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Megan Hart

1490 Posts
New COVID-19 vaccines recommended for all Americans 6 months and older this fall

New COVID-19 vaccines recommended for all Americans 6 months and older this fall

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday that all Americans 6 months and older should receive one of the new COVID-19 vaccines when they become available this fall. The recommendation comes amid a summer surge in COVID-19 cases, with infection rates rising in at least 39 states and territories. While most Americans have developed some immunity to the coronavirus through previous infections or vaccinations, new vaccines offer an incremental boost. However, their effectiveness wanes over a few months as immunity wanes and the virus continues to mutate. Data presented at a recent meeting of the CDC Advisory…
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Investors Plough .1 Billion Into AI Startups Despite Economic Struggles

Investors Plough $27.1 Billion Into AI Startups Despite Economic Struggles

In May, CoreWeave, a provider of cloud computing services for AI companies, raised $1.1 billion, followed by $7.5 billion in debt, reaching a valuation of $19 billion. Scale AI, a data provider for AI companies, secured $1 billion, at a valuation of $13.8 billion. Additionally, xAI, founded by Elon Musk, raised $6 billion, reaching a valuation of $24 billion. According to Kyle Stanford, research analyst at PitchBook, these funding rounds have increased overall deal volume in the industry, both in terms of dollar amounts and number of deals. "It's not declining anymore," he said. "The bottom has already fallen out."…
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Ray Kurzweil’s Take on AI Fusion

Ray Kurzweil’s Take on AI Fusion

Ray Kurzweil, a renowned inventor and futurist, continues to claim that humans will soon merge with artificial intelligence. During an interview at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, Kurzweil showed a graph illustrating the exponential growth of computing power over the past 85 years. This steady increase, according to him, indicates that the so-called Singularity, when humans and AI become one, will occur within the next two decades. Kurzweil, who has made a career out of making bold predictions, reiterated claims in his 2005 book, The Singularity is NearWith the advent of AI technologies like ChatGPT and efforts to implant…
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Costner’s Expensive ‘Horizon’ Bites the Dust at the Box Office

Costner’s Expensive ‘Horizon’ Bites the Dust at the Box Office

"Inside Out 2," featuring Anxiety personified, maintained its position as the top film in North America for the third consecutive weekend. Meanwhile, "A Quiet Place: Day One," a suspenseful prequel, exceeded expectations with its strong ticket sales. However, Kevin Costner’s three-hour film “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” was largely ignored by moviegoers. Originally intended for streaming, this supposed start to an Old West series eventually made it to theaters, but failed to attract significant interest. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” was projected to gross $57.4 million, reaching a three-week total of about $470 million in the U.S. and Canada,…
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Remembering Ann Lurie: From Nurse to Renowned Philanthropist

Remembering Ann Lurie: From Nurse to Renowned Philanthropist

Ann Lurie, a former pediatric nurse turned prominent Chicago philanthropist, died Monday at her home. She was 79. Northwestern University, where Lurie was a trustee and major donor, announced her death without giving a cause. Raised in Miami by a single mother, Lurie was an only child and protested the Vietnam War during her college years. She initially planned to join the Peace Corps, but instead married Robert H. Lurie. Robert Lurie built a large real estate and investment business with Sam Zell, which included holdings such as The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs. He also invested in sports…
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Apple Vision Pro review: First-gen headset falls short

Apple Vision Pro review: First-gen headset falls short

Seventeen years ago, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, a revolutionary device that combined an iPod, a telephone, and an Internet browser in one. At $500, it was expensive, but its innovation justified the cost, despite some initial flaws. Fast forward to today, and my experience with Apple’s new $3,500 Vision Pro headset has been less than stellar. This ski-goggle-style virtual reality headset aims to merge the physical and digital worlds. Apple bills it as a “space computer” designed for work, entertainment, and play. Without an advance review unit from Apple, I purchased the Vision Pro myself. With essential add-ons like…
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Chet Hanks and the Rise of a Controversial Meme

Chet Hanks and the Rise of a Controversial Meme

In the spring of 2021, Chet Hanks, son of Tom Hanks, sparked controversy by declaring that it would be a “white boy summer.” Initially ambiguous, the phrase has since been co-opted by white supremacist groups, according to a report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. This year, the slogan has appeared in thousands of Telegram posts, used by far-right groups to recruit, organize protests, and incite violence, particularly against immigrants and LGBTQ individuals. The phrase now symbolizes an unabashed celebration of white heterosexual masculinity, often at the expense of women and people of color. Wendy Via, co-founder of…
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USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel Resigns

USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel Resigns

USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel announced Monday he is stepping down after a year in office. Samuel, a veteran journalist, had joined USA Today in July of the previous year from National Public Radio, where he had been a senior executive overseeing all news programs. Neither Samuel nor USA Today gave a reason for his departure. In an email to the newsroom, Monica Richardson, a senior vice president at USA Today, said Samuel’s resignation was “effective today.” Caren Bohan, the political editor, will temporarily take over as managing editor while the publication conducts a national search for a new chief…
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Running to recapture a beloved journey, before dementia takes everything

Running to recapture a beloved journey, before dementia takes everything

When I was little, my father, who rarely traveled, would tell stories about a trip to Europe he took with his parents at age 14, in 1966. He remembered how Nonie loved the pristine Swiss roads and flowerbeds; the cozy fireplace in the hillside house near Lugano, where her father was born, with its clever alcoves for drying clothes or warming bread; and the palpable poverty in the house in Pozzuoli, near Naples, where Nonie’s aunt lined the walls with newspaper for insulation. Occasionally, my father would show me his Kodachrome slides on a projector. As an adult, I often…
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Robots Have Chubby Faces (and Smiles), According to New Research

Robots Have Chubby Faces (and Smiles), According to New Research

In Japan, engineers are working to create robots that can mimic human expressions, particularly smiles. They developed a face mask using human skin cells, which they attached to robots using a new technique that hides the bond and is flexible enough to form expressions such as a grimace or a slight smile. The look is a mix between the disturbing Hannibal Lecter mask and the claymation character Gumby. However, scientists believe that these prototypes could lead to more advanced robots. These robots would have a durable, elastic outer layer that protects the machine while making it more human-like. The “skin…
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