Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Computer Science Degree Is No Longer An "Entry Ticket" To Tech?

Anton Osika
VIBE Coding CEO Anton Osika says he thinks people should stop seeing computer science degrees as a surefire way to land a career in tech.

"I wouldn't say it's worthless, but I do think the leverage has moved," Osika told Business Insider in an interview a few days ago.

Osika, 35, said that while getting a computer science degree "isn't useless," its value has shifted. "Curiosity, adaptability, and shipping high-quality products quickly can matter more than credentials," he added.

"For most people, a degree is no longer the entry ticket. You can build, ship, and even start companies without it," Osika said.

"The degree still has value if you want to go deep on systems, theory, or research. There's rigor there that tools won't replace. But the default path — 'I need a CS degree to be relevant in tech' — feels much less true today," he continued.

Osika said that in the past, the bottleneck to building in tech was the "technical know-how," which required "years of training to even get started." But now, people have the tools to "go from idea to working product without ever touching a formal CS education," he said.

Osika cofounded Lovable in 2023. Lovable is a vibe coding platform that allows people with limited programming knowledge to create software using AI.

Osika's startup has 45 employees, per PitchBook, and is hiring for 16 open positions on its careers page as of press time.

Monday, August 25, 2025

Superager's Brain Refused To Grow Old

Superagers
Ask anyone what they dread about aging, and the thought of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is likely an answer high on the list. The irreversible symptoms of dementia only worsen with time and can become severe enough for the person to struggle remembering the faces of those close to them and even their own identity.

There is no cure for dementia (even though treatments that mitigate symptoms do exist). However, answers for prevention may lie in the brains of superagers, individuals over the age of 80 who have memories superior to others in their age group and can recall things as well as people decades younger.

A Northwestern University study that spanned 25 years studied the lifestyles and brain activity of superagers both during life and in those who had donated their brains postmortem.

What the researchers at the Northwestern Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center found were physical differences in brain structures that delayed symptoms of brain aging that often lead to dementia. Superagers would remember at least as many words from a list read to them as neurotypical adults who were 20 to 30 years younger. Their brain age of these subjects, mostly octogenarians and novogenerians, defied the expectations of the degenerative processes that often happen to the brains of people who reach their biological age. What is considered “normal” brain aging involves decline. The average brain usually does not stay so remarkably intact.

"During the first 25 years of this program, we established that superagers constitute not only a neuropsychological but also a neurobiological phenotype distinctive from cognitively average age peers," they said in a study recently published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

What gives superagers these superpowers? There are several contributing factors.

Somehow, their cerebral cortex resists thinning that is often a cause of neurodegenerative diseases. This outermost portion of the brain, also known as gray matter, is made of tightly packed neurons and responsible for higher-level processes that include memory, as well as learning, thought, reasoning, intelligence, language, decision-making, emotion, and personality. Superagers experience little to no cortical thinning, giving them cortical volumes similar to those of much younger brains.

There are also less obvious parts of the brain that give them an advantage, such as the cingulate gyrus, which is located below the cerebral cortex and above the corpus callosum. The cingulate gyrus also processes memory, along with emotion, self-regulation and pain. Superagers have a region in the cingulate gyrus that is thicker than the same region in younger adults. Their brains also show fewer signs that often indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s, such as less plaque buildup.

Nerves and the neurons they are made of are another factor critical for brain health, especially in advanced age. Superagers were discovered to have larger entorhinal neurons, which are found in the entorhinal cortex and involved in memory of times, places and objects. Their cholinergic nerves, which are involved in memory and help control many physical processes, are especially well preserved.

There is also a greater density of von Economo neurons, which speed up information processing, in their brains. Microglia, cells which are found in nerve fibers and often behind brain inflammation and lesions in older individuals, are less prone to causing inflammation in superagers.

Something that surprised the Northwestern research team was that superagers did not necessarily have many lifestyle parallels. Some took every measure to keep themselves healthy. Others had done just about everything that would seem to counter that, such as smoking, drinking, and being sedentary.

Many suffered from stress and were not able to get adequate sleep. The one thing that most superagers did have in common was that they were had active social lives, making extracurricular activities a regular part of their lives. They even reported having more positive relationships with others than people around the same age who were cognitively average.

Eventually, the structure and function of superager brains may be the basis for preventative treatments and gene therapies targeting Alzheimer’s, other dementias, and more neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.

There are some aspects of this phenomenon that have yet to surface: whether superagers are born with larger brains, or with factors that make their brains almost immune to the ravages of time that cause others to experience the effects of brain degeneration. Either way, researchers are going to remember these findings for future studies.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Bama Rush Is Exploding Wildly

Bama Rush
Bama Rush Week is happening right now at the University of Alabama, and this year’s potential new members, or PNMs as they are called, have taken over TikTok yet again as always.

The white girls that want to be a part of Greek life at the university have racked up thousands of followers and millions of views on TikTok. Each girl has created their own engaging style taking followers with them as they get closer to Bid Day, the day they officially find out which sorority they will be a part of.

The Bama Rush process even inspired a documentary titled "Bama Rush: Acceptance Is Everything" which premiered on the Max streaming service in May 2023.

So why is Bama Rush such a big deal each year?

Videos from UA's sorority rush week went viral on TikTok in 2021. The #bamarush and #alabamarush hashtags on TikTok have attracted millions of views during the past few years. Many followers online are calling this year's Bama Rush "Season 4". And fans can't seem to get enough of a Bama Rush staple: the coveted OOTD, which is an acronym for "outfit of the day." It's not uncommon for the ladies to showcase outfits wearing jewelry from Hermès , enewton and David Yurman, Golden Goose sneakers, Gold Hinge tennis skirts, Lululemon outfits, Amazon accessories, and more.

Many of these young ladies even become young entrepreneurs and influencers because of Bama Rush. One example of this is Kylan Darnell. Darnell, now a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, shot to fame after her Bama Rush Tok stardom in 2022.

"I woke up (the morning after posting my first rush TikTok) with my phone blowing up," Darnell previously told USA TODAY about her rush experience. "My mom was like, 'have you checked your TikTok?' I gained like 100,000 followers in a night. Brands started reaching out, I started getting brand deals and making a little bit of money. It was like an overnight thing. It was crazy."

The ladies participating in Bama Rush now will learn their fate on what's called Bid Day. The University of Alabama's annual sorority recruitment event was held last Sunday 18 August at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the university's football team holds its games. That's when thousands of young women will find out which sorority has accepted their membership bid, according to reporting by Tuscaloosa News, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

There, they will be handed a manila envelope, opening them all at the same time. They will then rush excitedly, or "run home," to their new sorority houses. Here's a look at the events that lead up to Bid Day:

  • Convocation
  • Open House
  • Philanthropy (Days 1-3)
  • Sisterhood (Days 1-3)
  • Preference Day
The remaining events are Sisterhood Day 3, which is Friday, 16 August, and Preference Day, which is Saturday, 17 August.

For Convocation, Open House, and Philanthropy Days 1-3, you will notice the ladies rocking a more casual attire. The Philanthrophy Day OOTDs all consist of everyone wearing the same UA Panhellenic shirt and pairing it with a cute bottom and jewelry to stand out.

But for Sisterhood Days 1-3 and Preference Day the ladies have to up the ante as a more formal attire is required. Then it's back to casual for Bid Day as they will run to their new forever homes to meet their sisters, ready to be adorned with shirts, hats, and other paraphernalia bearing the sorority's Greek letters.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Philippines Will Host Futsal Women's World Cup

Futsal Hosting
The Philippines is hoping to make an impact as host as well as on the field in the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup. A total of 16 countries will see action from 21 November to 7 December in Pasig City and Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

These are Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal (Europe); Iran, Japan, Thailand, Philippines (Asia); Morocco, Tanzania (Africa); Canada, Panama (North America); Argentina, Brazil, Colombia (South America); and New Zealand (Oceania).

The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout phase, comprising the quarterfinals, semifinals, a third-place playoff and finals.

Spain, Italy, Brazil, Thailand and Canada will be the toughest teams to beat, according to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president John Gutierrez during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila last 19 August.

"And if we look at ourselves as mediocre to these powerhouses, then what’s the point of us participating. Realistically, we will be very competitive," Gutierrez said.

Coach Rafa Merino has a 20-women pool led by skippers Inday Tolentino and Isabella Flanigan. The team will be trimmed to 16, before the final 14 players.

Gutierrez said the hosting preparations are right on schedule.

"We’ve been having meetings almost every day, updates on certain developments like venues getting them up to par with FIFA standards. It’s looking good for us," Gutierrez said.

The PFF expects some chinks but is prepared for anything.

"The local organizing committee (LOC) is doing an excellent job working with FIFA to make sure we are able to host this very prestigious event," he said. "We’re not here just to participate. We’re here to make an impact."

The national team will attend a training camp in Japan by mid-September.

"It’s really a milestone for women’s sports that finally the World Cup for women’s futsal is here. So we’re very excited and thankful to FIFA for trusting us in hosting this event," Gutierrez said.

Isabella Fernando, head of government relations of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup LOC, also attended the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.

She said the official draw ceremony will be held on 15 September.

The tournament received a major boost through Administrative Order No. 35 signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the creation of an Inter-Agency Task Force for the hosting.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Leftist Professor Breaks Rank To Get "Wokeness" Out Of Schools

Leftist Educator
A liberal educator is calling for reforms in the social sciences that have been "captured" by extreme leftist agenda after joining a coalition of scholars from both sides of the political aisle dedicated to ending wokeness in higher education.

"The idea is that really, one would think that when we're talking about science, whether it's social science or medical science or anything like that, political opinion shouldn't matter. It shouldn't cloud the pursuit of truth," Wayne State University professor Jukka Savolainen told Fox News Digital.

"And we are doing this because we are convinced with good evidence that this mission has been, this plot has been lost over the years, over the decades, and we want to restore these traditional values of objective inquiry and truth."

Savolainen teaches criminal justice and "Sociology of Sport" at Wayne State University in Detroit.

While Florida was considering cutting sociology as a core general education requirement in 2023, Savolainen wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that he saw the discipline "morph from a scientific study of social reality into academic advocacy for left-wing causes."

His comments bucked the majority of his academic counterparts who were pushing to "Save Sociology." He added that there are other sociology professors who "silently" agree with him.

Now, Savolainen is the point person of the sociology community of the Heterodox Academy.

"Eric Kaufman is the director of the Institute for Heterodox Social Science, and heterodoxy, of course, means the opposite of orthodoxy, the opposite of groupthink. We are all joined in our displeasure with groupthink and monoculture in academia, and we are interested in viewpoint diversity and those types of things," he said.

Savolainen signed "The Buckingham Manifesto for a Post-Progressive Social Science" that was published by The Chronicle of Higher Education in July.

The manifesto, led by political science professor Eric Kaufmann, calls for a "post-progressive social science" to be "pursued in new universities and centers, among dissident scholars in the academic mainstream, in think tanks, or, best of all, in a future academe rededicated to open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and civil discourse."

Savolainen said that Kaufmann is seeking a coalition of people from all political backgrounds that care about the truth. He added that critics of the manifesto may consider all the signatories conservative because they do not subscribe to the "sort of left-wing social justice type of narrative."

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Bracelet That Protects Women From Sexual Assaults

Anti-Drug Bracelet
It was estimated that one in three adult women across the EU have experienced sexual or physical assault, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. This includes what is known as drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA).

Faced with these alarming statistics, a team of chemists from Portugal and Spain, led by Carlos Lodeiro Espiño of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, has presented a prototype of a paper bracelet equipped with a chemical sensor.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary festival wristband. In reality, it is a microscopic laboratory of its own, one that can detect the presence of the date rape drug Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, otherwise known as GHB, as well as other intoxicating substances, within a matter of seconds.

The invention, which could hit European festivals and clubs as early as this year, has the potential to significantly reduce the number of sexual assaults.

The lightweight and biodegradable bracelet conceals two miniature colourimetric sensors, one of which reacts to the presence of GHB.

Simply wet a section of the band with a drop of drink. If it turns green, that indicates the presence of an unwanted substance.

The entire chemical reaction takes a few seconds and the result is visible to the naked eye.

"It's a product designed as a personal shield. It can work for up to five days, repeatedly testing different drinks," explains Professor Carlos Lodeiro Espiño, who led the research into the bracelet.

GHB is colourless, odourless and metabolises quickly in the body. Just a few hours after ingestion, it can be virtually undetectable in standard tests.

Victims often lose consciousness or memory of events, making subsequent investigation difficult.

In Europe, up to a third of sexual assaults involving chemical agents take place precisely after the administration of GHB or its derivatives.

The project is a collaboration between researchers from Portugal and the University of Valencia in Spain. The research into the sensors took several months, building on 20 years of experience in optical detection methods.

Saturday, August 16, 2025

Roblox Accused Of Fostering Sex Predators

Roblox
Roblox has been labelled as a "hunting ground for child-sex predators" in a new lawsuit against the online gaming giant that alleges it caused the sexual exploitation of a 9-year-old boy.

The lawsuit, filed a few days ago in a Georgia state court by an anonymous DeKalb County mother and her young son, accuses Roblox of negligence as well as prioritizing growth over child safety.

It follows a recent wave of similar lawsuits lodged against the US$ 90 billion company that accuse the popular gaming platform of not doing enough to safeguard children from pedophiles.

In a statement to Business Insider recently, a Roblox spokesperson said, "We are deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users, and safety is a top priority."

"We dedicate substantial resources, including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation, to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior, including attempts to direct users off platform, where safety standards and moderation may be less stringent than ours," the spokesperson said.

The latest lawsuit alleges that these predators harassed the boy for months and ultimately "extorted" him to send sexually explicit images and videos to his friends at school.

As a result, the boy has "suffered devastating and life-altering psychological trauma" and was eventually required to change schools, the lawsuit says.

"Had Defendant implemented even the most basic system of age and identity verification, as well as effective parental controls, Plaintiff would never have engaged with this predator and never been harmed," the lawsuit says.

In July, Roblox announced a new age verification system, which includes an age estimation tool based on a selfie-style video, for users who want to chat back-and-forth with so-called "trusted connections." "If the system estimates that a user is actually under 13, then we will automatically correct the user's age to under 13 and remove access to features that are not appropriate," Roblox says on its website.

The Georgia mother's attorney, Matthew Dolman of the Florida-based firm Dolman Law Group, told Business Insider that he expects even more lawsuits to be filed in the near future and that his firm is currently investigating over 300 incidents on behalf of prospective claimants.

"Roblox has materially misrepresented that its product is safe on multiple occasions knowing full well that law enforcement investigations resulting in arrests of sexual predators are occurring nationwide," Dolman said.

Roblox, a top gaming platform among children and teens, hosts millions of user-generated games called "experiences" that range from racing to horror-themed.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

White Sorority Girls 'Bama Rush" Goes Viral

Sorority Girls
Sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama, better known as "Bama Rush," has become a viral and trending cultural moment, with thousands watching to see which houses incoming white freshmen students join.

It’s a week defined by carefully coordinated Southern outfits, whirlwind conversations, and now, millions of TikTok views. While rush has always been a high-stakes tradition in the South, the social media age has turned it into a viral spectacle.

Videos from the University of Alabama's sorority rush week went viral on TikTok in 2021. The #bamarush and #alabamarush hashtags on TikTok have attracted millions of views during the past few years and continue to do so.

"It's emotional boot camp. It's psychological warfare," Brandis Bradley, a sorority coach, told PEOPLE of the process of primary recruitment. "And their frontal lobes aren't even fully developed."

For two members of Zeta Tau Alpha — senior Kylan Darnell and junior Kaiden Kilpatrick — the reality of Greek life is personal and powerful after the two women harnessed social media to attract thousands of viewers to their pages.

Darnell didn’t grow up with Southern sorority culture. The reigning Miss Ohio Teen USA at the time, she arrived at Alabama from a small town with little knowledge of what rush even entailed.

"I was the first person from my high school to go to Alabama," Darnell told Fox News Digital. "I had no idea about the culture, and honestly, I felt clueless. When I got to orientation and other girls started talking about rush, I had to ask, 'What is that?'"

That same night, she got her first real taste of what sorority life looked like when a group of girls and their mothers took her down Sorority Row. She was instantly hooked.

"I called my mom and said, 'Mother, I have to try to be in a sorority,'" she recalled. "But my parents weren’t on board at first. My mom said no. My dad said, 'We’re not paying for friends.'"

"He told me, 'You’re the most outgoing girl we know, you’ll be fine without it.' But I kept pushing. Daddy listened to his little princess," she added with a laugh. "Eventually, I talked them into it."

A spontaneous TikTok she made on the first day of recruitment, originally sent to her family’s text message group chat to explain the process to her family, went viral while she was still in orientation. Within hours, her life changed.

"That first video was supposed to be a video diary for my family," she said. "But I posted it on TikTok, and when I came back from convocation, my phone had blown up. I couldn’t believe it."

Her audience grew overnight.

"After that, my life completely changed," she said. "I became financially independent and was able to pay for the rest of college through TikTok. It launched my platform, and gave me a voice."

But that platform came with a price. Darnell, now with 1.2 million followers and over 82 million likes, said the scrutiny became overwhelming.

"It’s been fun and I wouldn’t trade it, but it’s also been really hard to navigate college while being under a microscope," she said. "People forget that we’re real people."

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Illinois Governor Requires Mental Health Screening On Children

Illinois Mental Health
A new Illinois law requiring annual mental health screenings for public school students is drawing backlash from parents, policy experts and lawmakers who warn the policy may overstep boundaries and wrongly label children.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure on 31 July, making Illinois the first state in the country to mandate mental health screenings for students in grades three through 12.

The law, set to take effect in the 2027–2028 school year, directs schools to provide self-conducted screenings each year using digital or paper forms. Parents will have the ability to opt their children out.

Supporters say the initiative will help schools identify early signs of depression, anxiety or trauma — before they develop into crises. But critics argue the plan could create more problems than it solves.

"I want to be on-the-record and crystal clear. This is a disastrous policy that will do vastly more harm than good," Abigail Shrier, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, wrote on X. "Watch as tens of thousands of Illinois kids get shoved into the mental health funnel and convinced they are sick. Many or most of which will be false positives."

Katherine Boyle, a partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also raised concerns about government overreach and what she called the "mental health industrial complex."

"If a school nurse or a state-mandated mental health test tells you you’re sick, you’re going to believe them," Boyle wrote. "This is why so many families are opting out of primary school completely — the overreach is astounding."

Illinois education officials say the screenings will not be diagnostic and are designed to flag students who may benefit from further evaluation. The Illinois State Board of Education will develop the screening tools and guidelines by September 2026, and school districts will be responsible for implementing them.

"Mental health is essential to academic readiness and lifelong success," State Superintendent Tony Sanders said in a statement. "Too often, we only recognize a student’s distress when it becomes a crisis. With universal screening, we shift from reaction to prevention."