A Look Under The Hood Of The Most Successful Streaming Service On The Planet

Plus, a fossil of a snake-like lizard has generated controversy beyond its identity.
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/health

Technology For Detecting Skin Cancer Is Forging Ahead — But Not For People Of Color, Apparently | Mic

TECHNOLOGY FOR DETECTING SKIN CANCER IS FORGING AHEAD — BUT NOT FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, APPARENTLY

Artificial intelligence has drawn scrutiny for perpetuating the biases of those developing it. Now, a new analysis reveals an insidious way that AI can widen racial health disparities. Researchers found that the datasets used to train AI programs to detect skin cancer include hardly any images of dark skin, according to a National Cancer Research Institute press release. Simply put, this technology is being optimized for light skin. Mic

/money

Where To Invest $100,000 Right Now According To Experts - Masterworks.io | [Partner]

WHERE TO INVEST $100,000 RIGHT NOW ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

Today, investors face a dilemma. Inflation is rising. Top equity firms like Goldman Sachs predict returns under 5% until 2035. The pandemic has disrupted markets. Finding promising investments is harder than ever. Recently, experts at Bloomberg overwhelmingly favored investing in alternative assets like art. Here's why: (1) Contemporary art appreciated 14% annually on average from 1995 to 2020. (2) The global value of art is expected to grow by $1 trillion by 2026. (3) Billionaire collectors allocate 10–30% of their portfolios to art. With Masterworks.io, the $1B fintech company, you can invest in multimillion-dollar art similarly to stocks. Futurist Subscribers get priority access. [Partner]

/media

A Look Under The Hood Of The Most Successful Streaming Service On The Planet | The Verge

A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STREAMING SERVICE ON THE PLANET

A service's guts, the engineering behind the app itself, are the foundation of any streamer's success, and Netflix has spent the last 10 years building out an expansive server network called Open Connect in order to avoid many modern streaming headaches. It's the thing that's allowed Netflix to serve up a far more reliable experience than its competitors and not falter when some 111 million users tuned in to Squid Game during its earliest weeks on the service. The Verge

/gear

Fellas, Get Your Nether Region Under Control | Boing Boing

FELLAS, GET YOUR NETHER REGION UNDER CONTROL

No more stewing in sweatpants for weeks on end, folks. While it was tempting to throw personal hygiene caution to the wind when Zoom was the full extent of your social interaction, it's time to start putting effort back into your appearance. You're going to meet new people. Some of them are going to be potential lovers. And according to 96 percent of partners, bad grooming is a major turnoff. And that assessment doesn't stop at a haircut or fresh breath. Boing Boing

/exterior

@inga_jepsaite on Instagram

/cosmos

How Astronomers Piece Together Surfaces Of Invisible Alien Worlds | Big Think

HOW ASTRONOMERS PIECE TOGETHER SURFACES OF INVISIBLE ALIEN WORLDS

The Universe is filled with planets. Astronomers have so far confirmed more than 4,500 worlds, with more than 1,500 of these being rocky terrestrial planets. Within our Solar System, the rocky planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — are quite different from each other. But once you begin to look at systems around other stars, the diversity we see in our Solar System is left in the dust. These distant worlds can be amazingly bizarre, unlike anything we have imagined. Some are super-earths, some rain rocks. Some have winds that rage at thousands of kilometers an hour, and others are made of diamond. Big Think

/noms

Make Better Coffee, Do Some Good | I'm Not A Barista

MAKE BETTER COFFEE, DO SOME GOOD

For some, coffee is a thing they chug before work without much thought. For others, it's an art form. And both parties could benefit from a bit of coffee education. For an unexpected gift this season, check out this collaborative brewing guide. This collection of recipes from around the world, tested by coffee experts and skilled homebrewers, will help anyone level up their coffee experience, whether using AeroPress, pour-over, French press, or Moka pot methods. Each recipe card represents a real coffee lover or a barista champion who you can reach out to, whether because you want to learn from them, show gratitude for their work, or simply bond over your shared passion for coffee. For the team behind the guide, it's not just about the recipes — it's about connecting people on a global scale and empowering baristas who've been affected by the pandemic. With the launch of the #tipabarista charity campaign, it's easy to donate to those in need whether or not you choose to purchase a brewing guide. I'm Not A Barista

/wild

A Fossil Of A Snake-Like Lizard Has Generated Controversy Beyond Its Identity | The Conversation

A FOSSIL OF A SNAKE-LIKE LIZARD HAS GENERATED CONTROVERSY BEYOND ITS IDENTITY

More than 120 million years ago in what is now modern Brazil, an ancient waterway was filled with all manner of strange creatures. These included dinosaurs, pterosaurs, sharks, bony fishes, a dizzying array of insects, strange plants, and an oddly long and small lizard: Tetrapodophis amplectus. In 2015, the journal Science published a paper claiming that this elongate lizard was a snake with four legs. The discovery of such a specimen could tell us a great deal about the pattern and process of snake evolution — if it was indeed a snake. The Conversation

/posted

@federicoprevedello on Instagram

/bites

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