Someones kidneys could be a decade older, biologically, than their brainChristian Kitzmuller/AlamyOur organs appear to age at different rates, with our lungs and kidneys going through a burst of ageing in our 20s, decades before others, such as the uterus. Better understanding how organ ageing varies could help people adopt healthy habits that may be particularly beneficial at certain periods of life.This isnt the first time variation in organ ageing has been suggested. In 2022, researchers at the National University of Singapore made a similar finding based on protein molecules in blood.

The UK experienced a record-breaking heatwave in July 2022DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty ImagesWe should brace for worse-than-expected heatwaves in the years ahead, as climate models are underestimating the potency of these events in some areas, including the UK and northern France, southern Australia and northern Canada.As the world warms further, these and other areas could see extremes of heat that outpace those climate models are projecting, says Kai Kornhuber at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.Extreme event projections should be considered as conservative estimates,

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. The risk of a bird flu pandemic is rising How worried should we be about bird flu? The past few months have seen some potentially worrisome developments in the US, including the continued spread of the virus among dairy cattle, the detection of the virus in a pig as well as cows milk, andmost concerning of allthe growing number of human infections. We dont yet have any evidence that the virus is spreading between people, but the risk of a potential pandemic has increased since MIT Technology Review last covered this topic a couple of months ago. The good news is we are in a much better position to tackle any potential future flu outbreaks than we were to face covid-19 back in 2020, given that we already have vaccines. But, on the whole, its not looking great. Read the full story. Jessica Hamzelou This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things health and biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. The moon is just the beginning for this waterless concrete If NASA establishes a permanent presence on the moon, its astronauts homes could be made of a new 3D-printable, waterless concrete. Someday, so might yours. By accelerating the curing process for more rapid construction, this sulfur-based compound could become just as applicable on our home terrain as it is on lunar soil. Traditional concrete requires large amounts of water, a commodity that will be in short supply on the moon, and sending just 1 kilogram of it to the moon costs roughly $1.2 million.Instead, NASA hopes to create new materials from lunar soil and eventually adapt the same techniques for building on Mars. But creating the perfect waterless lunarcrete is easier said than done. Read the full story. Jenna Ahart The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Australia has banned under-16s from using social mediaBut the law is easily circumvented, and could create more problems than it solves. (WP $) + Unsurprisingly, the tech giants arent fans of the ruling. (Fortune)+ Australians reactions to the news appear to be fairly mixed. (BBC)2 US retailers are urging shoppers to buy before new tariffs kick in Its yet another marketing tactic to drive sales during the busiest time for shopping. (WSJ $)+ Are you among the horde of this years Black Friday refuseniks? (FT $)+ How Trumps tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more. (MIT Technology Review)3 Canada is suing Google for creating a monopoly The suit is following in the footsteps of the US government. (NYT $)+ Its joining calls for the colossal company to sell two pieces of marketing software. (WSJ $)+ Googles antitrust gut punch and the Trump wild card. (MIT Technology Review)4 How China came to dominate the car export market And spook the EU and US in the process. (NYT $)+ Generous government subsidies also played a not insignificant part. (MIT Technology Review) 5 A UK politician says businesses should use robots over migrants Automating tasks like fruit picking would reduce the UKs net migration figures, he claims. (The Guardian)+ Inside Japans long experiment in automating elder care. (MIT Technology Review)6 North Korean hackers have stolen billions in crypto The illicit currency is funneled into funding its nuclear weapons program. (TechCrunch)7 America refuses to give up its dream of soldiers in exoskeletonsIts been testing the suits for decades. Why havent they caught on? (Wired $) + This robotic exoskeleton can help runners sprint faster. (MIT Technology Review)8 Is it really possible to get paid to do virtually nothing?This Stanford thinks one in 10 engineers is doing exactly that. (404 Media) + Big Tech has become preoccupied with identifying and firing freeloaders. (Insider $)9 GitHub can teach you to bake bread Featuring flowcharts, tables, and timelines galore. (Ars Technica)10 Heres how a diamond is grown in a lab Can you tell the difference between them and the real deal? (WP $)Quote of the day It is impossible to be a teen in most parts of the world without social media. Stephen Scheeler, the former head of Facebook in Australia and New Zealand, tells Bloomberg about his doubts whether Australias new ban on social media for teenagers can truly be enforced. The big story Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation August 2023 PowerPoint is everywhere. Its used in religious sermons; by schoolchildren preparing book reports; at funerals and weddings. In 2010, Microsoft announced that PowerPoint was installed on more than a billion computers worldwide. But before PowerPoint, 35-millimeter film slides were king. They were the only medium for the kinds of high-impact presentations given by CEOs and top brass at annual meetings for stockholders, employees, and salespeople. Known in the business as multi-image shows, these presentations required a small army of producers, photographers, and live production staff to pull off. Read this story to delve into the fascinating, flashy history of corporate presentations. Claire L. Evans 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.) + Were witnessing a sandwich boom in the UK, and fillings are getting increasingly outlandish.+ Now Thanksgiving is behind us, its time to look forward to Christmas: specifically Mariah Careys smash hit All I Want for Christmas is You + The worlds oldest lizard has been recently uncovered in an unassuming quarry.+ Is it really 25 years since Slipknot first freaked out the world with their masked antics?

This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here. How worried should we be about bird flu? Its a question that Ive been asked by friends and colleagues several times over the last couple of weeks. Their concerns have been spurred by some potentially worrisome developments in the US, including the continued spread of the virus among dairy cattle, the detection of the virus in a pig as well as cows milk, andmost concerning of allthe growing number of human infections. Ill admit that I'm worried. We dont yet have any evidence that the virus is spreading between people, but the risk of a potential pandemic has increased since I last covered this topic a couple of months ago. And once you combine that increased risk with an upcoming change in presidential administration that might leave US health agencies in the hands of a vaccine denier who promotes the consumption of raw milk, well its not exactly a comforting thought. The good news is we are in a much better position to tackle any potential future flu outbreaks than we were to face covid-19 back in 2020, given that we already have vaccines. But, on the whole, its not looking great. The bird flu that is currently spreading in US dairy cattle is caused by the H5N1 virus. The virus is especially lethal to some bird populations and has been wiping out poultry and seabirds for the last couple of years. It has also caused fatal infections in many mammals who came into contact with those birds. H5N1 was first detected in a dairy cow in Texas in March of this year. As of this week, the virus has been reported in 675 herds across 15 states, according to the US Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (also known as APHIS). Those are just the cases we know about. There may be more. The USDA requires testing of cattle before they are moved between states. And it offers a voluntary testing program for farmers who want to know if the virus is present in their bulk milk tanks. But participation in that program is optional. States have their own rules. Colorado has required testing of bulk milk tanks in licensed dairy farms since July. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced plans for a program just last week. But some states have no such requirements. At the end of October, the USDA reported that the virus had been detected in a pig for the first time. The pig was one of five in a farm in Oregon that had a mix of poultry and livestock. All the pigs were slaughtered. Virologists have been especially worried about the virus making its way into pigs, because these animals are notorious viral incubators. They can become infected with swine strains, bird strains and human strains, says Brinkley Bellotti, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. These strains can swap genes and give rise to new, potentially more infectious or harmful strains. Thankfully, we havent seen any other cases in pig farms, and theres no evidence that the virus can spread between pigs. And while it has been spreading pretty rapidly between cattle, the virus doesnt seem to have evolved much, says Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. That suggests that the virus made the leap into cattle, probably from birds, only once. And it has been spreading through herds since. Unfortunately, we still dont really know how it is spreading. There is some evidence to suggest the virus can be spread from cow to cow through shared milking equipment. But it is unclear how the virus is spreading between farms. Its hard to form an effective control strategy when you dont know exactly how its spreading, says Bellotti. But it is in cows. And its in their milk. When scientists analyzed 297 samples of Grade A pasteurized retail milk products, including milk, cream and cheese, they found viral RNA from H5N1 in 20% of them. Those samples were collected from 17 states across the US. And the study was conducted in April, just weeks after the virus was first detected in cattle. Its surprising to me that we are totally fine with our pasteurized milk products containing viral DNA, says Lakdawala. Research suggests that, as long as the milk is pasteurized, the virus is not infectious. But Lakdawala is concerned that pasteurization may not inactivate all of the virus, all the time. We dont know how much virus we need to ingest [to become infected], and whether any is going to slip through pasteurization, she says. And no reassurances can be made for unpasteurized raw milk. When cows are infected with H5N1, their milk can turn thick, yellow and chunky. But research has shown that, even when the milk starts to look normal again, it can still contain potentially infectious virus. The most concerning development, though, is the rise in human cases. So far, 55 such cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-nine of those cases have been detected in California. In almost all those cases, the infected person is thought to have caught the virus from cattle or poultry on farms. But in two of those cases, the source of the infection is unknown. Health professionals dont know how a teenager in British Columbia, Canada, got so sick with bird flu, either. The anonymous teenager, who sought medical care for an eye infection on November 2, is still seriously ill in hospital, and continues to rely on a ventilator to breathe. Local health officials have closed their investigation into the teens infection. There may be more, unreported cases out there, too. When researchers tested 115 dairy farm workers in Michigan and Colorado, they found markers of recent infection with the virus in 7% of them. So far, there is no evidence that the virus can spread between people. But every human infection offers the virus another opportunity to evolve into a form that can do just that. People can act as viral incubators, too. And during flu season, there are more chances for the H5N1 virus to mix with circulating seasonal flu viruses. Just because we [havent seen human-to-human spread] now doesnt mean that its not capable of happening, that it wont happen, or that it hasnt already happened, says Lakdawala. So where do we go from here? Lakdawala thinks we should already have started vaccinating dairy farm workers. After all, the US has already stockpiled vaccines for H5N1, which were designed to protect against previous variants of the virus. Were not taking [the human cases] seriously enough, she says. We need to get a better handle on exactly how the virus is spreading, too, and implement more effective measures to stop it from doing so. That means more testing of both cows and dairy farm workers at the very least. And we need to be clear that, despite what Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current lead contender for the role of head of the US Department of Health and Human Services, says, raw milk can be dangerous, and vaccines are a vital tool in the prevention of pandemics. We still have an opportunity to prevent the outbreak from turning into a global catastrophe. But the situation has worsened since the summer. This is sort of how the 2009 pandemic started, says Lakdawala, referring to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. We started to have a couple of cases sporadically, and then the next thing you knew, you were seeing it everywhere. Now read the rest of The Checkup Read more from MIT Technology Review's archive The US is planning to stockpile millions of doses of H5N1 vaccines. But our current approach to making flu vaccines is slow and cumbersome. New vaccines that dont rely on the use of eggs, or make use of mRNA, might offer a better alternative. Flu season is already underway in the US, where bird flu is spreading among cattle. That has virologists worried that a person infected with both viruses could unwittingly incubate an all-new strain of the virus. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already spread harmful misinformation, pseudoscience and fringe theories about AIDS and covid-19. Some researchers are exploring new ways to prevent the spread of H5N1 in poultry. The gene editing tool CRISPR could be used to help make chickens more resistant to the virus, according to preliminary research published last year. From around the web President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Jay Bhattacharya for his pick to lead the US National Institutes of Health, an agency with a $48 billion budget that oversees the majority of medical research in the country. Bhattacharya was one of three lead authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, a manifesto published in 2020 arguing against lockdowns during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, and supporting a let it rip approach instead. (STAT) An IVF mix up left two families raising each others biological babies. They didnt realize until the children were a couple of months old. What should they do? (Have the tissues ready for this one, which is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure) (New York Times) Why do we feel the need to surveil our sleeping babies? This beautiful comic explores the various emotional pulls experienced by new parents. (The Verge) Australias parliament has passed a law that bans children under the age of 16 from using social media. Critics are concerned that the law is a blunt instrument that might drive young teens to the dark web, or leave them feeling isolated. (The Guardian) Lab-grown foie gras, anyone? Cultivated meat is going high-end, apparently. (Wired)

Adobe reports record $7.9 billion in online spending on Black Friday so far, up 8.2% from 2023.Adobe expects final online Black Friday numbers to be between $10.7 and $11 billion.Inflation and high credit card debt make consumers cautious, yet spending remains resilient.Americans continued to spend on Black Friday after strong Thanksgiving sales numbers, even despite inflation concerns.Adobe's initial Black Friday e-commerce data reveals consumers spent $7.9 billion online this Black Friday through 6:30 p.m. This total is up 8.2% compared to last year's value.With spending expected to accelerate between 8 and 10 p.m., Adobe expects final online Black Friday numbers to be between a record $10.7 and $11 billion, in line with the $10.8 billion estimates from its Black Friday preview.Shoppers were eager to buy skin and hair care products, air fryers, PlayStation 5 consoles, and Wicked-related toys. Black Friday sales continue to trend this holiday season with greater electronics, cosmetics, and appliance sales compared to average October 2024 sales, according to the data. "Adobe is reaffirming its forecast that a new e-commerce record will be set on Black Friday and surge past the $10 billion mark," said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst of Adobe Digital Insights, in a statement. "This is being driven by big discounts in advance of Cyber Monday, as well as the continued acceleration of mobile commerce that is contributing to more impulse shopping."However, many Americans are still cautious about spending as inflation remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. As of October 2024, the inflation rate was 2.6% year over year.Retail researchers told The Washington Post that though consumer spending has remained resilient, record-high credit card debt and sticker shock over the last few years have made consumers particularly those who are lower- or middle-income more intentional about spending and alert to price comparisons. Consumers continue to flock to discount retailers while going to some big box stores like Target less often.Shoppers have been increasingly relying on buy-now-pay-later purchases. This Black Friday, consumers are expected to spend $711.3 million using BNPL online up 12.8% year over year and $430 million on Thanksgiving. Adobe data shows that Thanksgiving spending hit a record high this year. This Thanksgiving, consumers spent $6.1 billion online, up 8.8% from last year's $5.6 billion. Nearly 60% of online sales were from a mobile device, with sales peaking between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.Pandya said in a statement that this Thanksgiving had larger-than-anticipated discounts, which drove impulse shopping. Toys had discounts peak at 27.2% off the listed price, while apparel was 22.6%.Consumers were willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on electronics, as Adobe data reveals the most expensive electronics goods had a 72% increase in the share of units sold compared to pre-season trends. Sporting goods increased by 44%, while appliances spiked by 36% compared to pre-season trends.Adobe expects $5.2 billion in spending on Saturday, $5.6 billion on Sunday, and $13.2 billion on Cyber Monday, up 6.1% from last year. Adobe is anticipating the greatest discounts on computers, peaking at 23% off the listed price. Adobe projects $40.6 billion in online spending this Cyber Week and $240.8 billion in total holiday spending.

Trump vowed to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico on his first day in office.Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau warned tariffs will harm both Canadian and American consumers and industries.Trudeau said he and Trump will "work together as we previously did."Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to President-elect Donald Trump's Monday vow to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico on day one in office.Trudeau, who's been Canada's prime minister since 2015, told reporters in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that Trump's expected action will have consequences not just on Canadians but also on American consumers, according to the Associated Press."Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business," Trudeau said.After a phone call earlier in the week to discuss the plans, Trudeau also made his way to West Palm Beach on Friday to meet with Trump, sources told Bloomberg.Trump plans to impose 25% tariffs on goods coming from the northern and southern neighbors of the US. He said it's a direct response to the inflow of immigrants and narcotics coming into the country illegally from Canada and Mexico, he said.Canada and the US worked together during Trump's first presidency when re-negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump threatened to use tariffs then as well. His threat of tariffs on imports from Mexico led to an expansion of the Migrant Protection Protocols program across the US-Mexico border.Trudeau noted that the two have been able to come to an agreement in the past."We can work together as we did previously," Trudeau said.While Canada has yet to impose any tariffs of its own, a senior official told AP that it is looking into introducing retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the US."We're going to work together to meet some of the concerns," Trudeau said. "But ultimately it is through lots of real constructive conversations with President Trump that I am going to have, that will keep us moving forward on the right track for all Canadians."Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has already said that her country would impose tariffs on the US if Trump goes through with his plan.Sheinbaum said during a press conference this week that "one tariff will be followed by another, and so on, until we put joint ventures at risk."As previously reported by Business Insider, Canada was the top export destination for 32 states in 2016. According to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, about 77% of Canada's exports go to the US.

Theres a code of conduct for the multiplex experience, deliberately broadcast right before a movie: When the lights start to dim, we turn off our phones and end any side discussions. However, if dispatches of Wicked screenings around the country are any indication, this code isnt being followed. In the few days since the highly anticipated musical movie Wicked arrived in theaters, its been difficult to scroll through social media without seeing photos if not entire scenes of the film taken from patrons phones. In-theater recordings of Wickeds signature number Defying Gravity are all over TikTok. One X user went viral for asking fans to post photos they had snapped during the movie. This immediately ignited a conversation among film critics and cinephiles about a lack of theater etiquette in the general public. But is it totally their fault? Its safe to say that the film marketing tactics of the past few years have taught people how to show up to movies ready to whip out their phones. Thats not to mention the advent of streaming, plus the years spent mostly inside during the pandemic, that have certainly played a role in a lack of movie-going etiquette. In the wake of Barbenheimer, movies arent just meant to be shared with a room full of people but with others on social media. The endless merch and product tie-ins that come with IP films, as well as more organic efforts to dress up for screenings, have made the extremely mundane experience of sitting in a dark room for a couple of hours content. But what happens to moviegoing when it becomes all about sharing? Moviegoing for the gramIn an effort to recoup losses from the pandemic, there have been more and more incentives for people to get off their couches and back into movie theaters. These innovations certainly enhanced the moviegoing experience beyond snacking on popcorn, ultimately making it a lot more shareable and post-worthy online. Since 2019, when AMC offered specially designed R2-D2 popcorn buckets to coincide with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, novelty items have made a huge comeback. Now, theyre an expected bonus when buying tickets for the years biggest releases. Over the past few years, AMC has sold uniquely designed buckets and cups for buzzy movies like The Mario Bros. Movie, Renaissance: A Film By Beyonc, and Dune: Part Two. The last films elaborately designed bucket with an opening resembling the mouth of a sandworm was so attention-grabbing that it got its own parody song on an episode of Saturday Night Live. The 4Dx experience is another in-theater development that patrons cant stop posting about. The immersive format, involving motion seats and practical effects, gained a lot of word-of-mouth popularity this year for movies like Madame Web, Twisters, and Deadpool and Wolverine. Much of this word-of-mouth, though, has occurred online, particularly on TikTok where influencers and regular customers film themselves being thrust around and sprayed with water while the movies playing. Outside of theaters, studios are investing more and more money into elaborate marketing campaigns for their buzziest movies, the most notable cases being the 2023 hit Barbie and this years Wicked. This advertising has largely manifested in endless brand collaborations, from luxury cars to Crocs, all designed to be collected and shared on social media with the movies hashtag. The ubiquity of the marketing suggests that if you arent seeing these movies in theaters, youre missing out on a huge monocultural moment. Studios have also turned to influencers to provide early reactions to movies. Sometimes, these popular X and TikTok users are invited to advance screenings alongside journalists. In more and more cases like with Gladiator II and Wicked theyre given earlier access to these movies than some critics.Amid all of these orchestrated marketing movies, it seems as though customers are finding unique ways to enhance the moviegoing experience for themselves. For example, the trend of themed dressing feels like an earnest expression of movie fan culture with organic roots. In the past, this trend has been reserved for movies associated with nerd culture, like Star Wars and Harry Potter. But Barbenheimer made this activity more of an instinctual habit for the average moviegoer. Without the instruction of a studio, everyone got the memo to wear pink to their screenings of Barbie and, on a lesser scale, black to see Oppenheimer. Since then, marketers have clearly taken notice. This seemed evident in a promotional video Blake Lively filmed earlier this year for the domestic abuse movie It Ends With Us, where she urged ticket-buyers to wear their florals in theme with the movies florist protagonist. The same phenomenon is occurring at Wicked showings, where fans are arriving in pink or green clothes, and even full-on green face paint to imitate the main character Elphaba. If fans werent planning on dressing up themselves, the pink-and-green marketing certainly implied that it was a crucial part of the theater experience.Since Wickeds premiere, moviegoers have been posting their reactions to the film along with their themed outfits on TikTok and X, often directly from the theater. One trend thats proved popular is a format where a user posts themselves before the movie starts with a hard cut to their emotional reaction during the credits or outside of the theater. In other cases, people have filmed themselves or the person next to them reacting to the movie while theyre watching it. Many of these emotional responses are genuine. But the urge to self-broadcast in the middle of a film speaks to a misunderstanding or, in some cases, complete disregard for the sanctity of movie theaters. In its worst interpretation, it shows a lack of respect for other peoples in-theater experiences. This phenomenon has become a problem outside of the theater, too. In the case of Wicked, many users have posted photos of the film, including spoilers or pivotal scenes. Undoubtedly, studios recent embrace of influencers as marketers has something to do with this. In an article for the Hollywood Reporter, writer Pamela McClintock said that, as advertising on TV is more complicated and expensive, studios have had to explore different promotional routes including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. Likewise, influencers are now appearing at press junkets, activations, and other events, implying that moviegoing is also about engagement. Entertainment reporter Raven Brunner says that screenings have contributed to the movie-posting problem, given that influencers and even critics are encouraged to take photos and post them. When you go to an early screening, they have that customized banner before the movie starts that youre supposed to take photos of, she says. Its hard not to draw a line from the posts that circulate after an advanced screening whether its from a film account or a celebrity to the average moviegoer snapping photos during Wicked. Comedian and writer Josh Gondelman thinks this problem exposes a tendency for moviegoers to view themselves as creators first. As a result, they end up prioritizing what they share with others over their own personal consumption. There are so many ways to be like, hey, check me out. Im a person in the world engaging with culture, which I think is pleasant, he says. But you can do it without making everyone elses experience in the theater secondary to your followers later.Related:People forgot how to act in publicStill, he doesnt think all movie-posting comes from a shallow, attention-seeking place. I always try to be understanding and appreciative of people who want to do, like, a long vlog response to something and just want to share their thoughts on art, he says. Still, there are basic rules of behaving in public that people, particularly in a younger, more online generation, are struggling with. The past few years since the pandemic spent largely inside watching movies on streamers presumably havent helped. At a bare minimum, these inescapable spoilers and leaked scenes show an enthusiasm around movies (or at least certain titles). Maybe theres hope that, in a world where young people have been influenced to see movies again, they can also be influenced into turning off their phones. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Since the 1980s, Black Friday has signified the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Stores offered almost-impossible doorbuster deals on TVs and hand blenders, shoppers rose before dawn to wait in line to get them, violence ensued, and the tinsel-covered period when retailers finally operated in the black began in earnest. Its probably for the best, then, that Black Friday is not what it was even 20 years ago. A movement to recognize its toll on retail workers eventually convinced several stores to close on Thanksgiving so workers could be with their families, instead of stocking for the busy day ahead. Holiday shopping has continued to move online. And the thrill of a deep, one-day discount has morphed into a numbing, month-long thrum of flash sales, Cyber Monday specials, and member appreciation events. Future Perfect deputy editor Izzie Ramirez has reported extensively on the state of American consumerism, from our habit of buying, using, and throwing away literal tons of stuff each year, to how the quality of the things were purchasing from appliances to undergarments is progressively getting worse. I caught up with her to talk about why Americans shopping habits have transformed, what the threat of high tariffs might mean for big-ticket goods, and how sales bonanzas like Black Friday are part of a larger effort by retailers to keep us shopping, to our own detriment, and the planets. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.Lavanya Ramanathan: So, the quality of our stuff is worse now. Tell me a bit about that, as we stare down a period when Americans will be buying a ton. Izzie Ramirez: I would like to preface this by saying everyone thinks that Im anti-shopping, and its not that Im anti-shopping; I actually love shopping. Materials are fun, materialism is fun, except for when its not. I started writing about it because I came across a problem, and the problem was that my brand-new bra absolutely sucked. Shouldnt new things be better? Isnt this, like, the whole promise of capitalism, in a way? I really wanted to get a mass-production understanding of whats going on, and talk a little bit about the decline of repairability, and what we can do about it. Because I do think that people want to buy things that make them happy, that last and fit into their lives. And it sucks when you invest your money and you dont get your moneys investment.Its less that companies want to be making worse-quality goods. In the case of my bra, its more that for the cost of producing something like my bra, you cant do the same thing for the same amount of money. Something has to give, and its going to either be labor or the quality of the material, and its usually a little bit of both. Knowing all of that, what is a good way to approach something like Black Friday? There are all sorts of deals, like TVs for $50. With some of these, is it just throwing good money after bad? Is there actually a way for the consumer to be a winner?Im going to be a hypocrite with this. I usually think Black Friday is bad, but if Trump does enact tariffs, then maybe Black Friday might be good for larger purchases, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and other major appliances, because tariffs would create conditions for those globalized objects, where you need parts from a billion different places, to become way, way, way more expensive. And if they dont become more expensive, those are going to be the very objects that become way worse, very, very rapidly. Thats bad advice for most circumstances. There is a lot of science and psychology behind buying things. On Black Friday, you feel like you dont have time. It is entirely a lie, because they run the same sales regularly. If you know anything about Black Friday, they do the same sales every year. Its not like that sale is never going to happen again. Or the Sephora sale. It really grinds my gears when I see people posting Sephora hauls, like theyre never gonna do the members sale again. They do, two or three times a year. Its the scarcity mindset. Shoppers flooded the Polaris Fashion Place mall in Columbus, Ohio, on Black Friday in 2023. Bloomberg via Getty ImagesYou have also written about hauls. We are shopping differently now. We shop online. Its become that much easier to get things from all over the world. If I had to guess, Id say there are a lot more brands, too direct-to-consumer sellers of things like jewelry. What is happening to shopping itself?Hauls are when people buy 10 or 15 or 20 different items in one go, and usually parade them around on social media. Theyre buying things from places like Amazon, Temu, Shein, Abercrombie & Fitch. The thing about haul culture is that it also creates that mindset around scarcity, like, Oh, you need this. It normalizes mass consumption, and buying a lot all at once and regularly, and that it is a regular practice to spend that much money. And if youre not spending that much money, then youre going to be spending at places like Shein that have $1 T-shirts, and that normalizes a dangerously low price for workers and the planet.A lot of the things that youre describing feel like new behaviors. Theres also a thing happening in our shopping ecosystem, and in our consumer culture, around demand for the new for newness at all times.Yeah, and I think so much of that is driven by that normalization of excitement around buying dopamine shopping, wanting to feel something. So much of it is social media, and so much of it is the scale of globalization and all of these new players that are in the market. Its just a whole other level of consumer deception, too this false sense of urgency from companies.Yes, there is the demand, but it is also companies knowing that they could take advantage of us like this. Its like ouroboros, the snake thats eating itself. Its never going to end if we dont make a conscious choice of saying no. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

TechBest Christmas gifts 2024 for PC gamers from Steam Deck and keyboards to headsets and moreAs we get closer to Christmas, people are getting prepared early with all their presents ready under the tree (or with Santa of course), but do you really know what to get the PC game in your life?dailystarBookmarkShareTechByLloyd CoombesGames Writer17:10, 29 NOV 2024BookmarkThe Steam Deck console is at the forefront of a wave of portable PCs (Image: Future Publishing via Getty Images)PC gaming is a fantastic experience, but with so much choice it can be hard to work out where to start when buying a gift for a gamer. Whether your loved one is clicking heads in VALORANT or managing their Sims' daily lives, there are a whole host of options to improve their PC experience. From keyboards to headsets and hard drives, and much more, we've rounded up some of the best gift ideas for the PC gamer in your life to help make their Christmas extra special. READ MORE: Lib Dem leader challenges Keir Starmer to EA FC and will dance on TikTok until he accepts READ MORE: Live-action Cyberpunk 2077s project isnt happening soon but theres good news The Daily Star joins Bluesky as we Make Social Media Fun Again Come and join The Daily Star on Bluesky, the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving Twitter/X, but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on https://bsky.app/profile/dailystar.co.uk, and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a Starter Pack. So what are you waiting for?! Let's M.S.M.F.A (Make Social Media Fun Again) Keyboards There are a lot of keyboards out there, but not all are created equal. We've rounded up some of our absolute favourites below so you have a wealth of choice: Logitech G915 X TKL The Logitech G915 X TKL is one of our favourite keyboard options (Image: Amazon) This compact, TKL (Tenkeyless) board is the latest version of Logitech's fantastic G915. Its keys are more durable, it charges via USB-C, but it maintains the same footprint while remaining light enough to travel with. Buy it now for 179.99 SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL The Apex Pro is available in wired and wireless options (Image: Amazon) Available in wired and wireless versions, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL has rapid actuation which makes it the world's fastest keyboard - ideal for budding esports players, or anyone that wants a very comfortable board for marathon gaming sessions. Buy it now for 163.99 Keychron Q1 HE Keychron keyboards are endlessly customisable (Image: Amazon) A keyboard ideal for work and play, the Q1 HE is heavy but feels so nice to type on that you'll find it hard to go to anything else. It's got a dongle and Bluetooth connectivity options, too. Buy it now for 173.79 Headset The Logitech Astro A50 X is pricey, but we'd still say it's worth it. It can be used across all platforms thanks to its smart base station, and it has fantastic audio quality with a lightweight design thanks to graphene drivers. The Logitech Astro A50X is an expensive headset, but it's packed with features (Image: Amazon) Buy it now for 319.99 Storage It's not the most exciting pickup, but what good is a PC without room for extra games? While there are plenty of internal options, our pick is the WD_Black Game Drive. Available in a variety of sizes and with "plug and play" functionality across PC and consoles, it's an easy recommendation. The WD_Black Game Drive is ideal for consoles or PC (Image: Amazon) Buy it now for 85.99 Portable PCs/Consoles This is a relatively new category, but one that's only grown in popularity with the likes of the Steam Deck. Steam Deck OLED The Steam Deck console is at the forefront of a wave of portable PCs (Image: Future Publishing via Getty Images) Valve's Steam Deck is a fantastic portable console that uses SteamOS to offer native access to the company's huge storefront. It lacks the power of some rivals but is arguably more convenient than any of them. Buy it now for 469.99 ASUS ROG Ally X The ASUS ROG Ally X is a portable powerhouse (Image: Amazon) ASUS' second stab at a portable PC/console changes up the design and adds a much larger battery. It runs Windows 11, too, and has a higher resolution than the Steam Deck. Buy it now for 978.99 Miscellaneous Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you games on PC and console (Image: Amazon) An easy recommendation for PC gamers, but a must-buy if you have an Xbox, too, Game Pass packs a whole host of games for both platforms including huge 2024 releases like Indiana Jones and the Golden Circle and Stalker 2. Buy it now for 32.99 Hyte Y70 Touch The Hyte Y70 Touch adds an entire new interface to your PC (Image: Amazon) PC cases are a nice way of expressing yourself through hardware, but this Hyte Y70 Touch case adds an entire touchscreen to one panel, offering easy-to-read system information through nifty widgets. Buy it now for 379.99 Elgato Stream Deck The Stream Deck comes in a variety of sizes (Image: Amazon) Not just for streamers, a Stream Deck can offer you a variety of buttons you didn't know you needed. Need to open an application, run a macro with a single button press, or want a widget you can glance at? The Stream Deck has you covered. Buy it now for 149.99 Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Take to the skies from the comfort of your couch or desk (Image: Amazon) Ideal for Microsoft Flight Simulator and just about any other game that supports a stick, this Thrustmaster stick includes a throttle that can be detached. A great way to get into building a flight simulator setup, it won't break the bank but adds a whole new layer of immersion. Buy it now for 79.99 ManbaOne Interactive Screen Gaming Controller This nifty controller comes with a charging dock (Image: Amazon) In a world of gaming controllers of which there are way too many it's hard for new products to stand out, but the Manba One manages to do just that. Compatible with PC, Switch, iOS and Android, this sleek-looking piece of kit comes with an interactive screen that allows you complete autonomy over button mapping, backlights, vibrations and buttons, something not many competitors allow for. Buy it now for 60.79 For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.More On

The Finals just got a new PS5 Pro patch, and while fans were excited to test it we're still not entirely sure what it adds to Embark Studios' team-based shooter