All posts tagged: protects

the First Amendment Protects “Speech Allegedly Resulting in Suicide”

the First Amendment Protects “Speech Allegedly Resulting in Suicide”

Published by José

Content warning: this story discusses suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse, eating disorders and other disturbing topics. In October of last year, a Google-backed startup called Character.AI was hit by a lawsuit making an eyebrow-raising claim: that one of its chatbots had driven a 14-year-old high school student to suicide. As Futurism‘s reporting found afterward, the behavior of Character.AI’s chatbots can indeed be deeply alarming — and clearly inappropriate for underage users — in ways that both corroborate and augment the suit’s concerns. Among others, we found chatbots on the service designed to roleplay scenarios of suicidal ideation, self-harm, school shootings, child sexual abuse, as well as encourage eating disorders. (The company has responded to our reporting piecemeal, by taking down individual bots we flagged, but it’s still trivially easy to find nauseating content on its platform.) Now, Character.AI — which received a $2.7 billion cash injection from tech giant Google last year — has responded to the suit, brought by the boy’s mother, in a motion to dismiss. Its defense? Basically, that the First Amendment protects it …

Doctors Intrigued by Mutation That Protects People From Aging

Doctors Intrigued by Mutation That Protects People From Aging

Published by skeptic

Image by Getty / Futurism As wealthy people spend untold amounts of money in an attempt to stave off aging, what if the secret to a longer life is actually hidden away in the genetic makeup of people who have a rare form of dwarfism? This particular cohort of little people have a rare genetic disorder called Laron syndrome, which is caused by a mutation that bestows them with deficient receptors for a growth hormone — hence their short stature. But it also gives them intriguing health advantages. A new paper published in the journal Med found that people with Laron syndrome are at decreased risk of developing heart issues due to lower blood pressure, and less artery plaque buildup, among other benefits. “We have shown in studies people with Laron have a very low incidence of cancer, diabetes and cognitive decline,” University of Southern California professor of gerontology and biological sciences and the study’s principal author Valter Longo told CNN. “It doesn’t mean that they are immune to these diseases, but people with Laron …

Tory duty on Ofwat protects profits over reducing sewage pollution, experts say | Pollution

Tory duty on Ofwat protects profits over reducing sewage pollution, experts say | Pollution

Published by skeptic

The Conservatives have pushed through a duty on the water regulator to prioritise growth, which experts have said will incentivise water companies to value their bottom lines over reducing sewage pollution. Campaigners fear this move will weaken Ofwat’s ability to crack down on water companies as it may force the regulator to consider a company’s financial situation and the impact on its growth if the firm is heavily fined for polluting. The Liberal Democrats forced a vote in parliament on Wednesday on the government’s new “growth duty” for Ofwat, which requires the regulator to “have regard to the desirability of promoting economic growth” when cracking down on water companies. They lost, as 50 MPs voted against the statutory instrument and 395 voted in favour. The growth duty specifically mentions fines of companies as a measure that could hamper their growth. It says: “Certain enforcement actions, and other activities of the regulator, can be particularly damaging to growth. “These include, for example, enforcement actions that limit or prevent a business from operating; financial sanctions; and publicity, …

How a new law protects your thoughts from tech companies – and why it matters

How a new law protects your thoughts from tech companies – and why it matters

Published by skeptic

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images If you open your devices with a fingerprint or face scan, you’re probably OK with tech companies having some of your biological data. Now, the rise of neurotech wearables is putting your brainwaves on the table, too.  On Wednesday, the governor of Colorado signed a bill expanding the state’s existing privacy law to include neural data, or brain activity. The bill added brainwaves under the umbrella of biological data, which it defined as “data generated by the technological processing, measurement, or analysis of an individual’s biological, genetic, biochemical, physiological, or neural properties, compositions, or activities or of an individual’s body or bodily functions.” Also: Humane Ai Pin: What went wrong and how it can be fixed (before it’s too late) This includes recordings of your fingerprints and face, which tech companies increasingly have, as well as your DNA. Prior to the bill, only fingerprints and facial images were protected in Colorado. Neurotech uses use electroencephalography (EEG), a method of measuring brain activity using electrodes. Invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) — like Neuralink or Synchron — are implanted …

The 5 Ways A Woman Protects Her Energy When She Goes Out

The 5 Ways A Woman Protects Her Energy When She Goes Out

Published by skeptic

In today’s fast-paced world, women are learning how to master the art of protecting their energy when they venture out. It’s important for women to understand that preserving their vitality is key to thriving in various aspects of their lives, especially when crossing paths with others’ toxic energies. One woman, Iris Dailey, took to TikTok to share how she protects and embraces her energy before she goes out. Here are 5 ways women can protect their energy when they go out (and how this can enhance their inner beauty):  1. Make sure your energy is charged before you go anywhere It’s necessary for women to nourish their energy throughout every day, not only to feel charged before going out to social events but also to ignite their inner beauty and remain balanced throughout their lives. There are several different ways women can charge their energy, and these practices look different for everyone. Some of the ways include meditating, journaling, cleaning, sleeping, listening to music, reading, and visualizing your energy glowing. RELATED: 8 Steps Happy People Are …

Ukraine notes contrast as U.S. coalition protects Israel from airstrikes

Ukraine notes contrast as U.S. coalition protects Israel from airstrikes

Published by skeptic

KYIV — When Iran unleashed hundreds of deadly missiles and drones at Israel this weekend, Israelis relied on a crucial tool that Ukraine still does not have: instant, direct assistance from the United States and other partners with military assets in the region. For more than two years, Ukraine has faced Russian missile and drone attacks, often including Iranian-made Shahed drones like the ones Tehran used on Saturday. As a shield, Ukraine relies on a hodgepodge of air defense systems provided by Western partners, including three U.S.-designed Patriot batteries manned by Ukrainian troops. This month, the biggest power station serving Kyiv was destroyed. Civilian casualties are common. By contrast, as the weapons launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen advanced toward their targets in Israel this weekend, U.S. forces prepared to react with fighter jets, a Patriot battery in Iraq and U.S. destroyer ships. Britain, France and Jordan also stepped up to assist. Together with Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, they knocked down 99 percent of the some 300 missiles and drones — averting …

First-ever nasal spray protects against all COVID variants

First-ever nasal spray protects against all COVID variants

Published by skeptic

Scientists developed a molecule that, when administered nasally, effectively prevents the disease caused by all known variants COVID. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) University of Helsinki researchers have developed a molecule that, when administered nasally, effectively prevents the disease caused by all known variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The molecule, called TriSb92, can be a crucial tool in preventing the transmission and spread of the virus, particularly in anticipation of future pandemics. In laboratory animal studies, TriSb92 was confirmed to offer effective protection against coronavirus infection by identifying a region in the spike protein of the coronavirus that is common to all current variants of the virus and inhibiting its functioning. The molecule is effective in preventing infection when administered nasally, even after a few hours of exposure, unlike face masks. Postdoctoral Researcher Anna R. Mäkelä from Professor Kalle Saksela’s research group explains that experiments carried out in cell cultures indicate that TriSb92 also encompasses the very latest variants, including XBB, BF7, and BQ.1.1. Discovery of RBD-targeting sherpabodies. Six and three residues in the RT- and n-Src-loops, …

A protein in human sweat protects against Lyme disease, study finds

A protein in human sweat protects against Lyme disease, study finds

Published by skeptic

Given that dogs have a Lyme disease vaccine, it is particularly frustrating that their human companions remain vulnerable to the notorious illness. People with Lyme disease suffer serious symptoms including muscle and joint aches, headaches, fatigue, fevers, chills, swollen glands, stiff neck and poor appetite. Like COVID-19 and other illnesses, Lyme disease can be chronic, meaning some unfortunate souls bitten just once by a deer tick wind up struggling with the ailment for the rest of their lives. Yet a recent paper published in the journal Nature Communications offers a glimmer of hope for those seeking an effective Lyme disease treatment — or, some might say, a glimmer of sweat. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology joined scientists at the University of Helsinki to isolate a protein in human sweat that protects against Lyme disease. Roughly one-third of all humans seem to carry a genetic variant of this protein that is associated with vulnerability to Lyme disease; the protein itself is at the gene encoding for Secretoglobin family 1D member 2, and is therefore …

Breakthrough rotator cuff treatment repairs and protects shoulders from reinjury

Breakthrough rotator cuff treatment repairs and protects shoulders from reinjury

Published by skeptic

The technique uses advanced materials to encourage muscle growth in rotator cuff muscles, addressing the real problem: muscle degeneration and fat accumulation. (CREDIT: Adobe Images) Tears of the rotator cuff are a common injury among adults. Advances in surgery have made rotator cuff repairs more effective, but failure rates are still high. However, a team of researchers from the UConn School of Medicine led by Dr. Cato Laurencin has discovered a new technique that could help repair the damaged shoulders of millions of people worldwide. Laurencin, a surgeon, engineer, and scientist, along with graduate student Nikoo Shemshaki and other UConn Connecticut Convergence Institute researchers, has reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that a graphene/polymer matrix embedded into shoulder muscle can prevent re-tear injuries. The technique uses advanced materials to encourage muscle growth in rotator cuff muscles, addressing the real problem: muscle degeneration and fat accumulation. “Most repairs focus on the tendon,” Laurencin explains, “and how to reattach it to the bone most effectively. But the real problem is that the …

Newly discovered gene protects men under age 75 from severe illness and death from COVID-19

Newly discovered gene protects men under age 75 from severe illness and death from COVID-19

Published by skeptic

A crucial anti-inflammatory gene offers protection to men under the age of 75 against severe illness and death when hospitalized with Covid-19. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) A recent genetic analysis has found that a particular variation of a crucial anti-inflammatory gene offers protection to men under the age of 75 against severe illness and death when hospitalized with Covid-19. The gene in question, known as interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN), seems to suppress inflammation, which is the body’s normal response to infection but can become harmful if not regulated properly. The study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, revealed that men aged 19 to 74 possessing the IL1RN variant, called rs419598, were less likely to experience severe illness or death from Covid-19. Graphical Abstract. (CREDIT: The Journal of Infectious Diseases) According to the researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, IL1RN is a naturally occurring gene that influences inflammation. Variations in interleukin genes, including IL1RN, can either increase or decrease inflammation levels, affecting various diseases such as arthritis. The findings of this study suggest that the …