How Twitter is helping to monitor and save forests
To monitor how trees are being affected by changes in their immediate environment, researchers are hooking them up to Twitter using a suite of sensors on and around their trunks. If you’d told me a few years ago that, in 2021, trees would be tweeting, I’d have likely laughed...
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Colorado scientists grow first plants from Martian soil
In what’s being described as an extraordinary breakthrough in the aim of eventually colonising Mars, Colorado scientists have grown the first ever plants in Martian soil. We have definitive proof that the clover really is a lucky plant. Inside a research greenhouse at Colorado State University, agricultural biology student Franklin Harris...
Leaked report shows Instagram knows it damages mental health
An internal presentation outlining two years of research on the psychological effects of Instagram has been leaked. The reports conflict with company representative’s public narratives of the platform. By now, we’re all aware of the potentially negative consequences of social media use, whether that knowledge was obtained through our own...
Phykos creates AI seaweed planting vessels to naturally store carbon
With the aim of creating more natural carbon banks, Phykos has pioneered an autonomous device capable of growing seaweed in shallow water and dragging it out to the open ocean. As you’ve probably heard by now, seaweed is good for a whole lot more than livening up your weekly stir...
Apple is collecting iPhone data to help detect underlying mental health issues
Apple believes health data gathered from our iPhones, such as sleep patterns and typing behaviour, may help to identify underlying mental health conditions or cognitive decline. We’ve all experienced that dystopian moment when a targeted phone ad pops up for an item you were just talking about. But this is...
Most Gen Zers worry about being addicted to their phones
A new survey of over 2,000 adults by OnePoll indicates that almost 75% of young people worry about smartphone addiction. Should we be surprised at the numbers? Every wondered if you rely on your phone too much? Taking gadgets to the bathroom, sleeping next to a charger, or catching up...
El Salvador citizens up in arms as Bitcoin becomes legal tender
All businesses with the capacity to accept crypto payments must legally do so in El Salvador. But why exactly are citizens up in arms over the changes imposed by President Nayib Bukele? Once a novel business endeavour among young US traders, crypto currency is continuously spreading – much like a virus, if you ask the citizens of El Salvador. On Wednesday (15/09), thousands of Salvadorans took to the streets to protest...
Is voice AI on the verge of a marketing explosion?
AI speech synthesisers may feel like a novel gimmick now, but as the technology becomes more sophisticated, could we see a full-scale integration into the marketing world? Apparently, AI audio synthesisers are about to get a whole load more sophisticated than Eminem’s rap generator. Like that’s even possible. Despite the many ethical issues surrounding the recreational use of AI and its potential for nefarious uses - with non-consensual deepfake porn, doctored...
Can fungi become a pillar for toxic waste clean ups?
In the last 20 years, mushrooms have proved a natural and cost-effective way of cleaning oil spills, contaminated soil, and toxic metals from lakes. Given our current climate crisis, should we be utilising fungi more? If you’re of the opinion that mushrooms are only good for a tasty risotto or brief invincibility in Super Mario, this deep dive into the environmental application of fungi will blow your mind more than...
Twitch begins its clampdown on hate raids after streamer boycotts
After streamers staged a 24-hour boycott on the platform in response to recurring hate raids, Twitch has finally started its legal clampdown on key offenders behind in-app harassment. For RekitRaven and other key streamers behind the growing #TwitchDoBetter movement, it’s safe to say: congratulations, the platform has definitely responded. Late last month, we covered a story explaining the anti-progressive trend of ‘hate raids’ on Twitch, whereby bigoted users coordinate to...
