Picture Perfect
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards isn’t letting a pandemic hold it back. This year’s finalists for funniest animal photos are in and you need to see them all. What’s your favorite? Via Digg
Riches to Rags
The multi-billionaire who anonymously gave away $8 billion (not million, billion) to charity has closed-up shop and is now telling his story. Your move, Bezos. Via Forbes
Robotic Voyage
These folks certainly had time on their hands. A boat with no passengers, powered by AI, will attempt to recreate the journey charted by the Mayflower back in 1620. Colonization not included.Via AP News
Greetings, Venusians
The pronounced greenhouse gas effect on Venus makes its surface uninhabitable, but scientists may have found life elsewhere on the planet. A closer look at its atmosphere shows us a cloud of gas that may have been produced by microbial life. Via NPR
Snap the Vote
Snapchat successfully converted over 400,000 of its users into newly registered voters via a Register To Vote tool within its app. Instagram, if you’re listening, please steal this feature too! Via Axios
Regrets Reporter
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is known to recommend questionable content. What’s worse: we’ve no idea how it works. That’s why we launched Regrets Reporter, letting you send us the video suggestions you regret receiving. Via The Verge; Mozilla
Did It Matter?
Mark Facebook as one fewer place where you can keep up with the Kardashians — for one day, anyway. Joining the #StopHateForProfit campaign, celebrities froze their Facebook and Instagram accounts for a day to protest the service’s profiting off of hate speech. Via BuzzFeed News
Wildfire Misinformation
A lot’s happened since the Australian fires back in January (yes, that was this year). Not only are the fires in the U.S. shaping up to be as bad, the misinformation surrounding the fires is spreading just as quickly. Via Gizmodo
Self-Driving Dilemma
When an autonomous vehicle kills a pedestrian, who’s at fault? In the case of the Uber self-driving vehicle that struck Elaine Herzberg in 2018, not Uber. Rafaela Vasquez, the safety driver in the driver seat at the time, was deemed at fault for Herzberg’s death. Via The Guardian
Trump Tracking
A new report out of MIT notes that while both U.S. presidential candidates offer smartphone apps, the “Trump 2020” app collects and uses much more data than Biden’s “Team Joe” app. Via MIT Tech Review
Conspiracy Woes
Conspiracy theorists won’t let up. A report by TIME notes how those who share false information sow distrust in traditional institutions while newer platforms like Facebook and YouTube profit. Via TIME
Pathetic
Domestic abuse is up since lockdown started and this increase has translated to revenge porn. U.K. domestic violence charity Refuge noted 1-in-7 women are receiving threats that their intimate photos would be shared online. Via BBC
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