The ability to recollect experiences and information is a fundamental function of the brain. The task of assembling the memories we keep means throwing away others.

Something fishy We probably inherited our joints from a fish Cartilaginous fish form the same style of joint that we do, while jawless fish don't. Elizabeth Rayne Mar 21, 2025 10:31 am | 1 Credit: Rizel_S Credit: Rizel_S Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWhat do we have in common with fish, besides being vertebrates? The types of joints we (and most vertebrates) share most likely originated from the same common ancestor. But its not a feature that we share with all vertebrates.Humans, other land vertebrates, and jawed fish have synovial joints. The lubricated cavity within these joints makes them more mobile and stable because it allows for bones or cartilage to slide against each other without friction, which facilitates movement.The origin of these joints was uncertain. Now, biologist Neelima Sharma of the University of Chicago and her colleagues have taken a look at which fish form this type of joint. Synovial joints are known to be present in jawed but not jawless fish. This left the question of whether they are just a feature of bony skeletons in general or if they are also found in fish with cartilaginous skeletons, such as sharks and skates (there are no land animals with cartilaginous skeletons)As Sharma and her team found, cartilaginous fish with jaws, such as the skate embryos they studied, do develop these joints, while jawless fish, such as lampreys and hagfish, lack them.So what could this mean? If jawed fish have synovial joints in common with all jawed vertebrates, including us, it must have evolved in our shared ancestor.Something fishy in our pastWhile the common ancestor of vertebrates with synovial joints is still a mystery, the oldest specimen with evidence of these joints is Bothriolepis canadensis, a fish that lived about 387 to 360 million years ago during the Middle to Late Devonian period.When using CT scanning to study a Bothriolepis fossil, Sharma observed a joint cavity between the shoulder and pectoral fin. Whether the cavity was filled with synovial fluid or cartilage is impossible to tell, but either way, she thinks it appears to have functioned like a synovial joint would. Fossils of early jawless fish, in contrast, lack any signs of synovial joints.Fossils from the extinct clades along the [jawed fish] stem suggest that joints with reciprocally articulating surfaces arose in the dermal skeleton of the common ancestor of all jawed vertebrates, Sharma and her team said in a study recently published in PLOS Biology. Synovial joints in cartilaginous tissue were a subsequent gnathostome innovation. This suggests that the earliest joints arose in dermal bone, which forms beneath the skin into a plate-like structure like that found in skull bones. But it appears that synovial joints arose sometime after that, which raises the possibility that they appeared with the evolution of bones.While cartilage and bone are both connective tissue, the extracellular matrix these cells are embedded in is much thinner and softer in cartilage, while in bone, that matrix is calcified and hard. Demonstrating that cartilaginous jawed fish also have synovial joints opens up the questions of whether theirand ourcommon ancestor also had them.The way you moveTo see if cartilaginous fish share our synovial joints, Sharma studied little skates (Leucoraja erinacea) and compared their joint morphology to that of sea lampreys (Petromyozon marinus)and hagfish (Myxine glutinosa), two types of jawless fish. She found the skeletons of both lampreys and hagfish are made of cartilage segments connected by muscle, connective tissue, or more cartilage. There were no cavities in between.The skeleton of an adult little skate showed a jaw that slides much like a synovial joint and that its pectoral fin and pelvic joints are also built like synovial joints, with lubricated cavities between the bones that help them slide against each other.Embryos of little skates were then studied to see when cavitation actually happened. Their bones do not undergo the cavitation necessary for synovial joints until later stages of development. At that point, joints in the jaw and pelvis are the first to cavitate. This process is similar in species with bony skeletons.Right before their joints cavitate, little skate embryos start producing the protein aggrecan. This is crucial to the function of joint cartilage because of its hydrated gel structure, which gives cartilage more strength. Aggrecan is first made throughout the entire skeleton and then concentrates in the joints. There are several other proteins needed for joint formation in land vertebrates (notably, members of the TGF-beta family of signaling molecules), and these proteins were also active in the jaw, pelvis, and pectoral fin joints of little skate embryos as they developed.Synovial joints also cannot develop without muscle activity, which is crucial in the development of joints in chicken and mouse embryosand the synovial joints of little skates actually develop similarly. Some of the little skate embryos were purposely paralyzed right before their joints would begin to cavitate. While embryos that were not paralyzed continued with the cavitation process, cavitated joints did not form in those that were paralyzed.We havent yet unearthed a fossil of the common ancestor of all vertebrates with synovial joints. However, Sharmas team was able to demonstrate that they develop in cartilaginous jawed fish just as they do in bony fish, but theyre not found in jawless fish, meaning that this mysterious ancestor had to have also been a jawed vertebrate.Our results are consistent with such functional studies showing that [jawed cartilaginous fish], like tetrapods, rely on synovial joints for exhibiting considerable jaw and fin movements, the researchers said in the same study. But with the exception of the rest of the vertebrates, our results do not support their presence in [jawless fish].We dont look like fish, move like fish, breathe underwater like fish, or (this is probably for the best) smell like fish, but somehow, even if they are used for different types of motions, our joints are structured the same way as those of fish. Evolution has a sense of humor.PLoS Biology, 2025. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002990Elizabeth Rayne Elizabeth Rayne is a creature who writes. Her work has appeared on SYFY WIRE, Space.com, Live Science, Grunge, Den of Geek, and Forbidden Futures. She lurks right outside New York City with her parrot, Lestat. When not writing, she is either shapeshifting, drawing, or cosplaying as a character nobody has ever heard of. Follow her on Threads and Instagram @quothravenrayne. 1 Comments

Andrew Cunningham and Lee Hutchinson have spent decades of their lives with Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time books, and they previously brought that knowledge to bear as they recapped each first season episode and second season episode of Amazon's WoT TV series. Now we're back in the saddle for season 3along with insights, jokes, and the occasional wild theory.These recaps won't cover every element of every episode, but they will contain major spoilers for the show and the book series. We'll do our best to not spoil major future events from the books, but there's always the danger that something might slip out. If you want to stay completely unspoiled and haven't read the books, these recaps aren't for you.New episodes of The Wheel of Time season three will be posted for Amazon Prime subscribers every Thursday. This write-up covers episode four, "The Road to the Spear," which was released on March 20.Lee: Wow. That was an episode right there. Before we get into the recapping, maybe its a good idea to emphasize to the folks who havent read the books just what a big deal Rands visit to Rhuidean isand why what he saw was so important.At least for me, when I got to this point (which happens in book four and is being transposed forward a bit by the show), this felt like the first time author Robert Jordan was willing to pull the curtain back and actually show us something substantive about whats really happening. Weve already gotten a couple of flashbacks to Coruscant The Age of Legends in the show, but my recollection is that in the books, Rands trip through the glass columns is the first time we really get to see just how advanced things were before the Breaking of the World. Our heroes approach Rhuidean, the clouded city. Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Andrew: Yes! If you're a showrunner or writer or performer with any relationship with the source materialand Rafe Lee Judkins certainly knows all of these books cover to cover, because you would need to if you wanted to navigate a show through all the ripple effects emanating outward from the changes he's makingthis is probably one of the Big Scenes that you're thinking about adapting from the start.Because yes, it's a big character moment for Rand, but it's also grappling with some of the story's big themesthe relationship between past, present, and future and how inextricably they're all intertwinedand building a world that's even bigger than the handful of cities and kingdoms our characters have passed through so far.So do we think they pulled it off? Do you want to start with the Aiel stuff we get before we head into Rhuidean?Lee: Well, lets seewe get the sweat tents, and we get Aviendha and Lan having a dance-off over whose weapons are more awesome, and we get our first glimpse at the Shaido Aiel, who will be sticking around as long-term bad guys. We learn that at least one of the Wise Ones, Bair (played by Nukka Coster-Waldau, real-life spouse of Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) seems to be able to channel. And we also briefly meet aspiring Shaido clan chief Couladina name to remember, because this guy will definitely be back.I appreciate that were actually spending more time with the Aiel here, allowing us to see a few of them as people rather than as tropey desert-dwellers. And I appreciate that we continue to be mercifully free of Robert Jordans kinks. The Shaido Wise One Sevanna, for example, is as bedecked in finery and necklaces as her book counterpart, but unlike the book character, the on-screen version of Sevanna seems to have no problem keeping her bodice from constantly falling down.On the whole, though, the impression the show gives is that being Aiel is hard and the Three-Fold Land sucks. Its not where Id want to pop up if I were transported to Randland, thats for sure. Sevanna's hat is extremely fancy. Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Andrew: I've always liked what the story is doing with Rhuidean, though. For context, it's a bit like the Accepted test in the White Tower that we see Nynaeve and Egwene takea big ter'angreal located in the unfinished ruins of a holy city that all Aiel leaders must pass through to prove that they are worthy of leadership. But unlike the Accepted test, which tests your character by throwing you into emotionally fraught hypothetical situations, Rhuidean is about concrete events, what has happened and what may happen.Playing into the series' strict One Power-derived gender binary, men have to face the past to see that their proud and mighty warrior race are actually honorless failed pacifists. Women are made to reckon with every possible permutation of the future, no matter how painful.It's just an interesting thought experiment, given how many historical errors and atrocities have repeated themselves because we cannot directly transfer firsthand memories from generation to generation. How would leaders lead differently if they could see every action that led their people to this point? If they could glimpse the future implications of their current actions? And isn't it nice to imagine some all-powerful, neutral, third-party arbiter whose sole purpose is to keep people who don't deserve to hold power from holding it? Sigh.Anyway, I think the show visualizes all of this effectively, even if the specifics of some of the memories differ. We can get into the specifics of what is shown, if you like, but we get a lot of Rand and Moiraine here, after a couple of episodes where those characters have been backgrounded a bit.Lee: I agreeI was afraid that the show would misstep here, but I think they nailed it. Ive never had a very concrete vision for what the forest of glass columns that Rand must traverse is supposed to look like, but I dig the presentation in the show, and the tying together of Rands physical steps with stepping back through time. (I also like the trick of having Josha Stradowski in varying degrees of prosthetics playing Rands own ancestors, going all the way back to the Age of Legends.)Your point about leaders perhaps acting differently if forced to face their pasts before assuming leadership is solid, and as we see, some of the Aiel just cannot handle the truth: that for all the ways that honor stratifies their society, they are at their core descended from oath-breakers, offshoots of the true pacifist Jenn Aiel who once served the Aes Sedai. Some Aiel, like Couladins brother Muradin, are so incapable of accepting that truth that deathalong with some self-eyeball-scoopingis the only way forward.The thing that I appreciate is that the portrayal of the past succeeds for me in the same way that it does in the booksit viscerally drives home the magnitude of what was lost and the incomprehensible tragedy of the fall from peaceful utopia to dark-age squalor. The idea of sending out thousands of chora tree cuttings because its literally the last thing that can be done is heart-breaking. Sometimes the make-up works, sometimes it feels a little forced. Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Andrew: "Putting a wig and prosthetics on Josha Stradowski so he can play all of Rand's ancestors" is more successful in some flashbacks than it is in others. He plays an old guy like a young guy playing an old guy, and it's hard to mistake him for anything else. I do like the idea of it a lot, though!But yes, as Rand says to Aviendha once they have both been through the wringer of their respective tests, he now knows enough about the Aiel to know how much he doesn't know.We don't see any of Aviendha's test, though she enters Rhuidean at the same time as Rand and Moiraine. (Rand enters because he is descended from the Aiel, and they all think he's probably the central character in a prophecy; Moiraine goes in mainly because an Aiel Wise One accidentally tells her she'll die if she doesn't.) At this point we have pointedly not been allowed glimpses into Aviendha or Elayne's psyches, which makes me wonder if the show is dancing around telling us about A Certain Polycule or if it plans to downplay that relationship altogether.I feel like the show is too respectful of the major relationships in the books to skip it, but they are playing some cards close to the chest.Lee: Before we push on, I want to emphasize something to show-watchers that may not have been fully explicated: Yes, that was Lanfear in the deepest flashback. She was a researcher at the Collam Daanthat huge floating sphere, which was an enormous university and center for research. In an effort to find a new Power, one that could be used together by all instead of segregated by gender, she and a team of other powerful channelers create what the books call The Borea hole, drilled through the pattern of reality into the Dark Ones prison.I loved the way this was portrayed on screenit perfectly matched what Ive been seeing in my head for all these years, with the sky crinkling up into screaming blackness as the Collam Daan drops to the ground and shatters.Good stuff. Definitely my favorite moment of the episode. What was yours? This is not a good sign. Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Andrew: Oh yeah that was super cool and unsettling.As we see from both Moiraine and Aviendha, the women's version of the test isn't the glass columns, but a series of rings. You jump in and spin around like you're a kid at space camp in that zero-g spinny thing. I am sure that it has a name and that you know what the name is.Lee: It's called a multi-axis trainer! And unlike in the books, nobody has to do this naked! Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Andrew: Everything we see of Moiraine's vision is presented in a way that mirrors this spinningeach flip is another possible future, which we get to see just a glimpse of in passing before we flip over to the next thing. Most of the visions are Rand-centric, obviously. Sometimes Moiraine is killing Rand; sometimes she's bowing to him; sometimes things get Spicy between the two of them.But the one thing that comes back over and over again, and the most memorable bit of the episode for me, is a long string of visions where Lanfear kills Moiraine, over and over and over again.Both Moiraine and Rand have been playing footsy with Lanfear this season, imagining that they can use her knowledge and Lews Therin lust to get one over on their enemies. But both Rand and Moiraine have now seen firsthand that Lanfear is not someone you can trust, not even a little. She's vengeful and brutal and as close to directly responsible for the Current State Of The World as it's possible to be (though the flashback we see her in leaves open the possibility that it was accidental, at least at first). What Rand and Moiraine choose to do with this knowledge is an open question, since the show is mostly charting its own path here.Lee: Agreed, that was well doneand was a neat way of using the medium as a part of the storytelling, incorporating the visual metaphor of a wheel forever turning.Youre also right that were kind of off the map here with whats going to happen next. In the books, several other very important things have happened before we make it to Rhuidean, and Rands relationship with Moiraine is in a vastly different state, and there are, shall we say, more characters participating.Pulling Rhuidean forward in the story must have been a difficult choice to make, since its one of the key events in the series, but having seen it done, I gotta commend the showrunners. It was the right call.Andrew: We wrote about this way back in the first season, but I keep coming back to it.The show's most consequential change was the decision to center Rosamund Pike's Moiraine as a more fully realized main character, where the books spent most of their time centering Rand and the Two Rivers crew and treating Moiraine as an aloof and unknowable cipher. Ultimately an ally, but one who the characters (and to some extent, the readers) usually couldn't fully trust. "Twice and twice shall he be marked." Credit: Prime/Amazon MGM Studios Lee: I feel like we should leave it heremaybe with one final word of praise from me for Rands dragon marks, which I thought looked fantastic. And its a good thing, too, because hes going to keep them for the rest of the series. (Though I suspect the wardrobe folks will do everything they can to keep Rand in long sleeves to avoid what is likely at least an hour or two in the make-up chair.)Its a pensive ending, and everyone who emerges from Rhuidean emerges changed. Rand marches out from the city as the dawn breaks, fulfilling prophecy as he does so, carrying an unconscious Moiraine in his dragon-branded arms. Rand has the look of someone whos glimpsed a hard road ahead, and we fade out to the credits with a foreboding lack of dialog. What fell things will sunriseand the next episodebring?! Credit: WoT Wiki

Kathryn Murphy, Senior Vice President of Product, TwilioMarch 21, 20254 Min Readhirun laowisit via Alamy StockTrust is the foundation of any relationship, whether between individuals or between businesses and their customers. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, Im not upset that you lied to me, Im upset that from now on, I cant believe you.While his words may evoke thoughts of interpersonal relationships, they resonate equally in the business world, where trust in technology plays an increasingly vital role.The rise of conversational AI -- spanning chatbots and LLM-powered virtual agents -- is reimagining how people interact with businesses. This isnt just a fleeting trend; its a transformative shift. The market, valued at $5.8 billion in 2023, is projected to soar to $31.9 billion by 2028, according to IDC. That growth underscores the pivotal role this technology will play in redefining customer engagement for every business.But heres the catch: Trust is everything. One poor interaction can unravel months of goodwill, sowing seeds of doubt and eroding confidence. As Nietzsche cautioned, a single misstep can resonate deeply, and businesses can ill afford to lose the faith of their customers.The secondary challenge -- and what many businesses learned over the course of last year -- is that scaling a flashy conversational AI demo to meet the needs of a live customer environment is far from easy.Related:Below are some actionable tips for businesses to effectively build trust with their conversational AI customer engagement.Establish Clear, Customer-Centric GoalsWhen deploying conversational AI, even small missteps can lead to significant consequences, tarnishing a brands reputation and eroding customer trust. A strong foundation when implementing any AI solution begins with clear goal setting. Before rolling out their initiatives, businesses must prioritize the customer and recognize that AI is just a tool for enhancing their experience, rather than a solution in itself.Identify Potential Pain PointsOne of the most frequent sources of customer frustration lies in poor human-to-AI handoffs in conversational AI situations. When escalations lead to a loss of context or require customers to repeat information, their experience can quickly sour. To avoid this, businesses should establish clear protocols for transitioning conversations to live agents, ensuring all relevant information is seamlessly carried over. Without this, frustrations may escalate into doubts about the reliability of the service, jeopardizing trust altogether.Continuously Monitor to Improve ExperiencesRelated:Equally important is the practice of ongoing monitoring and optimization. By consistently collecting feedback, organizations can refine their conversational AI implementation, improving results and growing customer satisfaction. These efforts signal a commitment to continuous improvement, a cornerstone of building and maintaining trust.Feedback loops play a vital role in enhancing large language model (LLM) performance over time. Actively building and testing these loops, alongside robust escalation workflows, ensures customer concerns are addressed. A common misstep that organizations make is deploying AI systems that lack empathetic conversation management. Integrating AI-driven sentiment analysis can bridge this gap, allowing models to guide interactions with greater sensitivity.Minimize Bias Through PersonalizationTo provide a positive customer experience -- one that increases engagement and brand affinity -- businesses also need to ensure conversational AI solutions deliver consistent, unbiased and personalized support. With increasing levels of scrutiny paid to large language models and how information is culled, bias can be minimized by leveraging a customer data platform with unified profiles for a personalized experience.Related:For example, bias may surface if an AI agent provides differing responses based on perceived gender or cultural background, such as assuming certain tasks or preferences are linked to one gender. Regular audits are essential to identify and mitigate such issues, especially when this technology is still in its early stages. Adopting a test and learn approach can further refine these systems and create more authentic and human-like interactions.Lead With TransparencyTransparency is another cornerstone of building trust. Customers should always know when they are engaging with an AI agent. Clearly labeling these interactions not only prevents confusion but also aligns with ethical best practices, reinforcing the integrity of the customer experience.Should an organization fall victim to a scenario where AI systems fail to meet customer expectations, honesty is the best policy. Be truthful about the limitations or errors of AI and provide quick resolutions through escalation to live agents. Nobody wants to dramatically scream REPRESENTATIVE!!! to themselves and into the ether when looking for a solution to their concerns.Closing ThoughtsTrust, once broken, is challenging to regain. As Nietzsche reminds us, the erosion of trust leaves behind doubt, making it harder to rebuild relationships. For conversational AI, this means every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen -- or weaken -- customer confidence. By avoiding common pitfalls, prioritizing transparency, and continuously optimizing AI systems, businesses can build lasting trust and foster meaningful customer relationships.The call to action is clear: Businesses should begin by auditing their current conversational AI solutions, identifying gaps in trust-building measures, and implementing best practices that foster confidence and engagement from the very first interaction.About the AuthorKathryn MurphySenior Vice President of Product, TwilioKathryn Murphy has over 20 years of experience in product management, design and engineering with a deep domain in retail, commerce, payments, customer data platforms and multi-channel marketing. Kathryns focus has always been on using technology to improve the customer experience. As the SVP of Product and Design at Twilio, she leads the team focused on accelerating Twilios communications and data capabilities.See more from Kathryn MurphyReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

A relief from Ashurbanipals palaceshowing him in a chariotBritish Museum/Auday HusseinIt is one of the oldest and greatest stores of knowledge: a vast library of texts amassed by Assyrian King Ashurbanipal, who ruled ancient Mesopotamia about 2700 years ago. But after his death, it was ransacked and burned to the ground. Luckily, the texts were written on clay tablets, and so were baked and preserved by the heat.A fragment of the Epic of GilgameshBritish Museum/Camryn GoodWhen the ruins of the library were found in Victorian times in what is now Iraq, the astonishing richness of this lost world was revealed. A new book, The Library of Ancient Wisdom by Selena Wisnom at the University of Leicester, UK, pieces together a vivid portrait of Mesopotamian life from the shattered remnants of the 30,000 or so tablets in Ashurbanipals library.AdvertisementRoyal Game of Ur board gameCamryn GoodWritten in cuneiform, the worlds oldest form of writing, the tablets not only bring kings and queens to life, but also priests, traders and professional lamenters. They also include magic spells and letters of complaint. Our lives are still influenced by ripples from this ancient world via the 60-minute hour, mathematical discoveries and the invention of the zodiac.Clay prism with accounts of Ashurbanipals military campaignsAnthony Huan/CC BY-SA 2.0Pictured from top: a relief from Ashurbanipals palace showing him in a chariot; a fragment of the Epic of Gilgamesh, telling the story of a great flood; the Royal Game of Ur board game, which Ashurbanipal enjoyed as a boy, according to letters by his brother; a clay prism with accounts of Ashurbanipals military campaigns; and a letter in which his sister berates his wife for her poor cuneiform.A letter inwhich his sister berates his wifeforher poor cuneiform.Auday HusseinThe Library of Ancient Wisdom is out now in the UK and will be published on 12 May in the US.Human origins: Neolithic and Bronze Age TurkeyEmbark on a captivating journey through Turkey, a land rich with historical treasures that illuminate the story of human origins.Find out moreTopics:

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Inside a new quest to save the doomsday glacier The Thwaites glacier is a fortress larger than Florida, a wall of ice that reaches nearly 4,000 feet above the bedrock of West Antarctica, guarding the low-lying ice sheet behind it. But a strong, warm ocean current is weakening its foundations and accelerating its slide into the sea. Scientists fear the waters could topple the walls in the coming decades, kick-starting a runaway process that would crack up the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, marking the start of a global climate disaster. As a result, they are eager to understand just how likely such a collapse is, when it could happen, and if we have the power to stop it.Scientists at MIT and Dartmouth College founded Arte Glacier Initiative last year in the hope of providing clearer answers to these questions. The nonprofit research organization will officially unveil itself, launch its website, and post requests for research proposals today, timed to coincide with the UNs inaugural World Day for Glaciers, MIT Technology Review can report exclusively. Read the full story.James Temple Europe is finally getting serious about commercial rockets Europe is on the cusp of a new dawn in commercial space technology. As global political tensions intensify and relationships with the US become increasingly strained, several European companies are now planning to conduct their own launches in an attempt to reduce the continents reliance on American rockets. In the coming days, Isar Aerospace, a company based in Munich, will try to launch its Spectrum rocket from a site in the frozen reaches of Andya island in Norway. A spaceport has been built there to support small commercial rockets, and Spectrum is the first to make an attempt.Read the full story. Jonathan O'Callaghan Autopsies can reveal intimate health details. Should they be kept private? Jessica Hamzelou Over the past couple of weeks, Ive been following news of the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa. It was heartbreaking to hear how Arakawa appeared to have died from a rare infection days before her husband, who had advanced Alzheimers disease and may have struggled to understand what had happened. But as I watched the medical examiner reveal details of the couples health, I couldnt help feeling a little uncomfortable. Media reports claim that the couple liked their privacy and had been out of the spotlight for decades. But here I was, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, being told what pills Arakawa had in her medicine cabinet, and that Hackman had undergone multiple surgeries. Should autopsy reports be kept private? A persons cause of death is public information. But what about other intimate health details that might be revealed in a postmortem examination? Read the full story.This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Reviews weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, sign up here. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk will be briefed on the USs top-secret plans for war with ChinaDespite Teslas reliance on China, and SpaceXs role as a US defense contractor. (WSJ $) + Other private companies could only dream of having access to sensitive military data. (NYT $)2 Take a look inside the library of pirated books that Meta trains its AI on It considered paying for the books, but decided to use LibGen instead. (The Atlantic $)+ Copyright traps could tell writers if an AI has scraped their work. (MIT Technology Review)3 A judge has blocked DOGE from accessing social security systems She accused DOGE of failing to explain why it needed to see the private data of millions of Americans. (TechCrunch)+ Federal workers grilled a Trump appointee during an all-hands meeting. (Wired $)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? Its complex. (MIT Technology Review)4 The Trump administration is poised to shut down an anti-censorship fund The project, which helps internet users living under oppressive regimes, is under threat. (WP $)+ Tens of millions will lose access to secure and trusted VPNs. (Bloomberg $)+ Activists are reckoning with a US retreat from promoting digital rights. (MIT Technology Review)5 Tesla is recalling tens of thousands of CybertrucksAfter it used the wrong glue to attach its steel panels. (Fast Company $) +Its the largest Cybertruck recall to date. (BBC)6 This crypto billionaire has his sights set on the starsJed McCaleb is the sole backer of an ambitious space station project. (Bloomberg $) + Is DOGE going to come for NASA? (New Yorker $)7 The irresistible allure of Spotify Maybe algorithms arent all bad, after all. (Vox)+ By delivering what people seem to want, has Spotify killed the joy of music discovery? (MIT Technology Review)8 Dating apps and AI? Its complicated While some are buzzing at the prospect of romantic AI agents, others arent so sure. (Insider $) 9 Crypto bars are becoming a thing And Washington is the first casualty. (The Verge)10 The ways we use emojis is evolving Are you up to date? (FT $)Quote of the day It's an assault, and a particularly cruel one to use my work to train the monster that threatens the ruination of original literature. Author AJ West, whose books were included in the library of pirated material Meta used to train its AI model, calls for the company to compensate writers in a post on Bluesky. The big story Are we alone in the universe? November 2023The quest to determine if anyone or anything is out there has gained a greater scientific footing over the past 50 years. Back then, astronomers had yet to spot a single planet outside our solar system. Now we know the galaxy is teeming with a diversity of worlds. Were now getting closer than ever before to learning how common living worlds like ours actually are. New tools, including artificial intelligence, could help scientists look past their preconceived notions of what constitutes life.Future instruments will sniff the atmospheres of distant planets and scan samples from our local solar system to see if they contain telltale chemicals in the right proportions for organisms to prosper. But determining whether these planets actually contain organisms is no easy task. Read the full story.Adam Mann We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + Get your weekend off to a good start with these beautiful nebulas.+ Justice for Mariah: a judge has ruled that she didnt steal All I Want For Christmas Is You from other writers.+ Were no longer extremely online any more apparentlyso what are we?+ The fascinating tale of White Mana, one of Americas oldest burger joints.

My trip to Ghana inspired my love for travel.I really enjoyed spending time in Ghana. Caitlyn Lubas Sleeping under a mosquito net on the mud floor of a local's home was the pivot point that turned my travel curiosity into a mission to discover different ways of living in every corner of the world.I found it so easy to share a smile, join a dance, and bond with people raised in a completely different cultural and economic environment.Ghana offered so much contrast between the warmth of its people and the darkness of its colonial history, which I think everyone can learn from.There's so much to love about Argentina.I loved hiking in Argentina. Caitlyn Lubas From the roaring waterfalls of Iguazu to the adorable penguins in Ushuaia (the southernmost city in the world), Argentina has it all.I enjoyed trekking peaks in Patagonia equally as much as dining on affordable cuts of prime steak in the historic neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.Traveling through Laos on a riverboat is an experience I'll never forget.I traveled down the Mekong River on a boat. Caitlyn Lubas Laos is well worth a visit for a journey down the mighty Mekong River. I took a slow boat for two days from Luang Prabang, the capital, to the border of Laos and Thailand.I often think back to this experience, which allowed me to immerse myself in nature as I floated by riverbanks full of rural villages. I even woke up next to elephants splashing in the river.In my opinion, Greenland is an unmissable destination.Visiting Greenland was an incredible experience. Caitlyn Lubas On the world's largest island, which has no connecting roads, I traveled by sailboat from one small fishing settlement to another.Witnessing the resilience of East Greenland's remote native community living in such inhospitable conditions is something I'll always remember as a testament to human survival skills.With a chance to see the northern lights, gaze at glaciers, and climb mountains, Greenland makes for an unmissable destination.French Polynesia is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.Nothing compares to the lush green mountains and turquoise waters in French Polynesia. Caitlyn Lubas There are a lot of beautiful islands in the world, but to me, nothing beats the lush green mountains and sparkling turquoise waters of French Polynesia.As a territory of France, these islands gave me the unique opportunity to munch on tasty croissants and even go for a night of fondue all while underneath palm trees.Malaysia is one of my top travel recommendations.I loved everything about my trip to Malaysia. Caitlyn Lubas When I brainstorm travel recommendations, Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, the island of Penang, and the streets of Malacca always come to mind.The intermixing of Hindu temples, stunning skyscrapers, and colorful street art captured my attention at every turn.In my opinion, Malaysian cuisine also stands out. A noodle dish called char kway teow, which is very popular in the country, is my favorite meal in the entire world.Getting a freshly made plate from the wok of a street vendor is an experience my taste buds have remembered for years.There's so much to do in South Africa.I went on a safari game drive in South Africa. Caitlyn Lubas My time in South Africa was filled with so much diversity that I could hardly believe I was still in the same country.I experienced everything from safari game drives and scuba diving with sharks, to memorable museums about the country's complex history from the apartheid and colonial eras.Every day was a new adventure, and I came home with powerful new perspectives.There's more to Mexico than the popular tourist spots.I loved visiting culture-rich cities like Oaxaca, Mexico. jmorse2000/Getty Images Although many tourists flock to Cancn, the lesser-visited parts of Mexico deserve a visit, too.Beyond its sun-kissed coastlines, I love Mexico's culture-rich cities, like Oaxaca, which boasts some of the best meals I've ever had, and, arguably, the best Da de los MuertosI have so many great memories from my trip to Morocco.There's so much to love about Morocco. Caitlyn Lubas The taste of sweet mint tea, the sound of a bustling medina, and the sight of the sunrise in the Sahara desert are just a few key memories I have of Morocco.The country's hospitable culture, rich history, artisan crafts, tasty cuisine, and stunning architecture made me sure I'd visit again before I had even left.Norway is truly stunning.I'll never forget the view from Reinebringen. Caitlyn Lubas No landscape I've seen compares to awe-inspiring cliffs bordering the sea in the fjords of Norway.A view from Reinebringen, a popular but difficult hike in the Lofoten Island archipelago, has been my phone lock screen for the past three years, simply because I want to remind myself of this majestic beauty on a daily basis.Walking amid towering cliffs that make you feel small is the best way to remind yourself how big the world really is.

2025-03-21T13:55:19Z Read in app Tesla investors have expressed concern that Elon Musk is spending too much time on DOGE. Samuel Corum/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Elon Musk hosted a late-night Tesla all-hands on Thursday and addressed the plunging share price.Wedbush analyst Dan Ives hailed the meeting as a "step forward" that showed Musk was "reading the room."The ultra-bull previously warned Tesla was in crisis and said Musk needed to spend less time on DOGE.Elon Musk's surprise late-night all-hands has already won over one Wall Street analyst.Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, traditionally one of Tesla's most bullish followers, said the all-hands was a "much-needed step forward" for Musk.Ives had previously warned Tesla was spiraling into a "brand crisis tornado" amid widespread protests and a plunging stock price."This was a key moment for Musk and Tesla to show leadership and he did," he wrote in a note on Friday."We applaud Musk for 'reading the room' and showing important hand-holding at this key time for employees and investors."Ives has been one of Tesla and Musk's loudest advocates on Wall Street, consistently stressing optimism about the EV maker's long-term outlook.However, in a change of tone on Thursday, the analyst warned that Tesla had descended into a "crisis." He called on Musk to balance his time working on DOGE with his role as Tesla CEO, warning that the billionaire's work at the White House had turned the company into a "political symbol."Tesla's share price has almost halved since mid-December, with investors expressing concern over Musk's spending time in Washington, D.C.Sales have plunged in multiple markets this year, while Tesla showrooms and vehicles have become a target for protests against widespread federal job cuts pushed through by DOGE.The Tesla all-hands, which kicked off just before 10 p.m. ET and was livestreamed on X, sparked confusion among some employees who were notified only shortly before.The event saw Musk address the turmoil around Tesla and the stock price.The Tesla boss compared the public backlash and acts of vandalism against company property to "armageddon," telling employees he couldn't "walk past the TV without seeing a Tesla on fire."Musk also told investors to "hang on to your stock," pointing to Tesla's upcoming "Cybercab" robotaxi and plans to build a "legion" of Optimus robots this year. Tesla shares prices fell by half a percentage point after trading hours.In the Friday note, Ives said he believed Tesla's future remained bright thanks to its investments in autonomous vehicles, AI and robotics but warned that challenges remain."Musk needs to lead Tesla through this very turbulent period and show employees and investors the other side of this dark brand crisis tornado," wrote Ives."We are not asking Musk to give up his DOGE initiative ... instead we and many top investors are asking for balance as Tesla CEO and DOGE in this key period for Tesla."Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Out of the shadows (Ubisoft)Ubisofts decision to delay Assassins Creed Shadows appears to have paid off, as the Japanese themed entry hits a major sales milestone within 24 hours.The lead-up to Assassins Creed Shadows was filled with overblown controversies, troubling delays, and the weight of Ubisofts future thrusted upon it, but it seems like it has emerged out the other side in relatively good shape.The setting of feudal Japan features two protagonists, with shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, as they navigate turbulent clan wars during the Sengoku period. The game has been been met with largely positive reviews, and currently hold an 81 score on review aggregate site Metacritic.And now, less than 24 hours after Assassins Creed Shadows launched on March 20, Ubisoft has announced that its already surpassed one million players across PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.The vast majority of these players appear to be on console, where its more difficult to track exact numbers.However, according to SteamDB, Assassins Creed Shadows hit an all-time peak of 41,412 players on launch day, and while that may seem low in comparison to the likes of Monster Hunter Wilds and GTA 5, its largely in step with past Assassins Creed games.At the moment, Assassins Creed Shadows is just behind Assassins Creed Odyssey (62,069) and Assassins Creed Origins (41,551) in terms of the series highest peak on Steam, but theres a strong chance itll surpass both of those over the weekend.The game has been met with largely positive reviews from fans, particularly for its visuals. I am nine hours into Assassins Creed Shadows, and its definitely the best RPG Assassins Creed, wrote EliteGamer04 on X.Both Naoe and Yasuke are fun to play, this game looks quite great on my base PlayStation 5, and its definitely the most challenging in terms of combat.Casual Gamer Doc added: Assassins Creed Shadows is definitely worth playing. The game is absolutely a standout graphically. Best Assassins Creed game in a long time.More TrendingUsers on Reddit have sung its praises too, at least in regards to the opening hours. Shadows probably has the best opening to an Assassins Creed game since Odyssey, and the cut scenes themselves so far have been stellar, writes DanielG165.It remains to be seen if this enthusiasm will continue in the weeks to come, but for now at least, it seems like Assassins Creed Shadows has largely confounded the cynicism around it.The big question moving forward is how it will impact Ubisofts future. After a string of titles failed to meet financial expectations, including Star Wars Outlaws and XDefiant, the company is apparently considering a buyout with Tencent, or shifting its IP to an entirely new entity.The continued success, or lack thereof, for Assassins Creed Shadows will have large part to play in how all that shakes out. Feudal Japan looks pretty wonderful (Ubisoft)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By Florence Ion Published March 21, 2025 | Comments (0) | Big changes in leadership hopefully mean changes are coming to Apple Intelligence. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Apple is shaking up its executive roster as the company desperately seeks to make an AI product that works. According to Bloomberg, John Giannandrea, senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, will no longer be in charge of Apples Siri and AI efforts. After months of jokes and criticism the Apple Intelligence boondoggle has reached crisis point. If youve been paying attention to Apple lately, you know there is a round of blame game happening at headquarters. Its only revealed through expertly sourced reports and a fluctuating stock as each new headline breaks through. All the reports (and a surprise leaked internal meeting) suggest Apple CEO Tim Cook has been on a hunt for why the company doesnt yet have a competitive product in the AI space. Cook is now making changes that should turn things around for Siri, Apple Intelligence, and the rest of Apples AI efforts. Silicon Valley tech giants moving roles around is definitely inside baseball, but big changes at Apple are usually learned through press releases, not leaked meetings. The very public castigating of the Apples AI program suggests the company might be coming around to needing AI incorporated as more than a splashy and poorly working marketing move for investors. The company already admitted it was scaling back on its promise of a full-fledged Siri with Apple Intelligence. Now, Mike Rockwell, the former head of Vision Pro development, is being moved in as the overseer of all things Siri and AI. Its unclear if Giannandrea is totally out. He came to Apple from Alphabet, whee he ran oversaw some of Googles most critical and advanced AI work. So the guy knows AI better than most people, but Rockwell just shipped a product that wasnt a best seller, but was expertly crafted and implemented and required working across both hardware and software. So as a project leader he may be more affective. Hell will work under Craig Federighi, the ample-haired senior vice president of software engineering, who is in charge of iOS, iPad OS, and macOS.Other staff are being shuffled between groups to get the department back on a trajectory too. What is described in the report sounds like chaos, but a shake up, or at least the admission of problems, should have happened a while ago. Critics, users and even Rockwell himself were already worried Siri wasnt good enough. Now Apple is betting on the technical prowess of Rockwell, the new department head, to help revive the waning Siri and Apple Intelligence and possibly even integrate it into more of the ecosystem. He also has a track record of being vocal about Siris shortcomings, which might mean theres already a vision of how to proceed.And thats desperately needed. The Apple Intelligence rollout has been deeply flawed, with the currently available stuff being real table stakes for an AI and the actual cool big promises now delayed indefinitely. Id like to see if they can push anything forward this year. There must be some trick that Siri can do that will inspire us all in its AI future by WWDC 2025. But if Apple is wise it will go back to doing what it does best, focus on pushing out something polished instead of rushing it out because a hype cycle demanded it.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Kyle Barr Published March 19, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 15, 2025 By Florence Ion Published March 14, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 11, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 11, 2025 By Sherri L Smith Published March 11, 2025