Chinese Auto Brand Jiyue Closes Down

The Chinese auto brand Jiyue, created by Geely in collaboration with Baidu, is closing down – it owes millions to investors and suppliers, and a sudden 'financial hole' of nearly $1 billion has surfaced in reporting. The company was founded in 2023, and during its existence, it managed to release two models – crossover 01 and liftback 07, which sold only 13,834 units, an incredibly low number by Chinese standards.

Elon Musk's Potential City

Elon Musk may have his own city: he wants to turn the Texas spaceport Starbase into one. According to the billionaire, hundreds of people already live there permanently, building their own roads, having a school, a hospital, and more, so granting Starbase city status is a logical step. The final decision will need to be made by Texas residents through a vote.

Google Releases 'Meteorologist Killer'

Google has released the 'Meteorologist Killer'. The company launched GenCast - an AI model for weather forecasting, trained on weather data from 1979 to 2018. Test results were astonishing: GenCast outperformed the leading European forecasting model ENS in 97.2% of cases.

New flying car unveiled in China

A new flying car has been unveiled in China. The Italian startup Manta Aircraft brought the crazy hybrid ANN 6 to the air show in Zhuhai. The electric beast for 6 people can take off like a helicopter and move silently. The air taxi's maximum speed is 330 km/h, and the flight range is 1000 km.

New World Champion

18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju from India has become the youngest world champion in chess history, breaking Garry Kasparov's record, who won this title at the age of 22. In the final, the young man defeated Chinese chess player Ding Liren with a score of 7.5:6.5. Their match lasted from November 25 to December 12 and concluded after the 58th move.

Elon Musk's Underwater Tunnel

Elon Musk stated that his Boring Company will be able to build an underwater tunnel between New York and London for just $20 billion. The trip through it would take only 54 minutes.

Scientists discover whale crossing 3 oceans for mating

Scientists have discovered a whale that crossed three oceans for the sake of mating. A certain humpback wanted to mate and swam 13,046 km from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean in search of a female. The relentless male set a new migration record for reproduction.

Japanese company Asahi Sake Brewery to brew sake in orbit

The Japanese company Asahi Sake Brewery will attempt to brew sake in orbit. In the Japanese module 'Kibo' on the ISS, fermentation of the rice starter will take place, then the product will be brought back to Earth, pressed, and bottled. The drink will be named Dassai Moon - Space Brewing.

Chinese airplane accidentally hits bird flock

A Chinese airline aircraft accidentally hit an entire flock of birds upon landing. Interestingly, tens of thousands of such collisions occur worldwide each year - they usually end tragically only for the birds, but there are exceptions, such as when engines fail. The damage from this is estimated at ~$1.2 billion annually.

Mass Death of Children's Robots Expected in the USA

Preparations are underway in the USA for the mass death of children's robots. The startup Embodied, which sold thousands of AI robot friends Moxie for children aged 5 to 10, has announced its closure. Now parents do not know how to explain to their children that their robot friend will die in a few days. Moreover, the startup offers no guarantee for the refund of the robots' cost - $800. Embodied explained the project closure by an unsuccessful "critical funding round".

Clever Elephant Extorts Treats on Sri Lanka's Roads

On the roads of Sri Lanka, a clever elephant is blocking the way for cars and demanding treats for passage. He doesn't "stop" all vehicles, mainly targeting buses, seemingly understanding that they have more people and therefore a higher chance of getting food.

New Addition to Unusual Guinness Records

A new entry in the collection of unusual Guinness records. Romanian Zoltan Turzo hit a piano key 500 times in 30 seconds, surpassing the achievement of Japanese Keita Hattori (495 times). This marks the third world record in the musician's career: previously, he performed the longest piano marathon (130 hours straight) and gave a concert at an altitude of 5,798 meters.

Bill Gates' Holiday Book Recommendations

Bill Gates has traditionally shared his book recommendations for the holidays. According to him, all the books help to better understand the world around us. 1. "An Unfinished Love Story" by Doris Kearns Goodwin; 2. "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt; 3. "Engineering in Plain Sight" by Grady Hillhouse; 4. "The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman. Bonus book: "Federer" by Doris Henkel. This is a biography of the famous tennis player Roger Federer.

Rocket Car for Sale in the USA

A car that accelerates to nearly 1000 km/h will be put up for sale in the USA. In 2025, the Spirit of America Sonic I rocket car, which in 1965 accelerated to 965 kilometers per hour, will go under the hammer. The car is equipped with a GE J79 turbojet engine with an afterburner and has a 10-meter long body resembling an airplane fuselage.

China Releases 'Apple Vision Pro Killer'

China has released the 'Apple Vision Pro Killer'. The company XReal has unveiled the most advanced AR glasses in the world - the XReal One. They are four times faster than the Apple device, produce a cinema-like image, provide better sound thanks to the Bose audio system, and look like ordinary glasses.

Japanese Workers Now Have 4-Day Workweek

170,000 civil servants in Tokyo will have a 3-day weekend. Parents are the luckiest: Each workday will be reduced by 2 hours for them. This way, the government hopes to reduce the burnout rate among workers.

Revolutionary Coating Invented in China

A revolutionary coating has been invented in China that works like chameleon skin. Thanks to 'self-adaptive photochromism,' the material rapidly changes its color and blends with the background in a minute. It could be used for camouflaging military equipment and soldiers.

Romantic Proposal in the Sky

A romantic man from Poland proposed to his girlfriend using the flight path of the helicopter they were riding in. He arranged with the pilot beforehand to trace circles in the sky spelling out 'Marry me.' At the end of the flight, he asked his lady to check their route on Flightradar, ultimately receiving a heartfelt 'Yes.'

Mercedes Develops 'Solar' Power Paint to Charge Electric Cars

Mercedes is developing a 'solar' energy paint that can charge electric cars. The special coating contains photovoltaic modules like those in solar panels, but as thin as a human hair. It is promised that the technology will allow for up to 20,000 km of 'free' mileage annually, although there is no release date yet.

Excel World Championship Concludes in Las Vegas

The annual Excel World Championship has concluded in Las Vegas - the winner received a cool belt and $5000. The purpose of the tournament is for participants to complete various tasks, such as data analysis and structuring, using spreadsheets within a limited time. This year, the first place was taken by financial analyst Michael Jarman from Canada.