CD Projekt Red announces menstrual leave for employees
CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has announced menstrual leave for employees experiencing pain from their period or menopause. Is this an indication of a more progressive industry going forward? CD Projekt Red has had its fair share of turbulence in recent years,...
Current in Tech
It’s time to begin reflecting sunlight back into space says UN
An open letter has been signed by more than 60 US scientists calling for funded research into ‘solar engineering’ as a global warming deterrent. In laymen’s terms, they want to explore methods of reflecting Earth-bound sunlight back into space. While most ecological NGOs and activists continue to obsess over bringing...
OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 is helping the visually impaired
The ubiquitous generative AI chatbot is already answering daily queries for visually impaired people with more detail and efficiency than human volunteers. While the recreational uses of AI continue to make headlines every week, the technology’s ability to make day-to-day living more accessible is going under the radar. Largely regarded as...
Scientists use sound waves to remove microplastics from waterways
The surprisingly basic technology was developed by a team of researchers who believe it could offer a novel solution to the ever-increasing environmental and health threat posed by these tiny particles. Microplastic pollution is a huge problem. The tiny particles, which are undetectable to the human eye and less than 5...
Is Zuckerberg ditching his Metaverse utopia?
A new Meta blog post has outlined how Zuckerberg intends to deliver on his ‘year of efficiency’. 10’000 jobs are to be cut and a further 5’000 open roles are closing. ‘Lower priority projects’ will also be shut down. Is Zuckerberg giving up on the Metaverse? Meta’s CEO Mark...
Heinz unveils Fortnite island to highlight soil degradation
Tomato and bean producer Heinz has unveiled a new community-built Fortnite island that highlights soil degradation. Named ‘S.O.S Tomato Island’, players will be able to explore a reconstructed Heinz tomato farm. Fancy learning more about Heinz tomato production? Need an excuse to jump back into the marketing juggernaut that...
Pathogenic fungi could get stronger as the climate grows warmer
While mushrooms may now be helping combat depression, not all fungi are friends. Evolved types, such as pathogenic fungi, pose a threat to human health and studies warn that climate change could increase their potency. We’ve been warned time and time again about the human health risks posed by a warmer climate. Fighting off infection, reducing the spread of viruses, and stopping novel and dangerous pathogens from travelling between animals and...
NASA readies its JWST successor: Nancy Grace Roman Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope has allowed us to peer further into the cosmos than ever before in its first 15 months, but NASA is already planning for its successor to take the reins before 2027. Let’s look at the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope. Our knowledge of the great expanse is rapidly growing thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Deployed in December 2021, NASA’s flagship infrared explorer instantly took...
How personalised ads are contributing to climate change
A new report from Global Action Plan analysing the scale of unnecessary emissions being generated by Big Tech’s business model has uncovered just how energy intensive it really is. Recently, it’s become all but impossible to use social media without being constantly bombarded with ads. And while online marketing is nothing new, you may have begun noticing that whenever you open up your favourite apps these days, the products being pushed...
Spotify is pivoting toward short-form video content
Music streaming platform Spotify has announced a newly designed user interface that prioritises short-form video and quick preview snippets. It is the latest app to follow TikTok’s design model. Spotify is rolling out a new user interface that focuses on short-form video content. Previous iterations of the app displayed albums, songs, podcasts, and playlists as stacked tiles fixed to your home screen. The updated interface will instead offer an endless,...
