That is right now’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the earth of expertise.
These are one of the best methods to measure your physique fats
—Jessica Hamzelou
Everyone knows that being obese will not be nice to your well being—it’s linked to metabolic ailments like diabetes and cardiovascular issues. However weighing your self gained’t inform you all you have to learn about your illness danger.
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, alternatively, have by no means been all that muscular. I wish to suppose I’m a wholesome weight—however nurses prior 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 total story.
This story is from The Checkup, our weekly e-newsletter 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 removing, observers warn
In 2022, the US made a large guess on the carbon removing business, committing $3.5 billion to construct 4 main regional hubs in an effort to scale up the sector. However business observers worry that market demand isn’t constructing quick sufficient to help 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 removing as a substitute.
Breakthrough Vitality, the Invoice Gates–backed local weather and clear power group, has launched a commentary calling for extra authorities help 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 right now’s most enjoyable/necessary/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 thousands and thousands of Florida residents with out energy
1000’s of individuals have been rescued from flooded areas. (WSJ $)
+ Fortunately, satellite-connected smartphones can hold them linked. (WP $)
+ Meteorologists are receiving loss of life threats amid storm misinformation. (Rolling Stone $)
3 The US and UK will work collectively to guard kids on-line
The 2 nations are forming a working group to deal with sexual abuse and harassment. (BBC)
+ Common gaming platform Roblox is failing to guard younger customers, a report claims. (FT $)
+ Learn how to defend your baby’s images on-line. (The Guardian)
+ Little one on-line security legal guidelines will really damage youngsters, critics say. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
4 China is spreading antisemitic claims forward of the US election
Faux accounts are spreading harmful conspiracy theories about politicians. (WP $)
+ US authorities worry Russia, China, Iran and Cuba will sow doubts concerning the outcomes. (Reuters)
5 Massive Pharma is combating again in opposition to compounded weight reduction medicine
Unbranded variations proliferated throughout a scarcity of big-name medicine. Now, the most important corporations 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 Know-how Assessment)
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 making an attempt to defend the location from deceptive, garbled AI articles. (404 Media)
+ AI skilled on AI rubbish spits out AI rubbish. (MIT Know-how Assessment)
9 Learn how to make the ocean quieter
Because of 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 typical, Elon Musk is making an attempt 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 Challenge group, was left unimpressed by Tesla’s cybercab occasion, he tells Rolling Stone.
The large story
Persons 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 Despair was nonetheless very actual. Unemployment within the US was round 20%. New equipment was reworking factories and farms, and everybody was apprehensive about jobs.
Had been the spectacular technological achievements that had been making life simpler for a lot of additionally destroying jobs and wreaking havoc on the economic 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 difficulty of this publication concerning the “Bogey of Technological Unemployment.”
His essay concisely framed the talk over jobs and technical progress in a approach that continues to be related, particularly given right now’s fears over the influence of synthetic intelligence. It’s a worthwhile reminder that worries over the way forward for jobs should not new and are finest addressed by making use of an understanding of economics, somewhat than conjuring up genies and monsters. Learn the total story.
—David Rotman
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received 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 corporations thousands and thousands!
+ 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.
