anybody out there? Does all intelligent life face a Great Filter? The Universe should be full of alien civilizations. Why cant we find any? Paul Sutter Mar 26, 2025 9:35 am | 27 Credit: Buena Vista Images/Getty Images Credit: Buena Vista Images/Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWhere is everybody!?It was around 1950. UFO mania had recently ramped up across the world, with dozens of reported sightings of strange flying machines fueling rampant speculation regarding their origins.The eminent physicist Enrico Fermi was visiting his colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico that summer, and the mealtime conversation turned to the subject of UFOs. Very quickly, the assembled physicists realized that if UFOs were alien machines, that meant it was possible to travel faster than the speed of light. Otherwise, those alien craft would have never made it here.At first, Fermi boisterously participated in the conversation, offering his usual keen insights. But soon, he fell silent, withdrawing into his own ruminations. The conversation drifted to other subjects, but Fermi stayed quiet.Sometime later, long after the group had largely forgotten about the issue of UFOs, Fermi sat up and blurted out: But where is everybody!?Every scientist at that table immediately knew what he meant.That central questionwhere is everybody?is now known as the Fermi Paradox in his honor. And while he wasn't the first person to wonder about the nature of other intelligent civilizations, he was the first to give the idea a modern spin.The paradox arises from a seemingly innocent line of rational thinking that leads to an incorrect conclusion. It goes like this. Were not special. We live on just another rocky planet around a ho-hum star in an unspectacular arm of an average spiral galaxy. Theres nothing incredibly unique or exotic about our physical circumstances.And here we are. Alive. Intelligent. (Almost) spacefaring.Nature tends not to do things just once. If were here and on the cusp of exploding into space, and there are hundreds of billions of stars in the galaxy, trillions of galaxies in the Universe, and billions of years to play around with, the Universe should be teeming with alien civilizations. We should see evidence for them everywhere we look, the same way we see any other common process played out again and again in the cosmos.And yet weve got nothing. No artificial signals in our radio receivers. No mega-engineering projects reshaping other solar systems. No artifacts embedded in our planet or any others. As far as we can tell, we are alone. To the limits of our observations, we are the only living creatures, the only intelligent civilization, to inhabit the cosmos.So what gives? Something must be wrong with the chain of reasoning. Even though every step sounds sane and reasonable, it leads to a conclusion that flies in the face of the evidence. Hence, a paradox.Doomsaying with RobinDecades later, the economist Robin Hanson was mulling over Fermis paradox and came to an uncomfortable conclusion. Maybe were alone because essentially nobody ever makes it. Maybe theres some unavoidable barrier between the origin of intelligent life and said life setting off to explore the galaxy.The position of this Great Filter, as he named it, is critically important as we contemplate the future of humanity. If the Filter is behind us, in our past, then we are one of the few lucky ones to survive in an otherwise lonely universe. If its in front of us, in our future, then we likely do not have much time left as a species (at least, a spacefaring one).The key point of the Great Filter argument is that Fermis Paradox is not really a paradox. Instead, there is a false assumption baked into the chain of reasoning. The assumption is that because life is probably common, intelligent, spacefaring life is also common. Take that assumption away and Fermis argument breaks down, resolving the paradox. But how do we square the claim that intelligent life is rare with the solid argument that theres nothing special happening here on Earth?It comes down to a game of numbers. Intelligent life doesnt have to be outright impossible. In fact, it cant bewere here, and weve already begun taking our first steps into space. It just has to be so deeply rare that we shouldnt expect to see any evidence for it elsewhere, despite decades of searching. So the game is to start with the plausible assumption of abundant life, then find a way to whittle that down to as close to zero as we can get it.Hanson pointed out that life requires many steps to reach spacefaring statusespecially the kind of spacefaring status that would get you noticed by nascent astronomers across the Universe. First off, life needs a place to call home. As far as we know, that means a rocky world with lots of liquid water, a decent atmosphere, and a stable star.Second, life has to well, become alive. Theres some secret sauce that turns an odd collection of prebiotic compounds and molecules into self-reproducing structures that undergo Darwinian evolution.Once established, life has to go through a series of steps where it increases in complexity. On the Earth, this progression likely started with simple reproductive molecules like RNA. Life then figured out how to encapsulate itself as single-celled microbes. It figured out sex and exploded into a variety of multicellular forms. Some billions of years later, some of that multicellular life figured out how to be reasonably smart and start using tools to manipulate and control its environment. In our case, the birds figured it out first, but then the primates took it to another level.Those smart, tool-using creatures then conceived of machines to take them into the edge of space. The last step is for that space-faring species to really go for it, sending themselves or their robotic emissaries far and wide, colonizing every available corner of the galaxy, and if they are sufficiently motivated, the Universe. Or, if theyre not quite in the mood for galactic colonization, then at least making some other signs of their presence, like blasting out galaxy-wide radio transmissions, modifying every star they come across, or engaging in a fair bit of mega-engineering.For the Great Filter to work, one or more of these steps must be incredibly hard. It could be just one step, a cataclysmic cliff that species have an impossible time getting around. Or it could be a series of Lesser Filters that, taken together, create a labyrinth of steps that species cant escape. No matter what, though, getting to the galactic stage has to be hard. So hard that any wannabe starfarers get snuffed out in the cradle.So where is the Filter? Is it early on, with the development of life itself? Is it somewhere in the middle, on the long march to intelligence? Is it at the end, when going from simple orbital jaunts lead to lengthy interstellar excursions?Considering that our own species is right at the very edge, at the last stage before galactic explosion, the question of the Great Filter takes on an existential edge. Have we already gotten through it safely, or are we counting down to the ending of our species?Waltzing with microbesTo decide on the location of the Great Filter (or collection of Lesser Filters), we dont have a lot of evidence to go on. Just us, our evolutionary heritage, and our meager astronomical observations. But even those slim lines can give us some insights.We know from observations that the basic ingredients of life are ridiculously common. The Universe is perfectly capable of producing oxygen, carbon, and water in great abundance and then combining them into basic biochemicals. And as we continue to expand our catalog of exoplanets, were beginning to learn that potentially life-bearing worlds are a dime a dozen. Heck, even our nearest neighbor star, Proxima Centauri, plays host to a small terrestrial world in its habitable zone.So when it comes to the very first step on the list of potential roadblocks, we can probably cross that off the list. Homes for life, if not life itself, are very popular.But what about the magic of abiogenesis? We only have one known example of this happening in the entire Universe, but there is something interesting about the timing. Life on Earth appeared pretty much as soon as it could, right after (astronomically speaking) the crust cooled and the oceans formed. So we can reasonably argue that once the conditions are right, life starts to do its thing.The next series of steps, going from basic life thats just figured out how to reproduce to complex life that can launch itself into space, is a different story. Again, going from our one single example of life on Earth, we see that it took a really, really long time for that to happen.In fact, humanity probably represents the Earths last shot. In just a few hundred million years, the Sun will grow too hot. Our oceans will boil, and we will turn into another Venus. So while life got started in Earths first chapter, intelligent life didnt appear until its last.So maybe thats it. Thats the Great Filter: achieving intelligence. In that case, woohoo! We made it! Pop the champagne. Were one of the extremely rare, lucky species that survive the Filter, and we have nothing but the stars in our future.Flirting with disasterOr not. We really dont know. We only have evidence for life on one planet. If we ever see signs of microbes in the dust of Mars or buried under the ice sheets of the outer moons, that might be a hopeful sign that weve made it throughthat life is common but intelligence is not.But the Great Filter may not be done with us yet. For the foreseeable future, humanity lives balanced on the edge of a knife. To go and spread among the stars, we must develop the technology to acquire, store, and harness vast amounts of energy. But that same technological need carries with it existential risk; the same harnessed energies that can propel our species to the stars can grind us into the dust.Already, we are haunted by the specters of nuclear warfare and uncontrollable climate change. It might be that neither would kill us completely (hopefully), but they would definitely put a long-term damper on our space ambitions.The more we expand and establish ourselves on other worlds, the safer well be, simply because of the numbers. At some stage, well reach a tipping point, where the long-term survival of our species is all but guaranteed. The loss of a planet would be a tragedy, but it wouldn't be the end of our entire civilization. The path to getting there, however, is a treacherous one well have to tread carefully.Surviving with ourselvesBut everybody is going to die isnt necessarily the end result of the Great Filter, even if it does lie in our future. We see no evidence for any intelligent civilizations in the Universe. But that doesnt mean they dont exist. One possible resolution to Fermis Paradox is that aliens really are out there, but they're invisible to us.Maybe the Universe could be teeming with advanced aliens who just prefer to stay home. Maybe our current phase of accelerated technological growth is just that: a phase. It doesnt necessarily end with a galaxy-spanning civilization. Not every culture on Earth, either throughout history or even right now, values constant expansion, consumption, exploration, and innovation. Maybe well touch the edge of space and decide that our home planet is just fine, thank you very much. In that case, we shouldnt expect to see evidence for aliens, because stay-at-homers dont really make themselves noticeable.Maybe colonizing space is exceptionally difficult, far more difficult than we could possibly imagine. It seems that the speed of light really is the ultimate limit, and no bit of clever physics can ever get around it. Other stars are painfully far away, and the energies needed to travel to them in any meaningful way are beyond even our wildest reckoning. We could work and advance our technologies for thousands of years and still barely make our presence known in the wider galactic scene.In fact, the filter might simply be detection. A super-advanced civilization could persist for millions of years and spread to a bubble a hundred light-years across and we may not have the technology to find it.There are, of course, arguments that we should still see evidence for aliens somewhere. All it takes is one hyper-expansionist species to litter the whole galaxy with their technological detritus. Ultimately, given the current lack of evidence in any direction, the resolution to Fermis Paradox, and our response to the argument of the Great Filter, is one of personal preference.If you think humanity is headed on a dark path, then youre probably inclined to believe that the Filter is in our (near) future. If you think we have a shot of redemption and harmony, then you might think the Filter is safely behind us. If you look up at the night sky and dont want to be alone in the Universe, you likely believe theres some other resolution to Fermis famous question.But no matter what, as we continue to scan the silent heavens above us, we are forced to ask the same question again and again. Where is everybody?Paul SutterContributing EditorPaul SutterContributing Editor 27 Comments

James M. Connolly, Contributing Editor and WriterMarch 26, 20258 Min ReadCagkan Sayin via Alamy Stock[This article was updated on March 26, 2025, with more recent content]Those wondering about the role of the CIO in the digital age need only look at the keyword in the middle of the title: Chief "information" officer. The corporate world actually isnt just about being digital or data driven. That digital data represents what the organization actually knows: Information about itself, its customers, and its employees, and how that organization does business moving forward.So, the CIO that some organizations virtually locked in the data center for years is today involved in everything from payroll to cybersecurity, e-commerce to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. Their domain extends from coders to clouds.Oh, and the CIO is also now the point person for AI initiatives and defending against AI abuse.This Quick Study takes a look at the role of the CIO these days as recorded by the writers who contribute to InformationWeek. The roles and responsibilities have changed dramatically and surely will continue to shift as the job itself morphs in the years ahead.CIOs, Their Jobs, and the Expanding C-SuiteCISOs in 2025: Evolution of a High-Profile RoleOver the past decade, the chief information security role has evolved from being a supporting position under the CIO or chief risk officer to a core member of the executive team.Emotional Intelligence: An Often-Overlooked IT Leadership SkillStrengthening your emotional intelligence can help you become a more effective and respected leader. Getting started is as easy as mastering a few key attributes.Changing Role of the CIOChief information officers need to lean into the leadership aspects of their role to deal with ongoing changes. Here are five strategic areas to focus on in your job.The CIO Playbook, and the Seldom Run Plays with Big PayoffsIf you want to move beyond just being a CIO in an organization, you have to stretch your boundaries.Bridging the Divide: How to Foster the CIO-CFO PartnershipBuilding a future-proof enterprise through strategic leadership collaboration between the chief information officer and chief financial officer, says the CIO of Workiva.First Days on the Job as a CIOBecoming chief information officer is a goal for many IT professionals. But what do you do when you finally get there?Why Some Newer C-Suite Titles FailCorporate C-suites continue to expand, but the success rate of the newer positions depends on many things.The Value of the Fractional Chief Technology OfficerA fractional CTO can be a great solution to help limit risk, manage teams, and develop cost-effective strategies to help meet the technology demands of an evolving business.Achieving CIO Balance: IT Meets the Business WorldCIOs are being pushed to deliver value to the business and stay on top of technical issues. How can they do both?Todays Blueprint for CIO success: A Shift in MindsetChief information officers can help lead organizations through todays complex macro environment, if they broaden their purview to areas that deliver business outcomes faster.Lessons from Banking on the Role of the Chief Risk OfficerBy using cutting-edge data, analytics, and AI technology, chief risk officers can help their organization drive more effective risk-management strategies.Hey, CIO, We Need AIThe CEO/CIO Dynamic: Navigating GenAI ImplementationBy working together, CEOs and CIOs can fully leverage the benefits of generative AI to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and stay competitive in the market, says KPMG.Leading as a Future-Ready CIO in an AI-Driven WorldCompanies are rethinking their partnership structures, with ecosystems leading as transformative new business models across various industries.How CIOs Can Navigate Their Jobs in the AI EraThe sudden and explosive popularity of AI among the public surprised many, including CIOs. With changing tech priorities, where should CIOs be prioritizing their efforts to be successful? The CIO of Experio offers a look.Reshaping the CIO's Playbook for the AI AgeIn this landscape of rapid change, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on the role of the chief information officer is profound and far-reaching, according to EY.Fake News, Deepfakes: What Every CIO Should KnowAI advances are making fake news and deepfakes easier than ever. Most organizations arent prepared enough, yet.How Will AI Change the CISO Role?Artificial intelligence arms both defenders and threat actors, rapidly reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. Inevitably, the chief information security officer role must adapt to keep up.How CDAOs and CIOs Can Divide Data and Analytics ResponsibilitiesThe division of responsibilities between CDAOs and CIOs is often disputed, which can create tension and hinder operations, Gartner says. A better approach is to split the work and collaborate as peers.How, When, and Why to Hire a Chief AI OfficerTo develop an effective AI strategy, organizations should consider hiring a permanent CAIO who can align AI initiatives with long-term goals.CIOs and the Great Talent CrunchTaking a Deep Dive into People SkillsThe fundamental people skills -- or chops -- are communicating, collaborating, being a team player, and listening, with the ultimate goal as connecting.Do Women IT Leaders Face a Glass Cliff?Are organizations more likely to promote women to top IT management posts during hopeless crisis situations? Apparently, yes.4 Ways to Create a Workplace that Fosters Diverse LeadersResearch finds that there arent enough women in leadership positions. Here are four ways leaders can create a workplace that fosters more diverse leaders.Soft Skills: The Ultimate Force Multiplier for ITAs the job market shifts and new doors open, its critical for IT leaders to hire talented tech pros who are empathetic, forthcoming, and invested in helping the end user through their work.CIOs, Innovation, Their Budgets and ROIThe Case for a Fractional CIOWhat is a fractional CIO and when does hiring one make sense versus taking on a full-time executive?IT Leaders as Advocates for Continual ChangeWhile IT leaders have their finger on the pulse of tech advances, its crucial to work closely with business leaders ensuring strategy is aligned with business outcomes.CEOs Deploy CIOs for Digital LeadershipSuccessful CIOs must become agents for change, bolster their collaboration prowess and adopt a business first mindset, as CEOs lean on them to lead digital transformation.CIOs and the Right Tech in the Right Place5 Ways a CIO Can Assess the IT Landscape in a New RoleOnce settled into a new workspace and role, IT leaders can begin to assess how their new department works (and doesn't) in five key areas.ITs Key Role in Planting ESG EffortEnvironmental, social and governance (ESG) is an emerging area of focus for companies that could loom large in the future. How can CIOs plan for this today?CIO Compensation May Soon Be Tied to Green Data CentersLike it or not, the potential of green data center savings puts CIOs on the front line in the fight for sustainability.The Voices of Today's CIOsIntel CIO Motti Finkelstein on C-Suite Communication, Sustainable AI, and FutureFinkelstein must lead the chip giants IT team as the company embarks on its sprawling and ambitious foundry goals.Technology Leadership: The Sky Isnt the LimitHere are six lessons that flying taught me about being a leader, says the CIO of Nutanix.Former Microsoft CIO Jim DuBois Dishes On AI and Future of ITThe industry veteran and author looks beyond hype around generative language models as businesses begin adopting emerging technologies at a feverish pace.Q&A: Aflac US CIO Shelia Anderson Talks AI, Data, and CloudAutomating claims processing and other functions currently see more play with the insurer than ChatGPT, but Aflacs AI journey is still underway.Q&A: US Patent and Trademark Office's CIO on Cloud and DevSecOpsJamie Holcombe talks about developing a software factory drawing upon DevSecOps methodology and GitLab to help it modernize software development within his agency.About the AuthorJames M. ConnollyContributing Editor and WriterJim Connolly is a versatile and experienced freelance technology journalist who has reported on IT trends for more than three decades. He was previouslyeditorial director of InformationWeek and Network Computing, where heoversaw the day-to-day planning and editing on the sites. He has written about enterprise computing, data analytics, the PC revolution, the evolution of the Internet, networking, IT management, and the ongoing shift to cloud-based services and mobility. He has covered breaking industry news and has led teams focused on product reviews and technology trends. He has concentrated on serving the information needs of IT decision-makers in large organizations and has worked with those managers to help them learn from their peers and share their experiences in implementing leading-edge technologies through such publications as Computerworld. Jim also has helped to launch a technology-focused startup, as one of the founding editors at TechTarget, and has served as editor of an established news organization focused on technology startups at MassHighTech.See more from James M. ConnollyReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Masaki Kashiwaras work is seen as highly abstract but vitalPeter Bagde / Typos1 / The Abel PrizeMasaki Kashiwara has won the 2025 Abel prize, sometimes called the Nobel prize of mathematics, for his work on algebraic analysis.Kashiwara, a professor at Kyoto University, Japan, received the award for his fundamental contributions to algebraic analysis and representation theory, in particular the development of the theory of D-modules and the discovery of crystal bases. AdvertisementHis work involves the use of algebra to investigate geometry and symmetry, and has focused on using those ideas to find solutions for differential equations, which involve relationships between mathematical functions and their rates of change. Finding solutions to such equations can be particularly tricky, especially in the case of functions that have several variables and therefore several rates of change these are known as partial differential equations (PDEs).Kashiwaras vital work on D-modules, a highly specific area of algebraic analysis involving linear PDEs, was done surprisingly early in his career, during his PhD thesis. He has worked with over 70 collaborators. Kashiwara told New Scientist he was happy to win the Abel prize, but is still actively working and hopes to make further contributions.I am now working on the representation theory of quantum affine algebras and its related topics, he says. There is a nice conjecture: [the] affine quiver conjecture, but I still have no clue how to solve it.The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day.Sign up to newsletterDavid Craven at the University of Birmingham, UK, says Kashiwaras work is extremely abstract, far from direct real-world applications, and understanding even a basic summary would require a mathematics PhD as a bare minimum. Thats the level of difficulty these things are at, he says. Its incredibly esoteric.But Craven says Kashiwara has made a huge impact in his field: The stuff that hes done permeates representation theory. You cant get away from Kashiwara if you want to do geometric representation theory, its just everywhere.Gwyn Bellamy at the University of Glasgow, UK, says all the big results in the field [algebraic analysis] are due to him, more or less, and the Abel prize win for Kashiwara has been a long time coming. Its given for lifetime achievement, and hes achieved a lot of in his lifetime, he says. Hes still revolutionising the field even now, I would say.The Abel prize, named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, is awarded each year by the King of Norway. Last year, it was won by Michel Talagrand for his research into probability theory and the extremes of randomness.Topics:

HealthAnecdotal reports suggest drugs like Ozempic may curb not just appetite but also impulsive or addictive behaviour, hinting at links between metabolic health and our brains 26 March 2025 SPL; EyevineI just cannot believe how I dont crave alcohol anymore! writes one person. Others declare: Took my first shot have not had a drink or cigarette since, and I love coffee but Ive noticed that I cannot finish a cup anymore.These quotes were all collected in a recent study led by Davide Arillotta at the University of Florence, Italy, from Reddits weight-loss forums. Here, you will find many people rhapsodising about the benefits of drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. That these treatments are helping people curb their eating should be no surprise: that is exactly what they are meant to do, by mimicking the satiety hormone GLP-1 (see How they work, below).This article is part of a special series investigating the GLP-1 agonist boom. Read more here.Among the comments, however, you will frequently find reports of other wholly unexpected behavioural changes. According to these accounts, when taking these drugs, the urge to drink alcohol, smoke and even shop compulsively plummets (but not libido, though anecdotal reports on this subject elsewhere online are mixed). Such tales are becoming familiar to prescribing physicians.If this anecdotal data can be supported by controlled clinical trials, it may tell us a lot about how the brain processes anticipation and reward and could also suggest whole new ways of dealing with addiction. By targeting areas of the brain responsible for reward signals from food, GLP-1 drugs might also reduce the rewards people get from other things, such as addictive substances. But what does the current evidence show about these complex behavioural processes?First, we need to understand how drugs

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. China built hundreds of AI data centers to catch the AI boom. Now many stand unused. Just months ago, Chinas boom in data center construction was at its height, fueled by both government and private investors. Renting out GPUs to companies that need them for training AI models was once seen as a sure bet. But with the rise of DeepSeek and a sudden change in the economics around AI, the industry is faltering. Prices for GPUs are falling and many newly built facilities are now sitting empty. Read the full story to find out why. Caiwei Chen OpenAIs new image generator aims to be practical enough for designers and advertisers Whats new? OpenAI has released a new image generator thats designed less for typical surrealist AI art and more for highly controllable and practical creation of visualsa sign that OpenAI thinks its tools are ready for use in fields like advertising and graphic design. Why it matters: While most AI models have been great at creating fantastical images or realistic deepfakes, theyve been terrible at identifying certain objects correctly and putting them in their proper place. OpenAIs new model makes progress on technical issues that have plagued AI image generators for years. But in entering this domain, OpenAI has two paths, both difficult. Read the full story. The AI Hype Index: DeepSeek mania, Israels spying tool, and cheating at chess Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isnt always easy. Thats why weve created the AI Hype Indexa simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. Take a look at the full index here. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The Trump administration has barred 80 companies from buying US tech The list of primarily Chinese firms is forbidden from buying American chips. (NYT $)+ The list included a server maker that buys chips from Nvidia. (WSJ $)+ China disputed claims the firms were seeking knowledge for military purposes. (AP News)2 A DOGE staffer provided tech support to a cybercrime ring And bragged about trafficking in stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent. (Reuters)+ Elon Musk could use DOGEs cuts to steer contracts towards his own firms. (The Guardian)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? Its complex. (MIT Technology Review) 3 The US government has hired a vaccine skeptic to conduct a major vaccine study The long-discredited David Geier will oversee analysis of whether jabs cause autism. (WP $)+ The White House appears to be targeting mRNA vaccines. (FT $)+ Why childhood vaccines are a public health success story. (MIT Technology Review)4 Microsoft has unveiled two deep reasoning Copilot AI agents The two agents, called Researcher and Analyst, are designed to do just that. (The Verge)+ How ChatGPT search paves the way for AI agents. (MIT Technology Review)5 Inside the rise of Chinese hacking The cyber threat posed by the country is increasingly sophisticatedand aggressive. (Economist $)6 Google has instructed workers to remove DEI terms from their workThe company has offered up alternative language to use in its place.(The Information $) 7 Synthesia is offering shares to reward human actors for its AI avatarsThe compensation scheme is the first of its kind. (FT $) + Synthesias hyperrealistic deepfakes will soon have full bodies. (MIT Technology Review)8 Chinas RedNote is working to keep its influx of TikTok refugeesTo do so, itll need to expand its user base outside the Chinese diaspora. (Rest of World) 9 This operating system is designed to keep running during civilizations collapse Collapse OS is designed to give us access to lost knowledge in case of disaster. (Wired $)10 No one really knows how long people live Longevity research is bogged down in bad record-keeping. (NY Mag $)+ The quest to legitimize longevity medicine. (MIT Technology Review) Quote of the day There are so many great reasons to be on Signal. Now including the opportunity for the vice president of the United States of America to randomly add you to a group chat for coordination of sensitive military operations. Moxie Marlinspike, founder of secure messaging platform Signal, pokes fun at the fallout surrounding US officials accidentally adding a journalist to a private military group chat in a post on X. The big story Longevity enthusiasts want to create their own independent state. Theyre eyeing Rhode Island. May 2023 Jessica Hamzelou I recently traveled to Montenegro for a gathering of longevity enthusiasts. All the attendees were super friendly, and the sense of optimism was palpable. Theyre all confident well be able to find a way to slow or reverse agingand they have a bold plan to speed up progress. Around 780 of these people have created a pop-up city that hopes to circumvent the traditional process of clinical trials. They want to create an independent state where like-minded innovators can work together in an all-new jurisdiction that gives them free rein to self-experiment with unproven drugs. Welcome to Zuzalu. Read the full story. 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.) + Good newsit turns out that fungi are actually pretty good at saving imperiled plants.+ Ever wondered what ancient Egyptian mummy remains smell like? These intrepid scientists found out.+ Kudos to this terrible artist, who is a surprise smash hit.+ Check out this handy guide to walking the path of everyday enlightenment.

Amelia and David Bay-Brown started renovating RVs as a side hustle when the pandemic slowed down their day jobs. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown 2025-03-26T14:33:17Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? In 2020, David and Amelia Bay-Brown began renovating RVs to boost their income.Since then, they've bought, fixed up, and resold 17 RVs nationwide; the priciest sold for $60,000.Now, they're using their skills in redesigning small spaces to fix up New York City apartments.In 2020, David Bay-Brown and his wife Amelia stepped away from their careers in Broadway acting and professional hairstyling for theater and television, respectively to start a new venture: renovating recreational vehicles, or RVs."We had careers in New York City, but the pandemic shut everything down," Amelia, 33, told Business Insider. "We were looking for another outlet to make money."The couple started by spending $3,000 on a 1979 Dodge Cruise Master that they thought they would use themselves to travel the country. They documented the monthslong renovation process on YouTube and Instagram, transforming the dated, falling-apart RV into a stylish space with new flooring, cabinets, and a custom dinette booth."We told the other people interested in the vehicle that we could make them one just like it or build them a custom one, and that's how our clientele started," Amelia said.Five years later, the couple has renovated 17 RVs across the country. Depending on the extent of the work and what needs to be rebuilt in the RV, their labor costs can range from $15,000 to $45,000. The cost of materials, based on the level of luxury and quality, can range from $5,000 to $15,000."It's definitely nerve-racking to tackle something as unique as a home that moves," David, 37, told Business Insider. "Everything has to be flexible and lightweight, so you don't compromise on gas mileage."The Bay-Browns have recently expanded their business to non-mobile homes: small apartments in New York City.Getting started renovating RVs wasn't easyThe Bay-Browns became inspired to renovate RVs after renting a run-down one during a 2020 trip out west. They decided to buy their own, customize it to their style, and use it for their adventures.The first RV they bought the Dodge Cruise Master was in bad condition with water damage, rotting floors, and evidence of a mice infestation. They taught themselves how to restore it through YouTube videos and received help from an active online community of RVers.They stripped the RV down to a shell and replaced the ceiling, studs, walls, paneling, and subfloor."I think we were just dumb enough to give it a try," David told BI. "The rest is history." The Bay-Browns in an RV they renovated. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown Selecting a buyer for the RV was as challenging as designing it.Originally listed for $19,790 due to its 1979 build, the price went up after 200 people expressed interest in the RV, many willing to pay above the asking price.In the end, they chose what Amelia called aLooking back, the couple admits the labor they put into the renovation likely cost more than they realized."It took about six months of full-time work to complete the renovation," Amelia said. "We made a good amount, but when you factor in our time, we probably got paid, like, two cents an hour."Their pandemic project became a full-fledged businessThe Bay-Browns spent two years traveling the country and renovating RVs while living in a motorhome they bought for $23,000 using some of the profits from the sale of the first RV."We've helped many people move out of their brick-and-mortar homes whether it's because they want to live on the road, have a remote job, or a combination of both," Amelia said.While working on client projects, they stayed in their own RV either on the properties or at nearby campgrounds. A kitchen in an RV that the Bay-Browns renovated for a family of six. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown The Bay-Browns told BI that they rarely take on renovation projects that require a complete overhaul. However, they always sand down the walls, reprime, and repaint each RV.Many older RVs have plain linoleum floors and walls, making them feel less homey. The Bay-Browns renovate their RVs to have an "elevated aesthetic" and personality by using materials like wood, tile, wallpaper, and textured finishes."The traditional RV manufacturing process focuses on speed of assembly and is typically not designed with aesthetics in mind for the end user, which often results in bland interiors," David said. "We ask clients, 'What would make this feel like home to you?' and build their dream space."Their renovations often focus on maximizing space and enhancing privacy in tight spaces. For example, they've soundproofed walls for families with multiple children or created multi-functional rooms. One project involved converting a master bedroom into both a bedroom and wardrobe for a couple who wanted the RV to serve as both a home and a film set trailer."What we really like to do is help people come up with unique solutions for their unique needs," David said.Their clients are from all over the USIn 2021, the Bay-Browns purchased an 18-foot-long RV named Jute, which they envisioned as a "library with a view." They installed a custom desk, a projection screen, and a patio deck, allowing guests to enjoy movies on warm nights. The Bay-Browns sold their RV, named Jute, for $40,000. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown Once the renovation was complete, they sold Jute for $40,000.A different RV, called Elle, was renovated for $45,000 in parts, materials, and labor. It was for a couple in Utah who, according to David, wouldn't settle for anything less than total luxury. The interior of the Elle RV. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown To achieve a high-end feel, the Bay-Browns painted the kitchen a rich chocolate brown and added a custom-slatted wood backsplash and butcher block countertops. For the entertainment area, they applied black Italian plaster behind a framed television.They hand-built and upholstered a curved dinette booth in the dining area after an inspiration piece was too expensive for their clients' budget.Another RV, named Oakley, is the most expensive the Bay-Browns have worked on; it sold for $60,000. This RV is named Oakley. Courtesy of David-Bay Brown The 35-foot motorhome belongs to a family of six. The client requested that the entire interior be finished with authentic white oak veneer. The veneer was applied to every surface of the RV, while Italian travertine countertops were added to the kitchen.In addition, the Bay-Browns designed a custom breakfast nook table with a convertible makeup mirror and a custom bunk bed for the children, complete with rock-climbing holds.They renovate apartments nowThe Bay-Browns sublet their apartment in Queens, New York, while living in their RV.Now, they've returned to their apartment and resumed their previous careers, but they've also added apartment interior design to their rsums."We're taking the skills we've learned renovating RVs like maximizing small spaces and applying them to apartment living," said David, whose most famous role was playing Elder Price in "Book of Mormon" on Broadway. A children's bedroom in a Manhattan apartment renovated by the couple. Courtesy of David Bay-Brown So far, the couple has completed four projects across New York City.Recently, they overhauled a 150-square-foot children's bedroom on Manhattan's Upper West Side that also doubles as a homeschool area.To maximize space, they built a custom bunk bed, with one bed cleverly disguised as extra cabinetry. The middle photo shows a guest room/office in Sunset Park, Brooklyn that the Bay-Browns renovated (left and right). Courtesy of David Bay-Brown In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the couple turned an empty office into a functional living space by adding a custom-built Murphy bed. Designed and built from scratch, the project cost around $12,000, covering labor and materials."Designing with limited square footage is more fun than huge mansions," David said. "When you're working with limited space, it becomes a fun brain puzzle. It's extremely stressful but much more gratifying because you're forced to think creatively."

Charlie Javice is on trial in New York. Charlie Javice 2025-03-26T14:08:30Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Closing arguments in the Charlie Javice fraud trial are scheduled for all day Wednesday in New York.Prosecutors allege that Javice tricked JPMorgan Chase into buying her financial aid website, Frank, for $175M.The US says she falsely claimed to have marketing data for more than 4 million Frank account holders.Daylong closing arguments began Wednesday morning in the Charlie Javice fraud trial in New York and one word is playing a starring role.That pivotal word is "user."Federal prosecutors say that almost four years ago, Javice lied about its number of users in order to defraud the nation's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, out of $175 million, the price the bank paid for her financial aid website, Frank."Charlie Javice and Olivier Omar sold Frank for $175 million worth of lies," prosecutor Nicholas Chiuchiolo told jurors, beginning his closing argument against the website founder and her lieutenant-turned-codefendant.The pair consistently assured JPMorgan "that Frank had over 4 million users, and that a user was someone who'd started an account by providing their first name, last name, phone number, and email," Chiuchiolo said.Instead, "they generated fake data for 4 million people who did not exist," he said. "The names, phone numbers, emails? All were fake."Prosecutors say Javice tricked bank executives into thinking that if they purchased Frank, they would become the new owners of the names, emails, and addresses of all 4 million of these Frank users. These users were students at the start of their financial journeys, to whom JPMorgan could market checking accounts and credit cards.In five weeks of testimony, lawyers for Javice have sought to show that this is not what she had meant by users at all.Instead, her lawyers say, she told the bank that 4 million people had merely visited the website and clicked around a bit, a number supported by Google Analytics.Frank only ever collected personal identifying data for 300,000 account holders, not 4 million, both sides agree a fact the bank says they only discovered months after the merger.So a central dispute in front of jurors as they listen to closing arguments by attorneys for the government, for Javice, and for her co-defendant will be this: How did Javice, 32, and Amar, 50, define "user" in negotiations with JPMorgan? As a nameless clicker? Or as a potential Chase customer whom the bank could email and text?US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein raised this question in court on Tuesday as part of his preparation for instructing the jury on the law before deliberations."What about the argument that by telling Chase that 'We have 4.25 million users,' that they were telling the truth?" he asked Georgia Kostopoulos, an assistant US attorney."It was a lie," the prosecutor quickly answered."But we have a number exactly the same as the number of users that visited the website," the judge pushed, referring to the Google Analytics total. "And they're called users."Kostopoulos countered that both Javice and Amar were present at a July 21, 2021, meeting where Javice assured JPMorgan Chase that a user was someone who had provided Frank with their name and other personal identifying information as part of signing up for a website account.The bank was also told at that meeting that at least half of these 4 million users had used their Frank account to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, the federal prosecutor added.According to trial testimony, filling out a FAFSA would mean these users gave Frank their Social Security numbers and other valuable personal information, such as their income and savings data.The judge has limited closing arguments to two hours per side.The government is scheduled to present its arguments first, followed by Javice's. After lunch, jurors will hear arguments on behalf of Amar, followed by a brief rebuttal statement by the government.The two co-defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, along with separate counts of wire, bank, and securities fraud. They face potential maximum sentences of 30 years in prison.March 26, 2025: This story was updated Wednesday to include details from ongoing closing arguments.

The Nintendo Switch 2 event is next week, but Nintendo still has plenty to talk about with its current console so it's holding an extra event tomorrow, March 27Tech14:17, 26 Mar 2025Updated 14:26, 26 Mar 2025There's still life in the Switch yet(Image: Grab)The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a full reveal next week, but as we reported yesterday, Nintendo will hold another event for its current Nintendo Switch hardware tomorrow, March 27.While we'll still have to wait until April 2 for the new console's preorder time, price and release date to be revealed, it seems Nintendo has half an hour of updates for us tomorrow afternoon (UK time).Article continues belowHere's all we know about the latest Nintendo Direct the first the company has held since it announced the Nintendo Switch 2 in January. Will we see Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon Legends: Z-A?Content cannot be displayed without consent"Tune in tomorrow, March 27th, at 7 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #NintendoDirect, featuring around 30 minutes of upcoming games for Nintendo Switch," the Nintendo of America account posted on X (formerly Twitter).Setting expectations, it added "There will be no updates about Nintendo Switch 2 during this presentation."For UK gamers, the event will be at 2pm, so try and swing a later lunch break.It may seem surprising, but there are some big hitters still slated for the console, despite it being more than 8 years old.Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition just launched, but there's still Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 although the latter is tipped to be a big part of the Switch 2 event.Expect a whole host of news on April 2Fans are hoping for more Metroid surprises after Metroid Prime Remastered was 'stealth dropped' in a prior Nintendo Direct, especially since rumours have persisted that the second and third titles in the trilogy are on their way to Switch.While some had speculated the event could be an Indie World presentation or a Partner Showcase, it's carrying the full Nintendo branding so we're expecting big things.Xenoblade Chronicles X is an impressive technical achievement on Switch 1With the Switch 2 offering backwards compatibility (potentially with a boost), it's a chance for Nintendo to show the console is still appealing whether someone is upgrading or not.We reported yesterday that one leaker suggested the Switch 2 will off power similar to a Steam Deck, but potentially with a display that supports Variable Refresh Rates.For more on Switch 2, be sure to check out all we know about how the console could use AI, why Elden Ring could be a launch title, and a report it could already be on US soil.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

We already knew rivals were waiting for Rockstar Games to reveal GTA 6's release date, but now some of them are explaining the challenges of launching next to the biggest game of all timeTech13:07, 26 Mar 2025Updated 13:39, 26 Mar 2025We've had our plane tickets to Vice City purchased for years(Image: Rockstar)Well, that was a big load of nothing. We tried to stay positive that we'd get a new Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer yesterday, but perhaps unsurprisingly, an account called "ZestycloseAd6898" led us astray.The game is still expected to launch this calendar year, but Rockstar's lack of communication has rival publishers worried to announce their own release dates.Article continues belowNow, though, some publishers have spoken to The Game Business about the struggles of avoiding launching alongside GTA 6, just days after one analyst predicted some rivals will 'tank'.GTA 6 has been in the works for over a decade (Image: Still)Rockstar games always suck a lot of money and, more importantly, time out of the market, an anonymous boss at one of the largest gaming publishers in the world said.We dont want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles."Even without GTA. its immensely difficult to find free time for new games to shine. Time is the real scarcity for us, not money. Its tough out there," another senior executive reportedly said.Another European boss of a AAA publisher said the potential for a late October/early November launch creates further problems."We dont want to launch just before or just after the game. If it arrives in late October, that means you either have to launch early which a lot of people seem to be doing with the recent glut of summer release dates. Or you go later, putting you up against the Black Friday sales.If we move out of 2025, what if Rockstar do, too? Will we have time to push our game up? Or will we have to delay further? Its stressful.GTA 6 may be the most anticipated game of all timeExisting games that are planning updates are also likely to be affected, as one developer dubbed the game a "meteor".GTA 6 is basically a huge meteor and we will just stay clear of the blast zone, one studio boss told us. We will nudge our releases back or forward three weeks to avoid it. Of course, the problem is everyone is going to do the same."So three to four weeks before or after GTA 6, youre going to get a load of games dropping content in what they believe will be the safe zone.Another said "Theres no point swimming against the current. We just need to prepare to win players back once the excitement has started to die down.Given we're still in March and have seen some huge launches already from Assassin's Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Split Fiction, this year could be one of the biggest in gaming history.Article continues belowFor more on GTA 6, check out why the Xbox may get a big boost from its launch, as well as everything we know about the game so far.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Open world greatness (Rockstar)A western classic has dropped to an incredibly low price on PS4 and PS5, along with titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Wolfenstein 2.As the world awaits the next update on GTA 6, theres never been a better time to jump into Rockstars previous world-conquering efforts.An enhanced PC version of its predecessor, GTA 5, was recently released (albeit with some drawbacks), but if you own a PlayStation console and have a strong affinity for the Wild West, you should check out a new sale on the PlayStation Store.As part of this spring sale, Rockstars acclaimed western Red Dead Redemption 2 is 75% off, at 13.74. That is cheaper than your average takeaway pizza or cinema ticket, and this historical epic by most accounts is at least over 50 hours in length.While Red Dead Redemption 2 is almost seven years old at this point, its still one of the most technically impressive games in existence and has one of the best open worlds ever. To date, it has sold over 70 million copies worldwide.If youre one of the select few who hasnt bought GTA 5 yet, that game is also down to 17.49 on PlayStation 5 and 14.99 on PlayStation 4.More TrendingThere are some other notable deals elsewhere in the sale. Hogwarts Legacy is 75% off at 16.24 on PlayStation 5, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is down to 9.99, or you can pick up the excellent Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus for less than 5.Weve highlighted these deals, along with some others, below.Red Dead Redemption 2 13.74 (75% off)Hogwarts Legacy 16.24 (75% off)Resident Evil 4 17.49 (50% off)Mortal Kombat 1 14.84 (67% off)Assassins Creed Odyssey 10.99 (80% off)Assassins Creed Mirage 17.99 (60% off)Devil May Cry 5 8.74 (75% off)Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga 9.99 (80% off)Dead Space 17.49 (75% off)Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus 4.94 (85% off)The spring sale runs until April 9, 2025, so you have just less than two weeks to capitalise on it before it ends (and is inevitably replaced by a different sale).Rockstars next game, GTA 6, is still on track to launch in autumn this year, although a specific release date has yet to be announced. Theres a lot riding on GTA 6 (Rockstar Games)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