The House is going to have it's own DOGE subcommittee chaired by Marjorie Taylor Greene.The Democrats on this committee aren't DOGE-curious. They're gearing up for a fight.The top Democrat says Republicans want to turn the government into a "piggy bank" for Elon Musk.As the Department of Government Efficiency has taken shape, you may have heard about a handful of Democratic politicians who are interested in working with Elon Musk.You won't find any of these "DOGE-curious" Democrats, however, on the House's new "Delivering on Government Efficiency" subcommittee."We believe that they're going to use the DOGE subcommittee to eviscerate the federal workforce," Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the panel, said on CNN on Friday.The subcommittee, housed beneath the House Oversight Committee, will be chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene the controversial Georgia congresswoman who was barred from serving on committees altogether during her first two years in office.Other Republicans on the panel include some of the party's biggest spending hawks and members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, including:Rep. Pat Fallon of TexasRep. William Timmons of South CarolinaRep. Brandon Gill of TexasRep. Brian Jack of GeorgiaRep. Tim Burchett of TennesseeRep. Eric Burlison of MissouriRep. Michael Cloud of TexasThe Democrats, meanwhile, include several lawmakers who've cut their teeth doing battle with Republicans on the Oversight committee over the last two years, including:Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, DCRep. Stephen Lynch of MassachusettsRep. Robert Garcia of CaliforniaRep. Greg Casar of TexasRep. Jasmine Crockett of TexasThese Democrats have generally been critical of DOGE. Stansbury said on CNN that Republicans want to make the federal government "essentially a personal piggy bank for Elon Musk," pointing to the billionaire businessman's reliance on federal contracts. Casar, meanwhile, previously told BI that he expects Musk and DOGE to pursue "really awful, stupid, self-serving stuff.""We're ready to fight back on day one, call out attempts to slash our social safety, and make sure we take care of working families and the middle class," Garcia said in a statement announcing his placement on the subcommittee.While the subcommittee is focusing on the same government-efficiency goals as Musk's DOGE in the executive branch, it remains unclear how the two entities will interact.Meanwhile, lawmakers are pursuing DOGE-aligned initiatives through other avenues, including via DOGE caucuses in both the House and the Senate.

Many Instagram users this week had their scrolling interrupted by the bearded visage of our newly elected Vice President JD Vance. Suddenly it seemed that on the week of their inauguration, everybody on the app was following or being suggested to follow the official accounts of President Donald Trump and Vance (@POTUS and @VP, respectively). Chaos ensued. In group chats, on Instagram Stories, on X and Bluesky, people frantically wondered what was up. Some, like pop stars Gracie Abrams and Demi Lovato, said that when they tried to unfollow the VP and POTUS accounts, the app wouldnt let them until they attempted multiple times. Other hashtags appeared to be banned or hidden, like #jan6 or #democrat. Meta, meanwhile, has been busy assuring users that nothing new or weird is going on here. The accounts for the POTUS and VP, including their followers, were automatically handed over to the new administration as is customary during a presidential transition, while the accounts for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris previously under those usernames would be duplicated in an archive account. Theyve said it may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through but did not provide details when asked by the New York Times why that might be. Hashtags like #democrat were hidden, Meta said, due to an error that affected many hashtags, not just left-leaning ones (those hashtags are now visible). The episode came just weeks after Meta, Instagram and Facebooks parent company, announced sweeping changes to the platforms: CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he would be firing Metas fact-checkers and relaxing standards for moderating posts in an effort to prevent bias and censorship a move that was widely read as an attempt to curry favor with the Trump administration. Since 2018, Instagram and Facebook have deprioritized political and news content; now, it plans to bring these topics back to the forefront of users feeds.Metas assurances that they are not boosting certain accounts or censoring others, and that these issues are no more than glitches may very well be true. But due to the secretive, black box nature of algorithms like Metas, its very hard to fact-check such claims. Jillian York, author of Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism, says that Meta has a long history of censorship. We should not take Meta at their word for anything, she says. Theres a history of Meta saying, This is a glitch, and what they really mean is internal bias, human error, or AI error. Its unclear at this point which were talking about.For years, Republicans have believed that social media companies were inherently biased against conservative speech, despite evidence to the contrary. (More news influencers lean conservative, and most are male.) Now with a new Trump administration in power, its liberals who are expressing concern and their fears, watchdogs say, are more reasonable than they might initially seem. People worried about how Silicon Valley tycoons are kowtowing to Trump need not look far for an example of what conservative control of a platform might look like. We saw this happen with X after Musk took over. My feed was completely different, and I think thats possible with Meta too, says York. Twitter was famous for its searchability, its transparency (you could see exactly who follows who, who liked what, what time a tweet was posted, and what was trending), and its allowance for free speech relative to other platforms. We should not take Meta at their word for anything.But under Musk, who describes himself as a free speech absolutist, censorship on X has gotten worse, not better. He banned links to competitor websites like Instagram and Substack, and admitted that X throttles posts that include any links at all, preventing users from accessing the kind of substantial, quality information found in news articles. He downranked tweets about Ukraine and appeared to limit views of posts that included words like transgender, gay, and bisexual while allowing slurs for gay people to go unchecked. He dissolved the companys Trust and Safety Council and boosted his own tweets so that they became inescapable for any user, regardless of whether they followed him. Just like Musk pulled certain levers to make X a friendlier place for hate speech, spam, and AI slop, so too can any other platform. They can deprioritize links to certain websites (or any websites at all) so that posts that include them will receive fewer views. They can amplify hatred against minority groups while banning speech critical of the established order (for instance, under Metas new rules, writing white people have mental illness is prohibited on Facebook, while gay people have mental illness is allowed). They can, in theory, throttle users they deem problematic so that their posts dont spread while boosting those who are sympathetic to their own interests. Platforms can also limit transparency, as was the case when Meta got rid of CrowdTangle, the tool that allowed researchers and journalists to track whats trending, how information spreads, and which accounts are driving it. TikTok, too, quietly killed its feature that allowed people to see how many views videos containing certain hashtags received. The move came after accusations that TikTok was boosting pro-Palestinian content due to the popularity of pro-Palestine hashtags, even though no evidence ever emerged that that was true. All of the major platforms already filter sensitive topics (why else would so many people be using algospeak, like seggs or unalive?). Theres nothing stopping them from continuing to bury whatever they deem fit; several rights watch organizations have warned that Facebook and Instagram routinely censored pro-Palestine content. On TikTok, many users complained that their algorithms seemed to lean more conservative after the app was offline in the US for several hours, then reinstated, perhaps a reflection of a shift in the user base that has been underway for months. The app welcomed users back with an announcement that explicitly thanked Donald Trump, a rare move for a tech company. During the weekends inaugural events, TikTok sponsored a party celebrating the top 30 conservative influencers who helped secure Trump the election. In the days afterward, TikTok users claimed they couldnt search for terms like fascism or comment free Palestine. Though TikTok has denied that it is censoring this content, the problem is the same as it is with Meta: No one can be absolutely sure the company isnt lying, and its no wonder people are suspicious. Internet users fear more than just the erosion of trust in their social platforms: AI has made Google Search barely useable, filled Amazon, Etsy, and other storefronts with junk, populated social media with bots, and regurgitated misinformation to the millions of people who use tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Humans have never spent more time online, but the spaces were in often make us mistrust everyone we interact with and everything were told. Despite the backlash against the rightward swing of the major platforms, its curious that there isnt a larger mass movement away from them. As Politicos Derek Robertson wrote in Liberties Journal, so many of us feel like were hurtling toward a dystopian technocracy where human life and connection are continually degraded and devalued, and yet, Why has a popular movement for technological self-governance failed to coalesce something akin to the political movement inspired by the urbanist Jane Jacobs? Why, to return to our original question, dont people care?Its clear that people do care, but perhaps they feel as though their concerns wont be heard unless theyre on the same platforms as everybody else, or that the platforms theyre on will morph into something unrecognizable. Perhaps were all just burnt out by the thought of building a presence on yet another new app one that could, like all the others before it, only disappoint us in the end.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:

The Switch 2 era is here (Nintendo)Nintendos new console has been officially revealed, and some retailers are already offering a heads-up on pre-orders.The reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 may have been undercut by leaks, but it hasnt dampened peoples excitement for the next gen console.Nintendos reveal trailer has already proven to be a big hit on YouTube, while game developers are enthusiastic about the systems capabilities, including the bigger Joy-Cons, mouse-like functionality, and improved graphics.As with any new console though, anyone hoping to get one at launch will have topre-order, but thats easier said than done at the moment.How do you pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2?At the time of writing (January 24), the Switch 2 isnt available to pre-order in the UK. You can register your interest through certain UK retailers though, specifically Currys, ShopTo, and The Game Collection.While registering doesnt guarantee a console, it means youll get updates about the Switch 2, including when pre-orders go live so youll get a head start on everyone else. Think of it as a pre-order of a pre-order.Alternatively, you can also register on Nintendos website for the chance to play the Switch 2 early in London. This randomly selected draw, however, closes on Sunday, January 26.When will Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders go live?Nintendo has not announced a date for pre-orders, but its very likely they will go live either on or just after April 2, 2024.On that day, Nintendo will showcase the console and its games in a Nintendo Direct presentation, where its expected to announce the launch date, price, and more games beyond just the new Mario Kart.What is the UK price of the Nintendo Switch 2?Nintendo is expected to announce the price during the Switch 2s Direct presentation in April, but analysts predict it will be roughly $400 in the US. This would put the UK price somewhere around the 349.99 to 399.99 range.More TrendingOther insiders, like Shpeshal_Nick on X, have claimed it could be priced higher at $449, but it will be above 309.99 at least, which is the current UK price for the Switch OLED Model. Nintendos next console is almost upon us (YouTube)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

The next Resident Evil remake is Resident Evil Zero claims insiderAdam StarkeyPublished January 24, 2025 5:34pmUpdated January 24, 2025 5:34pm Maybe they could add co-op to the remake? (Capcom)There are conflicting rumours around Resident Evil 9, but one insider is adamant about what the next remake will be.Resident Evil 9 might be officially in the works but Capcom has yet to say anything about it or even to confirm it is the next Resident Evil game, which isnt a given considering how successful 2023s Resident Evil 4 remake was.Capcom has now run out of obvious games to remake and while Resident Evil 5 would be the logical next choice, chronologically speaking, rumours suggest Capcom is remaking more obscure entries Resident Evil Code: Veronica and Resident Evil Zero although theres previously been no indication of which might come first.The same insider who made those initial claims has now provided an answer to that question, and it seems Resident Evil Zero fans might have reason to celebrate.When asked about the subject on X, known Resident Evil insider Dusk Golem replied unambiguously: Zero is the next remake.Resident Evil Zero is a prequel to the 1996 classic, which features two protagonists, in S.T.A.R.S. medic Rebecca Chambers and convict Billy Coen. The main gimmick of the game is the ability to switch between both characters to solve puzzles.The game received a HD remaster in 2016, which only highlighted the fact that the game hasnt aged very well and was always one of the lesser entries in the franchise.Originally, the game was supposed to be a N64 title, before it was cancelled, and the project was started from scratch on Nintendos subsequent console, the GameCube.It repurposed a number of locations and mechanics, and reused the graphics engine, from the Resident Evil 1 remake a few years prior, which creates an interesting quandary for Capcom, which is no doubt building up to a new remake of the first game at some point in the future.https://twitter.com/AestheticGamer1/status/1882142238891020344Capcom hasnt confirmed anything about a new remake, so its worth taking all of this with a healthy dose of scepticism. But since it marks the beginning of the entire Resident Evil storyline, it does make sense to release it before Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which is set after the events of Resident Evil 3.What are the rumours about Resident Evil 9?The only thing Capcom has confirmed about Resident Evil 9 is that its being directed by Resident Evil 7s Koshi Nakanishi, but there have been some rumours about its design.The most prevalent rumour is that it will feature an open world, built using the technology in Dragons Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds.Other rumours, however, have led to squabbling within the Resident Evil insider community. In May last year, on Reddit, someone who claims to have playtested Resident Evil 9 shared various alleged details, stating Jill Valentine is the protagonist, that it partially takes places within an abandoned hospital, and features an enemy based on a terrifying goat man.This appeared to line up with another rumour from YouTuber Biohazard Declassified, who claimed Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine will be the main playable protagonists, while the game will be set on an island with an abandoned hospital, caves, and other locations. Leon Kennedy is rumoured to return in Resident Evil 9 (Capcom)As these rumours began to circulate again this week, Dusk Golem, who has a better track record for Resident Evil leaks, described these rumours as 100 percent bulls***.Jill doesnt play any major role in Resident Evil 9, unfortunately, they wrote on X. This current hospital rumour floating around is 100 percent bulls***. Crushing the Jill hopium now before wrong expectations are set.They added: Wait for actual Resident Evil 9 news, nearly every Resident Evil 9 rumour thats been floated around has been bulls***.More TrendingTheres no indication of when Capcom will announce Resident Evil 9 or when it might be released, although we might hear more about the future of the series following the launch of Capcoms Monster Hunter Wilds next month. Its far from the best Resi (Capcom)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

Little is known about the effects on humansbut limiting exposure to them seems prudent

By Todd Feathers Published January 24, 2025 | Comments (0) | The AI weapon detection industry is booming and schools are paying millions of dollars for the systems. Nanzeeba/Shutterstock An AI gun detection system installed in a Nashville, Tennessee high school couldnt spot the gun a 17-year-old used to fatally shoot another student and himself earlier this week, according to district officials. The Omnilert system is designed to activate immediately once it detects [a gun], as we described, it did not detect that weapon in this instance and that, because of the location and where the cameras were positioned, said Sean Braisted, a spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public Schools, according to local news coverage of a press conference on Thursday. Braisted said the system did detect police officers guns when they arrived on the scene and has detected guns in the past, Nashvilles local NBC station reported. The school district agreed to a two-year, $1 million contract with Omnilert in 2023.In an email to Gizmodo, Dave Fraser, CEO of Omnilert, said his heart goes out to the students, families, and greater Nashville community in the wake of the shooting. We can confirm that the Omnilert gun detection system is deployed at MNPS but in this case the location of the shooter and the firearm meant that the weapon was not visible, he said. This is not a case of the firearm not being recognized by the system. The shooting on Wednesday took place in the cafeteria of Antioch High School.Data from GovSpend, which collects information about government contracts, shows that more than 100 cities, school districts, community colleges, and universities have purchased Omnilerts systems. The company is part of an AI-based weapons detection industrywhich also includes companies like Evolv Technologies and ZeroEyesthat is winning multi-million contracts from schools and other government agencies despite mounting evidence that the systems are not as effective as theyre advertised to be. In November, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Evolv, accusing it of deceptively marketing the accuracy of its Express weapon-scanning system. The agency pointed to the Utica, New York school districts Express system, which failed to detect a knife that was used in the October 2022 stabbing of a student. After the incident, the school district increased the systems sensitivity, but that change doubled the rate of false alarms, where the system incorrectly alerted security staff about weapons that didnt exist, according to the FTC.During a pilot at New York Citys Jacobi Medical Center, more than 85% of the alerts Evolv scanners generated over a seven-month period were false alarms, and another 14% involved law enforcement officers, according to documents obtained by Hell Gate. When the city then tested Evolv in subway stations, it detected no guns, 12 knives, and generated 118 false alarms over 30 days, according to City & State New York. In March, Philadelphias public transit agency, SEPTA, ended its contract with ZeroEyes because the companys weapons detection system failed to integrate with SEPTAs security cameras. A 2023 report by the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory raised similar concerns about ZeroEyess ability to work with anything but high-quality camera images. The evaluators also complained that the company didnt provide data about the systems accuracy.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published January 22, 2025 By Florence Ion Published January 22, 2025 By Florence Ion Published January 22, 2025 By Matt Novak Published January 22, 2025 By Florence Ion Published January 22, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 21, 2025

The International Festival of the Arts at Epcot is Walt Disney Worlds most underrated festival. It takes place during the off-season when its relatively less expensive to visit, and it features a walkable array of art galleries to use up that money youre saving. If youre a film art print nerd, the event offers a great way to get your hands on some officially licensed pieces first. Heres a round-up of our favorite releases from this years festival. These debuts include a selection of art that will be available resort-wide at Walt Disney World, as well as at the Disneyland Resort and on Disney Cruises. However, some art is exclusive to the event with originals painted and sold on-site, like this Skeleton Crew Neel piecethough Star Wars fans need not worry, there are lots of other prints featuring iconic characters from the franchise. Among other featured fandoms youll also find pieces inspired by Marvel Studios X-Men 97, Frozen, Disney Princess art, and even Kingdom Hearts. Artists will be on hand on select dates for signings as well. West Coast folks who cant make it over to the Epcot fest, fret not. Some of the art will also drop during the Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure. Additionally, some of the featured artists will hold signings there too. Star Wars Tiny Wookie, Big Dreams by Kristin Tercek Kingdom Hearts My Friends Are My Power by Morgan Ditta The Muppets by David Buckley Beauty and the Beast Love Breaks the Spell by Dylan Bonner Disney Experiences World of Color Carousel of Color by Ryan Riller X-Men 97 Tolerance Is Extinction by Al Abbazia Aladdin The Genie of the Lamp by Jerrod Maruyama Alice in Wonderland A Very Curious Dream by Ashley Taylor Moana You Know Who You Are by Jason Ratner Fantasia Bossing Around by Tim Rogerson Cinderella All Aglow by Steven Thompson Star Wars: The Mandalorian Grogus Treats by Martin Hsu A Goofy Movie Summer Dreaming by Yesenia Moises Frozen A Flurry of Love by Ann Shen Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Neel by Tricia Buchanan-Benson Disney Experiences Pirates of the Caribbean by Dave Perillo Tim Burtons The Nightmare Before Christmas by JC Richard Cinderella Enchanted Glass Cinderella Castle by Fenway Fan Mulan Reflection by Josey Tsao The Princess and the Frog You Complete My Dream by Eunjung June Kim Beauty and the Beast Beauty Is Found Within by Eric Tan The Lion King Can You Feel the Love Tonight? by Maria Stuckey Winnie the Pooh Christopher Robin and Friends by Joey Chou Epcots International Festival of the Arts is ongoing at Walt Disney World through February 24; get tickets here. 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.

Jirany Fire Station / SOA ArchitektiSave this picture! Alex Shoots BuildingsArchitects: SOA ArchitektiAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:425 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Alex Shoots BuildingsManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Danpal, Kingspan Insulated Panels, ABB, Aluprof, Best, Casalgrande Padana, FRP Services, HSE, Jap Jacina, Tarkett Lead Architects: Ondej Phrt, tefan ulek, Ondej Laciga, Kateina Luftov, tpn Tom, Marie Hojn More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The firehouse is designed in such a way that its shape and volume resemble the typology of rural barns. Its rectangular shape and gabled roof also create a visual connection to the elementary school across the street. It is located on municipal land in the northwestern development area of Doln Jirany. Its location on the outskirts of the village, with immediate access to transport infrastructure, provides the firefighters with a convenient location for quick and effective interventions.Save this picture!Save this picture!The building stands on an almost triangular plot between family houses and a primary school. Its shape and height were designed to be sensitive to the surrounding development. It therefore fulfils not only a functional but also an aesthetic role - creating a symbolic transition between the character of the houses and the public character of the school.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!From the first sketch, the design works with three different temperature zones exterior-garage-building. Their technical design and operational separation are an integral part of the architectural concept. The building is designed as a steel hall sheathed with a translucent polycarbonate facade, into which a "light" wooden building is independently placed. The polycarbonate faade provides a visual connection to the exterior and protection of the firefighting vehicles from the elements. The integrated wooden structure serves as a backup for the firefighters. On the eastern faade of the garage, a large window is deliberately placed facing the street so that passers-by can get a glimpse of the functioning of the firehouse and get a closer look at the work of the volunteer firefighters.Save this picture!The structure of the hall is steel framed with trusses and columns of rectangular section. The ventilation is provided by steel rods. The faade of the garage is formed by a polycarbonate wall system in the composition polycarbonate panel-air cavity with embedded thermal insulation - polycarbonate panel. The roof consists of sandwich polyurethane panels in the composition sheet - PUR - sheet. Above the garage area and staircase, there are light panels on the roof.Save this picture!To the light and transparent envelope of the firehouse, the solid and compact built-in structure is its counterweight. The horizontal and vertical structures of the building are made of CLT panels. On the interior side, the CLT panels are admitted postcard panels; on the exterior side, towards the garage, the panels are insulated with wood-fiber boards and clad with pine plywood. The interior staircase in the rear is made of bent teardrop sheet. The exterior staircase adjacent to the north elevation is of galvanized construction, with the landing and treads of porosity.Save this picture!The project as a whole sets the stage for the effective functioning of the volunteer fire department, strengthening community cohesion and future development of the community.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Ke Kku, 252 44 Psry, Czech RepublicLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeSOA ArchitektiOfficePublished on January 24, 2025Cite: "Jirany Fire Station / SOA Architekti" 24 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025825/jircany-fire-station-soa-architekti&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

You may have heard that theres a big football game coming up. Imagine watching it on a brand new 55-inch OLED TV that left enough money in your budget to get the name brand tortilla chips for your nachos. Right now, Amazon has the LG B4 OLED TV on sale for just $798. Thats one of the cheapest 55-inch OLEDs I have ever seen, even during Black Friday. LG 55-Inch Class OLED B4 Series Smart TV 4K $798 (Regularly $999)LGSee ItOLED TVs offer exceptional color and contrast, which justifies their high price tags. This model is part of LGs entry-level OLED line, but it still offers most of the bells and whistles you get from higher-end models. Those features include a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Atmos support, and AI-powered image processing so everything looks its best. This is an absurdly good deal and the cheapest we have ever seen this specific model. Go grab one before they sell out. SAMSUNG 85-Inch Class 4K Crystal UHD DU8000 Series HDR Smart TV $999 (was $1,499)SamsungSee ItIf youd rather get a huge TV on which to watch the big game, this 85-inch Samsung is just $999 right now. You can get a cheaper 85-inch TV if you watch for deals, but they often dont provide the same kind of brightness, contrast, and overall picture quality youd get out of this display. This is an entry-level product line, but not a value-specific brand, which makes a difference. More TV dealsSAMSUNG 65-Inch Class Crystal UHD 4K DU7200 Series HDR Smart TV $397 (was $469)LG C3 Series 65-Inch Class OLED evo 4K Processor Smart Flat Screen TV$1,196 (was $1,499)Sony 85 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV X77L Series: LED Smart Google TV $998 (was $1,498)SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class OLED 4K S90D Series HDR+ Smart TV w/Dolby Atmos $1,197 (was $1,797)The post Go get this 55-inch LG OLED TV right now for just $798 appeared first on Popular Science.

Visitors seen taking photos of the Corpse Flower's blossom at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. One of the biggest and smelliest flowers in the world blooms at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in Australia on January 23, 2025. It last bloomed in Sydney in 2010. George Chan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesShareToday, its not a tree thats growing in Brooklyn. Instead, the petals of a rare type of corpse flower have officially opened up at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The putrid smelling Amorphophallus gigas is related to the more common Amorphophallus titanum. A. gigas might be a little less dramatic in appearance than its relative, but its flower heador inflorescencecan be even taller and produce the same signature smell of rotting flesh.It is not as large as an Amorphophallus titanum bloom, but its uniquely tall inflorescence is a significantly more rare occurrence, Brooklyn Botanic Garden gardener Chris Sprindis said in a statement. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.According to Botanic Gardens Conservation International, only nine other botanic gardens have an A. gigas in their collections. The plant arrived in Brooklyn from Malaysia in 2018 and this is the first time it is blooming, but it will not last long.Across the globe in Australia, a Amorphophallus titanum corpse flower nicknamed Putricia has been blooming for the past week at the Royal Sydney Botanic Garden. This is the first time in 15 years that one of these flowers has bloomed in Sydney and over 20,000 people have stopped in to take a whiff.Here are some things to know about these uniquely odorous flora.Why do they stink?Corpse flowers smell bad as a way to attract pollinators that are drawn to the scent of rotting flesh. Think flies buzzing over an animal carcass. Attracting pollinators is essential for any plants survival, so they often use their flowers as reproductive tools.According to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida, Expecting a tasty rotten treat, these insects flock to the smell/ The non-flyers crawl into the flower and are temporarily trapped by steep walls and slippery ridges. As they skitter around the bottom of the flower, pollen falls onto them from the upper portion of the flower. Luckily for the bugs, the blooms are very short-lived, collapsing after only a few days and releasing the insects to carry their load of pollen on to the next smelly destination.Several chemical compounds contribute to this smell. Sufides are the key odorant. Dimethyl trisulfide gives the flower its rotting animal-like sulfury odor. Dimethyl disulfide is a lesser, but still present smell like garlic. Additionally, a chemical found in sweaty feet called isovaleric acid and compound that smells like a mix of garlic and cheese called methyl thiolacetate are also present. The last scent to hit your nose before the flowering structure collapses after a few days is trimethylamine. This compound smells like dead fish.How big are corpse flowers?Amorphophallus titanum has the largest known unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom. The bloom can grow up to eight feet tall, according to the United States Botanical Garden with some individual plants reaching heights of 12 feet.Why do their flowers disappear so quickly?Generally, corpse flowers can take about seven to nine years to bloom. Some will only bloom once every few decades. They also do not have an annual blooming cycle like many other plants, and will only bloom when it has enough energy to do so.The corpse flower stores its energy in a swollen base at the stemcalled a cormthat weighs about 100 pounds. Corpse flowers have the largest known corm in the plant kingdom. If it is a non-flowering year, one leaf about the size of a small tree will shoot from the corm. The leaf will then branch out into three sections, with each part growing more leaflets. After several years, the plant will finally gather enough energy needed to bloom. The bloom can then only be held for about 24 to 36 hours before collapsing.Left to right: A. gigas emerging on January 3, growing on January 18, and beginning to unfurl on January 23. CREDIT: Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Where are corpse flowers found in the wild?Like in botanical gardens, corpse flowers are rare in nature as well. They are a tropical plant found in the equatorial rainforests of Sumatra, in Indonesia. Indonesians call it Bunga Bangkai, which translates to corpse flower.Amorphophallus titanum is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Some botanists estimate that there are fewer than 1,000 individual plants in the wild. The IUCN also estimates that the population has decreased by more than half over the past 150 years. Logging and turning the plants habitat into land for palm oil plantations are believed to be the reasons behind the decline.Are they dangerous to more than just our nostrils?According to the Chicago Botanic Garden, each corpse flower can produce over 400 fruits with two seeds. The fruits will go from a gold color to a rich crimson. They are fully ripe about six months after pollination.However, dont eat them. Their fruit is poisonous to humans. Large, orange-beaked birds called the rhinoceros hornbill typically eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.