Mike Johns had a strange ride in a self-driving taxi in Los Angeles that made him spin in circles in a car park. The company that made the taxi, Waymo, fixed the problem with an update to their system.
Key Facts
Mike Johns's ride in a driverless taxi went in circles in a car park.
He got stuck in the taxi because the car was not doing what it was supposed to do.
Johns made a video which became very popular and was shown on TV around the world.
The taxi was made by a company named Waymo, which is owned by the same company that owns Google.
Waymo fixed the problem with a software update.
This is not the first problem for Waymo. Last year, they had to bring back more than 600 cars after one hit a pole.
Waymo runs self-driving taxis in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas and is planning to start in Atlanta and Miami, Florida too.
Other companies like General Motors and Apple have stopped working on self-driving cars, but Waymo and others are still trying to make them work.
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A storm named Babet caused flooding at Claire Sneddon's home in Nottingham, UK in 2023. Since the flooding, new technology is being created to help people understand the risks of such disasters, and the UK Environment Agency has updated its information on flood risks.
Key Facts
Claire Sneddon's house in Nottingham, UK was flooded by Storm Babet in 2023.
She was told her house was safe from floods when she bought it in 2021, but the storm caused damage that took nearly a year to repair.
Sneddon's insurance bill for the damages was around 45,000 pounds.
Climate change makes natural disasters like floods more likely.
The UK Environment Agency updated its National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) in December, which shows how much flood risk there is from rivers, the sea, and rainfall for England.
According to the updated NaFRA data, 6.3 million houses in England are at risk from floods, which could increase to eight million by 2050.
The Environment Agency is working on a website to help people understand their flood risk.
A company called Climate X is creating digital tools which can show what might happen during extreme weather. Banks and property companies are testing these tools.
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Farmers and researchers are adopting automated tools to reduce labor needs, manage costs and improve farming efficiency. But high prices, limits on what machines can do and concerns about the effects on farm workers have slowed adoption, especially among smaller farms.
Key Facts
A farmer named Ford installed a solar-powered underground irrigation system on his five-acre farm in Homestead, Florida, to use less water and reduce labor needs.
Farm automation may help address labor shortages, control costs, protect workers from extreme heat and improve planting and harvesting accuracy.
Driverless tractors and satellite-guided autosteer systems are used on some farms, but they still require human oversight.
Robotic harvesting is difficult for delicate or irregularly shaped crops, including berries and citrus fruit.
Researchers Xin Zhang and colleagues are developing robotic arms to pick berries, but Zhang said it is unclear when the machine will be ready for consumers.
Frank James of Dakota Rural Action said his family's autosteer system cannot detect field moisture and can complicate equipment maintenance.
Some farmers and workers worry that machines may not perform as well as human workers and could affect farm employment.
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Sierra Butler, a teacher with severe lupus, joined a new clinical trial using CAR-T therapy, a treatment that changes a patient’s immune cells to fight disease. CAR-T, mostly used for cancer, is being tested to treat lupus by targeting the cells causing inflammation, offering hope to patients who do not respond to regular treatments.
Key Facts
Sierra Butler suffered from lupus, which damaged her heart and caused severe symptoms.
She was hospitalized multiple times and required emergency heart surgery in 2020.
Her regular lupus treatments were not working, leading to a referral to the Cleveland Clinic.
Butler’s condition improved significantly with new drug treatments before joining the CAR-T therapy trial.
CAR-T therapy involves changing a patient’s immune cells to attack harmful cells causing lupus.
This therapy has shown success in early studies, with some patients achieving remission and stopping all medications.
The treatment targets overactive B-cells responsible for inflammation in lupus patients.
The therapy is experimental and part of a complex clinical trial with very few participants.
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An 18-month-old girl named Opal Sandy, born deaf due to a genetic problem, can now hear thanks to a new gene therapy. The treatment involved giving her a healthy copy of the faulty gene, and after several weeks she began responding to quiet sounds and started talking.
Key Facts
Opal was born completely deaf because of a mutation in the OTOF gene, which affects hearing.
The gene therapy was given in a 16-minute surgery before her first birthday at Cambridge University.
The therapy delivered a working copy of the OTOF gene directly to her right ear.
Within weeks, Opal could hear loud sounds; after 24 weeks, she could hear whispers and near-normal sounds.
After treatment, Opal stopped using her cochlear implant, a device that helps deaf people hear.
Opal started saying simple words like “Mama” and “Dada” following the therapy.
The gene therapy is part of a trial involving children in the UK, U.S., and Spain.
The therapy is produced by American company Regeneron and has shown no adverse effects in Opal.
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The movie "Interstellar," directed by Christopher Nolan, is being shown again in theaters using an old-style, very large film format called 70mm IMAX. A reporter from CBS News visited the projection booth where the movie is being played this way.
Key Facts
"Interstellar" is directed by Christopher Nolan.
The movie is receiving a special release in theaters on 70mm IMAX film.
70mm IMAX is a large, traditional film format known for high image quality.
CBS News reporter David Morgan visited the projection booth showing the film.
This release highlights the use of old-school film technology rather than digital projection.
The experience is meant to offer viewers a unique, immersive way to watch the movie.
The story focuses on a futuristic, science fiction theme.
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Neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta discusses ways to keep the brain healthy and reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. He emphasizes lifestyle habits such as good diet, regular exercise, enough sleep, and social activities as important steps for brain health.
Key Facts
Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon and CNN medical commentator.
He wrote a book called "Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age."
Gupta studies the brain and how dementia, including Alzheimer's, begins.
He recommends a healthy diet to support brain function.
Paige Thompson, a former Amazon employee from Seattle, is charged with stealing personal data from over 100 million Capital One customers. She also reportedly threatened a California social media company and openly discussed the hack on online forums before her arrest.
Key Facts
Paige Thompson is 33 years old and worked as a software engineer at Amazon Web Services.
She allegedly hacked Capital One starting in March, stealing data from credit applications.
The stolen data affected more than 100 million Capital One customers.
Thompson reportedly threatened to "shoot up" an unidentified social media company in May.
Seattle police filed a report about the threat after the company notified them.
Thompson openly talked about the hack on social media and messaging platforms like Slack and IRC.
She created a hacker group called "Seattle Warez Kiddies" in April.
Her roommate, Park Quan, was arrested for illegally possessing 20 weapons.
Thompson is in federal custody and has a detention hearing scheduled for August 15.
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Paige Thompson, a 33-year-old former Amazon worker, was arrested by the FBI for stealing personal data from over 100 million Capital One customers. She also claimed to have data from other companies and government groups, and she admitted online that she expected to get caught.
Key Facts
Paige Thompson worked at Amazon and other companies over 12 years, often holding short-term jobs.
She used the online name "erratic" to talk about the hacking on social media.
She stole data affecting more than 100 million Capital One customers.
FBI agents found digital evidence connected to Capital One and Thompson’s former employer after searching her home.
Thompson posted messages online suggesting she wanted to share the stolen information and expected to be found out.
She showed signs of emotional distress, including posting about personal struggles and thinking about mental health support.
A judge ordered Thompson to stay in jail after her arrest, with a bail hearing set soon.
A former employer called her a skilled ethical hacker, but the FBI says she broke the law.
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Catherine Bott discusses software that can fix out-of-tune singing. This software is used to correct pitch and is also a tool for creative music production.
Key Facts
The software can adjust singing that is out of tune.
It is used to make singers sound better by correcting their pitch.
Besides fixing pitch, it can help musicians be creative.
Catherine Bott spoke about this technology on a program.
The discussion lasted 28 minutes.
This program is accessible on BBC Sounds.
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Hannah Hart, from San Francisco, creates a popular web series called "My Drunk Kitchen," where she cooks while drinking alcohol. She started the series in March, and some episodes have over 900,000 views, making her an internet celebrity focused on comedy and cooking.
Key Facts
Hannah Hart is 24 years old and moved to New York City to work in comedy.
She started "My Drunk Kitchen" as a fun project to share with a friend.
The show features her cooking while drinking, often with humorous results.
Some videos have reached hundreds of thousands of views, with the "Brunch" episode having over 900,000 views.
The series mixes cooking with comedy and has gained a strong following online.
FeedForward is a new show that introduces internet celebrities like Hannah Hart.
The article promotes her website, Twitter, and YouTube channel for more content.
The production team includes Will Goodman as co-producer and Felipe Maya as videographer/editor.
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