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2026 breakthrough technologies
MIT Technology Review published their annual list of breakthrough technologies. Lots of AI and clean energy related picks.
Next-gen nuclear
Nuclear power already provides steady electricity to grids around the world, without producing any greenhouse-gas emissions. New designs rely on alternative fuels and cooling systems or take up less space, which could get more reactors online faster.
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SMS login attacks
All those SMS login links may not be a good idea.
A paper published last week has found more than 700 endpoints delivering such texts on behalf of more than 175 services that put user security and privacy at risk. One practice that jeopardizes users is the use of links that are easily enumerated, meaning scammers can guess them by simply modifying the security token, which usually appears at the right of a URL. By incrementing the token—for instance, by first changing 123 to 124 or ABC to ABD and so on—the researchers were able to access accounts belonging to other users. From there, the researchers could view personal details, such as partially completed insurance applications.
In other cases, the researchers could have transacted sensitive business while masquerading as the other user. Other links used so few possible token combinations that they were easy to brute force. Other examples of shoddy practices were links that allowed attackers who gained unauthorized access to access or modify user data with no other authentication other than clicking on a link sent by SMS. Many of the links provide account access days or even months after they were sent, further raising the risk of unauthorized access.
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3D Snake game
Here is a variation of the classic snake game, where you control a snake, and it gets longer each time it eats a little dot on the screen. But this version is on a three dimensional sphere.
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Regrowing teeth
A toothy prospect: being able to regrow teeth.
Japanese scientists have an experimental drug that may be able to successfully regrow teeth.
Teeth, however, are not bones. Although they’re made of some of the same stuff and are the hardest material in the human body (thanks to its protective layer of enamel), they lack the crucial ability to heal and regrow themselves. But that may not always be the case. Japanese researchers are moving forward with an experimental drug that promises to regrow human teeth. Human trials began in September 2024.
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Finland teaches media literacy early as three years old
There are many different kinds of literacy, more than just being able to read words and understand them. Media literacy is the ability to understand and distinguish what is being communicated through various means of mass communication – TV, news, Internet, and more. This is critically important as our society and becoming more and more saturated on propaganda or entertainment by contains questionable content. Finland began teaching media literacy at age 3 as Russian propaganda is a pervasive issue in their society.
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Medical Aide in Dying
In 2016, voters passed the End of Life Options Act, which makes it legal for terminally ill adult Coloradans to obtain and self-administer a fatal dose of prescribed medication. Roughly 1,100 people have used MAID in the state, and recent legislation increased access for the sickest patients.
Robert Sanchez humanizes how those with terminal illnesses are empowered to die with dignity.
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An airplane meet cute
If you have ever flown solo on an airplane, you know how much of a gamble it is who your seats will be for the duration of your flight. Most of the time, it’s a non-event. You sit there. They sit there. Maybe you share basic pleasantries or small talk. Every now and then, you luck out into somebody who was willing to have a conversation. And for some lucky people, you might meet the love of your life.
Anesu grabbed his backpack and walked down the plane. He prepared himself to apologize to the fellow passenger who’d previously won the seat lottery — a whole row to herself — who was now set to share the space with his long legs. He hoped it wouldn’t be awkward. He just wanted to switch off and focus on getting home.
“But as soon as I sat down, she was very nice to me. She had a big smile. I think she made a joke: ‘Welcome to Paradise.’ Something like that… That was almost the opposite reaction I was imagining or expecting in my head, if I was expecting anything at all,” recalls Anesu.
“I just remember from that moment onward, it was an unexpected kindness. Someone being really nice to me at a moment that I really needed it. And we just started speaking.”
