By Tamoor Hamid

From nanobots to microcomputers, March was an awesome month filled with news ranging from the weird to the controversial.

5. Hypnosis from Samsung

Everyone has that one T.V show that they really love. After the show ends or gets cancelled, people usually want the show to continue or find a way to have the experience of watching the show again. The tech giant Samsung has created a website to remedy the problem. “Unspoil Me” is website by Samsung that uses hypnosis to make you forget your favorite show. Before starting hypnosis, the site has you agree to being over 18, believing in hypnosis, and have a healthy mind. The reviews have been mixed across the internet with some people claiming it works and others completely denying it. The only sure way to find out is to try it.

Article: https://goo.gl/kvYBAS
Unspoil Me: https://goo.gl/VjPory

4. Nanobots vs. Cancer

Nanobots, a staple of science fiction, are becoming more and more of a reality. Arizona State University teamed up with the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and programmed nanobots to successfully treat tumors in mice. The process works by cutting off blood supply through disconnecting blood vessels, and then injecting blood clotting medicine. There are still issues. This treatment and other treatments that use nanobots have run into criticism because of the cost. They do the same work as other treatments, but are more expensive. Critics say that the only way nanobots will be looked at as useful is if they are able to improve current treatments or are more efficient in other ways, like speed or safety.

Article: https://goo.gl/ie9Hxg

3. Size Does Matter in Computing

IBM, the company synonymous with computing, showed off their band new computer. Above is a picture of a computer sitting on salt. Not big crystals, table salt. The computer, currently unnamed, is only 1mm x 1mm. It’s power is equivalent to an x86 chip from the 90’s, giving it the ability to barely play the classic PC game “Doom.” The main uses for the the computer is counterfeit protection and it costs less than 10 cents to produce. The project will use Blockchain. Blockchain is too massive of a topic to be covered here, but this should explain: by using Blockchain, IBM may be able to secure the authenticity of a product from start to finish. Though IBM has only talked using the computer for counterfeit protection, there are hopes that this type of tech could be used in wearable technology like a smart contact lens.

Article: https://goo.gl/cULwY7

2. The Fall of Tiangong-1

China’s first space station made a lot of noise this month. Early in the month, it was announced that Tiangong-1 would be falling from its orbit and crashing down to earth. Tiangong translates to “heavenly palace” in English. The space station has been in operation since 2011. It had a laboratory, but the main purpose of the station was testing ground for orbital docking. The spacecraft burned up in the upper atmosphere on April 2, 2018 over the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Article: https://goo.gl/WEfzrF

1. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica

Social media has massively changed society since its rise. One of the first and most widespread forms of social media is Facebook. After being launched in 2004, the site has evolved into a powerful tool that could easily be used for the diffusion of information, even if it’s false. Unsurprisingly, there have been many massive controversies over the amount of data that Facebook has on its users. The most recent scandal may be Facebook’s last; the site has lost billions due to its relation to Cambridge Analytica. According to the firm’s description, Cambridge Analytica is a “political consulting firm which combines data mining, data brokerage, and data analysis with strategic communication for the electoral process.” With the amount of data that Facebook collects, C.A. was able to direct propaganda for political parties or movements to users based on the psychology of the users. With this, C.A. had the power to affect elections around the world at the grassroots level. This is just a little window into this massive story. It will be developing more through the months.

Article: https://goo.gl/v4oMcg