BTS members RM and V start compulsory military service in South Korea. Band seeks to reunite in 2025
Source: AP News
These international K-pop legends paused their music careers to serve their country.
Current Events
People Are Increasingly Worried A.I. Will Make Daily Life Worse
Source: Wired
Like it or not, artificial intelligence is here to stay–and it is making its way into every part of our lives. With self-driving cars using A.I. to make split-second steering decisions, A.I. helping to sort job and college applications, and companies using A.I, to sway customer behavior, a lot of people are growing fearful of the technology. People used to fear monsters in the darkness, but in modern times, some of our scariest monsters are lines of code in a machine.
These Chemists Cracked the Code to Long-Lasting Roman Concrete
Source: ScienceNews
Its formula long forgotten, the mystery of why Roman concrete remained strong over several millennia when more modern versions crumbled much faster has long baffled scientists and engineers. But now the secret of “self-healing” concrete has been rediscovered and it could lead to a construction revolution more than 2,000 years after it was first discovered.
Sinkholes: When the Earth Opens Up
Source: The Atlantic
Sometimes disasters strike in the strangest of ways. To get a sense of just how strange, take a look at the odd and impressive photographs that accompany this short article on sinkholes. Who’d have thought such a thing could happen—right outside our front doors?
Harnessing the Military Power of Animal Intelligence
Source: CNN U.S.
In the 1990s, the U.S. Navy revealed that sea lions and dolphins were being used to find and retrieve valuable equipment from the sea floor. These animals are also being trained to help clear mines and to protect our harbors. Read to learn about the secret uses of marine mammals!
Activists turn backs on US officials as UN-backed human rights review of United States wraps up
Source: AP News
Is the U.S. doing enough to protect human rights? Not according to a group of activists who held a silent protest at a recent United Nations hearing. Click here to learn more about the protest.
Hollywood Writers Reached an A.I. Deal That Will Rewrite History
Source: Wired
The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) went on strike for 148 days this summer, demanding that studios put guardrails around AI’s encroachment on their work. The effects of their new contract will echo in industries far beyond Hollywood.
Chandrayaan-3: India makes historic landing near Moon’s south pole
Source: BBC
India recently made history by landing the Pragyaan rover on the surface of the moon. Learn more about the scientific and historical significance of this Moon mission.
‘Shrinkflation’ accelerates globally as manufacturers quietly shrink package sizes
Source: National Public Radio (NPR)
It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see.
From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking their package sizes without lowering their prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflation,” and it’s something that is accelerating worldwide.
Activists say the human rights movement is failing
Source: Politico
International human rights activists at the 2023 Oslo Freedom Forum expressed concerns about losing ground to dictators and oppressive governments across the world.