FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Co.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 24, 2023--

Threads, the much-hyped social media app from Facebook-parent Meta, is taking heat for blocking searches for "coronavirus," "Covid," and other pandemic-related queries.

LUGANO, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 26, 2023--

Test monkeys at Elon Musk’s controversial biotech startup Neuralink died due to a number of complications from brain chip implant procedures, counter to the claims made by the multi-billionaire, a new report claimed. Nuralink has been developing chips to be implanted into the skull, claiming that such a computer-brain interface will help restore vision in the blind and paralysed people walk again. The company unveiled the working of its technology in monkey models in the past, including one demonstration of a nine-year-old macaque learning to play the 1970s classic video game Pong. However, the startup is also subjected to complaints by animal rights groups, including the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which criticised the company’s “inadequate care” of its research monkeys a number of times in the past. In a post on X, the Tesla titan said earlier this month that “no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant” in response to allegations that the neurotech firm was inflicting “extreme suffering” on its primate test subjects. “First our early implants, to minimise risk to healthy monkeys, we chose terminal monkeys (close to death already),” Mr Musk posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. In a presentation last year, the multibillionaire also claimed that Neuralink’s animal testing was never “exploratory” but was conducted to confirm scientific hypotheses. “We are extremely careful,” he said at the presentation. However, public documents obtained by PCRM – a nonprofit that advocates against using live animals in testing – present a different picture. The documents, reviewed by Wired, pointed out that a number of monkeys, on whom the implants were tested, were euthanised after suffering various complications, including “bloody diarrhea, partial paralysis, and cerebral edema”. One document reportedly noted that a male macaque was euthanised in March 2020 “after his cranial implant became loose” to the extent that they “could easily be lifted out”. A necropsy report of this monkey pointed out that “the failure of this implant can be considered purely mechanical and not exacerbated by infection”, which appeared to counter Mr Musk’s claim that no monkeys died due to Neuralink’s chips. Another primate, the report noted “began to press her head against the floor for no apparent reason” and lose coordination, with her condition deteriorating for months until she was finally euthanised. A necropsy report, cited by Wired, suggested that this animal was bleeding in her brain and that the neurotech firm’s implants left parts of her cerebral cortex brain region “focally tattered”. However, the company held that its “use of every animal was extensively planned and considered to balance scientific discovery with the ethical use of animals”. Neuralink did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment. The latest report also comes as Neuralink announced on Wednesday that it has started human trials for people with quadriplegia after testing its implants on pigs and monkeys. “We’re excited to announce that recruitment is open for our first-in-human clinical trial,” the company posted on X. “If you have quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), you may qualify,” it said. Read More Elon Musk recruiting humans to trial brain implant Starship rocket launch window revealed by FAA Elon Musk reveals trillion dollar algorithm that explains everything he does Elon Musk’s Neuralink recruiting humans to trial brain implant Elon Musk and the one trillion-dollar algorithm that explains everything he does Elon Musk says monkeys implanted with Neuralink brain chips were ‘close to death’

Recently, rapper Travis Scott released his latest album 'Utopia' on Friday, July 28

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2023--

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) administrative law judge ruled on Friday that Intuit Inc., the maker of the

President Xi Jinping said China will decide on its own path to reduce carbon emissions instead of following

Let your freak flag fly, man.

The key to longer-lasting batteries may lie in soap, according to a new study. Scientists have developed a new promising substance used for designing batteries. They said it acts in a manner similar to soap removing grease, dirt and germs. Localised high-concentration electrolytes could be the “missing piece” that fully open the door to building longer-lasting batteries, said a recent study published in the journal Nature Materials. The key to longer-lasting batteries may lie in understanding how soap gets rid of dirt. It forms tiny structures called micelles that act as a bridge between water and what is being cleaned away by wrapping them into small structures. Scientists from Brown University said a similar process plays out in localised high-concentration electrolytes – described as one of the most promising substances for designing batteries. Electrolytes are key in the energy-storing process as they allow an electrical charge to pass between a battery’s two terminals. This sparks the chemical reaction needed to convert stored chemical energy to electricity. Batteries made from lithium metal have a greater energy storage capacity than today’s lithium-ion batteries. But the electrolytes commonly used to power lithium-ion batteries don’t do this effectively in metal-based batteries, researchers explained. “The big picture is that we want to improve and increase the energy density for batteries, meaning how much energy they store per cycle and how many cycles the battery lasts,” said study co-author Yue Qi from Brown University. “To do this, materials inside of traditional batteries need to be replaced to make long-life batteries that store more energy a reality – think batteries that can power a phone for a week or more, or electric vehicles that go for 500 miles,” Dr Qi said. Electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries are made of low-concentration salt dissolved in a liquid solvent. The new type of electrolytes, however, are created by mixing high concentrations of salt in a solvent with another liquid called a diluent. Scientists said this makes the electrolyte flow better so the power of the battery can be maintained. They also found the electrolyte functions like soap. “The paper provides a unified theory to why this electrolyte works better and the key understanding of it came by finding that micelle-like structures form within this electrolyte – like they do with soap,” said study co-author Bin Li from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Here we see that the role of the soap or surfactant is played by the solvent that binds both the diluent and the salt,” Dr Li explained, “wrapping itself around the higher concentration salt in the center of the micelle”. While in lab tests, this type of electrolyte has shown promising results, how it works has remained elusive. This has put a cap on how effective it can be and how it can be further developed. The new understanding has, however, helped scientists develop the right concentrations needed to bring about optimal reactions for the batteries. “The concept of the micelle may be new for the electrolyte, but it’s actually very common for our daily life,” Dr Qi said. “Now we have a theory, and we have guidelines to get interactions we want from the salt, the solvent and the diluent in the electrolyte, and what concentration they have to be at and how you mix them.” Researchers said this new understanding could lead to introducing a proper balance of the three battery ingredients and also help extend the life of lithium-metal batteries. Read More Ireland and Apple await major development in long-running EU tax dispute Apple just released an iPhone update you should download right now Smartphones ‘may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98% accuracy’ Ireland and Apple await major development in long-running EU tax dispute Apple just released an iPhone update you should download right now Smartphones ‘may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98% accuracy’

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LinkedIn, the business-focused social media platform owned by Microsoft, announced on Monday it would be reducing its workforce by approximately 668, becoming the latest tech company to conduct mass layoffs. “Talent changes are a difficult, but necessary and regular part of managing our business,” the company wrote in a blog post adding that the changes were a result of adapting organisational structures and streamlining decision-making. The company said the roles being cut span across engineering, product, talent and finance teams. “We are committed to providing our full support to all impacted employees during this transition and ensuring that they are treated with care and respect,” LinkedIn wrote. This round of layoffs comes just months after LinkedIn laid off 716 employees in May citing a change in their Global Business Organization. In the first half of this year, tech companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon saw massive layoffs in part because the sector struggled to keep up with salary maintenance while revenue slowed down. In January, Microsoft announced it would be reducing its workforce by 10,000 following a report showing company growth was at its slowest in six years. Part of that included advertising revenue that performed worse than expected. Microsoft’s advertising revenue partially comes from LinkedIn which makes money from ads on the platform in addition to users who pay a premium membership subscription fee. Though LinkedIn saw revenue and website membership growth over the last year, it is slower than in previous years. In Q4 of 2023, the company’s revenue increased 5 per cent year-on-year – a drop from the previous quarter at 10 per cent. The company also laid off 716 workers in May, after growing massively during the pandemic. Around 40% of LinkedIn’s almost 20,000 workers were hired during the pandemic. The cuts affect approximately 3 per cent of the total workforce at LinkedIn. The company has an estimated 21,000 employees – around 40 per cent of those workers were hired during the pandemic, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. Read More Who is hit hardest by Big Tech job cuts? Cooks and janitors Microsoft spent two years trying to buy Activision Blizzard. For Xbox CEO, that was the easy part IRS says Microsoft may owe more than $29 billion in back taxes; Microsoft disagrees