THE MUSTS

Wholesome news

good news to warm up your thursday

IVF could save rhino subspecies from extinction

Looks like there’s gonna be one less lonely rhino. Scientists in Berlin announced this week that they successfully transferred a rhino embryo into the womb of a female rhino through in vitro fertilization (IVF) for the first time, marking a huge step forward in efforts to save the northern white rhino, a near-extinct subspecies.

IVF is a common process for humans, horses, and cows, but it had never been used before with rhinos. The transplant is a major win for reproductive scientists and adds to a growing list of species that could come out of extinction with the help of IVF:

• In 2022, scientists at the University of Queensland created the world’s first donkey embryo via IVF.

• Olaf, a Puerto Rican crested toad, was the first amphibian to be hatched as a result of IVF used with frozen sperm.

• Scientists at the University of Newcastle use “biobanking,” or the practice of preserving sperm, to support koala population recovery.

What’s next? Due to poaching, only two northern white rhinos are left on Earth—a mother, Najin, and daughter, Fatu. The scientists’ experiment used one of Fatu’s eggs and the preserved sperm of deceased male northern white rhinos to make the embryo. The resultant embryo was implanted in a southern white rhino, a close cousin of the northern white rhino. Now scientists will try to replicate the procedure with one of the two remaining northern white rhinos.

What else is good:

• Les droits des femmes sont des droits à la vie. France became the first country in the world to have termination of pregnancy guaranteed as a constitutional right.

• My best friend to the very end: A startup is trying to make dogs live longer. Tests suggest that the drug might slow dog aging, but the startup has yet to prove that it actually extends their longevity.

• I don’t like violence, Tom. Italy, home of the mafia, is now one of Europe's safest countries. Only Norway and Switzerland have a murder rate lower or equal to Italy's in the continent.

  
  

Technology

more trials than trendy dances recently

US tries case that could change social media forever

In a landmark case, the United States Supreme Court has embarked on a deliberation that could redefine social media platforms. They are basically deciding whether platforms can remove content they find offensive — regardless of who posted it.

Starting from the beginning: After the Capitol riot, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube took down the account of former President Donald Trump, which sparked a backlash among Republicans.

For instance, Florida passed a law prohibiting social media from banning candidate accounts. Texas, on the other hand, prevented platforms from removing any political content whatsoever.

What's at stake Micael? Now, the Supreme Court will decide if these rules can truly be implemented and how social media will be classified…

• As newspapers: Where they are able to choose what is published within them, including removing content deemed inappropriate;

• As telephone companies: Where they must serve all citizens equally, without banning specific material from anyone—except for violence.

The arguments: Proponents of the Florida and Texas laws argue that they are necessary to combat selective censorship and protect free speech, even if it means tolerating hate speech and misinformation. Critics, however, warn that such regulations could pave the way for unchecked dissemination of harmful content. - We had a similar debate in Brazil with the “PL da Fake News”.

Looking forward: The verdict is expected by mid-year, and the outcome should guide the norms for social media in other US states and even the rest of the world.

More trials:

• The incognito tab wasn't that incognito: Not only your incognito browsing activities are tracked, they were also used for advertising and other purposes, and Google will pay $5 billion for it - do you understand why your plane ticket didn't get cheaper?

• Not for babies: Meta has knowingly refused to shut down the majority of accounts belonging to children under the age of 13 while collecting their personal information without their parents’ consent, and now 33 American States are collectively investigating it.

• Musk vs. Sam: Elon Musk just sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over claims that the AI firm abandoned its founding mission to benefit humanity in favor of profits with Microsoft. Musk seeks to force OpenAI back to its original mission of developing open and safe AGI technology.

Numanice #3 by Ludmilla: Launch in April 2020, Numanice marked the artist's samba debut, receiving amazing critical acclaim. Thanks to its success, Ludmilla overcame barriers in a segment mostly dominated by men, won a Grammy for the second edition of the project and repositioned the genre as a trend. Now it is pagode’s time to take the spotlight.

• Gringo question: What is pagode?

Now in its third edition, totally focused on pagode, Ludmilla invited Brazilian singers Belo, Mari Fernandez, Carol Biazin, Menos é Mais, Caio Lucas, Vitinho and Veigh, to once again repositioning the genre as a trend, presenting a pop and diverse pagode. I am personally a huge fan of Numanice in general and I would recommend listening of all three of them if you like Brazilian music.

Best songs: Maliciosa; Falta de Mim; Raio X; Clichê / Cedo ou Tarde; A Preta Venceu

For those that enjoy Dilsinho, Ivete Sangalo, Sorriso Maroto and happy afternoons. (Rating 8/10)

Hi fans,

I hope you're all good and enjoying this issue. February is a special month to miss Brazil - It is Carnival time. And although I can't wait to experience Brazilian Carnival again, this year I didn't completely miss out on the Carnival fun.

As some of you might know, Italy has its own way of celebrating Carnival, and last month, I got to check out what's probably the closest thing to a Brazilian Carnival in Europe. Trust me, you'll want to add this to your list for next year.

A bit of context: Italy's Carnival scene is pretty diverse, with each city putting its own spin on the festivities. The top three spots for Carnival in Italy are:

• Venice Carnival: World-famous, has been around for over 900 years, and is all about traditional masks, fancy dresses, and a parade on boats.

• Viareggio Carnival: The one we're diving into.

• Ivrea Carnival: Kind of a wild adventure, featuring a full-on "orange war" where people throw around 600 tons of oranges at each other, symbolizing a fight against oppression.

I checked out Venice's Carnival during my college years and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. So, when my housemate Gianluca wouldn't stop talking about driving two and a half hours to fullfil his life long dream of seeing Viareggio’s Carnival, I wasn't exactly thrilled. But Gianluca can be insisting.

And honestly, I blown away! 

Viareggio's Carnival, with its massive floats, themed parades, and bold takes on current events, is something you guys don't want to miss. The vibe, the crowd, the fun... and it's right by the beach like I love! Venice felt more like a tourist spot with a few people wearing masks, but Viareggio? It was full-on Carnival. I had to get a wig to defend myself or it would be embarrassing.

The floats were incredible, each telling its own story, much like the ones back in Brazil, which made me homesick in the best way. They often feature the year's most talked-about figures—politicians, celebrities, athletes—and sometimes pay homage to movies or historical events, making everything more engaging.

Sure, I missed my Skol Beats and Brazilian funk, but this was the closest I've come to feeling that Carnival spirit abroad. Highly recommend it.

Take care, stay safe, and sending you all lots of love,

Micael.

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