Japan Sets Internet Speed Record

Japan has set a new internet speed record - 1.02 petabits per second. That's about a million gigabits per second – approximately 3.5 million times higher than the average internet speed in the United States. The tests were conducted in a laboratory with 19-core optical fiber over 1800 km. In 1 second, locals can download 100,000 movies in Full HD.

Akon City Project in Senegal Scrapped

In Senegal, the $6 billion future city project that rapper Akon promised to build has been scrapped. Akon City was announced back in 2018 and was supposed to be like Wakanda, but after seven years not even a single building has been completed. The failure is blamed on the cryptocurrency Akoin, which was supposed to fund the entire venture, but nonetheless, local authorities do not reject cooperation with the rapper. They say they will discuss building something 'more realistic' at the same site.

Grandma for Rent in Japan

In Japan, you can now rent a grandmother – the OK Obaachan service has been launched. For 3000 yen (~1600 rubles) per hour, a nice old lady will teach you how to cook, watch your children, clean your home, and even offer wise advice. In particularly complicated cases, grandma will help you break up with a toxic partner.

Kai Cenat on the Cover of TIME Magazine

Kai Cenat has made it to the cover of TIME magazine because he has been included in the list of the '100 most influential content creators of 2025.' According to the editorial, the streamer has turned ordinary Twitch streams into a mix of talk show, reality, and interactive game. He already has around 18 million followers, and the number of paid subscriptions at its peak surpassed a record 727 thousand.

Scientists Discover Monkeys Are Also Drawn to Short, Fast-Paced Videos

Scientists have discovered that monkeys are also drawn to short videos with fast-paced editing. Scientists from Utrecht University showed 28 macaques two-minute videos featuring other monkeys. They were most interested in videos with fights and running around. The authors believe that this tendency to observe aggression is evolutionarily explainable and helps in better understanding one's environment and surviving.

Traditional Car Drop Festival in Alaska

In Alaska, a traditional festival of throwing cars off a cliff took place. The amusement originated in the 2000s when a local decided to dispose of his "wrecked" Volvo by turning it into a show, and now thousands of spectators gather to watch epic car flights from a 90-meter cliff. This year, a record-breaking 36 cars were smashed, including a couple of limousines.

China Unveils New Maglev Train Prototype

China has unveiled a prototype of a new maglev train capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h. The development was showcased by the company CRRC Changchun and could become the fastest magnetic levitation train in the world. Maglevs have been operating in China since 2004, but their maximum speed currently is 430 km/h. The new train is planned to be used on routes between metropolises, with large-scale line construction possibly starting in just 5 years.

Abandoned Hotel for Sale in the UK

An abandoned hotel is for sale in the UK, located 2.2 km off the coast of Portsmouth - right in the middle of the sea. The fortress was built in the 19th century to repel possible attacks from France and was owned by the navy until the 1980s. It was then resold several times to private individuals and eventually turned into a luxury hotel with 23 rooms, which closed in the 2020s due to COVID and financial problems. You can become the new owner for £1.5 million.

NVIDIA becomes first company with $4 trillion valuation

NVIDIA has become the first company in history to reach a valuation of $4 trillion. The stock price of the IT corporation has been rapidly increasing over the past few years amid the AI boom: In 2023, its market value reached $1 trillion for the first time, and in 2024 it tripled. It now confidently surpasses Microsoft and Apple, which rank second and third with valuations of $3.75 trillion and $3.1 trillion respectively.

Peter Jackson Plans to Revive the Southern Moa

Peter Jackson has conceived a plan to revive the southern moa - a giant bird that inhabited New Zealand and went extinct 600 years ago. The director is working on the project with the American biotech startup Colossal. Its specialists have already begun decoding DNA, using, among other things, a collection of 400 moa bones that Jackson himself collected together with his wife. There are no deadlines yet, but the team is serious: they have previously recreated dire wolves and bred furry 'mammoth mice'.

Twitter Creator Releases Messenger for Offline Communication

The creator of Twitter has released a messenger that allows chatting even if the internet is turned off. Bitchat connects smartphones into a network through Bluetooth. No registration is required in the messenger, and all conversations are encrypted and hidden from outsiders. It works in any situation, even if the connection is jammed.

China creates fast and energy-efficient AI

China has created a new AI that operates 7.7 times faster and is 160 times more energy-efficient thanks to smart 'maps' for data retrieval. This technology can manage smart traffic lights, enhance bank security, and train AI without significant electricity costs.

Orcas Start Feeding Humans

Orcas, also known as killer whales, were throwing their prey in front of people and observing their reactions. In most cases, people simply ignored the orcas, but some of them offered food a few more times. Among the gifts were fish, birds, rays, turtles, seaweed, and pieces of other whales. Researchers have recorded this 'generosity' almost across the entire range of the animals: off the coasts of the United States, Norway, and New Zealand. This has concerned scientists because they fail to understand the orcas' motives. It is assumed that in this way they strive to make contact with humans, play with them, and study their behavior. However, there is a possibility that orcas are simply manipulating people.

World's largest inflatable dome erected in Jinan

In the Chinese city of Jinan, the world's largest inflatable dome has been erected: its height reaches 50 meters, and the area covers 20,000 square meters. The dome is used for isolating construction sites – it helps to reduce noise levels and air pollution, making construction more eco-friendly and less disruptive for local residents.

Swimming in the Seine allowed for the first time in over 100 years

In Paris, for the first time in over 100 years, swimming in the city river is permitted. Due to severe water pollution, swimming in the Seine was banned in 1923, but before the 2024 Olympics, it was cleaned to a 'safe' level, with 1.4 billion euros spent. Now, three swimming zones with changing rooms, showers, and sun loungers have been established, and lifeguards ensure the safety of the swimmers.

An unusual wedding

The mayor of the Mexican city of San Pedro Huamelula married a female alligator named Alicia Adriana. Such a union symbolizes peace between the two ethnic groups of the region and, according to beliefs, brings luck, prosperity, and the blessing of the gods to the residents. Before the wedding, the mayor stated that they love each other.

A Piece of Mars is Being Sold in the USA

A piece of Mars is being sold in the USA. The meteorite weighs almost 25 kg. This rare stone landed on Earth after a powerful collision of an asteroid with Mars. As a result of the impact, the fragment was ejected into space. Millions of years later, it entered Earth's gravitational field and landed in the Sahara Desert, in the Agadez region. A professional meteorite hunter discovered it in 2023. The auction will take place on July 16 as part of the Geek Week scientific week. The price for the lot has already exceeded 1.9 million dollars. It is expected that the final amount could significantly exceed the stated upper estimate of 4 million dollars.

Tesla Builds Oasis Supercharger

Tesla has built a massive charging station called Oasis Supercharger for electric cars, powered by the Sun. It is located near the highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is self-sufficient with electricity generated solely by solar panels covering 121,000 square meters. The station has a total of 168 chargers, making it one of Tesla's largest.

Spanish Police Arrests Google Pixel Users

Spanish police are massively detaining Google Pixel phone users. It turns out these are the favorite phones of drug dealers and gang members in Spanish Catalonia. This is mainly related to the ability to install GrapheneOS, which protects the phone from surveillance and provides maximum privacy.

13-year-old student becomes Microsoft bug hunter

A 13-year-old student became a bug hunter for Microsoft and rewrote the rules of the game. The young talent discovered a serious vulnerability in Microsoft Teams and wrote such a professional bug report that he was invited to the MSRC cybersecurity team. As a result, Microsoft lowered the minimum age to participate in the bug bounty program to 13 years. Over the summer, the boy found 20 vulnerabilities and took 3rd place in the international hacker championship Zero Day Quest - among adult specialists from all over the world.