GoKawiil
Tech News
The finale episode of 'VisionQuest,' titled 'Forever,' closes out the series' storyline. The episode is described as reflective in tone, bringing resolution to the emotional threads built up across the season.
3M has agreed to a settlement worth up to $7.35 billion covering roughly 120,000 plaintiffs who alleged the company's PFAS chemicals contaminated groundwater. Under the deal, plaintiffs get $50 million this year, followed by annual payments exceeding $1 billion from 2028 through 2033, with additional payouts tied to how many people join the class action. 3M retains the right to halt payments and keep litigating if too few plaintiffs participate.
A new analysis suggests actual levels of PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in US drinking water could be more than twice as high as official figures indicate. Researchers attribute the gap to testing practices that only count contamination above certain minimum reporting thresholds, excluding lower-level detections from public tallies.
In a Q&A with The Verge, K-pop artist Sunmi discussed the apps and devices she relies on, naming her phone's Notes and Voice Memos apps as essential for writing lyrics, and praising the Samsung Galaxy series as an underappreciated tool. She also mentioned KakaoTalk as a go-to messaging app and shared a personal fondness for watching ear cleaning videos.
Scientists studying the 'exposome'—the sum of environmental and lifestyle exposures a person accumulates—are developing tools to measure chemical, pollutant, dietary and infectious exposures alongside genetic data. The concept, coined by epidemiologist Christopher Wild in 2005, aims to quantify environmental risk factors with the same precision now possible for genomics. Researchers note that environmental exposures account for an estimated 70-90% of chronic disease risk.
An investigation by The Guardian found that nearly all of the world's ten largest producers of PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' intend to expand production to supply the booming data center industry. These chemicals are widely used in cooling systems, AI chips, circuit boards, fire suppression equipment, and cable coatings inside data centers.
USPS is introducing a new semipostal stamp on October 6 designed to fund fentanyl awareness efforts. Unlike standard Forever stamps, semipostals charge extra beyond the postage rate, with that surcharge routed to a designated cause, which is why the new stamp books will be priced around $20.
ProPublica reporter Sharon Lerner uncovered internal 3M records showing the company knew as early as the 1970s that PFAS compounds used in nonstick coatings, food packaging and stain-resistant products had entered people's bloodstreams worldwide. Rather than disclosing this, 3M kept the findings confidential for decades, according to a former company scientist who spoke with Lerner.