Latest Stories from Jamie
A beginner’s side hustle guide for introverted entrepreneurs
If at the end of a normal working day, the prospect of yet more formal interaction doesn’t appeal, here are some ways you can generate extra funds while keeping to yourself. It takes all sorts to make a world, but everyone deserves a chance to make bank. Side hustle is a word that has increasingly entered the zeitgeist in recent years. Having a second paid gig on the fly to supplement...
Spotify launches AI DJ for personalised playlists with virtual hosts
Everyone wants their go with the aux, and Spotify is no different. The ubiquitous music streamer has created an AI DJ feature capable of curating original playlists while providing intermittent commentary like a radio host. Let’s face it, AI is inevitably coming for all of our livelihoods - commercial or creative. Not even DJs are safe. The central story with AI at the moment is understandably Microsoft vs Alphabet, and...
The rise of AI chatbots could create an ecological nightmare
The race for Silicon Valley giants to integrate AI language generators into internet search engines could cause a five-fold demand in computing power and massive carbon emissions. The commercial road-map for AI text generators has now been established. With humble beginnings in recreational uses, like creating original song lyrics, poems, and even acing school assignments, the technology has now become a lucrative obsession for Silicon Valley giants. In early February, news...
Scientists examine Antarctica’s thawing ‘Doomsday Glacier’
Scientists have gotten a first look at what’s thawing away Antarctica's giant Thwaites ice shelf - dubbed the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ due to its huge sea rise potential. There’s positives and negatives to be taken. Sea levels are said to have risen between 21 and 24 centimetres since 1880, and high-tide flooding is twice as common as it was a decade ago. Primarily attributed to melting ice sheets and glaciers, there are...
NASA’s graphene battery could overtake lithium in the EV revolution
NASA has been testing a new graphene battery that could one day sustainably power our electric planes and road vehicles. Have we already found the natural progression beyond lithium EV batteries, even though they’ve yet to replace gas? Possibly is the answer. Beyond its space-based endeavours, NASA is occupied with furthering humanity as we strive to solve our biggest problems. In the ultimate goal of avoiding irreversible shifts to our climate, there...
Male contraceptive pill prototype stops sperm swimming
Scientists have developed a prototype for a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill which actively prevents sperm cells from being able to swim. When it comes to contraception, the burden of responsibility has traditionally been put on the woman in the equation, particularly when talking about means of chemical prevention. Scientists are working to create alternatives that can be taken by men to temporarily limit fertility, however, expanding options beyond just condoms or...
Oil from Super Bowl food is being turned into airplane fuel
The greasy snacks bought by some 15,000 Super Bowl attendees on Sunday will imminently be used to sustainably power commercial airplanes. Work that one out. What was your highlight of the Super Bowl LVII on Sunday... Rihanna’s questionable yet spectacular halftime performance, perhaps Kansas City’s dramatic late comeback spearheaded by injury doubt Patrick Mahomes? All close contenders, our standout moment resided in the stadium carpark where three 270-gallon vats filled with...
Could clouds of moon dust temper global warming?
Scientists at the University of Utah believe firing millions of tons of moon dust into the atmosphere could help to prevent global warming. The best answer is often the simplest... is a mantra being emphatically shunned by climate scientists at the University of Utah. The group of researchers at the institution have been running computer simulations to test what is undoubtedly the most unorthodox climate mitigation scheme yet: launching millions of...
Google announces ChatGPT rival ‘Bard’ with botched ad
In a few short weeks, Google will be rolling out its AI powered chatbot ‘Bard’ and it has everything to do with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Another has entered the field of battle... and already faltered. Last month, we wrote a story about ChatGPT and questioned whether a coming premium tier of its chatbot would spark an industry-wide scramble for commercial AI. Not to toot our own horn, but we were bang on...
Opinion – Netflix’s anti-password sharing plan will surely backfire
Netflix has finally done it. Months of speculation re incoming anti-password sharing plans have manifested angering subscribers the world over. Are streaming platforms now completely out of touch? Once the undisputed king of the streaming farmyard, Netflix now seems hellbent on alienating its subscribers with a continuous slew of dodgy decisions. Tossing beloved shows away with the zest of a liberated hoarder, Netflix cancelled some 20 series last year, many of which...
