Does the post-apocalypse shooter ‘The Day Before’ really exist?
‘The Day Before’ has been billed as a massive online post-apocalypse zombie shooter. It is the second most wish-listed game on Steam and has lapped up serious levels of hype. There’s only one catch – nobody is sure if it actually exists. When I mention video game disasters, what...
Current in Tech
Could gene-editing be used to treat mental illness?
Just as the technology is promising new therapies for everything from heart disease to cancer, some researchers believe that tinkering with the epigenome could help reverse the damage done by trauma. In recent years, scientists have made strides towards treating diseases through gene-editing technology, their most promising breakthrough being the...
Could this mushroom one day replace plastic?
Researchers are studying the molecular structure of fomes fomentarius, a fungus with the remarkable ability to yield a wide range of materials with different properties. If you’re familiar with my writing, by now I’m sure you’re well aware of my deep-rooted obsession with all things mycelium. This is pretty understandable,...
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...
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...
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...
Gen Z rejects consumer culture with ‘de-influencing’
Instead of waxing lyrical about the latest launches, social media content creators are increasingly advising followers against purchases and calling criticism to cult-favourite products. Social media has always been synonymous with influencing. From the earliest stages of Instagram to our current, obsessive product pushing culture, nearly everyone who has ever used the internet has been swayed into buying something through influencer recommendations. Open the comment section of a...
Scientists believe live bacteria could be eating ocean plastic
It’s hard to believe any living thing could survive on a diet consisting of plastic, but new research has revealed that certain bacteria have found a way to ingest ocean pollution – making it disappear altogether. If you’ve been visiting Thred for a while, you’re likely well-versed in how serious our global plastic pollution problem is. We have written a ton about how the 12 million tons of plastic dumped into...
Spotify lays off 6% of work force in latest tech cuts
Music streaming platform Spotify is to cut 6% of its 10,000 employee work force, after hiring aggressively over the pandemic period. It is line with other tech companies who have stripped back their workforces. Spotify will be letting 6% of its work force go after major cuts to improve company ‘efficiency’. CEO Daniel Ek has said that he was ‘too ambitious’ and expanded the company too quickly. It follows similar...
Scientists create ‘vagina on a chip’ to advance sexual health research
Medical conditions affecting people with vulvas are notoriously understudied, but recent developments in the field suggest that things might finally be about to change. Scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University have created the world’s first ‘vagina on a chip,’ a development that could prove significant in bridging several knowledge gaps on women’s sexual health. It comes amid growing furore towards prevailing bias in the medical sphere, which still...
