Technology and Science News Roundup

In recent weeks, several significant developments have taken place in the fields of technology, science, and law. In California, a new law known as the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) has come into effect, allowing residents to request the deletion of their personal data from over 500 data brokers. This law is considered one of the strictest in the nation and is expected to have a significant impact on the way data is handled and protected. According to the California Privacy Protection Agency, data brokers actively scour various sources for information about individuals, which is then packaged and sold to marketers, private investigators, and others. The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog has reported that brokers collect a wide range of information, including financial data, purchases, family situations, eating habits, and entertainment preferences. With the new law, Californians can now submit a single demand to have their data deleted and no longer collected in the future. In other news, astronomers have made a significant discovery related to the star Betelgeuse. Using new observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, researchers have detected a companion star to Betelgeuse, which is generating a dense wake of gas that expands outward. This discovery sheds light on the strange and unusual behavior of the giant star and helps scientists understand how it behaves and evolves. Researchers have also made progress in understanding the evolution of the human brain. A new study has found that changes to the gut microbiome can alter the way the brain works, and that microbes may play a key role in shaping differences in brain function across different primate species. The study, which was conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, involved implanting gut microbes from large-brain primate species into microbe-free mice and observing the effects on the mice's brains. In addition to these developments, scientists have been studying the behavior of simple organisms, such as worms, and their role in shaping their environments. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have discovered that worms can act as "particle sweepers," using their movement to clean their surroundings of tiny particles. This behavior is not driven by intelligence, but rather by the worms' natural undulating motion and flexibility. Furthermore, researchers have made new discoveries about the formation and dissolution of minerals. A multidisciplinary team has used detailed molecular imaging and modeling to study the mechanisms of gibbsite crystal formation and dissolution. The study has broad implications for managing nuclear waste, predicting soil weathering, and designing advanced bioproducts and materials. In the world of technology, Amazon has released its new generative AI assistant, Alexa+, to the general public through an early access website. The website allows users to access Alexa+ without the need for a supporting device, and the service will eventually be included with Amazon Prime memberships or available for a monthly fee. Meanwhile, SanDisk has announced that it will be discontinuing its WD Blue and Black SSDs and replacing them with new "Optimus" drives. The Optimus drives will have the same model numbers as the WD SSDs and will continue to offer fast NVMe storage. In gaming news, BioWare's Anthem will soon be completely unplayable, as the game's servers are scheduled to shut down on January 12. The game was first released in 2019 and received mixed reviews, and despite efforts to overhaul the game, it ultimately failed to gain traction with players. Finally, the television producer and host Stewart Cheifet, who documented the personal computer revolution on PBS, has passed away at the age of 87. Cheifet created and hosted Computer Chronicles, which ran on PBS from 1983 to 2002 and helped demystify the world of personal computing for millions of viewers. These are just a few of the many developments that have taken place in the fields of technology, science, and law in recent weeks. As our understanding of the world and the universe continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see what new discoveries and advancements are made in the future. Sources: The nation’s strictest privacy law just took effect, to data brokers’ chagrin, Betelgeuse's elusive companion star: Siwarha's 'wake' detected, Microbes may hold the key to brain evolution, Worms as particle sweepers: How simple movement, not intelligence, drives environmental order, Discoveries rewrite how some minerals form and dissolve, Anna’s Archive loses .org domain, says suspension likely unrelated to Spotify piracy, Stewart Cheifet, PBS host who chronicled the PC revolution, dies at 87, Amazon Alexa+ released to the general public via an early access website, SanDisk says goodbye to WD Blue and Black SSDs, hello to new “Optimus” drives, BioWare’s Anthem will soon be completely unplayable.