Virtual Girlfriends on the Rise

Eight out of ten men said they are ready to replace a real girlfriend with a virtual one. The main reason is the exhaustion from endless dating in pursuit of 'the one.' But it's not just about finding new love. About 78% of those surveyed are interested in the possibility of 'dating' a clone of their ex, and 80% are ready to communicate with an AI version of deceased individuals. According to Kale Jones, head of the AI communication platform, technology offers what many lack in real life: the ability to be oneself without fear of judgment.

Zuckerberg paid Trump $25 million

Zuckerberg paid Trump $25 million for blocking Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021 to settle the lawsuit over this matter. The accounts were blocked following the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters. The deal was the result of direct negotiations between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump, according to the president’s attorney John Cole. When asked what led to the settlement of the lawsuit years later, he replied that he had been working on the deal the whole time and added, "Of course, the elections helped."

New Zealand: A New Paradise for Remote Workers

New Zealand is the new paradise for remote workers. The country allows digital nomads to live and work on its territory for up to 90 days without paying a cent for additional permits. And this is not a temporary PR stunt: the country aims to attract tourists and revive its economy after the pandemic crisis. "We are happy to welcome guests, especially those who are ready to breathe life into our nature while staying remotely connected to the world," local authorities say. Let's pack the laptop in the backpack and head to the land of the Hobbits.

New Trend Among Chinese Furniture Makers

Chinese furniture makers have a new trend - compressed sofas and armchairs. They are literally flattened in vacuum packaging, and after opening, they return to their original shape. These do not have a rigid frame and are based on polymer materials with memory effect (like in mattresses). It is said that in the compressed form, they can be stored for up to six months without deforming.

Norwegian Solvang creates CO₂-capturing tanker

Norwegian Solvang has created the world's first tanker that will capture and purify CO₂ from its own exhausts. A special installation on board can convert up to 70% of the emissions into liquefied carbon dioxide, suitable for the production of carbonated drinks, synthetic fuels, and more. Tests will last for two years, after which a decision will be made on implementing the technology on other ships.

Certification of Books in the USA

In the USA, the certification of books authored by humans has begun. The market is flooded with graphomania from AI, and there is so much of it that the writers' guild The Authors Guild has come up with the Human Authored label. It confirms that the work was created by a living person.

Mathematicians Explain How to Come Up with New Ideas Faster

Mathematicians have explained how to come up with new ideas faster. Two old solutions are equal to one new solution. It's enough to prepare familiar dishes a couple of times for the brain to come up with an idea for an original recipe. This works in any area: texts, code, music.

Bennu Asteroids

In the Bennu asteroid samples brought to Earth in 2023, almost all the 'building blocks' necessary for the origin of life have been found. They contain thousands of organic compounds and a rich set of minerals. According to scientists, this does not mean the existence of extraterrestrial life but confirms the theory that it was brought to our planet as a result of collisions with asteroids.

Extreme sports

Japanese snowboarder Hiroto Ogihara and Italian skier Miro Tabanelli are the first in the world to spin 2340 degrees during a jump off the ramp at the World Extreme Games. Both athletes performed 6.5 rotations on consecutive days, confidently securing gold medals in their respective categories. Notably, Ogihara jumped despite having a fractured forearm suffered during training.

China Challenges Starlink

China has decided to compete with Starlink. The company GalaxySpace is creating a satellite internet network. Their satellites will operate using the 5G protocol, which means the internet speed will be five times faster, and eleven times fewer satellites will be needed compared to Starlink.

Giant Asteroid May Hit Earth in 2032

A giant asteroid may collide with Earth in 2032 - 2024 YR4 was discovered in December last year. The probability of collision is up to 6%, which is considered quite high. If the asteroid strikes a continent, destruction of houses within a 30 km radius is possible.

Young Man from Andorra Builds Functional Prosthetics from LEGO Technic

A young man from Andorra builds functional prosthetics from ordinary LEGO Technic sets. David Aguilar was born with an underdeveloped right arm and created his first prosthetic at the age of nine. Now he is 26 and has been listed twice in the Guinness Book of Records - for the world's first LEGO prosthetic arm and the first LEGO foot-controlled prosthetic, which he made for a boy from Kazakhstan.

Boom Supersonic XB-1 Breaks Sound Barrier

The prototype of the private supersonic aircraft Boom Supersonic XB-1 has for the first time broken the sound barrier, accelerating to 1.1 Mach (over 1350 km/h). The aircraft has been developed in the USA since 2014, and in the future, it is intended to form the basis for a supersonic passenger airliner, which would be the third in history after the Soviet Tu-144 and the British-French Concorde. According to the plan, it will be able to accelerate to 1.7 Mach (2080 km/h), and the flight from London to New York will take about 3.5 hours compared to 7-8 hours on a regular plane.

The World's Tallest Round Building

The 'Guangzhou Yuan' is the tallest round building in the world, designed by Italian architect Joseph di Pasquale. The gigantic 'donut', with a height of 138 meters, is located by a city river in Guangzhou and symbolizes traditional Chinese coins. It has 33 floors with a 48-meter hole in the center, and inside are various offices, including the world's largest plastic trading floor.

Brothers Jake and Logan Paul to Fight in Boxing Match

Brothers Jake and Logan Paul will face off in a boxing match on March 27. The match will be streamed by Max. Jake Paul has fought 12 bouts and secured 11 victories, including one against the legendary Mike Tyson. Logan Paul has only participated in one professional fight, losing to the blogger KSI in 2019.

Chinese Company Distributes Millions at Annual Meeting

Chinese company Henan Mine Crane Co., Ltd. placed more than $8 million on a 70-meter-long table at the annual meeting, allowing employees to take as much as they could in 15 minutes. In 2024, the company earned 260 million yuan from selling construction cranes. Employees were divided into teams of 30 people each. While some collected bills, others were busy counting them. Winnings could only be taken if the bills were counted correctly. One man managed to bring about $13,000 to his colleagues.

Doomsday Clock Moved to 89 Seconds to Midnight

The Doomsday Clock was recently moved to 89 seconds. This is the shortest time until the apocalypse ever recorded. The Doomsday Clock is a project that shows how close we are to global catastrophes like nuclear war or climate crisis. Humanity is currently closer than ever before.

Tech Blogger Marques Brownlee Reviews Samsung's XR Headset

Tech blogger Marques Brownlee has released a review of the yet unannounced XR headset from Samsung based on Android. It resembles the Apple Vision Pro but is lighter and more ergonomic. The device allows for control of applications through gestures and supports third-party device connections via Bluetooth. It also features the integrated Gemini neural network. Brownlee praised the device's image clarity and responsiveness.

Interesting Spot in Kimitsu

An interesting spot in the Japanese city of Kimitsu, where tourists are offered to transform into local students for a day. The program includes calligraphy, physical education, and exercises with a katana, lunch in the canteen, as well as classroom cleaning and a mini-graduation where a 'certificate' is awarded.

Drones Used in Bear Management in the USA

In the USA, drones are being used in the management of bears. Rangers utilize drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to locate grizzlies and then chase them away from human settlements.