Author: Vidya Saras

Warner Bros. Gary Dauberman’s “Salem’s Lot” has had a bumpy ride. The Stephen King adaptation was originally supposed to hit theaters in 2022. Then it got delayed to 2023. Then it got pulled from the release calendar entirely. Since “Salem’s Lot” is a Warner Bros. production, there was a growing fear that this vampire movie would go the way of WB’s “Batgirl” and “Coyote vs. Acme” and never see the light of day. King got involved, taking to Twitter and pondering why the studio was sitting on the flick. “Not sure why…

The High Court judgment declaring the Privatisation Act, 2023 unconstitutional looks set to further complicate Kenya’s efforts to unlock more than Sh77.5 billion in new funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF had partly tied the financing plan to a comprehensive reform of State-owned enterprises (SOE), including sale and closure of some of them as a condition for the $3.6 billion (Sh464 billion) four-year loan. The Privatisation Act was updated in October 2023 to support the sale of the parastatals, with some relying on State bailouts and showing little prospects for recovery. The High Court quashed the new law…

I’ve been on an Italian chicken kick lately and have been making lots of Italian inspired chicken dishes. First, it was the chicken piccata, then I made a healthy variation of chicken cacciatore, chicken Florentine, chicken Marsala, and now chicken carbonara. While these pasta recipes have many of the same flavors, I like putting a healthy twist on them. I’ll often use veggies instead of pasta for a tasty version lower in carbs. Classic Chicken Carbonara Creamy chicken carbonara is often made with an alfredo sauce or creamy sauce and served over fettuccine, bucatini, or linguine pasta. More Americanized versions…

The universe appears to have sent us an early Christmas present: the large asteroid that tumbled safely past Earth last week was, in fact, two asteroids melded into one object that resembles a snowman.The asteroid, named 2024 ON, zipped past Earth on Sept. 17 at 19,842 mph (31,933 kph), which is roughly 26 times the speed of sound. The space rock is huge — 1150 feet (350 meters) long, about the size of a skyscraper — but it safely floated past Earth at a distance of 620,000 miles (1 million kilometers), aka over 2.5 times the average distance between the…

AI systems are increasingly being deployed in safety-critical health care situations. Yet these models sometimes hallucinate incorrect information, make biased predictions, or fail for unexpected reasons, which could have serious consequences for patients and clinicians.In a commentary article published today in Nature Computational Science, MIT Associate Professor Marzyeh Ghassemi and Boston University Associate Professor Elaine Nsoesie argue that, to mitigate these potential harms, AI systems should be accompanied by responsible-use labels, similar to U.S. Food and Drug Administration-mandated labels placed on prescription medications.MIT News spoke with Ghassemi about the need for such labels, the information they should convey, and how labeling…

The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are the first real artificial-intelligence wearable success story. In fact, they are actually quite good. They’ve got that chic Ray-Ban styling, meaning they don’t look as goofy as some of the bulkier, heavier attempts at mixed-reality face computers. The onboard AI agent can answer questions and even identify what you’re looking at using the embedded cameras. People also love using voice commands to capture photos and videos of whatever is right in front of them without whipping out their phone.Soon, Meta’s smart glasses are getting some more of these AI-powered voice features. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg…

The FBI is warning timeshare owners to be wary of a prevalent telemarketing scam involving a violent Mexican drug cartel that tries to trick people into believing someone wants to buy their property. This is the story of a couple who recently lost more than $50,000 to an ongoing timeshare scam that spans at least two dozen phony escrow, title and realty firms. One of the phony real estate companies trying to scam people out of money over fake offers to buy their timeshares. One evening in late 2022, someone phoned Mr. & Mrs. Dimitruk, a retired couple from Ontario,…

We need your support What’s at stake this November is the future of our democracy. Yet Nation readers know the fight for justice, equity, and peace doesn’t stop in November. Change doesn’t happen overnight. We need sustained, fearless journalism to advocate for bold ideas, expose corruption, defend our democracy, secure our bodily rights, promote peace, and protect the environment. This month, we’re calling on you to give a monthly donation to support The Nation’s independent journalism. If you’ve read this far, I know you value our journalism that speaks truth to power in a way corporate-owned media never can. The…

Footage shows remotely operated vehicle salvaging Titan submersibleAn analysis of the wreckage of OceanGate’s Titan submersible has revealed how its hull came apart.Images of the craft’s pieces scattered across the sea floor show the carbon fibre hull had separated into multiple layers – a known problem with the material.The evidence was presented on Wednesday to the US Coast Guard at a public hearing into the catastrophic failure of the sub in June 2023, which killed all five people on board.It was not confirmed that the hull was the first part of the sub to fail, but the details suggest it…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer who temporarily served as chief executive during the failed coup against founder Sam Altman last year, is leaving the company.In a message shared with the start-up’s employees on Wednesday, she said: “After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI.”It is the latest blow to the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence start-up, which has had several high-profile departures this year, including founders John Schulman and Ilya Sutskever. Schulman has joined rival Anthropic, while Sutskever has…