Feedback is delighted by a YouTuber's sterling efforts to make Michael Crichton's velociraptors more accurate but points out that they're still far too big 22 January 2025 Josie FordJurassic Feathered ParkThe wheel of time turns, the cycle repeats and another Jurassic Park movie is coming out this year. Feedback has faint hopes due to the presence of director Gareth Edwards, who proved in Monsters and Godzilla that he can direct films featuring huge creatures. But still, yawn.While we all wait with bated breath, YouTuber CoolioArt is supplying dinosaur footage to keep us sated. They are using the animation tool Blender to redo key scenes from the original Jurassic Park, in order to give the Velociraptors feathers. So far, they have done the kitchen scene and the climactic scene in the visitor centre (just before, spoiler alert, the Tyrannosaurus rex saves the day).Given the amateur nature of the project, the animations are really good. However, one problem remains: the raptors are still way too big. You see, despite his reputation for careful research, Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton was a bit prone to getting things badly wrong.AdvertisementCrichtons biggest scientific fail was arguably his 2004 climate change novel State of Fear. This features environmental terrorists who fake natural disasters to convince the world of the dangers of global warming. They have to do this because, in the universe of the book, all the scientific evidence that greenhouse gas emissions are heating up the climate is flawed or faked.There is even a series of pages entirely dominated by graphs from weather stations in the US that show local temperature declines, and which are meant to be more meaningful than the trend in the average global temperature for some reason. Crichton also recycles the myth that the warming trend is an artefact of urban heat islands. Its like a terrible Reddit thread in book form.Even Jurassic Park, Crichtons most famous creation, wasnt immune. He wanted to feature a dromaeosaurid dinosaur, as they were understood to be fast and intelligent hunters contrasting with the lumbering T. rex. Unfortunately, the scariest ones had a name that Crichton didnt think was cool Deinonychus antirrhopus so he used every detail of that species but incorrectly called them Velociraptor.Thats why, in the books and films, an adult Velociraptor is about as tall as a human being. In reality, a Velociraptor was about as tall as a turkey. Feedback imagines that an angry Velociraptor could still cause problems for a human being, but its just not the same when the terrifying predator is about the size of the average toddler.The irony is that the evidence that dromaeosaurids had feathers was pretty equivocal in the 1990s, so it was justifiable to present the raptors as featherless but not to triple their height.Which explains why CoolioArt has overdubbed some of the dialogue in the kitchen clip. When the girl whispers What is it?, a female voice dubbed over the boys now cheerily says Its a Deinonychus. 10/10, no notes.AI for rOAdsSometimes, on a grey Monday when the column is due, Feedback can be found hastily scratching around for story ideas because nobody has done anything especially silly within sight of us. However, on Monday 13 January the following item dropped into our lap.The UK government announced that it was going to unleash AI because of its vast potential to improve the countrys decaying public services. This vision of the future is called the AI Opportunities Action Plan. Feedback feels that the name could have used a bit of work: it abbreviates to AIOAP, which sounds like the Terminator movie Arnold Schwarzenegger will make when hes 85 and an old-age pensioner himself.The AIOAP contains a lot of proposals, one of which caught Feedbacks eye. According to BBC News, AI will be fed through cameras around the country to inspect roads and spot potholes that need fixing.Like a rabbit caught in headlights, or, more aptly, like a driver heading straight for a pothole because theyre being tailgated and theres no room to steer, Feedback found ourself staring blankly forward into space, stunned by the visionary nature of this vision.Its not that we doubt that AI could be trained to spot potholes. On the contrary: it would probably do it rather well. Instead, we are concerned that this might be solving a non-existent problem.The BBC reported in March 2024 that English and Welsh roads are blighted by potholes, with a backlog of repairs estimated to cost 16.3 billion. That is a long way short of Elon Musk buying Twitter money, but its still roughly equivalent to the GDP of Jamaica. Furthermore, Feedback can attest to a deep familiarity with the numerous potholes in our local area, many of which have gone unrepaired for months.The problem, in short, doesnt seem to be lack of knowledge about where the potholes are. We wouldnt have a backlog that would cover the cost of building several skyscrapers if the potholes werent being logged. This is doubly so for any road busy enough to have cameras on it.Instead, the problem seems to be getting the actual repairs done. Feedback doesnt see how the AI will help with that. No, we need to turn to genetics.The only solution is an army of Ron Swanson clones to go and fill the potholes.Got a story for Feedback?You can send stories to Feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This weeks and past Feedbacks can be seen on our website.

Steven Puetzer/Getty ImagesHow did you sleep last night? Your response might depend on how long you were in bed, how much of that time you spent tossing and turning or whether you feel rested. But it might also depend on whether you exercised today, what your wearable device says, or when you are being asked.This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.Everyone has their own definition of sleep quality and that is the problem, says sleep researcher Nicole Tang at the University of Warwick, UK.Though sleep quality and what defines it is a puzzle scientists are still figuring out, we do know that a good nights rest involves a series of sleep cycles, the distinct succession of phases of brain activity we experience during sleep (see diagram below). And for most of us, each stage of those cycles is necessary to wake up feeling refreshed. The average person experiences four to five complete cycles during a night and disrupting these can come with health consequences, both in the short and long term.Poor sleep quality is associated with many adverse physical health outcomes, says Jean-Philippe Chaput at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Similar to what you can expect from not sleeping enough (see Why your chronotype is key to figuring out how much sleep you need), these include a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and weight gain.Although there is no definitive consensus on what defines sleep quality, researchers and doctors frequently analyse sleep with an electroencephalogram (EEG), which tracks brain activity during sleep

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. This is what might happen if the US withdraws from the WHO On January 20, his first day in office, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization. The US is the biggest donor to the WHO, and the loss of this income is likely to have a significant impact on the organization, which develops international health guidelines, investigates disease outbreaks, and acts as an information-sharing hub for member states. But the US will also lose out. Read the full story.Jessica HamzelouWhy the next energy race is for underground hydrogen It might sound like something straight out of the 19th century, but one of the most cutting-edge areas in energy today involves drilling deep underground to hunt for materials that can be burned for energy. The difference is that this time, instead of looking for fossil fuels, the race is on to find natural deposits of hydrogen. In an age of lab-produced breakthroughs, it feels like something of a regression to go digging for resources. But looking underground could help meet energy demand while also addressing climate change. Read the full story.Casey Crownhart This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. Cattle burping remedies: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2025 Companies are finally making real progress on one of the trickiest problems for climate change: cow burps. The worlds herds of cattle belch out methane as a by-product of digestion, as do sheep and goats. That powerful greenhouse gas makes up the single biggest source of livestock emissions, which together contribute 11% to 20% of the worlds total climate pollution, depending on the analysis. Enter the cattle burping supplement. DSM-Firmenich, a Netherlands-based conglomerate, says its Bovaer food supplement significantly reduces the amount of methane that cattle belchand its now available in dozens of countries. Read the full story.James Temple Cattle burping remedies is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025, MIT Technology Reviews annual list of tech to watch. Check out the rest of the list, and cast your vote for the honorary 11th breakthrough. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Tech leaders are squabbling over Trumps new Stargate AI project Musk says its backers dont have enough money. Satya Nadella and Sam Altman disagree. (The Guardian)+ Its far from the first time Musk and Altman have clashed. (Insider $)+ The scrap could threaten Musks cordial relationship with Donald Trump. (FT $) 2 Trump has threatened to withhold aid from California He falsely claimed the states officials have been refusing to fight the fires with water. (WP $)+ A new fire broke out along the Ventura County border last night. (LA Times $)3 Redditors are weighing up banning links to X In response to Elon Musks salute. (404 Media)+ Not everyone agrees that the boycott will have the desired effect, though. (NYT $)4 How right-leaning male YouTubers helped to elect TrumpYoung men are responding favorably to content painting them as powerless. (Bloomberg $) 5 Why the US isnt handing out bird flu vaccines right now Its not currently being treated as a priority. (Wired $)+ How the US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic. (MIT Technology Review)6 Why you might be inadvertently following Trump on social media And why it may take a while for Meta to honor requests to unfollow. (NYT $)+ The company has denied secretly adding users to Trumps followers list. (Insider $)+ Handily enough, Trump has ordered the US government to stop pressuring social media firms. (WP $)7 Investors interest in weight-loss drugs is waningA disappointing trial and falling sales spell bad news for the sector. (FT $) + Drugs like Ozempic now make up 5% of prescriptions in the US. (MIT Technology Review)8 A software engineer is trolling OpenAI with a new domain nameAnanay Arora registered OGOpenAI.com to redirect to a Chinese AI lab. (TechCrunch) 9 Macbeth is being turned into an interactive video game The Scottish play is being given a 21st century makeover. (The Verge) 10 Why measuring the quality of your sleep is so tough Not everyone agrees on what counts as good sleep, for a start. (New Scientist $)Quote of the day I acknowledge that this action is largely just virtue signalling. But if somebody starts popping off Nazi salutes at the presidential inauguration of a purported first world country, then virtue signalling is the least I can do. A Reddit moderator explains their decision to ban links to X in their forum after Elon Musks gestures at a post-inauguration rally this week, NBC News reports. The big story Welcome to Chula Vista, where police drones respond to 911 calls February 2023 In the skies above Chula Vista, California, where the police department runs a drone program, its not uncommon to see an unmanned aerial vehicle darting across the sky. Chula Vista is one of a dozen departments in the US that operate what are called drone-as-first-responder programs, where drones are dispatched by pilots, who are listening to live 911 calls, and often arrive first at the scenes of accidents, emergencies, and crimes, cameras in tow. But many argue that police forces adoption of drones is happening too quickly, without a well-informed public debate around privacy regulations, tactics, and limits. Theres also little evidence that drone policing reduces crime. Read the full story. Patrick Sisson 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.) + If you were struck by the beautiful scenery in The Brutalist, check out where it was filmed.+ This newly-unearthed, previously unreleased Tina Turner track is a banger.+ What to expect from the art world in the next 12 months.+ Let's take a look at this years potential runners and riders for the Oscars.

On January 20, his first day in office, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization. Ooh, thats a big one, he said as he was handed the document. The US is the biggest donor to the WHO, and the loss of this income is likely to have a significant impact on the organization, which develops international health guidelines, investigates disease outbreaks, and acts as an information-sharing hub for member states. But the US will also lose out. Its a very tragic and sad event that could only hurt the United States in the long run, says William Moss, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. A little unfair? Trump appears to take issue with the amount the US donates to the WHO. He points out that it makes a much bigger contribution than China, a country with a population four times that of the US. It seems a little unfair to me, he said as he prepared to sign the executive order. It is true that the US is far and away the biggest financial supporter of the WHO. The US contributed $1.28 billion over the two-year period covering 2022 and 2023. By comparison, the second-largest donor, Germany, contributed $856 million in the same period. The US currently contributes 14.5% of the WHOs total budget. But its not as though the WHO sends a billion-dollar bill to the US. All member states are required to pay membership dues, which are calculated as a percentage of a countrys gross domestic product. For the US, this figure comes to $130 million. China pays $87.6 million. But the vast majority of the USs contributions to the WHO are made on a voluntary basisin recent years, the donations have been part of multibillion-dollar spending on global health by the US government. (Separately, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $830 million over 2022 and 2023.) Its possible that other member nations will increase their donations to help cover the shortfall left by the USs withdrawal. But it is not clear who will step upor what implications it might have to the structure of donations. Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene at Tropical Medicine, thinks it is unlikely that European members will increase their contributions by much. The Gulf states, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, on the other hand, may be more likely to pay more. But again, it isnt clear how this will pan out, or whether any of these countries will expect greater influence over global health policy decisions as a result of increasing their donations. Deep impacts WHO funds are spent on a range of global health projectsprograms to eradicate polio, rapidly respond to health emergencies, improve access to vaccines and medicines, develop pandemic prevention strategies, and more. The loss of US funding is likely to have a significant impact on at least some of these programs. It is not clear which programs will lose funding, or when they will be affected. The US is required to give 12 months notice to withdraw its membership, but voluntary contributions might stop before that time is up. For the last few years, WHO member states have been negotiating a pandemic agreement designed to improve collaboration on preparing for future pandemics. The agreement is set to be finalized in 2025. But these discussions will be disrupted by the US withdrawal, says McKee. It will create confusion about how effective any agreement will be and what it will look like, he says. The agreement itself also wont make as big an impact without the US as a signatory, says Moss, who is also a member of a WHO vaccine advisory committee. The US would not be held to information-sharing standards that other countries could benefit from, and it might not be privy to important health information from other member nations. The global community might also lose out on the USs resources and expertise. Having a major country like the United States not be a part of that really undermines the value of any pandemic agreement, he says. McKee thinks that the loss of funding will also affect efforts to eradicate polio and to control outbreaks of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi, which continue to report hundreds of cases per week. The virus has the potential to spread, including to the US, he points out. Moss is concerned about the potential for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trumps pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is a prominent antivaccine advocate, and Moss worries about potential changes to vaccination-based health policies in the US. That, combined with a weakening of the WHOs ability to control disease outbreaks, could be a double whammy, he says: Were setting ourselves up for large measles disease outbreaks in the United States. At the same time, the US is up against another growing threat to public health: the circulation of bird flu on poultry and dairy farms. The US has seen outbreaks of the H5N1 virus on poultry farms in all states, and the virus has been detected in 928 dairy herds across 16 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been 67 reported human cases in the US, and one person has died. While we dont yet have evidence that the virus can spread between people, the US and other countries are already preparing for potential outbreaks. But this preparation relies on a thorough and clear understanding of what is happening on the ground. The WHO provides an important role in information sharingcountries report early signs of outbreaks to the agency, which then shares the information with its members. This kind of information not only allows countries to develop strategies to limit the spread of disease but can also allow them to share genetic sequences of viruses and develop vaccines. Member nations need to know whats happening in the US, and the US needs to know whats happening globally. Both of those channels of communication would be hindered by this, says Moss. As if all of that werent enough, the US also stands to suffer in terms of its reputation as a leader in global public health. By saying to the world We dont care about your health, it sends a message that is likely to reflect badly on it, says McKee. Its a classic lose-lose situation, he adds. Its going to hurt global health, says Moss. Its going to come back to bite us.

Best actor in a supporting roleGuy Pearce in "The Brutalist." A24 Yura Borisov, "Anora"Kieran Culkin, "A Real Pain"Edward Norton, "A Complete Unknown"Guy Pearce, "The Brutalist"Jeremy Strong, "The Apprentice"Best actress in a supporting role"Wicked" stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures Monica Barbaro, "A Complete Unknown"Ariana Grande, "Wicked"Felicity Jones, "The Brutalist"Isabella Rossellini, "Conclave"Zoe Saldaa, "Emilia Prez"Best original scoreCynthia Erivo as Elphaba in "Wicked." Universal Pictures "The Brutalist""Emilia Prez""Conclave""Wicked""The Wild Robot"Best costume designPaul Mescal as Lucius in "Gladiator II." Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures "A Complete Unknown""Conclave""Gladiator II""Nosferatu""Wicked"Best adapted screenplayRalph Fiennes in "Conclave." Focus Features "A Complete Unknown""Conclave""Emilia Prez""Nickel Boys""Sing Sing"Best original screenplayMikey Madison in "Anora." Cannes Film Festival "Anora""The Brutalist""A Real Pain""September 5""The Substance"Best animated feature film"The Wild Robot." Universal Pictures "Flow""Inside Out 2""Memoir of a Snail""Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl""The Wild Robot"Best animated short film"Magic Candies." Toei Animation "Beautiful Men""In the Shadow of Cypress""Magic Candies""Wander to Wonder""Yuck!"Best live-action short film"The Last Ranger." Kindred Films "A Lien""Anuja""I'm Not a Robot""The Last Ranger""The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent"Best makeup and hairstylingLily-Rose Depp in "Nosferatu." Focus Features "A Different Man""Emilia Prez""Nosferatu""The Substance""Wicked"Best cinematographyTimothe Chalamet in "Dune: Part 2." Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. "The Brutalist""Dune: Part Two""Emilia Prez""Maria""Nosferatu"Best documentary feature film"No Other Land." Yabayay Media "Black Box Diaries""No Other Land""Porcelain War""Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat""Sugarcane"Best documentary short film"Death by Numbers." KA Snyder Productions "Death by Numbers""I Am Ready, Warden""Incident""Instruments of a Beating Heart""The Only Girl in the Orchestra"Best film editingZoe Saldaa in "Emilia Prez." Netflix "Anora""The Brutalist""Conclave""Emilia Prez""Wicked"Best international feature filmSelena Gomez as Jessi in "Emilia Prez." Shanna Besson/Page 114 - Why Not Productions - Path Films - France 2 Cinma "I'm Still Here""The Girl with the Needle""Emilia Prez""The Seed of the Sacred Fig""Flow"Best original songColman Domingo and Clarence Maclin in "Sing Sing." A24 "El Mal" from "Emilia Prez""The Journey" from "The Six Triple Eight""Like a Bird" from "Sing Sing""Mi Camino" from "Emilia Prez""Never Too Late" from "Elton John: Never Too Late"Best production designAdrien Brody in "The Brutalist." A24 "The Brutalist""Conclave""Dune: Part Two""Nosferatu""Wicked"Best soundTimothe Chalamet playing Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown." Macall Polay "A Complete Unknown""Dune: Part Two""Emilia Perez""Wicked""The Wild Robot"Best visual effects"Alien: Romulus." 20th Century Studios "Alien: Romulus""Better Man""Dune: Part Two""Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes""Wicked"Best actress in a leading roleDemi Moore in "The Substance." Christine Tamalet/Mubi Cynthia Erivo, "Wicked"Karla Sofa Gascn, "Emilia Prez"Mikey Madison, "Anora"Demi Moore, "The Substance"Fernanda Torres, "I'm Still Here"Best actor in a leading roleSebastian Stan in "The Apprentice." Briarcliff Entertainment Adrien Brody, "The Brutalist"Timothe Chalamet, "A Complete Unknown"Colman Domingo, "Sing Sing"Ralph Fiennes, "Conclave"Sebastian Stan, "The Apprentice"Best directorJames Mangold and Timothee Chalamet on the set of "A Complete Unknown." Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures Sean Baker, "Anora"Brady Corbet "The Brutalist"James Mangold, "A Complete Unknown"Jacques Audiard, "Emilia Prez"Coralie Fargeat, "The Substance"Best pictureTimothe Chalamet in "Dune: Part Two." Warner Bros. "Anora""The Brutalist""A Complete Unknown""Conclave""Dune: Part Two""Emilia Prez""I'm Still Here""Nickel Boys""The Substance""Wicked"

Yipit sued two ex-employees in October, alleging they stole "secret information" from its business.Yipit's new filing seeks to add fellow alternative-data giant M Science and its CEO as defendants.M Science then sued Yipit, accusing its rival of stealing its intellectual property.The chatter at the alternative data industry's annual shindig, the BattleFin conference at Nobu's five-star Miami Beach resort, isn't about the latest AI tool being unveiled but the legal fight between two of the field's biggest names.A trade-secrets lawsuit that had the burgeoning industry buzzing this past fall now has onlookers worried about the fallout for the entire sector and its clients thanks to recent legal moves by the Carlyle-backed Yipit and the Jefferies-owned M Science.Alternative data is a catch-all term for information that traders use beyond typical market data, such as stock prices and earnings reports. The industry has exploded over the past decade as credit-card transactions, geolocation-tracked foot traffic, and web-scraping bots have provided hedge funds with insight into companies' statuses.Yipit originally sued two former employees, Alex Pinsky and Zachary Emmett, in October, accusing them of stealing "secret information at the heart" of its business. The lawsuit said the pair shared the information with the firm's rival M Science, a data provider that, like Yipit, is ubiquitous across hedge funds.In a motion filed in the federal district court in Manhattan on Thursday, Yipit is hoping to add M Science; its CEO, Michael Marrale; and Valentin Roduit, its former chief revenue officer, as defendants. The new filing says: "M Science, Marrale, and Roduit encouraged and directly participated in Emmett and Pinsky's theft of Yipit's trade secrets."M Science and Marrale declined to comment. Roduit, who left M Science in November, according to his LinkedIn profile, did not respond to requests for comment. An attorney for Pinsky did not respond to requests for comment. No email address, phone number, or legal counsel could be found for Emmett.M Science on Tuesday brought its own lawsuit against Yipit, accusing the credit-card-data company of many of the same practices.M Science claims Stephen Luban, a Yipit vice presidentThe M Science complaint says Luban used his login nearly 200 times from 2020 to 2022, alleging he accessed data that "someone in a product development role at a competitor could use to gain an unfair advantage over Plaintiffs in developing or enhancing the specialized in-depth research that Plaintiffs' customers are willing to pay substantial sums for."Luban did not respond to a request for comment. Yipit said in a statement: "This complaint is nothing but a meritless smokescreen concocted by M Science.""The allegations in this case are circumstantial, magical thinking by M Science and relate to purported events from five years ago, demonstrating their complete lack of merit," the statement added.The result of this dirty laundry airing is an industry on edge, said Don D'Amico, the founder of Glacier Network, which advises data buyers and sellers."We are all in this connective chain of data collection and data delivery. There was an understanding among the players that disputes could be settled between one another," said D'Amico, who was previously the general counsel for the data consultancy Neudata."All of this stuff is done on a trust basis, and it's been eroded," he added.An uneasy marketplaceThe original Yipit lawsuit alleged Pinsky and Emmett stole information on Yipit's hedge-fund clients, including those with approaching renewal dates that could be targeted by M Science, where the pair worked after Yipit. It accused Emmett, who joined M Science after Pinsky did, of downloading client information to personal devices as he was leaving Yipit, via messaging platforms on Facebook and LinkedIn. The original suit said he attempted to conceal files by renaming some with titles like "ZEtaxes2024."Yipit's motion claims the pair of salespeople did not act alone but were encouraged by M Science's leadership."The examples of Marrale's, Roduit's, and M Science's intentional acts of theft and conspiracy" will be outlined in the amended complaint, the filing says. The filing adds that it has "reached settlements in principle" with its two former employees but could not reach an agreement with M Science.M Science, meanwhile, accuses Yipit and its employees of conduct "contrary to honest industrial and commercial practices."While it's not clear whether these fights will be settled before a trial, there's already a clear loser: alternative data.The niche industry has always been under the microscope of clients and regulators alike because of its data-collection methods. A three-year investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into the now-renamed data provider App Annie and a subsequent $10 million fineput the industry on noticethat its Wild West days were over.Now, its infighting is threatening sectorwide collateral damage as two of its most-well-known brands take each other to court."Trust is going down as the stakes are going up," D'Amico said, referring to the increased revenues flowing into the industry thanks to an uptick in buyers and prospective datasets."My general concern," he added, "is this brings a lot of instability to the market, for both buyers and sellers."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a lot of controversial agenda items if he is confirmed as President Donald Trumps Health and Human Services secretary: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, fluoride in the water the list goes on. But he also plans to go after a facet of American life that doesnt have many full-throated defenders: school lunch. Ill get processed food out of school lunch immediately, Kennedy told Fox & Friends last fall. Sounds good, right? The National School Lunch Program serves nearly 30 million students every day. Its a vital source of nutrition for many of those kids, but that doesnt mean they enjoy it. School lunchs rubbery pizza and mystery meat have been a cultural punching bag for decades (who can forget Adam Sandlers classic Saturday Night Live sketch Lunch Lady Land?).But making school lunch healthier and tastier is harder than it might seem. And the history of those efforts is an interesting case study that speaks to the challenges Kennedy and the Make America Healthy Again movement are likely to encounter as they try to remake the countrys food system.This idea that you just buy food and you cook it and you give it to kids it should be simple. But it has never been simple, Jane Black, a food journalist who has hosted a podcast on the history of school lunch, told Today, Explained co-host Noel King. At the same time, school lunch is this weird little world, this complex upside down and backward world that is shaped by rules that were made for specific reasons at the time, but that when youre trying to change things, make it very difficult to untangle and do something that just seems like common sense.Black spoke with Today, Explained about the origins of school lunch, how it became the program we know today, and why it has proved resistant to change. A partial transcript of the conversation, edited for length and clarity, follows. You can listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts.Noel KingIf were going to tell a history of school lunch in the United States, where does it come from? Jane BlackSo school lunch was born in the Depression. There were a lot of hungry children, obviously, and they were these ad hoc programs at different schools where children were in need. The government helped out by providing money for this, but they also helped out by buying food from farmers because in the Depression they were struggling to sell the products that they needed. So the government would buy these things in order to stabilize prices so that farmers could make a living and take that food and give it to schools. The program became formalized in 1946. Its called the National School Lunch Act. It was signed by President Harry Truman. And he says this famous line when he signs the bill: No nation is healthier than its children or more prosperous than its farmers. And so I think thats such an important line because this program was never really only about children and nutrition. The program always had two masters. And the fact that the program was controlled and directed by the US Department of Agriculture, rather than, say, the Department of Education or the Department of Health and Human Services shows who is really driving this program. It was agriculture.Noel KingWhats on the plate? Back in the earliest days.Jane BlackYou know whats funny is its not that different from the way we picture school lunch right now. Its 1950s food. Its chicken. Its scoops of mashed potatoes that you take out with the ice cream scoop. Its green beans. Its bread rolls. In poorer schools, they may not have had a hot lunch. They may have a sandwich and an apple. But I think that what you need to know about school lunch at the beginning was that it was cooked in the schools. Okay. So its not processed food, a TV dinner thats brought in and just reheated and given to kids. There are lunch ladies. Theyre cooking it and theyre making it fresh and theyre serving it to the kids. My husband, who grew up in West Virginia, always tells stories about when he was in elementary school that you could smell the bread baking. And, you know, what a lovely memory.Noel KingYoure saying, like, within our lifetime, right? This is something that was done on-site. And so the food is what we would expect it to be. No real surprises. But then you report in your podcast that a change did come. And it was at a point in American history when a lot of things were changing.Jane BlackWhat happened? Reagan is elected president, and he comes in planning to slash budgets everywhere that he can. And school lunch is no exception. And so they cut the budgets. And the way that I often describe it to people is that schools are a lot like families. When a ton of your income disappears, what do you do? You cut back, right? You have to cut costs. And at this point in the 80s, the easiest way for them to do that is to get rid of the staff that are cooking. They have salaries. They also at that point had pensions that people didnt really want to pay anymore. So well get rid of the lunch ladies and we wont have to maintain all this equipment. We wont have to have stoves and refrigerators and walk-ins. Well just get these suddenly available big food companies to make all the food, package it, and bring it in. And that doesnt mean there was no cooking going on. But increasingly, you see preprepared foods and processed foods coming into schools because theyre cheaper.Noel KingSo we moved from the bread being baked in the kitchen in West Virginia to what?Jane BlackWell, I remember from the 80s, you know, there were tater tots, which I loved. There were sloppy Joes. And then Friday was pizza day. And it was not a triangle. It was a square. And it had, you know, tomato sauce. And then I always remember it was like the shredded cheese that was kind of sprinkled on. Like it had never moved. But we loved it. And so thats what there was. And thats what kids got used to seeing, not only at school but increasingly throughout society. We all start eating a lot more processed foods and a lot more fast food.Noel KingSo one of the problems that children have always had is that they cannot vote, but farmers can. And they do. And they do in great numbers. So at the same time that kids in school are no longer getting fresh bread, theyre getting cheese-speckled pizza. What is happening to the farmers who used to provide the schools with the produce?Jane BlackTheyre cutting budgets, so there is some lessening of funds for farmers, but they are very careful not to alienate the farmers because, as you say, farmers vote. So a good example of this, and its a story I really like to tell, is that in 1981, the United States found itself just awash in excess dairy. And theres an interesting reason for this, if youll allow me to digress briefly, which is that in the 70s, they discovered hormones for cattle. The hormones make the cattle produce more milk. Farmers are like, Great, we can produce more milk. But then they have all this milk and they say, Well, who are we going to sell this to?And in the early 80s, theres just so much milk sloshing around and cheese piling up. And there is actually a place in Kansas City called the Inland Dairy Storage Facility. And if you can imagine it, it is literally miles of caves that are dug out underneath the city. And in the early 80s, they were stacked to the ceiling with cheese. There were pictures of this that I saw in the New York Times. It was big news. And so the USDA says, well, what are we going to do with all of this? And they say, We will buy it and we will give it to schools. They do that soon, a couple of years later. They also say, you know, we just cant keep dealing with all this cheese, so lets get rid of some of the cattle, which they slaughter and turn into hamburger. And they say, what are we going to do with all this hamburger? I know. Lets give it to schools. So they do. And this is happening at the exact moment that the United States is descending into this anti-fat frenzy. And so, again, I bring this up because its just a very interesting example of, were helping the farmers. But are we helping the kids? Well, no, were dumping all this stuff with saturated fat on them at the exact time that doctors are telling us to eat less of it.Noel KingAnd so, again, what we have here is American kids who are seen as a convenient place to get rid of excess [food]. At what point, and Im hoping one comes, does somebody in a position of authority say, hey, maybe we should rethink what were doing with school lunch and actually make it work for kids versus everybody else?Jane BlackThe person who comes along and raises a ton of awareness about whats happening with school food is Michelle Obama. And so when Obama was elected in 2008, Michelle Obama, like many first ladies before her, chose an issue. Nancy Reagan had Just say no to drugs. And Laura Bush was very focused on literacy. And Michelle Obama is going to focus on healthy eating and healthy kids. And so a part of that is school lunch. And so youve got her bringing chefs to the White House, to the newly planted garden on the South Lawn. Shes out there talking about how important school lunch is to children, especially children who are hungry and getting some of their most important calories of the day [from school lunch], and how it is essential to make those meals as healthy as possible.Noel KingHow does her advocacy go over?Jane BlackSo it really depends who you talk to. Michelle Obama was a hero to so many liberals. Like I said, these events harvesting kale on the South Lawn, TV crews would show up and everybody was so excited about it. And a lot of people really loved the way she was making the case that we deserve this food and that this is a right for kids to eat well. On the other hand, you then have the opposition, the Republicans, who are not into this at all. To them, what Michelle Obama is doing is the ultimate nanny state. Shes saying, heres what you can eat. Im going to tell you what to eat. You know, parents shouldnt have control. Kids shouldnt have control. It was very much portrayed as if she was stepping on parents toes and telling them that they werent allowed to feed their kids. The other piece of it that I think is worth mentioning is that there was a big pushback partially from people in the school food world who were saying, hey, not so fast. If we give kids quinoa and roasted vegetables, are they going to eat them? They like pizza. The school lunch program is a program that has to make money, so they are reliant on it. So to be successful, they need a lot of kids to eat lunch. They need kids to want to eat pizza. So they were afraid that their programs would have big budgetary problems if they start serving all this different food and kids say no thanks.Noel KingAnd pizza, which kids and all of us do love, kind of becomes a bit of a flashpoint here. Remind us of this embarrassing chapter.Jane BlackYes, this was quite a moment. So one of the things that Michelle Obama discovers when she dives into school food nutrition rules is that one-eighth of a cup of tomato paste counts as half a vegetable. Which is weird. And theyre able to say, Hey, wait a minute, look at this. Something is wrong here. Pizza is a vegetable. Do you see how crazy this has become? What was really crazy was that she lost that battle. You know, the school lunch people, the food companies, the pizza makers get to members of Congress and theyre like, wait a minute, you are not going to say that pizza doesnt count as a vegetable. And they refused to let it happen. And I mean, just to complicate the story just a little bit, I did talk to some nutritionists and I think this is really interesting. They didnt really object to the fact that an eighth of a cup of tomato paste does give you some nutrients. In fact, they told me it is about the equivalent of half an orange in terms of vitamins and nutrients. Whats crazy, though, is just how quickly this was shut down. And I think it shows how powerful interests really have a hold on the school lunch program. And again, coming back to what we were talking about at the very beginning, how difficult it is to make common sense changes because there are so many people who have opinions.Noel KingAnd this, I would argue, is why RFK feels so potent. Whether you agree with everything he says, whether you understand there are some parts of this mans argument that are not grounded in science, there are other parts that are incredibly compelling, including that he would like to take ultra-processed foods out of the school lunch environment. Youve laid out how difficult it has been to get that done because of various interests at play. So can RFK actually do this?Jane BlackI think youre absolutely right that RFK has changed the framing on this in a really important way. Instead of making it about nutrition standards, hes made it about pushing back on powerful interests that are harming you or harming your children. Like, why are we letting this happen? Why are we letting them make money off of our health? Its shocking that nobody has figured out how to frame it that way before.Noel KingYes, it is.Jane BlackI mean, Ive had a number of conversations with people who have said, how did Democrats and in particular, Michelle Obama miss that? But is it possible? Its tricky for a couple of reasons. The first thing is that if you look at the Trump administration, the first Trump administration, they were not interested in fixing those are my air quotes to just shorthand what weve been talking about fixing school lunch. In fact, they made a very strong effort to roll back much of what Michelle Obama had tried to do. And they were doing it right up until Joe Biden came into office. So people in my nerdy school lunch world will look at it and say, does Trump really care about this? Are they really going to do this? [But] I think we are having a moment. I think there is a lot of energy behind the ideas that [RFK Jr.] is putting out there this new frame hes putting out there about companies and powerful interests taking advantage of us. And that appeals both to Democrats and to Republicans who feel it happening in this country. How do you translate that energy into real change is a big question, and I think thats why school lunch is a really good thing to talk about, because it gives us these things that seem like they should be simple but are actually not that simple. And in order to really change it, in order to pull ultra-processed foods out of school lunch, thats making over the entire menu, thats hiring thousands and thousands of people to cook in schools. Thats building thousands and thousands of school kitchens that cost a lot of money. So people have to put their money where their mouth is. And I think its the same thing when you look at a lot of the other areas that the budget movement is talking about You know, they talking about regulating ingredients that they put in foods. They need a staff of hundreds and hundreds of people at the FDA in order to begin doing that. And it would take years. So, again, a lot of these are good ideas, but putting them into practice, its a long haul.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:

This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Voxs newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions.Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on a food dye called Red No. 3, which has been linked to cancer in animal studies.The news comes on the heels of a bill that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September that bans six other food dyes from school cafeteria menus, largely over concerns that the dyes could cause behavior problems in kids. Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trumps pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, has also singled out dyes, pledging in October to tell the cereal companies: Take all the dyes out of their food.All this can be confusing, even for people who consider themselves reasonably savvy consumers of food and science news (read: me). Do we need to throw out all our Ring Pops? Why is RFK Jr., noted vaccine skeptic and leader of the Trumpian Make America Healthy Again movement, on the same side as Newsom, a vocal Trump opponent, and some very mainstream epidemiologists and public health experts? Lets break it all down.Synthetic food dyes are liquids or powders added to foods and drinks to make them look cool; nine are currently in use in the US (itll be eight when the Red No. 3 ban takes effect in 2027). The dyes show up in everything from Doritos to pickles RFK Jr. has been especially critical of Froot Loops. To understand the controversy around these ingredients, it helps to understand the history of the FDAs Red No. 3 ban. In the 1980s, researchers found that consuming Red No. 3 led to an increased risk of thyroid cancer in male rats. Human studies have not shown such a risk, and the FDA says the danger to rats has to do with aspects of rat biology that dont exist in humans. But in 2022, food watchdog groups petitioned the FDA, arguing that the agency was legally required to ban any substance shown to cause cancer in animals. Last week, the FDA agreed. Theres no new data, and still no evidence that red candy, icing, or cherries cause cancer in people, but the additive will be phased out of the food supply over the next two years.The science on dyes and behavior is more complicated. Researchers have long been concerned that the food colorings might exacerbate symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 2021, a review of the available research conducted by Californias Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found evidence that dyes were associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects, such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and restlessness in sensitive children. Its not clear what makes a child sensitive to these dyes the researchers found effects in children both with and without an ADHD diagnosis. And while one particular dye, Red No. 40, has gotten the most attention with respect to ADHD symptoms, some studies look at several dyes together, making it hard to know which one is producing the effect.More research is needed, but some experts say theres enough there to suggest some restrictions on synthetic dyes in the food supply. Certainly within our schools, we shouldnt be promoting foods that have these, Asa Bradman, a professor of public health at University of California Merced who worked on the 2021 review, told me.How the conversation around dyes got so overblownBut that nuanced message isnt what youll find on large swathes of TikTok and Instagram, where influencers call dyes toxic and poison and instruct parents to eliminate all dyes from their childrens diets to radically improve their behavior. The conversation around dyes has become part of a much bigger discourse around food, children, and health, with RFK Jr. and some clean eating influencers arguing that parents need to cut a laundry list of ingredients out of their familys diet in order to keep their kids healthy.Cutting out dyes wont make all kids better-behaved, because not every child is sensitive to dye in the first place. And severely restricting foods has its own risks, Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian and host of the podcast Rethinking Wellness, told me. Its one thing just to keep your home pantry stocked with dye-free snacks (though they tend to be more expensive). But when you get into people who are like, Im reading every label, Im not letting anything touch my kids lips that has a dye in it, Harrison said, I think that is setting up kids for a pretty disordered relationship with food.A restrictive diet can also cause unnecessary fear, said Zo Bisbing, a psychotherapist specializing in disordered eating. Shes seen families whose kids have panic attacks at birthday parties because theyre not sure if theyre allowed to eat the cake, she told me. Stress and anxiety, whether its the parents or the childs this is not good for health, Bisbing said.Restricting dyes and other ingredients targeted by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers can also be a gateway to embracing more harmful beliefs, like the idea that vaccines are dangerous, Harrison said. Its just important to know that grains of truth can coexist with misinformation and conspiracy theories.Theres also some ableism in the idea that if we got rid of the dyes in food, wed eliminate ADHD, Bisbing said a neurotype thats likely existed for millennia and that comes with both difficulties and benefits. Its worth noting that RFK Jr.s questioning of vaccines is also rooted in the debunked idea that they cause autism, another form of neurodivergence. As long as we look at ADHD and autism as problems to be solved, were really spending our energy on the wrong thing, Bisbing said.Conversations about kids and food are likely to grow louder if RFK Jr. is confirmed. But amid the noise, families can still foster a healthy, relaxed attitude toward eating, experts say. For Harrison, its pretty simple: Allowing your kids some flexibility, and having a home where all foods are accepted and all foods are good.What Im readingThe Trump administration has announced that federal immigration authorities can arrest people at schools, reversing a long-held policy of avoiding these areas. Advocates are worried the change will make some immigrant parents afraid to take their kids to school, leading them to miss out on education.School lunch debt continued to climb in 2024. However, eight states now have universal free school meal programs, and a ninth, New York, could soon join them.Personal-finance influencers are convincing kids they can attract wealth with a growth mindset, and its messing up their ideas about work, money, and life.My older kid is now exclusively consuming Gravity Falls-related content, including the graphic novel Gravity Falls: Lost Legends. From my inboxEarlier this month, I wrote about legislation that aims to keep kids off social media, often with the goal of protecting their mental health. But reader Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, notes that in an analysis he performed with colleagues, we concluded that, as of yet, the evidence was unable to link social media use to youth mental health, contrary to many public beliefs.And last week, after I wrote about the kids whose schools have been destroyed by the California wildfires, a reader shared this list of learning specialists and tutors offering pro bono services for kids affected by the fires. This list, meanwhile, includes therapists who are offering help.Thanks to everyone who has written to share thoughts and resources, and as always, you can reach me at anna.north@vox.com.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:

Dragon Age sales 50% less than expected as EA FC 25 sales disappointMichael BeckwithPublished January 23, 2025 12:39pmUpdated January 23, 2025 12:39pm EA Sports FC 25 was the UKs best-selling game last year and its still not doing well enough for EA (EA)EA has had a rough Christmas, with its two biggest autumn titles both significantly underperforming.As one of the biggest independent publishers in the world (and one of the few left after Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard) EA is not used to sales failure but it seems the last few months have been rough, when it comes to sales of two its biggest new titles.EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed enough for the company to readjust its targets for the 2025 fiscal year, with the latter selling half what EA originally expected.Thats going to put extra pressure on their upcoming slate, except thats looking rather slim at the moment, with only Hazelights new co-op title Split Fiction, the new skate., and some MySims PC ports currently planned for this year.EA will almost certainly have some Nintendo Switch 2 titles as well (new MySims titles were leaked by mistake last week) and its not clear when exactly the new Battlefield will be out but it looks like theres going to be some tense boardroom meetings for the rest of this year.According to their latest financial results, EA expects to have made about $2.2 billion (about 1.8 billion) in sales for their third financial quarter (October 2024 to December 2024), when it originally hoped to achieve around $2.4 billion to $2.55 billion (or 1.95 billion to 2.07 billion).This also means EA has cut its expectations for the 2025 fiscal year. Originally, it was aiming to make $7.5 billion to $7.8 billion (about 6.1 billion to 6.33 billion) by the end of March, but that target has dropped to a range of $7 billion to $7.15 billion (about 5.7 billion to 5.8 billion).Dragon Age fans will be disappointed to hear that EA isnt impressed with The Veilguards performance. This was the first new entry from BioWare since 2014s Dragon Age: Inquisition, but it seems to have either not appealed to enough of the old fans or not attracted enough new ones.EA says The Veilguard engaged approximately 1.5 million players during the quarter, which sounds impressive on its own. But EA adds that this is nearly 50% less than expected, meaning it hoped to have upwards of three million players.Its EA Sports FC 25s underperformance thats far more shocking, though. EAs football games have long been one of its key moneymakers, but not only did the newest entry not meet expectations, EA blames a lack of growth in its Global Football business as the main culprit for its revised figures.Global Football had experienced two consecutive fiscal years of double-digit net bookings growth, explains EA. However, the franchise experienced a slowdown as early momentum in the fiscal third quarter did not sustain through to the end.This suggests sales for EA Sports FC 25 either havent been as strong as the last couple of entries, despite being the best-selling game of 2024 in the UK, or are only a slight improvement but still less than what EA wanted.More TrendingWe wont know any exact revenue numbers though, until EA shares its full earnings for the third fiscal quarter on February 4. In the meantime, CEO Andrew Wilson has expressed confidence that things will pick up for EA Sports FC 25 later this year.This month, our teams delivered a comprehensive gameplay refresh in addition to our annual Team of the Year update in EA Sports FC 25; positive player feedback and early results are encouraging, says Wilson.We remain confident in our long-term strategy and expect a return to growth in [the 2026 fiscal year], as we execute against our pipeline.EA Sports FC 25 is only the second entry in the series since the franchise abandoned the FIFA name. The first entry sold better than ever but fans have been frustrated with last years game after complaints of persistent bugs that suggest the game was released before it was finished. Will things pick up before EA Sports FC 26 comes out? (EA)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

Jennifer Garner teases just howFantastic Four: First Steps Silver Surfer will come to life. ParamountsChildren of Blood and Bone adaptation has found its young heroes. Plus, Amazon drops a boatload of new pictures from Wheel of Times return. Spoilers get! The Fantastic Four: First Steps Speaking to Who What Wear, Jennifer Garner confirmed that, unsurprisingly, her take on the Silver Surfer is a motion capture performance. You have to imagine everything when youre doing it, as if youre auditioning even though we had the sets, I didnt have my costume or hair and makeup or anything. Alien: Romulus Sequel Daniel Richtman (via Comicbook.com) alleges that Ellen Ripley will play a role in theRomulus sequel, utilizing de-aging technology. Return of the Living Dead Tarman celebrates Christmas in this behind the scenes clip from the new Return of the Living Dead. Dog Man Dog Man is off the Petey the Cat case in a new clip from Dog Man. Heart Eyes Elsewhere, the killer rides a carousel in a new clip from Heart Eyes. A Knights War A knight faces witches and demons to save a cursed womans soul in the trailer for A Knights War, coming to VOD this February 11. Children of Blood and Bone Variety reports thatThe Acolytes Amandla Stenberg,Doctor Whos Tosin Cole,The Woman Kings Thuso Mbedu, andOutside the Wires Damson Idris will star in Paramounts adaptation of Tomi Adeyemis novel. Mbedu will play Zelie, who goes on a quest to restore magic to her kingdom after it was stolen by a tyrannical king, while Cole will play her brother Tzain, with Stenberg and Idris playing royal siblings Amari and Inan, who join them to fight back against their fathers corrupt rule. The Wheel of Time Amazon has released a series of new images from season 3click through to see more. Common Side Effects Adult Swim has released a new clip for its pharmaceutical industry conspiracy-comedy, Common Side Effects. Yellowjackets Finally, Showtime has released a full trailer for the third season of Yellowjackets premiering this February 14. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.