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- The top 25 stories curated by editors and fellow readers!

Editor's Pick

The Bitter Aftertaste of "Technical Sweetness"
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sweetness. Scientists and engineers use this phrase when a puzzle’s
solution presents itself, when all the pieces fit beautifully and
functionally together, when success at the particular endeavor
presents itself in a neat package. Technical sweetness is alluring,
consuming, and, as we can see in the story of Victor Frankenstein,
potentially blinding to what might follow from the solution being
sought. Scientists who are driven by technical sweetness can fail to
see what might be obvious to those with a bit more distance — that
despite some projects’ allure, sometimes completing the project is
not desirable.

When Victor first discovers the secret to life, he is so overwhelmed
by his success that he fails to share it with his colleagues and
instead accelerates toward a full-fledged test of his insight — Can
he animate a body devoid of life? In his desperation to complete this
test, he pushes himself to the breaking point, fully in the thrall of
the technical sweetness of his work. He stops communicating with his
friends and family and disengages from the social connections that
might give him a better perspective on his pursuits. He senses that
all is not right — that his reluctance to share his work might mean
something more than a desire to guard the secret until confirmation is
achieved; only once his creation awakes does he realize that it might
not have been a good idea to create such life. Indeed, he recoils from
what he has done, running from his creation for two years. In the end,
he spends the rest of his life in a dark dance with the creature,
attempting to forestall further horrors from being inflicted upon
humanity.

Continued here
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Editor's Note: Scientists whose work suddenly raises the red flag -
for example, those whose work gets labeled "potential dual-use
research of concern" - often balk at the imposition of restrictions
and the requirement of deeper reflection. The lure of technical
sweetness, of continuing to pursue success in their area of expertise,
makes it hard for those scientists to see, much less weigh seriously,
the downsides of their work.

Work

This Essential Element of the Power Grid Is in Critically Short Supply
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To Nick de Vries, chief technology officer at the solar-energy
developer Silicon Ranch, a transformer is like an interstate on-ramp:
It boosts the voltage of the electricity that his solar plants
generate to match the voltage of grid transmission lines.

Work

Goodbye Train Gates? New Suica Promises Gate-Free Travel in Japan
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
Keep all you devices connected in Japan - rent a pocket wifi device!
Available for hotel pickup or delivered to your airport. Fast speeds
and backed by excellent customer service. (Note: Affiliate link -
Unseen Japan earns a commission if you make a purchase.















Work

Mastercard and JPMorgan Link Up to Bring Foreign Exchange on the
Blockchain
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Mastercard (MA) has connected its blockchain-based system for shifting
tokenized assets, the Multi-Token Network (MTN), with JPMorgan's (JPM)
recently rebranded digital assets business Kinexys (formerly known as
Onyx).

Work

Amazon says developers spend 'just one hour per day' on actual coding
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BYDevelopers get stuck completing tedious tasks.














Work

New AI stroke brain scan readings are twice as accurate as current
method
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New AI software can read the brain scans of patients who have had a
stroke, to more accurately pinpoint when it happened and help doctors
work out whether it can be successfully treated.

Work

IEA lifts 2025 oil-demand forecast but expects growth to remain
subdued - WSJ (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
The agency cited Chinas stimulus measures in increasing its estimates














Work

Infamous 'sofa problem' that boggled mathematicians for decades may
finally have a solution
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The math problem delineates the largest-size sofa that can fit around
a corner of a given width -- exactly the problem faced by the
characters in an episode of "Friends" that aired in 1999.

Work

The PGA Tour and LIVs Saudi backers have a dealbut theres one holdup -
WSJ (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
When the PGA Tour announced a stunning alliance with the Saudi backers
of LIV Golf that it had spent months battling on and off the course,
the plan was for the two sides to have a final agreement by the end of
the year.














Work

China comes out swinging as Trump trade war looms - WSJ (No paywall)
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Recent moves on Nvidia, critical minerals and drones signal the sort
of retaliatory measures Beijing could use to hit back against US.

Work

Hamas concedes on Israeli troops in Gaza, raising hopes for hostage
deal - WSJ (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
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Hamas has yielded to two of Israels key demands for a cease-fire deal
in Gaza, Arab mediators said, raising hopes of an agreement that could
release some hostages within days despite the repeated collapse of
previous negotiations.














Work

Get ready for long thinking, AIs next leap forward - WSJ (No paywall)
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Nvidia s chief executive made a passing reference late in the companys
most recent earnings call that deserves much more attention than it
got even if it was understandably overshadowed by $35.1 billion in
quarterly revenue, driven 94% higher by customers ravenous demand for
AI chips.

Work

Mark Zuckerbergs Meta donates $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund -
WSJ (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
Meta Platforms has donated $1 million to president-elect Donald Trumps
inaugural fund, the latest step by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to bolster his
once-fraught relationship with the incoming president.














Work

Its Time for CFOs to Rethink Scenario Planning - Harvard Business
Review (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
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As companies navigate todays complex business and geopolitical
landscape, CFOs have seen risk management rise to the top of their
priorities. Theyre increasingly using scenario planning as a key tool
to manage risk and strategically unlock new value-creation
opportunities. This involves three approaches: 1) Being rigorous and
cross-functional, integrating scenario planning into the companys
strategic framework; 2) Being outward looking and externally informed
by staying ahead of the curve on regulatory updates and policy trends;
and 3) Continually refreshing and monitoring scenarios, incorporating
new and emerging data, and translating insights into compelling
stories that help stakeholders grasp not only the financial
implications of scenarios, but also the strategic rationale behind key
decisions.

Work

In a threat to patient trust, Texas hospitals must ask Are you a U.S.
citizen? - STAT (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
As a first-generation immigrant, much of my childhood was spent in a
state of perpetual uncertainty. My family and I fixated on an
ever-refreshing screen, patiently watching our status shift from H-1B
visa to green card holder to citizen over 14 long years. Yet amid this
endless cycle of anxiety, one place surprisingly gave me solace: the
hospital. As a long-time patient of Texas Childrens Hospital, I saw
early on how health care stood apart a field untouched by the grasp of
immigration status, a space where humanity held precedence over
nationality.














Work

Executive 'hit lists' and wanted posters: NYPD warns about threats to
executives
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A New York Police Department bulletin issued Tuesday emphasized the
heightened risk environment for health care executives following last
week's brazen killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Work

Meta Donates $1 Million To Trumps Inaugural Fund Weeks After CEO
Zuckerberg Met President-Elect - Forbes (No paywall)
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Meta has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural
fund, the company confirmed to various news outlets on Wednesday, a
move that comes just weeks after its CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with
Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in an apparent bid to mend years of
strained ties.













Work

What do the gods of generative AI have in store for 2025? - The
Economist (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
THE 12 DAYS of Christmas are meant to start on December 25th. But not
in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). On December 5th OpenAI,
maker of ChatGPT, began a blizzard of product shipments dubbed,
gratingly, the 12 days of shipmas.It has included a full roll-out of
Sora, its video-generation tool, as well as Canvas, a writing and
coding product.

Work

South Korea's Leader Holds Onto Power as the Net Closes In
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Rival political parties on Wednesday wrangled over when and how
President Yoon Suk Yeol should be removed from office, as the police
and prosecutors investigating possible insurrection charges closed in
on him a week after his ill-fated declaration of martial law. Police
officers showed up at Mr.

Work

Searching for Loved Ones in a Newly Liberated Syrian Prison - The New
Yorker (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
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On Wednesday, at Sednaya, a political prison in Syria, hundreds of
people prowled the grounds. It was the third day after an astonishing
rebel offensive deposed Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled as a tyrant
during thirteen years of vicious civil war. After the rebels swept
into Damascus, the jailers had fled Sednaya, and the prisoners had
been set free. The visitors on Wednesday were relatives of men who
were known to have been held there but had not reappeared. On the
grass outside, burned black in places by recent fires, groups of them
camped out in a grim limbo.

Work

Dollars surge sparks biggest fall in emerging market currencies in 2
years - FT (No paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
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Developing economies also suffering from confluence of bad news

Work

Inflation Gives Fed Green Light for Cut in December - Bloomberg (No
paywall) [[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
[[link removed]}&lead=419599&emailid=109829&nl=daily]
Markets raise bets policymakers will lower rates next week Officials
expected to dial back projected cuts for next year

Work

Nancy Mace doubles down on attack comments amid handshake claims
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South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace has doubled down on claims
she was assaulted after witnesses contradicted her account, claiming
the suspect merely shook her hand and asked her to support the rights
of transgender people.

Work

The danger of Trumps promise to pardon J6 defendants
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If you believe in the work we do at Vox, please support us by becoming
a member. Our mission has never been more urgent. But our work isnt
easy. It requires resources, dedication, and independence. And thats
where you come in.

Work

Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark Discusses the Progress and Promise
of Womens Sport
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TIME Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark shared her excitement for the
future of the WNBAand womens sports as a wholeduring a conversation
with NBC sports producer and broadcaster Maria Taylor at the A Year in
TIME event in New York on Dec. 11.

Work

120 Miles of Russian Forest Couldn't Keep These Two Tigers Apart
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When Russian scientists released a pair of orphaned Amur tiger cubs
into the wild in a remote corner of Russia's far east in 2014, they
were trying to save a species.

Work

Hundreds of bookstore staffers receive holiday bonuses from author
James Patterson
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Staffers at Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama, San Francisco's
City Lights Books and The Nook in Cedar Falls, Iowa, are among 600
booksellers receiving $500 holiday bonuses from James Patterson NEW
YORK -- Staffers at Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama, San
Francisco's City Lights Books a

Work

Uber Japan launches taxi service for teenagers
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Uber Japan said Wednesday that it has launched a new service to help
children aged 13 to 17 safely use taxis, such as on their way to
extracurricular activities.

Work

EPA awards $135 million to California to phase out big diesel trucks
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding
$135 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the
state wean off fossil fuels and phase out big rigs that run on diesel.

Work

Are you underperforming as a Leader?
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How often do you find yourself wondering if you're doing your job
well? The actions and decisions of a leader have a greater impact than
those of an individual contributor and can be a hindrance to the
progress of the team and the organization.

Work

Cruise's demise will cost Microsoft $800 million.
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In a regulatory filing, Microsoft said it would "record an impairment
charge of approximately $800 million in the second quarter of fiscal
year 2025" tied to GM's decision to defund its robotaxi subsidiary
Cruise.

Work

Australia lays fiendish tax trap for Meta - with an expensive escape
hatch
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Australia has created a tax that only big tech companies must pay -
but which they can also legally avoid by paying money to Aussie news
publishers.

Work

Meta Donates $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund
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Meta said on Wednesday that it had donated $1 million to
President-elect Donald J. Trump's inaugural fund, in the latest move
by Mark Zuckerberg, the company's chief executive, to foster a
positive rapport with Mr. Trump.

Work

The Key Players to Know to Understand What's Happening in Syria
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Few saw it coming. The sudden and dramatic fall of Bashar al-Assad's
regime in Syria came on Sunday after over a decade of brutal conflict.

Work

Afghanistan: Women Artists Help Drive Resistance to Taliban
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Afghan women artists are playing a vital role in the women's movement
resisting Taliban abuses, and their contributions--and art--should be
recognized, Human Rights Watch said today in a new web feature.

Work

How Denver International Airport became one of the fastest-growing
airports in the world
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Last year was Denver International Airport's busiest on record. While
airline stocks have yet to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels,
passengers have returned in droves -- and millions of them are flying
through the Colorado hub.

Work

Canada euthanasia now accounts for nearly one in 20 deaths
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The rate of medical assistance in dying - also known as euthanasia -
has grown in Canada for the fifth straight year, albeit at a slower
pace.

Work

Facebook, Google and TikTok will be forced to fund Australian
journalism under new tax plan from government
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Facebook, Google and TikTok will be forced to fund Australian
journalism regardless of whether they host it, under a federal
government plan to impose a new tax to push the tech platforms to make
funding agreements with news organisations.

Work

Harvard Is Releasing a Massive Free AI Training Dataset Funded by
OpenAI and Microsoft
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Harvard University announced Thursday it's releasing a high-quality
dataset of nearly one million public-domain books that could be used
by anyone to train large language models and other AI tools.

Work

Apple reportedly building AI server processor with help from Broadcom
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Apple is reportedly working with chip giant Broadcom to develop a
custom server processor to power the AI services and features built
into its operating systems.

Work

The cochlear question as the parent of a deaf baby should I give her
an implant to help her hear
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I knew my daughter could hear: not just because she loved music, but
because she had perfect rhythm. She punched her fists in the air like
a human metronome, and brought a doughy heel to the ground precisely
on each downbeat.

Work

Bowel cancer rising among under50s worldwide research finds
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The number of under-50s being diagnosed with bowel cancer is
increasing worldwide, according to research that also reveals rates
are rising faster in England than almost any other country.

Work

Ukraine's Cheap Trolley Drones May Have Blasted An Important Russian
Airplane Factory
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The airfield at Taganrog, in southern Russia fewer than 100 miles from
the front line in Ukraine, is a favorite target for Ukraine's growing
arsenal of deep-strike munitions.

Work

Why Google's quantum computing breakthrough is such a big deal
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Google's new Willow chip may not show up in consumer products in the
near future -- however, quantum computing researchers say it
represents a significant breakthrough in the field.

Work

The Underrated Juice That Can Lower Blood Sugar, Burn Fat, And Prevent
Illness All At Once
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In the aforementioned 2024 trial, elderberry juice was shown to
improve fat oxidation by 27% in addition to reducing blood sugar
levels. Drinking elderberry juice for seven days caused participants'
systems to more efficiently burn body fat.

Work

Noninvasive imaging method can penetrate deeper into living tissue
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Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and
scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help
them assess disease progression and treatment responses.

Work

Tesla loses its head of Autopilot HW engineering to Amazon's
self-driving effort
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Tesla has lost its long-time head of Autopilot hardware engineering to
Amazon's self-driving company, Zoox. Zheng Gao has been at Tesla for
more than 8 years and for the last three, he has been the head of
Autopilot hardware engineering.

Work

Mathematicians Uncover a New Way to Count Prime Numbers
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To make progress on one of number theory's most elementary questions,
two mathematicians turned to an unlikely source. Introduction A new
proof has brought mathematicians one step closer to understanding the
hidden order of those "atoms of arithmetic," the prime numbers.

Work

What Just Hit the Moon?
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Daichi Fujii can't get enough of the flashy skies. The astronomer and
curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum recently captured videos of
bright flashes on the Moon, which coincide with the Geminid meteor
showers. Ergo: Some of these fireballs may be hitting our rocky
satellite.

Work

Music tells the story of our lives and trusty old Last.fm does it
better than gaudy Spotify Wrapped
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Like many music fans with a conscience, I use Spotify begrudgingly. I
need to listen to a vast amount of music for work; I want to listen to
a vast amount of music for fun, and I would have to forgo groceries if
I attempted to buy it all.

Work

How A Food Blogger In Gaza Cooks To Feed Children And Stay Alive |
Insider Docs | Business Insider
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Before the war, Hamada Shaqoura was a food blogger. Now, he spends his
days cooking to feed children and displaced people in Gaza. And he
figured out a way to reach millions on social media without saying a
word. His intense stare at the camera as he cooks various dishes has
been easy for many to un

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