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Senator Tammy Duckworth on why AI should never fully replace humans in the...
Senator Tammy Duckworth during her flight school days. Duckworth family photo Senator Tammy Duckworth’s memoir, Every Day is a Gift, is one of the best kinds of autobiographies: It’s the story of an...
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6 pregnancy facts that will make you think twice about recent abortion bills
This post has been updated. It was originally published on May 15, 2019. In May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill banning abortion after around six weeks of pregnancy—as soon as a...
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Why the new FTC chair is causing such a stir
Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash On Tuesday, an attorney named Lina Khan became the chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Her appointment to lead the FTC marks a potential new direction for a...
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5 explanations for 144 mysterious flying objects in the government UFO report
The new language goes so far as to admit that there remain multiple objects of potentially non-human origin. Department of Defense After weeks of buzz, on Friday the US government finally unveiled its...
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Congress is watering down the American Jobs Plan—and our infrastructure will...
American infrastructure is crumbling, but we have to be smart about how we build it back. Sigmund/Unsplash All around the country, the weather extremes brought by climate change are threatening the...
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Despite surging Delta variant, a national vaccine mandate is unlikely
Amidst a new wave of COVID-19 cases in the US, vaccines are unlikely to be mandated until they receive full FDA approval. Brano/Unsplash Click here to see all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage. As we head...
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Social media really is making us more morally outraged
Social media algorithms rank posts that express outrage higher in the feed. Max Pixel To no one’s surprise, scientists from Yale University found that social media platforms like Twitter amplify our...
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Twitter’s efforts to tackle misleading tweets just made them thrive elsewhere
Misinformation can spread from one social media platform to another. Max Pixel Misinformation in the modern age is like a many-headed hydra from Greek mythology. Each time it’s cut off on one social...
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The Facebook whistleblower’s Congressional hearing was a ‘big tobacco moment’...
Frances Haugen testified on Tuesday in front of Congress. CSPAN / screenshot In front of members of the Senate on Tuesday, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen accused the company of “prioritizing...
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CEPP could boost the biggest climate policy in US history—if it survives the...
The "carrot and stick" approach could contribute up to a third of the emissions reductions associated with the BBB, which wraps in the CEPP. Kindel Media from Pexels When it comes to passing...
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What your elected leaders have been up to at COP26
Hawaii is one of several states aggressively pushing for tougher climate policy. Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash After the Trump administration bowed out of COP25 in 2019, the United States is back at the...
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4 new myths about climate change—and how to debunk them
Misinformation and delay are just climate denial tactics with a layer of greenwashing. Markus Spiske from Pexels Ten years ago, it may have seemed like climate change denial was an ordinary, if not...
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Here are all the changes Instagram promised Congress it would make
Adam Mosseri appearing before the Senate subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. US Senate Comittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Head of Instagram Adam...
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The dangers of digital health monitoring in a post-Roe world
Deposit Photos With Roe v. Wade on the cusp of being overturned, discussions about the privacy of sensitive data have gained new momentum. We’ve become used to Googling our medical questions, booking...
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Connecticut will pay a security analyst 150k to monitor election memes for...
Connecticut will have a "security analyst" monitor social media for misinformation regarding its upcoming election. Element5 Digital / Unsplash Ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, Connecticut is...
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Two new bills could help pump up a climate-friendly system for heating and...
Heat pumps can work as AC units but reverse the process when heat is needed. Pixabay Heatwaves are worsening due to climate change, plaguing typically chilly places like Seattle and parts of Europe....
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Miscarriages could become more dangerous in a post-Roe world
Reversing Roe v. Wade would also limit access for pregnant people seeking physical or mental care for miscarriages. Deposit Photos In the next few weeks the Supreme Court will rule in a case that...
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Congress sounds really concerned about unidentified aerial phenomenon
The new language goes so far as to admit that there remain multiple objects of potentially non-human origin. Department of Defense Over the past few years, Congress has slowly admitted that it is just...
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Facebook’s automated image removal system is flawed, says Oversight Board
Facebook having moderation issues? Get out of town. Deposit Photos In 2019, Meta (neé Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the creation of a standalone content oversight board. This board of 23...
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Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter (again)
Reverse-reverse course. Getty Images According to Bloomberg, Washington Post, and NBC, Elon Musk has decided to reverse course, and is offering to move forward with his acquisition of Twitter at his...
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Kanye West plans to buy so-called ‘free speech’ social media platform, Parler
The controversial app was utilized to plan the January 6, 2021 riot. Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Parler has entered an “agreement in principle” to be purchased by Ye, the...
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The 2022 midterm elections could shake the course of environmental action in...
For years now, a large section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska has been under threat of oil and gas drilling. Alexis Bonogofsky for USFWS From federal to local races, conservation can...
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Brazil’s presidential election is a win for the Amazon—and the planet
On October 19, 2022, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the presidential candidate for the Workers' Party, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, participated in a campaign walk with supporters. Deposit...
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How social media companies can benefit from election misinformation
Despite claims otherwise, social media companies are giving a pass to dangerous misinformation, according to reports. Pexels A new, in-depth study from Bloomberg published on Thursday analyzed...
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Meta will pay $725 million for a single Cambridge Analytica privacy settlement
Meta is still staring down multiple lawsuits related to the 2018 data privacy scandal. Deposit Photos Facebook’s owner, Meta, agreed Friday to pay a $725 million class action lawsuit settlement over...
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This fictitious news show is entirely produced by AI and deepfakes
If something feels off, it's because it is. Graphika A research firm specializing in misinformation called Graphika issued a startling report on Tuesday revealing just how far controversial deepfake...
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A guide to Section 230, the law that made the internet the Wild West
Section 230 essentially holds that a social media platform isn't liable for the content people post there. Deposit Photos There are few laws more fundamental to the way the internet works than Section...
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Utah teens will need parents’ permission to use social media
Utah's laws are as strict as they are potentially unconstitutional. Deposit Photos Utah’s governor signed two bills into law on Thursday aimed at protecting the state’s underage social media users....
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The ‘TikTok ban’ is a legal nightmare beyond TikTok
You don't need to use TikTok for its potential ban to affect you. Deposit Photos The fate of the RESTRICT Act remains unclear. Also known as the “TikTok ban,” the bill has sizable bipartisan...
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Montana may soon make it illegal to use TikTok in the state
It could soon technically be illegal to use TikTok in Montana. Deposit Photos Montana is one step away from instituting a state-wide wholesale ban of TikTok. On Friday, the state’s House of...
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US crypto firms might soon pay taxes for exorbitant energy use
Cryptomining in America used more energy last year than all US television sets. Deposit Photos The Biden administration wants cryptocurrency miners to pay up if they intend to continue consuming more...
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Trump shares AI-altered fake clip of Anderson Cooper
Trump promoted a redubbed video of Anderson Cooper on Truth Social. James Devaney/GC Images Shortly after CNN’s Town Hall with Donald Trump last week, the former president’s son tweeted a clearly...
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Montana is the first state to ‘ban’ TikTok, but it’s complicated
Critics argue a ban on TikTok is a violation of the First Amendment. Deposit Photos Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law on Wednesday banning TikTok within the entire state,...
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FCC slaps voter suppression robocall scammers with a record-breaking fine
The FCC fined two men over $5 million for attempt to suppress votes ahead of the 2020 election. Deposit Photos This week, the Federal Communications Commission issued a record-breaking fine against...
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The EU just took a huge step towards regulating AI
The new AI Act would vastly rein in companies like OpenAI in Europe. Deposit Photos The world’s first comprehensive set of regulations on artificial intelligence just moved one step closer to...
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The US charts a plan for universal internet access by 2030
Almost $42 billion will be doled out to US states and territories over the next few years. Deposit Photos President Biden announced on Monday apportioning plans for the $42 billion aimed at ensuring...
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Massachusetts proposes ban on the sale of cell phone location data
The Location Shield Act would ban all location data sales to third-parties without user consent. DepositPhotos Clicking “I Agree” on all those app and website Terms & Conditions grants companies a...
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School district uses ChatGPT to help remove library books
Mason City Community School District recently banned 19 books, including 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images Against a nationwide backdrop of book bans and censorship campaigns, Iowa...
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The US is investing more than $1 billion in carbon capture, but big oil is...
Occidental is one of 100 companies responsible for over 70 of all emissions. Deposit Photos Investing in carbon capture technology will be necessary for a sustainable future, but environmental...
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Silicon Valley’s wealthiest want to build their own city outside of San...
Some of the world's wealthiest investors hope to build a new city 60 miles northeast of San Francisco. Deposit Photos The purpose of a secretive land development project encompassing tens of thousands...
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YouTube’s extremist rabbit holes are deep but narrow
YouTube retooled its recommendation algorithms in 2019, but researchers say more work is needed. Deposit Photos In the months following the 2016 presidential election, mounting evidence suggested...
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The US antitrust trial against Google is in full swing. Here’s what’s at stake.
The trial could have huge consequences for the tech industry, and consumers. Deposit Photos The Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google is finally underway, and its results could reshape...
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The International Criminal Court was hit with a cyberattack
The ICC pledged to prosecute cyberwar crimes earlier this year. Deposit Photos The International Criminal Court revealed malicious actors illegally accessed its computer systems late last week, posing...
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Law enforcements can obtain prescription records from pharmacy giants without...
Unlike search warrants, subpoenas do not require a judge's approval to be issued. Deposit Photos America’s eight largest pharmacy providers shared customers’ prescription records to law enforcement...
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A deepfake ‘Joe Biden’ robocall told voters to stay home for primary election
A robocall scam told New Hampshire residents to not write-in Biden's name during Tuesday's primary. Deposit Photos AI vocal cloning technology is reportedly already muddying the waters ahead of the...
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Election cybersecurity director was a victim of a ‘swatting’ attack in her home
The 'swatting' attempt took place in December 2023. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The director of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity infrastructure protection agency confirms she...
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Sharing AI-generated images on Facebook might get harder… eventually
Meta hopes to address AI images with a bunch of help from other companies, and you. Deposit Photos That one aunt of yours (you know the one) may finally think twice before forwarding Facebook posts of...
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FCC bans AI-generated robocalls
The FCC wants to deter bad actors ahead of the 2024 election season. Deposit Photos The Federal Communications Commission unanimously ruled on Thursday that robocalls containing AI-generated vocal...
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EPA says over half of all new cars must be EVs or hybrids by 2032
Transportation pollution is the single largest greenhouse gas contributor in the US. Deposit Photos The Biden administration has announced some of the biggest pollution regulations in US history. On...
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Many rural areas could soon lose cell service
The FCC says another $3 billion is needed to fully fund 'rip-and-replace' programs. Deposit Photos Rural and Indigenous communities are at risk of losing cell service thanks to a 2019 law intended to...
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