Can The Electronic Nose Detect Stale Food?

Did you think that the milk in your fridge smells a little off but somehow you don't want to dump it down the drain just yet? A few scientists at the University of California, Berkeley may have just invented the solution: an electronic nose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 48 million Americans get sick with a foodborne illness each year. For most people, it's a passing (yet still awful) event that usually subsides after a day or two. However, the CDC notes that an estimated 3,000 Americans die from it each year, making it a problem well worth solving. Hence, this high-tech nose.

In June, a team from UC Berkeley showcased their new device in Science Advances, explaining that the technology can detect the scents associated with spoiled food far more accurately than we can and even detect common food allergens like peanuts. As Carla Bassil, a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering and computer sciences at Berkeley and the study's lead author, shared with UC Berkeley News, the technology could one day be added to our kitchen appliances, making detection a breeze.

"I think 'smart' fridges — which come with sensors that you can control on your phone — would be a great application for this kind of technology," Bassil, who worked under senior author Ali Javey, the Lam Research Distinguished Chair in Semiconductor Processing at Berkeley, said. "How great would it be if your fridge could tell you, 'Hey, your broccoli's going to go bad soon, so you should probably eat that'? Or, 'Your chicken is on its last day'?"

The nose uses its 16 gas sensors, each of which is programmed to detect different combinations of compounds associated with spoiled food or allergens. The nose then uses machine learning that Bassil trained to recognize the scents associated with seven foods: strawberry, blueberry, banana, walnut, hazelnut, cashew, and peanut. She also trained it on the scents of raw chicken, milk, and eggs, both fresh and after being left out at room temperature for 24 and 48 hours.

"You can think of it like a set of digital taste buds, where each sensor on this chip responds uniquely to the various gas molecules presented to it," Bassil said. "Each of these 16 sensors has a different sensing film on it, and it works by converting chemical reactions between the sensor surface and the gas molecule into electrical signals."

According to Bassil, the nose is sensitive enough to detect 0.05 grams of "isolated walnut," which UC Berkeley News noted is equivalent to one hundredth of an average shelled walnut. She did, however, explicitly state that the nose still has limitations, as she has not tested whether it can detect those same scents when other gases are present (i.e., when it's in a salad or pre-made meal, or in the fridge with other foods). Still, it's a start.

"The idea is that we can use the relative selectivity of the gas sensors, paired with the pattern-recognition abilities of machine learning, to sort out which gas fingerprint is associated with each food," Bassil said. "The result is a sensor chip that is far more sensitive and far more objective than any human nose can be."

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LAUSD Facing "Severe" Signs Of Insolvency

The Los Angeles Unified School District was given 45 days to prove it can responsibly manage its own finances or risk losing significant control over its budget to outside fiscal overseers.

For the second-largest school district in the U.S., that is an extraordinary humiliation. It is also entirely deserved.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education has concluded that LAUSD shows "severe" signs of insolvency and could be US$ 231 million in the red, unable to make payroll, by November 2027. A fiscal expert is already working with the district.

If LAUSD fails to satisfy county officials, the next step could be a fiscal adviser with authority to block school board spending decisions. A state bailout could eventually strip the elected board of much of its power.

The warning signs were there for everyone to see.

In April, after tentative labor agreements were announced, I wrote that LAUSD was buying labor peace with money it did not have.

In June, before the school board formally approved those agreements, county officials warned they were too expensive. The board approved them anyway.

Less than a month later, the county's warning became a formal finding.

The contracts add roughly US$ 1.13 billion in costs this school year, climbing to US$ 1.44 billion in 2027-28. They include a 24 percent increase over three years for SEIU support staff, nearly 14percent over two years for teachers and almost 12 percent over two years for administrators.

At the same time, the district failed to carry out planned cuts. The board instead overruled its own chief financial officer and pulled US$ 175 million from a retiree health trust fund to make the budget work on paper.

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FDA Recalls Popular Potato Chips

A recall involving hundreds of thousands of bags of popular Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips has been classified under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's most serious warning level due to the risk of salmonella contamination.

The FDA classified the voluntary recall as a Class I recall, its highest risk category, on 1 July. According to the agency, a Class I recall means there is "a reasonable probability" that consuming or being exposed to the affected product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death..

The chips were first recalled in May by Utz Quality Foods, a subsidiary of Utz Brands, after the company learned that a seasoning made with dry milk powder supplied by a third-party manufacturer could potentially contain salmonella. Though the affected seasoning batches tested negative before being used, Utz said it issued the recall out of an abundance of caution..

The company has said it has received no reports of illnesses linked to the recalled products..

Consumers who have the affected chips should not eat them and should throw them away. Retailers have also been instructed to remove the products from store shelves..

According to Utz, the recalled products contain seasoning made with dry milk powder sourced from California Dairies, which may have been contaminated with salmonella. The recall is part of a broader investigation that has also led to recalls of other food products containing the same ingredient.

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Father Supports Son Standing Against A Bully

A father's reaction after his son was suspended for fighting is drawing attention online. The incident has sparked discussion about bullying, self-defense, and how parents should respond when their children are involved in conflicts at school. Many X users expressed support for the father's response.

But, on the other hand, commenters are also criticizing the zero tolerance fighting policy that now exists in most schools. Something is fundamentally broken within the school education system when the child being bullied is punished for fighting back, while the bully gets away Scott free.

The video, posted by @HistorianUSA1, has gone viral on X with over 1.5 million views. The three-minute post shows the father of the child explaining that his son had been suspended from school for fighting, and he didn't give the response they were hoping for.

He went on to say that he received a call from the school principal informing him that he needed to come to the school because his son was involved in a fight. To which he responded, "All right. Is he okay?"

The principal assured him that his son was in one piece, but that he needed to come immediately because his son would no longer be able to stay in the school. That being said, he left work and drove to the school.

Upon arrival, he was met with the school principal, the assistant principal, the counselor, and the school nurse, along with his son and another child. He spoke first to his son, confirming that he was safe and unharmed, to which his son confirmed that he was. At that point, he said the principle interrupted their conversation, which the father respectfully shut down to allow his son to give his side of the story.

His son continued, "This kid right here was picking on me at recess, and he wouldn't stop." He then asked him if he asked the boy to stop and how many times did he ask, to which his son replied, "One time, sir."

Realizing that his son acted in self-defense, the father turned to the principal and asked, "So, what's the problem here?" The principal explained that this sort of behavior would not be tolerated in the school. Assuming the "behavior" he was referring to was the bullying, the father agreed that such behavior should be reprimanded. However, the principal made it clear that the behavior he was referring to was his son's fighting!

The principal agreed that, yes, bullying is bad, but fighting is worse and there is zero tolerance for it. Meaning that despite fighting back in self-defense, the Dad's son is the one being reprimanded for standing up for himself. The father's response was one of confusion, because he couldn't understand how after being harassed by a bully, then asked him once to stop, that his son was in trouble for defending himself.

The principal went on to say that his son would be suspended for three days following the fighting incident. He then said that instead of fighting, his son should've told a teacher. But Dad's reaction to the fight is not what the school administration was expecting!

After hearing the reason for his son's suspension, Dad asked if anyone knew exactly what the other child was doing to bully his son. But the principal didn't know. So the Dad's argument was, "So how do you know if he was able to tell the teacher? What if the kid was in his way? What if the kid was pushing him? What if the kid had hands on my son?"

Additionally, he asked, "How are you gonna reprimand my son when you don't know what happened?" Despite the validity of his questions, all the principal replied was: "Zero Tolerance policy sir. He's got a three day suspension."

After the Dad realized they refused to see his point of view, he turned to his son in the presence of the school administration and the other child and said, "Son, I'm proud of you. You aren't suspended from school for three days. You got a three-day vacation. It's hunting season. Let's get out of here."

School suspends a 5-year-old for fighting.

Dad gets called in. Expecting him to apologize, punish his son, and play the good little parent.

Instead the dad listens to his son:

“This kid was picking on me at recess. I asked him to stop. He didn’t.”

Then the dad turns to the… pic.twitter.com/zBb51YSDDD

— DocumentingLibs (@HistorianUSA1) June 23, 2026

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Atlas Was Featured In One World Cup Game

The World Cup is becoming a venue for delivering drama, controversy, and halftime entertainment straight out of science fiction.

In the showdown between Brazil and Norway, there is featured a surreal cameo from Atlas, the humanoid robot built by US robotics firm Boston Dynamics. The ultra-flexible robotic biped kicked off the second half of the game, which Norway won 2-1, by handing the match ball to a (slightly baffled-looking) referee.

Atlas also mimicked the goal celebration of towering Norway striker Erling Haaland, which sees the Manchester City player strike a meditation post— although there was no sign of the iconic "robot" celebration popularized by England legend Peter Crouch.

Atlas was one of the earliest humanoid robots to go viral, with Boston Dynamics first unveiling an earlier version of the six-foot, 200-pound android in 2013.

Since then, the company — which is now owned by Hyundai — has shown off Atlas's ability to do parkour, eerily synchronized dances, and lots and lots of backflips.

In case that wasn't surreal enough, the latest versions of the robot include fully rotational joints that allow Atlas's head, torso, and limbs to rotate 360 degrees.

Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot spotted at Brazil vs. Norway pic.twitter.com/V0cgeD5qDl

— Bearly AI (@bearlyai) July 5, 2026

Atlas' future coworkers at Hyundai's Georgia factory, where the robot is set to be deployed in the next few years, will be relieved to know that Boston Dynamics at least tried to make Atlas look friendlier than its rivals, many of which are stuck deep in the uncanny valley.

The company's former CEO, Robert Playter, told Business Insider in January that Boston Dynamics took inspiration from the Pixar lamp to avoid giving Atlas a "scary, dystopian" face.

Atlas's football debut comes as the hype around humanoid robots continues to grow. The market is still in its infancy but is expected to grow from US$ 3 billion in 2025 to US$ 28 billion in 2030, per Morgan Stanley estimates.

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Chilavert: "France Is A Team From Africa"

Legendary Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert has been called a "disgrace" and accused of racism by the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) after describing the France side as a "team from Africa".

Philippe Diallo, the FFF president, described Chilavert's comments as "racist remarks" and said the 60-year-old had "undermined the values of respect, fraternity and diversity" in the sport.

Chilavert was widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his career, and famous for taking free-kicks and penalties. He scored a remarkable 67 competitive goals as a player, including eight for his national side between 1989 and 2003.

In a post on social media ahead of France's round-of-16 meeting with Paraguay in Philadelphia, he said that the South Americans had played a French team in the 1998 World Cup but were now facing "a team from Africa".

Those words prompted a furious response from Diallo, who said: "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football.

The row came as France and Paraguay played out a remarkably bad-tempered match in Philadelphia, as the South Americans tried to provoke the French at every opportunity.

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ECRD 2026: Europe's Rare Disease Bottleneck Is Funding Rather Than Science

Rare disease Research and Development (R&D) investment is outpacing the broader biotech market, while the pipeline of innovative therapies continues to deepen. With enhanced sequencing and data infrastructure, Europe's constraint is no longer scientific.

Funding and regulatory complexity remain the core limitations to making rare disease therapies accessible to the patients who need them most. Dr. Daria Julkowska, Scientific Coordinator at ERDERA, mentioned, "Innovation that cannot reach patients is not innovation at all", at the 13th European Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Products in Prague, Czech Republic, last 3–4 June 2026.

A large share of rare disease development still originates in non-profit and academic structures where the financial model and the cost of generating regulatory-accepted clinical evidence remain high. Financing pressure is pushing non-ultra-rare programs out of Europe, with the US being the first market to grant authorisation.

Derisking assets to attract capital, rethinking funding models, and addressing the funding rather than the scientific barriers to drug repurposing were all flagged as priorities if Europe is to retain its pipeline. Evidence generation emerged as a challenge specific to small populations, where short trials and limited patient numbers constrain conventional data collection. One of the speakers stated that real-world evidence and patient-reported outcomes must carry greater weight, and that the immediate priority must be consolidating fragmented datasets and improving how data sharing is implemented.

Europe's framework is credited with rigorous risk assessment, but insufficient accountability and a tendency to weigh risk in isolation from benefit remain. The same therapies that have been approved in the US under accelerated pathways may have their access delayed within European markets, bringing out potential risks when dealing with pediatric conditions.

Only a small number of conditional authorisations are withdrawn, favouring faster access and a more explicit patient voice in both approval and withdrawal decisions. The existing tension between precaution and timely access may define Europe's rare diseases agenda.

NOTE: "ECRD 2026: Europe's rare disease bottleneck is funding rather than science" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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Famous Mexican "Puto" Chant Is Back And Everyone Loves It

At least three times during Mexico's 3-0 win over Czechia last 24 June, Mexico's fans could be heard chanting the familiar and widely accepted "puto" chant on the broadcast. The chant, which has caused play stoppages and fines in the past, was mostly ignored by officials, who allowed the contest to continue despite repeated use of the alleged "slur".

The particular chant is not a new thing for the team's fans. The team and its fans have faced punishment in recent years for the chant, in which fans direct an anti-gay slur at the opposing team, usually its goalkeeper. 'Puto' is the word for a male prostitute.

Despite FIFA's attempts to curb the chant, it returned last 23 June, making everyone ecstatic and stopped all the questions over whether FIFA will take action to try to stop the chant.

In the past, FIFA has generally used warnings and fines to stop the homophobic chant. At the 2018 World Cup, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the team after fans performed the chant during a win over Germany. The team was eventually fined for the chant.

That particular instance proved to be successful. The team's fans did not engage in the chant during a win over South Korea. The fine, and pleas from Mexico's players at the time, worked.

But that was short-lived. The chant returned at the 2019 Gold Cup. The team's fans were once again urged to stop the chant, with CONCACAF releasing a statement calling the chant "offensive," but it was prevalent when Mexico took on the USMNT in the Gold Cup final.

Shortly after the 2019 Gold Cup, which was won by Mexico, FIFA updated its disciplinary code, giving referees a three-step procedure to enforce in response to "discriminatory incidents."

Under that policy, referees were advised to stop play until the chants stop, suspend the match if the chants continue and then abandon the match if the situation continues to devolve. Officials did not follow that useless protocol during Wednesday's contest.

In 2021, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) attempted to put a stop to the chants. The FMF put out two videos, one which called the chant "discriminatory" and another in which prominent players urged fans to stop using the chant, threatening ejection for those who start or engage in it.

Those attempts were, as expected, unsuccessful. Mexico's fans once again used the chant during a game against the USMNT that June.

FIFA finally issued punishment against Mexico for its fans' repeated use of the slur. The FMF was fined US$ 65,000 and the team was forced to play two World Cup qualifiers in empty stadiums.

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Court Upholds Parental Rights Over School's Baseless Policy

The federal courts are clear in their ruling last 25 June. California officials should not hide information about students from their parents.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit granted a preliminary injunction preventing officials from enforcing Sections 5 and 6 of Assembly Bill 1955 against the plaintiff parents in City of Huntington Beach v. Newsom with respect to information about their own children.

The decision relied heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court's March ruling in the related case Mirabelli v. Bonta. There, the justices said parents challenging California's student confidentiality policies were "likely to succeed on the merits" of claims under the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause and the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause.

The Supreme Court lifted a stay that had prevented a lower court injunction from taking effect for the parent plaintiffs while that case proceeds.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1955, known as the SAFETY Act, in July 2024. The law prohibits school districts from disclosing information about a student's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression without the student's consent. It also protects school employees from retaliation for supporting LGBTQ+ students.

The measure came amid a national fight over policies requiring schools to notify parents when students use different names or pronouns or otherwise express a gender identity at school that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Opponents argue that the law infringes on parents' constitutional right to direct their children's upbringing and prevents families from learning important information about their children. America First Legal represents the parents challenging AB 1955 in the Huntington Beach case.

"It's far past time for California officials and school districts to realize they can't legally use our kids to conduct gender transition experiments at school," Liberty Justice Center senior counsel Timothy Snowball said in a separate June 2 statement addressing California school policies.

"Parents have a right, both legally and morally, to direct their own children's education. This includes knowing essential information about their health, well-being, and education."

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