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A new study of human deep space communications identifies the regions of space where signals from extraterrestrial intelligence are most likely to be detected.

If an extraterrestrial civilization were trying to detect human signals, where and when would they be most likely to find them? A recent study by researchers at Penn State and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California examined the timing and directions of deep space transmissions from Earth. They found patterns that could not only reveal how outsiders might detect us but also help refine our own strategies in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

“Humans are predominantly communicating with the spacecraft and probes we have sent to study other planets like Mars,” said Pinchen Fan, graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, science principal investigator of the NASA grant supporting this research and first author of the paper. “But a planet like Mars does not block the entire transmission, so a distant spacecraft or planet positioned along the path of these interplanetary communications could potentially detect the spillover; that would occur when Earth and another solar system planet align from their perspective. This suggests that we should look for alignment of planets outside of our solar system when searching for extraterrestrial communications.”

SETI context and technosignatures

The team’s paper was published on Aug 21, 2025, in Astrophysical Journal Letters, with findings also presented that same day at the Penn State SETI Symposium, hosted by the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center.

“SETI researchers often search the universe for signs of past or present technology, called technosignatures, as evidence of intelligent life,” Fan said. “Considering the direction and frequency of our most common signals gives insights into where we should be looking to improve our chances of detecting alien technosignatures.”

To investigate this, the researchers analyzed logs from NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), a system of ground-based antennas that enables two-way radio communication with spacecraft in space. By cross-referencing DSN records with the locations of spacecraft, the team determined both the timing and direction of transmissions sent from Earth. While other nations operate their own deep-space networks, the researchers noted that NASA’s DSN is the most representative, since it supports the majority of deep-space missions launched to date.

Deep Space Network transmission patterns

“NASA’s Deep Space Network provides the crucial link between Earth and its interplanetary missions like the New Horizons spacecraft, which is now outbound from the Solar System, and the James Webb Space Telescope,” said Joseph Lazio, project scientist at JPL and an author of the paper. “It sends some of humanity’s strongest and most persistent radio signals into space, and the public logs of its transmissions allowed our team to establish the temporal and spatial patterns of those transmissions for the past 20 years.”

Earth to Mars Deep Space Communication Signals Illustration — In a new study, researchers from Penn State and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzed human deep space communications and found that human transmissions are frequently directed toward our own spacecrafts near Mars (lower left), the Sun, and other planets. Because planets like Mars do not block the entire signal, an extraterrestrial intelligence positioned along the path of interplanetary communications—when the planets align form their perspective—could potentially detect the spillover. This suggests that humans should look to planetary alignments outside of the solar system when searching for signatures of extraterrestrial communications. Credit: Zayna Sheikh

For this study, the researchers focused specifically on deep-space transmissions, which included signals directed to interplanetary spacecraft and space-based telescopes. They did not include signals intended for satellites in low-Earth orbit, since those are much weaker and unlikely to be detected from far away.

The results showed that most deep space signals were aimed at spacecraft near Mars. Other frequent targets included spacecraft around other planets and telescopes located at Sun-Earth Lagrange points — stable regions of space where the combined gravitational pull of the Sun and Earth holds satellites in a fixed position relative to Earth.

Likelihood of alien detection

“Based on data from the last 20 years, we found that if an extraterrestrial intelligence were in a location that could observe the alignment of Earth and Mars, there’s a 77% chance that they would be in the path of one of our transmissions — orders of magnitude more likely than being in a random position at a random time, Fan said. “If they could view an alignment with another solar-system planet, there is a 12% chance they would be in the path of our transmissions. When not observing a planet alignment, however, these chances are minuscule.”

To improve our own search for technosignatures, the researchers said, humans should look for alignment of exoplanets — planets outside our solar system — or at least when exoplanets align with their host star.

Astronomers frequently study exoplanets during alignment with their host star. In fact, most of the currently known exoplanets were detected by looking for the darkening of a star when a planet crosses in front of, or transits, its host star from Earth’s line of sight.

Expanding the search with future telescopes

“However, because we are only starting to detect a lot of exoplanets in the last decade or two, we do not know many systems with two or more transiting exoplanets,” Fan said. “With the upcoming launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, we expect to detect a hundred thousand previously undetected exoplanets, so our potential search area should increase greatly.”

Because our solar system is fairly flat with most planets orbiting on the same plane, the majority of DSN transmissions occurred within 5 degrees of Earth’s orbital plane, the researchers explained. If the solar system were a dinner plate with all the planets and objects sitting on that plate, human transmissions tended to follow along the plate’s surface, rather than shooting out into space at a stark angle.

The research team also calculated that an average DSN transmission could be detected about 23 light-years away using telescopes like ours. Focusing efforts, they said, on solar systems that are within 23 light-years and especially whose plane is oriented with its edge toward Earth could improve our search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The team now plans to identify these systems and quantify how frequently they could have received signals coming from Earth.

Broader implications for future SETI efforts

The DSN transmission patterns found also could be applied to searches for laser transmissions from exoplanets, the researchers said, though they noted that lasers would have much less spillover than radio transmission. NASA is testing its interplanetary laser communication system, and extraterrestrial civilizations may opt to use lasers instead of radio waves.

“Humans are pretty early in our spacefaring journey, and as we reach further into our solar system, our transmissions to other planets will only increase,” said Jason Wright, professor of astronomy and astrophysics in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, and an author of the paper. “Using our own deep space communications as a baseline, we quantified how future searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence could be improved by focusing on systems with particular orientations and planet alignments.”

Reference: “Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations that Employ an Earth-level Deep Space Network” by Pinchen Fan, Jason T. Wright and T. Joseph W. Lazio, 21 August 2025, The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/adf6b0

Funding from the NASA Exoplanets Research Grant Program and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center supported this work. Computations for this research were performed on the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences Roar supercomputer.

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2,000-year-old Roman bridge discovered in Switzerland – The History Blog

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September 4, 2025

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The remains of a wooden bridge built over 2,000 years ago have been discovered in Aegerten, Switzerland. More than 300 oak piles from the bridge spans over the Zihl river were unearthed, preserved in the waterlogged soil of the silted-over riverbed.

Archaeologists had found remains of Roman military structures on both banks of the Zihl 40 years ago, so when construction was planned in the same area, a team from the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern excavated the site. They took samples of the oak piles, removed some of the pointed tips of the posts, and examined them in the laboratory.

Dendrochronological analysis found that the bridge spans had been repaired or rebuilt numerous times, with the earliest structure dating to around 40 B.C., the earliest years of the Roman conquest of Switzerland after its defeat of the Helvetii tribe. The most recent posts date to 369 A.D., a turbulent time when Emperor Valentinian added to the fortification of the Rhine Limes under pressure from Germanic incursions.

Also known as the Thielle river, the Zihl was a busy transportation route in the Roman era. It was part of the Roman Jura transversal, the road that connected the Jura mountains to Augusta Raurica, the oldest Roman colony on the Rhine and capital of the Rauraci tribe 50 miles northeast of modern-day Aegerten.

The bridge was located at a key intersection of the water routes and the road. It was at the gates of Petinesca, a small town and Roman service station that offered supplies and shelter to travelers on the road from Aventicum, capital of Helvetia, to the major legionary camp and associated civilian settlement of Vindonissa. An offshoot of the road branched at Petinesca, crossing the Jura through the mountain pass of Col de Pierre Pertuis and terminating at Augusta Raurica.

With so much traffic on the small bridge, a great many artifacts were thrown or accidentally lost in the river. The excavation found numerous objects, including hobnails from human shoes, horseshoes, axes, a fishing trident, keys and coins. One particularly notable find was a large plane carved from a single block of wood with an iron blade insert. Both the wood and the blade are in excellent condition.

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Famous Deaths on September 4

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September 4, 2025

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Turkish conqueror of Persia and Baghdad and founder of the Seljuk Empire (1037-63), dies at about 73

1085 Irmgarde van Suchtelen, German countess of Aspel, hermit and saint, dies
1199 Joan of England, Queen consort of Sicily, wife of William II of Sicily (b. 1165)
1537 Johann Dietenberger, German theologian (b. c. 1475)
1553 Cornelia da Nomatalcino, monk converted to Judaism, burned at stake
1571 Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, regent of Scotland for his grandson King James VI, shot and killed during a skirmish in Stirling at 54
1588 Robert Dudley, English Earl of Leicester, favourite of Elizabeth I, dies at 87
1644 John Wtenbogaert, Dutch theologist (Kerckelicke history), dies at 87
1709 Jean-François Regnard, French comedic poet, dramatist and traveller (captured by pirates to be a slave in Algeria), dies at 54
1759 Girolamo Chiti, Italian composer and music theorist, dies at 80
1759 Princess Elizabeth Caroline of Wales, second daughter of Prince Frederick and Princess Augusta, dies at 18
1767 Charles Townshend, English politician, 3rd Viscount of Townshend, dies at 42
1780 John Fielding, English magistrate and social reformer (b. 1721)
1784 César-François Cassini de Thury, French astronomer (geodesic labor), dies at 70
1794 John Hely-Hutchinson, Irish statesman (b. 1724)
1804 Richard Somers, American naval officer, killed during assault on Tripoli during First Barbary Wars at 25

Chilean military figure and 1st President of Chile (1811-14), executed by firing squad at 35

1828 Cornelis Stevens, Belgian priest and polemist, dies at 80
1845 Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard, French statesman and philosopher, dies at 82
1852 William MacGillivray, Scottish naturalist and ornithologist (b. 1796)
1853 Jonathan Blewitt, English organist and composer, dies at 71

American Confederate military leader of ‘Morgan’s Raiders’, killed by Union troops at Greeneville at 39

1903 Hermann Zumpe, German composer, dies at 53
1907 Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (Peer Gynt Suite), dies at 64

American playwright (Nathan Hale, The Girl with the Green Eyes), dies of blood poisoning after an appendectomy at 44 [1]

1916 José Echegaray, Spanish politician and dramatist (Nobel Prize for Literature 1904), dies at 84
1922 Georges Sorel, French philosopher and theorist of Sorelianism, dies at 74
1937 Giovanni Salviucci, Italian composer, dies at 29
1938 Clifford Dempsey, American actor (Salute), dies at 73
1944 Izaak van der Horst, Dutch resistance fighter, executed at Herzogenbusch concentration camp at 35
1960 Alfred E. Green, American film director (Copacabana, The Jolson Story), dies after long illness at 71
1962 William Clothier, American tennis player (US Nat C’ships 1906; 1st President International Hall of Fame 1954), dies at 80
1963 Robert Schuman, Luxembourg-born French statesman and Prime Minister of France (1947-48), dies at 77
1964 Werner Bergengruen, Baltic German writer (Der Großtyrann und das Gericht), dies at 71
1965 Albert Schweitzer, German-French theologian and philosopher (Nobel Peace Prize 1954), dies at 90
1970 James M. Taylor, American USAF officer and astronaut, killed during a training mission at 39
1974 Creighton W. Abrams, US general and army staff chief (Vietnam), dies at 59
1974 Lewi Pethrus, Swedish Pentecostal minister and politician, dies at 90
1974 Marcel Achard, French playwright (La forges the Paris), dies at 75
1975 Walter Tetley, American voice-over actor (Sherman-Bullwinkle Show), dies at 60
1977 E. F. Schumacher, German economist and statistician (b. 1911)
1977 Gabriel Mekler, Israeli-American songwriter and record producer (Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Janis Joplin, Etta James), dies in a motorcycle crash at 32
1977 Jean Rostand, French biologist and philosopher, dies at 82
1977 Stelios Perpiniadis, Greek folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, dies at 78
1979 Canuplin, Filipino magician and bodabil entertainer, dies at 75
1979 Jef van de Wiele, Belgian pro-Nazi politician, dies at 76
1979 Turkey Stearnes, American Baseball HOF outfielder (5 × NgL All-Star; 2 × Negro NL batting champion; KC Monarchs, Chicago American Giants), dies at 78
1980 Wolfgang Gentner, German nuclear physicist, dies at 74
1981 Verne Rowe, American character actor (Fernwood 2-Night – “Verne”), dies at 59
1984 Ernst Stueckelberg, Swiss mathematician and physicist, dies at 79
1985 George O’Brien, American actor (Sunrise: A Song of Two Human), dies of a stroke at 85
1985 Isabel Jeans, actress (Suspicion, Easy Virtue, Tovarich), dies at 93
1985 Robert McCormick, American NBC newscaster (Current Opinion), dies at 74

American Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman (5 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1935, 45; AL MVP 1935, 40; Detroit Tigers), dies of cancer at 75

1988 Oda Schaefer, German writer and journalist (Die Windharfe, Ladies Only), dies at 87
1989 Georges Simenon, Belgian born writer and director (Maigret detective novels), dies at 86
1989 Ronald Syme, New Zealand-born classicist and historian, dies at 86
1990 Henry Faas [Wandelganger], Dutch journalist (Volkskrant), dies

1991 Charlie Barnet, saxophonist (Cherokee), dies of pneumonia at 77
1991 Dottie West [Dorothy Marsh], American country singer (“Here Comes My Baby”; with Kenny Rogers – “What Are We Doin’ in Love”), dies from internal injuries sustained in a car crash at 58
1991 Henri de Lubac, French Jesuit cardinal and theologist of the “new theology” movement that influenced the Second Vatican Council, dies at 95
1991 Margaret Ramsay, vocalist, dies
1991 Tom Tryon, American actor (The Cardinal, All That Glitters, The Longest Day) and novelist (The Other), dies of stomach cancer at 65
1992 John van Dreelen [Jacques T van Drielen Gimberg], actor (Topaz), dies
1993 Clyde Adler, American writer and voice actor (Soupy Sales Show – “White Fang”; “Black Tooth”), dies at 67
1993 Hervé Villechaize, French-American actor (Fantasy Island – Ze plane! Ze plane!), shoots self to death at 50
1993 Mehmet Sincar, Turkish/Kurd MP, murdered
1994 Ladislav Holoubek, Slovak conductor (Košice Opera, 1966-81), and composer (Rodina), dies at 81
1994 Laurens van Deenen, Dutch biochemist, dies at 66
1994 Louis Myers, American blues guitarist and harmonica player, dies at 64
1995 Chuck Greenberg, new age musician (Shadowfax), dies at 45
1995 Edmond Jouhaud, French general, dies at 90
1995 William Kunstler, American defense attorney (defended the Chicago 7), dies at 78
1996 Joan Clarke, English cryptanalyst and code-breaker at Bletchley Park during World War II (Enigma Project), dies at 79 [1]
1996 Sam Cook, English cricket spin bowler in (1 Test; Gloucestershire CCC), dies at 75
1997 Aldo Rossi, Italian architect (b. 1931)
1997 Belle Stewart, Scottish traditional singer, dies at 91
1997 Hans Eysenck, German-born British psychologist (most frequently cited living psychologist), dies at 81
1997 Jeffrey Bernard, British writer (Spectator Magazine – Low Life), dies at 65
1997 Natko Devčić, Croatian composer, dies at 83
1998 Elizabeth Kata, Australian writer, A Patch of Blue (b. 1912)
1999 Klement Slavický, Czech composer (Sinfonietta No. 4 – Pax hominibus in universo orbi), dies at 88 [1]
2000 David Brown, American rock bassist (Santana, 1967-71, 1974-76), dies of liver and kidney failure at 53
2000 John Beith, British diplomat who served as the ambassador to Israel and Belgium, dies at 86 [1]
2001 Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, American radio personality (b. 1962)
2002 Jerome Biffle, American long jumper (Olympic gold 1952), track coach, and jogging proponent, dies at 74
2002 Vlado Perlemuter, Lithuanian-French pianist, dies at 98
2003 Lola Bobesco, Romanian-born violinist (b. 1921)
2003 Susan Chilcott, English operatic soprano, dies of breast cancer at 40
2003 Tibor Varga, Hungarian violinist and orchestra leader (Ripley’s Game), dies at 82
2004 Alphonso Ford, American basketball guard (EuroLeague Top Scorer, All-EuroLeague First Team 2001, 03; Olympiacos, Montepaschi Siena), dies from leukemia at 32
2004 James O. Page, American paramedic (b. 1936)
2004 Moe Norman, Canadian golfer (Canadian Golf Hall of Fame), dies from congestive heart failure at 75
2006 Astrid Varnay, Swedish soprano (Met Opera 1941-56), dies at 88
2006 Colin Thiele, Australian author and educator (b. 1920)
2006 Giacinto Facchetti, Italian soccer left-back (94 caps; Inter Milan 476 games), dies at 64
2006 John Conte, American actor (The Man with the Golden Arm, Lost in a Harem, Mantovani), dies of natural causes at 90

2007 John Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch, 11th Duke of Queensberry, Scottish peer, largest landowner in Scotland, and 1st MP in a wheelchair, dies at 83
2007 Ryūzō Sejima, Japanese army officer and educator, dies at 95
2007 Seth Tobias, American financial commentator and founder of the hedge fund Circle T, dies of a heart attack at 44 [1] [2]
2009 (Robert) “Buddy” Blattner, American table tennis player (World Championship – gold, doubles 1936, 1937), MLB baseball second baseman, 1942-49 (New York Giants, and two other teams), and broadcaster, dies at 89
2009 Iain Cuthbertson, Scottish actor (Guilty, Scandal, Rep, Danger UXB), dies at 79
2010 Paul Conrad, American cartoonist (Pulitzer 1964, 71, 84), dies at 86
2011 Lee Roy Selmon, American College-Pro Football HOF defensive end (NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1979; First-team All-Pro 1979, 80, 82; 6× Pro Bowl; TB Buccaneers), dies from a stroke at 56
2012 Ian Parrott, British-Welsh composer (The Black Ram), dies at 96
2014 Donatas Banionis, Lithuanian actor (Solaris, Goya or the Hard Way to Enlightenment), dies at 90
2014 Gustavo Cerati, Argentinian rock singer-songwriter (Soda Stereo), dies of cardiac arrest after 4 years in a coma at 55

American comedian and actress (Late Show, Hollywood Squares), dies at 81 after serious complications from a procedure on her vocal cords

2014 Ron Mulock, Australian politician (Deputy Premier of New South Wales, 1984-88; Mayor of Perth, Penrith, 1968-71), dies at 84
2014 Wolfhart Pannenberg, German theologist (Gingham Girl), dies at 85
2014 Włodzimierz Kotoński, Polish composer, dies at 89
2015 Emmanuel “Rico” Rodriguez, Jamaican ska trombonist (The Specials), dies at 80
2015 Jean Darling [Dorothy Jean LeVake] American child actress (Our Gang), dies at 93
2015 Rainer Kirsch, German writer, playwright (Heinrich Schlaghands Höllenfahrt), and poet, dies at 81
2016 David Jenkins, English controversial cleric (Bishop of Durham), dies at 91
2016 Ralph Goings, American photorealistic painter, dies at 88
2017 Iryna Kyrylina, Ukrainian composer (Rozmyte bachene (What I have seen has been washed away), choral director, and educator, dies at 62
2018 Bill Daily, American actor and comedian (I Dream of Jeannie – “Roger”; The Bob Newhart Show – “Howard”), dies at 91
2019 Peter Ellis, New Zealand convicted child abuser, dies at 61
2020 Gary Peacock, American jazz bassist (Keith Jarrett Trio), dies at 85 [1]
2020 Peter Cronjé, South African rugby union center (7 caps; Transvaal, Natal), dies from cancer at 70
2021 Tunch Ilkin, American football offensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1988, 89; Pittsburgh Steelers) and broadcaster (Pittsburgh Steelers TV & radio 1998-2020), dies of ALS complications at 63
2021 Willard Scott, American weather forecaster (Today Show), dies at 87
2022 Bo Brundin, Swedish actor (The Rhinemann Exchange; A Baltic Tragedy), dies at 85
2022 Boris Lagutin, Russian boxer (Olympic gold USSR light-middleweight 1964, 68; bronze 1960), dies at 84
2022 John Till, Canadian rock guitarist (Full Tilt Boogie Band), dies at 76
2023 Ed Meador, American football cornerback (First-team All-Pro 1968, 69; 6 × Pro Bowl; Los Angeles Rams), dies at 86
2023 Ferid Murad, American physician and pharmacologist (Nobel Prize for Medicine – 1998), dies at 86 [1]
2023 Gary Wright, American rock singer and keyboardist (Spooky Tooth – It’s All About; solo – “Dream Weaver”), dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 80 [1]
2023 Hameur Hizem, Tunisian soccer coach (Tunisia national team 1970-74, 1978-79, 1980-81; US Monastir), dies at 85
2023 Steve Harwell, American rock singer-songwriter (Smash Mouth, 1994-2021 – “All Star”, “I’m A Believer”), dies of liver failure at 56 [1]
2024 Luis Ayala, Chilean tennis player (French Open mixed doubles 1956), dies at 91

September 4 Highlights

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Famous Birthdays on September 4

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September 4, 2025

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1793 Edward Bates, American lawyer (26th U.S. Attorney General), born in Goochland County, Virginia (d. 1869)
1795 Friedrich August von Alberti, German geologist (Triasic Age), born in Stuttgart, Germany (d. 1878)
1801 Cullen Whipple, American inventor (pointed screw machine), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1868)
1802 Marcus Whitman, American physician and missionary (Oregon Trail), born in Federal Hollow, New York (d. 1847)
1803 Sarah Childress Polk, Wife of the 11th President of the United States, James K. Polk (1845-1849), born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (d. 1891)
1809 Juliusz Slowacki, Polish poet (Trip to H Land), born in Kremenets, Russian Empire (d. 1849)
1810 Donald McKay, Canadian-American naval architect (built fastest clipper ships), born in Nova Scotia, Canada (d. 1880)
1815 Andreas Ignatius Schaepman, Archbishop of Utrecht (1868-82), born in Zwolle, Netherlands (d. 1882)
1815 Mihály Mosonyi [Michael Brand], Hungarian composer, born in Boldogasszony, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1870)
1816 François Bazin, French composer, born in Marseille, France (d. 1878)

Austrian composer (Te Deum; Wagner Symphony), and Wagner disciple, derided by some as a “monumental bore”, born in Ansfelden, Austrian Empire [1] [2]

1824 Phoebe Cary, American poet (Poems of Alice & Phoebe Cary), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1871)
1825 Dadabhai Naoroji, 1st Indian in British parliament, born in Mumbai, India (d. 1917)
1826 Martin Wiberg, Swedish computer pioneer, born in Viby, Scania, Sweden (d. 1905)
1832 Antonio Agliardi, Italian diplomat and Roman Catholic cardinal, born in Cologno al Serio, Italy (d. 1915)
1843 Charles Dilke, British statesman and Radical politician, born in London (d. 1911)
1843 Ján Levoslav Bella, Slovak composer, born in Liptovský Mikuláš, Austrian Empire (d. 1936)
1846 Daniel Burnham, American architect and urban designer (built skyscrapers), born in Henderson, New York (d. 1912)
1848 Jennie Lee, American actress (The Birth of a Nation), born in Sacramento, California (d. 1925)
1848 Lewis Howard Latimer, American inventor (carbon filament lightbulbs), born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1928)
1850 Luigi Cadorna, Italian fieldmarshal (WW I-Caporetto), born in Verbania, Kingdom of Sardinia (d. 1928)
1851 John Dillon, Irish nationalist and British Lower house leader, born in Blackrock, Dublin (d. 1927)
1853 Hermann Wissmann, German African explorer and governor of East-Africa, born in Frankfurt, Germany (d. 1905)
1859 Edoardo Mascheroni, Italian composer, born in Milan, Kingdom of Sardinia (d. 1941)
1869 Geart Aeilco Wumkes, Frisian theologist and writer (Frision Movement), born in Joure, Netherlands (d. 1954)
1869 Karl Seitz, President of Austria (1920), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1950)
1870 Friedrich Panzer, German germanist (Das Nibelungenlied), born in Asch, Bohemia (d. 1956)
1871 [Rosalie] Julia Cuypers, Flemish actress and wife of Joseph of Lyre, born in St-Jans-Molenbeek, Belgium (d. 1952)
1880 Leo Bittermieux, Belgian missionary and ethnologist in the Congo, born in Sijsele, Belgium (d. 1946)
1885 Antonio Bacci, Italian cardinal, born in Giugnola, Italy (d. 1971)
1886 Albert Orsborn, 6th General of The Salvation Army, born in Clapton, England (d. 1967)
1888 Oskar Schlemmer, German painter, sculptor and choreographer (Triadisches Ballett), born in Stuttgart, German Empire (d. 1943)
1891 Sam Lanin, American sweet jazz arranger and bandleader (Roseland Orchestra; The Ipana Troubadors), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1977)

French composer (Maximilien), born in Marseille, France

1893 Henry Schultz, American economist (econometrics), born in Sharkawshchyna, Russian Empire (d. 1938)
1896 Antonin Artaud, French songwriter and director (Theatre Seraphin), born in Marseille, France (d. 1948)
1898 Charlie Cantor, American radio and television actor (The Fred Allen Show – “Socrates Mulligan”; The Jack Benny Program -“Logan Jerkfinkel”), born in Worcester, Massachusetts (d. 1966)
1900 Cornelis Verolme, Dutch ship builder, born in Nieuwe-Tonge, Netherlands (d. 1981)
1901 Paul Osborn, American playwright (Mornings at 7), born in Evansville, Indiana (d. 1988)

British industrialist and automobile manufacturer (Jaguar cars), born in Blackpool, Lancashire

1902 Tommy Mitchell, English cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, 8 wickets; Derbyshire CCC), born in Cresswell, England (d. 1996)
1904 Christian-Jaque [Christian Maudet], French film director (Fearless Little Soldier, Race for Life, The Pearls of the Crown), born in Paris (d. 1994)
1904 Julian W. Hill, American research chemist (developed nylon), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1996)
1904 Max Delbrück, German-American biologist and molecular geneticist (bacteriophage, Nobel Prize 1969), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1981)
1904 Sabin Carr, American athlete (Olympic gold pole vault 1928; WR 4.27m 1927), born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1983)
1905 Antanas Račiūnas, Lithuanian composer and pedagogue, born in Užliaušiai, Lithuania (d. 1984)
1905 Mary Renault [Challans], British writer (King Must Die, Funeral Games), born in Forest Gate, Essex, England (d. 1983)
1906 Alexander Moyzes, Slovak composer, born in Kláštor pod Znievom, Slovensko (d. 1984)
1906 Han G. Hoekstra, Dutch poet (Zandloperr; Ongerijmde life), journalist, and editor, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1988)
1907 Leo Castelli, Italian-American art dealer, born in Trieste, Austrian Littoral, Austria-Hungary (d. 1999)
1907 Maurice Ashley, British 17th century historian and editor of “The Listener”, birthplace unknown (d. 1994)
1908 Edward Dmytryk, Canadian film director (Carpetbaggers, Young Lions, Caine Mutiny), born in Grand Forks, Canada (d. 1999)
1908 Richard Wright, American author (Native Son, Uncle Tom’s Children), born in Roxie, Mississippi (d. 1960)

1909 Karel Horky, Czech composer, born in Stemechy, Austrian Empire (d. 1988)
1912 Alexander Liberman, Russian-American magazine editor, painter and photographer (639), born in Kiev, Russian Empire (d. 1999)
1913 Kenzo Tange, Japanese architect (Kagawa Prefectural Government Office Building; Pritzker Prize, 1987), born in Sakai, Japan (d. 2005)
1913 Mickey Cohen, American gangster (Cohen crime family), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1976)
1913 Stanford Moore, American biochemist (Nobel 1977), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1982)
1914 Henrik Blichmann, Danish swing jazz pianist, composer (92 Minutes of Yesterday), and orchestra leader, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1994)
1914 Rudolf Leiding, German auto executive and 3rd postwar chairman of Volkswagen, born in Altmark, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany (d. 2003)
1915 Dick Thomas, American singing cowboy and TV host (Village Barn), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2003)
1915 Rudolf Schock, German opera tenor, born in Duisburg, Germany (d. 1986)
1916 Robert A. W. Lowndes, American sci-fi author and editor of “Future Science Fiction”, born in Bridgeport, Connecticut (d. 1988)
1917 Henry Ford II, American automotive industry businessman, grandson of Henry Ford, and son of Edsel Ford (Ford Motor Company President, 1945-60 and CEO, 1947-79), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1987)
1918 Bill Talbert, American tennis player (9 x Grand Slam doubles titles; US Open singles 1944, 45 runner-up; International Tennis HOF), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1999)
1918 Gerald Wilson, American jazz trumpeter, arranger (Jimmie Lunceford; Duke Ellington), orchestra leader, and teacher, born in Shelby, Mississippi (d. 2014)

American news commentator and radio broadcaster (The Rest of the Story), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma

1919 Howard Morris, American comedic actor and director (The Andy Griffith Show, High Anxiety), born in New York City (d. 2005)
1920 Craig Claiborne, American food columnist (NY Times Cookbook), born in Sunflower, Mississippi (d. 2000)
1920 Harold “Shot” Jackson, American country dobro player, and pedal steel guitarist (Roy Acuff), and guitar designer and builder (Sho-Bud), born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 1991)
1920 Teddy Johnson, British singer (Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson), born in Surbiton, Surrey (d. 2018)
1922 Per Olof Sundman, Swedish writer and politician, born in Vaxholm, Sweden (d. 1992)
1923 Stan Burns, American television screenwriter (The Tonight Show, 1954-57; Get Smart; The Carol Burnet Show; The Flip Wilson Show; Dean Martin Roasts), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2002)
1924 Joan Aiken, English writer of children’s books (The Whispering Mountain), born in Rye, Sussex, England (d. 2004)
1925 Forrest [Asa Earl] Carter, American author and segregationist speech writer, born in Anniston, Alabama (d. 1979)
1926 Bert Olmstead, Canadian Hockey HOF left wing (Stanley Cup, Montreal Canadiens 1953, 56, 57, 58; Toronto Maple Leafs 1962), born in Sceptre, Saskatchewan (d. 2015)
1926 Dennis Murphy, American sports entrepreneur (co-founder American Basketball Ass’n, World Hockey Ass’n, original World Team Tennis, Roller Hockey International), born in Shanghai, China (d. 2021)
1926 Robert J. Lagomarsino, American lawyer and politician (US Representative from California, 1974-93), born in Ventura, California (d. 2021)
1927 Aleksandr Nikolayevich Matinchenko, Russian cosmonaut, born in Verhhyi Mamon, Voronezh Region, Russia (d. 1999)

American computer scientist (coined the term “artificial intelligence,” created the Lisp programming language), born in Boston, Massachusetts

1928 Dick York, American actor (Darrin-Bewitched, Inherit the Wind), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana (d. 1992)
1928 Dominique Colonna, French soccer goalkeeper (13 caps; Stade Français, OGC Nice, Reims) and manager (Cameroon 1965-70), born in Corte, France (d. 2023)
1928 Donald Petersen, American businessman (Ford Motor Company – CEO, 1985-90, COO. 1980-85), born in Pipestone, Minnesota (d. 2024)
1929 Thomas Eagleton, American politician (38th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2007)
1930 Jerry Ragovoy, American songwriter (“Piece Of My Heart”; “Time Is On My Side”; “Pata Pata”), and record producer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2011)
1930 John Cephas, American Piedmont blues guitarist (Cephas & Wiggins), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2009)
1930 Norman Dorsen, American lawyer, human rights advocate and president of the American Civil Liberties Union, born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2017)
1931 Antoine Bonifaci, French soccer midfielder (12 caps; OGC Nice, FC Inter Milan, Bologna FC, Torino FC), born in Bezons, France (d. 2021)
1931 Mitzi Gaynor [Francesca von Gerber], American actress, singe,r and dancer (Anything Goes; South Pacific), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2024) [1]
1932 Bevo Francis, American basketball forward (NCAA record for points scored in a game [113] 1954–2012), born in Hammondsville, Ohio (d. 2015)
1932 Carlos Romero Barceló, Puerto Rican politician (5th Governor of Puerto Rico, 1993-2001; US Shadow Senator, 2017-21), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico (d. 2021)
1932 Dinsdale Landen, British actor (The Mask of Janus), born in Margate, Kent, England (d. 2003)
1932 Vince Dooley, American College Football HOF coach (NCAA C’ship, AFCA Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson COY; AD University of Georgia 1979-2004), born in Mobile, Alabama (d. 2022)
1933 Palito [Reynaldo Hipolito], Filipino slap-stick comedian and actor, born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines d. 2010)
1933 Richard Castellano, American actor (The Godfather, Lovers & Other Stranger), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1988)
1934 Carlos Timoteo Griguol, Argentine soccer midfielder (Atlanta, Rosario Central) and manager (Ferro Carril Oeste, Real Betis, River Plate), born in Las Palmas, Argentina (d. 2021)

Welsh-born British economist (Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences 2003), born in Swansea, Wales

1934 Tony Book, English soccer right-back (Manchester City 244 games) and manager (Manchester City 1974-79, 89, 93), born in Bath, England (d. 2025)
1935 Ora Bat Chaim, Israeli cellist and composer, born in Ramat Gan, Israel
1936 Federico Sacchi, Argentine soccer central defender (15 caps; Newell’s Old Boys, Racing Club, Boca Juniors), born in Rosario, Argentina (d. 2023)

1937 Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle 1956, 60, 64; 4×100m freestyle relay 1956), born in Sydney, Australia

1937 Gene Ludwig, American jazz and R&B Hammond B-3 organist (Sonny Stitt, Arthur Prysock), born in Twin Rocks, Pennsylvania (d. 2010)
1937 Mikk Mikiver, Estonian actor and director, born in Tallinn, Estonia (d. 2006)
1938 Leonard Frey, American stage and screen actor (Fiddler on the Roof; The Magic Christian), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1988)
1940 Sonny Charles [Charles Hemphill], American soul singer (Checkmates, Ltd. – “Black Pearl”; solo -“Put It in a Magazine”; Steve Miller Band), born in Blytheville, Arkansas
1941 Aleksandar Shalamanov, Bulgarian soccer defender (42 caps; PFC Slavia Sofia) and alpine skier (Winter Olympics 1960), born in Boyana, Bulgaria (d. 2021)
1941 Alfons Dirnberger, Austrian soccer midfielder (3 caps; FC Austria Wien), born in Tulin, Austria (d. 2022)
1941 Chu Song-woong, South Korean stage actor, born in Goseong, South Gyeongsang, South Korea (d. 1985)
1941 Joanna Van Gyseghem, British actress (Rumpole of the Bailey, Duty Free), born in Tunbridge Wells, England
1941 Ken Harrelson, American baseball utility player (MLB All Star; AL RBI leader 1968; Kansas City A’s, Boston Red Sox) and broadcaster (Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox), born in Woodruff, South Carolina
1941 Marilena Chaui, Brazilian philosopher, born in São Paulo, Brazil
1941 Sushilkumar Shinde, Indian politician (Minister of Home Affairs, 2012-14), born in Solapur, India
1942 Alireza Shapour Shahbazi, Iranian archaeologist and a world expert on Achaemenid archaeology, born in Shiraz, Iran (d. 2006)
1942 Bob Filner, American politician (Rep-D-California 1992-2012; Mayor of San Diego, 2012-13), born in Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania (d. 2025)
1942 Jerry Jarrett, American pro wrestling promoter (founder Continental Wrestling Association, US Wrestling Association, NWA:TNA), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2023)
1942 Merald “Bubba” Knight, American singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips – “Midnight Train to Georgia”, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”), born in Atlanta, Georgia [1]

1942 American golfer (US Masters 1976; PGA C’ship 1969, 82; US Open 1986; 4 x Seniors Tour major titles), born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina

1943 Giuseppe Gentile, Italian athlete (Olympic bronze triple jump 1968; WR 17.22m 1968), born in Latina, Italy
1944 Christopher Needler, English businessman, born in Kingston upon Hull, England
1944 Gene Parsons, American rock drummer (The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers), born in Morongo Valley, California
1944 Jennifer Salt, American actress (Sisters, Soap, Wedding Party), born in Los Angeles, California
1945 Danny Gatton, American guitarist (88 Elmira St.), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1994)
1946 Dave Liebman, American jazz saxophonist and flautist, born in Brooklyn, New York City
1946 Gary Duncan [Grubb], American guitarist (Quicksilver Messenger Service), born in San Diego, California (d. 2019)
1946 Greg Elmore, American rock drummer (Quicksilver Messenger Service), born in Coronado Naval Air Station, California
1947 Bob Jenkins, American television and radio sports announcer (IndyCar & NASCAR telecasts for ESPN/ABC, NBC Sports), born in Richmond, Indiana (d. 2021)
1947 Paul Sait, Australian rugby league utility (7 Tests, 9 World Cup; NSWRL Premiership 1970, 71 South Sydney), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2023)
1948 Samuel Hui, Hong Kong Canto-pop singer-songwriter, born in Xiguan, Guangzhou, Republic of China
1949 Dado Topić, Croatian musician (Time; Dragonfly), born in Nova Gradiška, Croatia
1949 Dean Pees, American football coach (Kent State Uni 1998-2003; Super Bowl XXXIX NE Patriots LC, XLVII Baltimore Ravens DC), born in Dunkirk, Ohio

1949 American golfer (8 x major winner [British Open 1975, 77, 80, 82, 83]; 6 x Senior Tour major titles), born in Kansas City, Missouri

1950 Ehteshamuddin, Pakistani cricket medium pace bowler (5 Tests, 16 wickets, BB 5/47; Lahore, Punjab), born in Lahore, Pakistan
1951 Judith Ivey, American actress (Lady in Red, Hello Again), born in El Paso, Texas
1951 Marita Ulvskog, Swedish politician, born in Luleå, Sweden
1951 Martin Chambers, English rock drummer (The Pretenders, 1978–86, 1993–present – “Brass in Pocket”, “Don’t Get Me Wrong”), born in Hereford, England
1951 Nicu Ceaușescu, youngest child of Romanian Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and considered the President’s heir apparent, born in Scornicești, Romania
1952 Nelson Marcenaro, Uruguayan soccer defender (8 caps; Mundialito 1980; Progreso, Portuguesa, Peñarol, Emelec), born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 2021)
1952 Rishi Kapoor, Indian Bollywood actor and director (Bobby, Do Dooni Chaar), born in Bombay State, India (d. 2020)
1953 Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, American actor (Freddie-Welcome Back Kotter), born in New York City
1955 Bernard Kerik, American law enforcement officer (New York City Police Commissioner, 2000-01), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2025) [1]
1955 Brian Schweitzer, American politician (Governor of Montana, 2005–13), born in Havre, Montana
1956 Blackie Lawless [Steven Duren], American heavy metal singer and guitarist (W.A.S.P.), born in Staten Island, New York
1957 Khandi Alexander, American dancer, choreographer and actress (Scandal, CSI: Miami), born in Jacksonville, Florida
1957 Patricia Tallman, American actress (Night of the Living Dead, Babylon 5), born in Pontiac, Illinois
1958 George Hurley, American drummer (Minutemen), born in Brockton, Massachusetts
1958 James Houghton, American artistic director and founder of the Signature Theater Company, born in San Francisco, California (d. 2016)
1958 Shiro Koshinaka, Japanese wrestler (WAR/NJPW), born in Tokyo, Japan
1959 Armin Kogler, Austrian skier (2-time winner of jumping World Cup), born in Schwaz, Austria
1959 Kevin Harrington, Australian actor (SeaChange, Underbelly), born in Melbourne, Australia
1959 William Kennedy Smith, American physician and member of the Kennedy family (accused of rape in Florida, 1991), born in Brighton, Massachusetts
1960 Damon Wayans, American actor and comedian (In Living Color, SNL), born in New York City
1960 Kim Thayil, American guitarist (Soundgarden, Probot), born in Seattle, Washington
1961 Kevin Kennedy, British actor (Norman ‘Curly’ Watts in “Coronation Street”), born in Wythenshawe, England
1961 Rizwan-uz-Zaman, Pakistani cricket all-rounder (11 Tests, 3 x 50, 4 wickets; Pakistan International Airlines, Karachi Whites, Karachi Blues), born in Karachi, Pakistan
1962 Kiran More, Indian cricket wicketkeeper (49 Tests, 130 dismissals, 7 x 50; Baroda), born in Baroda, India

1962 Japanese physician (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine), born in Osaka, Japan

1962 Ulla Tørnæs, Danish politician, born in Esbjerg, Denmark
1963 John Vanbiesbrouck, American ice hockey goalie (NHL All Star 1994, 96, 97; Vezina Trophy 1986; NY Rangers), born in Detroit, Michigan
1963 Sam Yaffa, Finnish musician (Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls), born in Espoo, Finland
1964 Anthony Weiner, American politician (Rep-NY 1999-2011) and sex offender, born in New York City
1964 René Pape, German opera singer (bass), born in Dresden, East Germany
1964 Tomas Sandström, Swedish ice hockey right wing (Stanley Cup 1997 Detroit Red Wings; NHL All-Star 1988, 91; NY Rangers, LA Kings), born in Jakobstad, Finland
1965 Greg Fidelman, American sound engineer (Rick Rubin productions), record producer (Metallica), and guitarist, born in the USA
1966 Bireli Lagrene, French jazz guitarist, born in Alsace, France
1966 Jearl Miles Clark, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1996, 2000; World C’ship gold 400m 1993; 4x400m relay 1993, 95, 2003), born in Gainesville, Florida
1967 Darrin Murray, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests, 1 x 50; Canterbury), born in Christchurch, New Zealand
1968 Carlette Guidry-White, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1992, 1996; World C’ships 1995), born in Houston, Texas
1968 John DiMaggio, American actor (Disenchantment; Futurama), born in North Plainfield, New Jersey
1968 John Preston, American actor (Greg-General Hospital), born in Cedar City, Utah
1968 Mike Piazza, American Baseball HOF catcher (12 x MLB All-Star; 10 x Silver Slugger; LA Dodgers, NY Mets), born in Norristown, Pennsylvania
1968 Phill Lewis, American actor (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody – “Mr. Moseby”), and director, born in Uganda
1969 Alexander Coe, Welsh DJ and record producer, born in Bangor, Wales
1969 James Cleverly, British politician (UK Foreign Secretary 2022-23, Home Secretary 2023-), born in London, England
1969 Noah Taylor, British-Australian actor (Almost Famous, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), born in London
1969 Va’aiga Tuigamala, Samoan rugby union centre/winger (19 Tests NZ, 23 Samoa; Newcastle Falcons, Auckland RU) and rugby league (2 Tests, Samoa; Wigan Warriors), born in Faleasiu, Western Samoa (d. 2022)
1970 Dave Buchwald, American hacker and phone phreak who consulted on the movie “Hackers”, born in New Haven, Connecticut
1970 Igor Cavalera, Brazilian musician (Sepultura), born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
1970 Ione Skye, British-born American actress (Say Anything), born in Hampstead, London
1971 Anita Yuen, Hong Kong actress (Til Death Do Us Part; C’est la vie, mon chéri), born in Hong Kong
1971 Maik Taylor, Irish soccer goalkeeper (88 caps Northern Ireland; Fulham, Birmingham City), born in Hildesheim, Germany
1972 Daniel Nestor, Canadian tennis player (Olympic gold doubles 2000; 12 x Grand Slam doubles titles; Tour Finals 2007, 08, 10, 11), born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1972 Danny Ponce, American actor (Willie-Valerie/Hogan Family), born in Waltham, Massachusetts

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Historical Events on September 4

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September 4, 2025

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Spitz’s Record 7th Gold

1972 US 4 x 100 m medley relay team of Mike Stamm, Tom Bruce, Mark Spitz, and Jerry Heidenreich sets a world record of 3:48.16 to win gold at the Munich Olympics; Mark Spitz becomes the first athlete to win seven Olympic gold medals at a single Games

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What Happened on September 4

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September 4, 2025

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Major Events

More September 4 Events

Fun Fact About September 4

A “magic carpet” that can help prevent falls among the elderly by warning them of unusual footsteps is developed by researchers at the University of Manchester

September 4, 2012

Articles, Photos and Quiz

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41,000 Years Ago, Something Weird in Space Changed How Humans Lived on Earth

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September 4, 2025

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Aurora Bands Extending Across Earth’s Atmosphere — Wandering magnetic fields would have had noticeable effects for humans. Credit: Maximilian Schanner (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany)

Weak magnetic fields once exposed humans to radiation. People adapted with shelter, clothing, and mineral protection.

Our first meeting was a bit awkward. One of us is an archaeologist who studies how past peoples interacted with their environments. Two of us are geophysicists who investigate interactions between solar activity and Earth’s magnetic field.

When we first got together, we wondered whether our unconventional project, linking space weather and human behavior, could actually bridge such a vast disciplinary divide. Now, two years on, we believe the payoffs – personal, professional and scientific – were well worth the initial discomfort.

Our collaboration, which culminated in a recent paper in the journal Science Advances, began with a single question: What happened to life on Earth when the planet’s magnetic field nearly collapsed roughly 41,000 years ago?

Weirdness when Earth’s magnetic shield falters

The event is known as the Laschamps Excursion, a short but intense geomagnetic disruption named after volcanic deposits in France where it was first discovered. Near the end of the Pleistocene epoch, Earth’s magnetic poles did not undergo a full reversal, as they typically do every few hundred thousand years. Instead, they shifted erratically across thousands of miles, while the strength of the magnetic field fell to less than 10% of its present level.

Auroras in the Skies Above Europe — Aurors in the skies above Europe could have been breathtaking, terrifying or both for ancient humans. Credit: The Conversation

Under normal conditions, Earth’s magnetic field behaves like a stable dipole, similar to a bar magnet. During the Laschamps Excursion, however, it broke apart into several weaker poles scattered across the globe. This fragmentation weakened the magnetosphere, Earth’s natural shield that normally blocks much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the surface.

With the magnetosphere compromised, models suggest that a variety of near-Earth effects would have occurred. Auroras, which today are usually confined to the polar regions, likely appeared much closer to the equator, and the planet was exposed to significantly higher levels of solar radiation than we experience now.

The skies some 41,000 years ago may therefore have been both dazzling and dangerous. Recognizing this, we as geophysicists began to wonder how such conditions might have influenced human populations of the time.

From an archaeological perspective, the answer was clear: they were indeed affected.

Human responses to ancient space weather

For people living during this period, the auroras would likely have been the most visible and dramatic consequence, perhaps provoking awe, fear, ritual practices, or other responses that are difficult to trace. The archaeological record rarely preserves direct evidence of such emotional or cognitive reactions.

The physiological consequences of heightened ultraviolet exposure, however, are easier to assess. With the magnetic field weakened, more harmful radiation reached the surface, increasing the risks of sunburn, vision damage, birth defects, and other health concerns.

Red Ochre Stone — Naturally occurring ochre can act as a protective sunscreen if applied to skin. Credit: Museo Egizio di Torino

In response, people may have adopted practical measures: spending more time in caves, producing tailored clothing for better coverage, or applying mineral pigment “sunscreen” made of ochre to their skin. As we describe in our recent paper, the frequency of these behaviors indeed appears to have increased across parts of Europe, where effects of the Laschamps Excursion were pronounced and prolonged.

During this time, both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens inhabited Europe, though their ranges likely overlapped only in certain regions. Archaeological findings indicate that these populations responded differently to environmental pressures, with some relying more heavily on shelter or material culture as forms of protection.

It is important to emphasize that the research does not claim space weather alone drove these changes in behavior, nor that the Laschamps event was responsible for Neanderthal extinction—a common misinterpretation. Instead, it may have been one of several factors, an unseen but influential force shaping human adaptation and innovation.

Cross-discipline collaboration

Collaborating across such a disciplinary gap was, at first, daunting. But it turned out to be deeply rewarding.

Archaeologists are used to reconstructing now-invisible phenomena like climate. We can’t measure past temperatures or precipitation directly, but they’ve left traces for us to interpret if we know where and how to look.

Aurora Ring Encircling Earth in Artistic Rendering — An artistic rendering of how far into lower latitudes the aurora might have been visible during the Laschamps Excursion. Credit: Maximilian Schanner (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany)

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$1 Billion Saved Each Year? Scientists Question Adult Booster Shots

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September 3, 2025

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Vaccine Syringes Money — Scientists say childhood vaccines may protect for life, making adult tetanus and diphtheria boosters unnecessary — a change that could save $1 billion a year. Credit: Shutterstock

New evidence suggests that adults may not need routine tetanus and diphtheria booster shots after all, potentially saving the U.S. around $1 billion annually.

The protection from childhood vaccinations appears to last for decades, matching findings from the U.K., where boosters haven’t been given since the 1950s, yet disease rates remain extremely low.

Potential Billion-Dollar Savings

A new review led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University suggests the United States could safely eliminate routine tetanus and diphtheria booster shots for adults and save roughly $1 billion every year.

The researchers stressed that these savings and safety depend on keeping childhood vaccination rates consistently high.

“By maintaining high childhood vaccination coverage, we not only protect kids, but we may actually be able to reduce adult booster vaccinations,” said lead author Mark Slifka, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine and the Oregon National Primate Research Center. “That would save $1 billion a year in the U.S. while maintaining the safety and protection of the general population.”

Slifka added that ending the 10-year booster schedule would bring U.S. practices more in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization.

Decades of Immunity Confirmed

The review builds on earlier OHSU studies published in 2016 and 2020, which found that the combined tetanus and diphtheria vaccine provides immunity lasting at least 30 years. That protection far exceeds the current guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises adults to receive a booster every 10 years. The vaccine is most often administered as the combination shot for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, known as DTaP.

In the United States, children are scheduled to receive six doses of this vaccine between infancy and age 12.

According to the review, eliminating routine adult boosters would be safe as long as childhood vaccination coverage remains strong. Boosters could still be given in specific situations, such as after serious injuries like workplace accidents or car crashes, where tetanus exposure is a concern.

Natural Experiment in Europe

Published recently in the journal Clinical Microbiology Reviews, the review highlights a comparison between two industrialized countries just 21 miles across the English Channel: France and the United Kingdom. Both countries have excellent childhood vaccination coverage, similar to the U.S.

“This represents sort of an experiment of nature,” Slifka said. “We have one country with over 60 million people that for decades has continued to vaccinate adults throughout their lifetime and another nearby country that also has over 60 million people, but over the past 50 years, they have never recommended adult booster vaccinations.

“The question we asked is, ‘What happens if we don’t vaccinate the adults? Are there more cases of disease or are these people protected after completing their childhood vaccination series?’”

France vs. United Kingdom Outcomes

Similar to the United States, France has a recommended booster vaccination schedule for adults. In contrast, except during pregnancy or for wound management, the United Kingdom hasn’t recommended boosters for tetanus and diphtheria beyond age 14 since the 1950s.

Yet, despite decades of adult booster vaccination, the review found that France had virtually no advantage over the U.K. in the rates of tetanus or diphtheria. In fact, the review found that the UK had a slightly lower rate overall.

Herd Immunity Holds Strong

In addition, “herd immunity” held strong even in 2022 when the U.K. reported an outbreak of 73 imported diphtheria cases among immigrants seeking asylum. This spike in cases was almost equal to the total number of diphtheria cases reported in the entire country over the previous 20 years combined.

“Remarkably, despite this proportionally large influx of imported diphtheria cases, there was no evidence of transmission reported among other asylum seekers who arrived by other routes or among staff or health care workers,” the authors write.

The U.K. Health Security Agency concluded that the country’s current childhood-focused vaccination program is sufficient for preventing the spread of diphtheria and that the risk to the general UK population remains low.

Vaccines’ Life-Saving Impact

The findings highlight the remarkable durability of protection following childhood vaccination against a pair of diseases that were once all but a death sentence.

In 1948, the U.S. mortality rate for tetanus was 91%. Before the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines, the mortality rate for diphtheria was roughly 50%. To this day, diphtheria kills roughly one out of 10 people who aren’t vaccinated against it.

Childhood Vaccinations Keep Us Safe

Today, the public health threat is diminished thanks to childhood vaccinations as well as booster shots recommended in pregnancy.

“Thanks to childhood vaccinations, these diseases are incredibly rare,” Slifka said. “In fact, you’re 10 to 1,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be diagnosed with tetanus and diphtheria in the United States.”

Reference: “Lessons learned from successful implementation of tetanus and diphtheria vaccination programs” by Mark K. Slifka, Archana Thomas, Lina Gao, Ian J. Amanna and Walter A. Orenstein, 15 July 2025, Clinical Microbiology Reviews.
DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00031-25

In addition to Slifka, co-authors include Archana Thomas and Lina Gao, Ph.D., of OHSU; Ian J. Amanna, Ph.D., of Najít Technologies, and Walter A. Orenstein, M.D., of the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health, award number P51OD011092. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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When Did Humans First Colonize Australia? Sahul Colonizers Arrived Later Than The Commonly Held 65,000-Year Timeframe

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September 3, 2025

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Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – A new study by a Utah anthropologist, using genetic studies, has concluded that Sahul colonizers arrived later than the commonly held 65,000-year timeframe.

Gwion Gwion rock paintings in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, taken at a site off Kalumburu Road near the King Edward River. Image c redit: TimJN1 -Source –Bradshaw Art

Aboriginal Australian culture is regarded as humanity’s oldest continuous living culture. Existing scientific literature estimated their arrival on the continent of Australia at 65,000 years ago as a group known as the Sahul peoples. However, recent genetics research led by the University of Utah that analyzes traces of Neanderthal DNA in Homo sapiens suggests the actual origination date was no more than 50,000 years ago.

In collaboration with a colleague from Australia’s La Trobe University, James O’Connell, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology, reported new findings in a study in the journal Archaeology in Oceania. The team highlights conclusions from previous studies that argue Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred only once, over a period of several thousand years—between 43,500 and 51,500 before present, or BP.

Most modern humans, including Indigenous Australians, carry 1–4% Neanderthal DNA. The logic follows that modern Aborigine ancestors’ arrival on the continent could not have predated this time range.

Moreover, the dating of most archaeological sites across Australia points to a range between 43,000 and 54,000 years. “The colonization date falls within that interval,” O’Connell said. “That puts it in the same time range as the beginning of the displacement of Neanderthal populations in western Eurasia by anatomically modern humans.”

Other hominids, such as Homo erectus, had lived in Southeast Asia for more than a million years, but had not crossed overseas in large enough numbers to create a stable population in Australia. That is an important measure of the significance of Homo sapiens’ arrival.

Dating archaeological sites using OSL

One important Australian outlier among archaeological sites, O’Connell notes, is Madjedbebe, a site dated within a range of 59,000 to 70,000 years ago. The dating technique used in a 2017 study of Madjedbebe published in Nature was optically stimulated luminescence, or OSL. The technique reads minerals, typically quartz or feldspar, recovered at the site like a “clock” by measuring the energy they store. Radiation accumulates when these minerals are buried, then released when they are exposed to light. Measurements of the amount released determine when the minerals were last exposed to light.

The site has been subject to sand deposition, which may explain the estimated age of the artifacts. “The question for us has not been about the validity of the date. It’s about the relationship between the date and material evidence of human presence—that is, artifacts. In that part of Australia, many older archaeological sites are in situations where the depositional environment is a sand sheet. Material can move down through those deposits over time.”

Artifacts that are heavier than sand could settle through the sand deposit over time, and as a result, the dating process may have accurately analyzed the age of the sand deposits but not the artifacts they come to contain.

O’Connell also reviewed the hurdles the first Sahul peoples to arrive in Australia would have faced. The Sahul likely relied on rafts or canoes for exploration from Southeast Asia and colonization of Australia. But several challenges existed: first, they would need to engineer marine-capable watercraft that could pass through a “formidable ecological barrier,” the Wallacean archipelago, spanning 1,500 kilometers. Island-hopping through the archipelago, now comprising the nation of Indonesia, to Australia would involve at least eight separate crossings, the longest being 90 kilometers.

Early colonizers arrived in at least four groups

Moreover, these journeys would need to support a sizable population. Citing mitochondrial data, O’Connell noted: “Genomic analysis shows that early human colonizing populations included at least four separate mitochondrial lineages. Simple modeling exercises show that establishing each lineage on Sahul required the presence of at least five–10 women of reproductive age, which implies census populations of at least 25–50 individuals per lineage among the founders.”

The analysis indicates that these founding populations arrived within a short timeframe, lasting just a few centuries.

“This strongly suggests that colonizing passage was deliberate, not accidental,” O’Connell said,” and that it required sturdy rafts or canoes capable of holding, say, 10 or more people each plus the food and water needed to sustain those folks on open ocean voyages of up to several days, and of making headway against occasionally contrary ocean currents.”

Altogether, this technological progression adds more weight to a post-50,000-year arrival date, with other innovations and behavioral shifts—including cave art, tools, and ornaments—emerging in that timeframe.

The 50,000-year hypothesis has been a focus of the Australian anthropological debate since 2018. Four separate genetics studies have outlined the DNA ancestries of modern Indigenous New Guineans and Australians, concluding they could not have arrived earlier than 55,000 years ago. The other side of the debate continues to favor a 65,000-year date, which O’Connell disputes.

“I would expect in the next five years or so, the pendulum is going to swing back to general agreement for an under 50,000-year date for Australian colonization. It links up with the broader Eurasian record of an out-of-Africa population wave that spreads across Eurasia—a process that occurs over several thousand years. That raises all kinds of questions about why it happens, what it involves, what prompts it, and what changes in behavior are indicated in greater detail than they are now.”

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Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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SETI context and technosignatures

Deep Space Network transmission patterns

Likelihood of alien detection

Expanding the search with future telescopes

Broader implications for future SETI efforts

Weirdness when Earth’s magnetic shield falters

Human responses to ancient space weather

Cross-discipline collaboration

Potential Billion-Dollar Savings

Decades of Immunity Confirmed

Natural Experiment in Europe

France vs. United Kingdom Outcomes

Herd Immunity Holds Strong

Vaccines’ Life-Saving Impact

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