GoKawiilLately, says Baek, he and his coworkers are having better luck finding dates—perhaps because of the dazzling bonuses they just got. Flush with eye-popping profits from the AI chip boom, SK Hynix agreed to pay 10% of operating profits to employees, which translates to an extra $476,000 per employee this year. Samsung workers received a similar deal this May.
With their newfound wealth, chip workers like Baek have become the most sought-after bachelors and bachelorettes in South Korea.
Discover how AI chip profits are transforming South Korea's dating market—and stoking anxieties.
—Michelle Kim
A device that revives eyeballs from dead donors could make eye transplants possible
It’s not easy to transplant a whole human eye. The surgery is difficult, and eyes start to degenerate as soon as they’ve left the body. When surgeons attempted it a few years ago, the newly transplanted eye couldn’t see.
But researchers believe they might have a solution: a device that maintains and revives freshly removed eyeballs using a technique called perfusion. Treated eyes don’t degrade as quickly and appear to retain the ability to transmit electrical signals—and potentially see.
The device could one day make whole-eye transplants a viable possibility. Here’s how it works.
—Jessica Hamzelou