NASA Increases Likelihood of Asteroid Impact

NASA has increased the likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 to 3.1% - making it the most dangerous space object in observation history. In the event of a collision with the planet, the shock wave would be 500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, with Colombia, Nigeria, and India in the risk zone. Nevertheless, there is no need for panic: the chance is still very small, and there is already experience in altering the trajectory of asteroids.

Apple Unveils iPhone 16E

Apple has unveiled the iPhone 16E - it is now the most affordable iPhone that will replace the SE series. It features a 6.1-inch screen (versus 4.7″ in the SE) at 60 Hz, USB-C, and an 'Action Button' instead of the sound lever, but lacks the Dynamic Island and side shutter button. The camera is single (48 MP, 4K/60 video), the processor is the same as in the iPhone 16, two colors are available (black and white), and storage options are 128/256/512 GB. The price starts at $599, and it will be on sale in a week.

Genetic Influence on Income

Scientists have discovered that the ability to earn money is partially inherited. A study of 668,000 people identified areas in the genome associated with income levels: Genes responsible for academic performance often overlap with 'money' genes. In societies with high inequality, even a small genetic advantage significantly increases income. Each 'money' gene increases earnings by fractions of a percent, overall providing up to a 25% increase. Individuals with these genes are less likely to experience obesity, diabetes, and depression, but have a higher propensity for risk.

AI Reads Human Thoughts

AI reads human thoughts and translates them into text - yes, this is now reality: Scientists have developed a 'brain decoder' based on AI. It was trained on several participants: they were shown short films and photo reports while fMRI data was recorded to create a map of how the brain reacted to audio and cinematic stories. Then, participants watched another film, and the decoder almost accurately converted their impressions. The development may help patients with aphasia (speech disorder) express their thoughts.

Argentina Fights Capybaras

The Argentine authorities have begun to confront the capybaras. The administration of Buenos Aires will sterilize the rodents. There are more than 1,000 capybaras living in the city, and they are causing real chaos - fighting with dogs and running onto the roads. These huge rodents have no natural predators, so their reproduction can only be stopped in this way.

Robot Dog Chained at Tokyo Exhibition

At an exhibition in Tokyo, a robot dog was chained up, from which it tried to break free. The author of the exhibition, Takayuki Todo, did not explain the meaning of his unusual work. Online, it is referred to as a 'Black Mirror'-style commentary on the dangers of the future with the integration of technologies and artificial intelligence.

Elon Musk Launches Grok-3 Chatbot

Elon Musk has launched the Grok-3 chatbot, calling it the "smartest AI on the planet". The neural network surpasses ChatGPT and China's DeepSeek in all top benchmarks, with its main goal being to "understand the universe and help answer the most important questions: what is the meaning of life and do aliens exist?" Currently, Grok-3 is in beta, with a full release on the social network X coming a little later.

Tesla Metro to be Built Under Dubai

A metro for Tesla will be constructed under Dubai. Elon plans to create a 17-km network of tunnels called Dubai Loop for autonomous vehicles, which will connect 100 of the city's attractions while remaining completely invisible.

French Musician Rilès Runs 24 Hours on Treadmill with Circular Saw at His Back

French musician Rilès ran non-stop for 24 hours on a treadmill with a circular saw at his back. During the 24 hours, Rilès ran 205 km. He performed this feat to promote his new album 'Survival Mode'. The saw symbolizes constant pressure and the need to keep moving forward without stopping. The show was successful: 100,000 people watched the broadcast, the video went viral on social media, and album sales soared.

AI can now cook you a full dinner

AI can now cook you a full dinner. It's all thanks to the startup Moley, which has developed a robotic kitchen with many capabilities: robotic arms can boil, fry, mix ingredients, and even add salt and pepper to taste.

The Longest Cable Car in the World

The longest cable car in the world is in Vietnam, stretching an impressive 7,899.9 meters. The route connects Phu Quoc Island with Hon Thom Island and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Most of the journey is over the sea, and there are a total of 69 cabins, each with a capacity of 30 people. The ride lasts about 20 minutes, with tickets starting at 650,000 dong.

The World's Most Crowded Santa Cruz del Islote

Santa Cruz del Islote is the world's most densely populated artificial island, where over 800 people live on an area of only 0.01 km². This small piece of land, measuring 130×190 meters, is located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia. There are only four streets and about a hundred houses, no authorities and no police, but there are a few shops and a school, and electricity is generated by solar panels.

World's Largest Underground Thermal Lake Found in Albania

In Albania, the world's largest underground thermal lake has been discovered - at the bottom of a 100-meter chasm with a volume equivalent to 3.5 Olympic swimming pools. Neuron (as the lake has been named) is located in an extensive cave system near the town of Leskovik. It was first noticed several years ago but only measured now: Length - 138 m, Width - 42 m, Volume - 8355 cubic meters.

World's tallest penthouse for sale in Dubai

In Dubai, the 'world's tallest penthouse' is for sale for 4.5 billion rubles - on the 107th floor of the Burj Khalifa. The two-story apartment with an area of 1,950 m² is located at a height of over 400 m: it features floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, as well as a private pool and exclusive private elevator. It costs $51 million, and as a bonus, you get 12 parking spaces, but you will need to spend on repairs and furniture.

Board Games Reinvented in the USA

In the USA, board games have been reinvented. The developers of the Civilization franchise have announced a strategy in VR. Countries will develop and wage war right on the gamer's table.

Surgerii unveils new robot

Surgerii has presented a new robot. For performing the most precise and meticulous operations without human involvement. As an example, a quail egg was used - three manipulators removed its shell and then stitched the thinnest membrane under the shell.

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Performance Breaks Records

Kendrick Lamar's performance during the Super Bowl halftime show became the most watched in the show's history, with 133.5 million viewers tuning in live. The rapper managed to break Michael Jackson's record from 1993. The football game itself was watched by 126 million people, making Lamar's halftime show more popular than the game. Following the event, all tracks performed by Kendrick saw an increase in streams on Spotify - especially “Not Like Us”, which saw a 430% increase in streams. The YouTube recording of the performance gained 42 million views in two days.

China Establishes 'Planetary Defense' Unit

China is forming a 'planetary defense' unit due to asteroid 2024 YR4, which may collide with Earth with a probability of 2.2% in 2032 and destroy an entire city. The team will be tasked with monitoring similar objects and developing defense strategies against them, similar to NASA's project in 2022, when a kamikaze probe was launched to alter the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos.

AI makes people dumber

This was stated by scientists from Carnegie Mellon University and researchers from Microsoft. We increasingly rely on AI in our work, which leads us to use less critical thinking, resulting in the weakening of cognitive abilities.

Weight Loss Video Game Released in the USA

A weight loss video game has been released in the USA. Fitness Fables immerses the player in a virtual fantasy world where they must actively move and burn calories to complete quests. The game's creator even lost 30 kg during the development process.