Latest Stories from Jamie
The Elon inspired decline of X reportedly continues
X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to slump in engagement under the management of Elon Musk. Is there a way to stem the continuous decline, or is the platform living on borrowed time? On reflection, surely L would have been a more appropriate title for Elon Muskβs Twitter rebrand. Since the tech tycoon acquired the rights to the blue bird in October 2022, the platform has lost approximately 13% of its...
Space launches are βprofoundlyβ polluting Earthβs atmosphere
A team of researchers has traced atmospheric pollution to types of metal found in rockets and satellites. Is our ozone layer again under threat? In our quest for knowledge and cosmic expansion, is the Space Age leaving dirty fingerprints on our Earthβs stratosphere? A team of researchers recently discovered an abundance of pollutant aerosols lingering within the second layer of the planetβs atmosphere β the majority of which are directly...
Study claims ChatGPT better than GPs at offering depression treatment
Researchers claim ChatGPT may be better than doctors at following recognised treatment standards for depression, eliminating discernible gender or social class biases which can come into play in physician-patient relationships. ChatGPT will see you nowβ¦ come through. OpenAIβs flagship generative AI tool may be better than a doctor at offering advice for dealing with depression, reveals recent findings published in the Family Medicine and Community Health journal. Specifically, researchers point to...
Once discarded coal mines are sustainably heating EU homes
Abandoned coal mines are proving a surprisingly effective source of zero-carbon energy in Europe. Thatβs what you call poetic justice. Itβs strange to think the bones of old fossil fuel mines may actually help our net zero ambitions, but weβll take any win we can get. Throughout parts of Europe, abandoned coal mines have gradually flooded following decades of disuse. This has inadvertently provided an opportunity to generate clean geothermal energy...
Shell partners with Fortnite to push gasoline
In arguably the most brazen example of gross product placement in recent times, Shell is pushing gasoline propaganda through the vehicle of Fortnite.Β What are kids most worried about, climate change... what do kids really like, Fortnite. Roll out the prop!Β In what feels like a work of fiction Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker may have written, oil giant Shell has recently partnered with Fortnite to push its new βV-Power Nitro+β...
Will X navigate a slew of trademark lawsuits?
An endless slew of infringement lawsuits have come Elon Muskβs way since the Twitter to X rebrand. Will the whole thing be short lived, or can the billionaire prevail? Elon Muskβs strange affinity with the letter X isnβt sufficient enough to negate existing licensing laws apparently. Who wouldβve thought? Back in July, when the obsessive billionaire began to implement Twitterβs rebrand to βXβ, we delved into the underlying motivations behind...
Wattpad scraps βPaid Storiesβ for better balanced freemium model
The community storytelling platform has decided to scrap its paywall feature in favour of a new freemium model. βWattpad Originalsβ aims to strike a better balance for authors in terms of monetisation and growing their readership through non-paying users. If this is the first youβre hearing of Wattpad, youβre welcome. The bustling online community is brimming with literary talent that may have otherwise never been discovered and a constantly growing library...
Corporations soon have to report their carbon emissions in California
California is about to sign off on a deal to become the first US state requiring large companies to report their carbon emissions. This will affect around 5,400 firms which make more than $1bn in annual revenue. Considering filling out tax forms for the prior year proves too difficult a task for certain businesses, itβs safe to say a mandate to report annual energy usage and carbon emission outlays will...
Developer protests force Unity to backtrack on greedy policy change
More than 500 game developers signed a collective letter threatening to turn off Unity ad monetisation in response to greedy and blindsiding policy changes announced earlier this month. Unity is already backtracking. Game developers are refusing to be taken for a ride, and weβre here for it. Earlier this month, Unity Technologies β the company behind the cross-platform game engine Unity β blindsided hundreds of game developers with a slew of...
Opinion β UK XL bully ban will ultimately fail to prevent dog attacks
The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced a ban on the American XL bully breed following a rise in serious dog attacks last year. Hereβs why I believe the move is short-sighted, tokenistic, and ultimately destined to fail. Does the UK government enjoy anything more than a knee-jerk reaction these days? Here I sit, exasperated, pleading that policymakers adopt a holistic and sensible approach to addressing a serious issue...
