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What’s on tap: 

• xAI drops Grok-3

• Nike partners with Skims

• The science of snowflakes

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Big Story

How the Body’s Clock Influences Eating Habits in Teens

Scientists at Brown University conducted a detailed study of 51 teenagers to understand how our body's internal clock affects eating.

• The teens spent 11 days in a controlled environment with no clocks or natural light, following a special 28-hour schedule. Each participant had six chances to eat throughout the day, and researchers carefully measured everything they ate.

• The study found that everyone, regardless of their weight, naturally ate more food in the late afternoon and evening and less in the morning. However, teens who were overweight or obese ate significantly more calories in the evening compared to those at a healthy weight. This suggests that our internal body clock, not just our daily schedule or environment, controls when and how much we eat.

• Lead researcher Mary Carskadon believes these findings could help doctors better guide teens in managing their weight. She advises that controlling light exposure might help - like getting bright light in the morning while exercising and avoiding light at night. The research team plans to study this connection further to improve meal timing for better health.

Big Story

Grok-3 Release

Elon Musk's company xAI has released a new AI model called Grok-3.

• The latest version is 10x more powerful than Grok-2 and includes new reasoning models to solve complex problems. xAI claims Grok-3 performs better than the competition including, OpenAI’s GPT-4o, Google’s Gemini, and DeepSeek’s V3.

• Grok-3 has two reasoning modes: "Think," which shows users how the AI solves problems, and "Big Brain," for handling harder tasks that need more computational power. The company is also launching Deep Search, a “next generation search engine.”

• Users can access Grok-3 through X Premium Plus, which now costs $40 per month. xAI is also introducing a new early access plan called SuperGrok for $30 per month, though it's not clear if this is a separate charge. The company plans to add voice features to Grok and will make the previous version free to the public in the coming months.

Big Story

Coca-Cola Joins Healthy Soda Game

Coca-Cola is jumping into the prebiotic soda game with Simply Pop.

• Prebiotic sodas contain special dietary fibers that feed the good bacteria in your gut. The market is growing quickly and is expected to reach $27.4 billion by 2032. With brands like Olipop and Poppi finding early success in the sector, major companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo want a piece.

• Simply Pop is made with real fruit juice, no added sugar, and prebiotic fiber to support gut health. The drinks will come in five flavors and first be available in select regions and on Amazon Fresh, with nationwide expansion planned throughout 2025.

• While nutrition experts say prebiotic sodas can be a healthier alternative to regular soda, they caution against seeing them as miracle drinks. There's limited research on how beneficial these drinks are, and some companies are fighting challenges over their health claims.

• Poppi is currently dealing with a class-action lawsuit questioning whether their drinks contain enough prebiotic fiber to provide the advertised gut health benefits.

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Quick Stories

US News

• Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has requested the USPS board find his replacement. Citing the agency's $100 billion losses since 2007, he warned major changes are needed to avoid a bailout or organizational collapse. (More)

• A federal judge denied a request to block Elon Musk and the White House’s DOGE from accessing federal data and firing employees. The judge ruled that the 14 states challenging Musk’s authority failed to prove immediate, serious harm from his actions. (More)

• Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old Native American activist who served nearly 50 years for killing two FBI agents, was released to home confinement after President Biden commuted his life sentences. (More)

World

• Tourists are swarming Mount Etna in Italy to see its recent eruption. The crowds are creating dangerous traffic jams in Catania that are blocking rescue vehicles. (More)

• Russia and the US reportedly agreed to work toward ending the Ukraine war and improving bilateral relations. Following talks, they outlined three goals: restoring embassy staffing levels in both capitals, creating a team to support Ukraine peace negotiations, and exploring enhanced diplomatic and economic cooperation. (More)

• Hamas announced plans to return four hostages' bodies Thursday, including Shiri Bibas and her children Kfir (9 months) and Ariel (4 years), who they claim died in Israeli strikes. Six living hostages will be released Saturday. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.24%, Nasdaq +0.07%, Dow +0.02%). The S&P closed at a record high as stocks rallied before closing. (More)

• Single-family homebuilder sentiment hit a five-month low in February, dropping to 42 on the Housing Market Index due to concerns about potential tariff costs. The reading is down from 48 a year ago. (More)

• Nike is partnering with Kim Kardashian's Skims to create NikeSKIMS, a new clothing and footwear brand launching this spring. Nike hopes the collaboration will attract more female customers. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• A jury found rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The verdict saved him from a possible 20-year prison sentence. (More)

• The third season premiere of “The White Lotus" drew 2.4 million viewers across HBO and Max, marking a 57% increase from Season 2 and a 155% jump from Season 1. (More)

• Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will become a free agent after failing to reach a contract agreement with the team. He rejected their late offer Monday night, saying their numbers didn't match his expectations. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A robot dog and drone, both equipped with fireworks launchers, engaged in a spectacular battle, shooting colorful fireworks at each other before the Spring Festival in China. (See Video)

• Scientists found that replacing a mouse gene with a human version linked to speech changed how the mice vocalized, suggesting this human-specific gene may have helped our ancestors talk. (More)

• Meta announced Project Waterworth, an undersea cable network spanning 31,000 miles across five continents. It will become the world's longest underwater cable system, strengthening global connectivity and powering Meta's AI capabilities across its platforms. (More)

Extra Credit

🌊 Why water is different colors in different places.

❄️ The science behind why no two snowflakes are ever alike.

🐕️ Ranking the most popular dog breeds in the US.

🏠️ America’s best and worst state capitals to live in.