News Juice!

We extract the best stories, so you don’t have to.

Should We ‘Phase Out’ Sugar? Named and shamed as a culprit in obesity, sugar consumption comprises 8 per cent of people’s daily calorie intake. It also leaves a large environmental footprint. Sugar cultivation affects habitats and contributes to biodiversity loss. Reducing our global intake to 5 per cent and redirecting sugar growth for other purposes, such as making bioplastics, is increasingly seen as a solution to minimising human environmental impact.
Are Fears of Chinese AGI Unfounded? The AI wars have taken a serious turn with the U.S. congressional commission seeking funding for a project to build ‘superhuman’ AI intelligence systems to thwart China from tipping the balance of global power. USCC commissioner Jacob Helberg, said: ‘China is racing towards [AI superintelligence]. … It’s critical that we take them extremely seriously.’
A Banana Sells for $6.2M: Sotheby’s just sold a duct-taped mouldy banana for a whopping $6.2 million, prompting admiration from the art world and condemnation from critics. The sum of 6.2 million is the number of children that die annually from starvation. The same figure could also fund 12 million meals for the World Food Programme.
Do Plants Think? Biologists cannot agree whether plants have intelligence, in the ordinary sense of the word. Plant neurobiology is an idea that’s gaining momentum. While plants don’t have a nervous system the way animals do, they still share many common neurotransmitters that enable them to chemically send messages to themselves and other plants to boost defences or warn of danger.
David Attenborough Responds to Voice Fakes: The celebrated broadcaster, biologist and natural historian, David Attenborough, has been deeply critical of AI cloning of his voice, saying that he is ‘profoundly disturbed’ at his ‘identity … being stolen by others’ to read news bulletins.
Does Nigel Farage Have the Answers? Departing from domestic political consensus, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stated that after speaking with ordinary Brits, no one believes Ukraine will win and that this narrative is ‘frankly … for the birds.’ He added that the West has primarily succeeded in ‘helping to prolong a stalemate.’
Should a Social Media Ban Include Adults? As Australia contemplates banning under-16s from using social media, critics argue that vulnerable adults should also be included in this protected group. From widespread disinformation to toxic fearmongering and clickbait news that encourages anger and anxiety spirals, peaceful life can be reclaimed when the online TMI machine is switched off.