By Jack Queen Comedian Sarah Silverman and two authors have filed copyright infringement lawsuits against Meta Platforms and

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OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 7, 2023--

Nvidia, a chip technology company, became a trillion dollar enterprise this week and the world’s newest tech giant. Here are a few key...

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The reality of what lies within our oceans has fascinated people since time immemorial, so it’s no wonder we’ve created countless myths about the watery depths. But step aside, Atlantis, scientists have discovered a real Lost City beneath the waves, and this one is teaming with life. The rocky, towering landscape is located west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge mountain range, hundreds of metres below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, and consists of massive walls, columns and monoliths stretching more than 60 metres (200ft) tall. To be clear, it’s not the home of some long-forgotten human civilisation, but that doesn’t make its existence any less significant. The hydrothermal field, dubbed the “Lost City” upon its discovery in the year 2000, is the longest-lived venting environment known in the ocean, Science Alert reports. Nothing else like it has ever been found on Earth, and experts think it could offer an insight into ecosystems that could exist elsewhere in the universe. For more than 120,000 years, snails, crustaceans and microbial communities have fed off the field’s vents, which spout out hydrogen, methane and other dissolved gases into the surrounding water. Despite the absence of oxygen down there, larger animals also survive in this extreme environment, including crabs, shrimps and eels. Although, they are, admittedly, rare. The hydrocarbons produced by its vents were not created by sunlight or carbon dioxide, but by chemical reactions way down on the seafloor. This is how life on our planet may have originated some 3.7 billion years, and how it could be formed on others. "This is an example of a type of ecosystem that could be active on Enceladus or Europa right this second," microbiologist William Brazelton told The Smithsonian back in 2018, referring to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter respectively. "And maybe Mars in the past." The tallest of the Lost City’s monoliths has been named Poseidon, after the Greek god of the sea, and it measures more than 60 metres high. Meanwhile, just northeast of the tower, is a cliffside where the vents “weep” with fluid, producing "clusters of delicate, multi-pronged carbonate growths that extend outward like the fingers of upturned hands", according to researchers at the University of Washington. There are now calls for the Lost City to be listed as a World Heritage site to protect the natural phenomenon, particularly given humans’ propensity to destroy precious ecosystems. Back in 2018, it was confirmed that Poland had won the rights to mine the deep sea around the thermal field. And whilst, in theory, the Lost City would not be touched by such works, as Science Alert notes, the destruction of its surroundings could have unintended consequences. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Offenders are using virtual reality (VR) to groom and sexually abuse children, as well as share illegal images of abuse, according to new research from the NSPCC. A report commissioned by the children’s charity on VR and immersive technologies said the online spaces at the heart of the technology are being used by offenders to not only interact with children, but also to simulate acts of abuse. It warned that offenders are being desensitised to their own behaviour because of the anonymity such spaces provide through their use of customisable, digital avatars to represent each person present, which the report said offenders are using to hide behind. Virtual reality platforms are based around a person wearing a headset, which immerses them in a virtual world where they can see and interact with other users as well as consume content, and is seen by some as the next iteration of the internet. However, the study warned that these VR worlds invite the creation of tighter-knit offender communities, which could be used to share child sexual abuse material and lead to an escalation in harmful behaviours. These shocking findings should be a wake-up call to us all about the harm young people are facing when engaging with immersive technology Richard Collard, NSPCC In response, the NSPCC has called on tech firms to do more to ensure virtual reality platforms are safe by design by introducing better child safety features and reporting systems. It has also called on the Government to provide more guidance, funding and learning opportunities to law enforcement on how to deal with virtual reality platforms. And with the Online Safety Bill due to continue its passage through Parliament this week, the charity said the Government should review the Bill’s safety regime on a regular basis to ensure that it keeps up with emerging technologies and harms to make sure they are adequately covered under the law. Richard Collard, head of child safety policy at the NSPCC, said: “These shocking findings should be a wake-up call to us all about the harm young people are facing when engaging with immersive technology. “Technology will continue to progress, and so must we to ensure that we can understand the existing and emerging risks that young people face in these virtual spaces. “As the Online Safety Bill completes its passage through Parliament, it is vital that new and emerging technology forms a crucial part of the online safety regime. “This will only be made possible through clear collaboration between educators, parents, policymakers, and the technology industry.” Earlier this year, crime statistics data obtained from police forces in England and Wales by the NSPCC showed that virtual reality was recorded eight times in crime reports, the first time the technology has been specifically mentioned, the charity said. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns Warner Music sign first digital character Noonoouri and release debut single Met should thoroughly investigate cyber security practices, say experts

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 7, 2023--

Try your hand at the 1913 diamond grid that kicked off the crossword puzzle craze.