Elon Musk Accused of Cruelty to Animals During Neuralink Chip Testing

Inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration have found discrepancies in the management of medications, which could be a sign of cruel treatment of animals, during the testing of Neuralink chips. Prior to obtaining permission to test implants on human subjects, all experiments were carried out solely on animals.

Portugal Tops Golden Visa Rankings for 2024

Portugal has taken first place in the ranking of golden visas for 2024. According to Henley & Partners research, Portugal offers a truly accessible and high quality of life, as well as easy access to other European countries and a pathway to obtaining EU citizenship. A total of 26 countries made it into the ranking, evaluated based on 10 factors. Among the key factors were country reputation, quality of life, and investment requirements. Portugal scored 75 out of 100 points, with Austria coming in second, followed by Greece, Switzerland, and Italy. The minimum investment required to obtain the coveted golden visa in Portugal is €200,000, and the process of obtaining a residence permit takes approximately 18 months.

The most expensive Rolls-Royce car

Rolls-Royce has released their most expensive car yet - the Arcadia Droptail, with an estimated price of 30 million dollars. It took over 4 years to build, during which Rolls-Royce engineers studied the interests and tastes of the customer in order to create the perfect car. Notably, the front panel features exquisite clocks with an incredibly intricate dial, which were developed for over two years and assembled for an additional 5 months.

Boiling and microplastics

Chinese scientists have proposed getting rid of microplastics in water by boiling it. They have found that simply boiling hard water removes 80% to 90% of small and large microplastic particles, which precipitate as sediment. Scientists suggest that boiling could be the basis for cheap and fast methods of purifying drinking water when expensive filtration methods are not feasible.

Now you can get a Funko Pop toy in your own image

Funko Pop vending machines have appeared in official Funko stores in Los Angeles, allowing customers to create personalized action figures. In just 15 minutes and for $30, you can receive a custom-made toy designed to look like yourself, in a one-of-a-kind edition.

Translator for animals

Scientists predict that in 3 years, humans will be able to understand their pets, thanks to the development of ChatGPT for animals. This model is being trained on recordings of sounds and movements that humans cannot comprehend or perceive. Scientists are optimistic about the neural network's potential, as it could become a fully functional translator between human and feline/canine languages.

Nissan introduces Iruyo toys to help calm children in the car

Nissan has created Iruyo toys that are designed to calm children in the car. The set includes two toys - a big one that entertains and monitors the child, and a small one that listens to the adult's commands. When the child falls asleep, the big Iruyo sends a signal to the small one, and they both close their eyes. This allows the parent to know when the child is sleeping.

Apple Abandons Development of Self-Driving Car

Apple has reportedly abandoned the development of its own car after investing several billion dollars and employing around 2,000 people for a period of 10 years. Among the known issues were the insufficient level of autonomous driving technology and the high final cost of the vehicle - around $100,000. The company doubted whether the car could generate the same profit as its other products.

Melted clock from Hiroshima

Melted brass clocks found in the ruins of Hiroshima after the bombing on August 6, 1945, were sold at an auction by RR Auction in Boston. The clocks are a rare artifact that survived at the epicenter of the explosion. The hands on them show 8:15 a.m., the exact time when an American bomber dropped the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on the city. Around 70 thousand people were instantly killed.

Controversial decision

San Francisco City Hall has voted to grant permission to the local police to use robots that could potentially cause human casualties. In emergency situations, law enforcement officers will be able to deploy robots equipped with explosives. Dr. Catherine Connolly from the group 'Stop Killer Robots' described this move as a slippery slope, stating that it could lead to police officers distancing themselves from committing acts of murder.

The future of programming

Founder of Nvidia says that teaching children programming is unnecessary as artificial intelligence, capable of understanding human-like instructions, will replace programmers in the near future. The company is currently investing heavily in the development of neural networks, resulting in a shift of focus from the gaming industry.

The Rising Trend of Baby Name Consultants in the USA

A new profession, baby name consultants, is gaining popularity in the USA. These specialists assist parents who desire to choose a unique name for their child that harmonizes with their surname, lacks nicknames, and stands out from others. The price for such a service is approximately $3,000.

Robodogs monitor nuclear waste in Finland

In Finland, robodogs have started monitoring nuclear waste. The cyberdog ANYmal passed the test in the spent nuclear fuel repository Onkalo, located 400 meters underground. It ran through a network of tunnels, gathering all the necessary information.

The Impact of Coffee Mugs on Taste Perception: A Study

The taste of coffee can vary depending on the mug you drink it from, according to research. It all comes down to how the human brain perceives this process - for example, if you drink coffee from your favorite mug, the beverage will bring you more enjoyment. The company you are in while drinking the beverage also affects taste perception. Even different images and motivational quotes on mugs can help start the day off better.

Antidote for slate snakes

Scientists have found a universal antidote to the deadly venom of aspid snakes. There are 384 species within this group, including the most dangerous ones: the king cobra, the black mamba, and the Indian krait. Initially, scientists isolated and compared the venom proteins of different aspid snakes. They discovered that all of them contain a toxin that causes paralysis. Then, biologists studied a library containing over 50 billion various human antibodies in order to find an antidote, and eventually identified the most suitable one - 95Mat5. Its efficacy was tested on mice injected with toxins from venomous snakes. In all cases, the rodents were protected not only from death and paralysis but also from other complications.

News about the first person with a brain implant

Elon Musk shared news that the first person with a brain implant from Neuralink has fully recovered and can now control a computer mouse using their thoughts. The patient is able to control the cursor solely with the power of their mind through the implant. The team is currently working on training the participant to achieve as many clicks as possible in a unit of time.

Gender Differences in Brain Structure

The brains of men and women are structured differently - evidence of this has been found by a neural network. It can now determine gender based on brain scans with 90% accuracy. The differences pertain to three areas of the brain: those responsible for dreams, memories, decision-making, emotions, and olfaction. This explains the distinct behaviors exhibited by men and women.

Giant anaconda

Scientists were filming a documentary and accidentally discovered the largest snake in the world. While filming for National Geographic in the Amazon rainforest, a new species of giant anaconda was found, which can grow up to 7.5 meters long and weigh half a ton.

The effect of watching videos on speech development

Video viewing has a negative impact on the vocabulary development of children under three. In a study involving 300 families with children aged 17 to 30 months, the results showed that those who watched TV and videos on social media platforms knew fewer words and formed shorter sentences. However, the situation improved when children watched content together with parents, who provided commentary on the proceedings.

Chinese Starbucks Introduces Pork-Flavored Coffee

Chinese Starbucks has released coffee with a taste of pork. The delightfully spicy latte is made with espresso and pork sauce, which is poured directly over steamed milk. It is served with a piece of meat on a skewer. Those who have tried it say that the $10 coffee has a sweet and salty taste.