Engineering Alternatives to Fast Fashion

In a world of fleeting trends and viral fashion sensations, companies and consumers alike have contributed to massive textile waste that has created irreparable environmental damage. Engineers have been working to combat these issues, but as new and innovative solutions are being developed, the question still remains: how can we balance affordability and ethical consumption in the pursuit of the next big fashion trend?

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Using A.I. to Detect Breast Cancer

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have begun to deliver breakthroughs in breast cancer screening and detection, especially for signs that doctors miss in their examinations. Nevertheless, the use of cancer detection technology still faces many obstacles before it can be used ubiquitously in healthcare.

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Why Bots Shouldn’t be the Hiring Tool of the Future

It is no secret that nearly all major companies now implement some sort of artificial intelligence- (AI) powered screening softwares in their employment practices. However, despite all of the advancements behind this technology, using AI to vet job candidates may actually involve many discriminatory practices.

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Streaming Services Continue to Raise Prices

Since the development of streaming services, people have been able to watch their favorite movies and television shows on their own time and within the comfort of their own homes. However, with the ever-increasing price that comes with subscriptions to services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and others, consumers are debating whether streaming giants are truly as accessible as they were meant to be.

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Spotify Wrapped and the Use of Personal Data

For users of the music streaming giant, the end of the year is a time of great anticipation. Spotify Wrapped, the platform’s year-in-review experience for users, summarizes each individual’s listening history, including top songs and artists. While Wrapped’s interactive and shareable elements are a fan favorite, it is important to remember that its reliance on tracking users and storing data is not as harmless as many believe it to be.

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FDA Advisory Panel Asks for Improvements in Pulse Oximeters

An FDA Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices advisory panel met this week to discuss racial and skin-pigmentation bias in pulse oximeter devices. This comes in the wake of research demonstrating that inaccurate blood oxygen readings may have contributed to the greater number of Covid-19 deaths in minority patients compared to white patients.

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Why Ethical Free-to-Play Game Design Matters

The recent release of Blizzard Entertainment’s “Overwatch 2” has sparked many conversations in the gaming community centered around the ethics behind free-to-play video games and the duty that developers have to their consumers. As the game industry continues to shift away from a traditional one-time purchase model, developers must continue to consider what they can do to keep games as fair as possible for all players.

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How California’s Heat Wave Almost Broke the State’s Power Grid

A historic heat wave in California has led to high demand for energy usage this past week, but officials have urged millions of residents to turn up their thermostats and shut off their appliances to prevent overwhelming the power grid. However, lawmakers and regulators at the forefront of the state’s green energy initiatives are also feeling the heat.

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Elon Musk’s New Stake in Twitter and the Unchecked Power of Tech Giants

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the richest man in the world, recently purchased enough shares of Twitter to have a 9.2 percent stake, making him the largest shareholder of the social media company. Musk’s appointment to the board of Twitter has brought about questions of free speech, social media deregulation, and the ability of the extremely wealthy to influence the way that our world communicates.

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