💡 Warp News #280
🧠 Users of digital technology have 58% lower risk of cognitive decline. 🚀 Fusion-powered spacecraft can cut travel time to Mars in half. 🦟 New medication kills mosquitoes through the blood they suck.
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🤳 Does screen time rot your brain?
"Brain rot" was one of last year's buzzwords, coined to describe the supposed effects of excessive screen time. Since digital screens haven’t been around that long, it's been difficult to study the long-term effects, which hasn’t stopped people from drawing alarmist conclusions about all the harm screens supposedly cause.
That’s why it’s fascinating to consider a new study examining the first generation to enter the digital world. They're now old enough for us to observe how their brains have been affected over time.
It turns out that digital technology reduced the risk of cognitive decline by 58 percent. This result held even after adjusting for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, health conditions, and other variables.
The researchers reviewed data from 134 studies, so this isn't just a single outlier—it's the current state of scientific understanding.
I’m — not surprisingly — not at all surprised. Using digital technology stimulates the brain. If we simplify and view the brain like a muscle, it needs regular use to stay in shape. That's precisely what happens when we use computers and smartphones.
Here’s the full news: 🧠 Users of digital technology have 58 percent lower risk of cognitive decline
📺 Birgersson on EnergyNet
I've talked to Jonas Birgersson following the launch of EnergyNet (which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago).
The idea is a society powered by abundant, clean, and cheap energy. Now it's moved beyond just an idea and become reality.
Mathias Sundin
The Angry Optimist
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❌ We argue the wrong way when it comes to democracy
Human rights are not the most important purpose of democracy, according to a new survey. Therefore, we should change our arguments about why democracy is so important.
💡 Fact-based optimistic news of the week
🤖 AI chatbot improves mental health according to new clinical study
Dartmouth researchers report a 51 percent reduction in depression symptoms in patients who used the AI chatbot Therabot. The study shows that patients developed trust in the chatbot comparable to relationships with human therapists.
🧠 Users of digital technology have 58 percent lower risk of cognitive decline
Digital technology reduces the risk of cognitive impairment by 58 percent according to a comprehensive meta-analysis. The effect persisted even after accounting for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and health conditions.
📺 Jonas Birgersson on the historic launch of EnergyNet
Mathias Sundin has spoken with Jonas Birgersson about the launch of EnergyNet and the start of Project Energy Society.
🚀 Fusion-powered spacecraft can cut travel time to Mars in half
British company Pulsar Fusion is developing Sunbird, a fusion-powered spacecraft that can reach speeds up to 805,000 kilometers per hour. Nuclear fusion in space may be easier to achieve than on Earth, as vacuum is a more natural environment for the fusion process.
🦟 New medication kills mosquitoes through the blood they suck
A medication approved for rare genetic diseases, proves to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes when they suck blood from people who have taken the medicine. The mosquitoes die within 24 hours after sucking blood containing nitisinone, which is faster than with previously tested medications.
🏆 Four companies win $100 million for their carbon capture
Mati Carbon receives the main prize of 50 million dollars in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. The company uses crushed basalt on agricultural land to accelerate a natural weathering process that permanently binds carbon dioxide, while improving soil quality for small-scale farmers.
🚚 Aurora launches the first commercial driverless trucking service
Aurora has begun delivering goods with fully driverless trucks between Dallas and Houston, making them the first company with a commercial autonomous trucking service on public roads. The trucks are equipped with sensors that can see over four football fields away.
🦾 An AI-generated scientific paper approved in peer review process
An article entirely created by the Sakana's AI Scientist has been approved in the peer review process. This is the first time a fully AI-generated scientific paper has passed the same review process that human researchers go through.
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