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It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia’s new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. The ban won’t go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That’s not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people’s lives that going cold turkey will be difficult. Platforms will be held liable The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. Leaders and parents in countries around the world are watching Australia’s policy closely as many seek to protect young kids from the internet’s dangerous corners — and, not incidentally, from each other. Most nations have taken different routes, from parental consent requirements to minimum age limits. Many child safety experts, parents and even teens who have waited to get on social media consider Australia’s move a positive step. “What’s most important for kids, just like adults, is real human connection. Less time alone on the screen means more time to connect, not less,” said Julie Scelfo, the founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, or MAMA, a grassroots group of parents aimed at combatting the harms of social media to children. “I’m confident we can support our kids in interacting in any number of ways aside from sharing the latest meme.” The harms to children from social media have been well documented in the two decades since Facebook’s launch ushered in a new era in how the world communicates. Kids who spend more time on social media, especially as tweens or young teenagers, are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, according to multiple studies — though it is not yet clear if there is a causal relationship. What’s more, many are exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age, including pornography and violence, as well as social pressures about body image and makeup. They also face bullying, sexual harassment and unwanted advances from their peers as well as adult strangers. Because their brains are not fully developed, teenagers, especially younger ones the law is focused on, are also more affected by social comparisons than adults, so even happy posts from friends can send them into a negative spiral. What unintended harms could be caused? Paul Taske, associate director of litigation at the tech lobbying group NetChoice, says he considers the ban “one of the most extreme violations of free speech on the world stage today” even as he expressed relief that the First Amendment prevents such law in the United States “These restrictions would create a massive cultural shift,” Taske said. David Inserra, a fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute, called the bill “about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike” in a recent blog post. He said no verification system can ensure accuracy while also protecting privacy and not impacting adults in the process. Privacy advocates have also raised concerns about the law’s effect on online anonymity, a cornerstone of online communications — and something that can protect teens on social platforms. “Whether it be religious minorities and dissidents, LGBTQ youth, those in abusive situations, whistleblowers, or countless other speakers in tricky situations, anonymous speech is a critical tool to safely challenge authority and express controversial opinions,” Inserra said. Other countries are trying to figure it out, too In the United States, some parents are keeping kids off social media either informally or as part of an organized campaign such as Wait Until 8th, a group that helps parents delay kids’ access to social media and phones. This fall, Norway announced plans to ban kids under 15 from using social media, while France is testing a smartphone ban for kids under 15 in a limited number of schools — a policy that could be rolled out nationwide if successful. U.S. lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings — most recently in January — on child online safety. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding. In July, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to protect children from dangerous online content, pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable. But the Kids Online Safety Act has since stalled in the House. While several states have passed laws requiring age verification, those are stuck in court. Utah became the first state to pass laws regulating children’s social media use in 2023. In September, a judge issued the preliminary injunction against the law, which would have required social media companies to verify the ages of users, apply privacy settings and limit some features. NetChoice has also obtained injunctions temporarily halting similar laws in several other states. And last May, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said there is insufficient evidence to show social media is safe for kids. He urged policymakers to treat social media like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use.
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A scientist guides a long tube into the mouth and down to the stomach of Thing 1, a two-month-old calf that is part of a research project aiming to prevent cows from burping methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Paulo de Meo Filho, a postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis, is part of an ambitious experiment aiming to develop a pill to transform cow gut bacteria so it emits less or no methane. While the fossil fuel industry and some natural sources emit methane, cattle farming has become a major climate concern due to the sheer volume of the cows' emissions. "Almost half of the increase in (global) temperature that we've had so far, it's been because of methane," said Ermias Kebreab, an animal science professor at UC Davis. Methane, the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, breaks down faster than CO2 but is more potent. "Methane lives in the atmosphere for about 12 years" unlike carbon dioxide which persists for centuries, Kebreab said. "If you start reducing methane now, we can actually see the effect on the temperature very quickly." Filho uses the tube to extract liquid from Thing 1's rumen -- the first stomach compartment containing partially digested food. Using the rumen liquid samples, the scientists are studying the microbes that convert hydrogen into methane, which is not digested by the cow but instead burped out. A single cow will burp roughly 100 kilograms of the gas annually. Thing 1 and other calves receive a seaweed-supplemented diet to reduce methane production. Scientists hope to achieve similar results by introducing genetically modified microbes that soak up hydrogen, starving methane-producing bacteria at the source. However, the team proceeds cautiously. "We can't just simply cut down methane production by removing" methane-making bacteria, as hydrogen could accumulate to the point of harming the animal, warned Matthias Hess, who runs the UC Davis lab. "Microbes are kind of social critters. They really like to live together," he said. "The way they interact and affect each other impacts the overall function of the ecosystem." Hess's students test different formulas in bioreactors, vessels that reproduce microorganisms' living conditions in a stomach from movements to temperature. The project is being carried out at UC Davis as well as UC Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI). IGI scientists are trying to identify the right microbe -- the one they hope to genetically alter to supplant methane-producing microbes. The modified microorganisms will then be tested at UC Davis in the lab and in the animals. "Not only are we trying to reduce methane emissions, but you also increase the feed efficiency," said Kebreab. "Hydrogen and methane, they are both energy, and so if you reduce that energy and redirect it to something else... we have a better productivity and lower emissions at the same time." The ultimate goal is a single-dose treatment administered early in life, since most cattle graze freely and can't receive daily supplements. The three research teams have been given $70 million and seven years to achieve a breakthrough. Kebreab has long studied sustainable livestock practices and pushes back against calls to reduce meat consumption to save the planet. While acknowledging this might work for healthy adults in developed nations, he pointed to countries like Indonesia, where the government is seeking to increase meat and dairy production because 20 percent of children under five suffer from stunted growth. "We can't tell them to not eat meat," he said.Graham 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-6 2-2 2, Franklin 1-4 2-2 4, Smith 1-7 1-2 3, Tucker 2-8 1-2 6, Bryant 3-8 1-1 7, Pooler 0-2 0-0 0, Hall 0-1 0-0 0, Tavares 0-0 0-0 0, Gray 0-1 0-0 0, Jackson 1-3 0-0 2, Wofford 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 8-42 7-9 24 Jacobs 5-7 2-2 12, Scott 4-5 1-1 9, Deans 1-6 0-0 2, Sadler 2-3 0-1 5, Todd-Williams 4-7 2-2 11, Carrera 1-2 0-0 2, Collins 1-4 1-2 3, Gbemuotor 0-1 0-0 0, Iwuala 5-6 2-5 12, Richardson 2-4 3-4 7, Djalo 0-0 0-0 0, Noel 2-6 0-0 5, Thienou 6-9 3-4 16, Thompson 2-4 1-3 5, Totals 35-64 15-24 89 3-Point Goals_Alabama St. 1-15 (Harris 0-1, Franklin 0-1, Smith 0-6, Tucker 1-3, Bryant 0-3, Pooler 0-1), Mississippi 4-19 (Deans 0-5, Sadler 1-2, Todd-Williams 1-4, Richardson 0-1, Noel 1-3, Thienou 1-2, Thompson 0-2). Assists_Alabama St. 5 (Harris 1, Jackson 1, Smith 1, Tucker 1, Wofford 1), Mississippi 26 (Thienou 5, Todd-Williams 5). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Alabama St. 25 (Harris 5), Mississippi 43 (Jacobs 8). Total Fouls_Alabama St. 23, Mississippi 13. Technical Fouls_None. A_2,770.What To Know About David Sacks, Trump's Pick For AI And Crypto Czar
Texas Instruments Inc. stock rises Friday, still underperforms marketTROY, Ala. (AP) — Damien Taylor rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns, Matthew Caldwell threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Troy scored 21 points in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Southern Miss 52-20 on Saturday. Taylor went straight up the middle from 56-yards out to give Troy a 24-8 lead midway through the third quarter. He added a 35-yard scoring run for a 38-20 lead with 5:50 left in the fourth. On the ensuing possession, Ian Conerly-Goodly intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 31 yards for a 25-point lead. Southern Miss quarterback Tate Rodemaker was intercepted again and LJ Green returned it 49 yards to the Golden Eagles' 16-yard line. Jordan Lovett capitalized on the short field by running it in from the 5. Taylor reached the 1,000-yard mark on the season for Troy (4-8, 3-5 Sun Belt Conference). Caldwell was 14 of 26 for 187 yards and he carried it seven times for 30 yards. Rodemaker threw for 234 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Southern Miss (1-11, 0-8). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Strictly’s Dianne Buswell breaks down in tears as she hits back at the judges over partner Chris McCauslandGabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions League
Gabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions LeagueNone
NoneBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Botafogo overcame playing with 10 men to win its first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Monumental de Nunez Stadium on Saturday. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo's best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.