Latest Stories from Jamie
Broken achievements & trophies should not still be a thing
For the ‘completionists’ among us gamers, there’s nothing more frustrating than fulfilling the requirements for a trophy or achievement and seeing it remain locked. Though rarely talked about, this is a significant point of tension between consumers and studios. Picture this, you’ve just completed an entire playthrough of a game on the hardest difficulty setting without dying or restarting a checkpoint, it’s been a 16-hour slog. Having failed several times prior,...
The G20 poured $1trn into fossil fuel subsidies last year
After failing to reach a consensus on phasing down fossil fuels last month, it has since been revealed that the G20 poured $1trn into fossil fuel subsidies in 2022. It’s all starting to make sense. Last month, a crunch G20 meeting took place in India in which the world’s wealthiest nations were expected to thrash out decarbonisation plans for the foreseeable future. In reality, four days were spent deliberating semantics and no...
Could a NYT lawsuit threaten the future of generative AI?
The New York Times recently updated its terms of service to prohibit AI companies from scraping its articles and images. OpenAI, meanwhile, has allegedly continued to exploit the newspaper’s content igniting reports of a potentially industry-altering lawsuit. The grossly unregulated world of AI could soon be shaken up drastically, if reports are to be believed. Just weeks after the New York Times made the bold decision to preclude AI companies...
Zero-degree line at record height amid EU heatwaves and fires
Climate scientists typically use weather balloons to monitor the threshold for warming air. In Switzerland, the latest balloon climbed a record 5,300 metres before temperatures fell to zero degrees. We just keep on breaking records for the wrong reasons. Amid a backdrop of late summer heatwaves and raging wildfires across Europe, meteorologists set out to measure the zero degree line of our climate for 2023. If you’re unfamiliar, this term refers to...
Fascist outfits are exploiting climate disasters to find recruits
When climate disaster strikes, usually nobody wins. Far-right groups, however, have been determined to land new recruits by masquerading as caring and supportive citizens. The word ‘conniving’ needs updating in the dictionary with some examples we’re about to hit on here. Following a severe storm which swept through Vermont last month, several communities were upended by flooding and destruction. With residents left feeling downtrodden and plucking through wreckage, who came...
UK grooming cases reach record highs amid online safety law delay
Amid the butting of heads between UK ministers and tech firms over end-to-end encryption, instances of child grooming have reached record highs in 2023. The ongoing impasse over end-to-end encryption is having severe consequences in the UK. In order to appease app users, an increasing number of tech firms are offering encrypted messaging services, which means that only the sender and recipient can view any exchange of content. Not even the...
Xbox introduces strict ‘strike’ system to prevent online abuse
Microsoft’s latest effort to curtail online abuse on Xbox will involve a new ‘strike’ system which may see offending players suspended for up to a year. The tired misconception that the gaming community is toxic has largely been dispelled, but there’s always room for improvement. The latest in a slew of efforts to curb harassment, bullying, and hate speech has seen Microsoft introduce a new ‘strike’ system for Xbox, which...
Google AI is helping to combat flying’s stubborn contrail emissions
The thin white clouds that linger behind planes are called contrails, and they’re a significant contributor to flying emissions. Here’s how Google AI is finally helping to address the problem. The small white clouds left behind by airplanes are called contrails – short for condensation trails – and they’re responsible for a third of all global warming tied to the aviation industry. Forming when planes fly at high altitudes through humid...
PsychoGenics is using AI to rapidly screen for psychotic treatments
PsychoGenics has developed a drug-discovery application powered by AI technology. Its first objective is to find a formula capable of effectively treating schizophrenia. The development of new drugs is an impressive science, but most cases begin with an educated hunch and a lot of guess work. Around only 1 in 1,000 candidates for new treatments ever make it to clinical trials for human testing, and just 1 in 10 of these...
Climate change impacts reportedly making cholera outbreaks worse
The bacteria behind one of history’s deadliest diseases is thriving again due, in-part, to the increased frequency of extreme weather. Outbreaks in 2022 were reportedly up 50% on yearly averages. Last year, some 200,000 Malawians were displaced by two tropical storms in a single month and around 60 people died. 19 months on from the tragedy, cholera outbreaks have completely deviated from their usual patterns and experts are concerned. As cholera...
