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Today’s Pulse rundown
China Typhoon
Transcript: What if a storm was as wide as an entire country? Typhoon Bavi just made landfall in China, spanning an incredible six hundred and twenty miles across. Authorities ordered massive evacuations, moving over one point seven million people in Zhejiang province alone. It presents a risk because of the huge volume of moisture within its rain bands. The storm began as a super typhoon with winds of one hundred and eighty miles per hour before weakening. How do you and your family stay safe during heavy rain?
Bumblebee Emotions
Transcript: How do you know if a bumblebee is actually enjoying its dinner? Researchers from Southern Medical University in China found that bumblebees extend their tongues for sweet things. However, when consuming unpleasant concoctions, they shake their heads and wipe their mouths. This amazing discovery suggests they experience emotion-like states rather than just simple reflexes. In one test, exposing them to dopamine made them eager for sugar, while dehydrating bees caused them to change their response to salty water. What kind of food makes you shake your head and wipe your mouth?
Gold Tarnishing
Transcript: Why does gold stay shiny for centuries without ever rusting or fading? Researchers at Tulane University discovered that gold actually has a secret defense system. Atoms on gold surfaces naturally shift into protective patterns that make it extremely difficult for oxygen to react with the metal. This atomic restructuring dramatically limits reactions, reducing them by a factor of a billion to a trillion! This amazing discovery could help scientists build better industrial catalysts for manufacturing. What would you build out of completely untarnishable gold?
Canine AI Law
Transcript: If an artificial intelligence robot makes a mistake, who actually gets in trouble? A legal expert from Harvard Law School proposed a clever canine framework to figure it out. He compares AI agents to dogs. A Pomeranian is domesticated, so if it causes harm, you sue its owner. A wolf is undomesticated and highly dangerous, meaning there is no clear owner to blame. For example, the Air Canada chatbot was classified as a Pomeranian! Is your favorite phone app more like a friendly Pomeranian or a wild wolf?
AI University Degrees
Transcript: Imagine letting a computer pick your college major! This summer, millions of families in China turned to AI chatbots for advice on university degree programs. Many families cannot afford expensive education consultants. Instead, parents like Zhang Qi use AI as a new free adviser to see which universities their child's score can get them into across the country. The chatbot is helping his son make the important decision of choosing a university degree program. Would you trust an artificial intelligence to pick your future school?
Black Hole
Transcript: What if a black hole suddenly turned on like a giant flashlight in space? Astronomers observed a rapidly growing supermassive black hole in a spiral galaxy one point eight billion light-years away. It has been glowing brightly in the radio spectrum for eight years. The intense radiation is coming from the black hole accreting material for several years, triggering a massive jet. It is located within the last two billion years of cosmic history, giving scientists a rare look at the early universe! What do you think is hiding inside a black hole?
Big Boy Locomotive
Transcript: Have you ever seen a machine that weighs one point two million pounds? Union Pacific's Big Boy number four zero one four is whistle-stopping across the U.S. Built between nineteen forty-one and nineteen forty-four, it uses an articulated design to allow it to take sharp curves in the Wasatch Mountains. Now, the restored seven thousand horsepower beast is drawing huge crowds to celebrate America's two hundred and fiftieth birthday. Over one hundred thousand people visited it in Philadelphia! Where would you travel on a giant steam train?
Charli XCX
Transcript: What is the absolute best surprise you have ever gotten? Pop star Charli XCX played a massive surprise show at a six hundred and fifty capacity venue in Brooklyn last night. With her new album arriving in less than two weeks, she debuted unreleased tracks and brought out special guests like Clairo and Kim Petras to sing along. She even played thirteen songs in total, thrilling the lucky fans who managed to get inside! Which famous musician would you love to see at a surprise concert?
Soulframe
Transcript: Are you ready to test out a brand new fantasy world? Digital Extremes is letting players into the pre-alpha test for their new game, Soulframe. If you sign up before eleven fifty-nine PM on July twelfth, you get guaranteed access. Developers want new players to jump in so they can gather fresh feedback on the new-player experience. They are even adding mounts this fall, along with a new boss called the Mendicant Reinbreaker! What is your absolute favorite video game to play with your friends?
AI Seagrass Map
Transcript: Did you know there are massive underwater rainforests? Scientists at Arizona State University used AI to create the first high-resolution map of global seagrass. They found that seventy percent of global seagrass cover is concentrated off the coasts of just five countries, including the Bahamas and Australia. The map also revealed that improved water quality actually aided seagrass recovery in some areas. This is amazing because seagrass absorbs CO2 thirty-five times faster than terrestrial forests! How can we help keep our oceans clean and safe?