Spy agencies brief people in power. We brief you. Each week we’ll bring you one story that matters, plus a few that don’t!
Your Brief for October 3, 2024: Penguins take on an iceberg, The Compassionate Spy, a Hollywood shepherd, goodbye coal and more!
News
Largest VC Round Ever
OpenAI just raised $6.6 billion, doubling its market valuation to an impressive $157 billion. The round was led by Thrive Capital, which invested $1 billion. Major players like Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank also joined in, however, the funds are contingent upon OpenAI transitioning from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity within the next two years. The company began in 2015 as a nonprofit focused on general AI research, later shifting gears with the launch of ChatGPT. Investors have additionally been asked to refrain from funding OpenAI's major rivals in the AI industry. Funding comes amidst some turbulence within the company, including the departure of high-profile executives and internal disagreements over its direction. ChatGPT remains a major force, despite reported losses it boasts over 250 million monthly users and 10 million paid subscribers.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Primakov
True Spies
The Compassionate Spy
For teenage genius Ted Hall, the opportunity to work alongside the great minds of his time was too great to turn down. But, during his time on the Manhattan Project - the WW2 nuclear development program headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer - Ted grew uneasy about the world-shattering power he had helped to unleash.
It’s October of 1944, the Second World War is still raging, bombs continue to drop, machine guns continue to fire, and people are dying every day. On a still autumn afternoon, two young men are enjoying, what seems like, a moment of quiet and tranquility. They’ve taken a rowboat onto the lake at Central Park in New York City. One of the men, Ted, is celebrating his 18th birthday, joined by his best friend, Saville “Savy” Sax. From the outside, it must look like a very ordinary scene; two friends together, enjoying one another's company. But something else is happening inside this boat... something that will change the course of history—and their lives—forever.
Ted's about to go from scientist to spy. He’s about to share his knowledge of building atomic super-weapons with the Soviet Union. But surprisingly, he’s a man who spies not for personal gain, but out of compassion for the world and its people.
What drives Ted’s reasoning? Join documentary filmmaker and producer Steve James, in this week’s podcast selection, 'The Compassionate Spy,' to find out!
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Nature
Penguins Take On An Iceberg
What happens when an iceberg traps a penguin colony?
In May, a massive iceberg, known as A83, broke off from Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf and drifted until it stopped directly in front of the Halley Bay emperor penguin colony. The colossal iceberg, roughly the size of the Isle of Wight, blocked the penguins' access to the sea, threatening the survival of hundreds of newly hatched chicks as their mothers were out hunting for food.
Peter Fretwell, a scientist who, along with his colleagues, has monitored this colony for years, feared the worst. This was not the first challenge for the Halley Bay colony. In 2019, the colony faced a catastrophic breeding failure, with no chicks surviving for three consecutive years due to the lack of stable sea ice. A few hundred penguins had relocated to the nearby MacDonald Ice rumples to keep the group going.
Just weeks ago, however, the iceberg began to drift away and recent satellite images offer a glimmer of hope. Fretwell anxiously examined these images, bracing for the worst, but instead found a promising brown speck on the ice sheet, a sign that the penguins have once again defied the odds!
Image Credit: Shutterstock/AltitudeVisual
History
Goodbye Coal
Who'll be the first to make coal a thing of the past?
The UK has stopped producing electricity from coal, marking the end of a 142-year reliance on the fuel. Its last coal power station, running since 1967 and located at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, ceased operations on Monday closing a chapter that started with the world’s first coal-fired power station, the Holborn Viaduct in London, built by Thomas Edison in 1882. This is a significant milestone for the UK as it becomes the first major economy to give up coal in its push to combat climate change!
Once the backbone of the nation’s power supply, coal accounted for nearly all of the UK’s electricity well into the 20th century. However, it was gradually phased out by the rise of cleaner alternatives, like natural gas in the early 1990s, and now, renewable energy sources. In 2012, it generated 39% of the country's power. As coal is considered the dirtiest fossil fuel, its removal from the UK’s energy mix marks a crucial step toward a more sustainable future.
Technology
Flash On The Frontline
Can a self-made spy change the course of a war?
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov has become a key figure in Ukraine's defense against Russia, sharing insights and intel on the ever-changing technology dominating the skies… drones. But his self-appointed role involves serious risk, exchanging the relative safety of his suburban home north of Kyiv for trips to the front line.
Flash travels to the eastern conflict zones in his makeshift mobile intelligence center, a black VW van packed with radio hardware and equipped with an array of antennas. He monitors Russian radio transmissions, gathering vital information about enemy movements and challenges troops face on the ground. Though technically a civilian, Flash plays an unofficial spy role, using his expertise in radio communications to inform Ukraine's defense strategy.
What sets Flash apart is his transparency. Instead of keeping his findings secret, he shares his observations with over 127,000 followers on social media, including soldiers and government officials. In a conflict increasingly defined by drone technology, Flash’s knowledge of radio communications has become a crucial asset to Ukraine’s defense!
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Why was actor Damian Lewis herding sheep across the River Thames?
Lewis recently took part in the age-old tradition of herding sheep across the river in London. This quirky custom dates back hundreds of years and involves the Freemen of the City guiding sheep along a historic trading route. Lewis and over 1,000 Freemen joined the annual event, a celebration rooted around the medieval right of allowing produce to be brought to market over the Thames without paying tolls.
Wearing his grandfather's wool coat and carrying a crook, Lewis helped guide the sheep over Southwark Bridge, accompanied by others dressed in traditional attire. This event was revived about 15 years ago; a Freeman himself, Lewis has deep ties to the City of London, with family history including his great-grandfather, grandfather, and brother all serving as Lord Mayors - the head of the City of London Corporation. This unique display was organized by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, one of London’s oldest livery companies, helping keep the city’s rich history and traditions alive.
Science
A Stem Cell Breakthrough
Is there a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes?
A study published last week revealed that a 25-year-old woman's Type 1 diabetes was reversed using a groundbreaking stem cell treatment. This case is the first in which a patient was treated with cells derived from their body. Researchers at Peking University in Beijing extracted the cells, reprogrammed them to their pluripotent state, and developed them into insulin-producing islet cells - typically destroyed by the body's immune system in Type 1 diabetes. After safety tests on mice and primates, they re-injected 1.5 million cells into the patient's abdomen in June 2023. Two and a half months later the patient could already produce enough insulin on her own, eliminating the need for other treatments! Diabetes affects roughly half a billion people worldwide, including 38.4 million Americans. Might Type 1 diabetes no longer have to be a lifelong condition?
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