Author: KnowledgeHippo
Rat droppings from New York. Heavy from dog parks in Wisconsin. Human waste from a Missouri hospital. These are some of the materials that prepare us for the next chapter of the coronavirus story.More than four years after the pandemic, the virus has taken its toll on most people’s bodies and minds. But a new variant that can better evade our immune defenses may yet emerge, derailing a hard-won return to normalcy.Scientists across the country are watching for early signs.”We’re no longer in the acute phase of a pandemic, and I think it’s understandable and probably a good thing” that…
The letter from Australia is a weekly newsletter from our office in Australia. Sign up to receive it by email. This week’s issue is written by Natasha Frost, a reporter based in Melbourne.The other week, some 32 years into my career as an experienced flyer, I experienced air travel as if for the first time – the flight of angels, of billionaires, of dreams. (He was still in the coaching class.)On a recent reporting trip to New Zealand, I arranged to spend the weekend visiting an old friend who now lives near Havelock, a town of about 600 at the…
The US accused Apple of having a monopolyThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company had violated antitrust laws by using practices intended to keep customers connected to iPhones.The lawsuit accused Apple of preventing other companies from offering apps that compete with products like its digital wallet. making it easier for iPhones to connect to other Apple products than to those of competitors; and it undermines messaging across smartphone operating systems. (Read the filing here.)Apple, which is worth nearly $2.75 trillion, said these practices made its iPhones more secure than other smartphones. But app developers and…
When it comes to the artificial intelligence that powers chatbots like ChatGPT, China lags behind the United States. But when it comes to producing the scientists behind a new generation of humanoid technologies, China is leading the way.New research shows that China has by some measures eclipsed the United States as the biggest producer of artificial intelligence talent, with the country producing nearly half of the world’s top AI researchers. By contrast, about 18 percent come from U.S. undergraduate institutions, according to the study, by MacroPolo, a think tank run by the Paulson Institute that promotes constructive ties between the…
In India, a country of 1.4 billion people, TikTok took just a few years to build an audience of 200 million users. India was its biggest market. Then, on June 29, 2020, the Indian government banned TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps, after a simmering conflict between India and China erupted into violence on their border.A popular form of entertainment, which had not been the subject of political debate, disappeared overnight. Now, as politicians tussle in Washington over a plan that could shut down access for 170 million Americans who use TikTok, the example set by India offers a…
Amid debate in Washington about whether TikTok should be banned if its Chinese owner doesn’t sell it, one group is watching with particular interest: the many brands — particularly in the beauty, skin care, fashion and health and wellness industries — who have used the video app to increase their sales.Youthforia, a makeup brand with more than 185,000 followers on TikTok, is considering moving more of its marketing to other platforms, including YouTube and Instagram. Underlinings, which makes the popular Nailboo brand, planned to use TikTok to launch a product with a major retailer in August and is now wondering…
Surgeons in Boston transplanted a kidney from a genetically modified pig into a sick 62-year-old man, the first operation of its kind. If successful, the discovery offers hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans whose kidneys have failed.So far the signs are promising.The kidneys remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood. The new kidney began producing urine shortly after the surgery last weekend, and the patient’s condition continues to improve, according to doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, known as Mass General. He is already walking the halls of the hospital and may be discharged soon.The patient is black,…
Tanya Dohoney has worked on sustainability initiatives for decades. A retired lawyer from Texas who now lives in Paris even started a recycling program for her workplace. When it comes to travel, she also appreciates environmentally and socially responsible companies, which led her to choose Intrepid Travel, a certified B Corp company, for a tour of Morocco in 2019.The sheer number of sustainability certifications for the travel and tourism industry is almost overwhelming and certainly confusing. Certified B Corp businesses must meet standards set by B Lab, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization founded in 2006 that awards for-profit companies with certifications…
One of Israel’s biggest hospital raids in the Gaza war extended into a fourth day on Thursday, as the army said it killed dozens of people it described as terrorists in the previous 24 hours in its operation at Al-Shifa hospital.Israel has carried out a series of raids on Al-Shifa in northern Gaza, the largest medical facility in the territory, claiming that Hamas used it as a command center and hid weapons and fighters in underground tunnels there. Since the latest attack began on Monday, the Israeli military said it had killed more than 140 people it said were terrorists…
Back then, hundreds of thousands of young, mostly black students descended on Atlanta each spring for the rowdy and rowdy event called Freaknik. Artists such as Notorious BIG, OutKast and Uncle Luke performed across the city. The movement hardly moved at all, and why would it? The party was right there on the street.Three decades have passed. Parties turned professional. Children were born. Wardrobes have evolved. All the while, some who were in the middle of it all were perfectly content knowing that their youthful exploits that might be a little embarrassing today were hidden. They had their memories. The…