Ruby Seed
Jade Toughest Natural Mineral
Godzilla At 70
Annie Jacobson Curious Live InterviewSpooky Season Content
Polar Bear Week
How Is Climate Change Affecting Polar Bears?Rats Wearing Vests
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This week on Break It Down: the discovery of the smallest-ever dinosaur eggs reveals teeny tiny bones, first black hole triple is changing our understanding of giant star death, the longest venomous snake is now four separate species, a rare bit of positive carbon capture news, how a new overdose implant can save lives, and why do people believe in ghosts? We asked an expert.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Smallest known dinosaur eggs
Black hole triple
How many times could the Earth fit in the Sun?
King cobra x 4
Positive carbon capture news
Overdose implant
Why do people believe in ghosts?
Can Fear Be Fun? CURIOUS October issue
Prof. Chris French interview
Spooky Season trailer
We Have Questions: What’s It Like Working In A Human Tissue Bank
The Big Questions: Are Octopuses Sentient?
Ricky The Bear
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This week on Break It Down: the Sun has entered its solar maximum bringing new auroras and geomagnetic storms, a chance find of a thylacine head in a jar could be the next step in the de-extinction of the species, microplastics have been discovered in the breath of wild dolphins for the first time, why Neanderthals never improved their spear-throwing, how high-potency THC could leave markers on your DNA, and does the page you’re reading this on look blurry? We explore what astigmatism is.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Solar Maximum
Thylacine Genome
Microplastics In Dolphin Breath
High-THC Cannabis And DNA
Neanderthals Can't Throw
Astigmatism
Are Octopuses Sentient?
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This week on Break It Down: two comb jellies become one, how Hurricane Milton grew so intense, superpowered scans reveal COVID’s impact on the brain, a humanlike robot’s jokes fail to impress his friend, Lucy the Australopithecine might have used tools 3.2 million years ago, and Mozambique’s elephants offer modern-day proof of evolution.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Comb jellies
Hurricane Milton NASA animation
NOAA Hurricane Hunters
Florida coastline after Milton
COVID-19 and the brainstem
Robot conversation
Lucy’s hands
Elephant evolution
The Big Questions: What Would A Human On Mars Look Like?
Dino Footprints
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This week on Break It Down: resurrecting Cold War spy planes to explore radioactive storms, the most detailed brain wiring diagram we've ever seen, mystery “skyquake” sounds have the world perplexed, plus grinning dolphins, glow-in-the-dark gemstones, and can you really feel when you’re being watched? So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Radioactive storms
"Google Maps" for the brain
Mysterious "skyquakes"
Smiley dolphins
Glow-in-the-dark crystal
Lab-grown ruby
Are you being watched?
The Big Questions: What Would A Human On Mars Look Like?
The Science Of Whisky
Solar Systems interview
Fat Bear Week 2024
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This week on Break It Down: the major African civilization the world forgot, the world’s oldest cheese gets found on mummies, blasting asteroids with X-rays, a fish that’s basically got tongues for legs, the resurrection of a biblical seed, and why no one can decide how fast the universe is expanding.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
African civilization: https://www.iflscience.com/five-thousand-years-ago-africa-had-a-major-civilization-we-forgot-76094World’s oldest cheese: https://www.iflscience.com/the-worlds-oldest-cheese-has-been-found-rubbed-on-a-bunch-of-mummies-76096Blasting asteroids: https://www.iflscience.com/the-latest-idea-for-deflecting-threatening-asteroids-x-ray-pulses-76077Tongue-legged fish: https://www.iflscience.com/this-winged-fish-uses-strange-tongue-like-legs-to-taste-the-seafloor-yes-really-76120Biblical seeds: https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-revive-1000-year-old-biblical-tree-from-seed-found-in-a-judean-cave-76095Hubble tension: https://www.iflscience.com/hubble-tension-solved-astronomers-race-to-save-standard-model-of-cosmology-74306IFLScience YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IFLScienceOfficialIFLScience Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iflscience
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This week in Break It Down: Earth's about to get a new mini-moon (if only for a while), ancient rock art may have been based on a fossil, "third state" identified between life and death, a truly supermassive black hole with jets spanning 23 million light-years, there's a new blood group, and the remarkable reason why giant gorillas have tiny penises.
So sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...
Links:
Earth’s new mini-moon: https://www.iflscience.com/asteroid-2024-pt5-is-set-to-be-a-mini-moon-of-earth-for-two-months-75955
Fossil rock art: https://www.iflscience.com/african-rock-art-may-show-extinct-animal-that-lived-millions-of-years-before-humans-76015
Life after death: https://www.iflscience.com/the-third-state-that-lies-beyond-the-boundaries-of-life-and-death-75985
Giant space jets: https://www.iflscience.com/truly-supermassive-black-hole-has-jets-spanning-23-million-light-years-the-biggest-ever-seen-76006
New blood group: https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-solve-50-year-old-mystery-and-discover-an-entirely-new-blood-group-76000
Gorilla dicks: https://www.iflscience.com/gorilla-dicks-are-absolutely-tiny-the-reason-why-is-fascinating-76004
We Have Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts
Solar System: https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2023/professor-brian-cox-solar-system
Are the drugs of the future coming from the deep ocean: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-are-the-drugs-of-the-future-coming-from-the-deep-ocean-75958
Antimicrobial resistance deaths: https://www.iflscience.com/antimicrobial-resistance-forecast-to-increase-by-almost-70-percent-by-2050-threatening-millions-76025
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This week on Break It Down, the first-ever private spacewalk makes history and also maybe a crime, a plasma bubble over the pyramids is spotted by snazzy Chinese tech, a new Neanderthal lineage lived in isolation for 50,000 years, a chance encounter on Google Maps leads to a new discovery, the recipient of a face and eye transplant has a major breakthrough, and we take a deep dive into whether orcas are really the “killer” whales they’d made out to be.
So sit back, relax, and Break It Down...
Links:
Private Spacewalk: https://www.iflscience.com/polaris-dawn-crew-makes-history-with-first-ever-private-spacewalk-75929
Space Crime?: https://www.iflscience.com/did-everybody-just-watch-a-live-stream-of-billionaires-breaking-space-law-75925
Space Law Interview: https://www.iflscience.com/how-to-create-your-own-space-civilization-according-to-a-space-lawyer-72934
Plasma Bubble: https://www.iflscience.com/chinese-radar-spots-plasma-bubbles-over-the-pyramids-of-giza-75896
Neanderthals: https://www.iflscience.com/meet-thorin-a-cave-dwelling-population-of-neanderthals-were-isolated-for-50000-years-75910
Google Maps Structure: https://www.iflscience.com/man-finds-unusual-spherical-structure-while-browsing-google-maps-it-could-be-a-huge-discovery-75869
Face And Eye Transplant: https://www.iflscience.com/worlds-first-eye-and-face-transplant-1-year-later-eye-now-responds-to-light-75873
Do Orcas Attack People?: https://www.iflscience.com/do-orcas-attack-humans-reports-from-the-wild-are-very-rare-75898
Dino Sex: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-did-dinosaurs-have-sex-75489
We Have Questions Trailer: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_vg7J6iola/
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Coming soon: join IFLScience as we explore the questions nobody thought to ask but everyone wants the answers to. Get the behind-the-scenes conversations from CURIOUS magazine’s We Have Questions interviews, as we hunt down the experts to answer some of science’s stranger questions.Until then, catch up with the E-magazine here: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine
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This week on Break It Down, “dangerous” asteroid Apophis has a slightly increased risk of hitting Earth, a pig in Hong Kong undergoes an operation by a team in Switzerland, people in Iceland are throwing puffins off cliffs, an asteroid impact over the Philippines just made history, a python somehow managed to ingest another python, and we take a closer look at why homeopathy isn’t all it's cracked up to be.
So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Asteroid Apophis: https://www.iflscience.com/the-chance-of-asteroid-apophis-hitting-earth-may-be-slightly-higher-than-we-thought-75797
Pig Surgery: https://www.iflscience.com/a-pig-just-had-surgery-by-a-team-operating-9000-kilometers-away-75803
Pufflings: https://www.iflscience.com/why-are-people-in-iceland-throwing-baby-puffins-off-of-cliffs-75820
Asteroid in the Philippines: https://www.iflscience.com/meteor-that-burned-up-over-philippines-is-just-ninth-ever-detected-before-earth-impact-75836
Python eating python: https://www.iflscience.com/in-world-first-burmese-python-is-found-eating-reticulated-python-75787
Homeopathy isn't real: https://www.iflscience.com/how-we-know-homeopathy-isnt-real-science-75811
How Did Dinosaurs Have Sex?: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-did-dinosaurs-have-sex-75489
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This week on Break It Down: orcas disable another boat as a new theory is put forward for the behavior, bacteria pass “memories” of perturbed genes to descendants, SETI scans 2,880 galaxies for advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, what you need to know about human parvovirus B19, flying spaghetti monsters sighted on a sea mount expedition, and how to avoid the nonsense that plagues the wellness industry.
So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Killer whale pirates: https://www.iflscience.com/orcas-strike-a-boat-in-spain-as-a-new-theory-arises-to-explain-the-destruction-75750
Bacteria memories: https://www.iflscience.com/bacteria-pass-memories-of-perturbed-genes-to-their-descendants-75733
Hunting aliens: https://www.iflscience.com/seti-starts-looking-for-highly-advanced-extragalactic-civilizations-in-2880-galaxies-75751
Human parvovirus B19: https://www.iflscience.com/human-parvovirus-b19-is-increasing-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-75695
Flying spaghetti monsters: https://www.iflscience.com/flying-spaghetti-monsters-and-20-potential-new-species-spotted-at-sea-mounts-75696
Long stringy thingy: https://www.iflscience.com/the-curious-case-of-the-long-stringy-thingy-spotted-in-australia-55635
Wellness nonsense: https://www.iflscience.com/theres-a-lot-of-misinformation-and-pseudoscience-in-the-wellness-industry-heres-how-to-avoid-it-75723
The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions
Gymnastic springtails: https://www.iflscience.com/watch-springtails-backflip-more-than-60-times-their-body-height-into-the-air-75748
Join our Instagram broadcast: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbYsC7WjVRHwwaW-/
Join our WhatsApp broadcast: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWag6qBVJl3scy4n83H
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This week on Break It Down: Earth has a snazzy new radiation belt, the Wow! signal finally has an explanation and spoiler: it’s still not aliens, whales have joined the list of animals using tools (but do bubbles really count?), a universal flu vaccine is one step closer to reality thanks to some ferrets, the Rift Valley might not be the cradle of humankind after all, and why supermassive black holes are more a part of daily life on Earth than we realized.So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Earth's New Ring: https://www.iflscience.com/this-springs-massive-aurora-sparking-solar-storm-has-given-earth-a-new-ring-75617
Wow! Signal: https://www.iflscience.com/iconic-wow-signal-may-finally-have-an-explanation-its-still-not-aliens-75619
Whales Using Tools: https://www.iflscience.com/humpback-whales-revealed-to-be-tool-users-catching-krill-with-amazing-skill-75637
Universal Flu Vaccine: https://www.iflscience.com/universal-flu-vaccine-could-enter-human-trials-in-1-3-years-after-more-positive-results-75653
Rift Valley: https://www.iflscience.com/why-the-rift-valley-may-not-be-the-cradle-of-humankind-after-all-75620
Supermassive Black Holes: https://www.iflscience.com/this-is-how-you-are-using-supermassive-black-holes-every-day-without-even-knowing-75659The Big Questions Podcast: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-how-will-the-solar-system-end-75652Curious Magazine: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazineMine Spiders Video: https://www.iflscience.com/how-large-are-mine-spiders-75629
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This week on Break It Down: two new victims discovered at the site of Pompeii tell a vivid story, Stonehenge’s altar stone reveals a surprising point of origin, plans to terraform Mars with “glitter”, ancient environments exposed in a kilometer-long Earth sausage, we may know where the dinosaur-killing asteroid came from, and a brief history of humans’ long history of burying the dead.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Pompeii victims: https://www.iflscience.com/two-new-pompeii-victims-found-clutching-coins-and-jewelry-as-they-met-their-doom-75519
Corpse casts: https://www.iflscience.com/the-stone-bodies-of-pompeii-arent-what-you-think-68838
Stonehenge altar stone: https://www.iflscience.com/stonehenges-famous-altar-stone-may-be-from-scotland-over-700-kilometers-away-75554
The disco planet: https://www.iflscience.com/humanity-could-use-glitter-to-terraform-mars-and-add-a-little-razzle-dazzle-75547
Earth sausage: https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-drill-1268-metres-deep-under-the-atlantic-ocean-scooping-out-huge-piece-of-earths-mantle-75569
Chicxulub’s origins story: https://www.iflscience.com/dinosaur-killing-impactor-was-probably-a-rare-asteroid-from-beyond-jupiter-75567
Oldest human burial: https://www.iflscience.com/whats-the-oldest-human-burial-in-the-world-75584
How will the Solar System end? The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions
Some of Dr Alfredo Carpineti’s space scoops: https://www.iflscience.com/superflares-are-released-by-sunlike-stars-can-the-sun-create-these-events-75577
https://www.iflscience.com/jwst-confirms-more-bright-galaxies-found-in-the-early-universe-than-expected-75574
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This week on Break It Down, the first archaeological study takes place outside of Earth, the oldest calendar might show a comet impact, a new study thinks the ancient Egyptians were using hydraulic tech to build the pyramids (others disagree), what a rock on Mars could tell us about potential life in the Solar System, a titanium heart is something straight out of sci-fi, and why we get taken in by urban legends like the Russian sleep experiment.
So, sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...
Links:
Space Archaeology: https://www.iflscience.com/first-ever-archaeological-survey-in-space-carried-out-on-the-iss-75454
Oldest Calendar: https://www.iflscience.com/worlds-oldest-calendar-may-depict-catastrophic-comet-impact-13000-years-ago-75458Egyptian Hydraulic Lift: https://www.iflscience.com/did-the-egyptians-really-build-their-oldest-pyramid-with-a-hydraulic-lift-75417Biosignature On Mars: https://www.iflscience.com/why-people-are-so-excited-about-perseverances-possible-biosignature-discovery-75445Titanium Heart Transplant: https://www.iflscience.com/world-first-implantation-of-titanium-heart-harnessing-maglev-technology-75411
Russian Sleep Experiment: https://www.iflscience.com/the-russian-sleep-experiment-and-why-we-believe-in-urban-legends-75452
Can Dogs Live Longer: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-can-we-make-dogs-live-longer-75450
Curious Magazine: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine
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This week on Break It Down: a wonky-necked giraffe is somehow still alive, an extraordinary fossil find shows a tyrannosaur with a stubby snout, a vaccine to stop COVID transmission is a success (at least, in hamsters), ancient stars are not where we expect them to be, 12,500-year-old rock art is a wildlife masterpiece, and we debunk some cortisol-based misinformation.
So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Wonky giraffe: https://www.iflscience.com/wonky-necked-giraffe-spotted-in-south-africa-is-somehow-still-alive-75382
New tyrannosaur: https://www.iflscience.com/new-species-of-69-million-year-old-tyrannosaur-identified-in-awesome-fossils-75343
Hamster vaccines: https://www.iflscience.com/covid-19-vaccine-nasal-drops-could-stop-viral-transmission-75386
Ancient stars: https://www.iflscience.com/ancient-stars-found-in-unlikely-region-of-the-milky-way-75377
Wildlife rock art: https://www.iflscience.com/rock-art-shows-early-humans-in-south-americas-contact-with-new-worlds-animals-75312
Cortisol lies: https://www.iflscience.com/cortisol-is-the-stress-hormone-really-the-health-villain-its-made-out-to-be-75242
Gregorian calendar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Moxf1yy_5Q
The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions
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This week on Break It Down: deep-sea potatoes just shook foundational ideas about life on Earth, NASA plans to launch an artificial star, elephants sing “let’s go” like a barbershop quartet, the most complete Neanderthal skeleton has sprouted cave popcorn, the record for hottest day ever gets smashed twice in one week, and who would win in the animal Olympics?
So sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down…
Links:
Deep-sea potatoes: https://www.iflscience.com/natural-batteries-on-the-deep-ocean-floor-appear-to-be-making-dark-oxygen-75206
Artificial star: https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-will-soon-launch-an-artificial-star-into-orbit-over-the-usa-75197
Barbershop elephants: https://www.iflscience.com/barbershop-elephants-first-ever-lets-go-recordings-reveal-incredible-harmonies-75193
Cave popcorn: https://www.iflscience.com/the-most-complete-neanderthal-skeleton-ever-found-still-cant-be-excavated-75199
Hottest day: https://www.iflscience.com/sundays-hottest-ever-day-record-has-been-broken-already-75259
Animal Olympics: https://www.iflscience.com/if-animals-could-compete-in-the-olympics-which-events-would-they-win-75252
Read CURIOUS: https://www.iflscience.com/curious-magazine
Jurassic garden: https://www.iflscience.com/how-to-create-a-jurassic-garden-75255
Yellowstone goes boom: https://www.iflscience.com/watch-as-surprise-yellowstone-eruption-sends-rocks-flying-and-visitors-fleeing-75229
The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/iflscience-the-big-questions-is-evolutionary-biology-sexist-75243
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This week on Break It Down: why Venus just got very exciting as a potential site of extra-terrestrial life, how you make butter out of thin air, a Stegosaurus on sale for $44 million, the discovery of the first Moon cave, why Earth just landed itself a new microcontinent, and pseudoscience Vs anti-science – what the differences are and how to tackle them.
So sit back, relax, and let’s Break it Down…
Links:
Phosphine on Venus: https://www.iflscience.com/new-detection-of-phosphine-deeper-in-venuss-atmosphere-and-possibly-ammonia-too-75139
Air butter: https://www.iflscience.com/lab-made-butter-created-from-co2-tastes-like-the-real-thing-says-bill-gates-75144
$44 million stegosaurus: https://www.iflscience.com/stegosaurus-fossil-fetches-record-breaking-446-million-at-auction-75151
Moon caves: https://www.iflscience.com/the-first-cave-has-been-found-on-the-moon-is-it-ready-for-occupation-75103
Microcontinent: https://www.iflscience.com/new-microcontinent-discovered-between-greenland-and-canada-75135
Pseudoscience VS anti-science: https://www.iflscience.com/pseudoscience-vs-anti-science-how-to-tell-the-difference-and-fight-both-75082
Interview with Prof Jim Al-Khalili: https://youtu.be/6cBV1fnp7E4?si=IEhqrdq7bCy4Et7v
The Big Questions: https://www.iflscience.com/podcasts/the-big-questions
Dinosaur casts: https://www.iflscience.com/are-dinosaur-skeletons-in-museums-the-real-thing-75146
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