All articles tagged with #underwater
Pokémon Pokopia is getting a paid Expansion Pass that goes live today, introducing an underwater area called Bubbly Basin with new Water-type Pokémon, outfits, and a Dive ability. The first content wave lands in August, with two more waves planned for later this year, and a free update is also coming in August.
Strategy's executive chairman Michael Saylor posted a BTC acquisition tracker on X with the caption 'A good time to add more dots,' a signal that a fresh bitcoin purchase may be disclosed this week. Strategy holds about 843,706 BTC at an average cost of $75,699 as of May 31, leaving the treasury roughly $11.7 billion underwater at current prices as BTC trades around the $61k level. The signal follows Strategy's June 1 disclosure that it sold 32 BTC (May 26–31) for about $2.5 million to fund the STRC dividend, and it comes one day before the June 8 annual meeting vote on moving STRC dividend payments from monthly to twice monthly. If a new buy is disclosed, it would fit Saylor’s pattern of signaling purchases ahead of 8-K filings, amid a broader market backdrop of weak prices and ETF outflows.
Vampire Survivors is prepping version 1.15 Lycaeum, the 'Wet Update' for Switch (and Switch 2), which adds an underwater stage called The Lycaeum with new enemies and fish-based weapons, plus new playable characters, buffs, faster loading times, 80+ bug fixes, and stability improvements. It also introduces a mid-run Darkana for weapon pickups, new bosses, an unlocks list, multiple save slots, character setup menus/filters, the option to unbanish stage items, and power creep options; patch notes haven’t been released yet, with a release window in the coming weeks.
Fifteen-year-old Evan Budz built BURT, a turtle‑inspired autonomous underwater robot that uses AI to scan for ecological threats (like coral bleaching and microplastics) with 96% accuracy; tested in a backyard pool and Lake Ontario, BURT uses four flippers instead of propellers to minimize habitat disturbance, runs on a Raspberry Pi, and includes holographic imaging for microplastics. The project won first prize at the EU Contest for Young Scientists (€7,000) after earlier success at the Canada‑Wide Science Fair.
A six-year-old parakeet named Bebe, owned by Steven Lawyer in the Bahamas, rode in a DIY mini-submarine dubbed the Bebosphere to about three feet underwater, offering the bird a rare underwater view as the owner says Bebe willingly entered the tube; the parakeet has also accompanied his owner on 15 skydives, stirring discussion about animal autonomy.
Divers found a 60,000-ton, cone-shaped cairn of unworked basalt stones beneath the Sea of Galilee, about 10 m tall and 70 m in diameter. First detected in 2003, the structure appears human-made with no signs of cutting or walls, suggesting a ceremonial site or ramp. Its age is uncertain, potentially dating to the Bronze Age (third millennium B.C.), and no underwater excavation has taken place due to cost and logistics, leaving researchers to debate its function and origin.
Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon won the grand prize at the Close-Up Photographer of the Year with an extreme close-up of a cauliflower-soft coral in Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, captured using an underwater probe lens; the 7th edition drew over 12,000 entries from 63 countries across multiple macro and micro categories, highlighting tiny wonders from mayflies and stingless bees to moths and frogs in vivid, intimate detail.
Scientists have formally recognized Zealandia as Earth's eighth continent—spanning about five million square kilometers with more than 94% submerged in the Pacific—after International Ocean Discovery Program drilling and peer‑reviewed studies showing it meets continental criteria (thicker crust, coherent landmass, and ancient terrestrial fossils). This confirmation reshapes our understanding of Earth’s crust and could influence future maritime claims and exploration.
Edmunds data for Q4 2025 show 29.3% of trade-ins were underwater — nearly a record high — with the average underwater balance at $7,214 and more than a quarter carrying over $10,000 in negative equity. Those rolling it into new loans faced an average monthly payment of $916, with about 40.7% choosing 84‑month terms. The trend traces to pandemic-era pricing and limited leasing options; relief may come from MSRP-friendly deals, but many cars will remain underwater until depreciation slows enough for the balance to fall below value.
Minecraft's upcoming 'Mounts of Mayhem' update, arriving in Holiday 2025, introduces new weapons like the spear, an underwater mount called the nautilus, and new enemy configurations, including zombie nautilus and zombie horses, to diversify combat and exploration.
Millie Bobby Brown revealed the story of her underwater engagement to Jake Bongiovi, detailing how he proposed with a ring inside a shell while diving, leading to a moment of confusion and the ring nearly getting lost in the ocean. Despite the mishaps, Brown sees it as a reflection of their ability to support each other in their relationship.
Marine mammals have adapted various sleeping strategies to rest underwater, including unihemispheric sleep, where one half of the brain sleeps while the other remains alert. Dolphins and some bird species utilize this technique to maintain awareness while resting. Some marine mammals, like sperm whales and elephant seals, engage in short bouts of sleep underwater, with sperm whales sleeping upright for about 20 minutes at a time and elephant seals entering rapid eye movement (REM) sleep while upside down and spinning in a slow circle. These adaptations allow marine mammals to rest while minimizing the risks of predation and heat loss in the open water.
A car mysteriously sped off a Virginia Beach pier and submerged in the Atlantic, with officials uncertain if anyone was inside. The vehicle was found upside down 17 feet below the surface, but rough conditions have hindered recovery efforts and the determination of potential occupants. Eerie footage captured by a passerby and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) shows the car rocking in murky water, while strong currents and low visibility have made it too dangerous for divers to navigate and assess the area. Recovery efforts have been postponed due to violent waves, and the salvage crew will determine when it will be safe to continue.
A massive Pacific plateau called the Melanesian Border Plateau, larger than the US state of Idaho, has been discovered on the sea floor near Fiji, with evidence suggesting it has formed through four separate pulses of volcanism since the age of dinosaurs. The plateau began forming 120 million years ago and continues to grow, challenging previous assumptions about the origins of underwater volcanic features.
Researchers have developed a superhydrophobic surface with a stable plastron that can last for months underwater. The surface, made from a titanium alloy, repels blood and prevents the adhesion of bacterial and marine organisms. This breakthrough opens up possibilities for applications in biomedicine and industry, such as reducing infection after surgery and preventing corrosion in pipelines and sensors. The surface survived 208 days submerged in water and significantly reduced the growth of E.coli and barnacles. The stability and scalability of this system make it valuable for real-world applications.