Exploring Diverse IVF Treatment Options: Insights and Effectiveness Research
Credit: Zephyr/Science Photo Library
Recent findings from a comprehensive randomized trial indicate that natural ovulation methods for preparing the uterus for frozen embryo transfer after in vitro fertilization (IVF) are equally effective and come with fewer risks compared to traditional hormone therapy.
Emerging data suggests that for women with strong responses to IVF treatment (which can yield multiple eggs), freezing embryos and transferring them in a later cycle can enhance success rates. Consequently, frozen embryos now represent the majority of embryo transfers conducted globally.
Post-IVF, the crucial timing for transferring frozen embryos into the uterus occurs during the menstrual cycle when the endometrium (the uterine lining) is adequately thick to facilitate implantation.
Women can opt for either a medicated cycle, which involves administering estrogen and progesterone for uterine preparation, or a natural cycle, where the body’s natural hormone production is monitored, assuming regular cycles.
Determining the optimal choice remains complex due to a lack of substantial trials evaluating the complications linked to these varying methods.
To address this uncertainty, Daimin Wei and a team from Shandong University in Jinan, China, conducted a large-scale clinical trial involving 4,376 women across 24 fertility treatment centers. All participants were aged 20 to 40 and were slated for a single frozen embryo transfer. Participants were divided equally between the medicated and natural cycle groups.
“This is the randomized controlled trial we’ve been waiting for,” remarks William Bucket from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who was not involved in the study.
Live birth rates were comparable between both methods, with 41.6% in the natural cycle group and 40.6% in the medicated group. This suggests that natural ovulation is as effective as hormone therapy for preparing the uterus for embryo implantation.
However, an analysis of maternal complications during and after pregnancy revealed notable distinctions.
Women utilizing natural cycles exhibited a lower likelihood of preeclampsia, a severe condition marked by elevated blood pressure, along with fewer incidences of early pregnancy loss. They were also less prone to develop placenta accreta spectrum, a condition that makes the placenta difficult to detach following childbirth. Additionally, this group had reduced rates of cesarean sections and severe postnatal hemorrhage.
“These risks impact both maternal and fetal health during pregnancy and hold significance for long-term postpartum health,” states Wei.
“This research is vital,” notes Tim Child, Chair of the Scientific and Clinical Progress Advisory Committee of the UK Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority. The clinic now advises individuals with regular menstrual cycles that both natural and medicated methods yield similar success rates.
However, Child points out that there is evidence suggesting natural cycles may lower the risk of preeclampsia. This reduction may be attributed to the presence of the corpus luteum, which regulates hormones necessary for preparing the uterus for pregnancy.
“This extensive study corroborates and expands on previous findings, especially concerning significantly lower rates of preeclampsia, early miscarriage, placenta accreta, cesarean sections, and postpartum hemorrhage linked to the natural cycle approach,” Child asserts.
Wei’s team is set to analyze blood samples gathered during the trial to identify potential biomarkers that could shed light on the differences observed in pregnancy complications.
By the year 2030, humanity will face a critical decision regarding the “ultimate risk” of allowing artificial intelligence systems to self-train and enhance their capabilities, according to one of the foremost AI experts.
Jared Kaplan, chief scientist and co-founder of the $180bn (£135bn) US startup Anthropic, emphasized that crucial choices are being made concerning the level of autonomy granted to these evolving systems.
This could potentially spark a beneficial “intellectual explosion” or signify humanity’s loss of control.
In a conversation addressing the intense competition to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), also referred to as superintelligence, Kaplan urged global governments and society to confront what he termed the “biggest decision.”
Anthropic belongs to a network of leading AI firms striving for supremacy in the field, alongside OpenAI, Google DeepMind, xAI, Meta, and prominent Chinese competitors led by DeepSeek. Claude, one of the popular AI assistants, has gained significant traction among business clients.
Kaplan predicted that a decision to “relinquish” control to AI could materialize between 2027 and 2030. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Kaplan stated that aligning swiftly advancing technology with human interests has proven successful to date, yet permitting technology to recursively enhance itself poses “the ultimate risk, as it would be akin to letting go of AI.” He mentioned that a decision regarding this could emerge between 2027 and 2030.
Photo: Casey Clifford/The Guardian
“Envisioning a process generated by an AI that is as intelligent, or nearly as intelligent, as you. This is essentially about developing smarter AI.”
Photo: Casey Clifford/The Guardian
“This seems like a daunting process. You cannot predict the final outcome.”
Kaplan transitioned from a theoretical physicist to an AI billionaire in just seven years. During an extensive interview, he also conveyed:
AI systems are expected to handle “most white-collar jobs” in the coming two to three years.
His 6-year-old son is unlikely to outperform AI in academic tasks, such as writing essays or completing math exams.
It is natural to fear a scenario where AI can self-improve, leading humans to lose control.
The competitive landscape around AGI feels tremendously overwhelming.
In a favorable outcome, AI could enhance biomedical research, health and cybersecurity, productivity, grant additional leisure time, and promote human well-being.
Kaplan met with the Guardian at Anthropic’s office in San Francisco, where the interior design, filled with knitted rugs and lively jazz music, contrasts with the existential concerns surrounding the technology being cultivated.
San Francisco has emerged as a focal point for AI startups and investment. Photo: Washington Post/Getty Images
Kaplan, a physicist educated at Stanford and Harvard, joined OpenAI in 2019 following his research at Johns Hopkins University and Cologne, Germany, and co-founded Anthropic in 2021.
He isn’t alone in expressing concerns at Anthropic. One of his co-founders, Jack Clark, remarked in October: He considers himself both an optimist and a “deeply worried” individual. He described the path of AI as “not a simplistic and predictable mechanism, but a genuine and enigmatic entity.”
Kaplan conveyed his strong belief that AI systems would align with human interests, aligning them to the level of human cognition, although he harbors concerns about surpassing that boundary.
He explained: “If you envision creating this process using an AI smarter or comparable in intelligence to humans, it becomes about creating smarter AI. We intend to leverage AI to enhance its own capability. This suggests a process that may seem intimidating. The outcome is uncertain.”
The advantages of integrating AI into the economy are being scrutinized. Outside Anthropic’s headquarters, a sign from another tech corporation pointedly posed a question about returns on investment: “All AI and no ROI?” A September Harvard Business Review study indicated that AI “workthrop” — subpar AI-generated work requiring human corrections — was detrimental to productivity.
The most overt benefit appears to be the application of AI in computer programming tasks. In September, Anthropic unveiled its advanced AI, Claude Sonnet 4.5, a computer coding model allowing the creation of AI agents and granting autonomous computer utilization.
The attackers exploited the Claude Code tool for various organizations. Photo: Anthropic
Kaplan commented that the company can handle complex, multi-step programming tasks for 30 continuous hours and has, in specific instances, doubled the speed of its programmers through AI integration.
However, Anthropic revealed in November that it suspected a state-supported Chinese group engaged in misconduct by operating the Claude Code Tool, which not only assisted humans in orchestrating cyberattacks but also executed approximately 30 attacks independently, some of which were successful. Kaplan articulated that permitting an AI to train another AI is “a decision of significant consequence.”
“We regard this as possibly the most substantial decision or the most alarming scenario… Once no human is involved, certainty diminishes. You might begin the process thinking, ‘Everything’s proceeding as intended, it’s safe,’ but the reality is it’s an evolving process. Where is it headed?”
He identified two risks associated with the recursive self-improvement method, often referred to in this context, when allowed to operate uncontrollably.
“One concern is regarding potential loss of control. Is the AI aware of its actions? The fundamental inquiries are: Will AI be a boon for humanity? Can it be beneficial? Will it remain harmless? Will it understand us? Will it enable individuals to maintain control over their lives and surroundings?”
Photo: Casey Clifford/The Guardian
“It’s crucial to prevent power grabs and the misuse of technology.”
Photo: Casey Clifford/The Guardian
“It seems very hazardous if it lands in the wrong hands.”
The second risk pertains to the security threat posed by self-trained AI that could surpass human capabilities in scientific inquiry and technological advancement.
“It appears exceedingly unsafe for this technology to be misappropriated,” he stated. “You can envision someone wanting this AI to serve their own interests. Preventing power grabs and the misuse of technology is essential.”
Independent studies on cutting-edge AI models, including ChatGPT, have demonstrated that the length of tasks they can execute is expanding. Doubling every seven months.
The Future of AI
The contenders aiming to achieve superintelligence. This was compiled in collaboration with the Editorial Design team. Read more from the series.
Words
Nick Hopkins, Rob Booth, Amy Hawkins, Dara Kerr, Dan Milmo
Design and Development
Rich Cousins, Harry Fischer, Pip Lev, Alessia Amitrano
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Fiona Shields, Jim Hedge, Gail Fletcher
Kaplan expressed his worry that the rapid pace of advancement might not allow humanity sufficient time to acclimatize to the technology before it evolves significantly further.
“This is a source of concern… individuals like me could be mistaken in our beliefs and it might all culminate,” he remarked. “The best AI might be the one we possess presently. However, we genuinely do not believe that is the case. We anticipate ongoing improvements in AI.”
He added, “The speed of change is so swift that people often lack adequate time to process it or contemplate their responses.”
During its pursuit of AGI, Anthropic is in competition with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and xAI to develop more sophisticated AI systems. Kaplan remarked that the atmosphere in the Bay Area is “certainly intense with respect to the stakes and competitiveness in AI.”
“Our perspective is that the trends in investments, returns, AI capabilities, task complexity, and so forth are all following this exponential pattern. [They signify] AI’s growing capabilities,” he noted.
The accelerated rate of progress increases the risk of one of the competitors making an error and falling behind. “The stakes are considerable to remain at the forefront in terms of not losing ground on exponential growth. [the curve] You could quickly find yourself significantly behind, particularly regarding resources.”
By 2030, it is anticipated that $6.7 trillion will be necessary for global data centers to meet increasing demand. Investors are eager to support companies that are aligned closest to the forefront.
Significant accomplishments have been made in utilizing AI for code generation. Photo: Chen Xin/Getty Images
At the same time, Anthropic advocates for AI regulation. The company’s mission statement emphasizes “the development of more secure systems.”
“We certainly aim to avoid a situation akin to Sputnik where governments abruptly realize, ‘Wow, AI is crucial’… We strive to ensure policymakers are as knowledgeable as possible during this evolution, so they can make informed decisions.”
In October, Mr. Anthropic’s stance led to a confrontation with the Trump administration. David Sachs, an AI advisor to the president, accused Anthropic of “fear-mongering” while promoting state-specific regulations beneficial to the company, while being detrimental to startups.
After Sachs suggested the company was positioning itself as an “opponent” of the Trump administration, Kaplan, alongside Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, countered by stating the company had publicly supported Trump’s AI initiatives and was collaborating with Republicans, aspiring to maintain America’s dominance in AI.
Is it a China-owned TikTok, or is it managed by a consortium of billionaires backed by Trump?
This is the question Australia is being prompted to contemplate.
The Trump administration stated that the agreement proposed by TikTok to continue its U.S. operations would involve Americans, transferring control to a U.S. firm with seven board members. Donald Trump has indicated that a group of U.S. companies, including Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Fox Corporation’s Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, are part of this deal.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese entity ByteDance. In 2024, the U.S. Congress enacted a law to prohibit social media apps unless sold to a U.S. company, citing privacy and national security issues. The Trump administration has repeatedly extended this ban while negotiations continue between the U.S. and China.
According to White House press secretary Karolyn Leavitt, TikTok’s own algorithm will be “managed by the U.S.”
Liberal Senator James Patterson commented that Australia should transition to the U.S. version of the app as the deal advances.
“If there were a safe version of TikTok in the U.S., it would be unfortunate for the Australian version to remain under the control of foreign authoritarian governments,” he remarked to Murdoch. Sky News.
Tom Sulston, policy director for Digital Rights Watch, highlighted that the issue lies not in ownership, but rather in pervasive user surveillance, describing the transition to U.S. control of TikTok as “puzzling.”
“Ownership isn’t the main concern. The issue is the continuous invasive monitoring of users. U.S.-owned TikTok users do not enjoy greater privacy than those using the Chinese version, as there is a lack of effective regulation of social media firms,” he stated.
“TikTok users remain under extensive surveillance while online, which is utilized for profiling by both them and the National Information Services.”
Sky Predabeck, a fellow at the Australian Institute; emphasized the need for a Royal Commission and expressed her concerns about TikTok’s influence on media representation and public discourse.
“If the Murdochs own TikTok, this would give a new level of power over media, especially since TikTok plays a crucial role in public discussions and elections,” she explained.
Sulston argued that TikTok’s algorithm would likely remain just as opaque under U.S. control, as Meta and other platforms utilize their algorithms with almost no transparency.
“These companies depend on secret algorithms that exploit industrial-level surveillance of users to suggest content and advertisements.”
Dr. Dana McKay, Associate Dean of Interaction, Technology and Information at RMIT University, proposed that Australia should develop its own local version of TikTok for better data and security management.
However, McKay cautioned that ownership changes might lead to an app version that fails to meet user expectations. The core appeal of TikTok is its algorithm, and there is uncertainty about whether the data used for recommendations would be transferred to the U.S. during the transaction.
“Currently, Oracle is in the process of reconstructing the algorithm, but there may be a significant drop in user experience until sufficient data is gathered on viewing habits,” McKay added. “This could take days or weeks, depending on how much data the existing algorithm relies on.”
Will this deter users or drive them to another application? Sulston referenced News Corp’s previous unsuccessful venture into social media with MySpace.
In 2005, News Corp invested USD 580 million during a boom in online social networking. MySpace was valued at USD 12 billion at its peak, but then Facebook emerged, offering better navigation and features.
By June 2008, Australians were visiting Facebook more than MySpace, a trend that didn’t occur in the U.S. until 2009.
Frustrated, Rupert Murdoch sold MySpace in 2011 for USD 35 million.
“News Corp sold MySpace for significantly less than its original purchase of around USD 5 billion. Perhaps this will be another misstep,” Sulston noted.
The federal government maintains its stance on TikTok, which is banned on government devices, and indicates ongoing oversight of U.S. developments during the transaction process.
Both News Corp and TikTok were approached for comment.
I
unlocked my iPhone just as my weekly screen time notifications popped up—an accidental dismissal before I could take a screenshot—and a wave of frustration washed over me. After dedicating an exhausting week to minimizing my phone usage, aiming to reduce my daily screen time from over four hours to under one, I hoped to enhance my mental wellbeing (and maybe even launch a career as an inspirational speaker). Yet, my efforts felt futile as I couldn’t post any proof online showcasing my offline status. I even contemplated using Photoshop to fabricate a screen time report and scoured Google for a way to retrieve notifications (to no avail).
Over the last decade or so, I’ve tried various self-improvement approaches. I’ve read 105 books in a year, unintentionally eliminated sugar (even from fruit) for a spell, and dabbled in shamanism, including interpretive dance. While I might suggest mastering cooking, driving, and typing with all fingers, I can’t seem to reach myself since I’ve stopped staring at my phone.
Exchange one obsession for another… Joe Stone of Tenerife.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Stone
“Project Screen Time” was born after I listened to a podcast where comedians recommended avoiding social media for two hours after waking. Absorbing this advice—albeit from an amateur who couldn’t quite trace its origin—I decided to avoid checking Instagram first thing in the morning… and it worked. Surprisingly, steering clear of a barrage of other people’s abs before I’d fully woken up actually lifted my spirits. Even more impressively, I found I could usually hold off until after lunch if I didn’t see anything I felt compelled to react to. This brief moment of clarity quickly morphed into a whirlwind, typical of my approach to new challenges.
I swapped one fixation (constantly checking my phone) for another (intentionally not doing so). In the second week, my screen time plummeted to two hours a day. By the third week, it was down to one-and-a-half hours, and I decided to aim for under 60 minutes. A part of me was impressed that this newfound ability was working well and I appeared to be normal. However, I couldn’t keep this “gift” to myself, gradually boring my friends, acquaintances, and even service workers with tales of my newfound discipline.
Eventually, my quest took on new disruptions. I resented having to pull up maps on my phone, and while cycling, I often found myself lost. Want to show someone a photo or meme? Sorry, you’ll have to Google it on their device instead. I even hesitated to order an Uber after a night out, enduring the agony of watching the app slowly crawl toward my location while my screen time ticked away.
My frustration amplified when my screen time statistics didn’t reflect my efforts. I barely glanced at my phone by 2 PM, yet the data indicated I had used it for 36 minutes. Conspiratorial thoughts began to surface. My screen time report was divided into blue (social), turquoise (entertainment), and orange (productivity and finance). Yet, the majority of my time appeared as a prominent gray. What on earth could that gray signify?!
Eventually, “screen time” was added to my list of taboo topics (along with Taylor Swift’s music and lore, and my interest in Ron DeSantis) that were off-limits at home. My lowest moment occurred while sharing my weekly statistics with a friend. He inquired why “Settings” was my third most-used app. That was simply where I went to check my screen time.
My meltdown over not being able to celebrate my record low screen time (51 minutes a day!) served as a wake-up call. What started as a quest to reduce screen time morphed into a new phone addiction. Instead of escaping the urge to seek validation online, I found an alternate way to gain approval. Nevertheless, all was not lost. This realization nudged me toward the acceptance that I would likely never be a moderate person. I can’t rely on self-regulation (my latest regime—skin care—involves LED masks that automatically shut off after 10 minutes; I fear wearing them in the office could evoke comparisons to a vibrant Hannibal Lecter).
Ultimately, I gave up trying to recapture the elusive Screen Time Report. Instead, I resolved to share fewer aesthetic charts from settings that I could post online. Almost instantly, my DMs exploded with queries about how I managed to refrain from scrolling. I responded to every single one, and a rush of dopamine flooded my reward centers. That day, my screen time was recorded at 3 hours and 36 minutes.
Children are turning to YouTube as soon as they power on their TVs, marking a significant shift in video consumption from laptops to living rooms.
According to an extensive study of UK viewing habits by the Communications Regulator Ofcom, YouTube stands as the most favored TV platform for Generation Alpha.
Last year, one in five young viewers, aged between four and 15, headed to this platform first. While BBC One ranked among the top five initial choices, kids had the option to select BBC iPlayer as well.
It’s not only the younger demographic that has taken to YouTube TV. An observable cultural shift reveals that viewers aged 55 and older have nearly doubled their watching time on YouTube, going from 6 minutes a day to 11 minutes last year, with an increasing percentage (42%) tuning in through television.
On average, viewers dedicated 39 minutes a day to YouTube in 2024, positioning the platform as the UK’s second most-watched service after the BBC and ahead of ITV.
For those aged 16 to 24, traditional live television earned only 17 minutes of daily watch time last year, as just 45% tuned in during an average week, down from 48% in 2023.
YouTube has emerged as a serious rival to conventional broadcasters, with half of its trending videos echoing the content typically associated with mainstream broadcasters, including long-form interviews and game shows.
The rise of YouTube poses significant challenges for public service broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4.
These organizations are eager to engage newer, younger demographics; however, YouTube also captures a substantial share of their advertising revenue, which raises concerns that featuring their content on YouTube may diminish viewer time on their own platforms.
A 12-year-old girl will be holding a morning training session on Joe Wicks YouTube. Photo: Richard Sarker/Guardian
“Public service broadcasters recognize this shift and will adapt to meet audiences in online environments, increasing engagement there,” a spokesperson commented. “However, more ambitious efforts are needed to ensure that public service media remains relevant and sustainable in the long term.”
Ofcom has already advised traditional broadcasters, referred to as “endangered species,” to collaborate with YouTube for greater content visibility, emphasizing the need for “fair commercial terms.”
Michael Grade, chairman of Ofcom and former Channel 4 director, proposed that the government consider new legislation requiring YouTube to feature UK public service broadcasters’ content more prominently.
Channel 4 has been among the pioneers in sharing content on YouTube, arguing that rather than detracting from their own platform, it expands their audience reach. ITV also announced a new agreement with YouTube at the end of last year.
Discussions are underway within the BBC about how much content should be uploaded to YouTube, although significant media coverage will still be featured there. Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, has informed staff that the new head of the AI department will drive a YouTube strategy aimed at younger viewers.
Weekly video viewing times remain stable, with the average person watching 4 hours and 30 minutes at home last year—down just a minute from the previous year.
Traditional broadcast content still dominates viewing, accounting for 56% of the total, although this figure has decreased from 71% in 2018.
Additionally, YouTube has become the leading online audio platform, with 47% of UK adults using it weekly, compared to 36% for Spotify. The rise of podcasts on YouTube signifies its growing influence across the media landscape.
Hal Lacroix’s adventure unfolds on a spacecraft that has been exploring new planets for centuries
Dotted Zebra/Alamy
Exciting science fiction awaits fans this July, with two highly anticipated books making their debut. Are you intrigued by the beautifully articulated vision of rapid transformation as its effects evolve in a subtle yet increasingly unsettling manner? Don’t miss Alex Foster’s Circular Motion. Or maybe you’re captivated by the excellent “generation ship” narrative? If so, keep an eye on Hal Lacroix’s Here and Beyond. In addition, there are tales of climate fiction, zombies, space romance, and more. Enjoy yourself – I certainly will!
Set in a near future, this striking debut novel envisions an Earth with a colossal aircraft in orbit. Meanwhile, the Earth’s rotation gradually accelerates, initially shortening by mere seconds. However, it ominously contracts to just two hours as the story unfolds, leading to dire consequences. I’ve just completed this novel, and it may very well be my top read of the year so far—smartly written and truly engaging.
I have a special fondness for compelling “generation ship” stories. This one stands out, as 600 people embark on a 360-year voyage to a new planet following Earth’s downfall. Yet, generations must survive aboard their vessel, Shipworld, facing challenges from illness to rebellion, raising tensions among the crew. But don’t take my word for it; our sci-fi reviewer, Emily H. Wilson, gave it a hearty thumbs up, and her taste is impeccable (or at least aligns with mine!).
While I pen these words, London is engulfed in flames, making Susanna Kwan’s dystopian depiction of a rain-soaked future San Francisco even more captivating. We follow Bo, who has fled a city ravaged by catastrophic floods. Living alone on a street transformed into a river, Bo is tempted to leave her boat until her elderly neighbor Mia requests assistance, prompting her to remain. This novel draws comparisons to Emily St. John Mandel’s literary dystopia Station Eleven and Eleanor Catton’s climatological thriller Bilnum Wood, both of which I cherished; thus, I’m eager to delve into Kwan’s rainy world.
Susanna Kwan’s awakening unfolds in a flooded future San Francisco
Bulgac/Getty Images
This month’s science fiction takes us from Earth in disarray to the rain-soaked where the sun is waning. A unique story features two sisters in a small village amid arid lands who struggle for survival as temperatures plummet, leading villagers to confront death—”an ordinary man replaced by a blinding light that sears his head like a miniature sands.” Fascinating!
Another tale revolves around Quetza, an acrobat in a Martian circus who stumbles upon “ominous secrets.” Millions of years later, Azad inhabits a desert planet, teaming up with a space travel historian to discover why their ancestors abandoned Mars.
This climate fiction narrative (I refuse to adopt the “CLI-FI” label as I find it unappealing) unfolds in a self-sustaining community established on a remote Welsh island in 2056, aimed at escaping a tyrannical government. But 13-year-old Gresni suspects her family harbors secrets, especially when an event from the mainland washes ashore.
Penned by the acclaimed publisher recognized for Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the narrative follows Zoe and Jack, who meet as chemistry students at Harvard University. Two years later, they drop out to join a venture promising longevity, yet their love faces challenges that test its limits.
I confess that this may not fit traditional science fiction norms, but I’m finding it hard to resist: it’s a 2022 road trip story set in Ukraine, featuring “The Maverick Scientist” Yeva and Lefty, “The Only Snail” navigated to ensure the survival of his species. Yeva funds her passion for breeding rare snails by dating men who come to Ukraine for a “guidance romance tour” in search of obedient brides. “Glorious…funny and clever, filled with science, longing, and adventure,” Anne Puckett states. Therefore, I believe a blend of science and snails would surely captivate sci-fi enthusiasts.
As a passionate fan, I feel there’s a distinct lack of zombie novels like The Walking Dead. Fortunately, Lee Radford addresses this gap with a tale about a scientist whose spouse was the last person bitten by the zombie epidemic. While the government quarantines infected individuals, scientist Kesta harbors perilous secrets. Her zombie husband, Tim, is restrained to prevent his rampage. Rick Grimes, I’m just suggesting he could have handled Tim with a heartbeat…
I’ve earmarked this next book for my reading list and am eagerly anticipating it. Elric only awakens once he’s healed, envisioning an experimental treatment center where heartache can be anesthetized. Naturally, there are some “shadow side effects,” and it follows four strangers (and a dog). The Wizard of Oz certainly seems to embody the journey toward healing from heartache.
The publisher describes it as “Suffic’s action-adventure sci-fi novel.” Volatile Memory features Willa as she uncovers cutting-edge technology on nearby planets. This tech, however, turns out to be the remains of a woman donning an AI mask that resurrected her. Together, they seek to unravel its mysteries…
Emily Buchanan’s Send Flowers depicts a woman’s deceased boyfriend reborn as a houseplant
Ozgurcankaya/Getty Images
In a world nearing climate collapse, eco-influencer Fiona has stayed secluded in her apartment since her boyfriend Ed’s passing. One day, his favorite plant is left at her door, prompting her to sprinkle his ashes on the soil. The next morning, she discovers that the plant not only blooms but can also speak. Ed has returned—albeit as a house plant.
Hero Ideas Dengue fever boy Mosquitoes would have appeared in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a dengue outbreak exploded in my hometown of Buenos Aires. Dengue fever spreads all the way Aedes aegypti mosquito. This insect thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and is commonly found in many warm and humid regions of Northern Argentina.
However, in recent decades, global warming has spread to traditionally cold, yet mild climates, such as Buenos Aires and Patagonia. One of my best friends had dengue fever in 2020, but as all media attention was focused on Covid-19, the city’s public hospitals had limited testing and there was no way to get proper diagnosis or treatment. Furthermore, there were no effective vaccines or medications for dengue at the time.
During this unsettling time for my friends and people with dengue in Argentina, US company Modern announced its vaccine against Covid-19 just a few days after the genetic sequence of SARS-COV-2 was issued. This has made me think about the terrible corporate bias in scientific research, as mosquito-borne diseases (dengue, zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, etc.) have killed hundreds of thousands of people over the centuries. In fact, mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animals for humans, according to historians. Timothy Wine Guardkilled more people than anything else in history.
However, these diseases affect people in low-income countries, so there was not enough investment in vaccines or treatments. Meanwhile, biotech companies only needed a few months to develop, patent and sell products that tackle Covid-19.
So, this idea came to me to tell the story of the global Southern pandemic through the lens of the mosquito itself.
Partly inspired by the artists I admire (Franz Kafka, David Cronenberg, Hidosi Hino), I leaned a bit ironically on Latin America’s most commercially popular genre, and I was convinced that the imaginary subtitles of my story should be “the self-capacity of a mosquito.” At the same time, one of the themes of my writing was inhumanity, and I was interested in the challenge of making insects the protagonist of a novel (a genre historically designed to tell the human age, psychology, and stories). How can we achieve this by mimicking and empathy with the human experience, especially insects that are as annoying as mosquitoes?
I became a mosquito and had to adopt that perspective. I have given the famous Frobertian motto.”Madame Bobbery, C’est Moi” And I changed it to my own: Le Moustite, c’est moi.
Ursula K. Le Gin once said The basic property of science fiction is to act as a carrier bag allowing for the transition of ideas from fiction to other scientific and technical discourses. This way, this genre becomes a mutational transition ( Dengue fever boy Between literature and non-literary knowledge.
I’ve always been very grateful for this idea. Because nothing in my work as a writer would please me more than studying topics I had never noticed before.
For this book, I consulted dozens of papers and manuals on entomology, and I became a “mosquito” overnight. It was important to know the details of mosquito anatomy, explain it, and understand how its body works and feels. Therefore, although the main character is inspired by my friend, a man, I discovered that the mosquito that tells the disease is a female.
The female perspective was also guided to investigating how non-mammalian oviparous animals are involved in maternal care. Eggs designed for films by HR Giger alien drawn and classified by the naturalist Ernst Heckel, in his illustrated treatise, Georges Bataille’s The story of the eyes It also fueled this oval obsession.
In this novel, I tried to tell a story about climate change from a perspective that restored human lives more than humans. I hope readers will resonate with my hero.
Dengue fever boy Michel Nieva, translated Published by Serpent’s Tail from the Spanish of Rahul Bery the latest choice for the New Scientist Book Club. Sign up here and read with us
Mastodon founder Eugen Roszko praised Threads’ entry into the decentralized social media space, saying: say the movement I plan to make mastodon — Open source Twitter/X rival — “It’s a much more attractive option.” Mastodon’s app, powered by decentralized social networking protocol ActivityPub, has gained more attention in the wake of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. Ta. The network has since been renamed X, reflecting Musk’s ambitions to turn the microblogging platform into an all-encompassing app for creators. , payments, video, live audio, shopping.
People dissatisfied with Twitter’s changes are seeking challengers from other platforms, including the open source alternative Mastodon, and other startups such as Spill, Spoutible, Post, and Bluesky. However, things have changed again with Instagram’s entry into the “Twitter clone” field. There are now Twitter alternatives backed by Meta’s vast resources, which helped him grow his monthly active users to nearly 100 million in just three months.Today’s Mastodon Only 1.5 million monthly activesfor comparison.
More importantly for Mastodon, Meta has promised to integrate Threads and ActivityPub. This means users can find and follow both Mastodon users and Threads users across both services. Many expected that the integration wouldn’t happen until early 2024, but Meta surprised everyone yesterday by announcing that he would begin testing the ActivityPub integration.
“Making threads interoperable gives people more choice in how they interact and allows content to reach more people. I’m pretty optimistic about this.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: In a post on the thread.
Zuckerberg did not explain how the integration would work, but Roshko cleared up the confusion in a post on Mastodon, explaining that a federation (a thread connecting to a broader group of servers running decentralized social apps) “It’s one way at the moment,” he said. ” That means Mastodon users can follow a “selected few” threads on her profile. Like Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram — In Mastodon, however, the reverse is still not true.
Threaded users’ profiles on Mastodon were not backfilled with old posts before the integration began. Instead, your profile will display posts from this point on, but with the message “Old posts from other servers are not displayed.” Clicking on the “See more of the original profile” link will take the user to the thread instead.
Rochko is generally positive about getting tech giants to embrace ActivityPub and decentralized social media. said before“The fact that large platforms are adopting ActivityPub not only validates the movement towards decentralized social media, but also provides a path forward for people locked into these platforms to switch to better providers. There is also.”
The Mastodon founder also said that the entry of the meta “Status of “acceptance, extension, extinguishment” The ActivityPub protocol is a reference to how large companies can enter the market using an existing standard and extend that standard with unique features to beat the competition.
“…even if Threads ultimately abandons ActivityPub, where we end up is exactly where we are now,” Rochko pointed out. Blog posts this summer.
Image credits: Mastodon Eugen Roshko
As the merger gets underway, Rochko touted the move as “exciting” and “a huge deal for Mastodon.” Posts on the platform This is “a step towards the interoperable social web that we have been advocating for.”
In addition, he points out Having access to all thread users from your Mastodon account means the app becomes even more appealing when you consider other perks.
The same claim has been made by Mammoth, a third-party client of Mastodon that is backed by Mozilla. Mammoth believes its app offers a viable alternative to Threads with a competitive user interface that is more approachable for newcomers to decentralized social media. This includes users who do not want to create an account on Meta. While Threads distances itself from news, saying it doesn’t “amplify” news on its platform, Mammoth is open to news partnerships and curation, which could lead to people switching from Twitter/X to other apps. I hope that it will appeal to people.
With Threads integrated into the Mastodon ecosystem, users have more options for how they want to engage with Threads users and content, including accessing their accounts from their apps of choice.
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