That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a each day dose of what’s occurring on the planet of expertise.
These are the perfect methods to measure your physique fats
—Jessica Hamzelou
Everyone knows that being obese is just not nice on your well being—it’s linked to metabolic ailments like diabetes and cardiovascular issues. However weighing your self gained’t inform you all it is advisable to find out about your illness threat.
A buddy of mine is a super-fit marathon runner. She’s all lean muscle. And but in line with her physique mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight relative to top, she’s obese. Which is frankly ridiculous.
I, however, have by no means been all that muscular. I wish to assume I’m a wholesome weight—however nurses up to now have suggested me to eat extra butter and doughnuts based mostly on my BMI. That is recommendation I by no means anticipated to obtain from a well being skilled. (I ought to add right here that my buddy and I are roughly the identical top and put on the identical dimension in garments.)
The BMI is flawed. Fortunately, there are a number of high-tech alternate options, however a easy measure that entails mendacity in your again might additionally inform you about how your physique dimension would possibly affect your well being. Learn the complete story.
This story is from The Checkup, our weekly publication supplying you with the within monitor on all issues biotech and well being. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Thursday.
The US should do extra to spice up demand for carbon elimination, observers warn
In 2022, the US made a large guess on the carbon elimination business, committing $3.5 billion to construct 4 main regional hubs in an effort to scale up the sector. However business observers concern that market demand isn’t constructing quick sufficient to assist it.
Some are actually calling for the Division of Vitality to redirect a portion of the cash earmarked to construct direct-air-capture (DAC) crops towards purchases of greenhouse-gas elimination as a substitute.
Breakthrough Vitality, the Invoice Gates–backed local weather and clear power group, has launched a commentary calling for extra authorities assist for demand to make sure that the business doesn’t stall out in its infancy. Learn extra about what they must say.
—James Temple
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at this time’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Tesla has unveiled its Cybercab robotaxi
Elon Musk optimistically anticipates they’ll be out there “earlier than 2027.” (Tech Crunch)
+ He has an extended historical past of overpromising and undelivering. (WP $)
+ Musk was obscure on particulars, however claimed it will price lower than $30,000. (FT $)
2 Hurricane Milton has left tens of millions of Florida residents with out energy
Hundreds of individuals have been rescued from flooded areas. (WSJ $)
+ Fortunately, satellite-connected smartphones can maintain them linked. (WP $)
+ Meteorologists are receiving demise threats amid storm misinformation. (Rolling Stone $)
3 The US and UK will work collectively to guard youngsters on-line
The 2 international locations are forming a working group to sort out sexual abuse and harassment. (BBC)
+ Well-liked gaming platform Roblox is failing to guard younger customers, a report claims. (FT $)
+ Easy methods to defend your little one’s images on-line. (The Guardian)
+ Little one on-line security legal guidelines will truly harm youngsters, critics say. (MIT Expertise Overview)
4 China is spreading antisemitic claims forward of the US election
Faux accounts are spreading harmful conspiracy theories about politicians. (WP $)
+ US authorities concern Russia, China, Iran and Cuba will sow doubts concerning the outcomes. (Reuters)
5 Large Pharma is preventing again in opposition to compounded weight reduction medication
Unbranded variations proliferated throughout a scarcity of big-name medication. Now, the most important firms need them gone. (Wired $)
6 Uber and Lyft exploited a authorized loophole to keep away from paying NY drivers
Drivers have reported being locked out of the app virtually each hour. (Bloomberg $)
+ Uber’s facial recognition is locking Indian drivers out of their accounts. (MIT Expertise Overview)
7 Viral debate movies are inescapable on-line
The extra aggressive, theatrical, and unbalanced, the higher. (Vox)
8 How Wikipedia editors are tackling the inflow of AI trash content material
They’re attempting to defend the positioning from deceptive, garbled AI articles. (404 Media)
+ AI educated on AI rubbish spits out AI rubbish. (MIT Expertise Overview)
9 Easy methods to make the ocean quieter
Due to versatile propellers and noise-dampening metamaterials. (Economist $)
10 This social app permits Gen Z to filter out tell-tale purple Solo cups
To keep up a squeaky clear on-line picture. (TechCrunch)
Quote of the day
“As normal, Elon Musk is attempting to compete within the Tour de France on a tricycle.”
—Dan O’Dowd, billionaire co-founder of Inexperienced Hills Software program and founding father of the software program security Daybreak Venture group, was left unimpressed by Tesla’s cybercab occasion, he tells Rolling Stone.
The large story
Individuals are apprehensive that AI will take everybody’s jobs. We’ve been right here earlier than.
January 2024
It was 1938, and the ache of the Nice Melancholy was nonetheless very actual. Unemployment within the US was round 20%. New equipment was reworking factories and farms, and everybody was apprehensive about jobs.
Have been the spectacular technological achievements that have been making life simpler for a lot of additionally destroying jobs and wreaking havoc on the financial system? To make sense of all of it, Karl T. Compton, the president of MIT from 1930 to 1948 and one of many main scientists of the day, wrote within the December 1938 concern of this publication concerning the “Bogey of Technological Unemployment.”
His essay concisely framed the talk over jobs and technical progress in a manner that continues to be related, particularly given at this time’s fears over the influence of synthetic intelligence. It’s a worthwhile reminder that worries over the way forward for jobs usually are not new and are finest addressed by making use of an understanding of economics, relatively than conjuring up genies and monsters. Learn the complete story.
—David Rotman
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Obtained any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Marty the robotic is a Boston icon, rolling up and down Cease & Store’s aisles with out complaining.
+ Punctuation actually issues—a easy comma price these firms tens of millions!
+ Cool: these pumpkins are thriving in Bangladesh sandbars.
+ For all our Warhammer heads on the market: there’s just one shade of inexperienced that issues.
