Scientists may have overestimated the potential health risk of microplastics, according to a new study from the University of Michigan, which identified a major culprit that could have unintentionally skewed results over multiple previous studies. Researchers found that the nitrile and latex gloves that scientists wear while measuring microplastics may be leading to false positives of the tiny pollutants. That’s because the gloves are coated with nonplastic particles called stearates—soaplike particles that can rub off or shed onto lab equipment, “creating thousands of false positives per square millimeter (or about one-thousandth of a square inch).” However, the study’s senior author…
Author: Staff Writer
Innovation is important in every industry, whether creating and developing new products and services, or improving your workflow. There is no one right way to innovate, but there are wrong ways. It’s easy to get stuck in a line of thinking or trying to control the process, making it more complex than it needs to be. We asked our Fast Company Impact Council members what common mistakes companies make when trying to innovate, and an alternative way to think about innovation. Just like the creative process, our members had unique understandings of what not to do, and how to do…
With her first two albums, Olivia Rodrigo established a pattern. Her signature color? Purple—which served as the backdrop for both covers. Her naming convention? Four-letter words—stylized in all-capital letters: SOUR for her 2021 debut and GUTS for her 2023 follow-up. But on Thursday, April 2, Rodrigo shocked her fans with the announcement of her third album, titled you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. The cover art, which features Rodrigo upside down on a swing and framed against a grayish-blue sky, has no shades of purple to be seen. The album’s title doesn’t just ditch her previous…
The battle for overhead bin space on flights is likely to intensify as United Airlines announced it will increase the checked bag fees starting Friday. It will now cost $10 more to check luggage for passengers traveling on flights in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Latin America. Since the airlines often move in tandem on ancillary fees like checked bags, this could mark the beginning of a trend ahead of the busy summer travel season. Earlier this week, JetBlue Airways raised its prices for checked bags by $4 to $9 per bag, depending on whether passengers are flying during peak…
When a fake wedding announcement featuring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson popped up in a late-year print issue The Boston Globe, it looked like a star-studded romcom was underway. But “The Drama,” indie studio A24’s latest film, has stirred controversy, and most audiences don’t know what its about. The film’s trailers, the first of which was dropped just a day after the wedding announcement, revealed a somewhat vague plot line—Zendaya and Pattinson play Emma and Charlie, a couple grappling with the aftermaths of a confession as they ready for their wedding. Speculation on the film’s big twist ignited a flurry of…
HarperCollins Publishers and AI-powered animation studio Toonstar have announced a multi-year partnership to co-produce original YouTube series based on HarperCollins titles. It marks the second announcement this week from the book publishing giant regarding a partnership with an AI-centered company. On Monday, HarperCollins division Harlequin said it entered a multi-year agreement to co-produce 40 animated micro-dramas with AI entertainment company Dashverse. Inspired by Harlequin Romance titles, the collaboration launches in April, beginning with an adaptation of A Fairy-Tail Ending by Catherine Mann. The deals highlight how book publishers are turning to AI as a way to explore new modes of…
Red Lobster might be taking an old page from its playbook to win over consumers’ hearts. The seafood restaurant chain is reportedly considering the return of endless shrimp, the all-you-can-eat deal that was one of Red Lobster’s most iconic promotions. Although the promotion dates back decades, it was originally only offered for limited amounts of time—that is, until previous owner Thai Group made it a permanent menu fixture in June 2023. At $20 for bottomless shrimp, many argue the move contributed to the seafood chain’s financial woes and its eventual Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024. According to bankruptcy filings…
One crew member was rescued Friday after an American aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to one U.S. and one Israeli official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive ongoing military operations. The rescue occurred as the U.S. military was conducting a search and rescue operation, according to three people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation. Israel is helping the United States with the operation. According to an email from the Pentagon obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. military said that it received notification of “an aircraft…
American healthcare faces a persistent paradox: We have extraordinary medical technology, yet patients often spend years navigating a system that treats symptoms before identifying the underlying cause of disease. This dynamic is especially pronounced for children with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. Many families endure years of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, specialist referrals, and inconclusive tests before receiving a definitive diagnosis. Clinicians often refer to this prolonged journey as the “diagnostic odyssey.” It is emotionally draining for families and deeply frustrating for physicians trying to guide care. It is also extraordinarily expensive. When the root…
If you want to understand where AI-assisted parenting is headed, skip the research lab and look into a messy living room at 2 a.m. Some of the most revealing use cases are happening in the homes of AI engineers who have just become parents. Few environments are more demanding: high stakes, low sleep, a never-ending stream of split-second decisions with imperfect information. No mom or dad (us included) has patience for a tool that adds friction, noise, or guilt to the daily gauntlet of childcare. It is why parents—especially those who build products—are a valuable and overlooked source of AI…