Author: Geek Planet

Is that too extreme a statement? Consider the recent approval given at top levels for citation justice (citing sources on the basis of equity, not usefulness) and suppressing uncomfortable research findings (presumably to advance various causes). Just recently, a demand has arisen for accuracy in data to take a back seat to what makes people feel more comfortable. Then there are the paper mills, the impersonation scandals, the refusal to publish politically sensitive corrections, and the big time fraud. And yet science bureaucrats, moan that trust in science has cratered over the years. Some commentators ascribe the loss of trust…

Riot Platforms opened a new $500 million at-the-market equity offering this week as the bitcoin miner reported lower November production and continued to sell a large portion of its monthly output to fund operations and expansion. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, Riot said it entered into a definitive sales agreement allowing it to issue and sell up to $500 million of common stock at prevailing market prices through the Nasdaq Capital Market.  The facility replaces a prior at-the-market program established in August 2024, which Riot terminated effective Tuesday. Under the new agreement, Riot retains…

ASUS is preparing to raise prices on select PC products beginning January 5, 2026, just days before CES 2026 kicks off in Las Vegas. In a private notice circulated to partners, the Taiwanese tech giant cited rising costs of DRAM, NAND flash, and other key components as the primary reason behind the move. This makes ASUS one of the first major PC manufacturers to publicly confirm price adjustments tied to the ongoing global memory shortage, a trend that has steadily pushed component costs higher throughout 2025. Interestingly, ASUS hasn’t mentioned the exact models affected. However, it’s safe to assume that…

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Australia has taken a bold step in the battle against the negative impacts of social media on young people by banning its use for anyone under 16. This move, applauded by many parents in the U.S., has led to the shutdown of over a million accounts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and Reddit. Cybersecurity expert and privacy attorney Leeza Garber explained that Australia is using various age verification methods, such as government ID checks and live video selfies, to enforce the ban.Cybersecurity expert and privacy attorney Leeza Garber explained that Australia is using various age…

Discover why a clear separation of duties between the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is vital for effective cybersecurity and organizational success. Understanding the Roles of CIO and CISO The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) are two key roles within an organization that play crucial roles in ensuring the security and success of the organization. While both roles deal with information technology and security, they have distinct responsibilities and areas of focus. The CIO is responsible for the overall management of the organization’s IT systems and infrastructure. They are responsible…

This article is republished from Science and Culture Today. Consider Alpha School. Founded in 2014 and refashioned under tech entrepreneur Joe Liemandt, Alpha School represents a radical experiment in K–12 education — an AI-driven, mastery-based model that compresses core academics into just two hours a day. Backed by $1 billion of Liemandt’s own funding, Alpha’s TimeBack system uses adaptive AI tutoring, personalized pacing, and focused time management to accelerate learning.  Here’s Part 1.Alpha School students are said to advance an average of 2.6× faster than peers on nationally normed MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests and frequently score in the 99th percentile.…

When I first started reading the God, the Science, the Evidence (2025) by Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, my main interest was to understand how the Big Bang was understood outside the the English-speaking world. It is widely known that mathematician and astronomer Fred Hoyle (1915–2001) had named the origin of the universe the Big Bang in order to ridicule it. Astrophysicist Geoffrey Burbidge (1925–2010) accused his colleagues of “rushing off to join ‘the First Church of Christ of the Big Bang’” when evidence in support of the theory started to win the day. But isn’t that just froth on…

Key Highlights: Google is testing a new Lecture mode in NotebookLM that can generate AI-powered audio lectures lasting up to 30 minutes. The Lecture format focuses on single-host, long-form explanations designed for complex and technical source material. A language selector and upcoming British English narration suggest NotebookLM’s audio features are expanding globally. If you use NotebookLM, this might be the news you wanted to hear for a long time now. NotebookLM is unarguably one of the best AI tools to exist at this point, but Google isn’t done with pushing even more upgrades. The company is reportedly working on another…

Key Highlights: Waymo is testing Gemini integration for its robotaxis, according to Jane Manchun Wong, who is a tech blogger and app researcher. Gemini can do much more than just being a simple in-car assistant; possibilities include answering your queries during rides to managing certain in-cabin feature for making your ride seamless. It’s unclear when Waymo is planning to integrate Gemini into its robotaxis. Google has been making massive strides to turn Gemini into a useful AI assistant that not only helps us with summarizing emails, generating images, and much more. Thanks to the growing list of features now associated…

Key Highlights: Italy’s antitrust regulator, AGCM, has ordered Meta to suspend its WhatsApp policy that blocks third-party AI chatbots, as the investigation continues.  The investigation focuses on whether Meta favored its own Meta AI inside WhatsApp by banning rival general-purpose AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Meta has rejected the order as “fundamentally flawed” and says it will appeal, arguing WhatsApp’s Business API was never meant to distribute AI chatbots. Europe is one of the markets across the globe where tech giants find themselves under heavy scrutiny from the European Commission. Meta, this time, has found itself in a…