The LA Fires could finally be the turning point for the tide
Over 153,000 people have been evacuated and 176,000 people were under warnings as of Saturday due to wildfires in the US state of California, Los Angeles sheriff’s department said. It added that the wildfires were under an “active and fluid investigation”. Meanwhile, National Weather Service said that winds will pick up this weekend and through Wednesday.
What do researchers think about Facebook dropping fact-checking?
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while discussing Facebook’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program, said, “We’re doing this right after the election because people think the timing is good for it.” He added, “When one party…is spreading most of the misinformation, it’s going to look like fact-checks are biased because they’re getting called out way more.”
After the Supreme Court argued about TikTok’s case, it is likely that it will be banned
TikTok may be blocked in the US by January 19 if its owner, ByteDance, does not sell the US business by that date. US President-elect Donald Trump had originally proposed thatByteDance be forced to sell TikTok during his first presidential term, but has since reversed course. Trump has a number of options, including instructing his administration to not enforce the law.
The US would have a TikTok Ban
The US Supreme Court is set to hear TikTok’s appeal against the state of the Union law that would force the Chinese video-sharing app to shut down in the US. TikTok claims its data collection practices aren’t different from those of the leading US social media apps. However, the company says forcing it to stop working in the US represents an unprecedented government suppression of free speech.
These Newly Identified Cells may change the way plastic surgery is done
Researchers from California’s UC Irvine have found that bubble-wrap cells in skull and nose give extra cushion to various body parts. The findings showed that these cells are neither chondrocyte, adipocyte nor chondrocyte-like cells, researchers said. This could result in future implants that will be soft and flexible, a plastic surgeon who did not participate in the study said.
The leader of the far right in Germany agreed with the description of Hitler as a Communist
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has said that left-wing groups who support Palestine are more in common with Nazis than with the leader of the Alternative Deutschland (ADF) party. Musk’s comments came amid controversy over him hosting a debate with Alternative Deutschland’s leader on his platform X Spaces. Alternative Deutschland claims that it is the “sole protector of the Jewish people” in Germany.
The Switch 2 leaks keep coming
Japanese accessories-maker Genki has released a 3D-printed mockup of what it says is Nintendo’s Switch 2. The mockup was produced using 3D printing technology to show the full size of the Joy-con controllers that are expected to be part of the console. Genki Co-founder Eddie Tsai said the Joy-con will be attached to the console via magnets, instead of a sliding rail.
The ification of Meta is done using X-ification
Facebook-owned social media platform Meta has announced it will end its fact-checking program and cut down its rules barring hate speech in a move allegedly aimed at appeasing President-elect Donald Trump. It has also changed its community guidelines which allow users to make blatantly anti-gay, sexist and racist posts without consequences. Meta said it would be ending its third-party fact-checking program.
The next frontier in genetics is heritable polygenic editing
Researchers have warned that if polygenic genome editing (HPE) is implemented in developing countries, it could result in ” polygenic diseases becoming even more concentrated” in developing countries. HPE can be used to reduce blood pressure, risk factor for common diseases and medical or non-medical applications, they added. It’s possible to modify multiple variants at once, known as polygenic genome editing.
Omi is not just an Artificial Intelligence companion, but is trying to read your mind as well
American startup Omi’s Co-founder Sergey Shevchenko, in an interview with the Verge, said that the startup’s new product Omi helps him understand what he should be working on tomorrow. He further said that Omi’s notifications make no sense, like the one he got after our call. Shevchenko added that he changed the name of the startup to avoid confusion.