Highlights of the week of October 23-29
Three news stories this week are all related to the United Kingdom in one way or another. By the way, British scientists have found that their country is mentioned more often in funny news summaries than any other. Just kidding, they didn't do a study like that, although it sounds a lot like British scientists.
The British want to ban "laughing gas"
Nitrous oxide, the correct name for this compound, is actively used in medicine, especially dentistry, as a sedative and anesthetic. However, this harmless remedy has a side effect — it is addictive.
"Laughing gas" is one of the most common recreational drugs used to relieve nervous tension and induce laughter, hence the name. However, the euphoria must be maintained, so people increasingly turn to a new dose. Unlike heroin, for example, nitrous oxide cannot be fatal, but it can provoke antisocial behavior.
This was the main argument of the authorities in introducing the ban. As of November 8, it is now illegal to possess, buy or use gas. Violators face various penalties, including up to 14 years in prison. Of course, the medical sector and the food industry (gas is used to produce whipped cream) will not be affected by such serious measures. However, companies and hospitals must prove that they are using nitrous oxide strictly for its intended purpose.
The world's loudest cat has been found
Bella, as the record-breaker is called, keeps her owners from watching TV. Or at least they have to turn up the volume when their 14-year-old pet has just eaten and decided to purr.
The cat's vocal output is impressive: an official judge and an acoustic engineer from Guinness World Records registered a sound level of 54.6 dB. That's the equivalent of a boiling kettle.
To set the record, the cat was placed in an isolated room, a bowl of her favorite treats was placed in front of her. The result was obvious within the first few seconds, and the equipment only confirmed the suspicion.
Now Bella's owners have to decide which baby photos to remove from the dresser: the world record holder's certificate turned out to be bigger than expected and did not fit into the space reserved for it.
The Beatles are making a new record
The song Now and Then, recorded by John Lennon in the 70s, will soon be released. He left the demo tape to Paul McCartney, but the technology at the time couldn't extract the pure sound from the tape and separate it from the piano part. But that all changed with the advent of AI.
Not long ago, the remaining musicians of the legendary band used the neural network that Peter Jackson used during the filming of Get Back. The AI was able to separate the vocals from the instrumental, which Starr and McCartney took advantage of by playing the missing parts. Now the musicians have enough material to record the song as it should have been.
Of course, the rumors of AI led to the theory that the song was simply generated. However, Paul McCartney denied such claims, saying that the neural network was only used to separate the tracks on the record.
The song will premiere on November 1, and the full version will be available on November 2, 2023.
