Brain implant, new Universal theme park, and slowest animals.

Adam Rogers
January 31, 2024

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Big Stories

A microchip has been inserted into a human brain for the first time.

Elon Musk announced on Twitter that his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, implanted the chip on Sunday and that the patient is “recovering well.” He also said that “initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” He didn’t provide additional details on the patient.
The chip is the size of a large coin and is implanted in the skull with tiny wires that connect to parts of the brain that control movement intention. The initial goal of the device is to allow patients to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.
Elon Musk has big plans for Neuralink even though the viability and safety of the implant haven’t been proven. Most of the company’s competitors plan to limit the device’s use to medical applications. However, Musk has said that he envisions making an implant available to consumers to constantly record their lives and allow them to access the information on command.

Disguised Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops killed three members of Palestinian militant groups in a raid of a hospital in the West Bank.

CCTV footage shows troops entering the hospital, disguised as civilians and medical workers, in the city of Jenin. They killed three men who were members of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli officials said that the men they killed were using the hospital as a hideout and that one of them was planning an attack similar to the one on October 7th. The head of surgery at the hospital said that the man was a patient, paralyzed and using a wheelchair.
Doctors at the hospital said the U.N. needs to draw a line that prohibits IDF from invading medical facilities during operations. Israel has come under fire for targeting Gaza hospitals. However, Hamas historically has used hospitals and civilian neighborhoods for operations to shield themselves during Israeli raids.

The toy store that inspired the movie “Toy Story” is closing down.

Jeffrey’s Toys will close permanently on February 10 after operating in San Francisco for 85 years. The great-grandson of its founder worked in the shop growing up which later inspired him to create “Toy Story” after he got a job as an animator at Pixar.
The owners blame the shift to online shopping as well as the increase in crime in San Francisco’s downtown as reasons for the closure.
The pandemic also had a lasting effect on the business. Many companies moved out of downtown SF which has led to fewer office workers stopping in. The city also hasn’t done much to curb crime forcing many other flagship retail stores to shutter.

Baltimore Orioles ownership has agreed to sell the team to two private equity billionaires for $1.725 billion. Major League Baseball still has to approve the deal and is meeting next week. The Orioles’ lease agreement with the city of Baltimore was recently extended for 15 years. (More)

UPS announced that it will cut 12,000 jobs to save around $1 billion in costs. The company lost a lot of business last year because customers switched providers amid concerns that service would be interrupted by a possible strike. It has only won back 60% of that lost business. (More)

Universal Studios Orlando Resort will open a new theme park next year. Five different worlds will make up the park, including Super Mario World, a new Harry Potter world, How to Train Your Dragon world, a Dark Universe world, and Celestial Park which will connect all the others. (More)

It turns out that insects aren’t attracted to porch lights. Recent studies found that bugs seemed to turn their backs to light and try to fly so their back is always facing the light source. This mechanism helps them orient themselves when flying in a dark forest but causes them to flutter in confusion around artificial lights. (More)

US figure skaters have officially been awarded a gold medal for their team performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Russia had initially won gold during the games but one of their skaters, Kamila Valieva, took a cardiac medication that is banned as a performance-enhancing drug. The final ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday disqualified her performance, handing America its first-ever team Olympic skating gold. (More)

A tough New Hampshire woman survived being compacted in a garbage truck.

Meet the slowest land animals on Earth.

A two-year-old is the youngest ever to hike to Everest base camp.

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