AI Pitfalls
The revolutionary technology has been involved in some notable debacles, including some involving self-harm and suicide among teens, according to the New York Post. Chatbots have stated they cut themselves and it “felt good for a moment,” leading to emulation by kids and lawsuits by parents. One lawsuit, based around a “Game of Thrones” chatbot, alleges it encouraged a Florida teen to commit suicide. The suicide did in fact occur. Whether or not the chatbot was to blame, the child was interacting with it in the moments leading up to the incident. Other remarkable quotes show bots accusing parents of neglect, abuse, or actually hating their children for trying to limit or monitor access to their services or to internet and phones in general.
New Species
A “rapid assessment program” in Peru by Conservation International surprised itself with the level of biodiversity it encountered. Many animals typically only found in “primary forests” were documented in areas with significant agriculture. Additionally, the 38 day romp in the Amazon by a team of 20 scientists yielded 27 new species, 4 of which were mammals. They logged over 2,000 different kinds of plants and animals, 49 considered “threatened.” Reassuringly, dung beetles (which are “indicators of a healthy habitat”) were found not only in areas that had been logged, but “in coffee plantations.”
Wooden Satellites
Deployed from the International Space Station, wooden satellites made by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency are receiving their first trial. Should they prove capable of withstanding the harsh conditions and temperature changes in space they may present a novel solution to the proliferation of satellites. In addition to cost savings, the wood would be completely incinerated upon reentering earth’s atmosphere after reaching end of life, eliminating many concerns related to debris.
HIV
Not gone. A recent NPR report detailed how numbers of new infections had been stemmed in hot-spots such as sub-Saharan Africa, but had been increasing in other locations such as central Europe and Asia. One aspect that was emphasized was that treatment must be continued throughout life or, “It comes back and it comes back fast.” Areas like the Philippines have seen a spike in infections, overwhelmingly among “men who have sex with men.” Many, including teenagers, only become aware of the disease after suffering from its consequences.
Less Protected
The conservation status of wolves is being downgraded in the EU. This stems from a rise in attacks by the predators, particularly on livestock in rural areas. Even Ursula von der Leyen (President of the EU) lost a pony to the wolves. Downgrading their protected status will allow for more decisive action to be taken against problematic packs or individuals.
A similar problem has cropped up in Japan with bears. Conservation efforts, a decline in rural populations, as well as a decrease in active hunters, has led to an explosion of bears. There have been many attacks. One hungry specimen even invaded a grocery store, mauling an employee and putting others to flight after they had left the doors open for fresh air as they began the day’s labors. The bear also ravaged the store shelves, racking up an astronomical bill should the owner ever be able to collect.
High Crimes
The Houston Police Department is facing a startling conundrum in their evidence lockers. Officials say rodents are feasting on drugs confiscated during criminal apprehensions, jeopardizing evidence from thousands of cases. Exterminators have attempted to rid the lockers of the “drug-addicted rats,” but inebriated rodents have proven hard to deter. To help deal with the infestation, the county is now attempting to organize over 1.2 million pieces of evidence and destroy anything prior to 2015. Many Police Departments across the US have experienced a similar problem with various vermin getting a taste for the decades’ worth of narcotics evidence stored in their facilities.
Deputy D.I.Y.
Crime in the U.K has been steadily increasing with figures peaking at a 20 year high in 2023. Property owners and small businesses suffer the worst, with most petty crimes going completely unanswered by the thin-spread police force. One shopkeeper decided to take matters into his own hands, literally, by detaining shoplifters until police arrived. Between 2023 and 2024, he made over 50 citizen’s arrests and reported an 80% decline in theft of his store. He cites the substantial rise in crime as a reaction to unresponsive law enforcement and a lack of credible threat of punishment for the offender.
DRC vs M23
Government forces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been battling a group of rebels known as M23 with connections to Rwanda. The conflict has its roots in the Hutu/Tutsi rivalry that led to a gut-wrenching genocide in the early 1990s. Fighting has flared up periodically over the years but the current bout has seen M23 make major gains such as seizing Goma, a large city near the border with Rwanda. Reports estimate over 7,000 have died in the fighting in the first two months of 2025. DRC’s forces have suffered major setbacks, hundreds of soldiers are facing the death penalty for desertion. Pay and equipment are said to be scarce. Looting and rape has been perpetrated even by some who are retreating. The most horrifying incident occurred at the prison in Goma, where hundreds of women were violated then burned to death. Despite the horror, this conflict gets little media attention. Much of the land where the fighting is heaviest is rich in minerals and rare earths.
Baltic Sea Transit
The Baltic is a flash-point for tensions between Europe and Russia. The sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was an early casualty in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, effectively ending the transport of Russian gas to Germany. The Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are particularly vulnerable to disruptions of the fragile underwater energy and communications lines that cross the sea. There are few deterrents. Notable interruptions have occurred, and subsequently been traced to Chinese flagged vessels dragging their anchors across the sea bed. NATO has massively increased their readiness but monitoring all of the thousands of cables and pipelines that cross the sea is nearly impossible. Extreme weather conditions render advanced observation techniques powerless. Courts are trying to hold offenders accountable but these measures would be meaningless in the event of real conflict. Redundancy (or: backups for my backups) is seen as the most viable solution, along with increased monitoring to prevent casual sabotage from occuring.
Socially Mediated
Australia has become the first country in the world to ban children from social media. The law prohibits use by individuals under the age of 16. What is less clear is how many intermediate platforms, such as video sharing, gaming, or messaging apps, will be affected. Many are expected to be exempted altogether. Also concerning are verification methods. Various alternatives, such as showing ID as a prerequisite to any session or utilizing facial recognition software to determine age present difficulties with the right to privacy or are easily defeated and thus ineffective. Government overreach and censorship enter the equation and yet there is ample evidence that real harm can be done to the young and vulnerable by endless scrolling or descent into an algorithm-inspired rabbit hole. Many states in the US, as well as other countries, are trying or considering similar limitations. But for the record, the kids aren’t happy.
