The world is warming and new medications are formulating, but first: a cartoon about the hellscape that is email.
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Today’s News
A once-a-month birth control pill is coming
More than 15 million Americans spend a few seconds every day finding and taking a birth control pill. Sometimes, they’ll miss taking one. But scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT are closing in on a solution five years in the making: a birth control pill you only have to take once a month. In a scientific first, they’ve demonstrated the ability to deliver a steady drip of contraceptive hormones in the body of a pig for up to 29 days, but human trials are unlikely to start in 2021.
The Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of Earth
A new study published in Science Advances reports the Arctic has warmed by 0.75 degrees Celsius in the last decade alone. By comparison, Earth as a whole has warmed by around the same amount, 0.8 degrees C, but over the past 137 years. So, what does it mean? The report’s authors say the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in just 20 years at this current rate. That won’t just be problematic for the animals who live there—it will also bring an increase in heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires throughout the world.
Fast Fact: 3,000 to 5,0000
That’s the estimate of how many listings Airbnb recently purged from the city of Boston in an effort to adhere to local laws. The purged listings were ones that violated Boston’s rules, which require, among other things, that short-term rental hosts register with the city before appearing on sites like Airbnb. It’s one of several recent moves that reflect Airbnb’s more conciliatory tone with regulators as the company prepares to go public.
WIRED Recommends: Last-Ditch Cyber Monday Deals
If you missed out on all the shopping excitement over the weekend, fear not: Many of the deals are still here! Our reviewers rounded up the best of what’s left.
News You Can Use
Here’s how to curb your phone addiction with grayscale mode.
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