Author: Alyssa Miller
Alyssa Miller
Alyssa Miller is a writer, editor, and educator with a passion for entertainment and pop culture. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Communications. Before graduating, Alyssa worked as a freelance entertainment and film education writer, contributing to a variety of publications, including Britain’s First Frame Magazine. She also continued to write short stories and screenplays in her free time.
TikTok is raving about the latest mystery surrounding a female stingray in a North Carolina aquarium. A rust-colored round stingray named Charlotte, who lives in captivity with several sharks, is pregnant. The phenomenon, dubbed the “Virgin Mary of Stingrays,” has baffled aquarium staff and the internet since she hasn’t encountered a male mate in at least eight years. How did this happen? The Discovery of Charlotte’s Eggs Source: Aquarium and Shark Lab/Twitter Aquarium workers believe Charlotte to be between 12 and 16 years old and have discovered mysterious growths swelling on her body. Brenda Ramer, the executive director of the…
You want your money to work for you when you decide to retire. Shifting your spending habits is one way to ensure you don’t run out of money during retirement. While your investments will cover your living expenses, other hacks can extend your dollar. You don’t need to change your entire life philosophy around personal finances, but these tips can help you shift your spending habits. Navigating Financial Priorities Source: Anna Shvets/Pexels “Throughout your life, spending in a budget-conscious manner is important,” Thomas Brock, CFA, CPA, and expert contributor for Annuity.org, tells GOBankingRates. “It’s especially critical during your later years,…
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. This decision could have sweeping implications for reproductive rights and fertility treatment across the state. Alabama already has some of the strictest reproductive laws in the United States, but how did the state’s Supreme Court come to this decision? Let’s break it down. The Inciting Incident Source: Edward Jenner/Pexels Three couples who had frozen embryos at a fertility clinic filed wrongful death cases after “a patient at the Hospital managed to wander into the Center’s fertility clinic through an unsecured doorway,” and removed several embryos and…
Two Supreme Court cases have reshaped politics in the United States: Citizens United v. FEC (2010) and Buckley v. Valeo (1976). These cases are landmarks in several ways, but their biggest impact is how they fundamentally changed the power and accountability of wealthy people and organizations within U.S. elections. What are these cases and how do they use the First Amendment to take the power away from Americans who can not pay to sway the influence of upcoming elections? Let’s get into it. What Is Citizens United v. FEC? Source: Jonas Ekstomer/NDLA Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (FEC)…
Astronomers discovered what they believe is the brightest object in the universe. At the center of the quasar is a black hole that is growing quickly. The quasar, short for quasi-stellar radio source, is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). Astronomers believe this newly discovered quasar is the brightest object in our universe, but it might not last long. How Bright is the Quasar? Source: Wikimedia Commons They are some of the most distant and energetic objects in the observable universe, emitting more light than the Milky Way. That means that the quasar is brighter than hundreds of billions…
Astrobotic’s lunar lander burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere earlier in February, turning into a glorious fireball over the South Pacific Ocean. The private U.S. company confirmed this news to multiple sources. Why did the lunar lander fail to make it back to Earth in one piece? What did Astrobotics learn from the tragedy? Let’s get into it! What Is Astrobotic? Source: Gu Bra/Pexels Astrobotic is a private U.S. moon exploration company based in Pittsburgh, PA that specializes in making space missions affordable for science, exploration, and commerce, according to the company’s website. “As a lunar logistics company, we provide…
The United States and its allies are under a “serious national security threat” as Russia develops a space-based nuclear weapon. U.S. satellites targeted by Russian space weapon in development, sources say to NBC News. While the weapon is not operational yet, Russia’s development of this weapon is raising concerns within the U.S. Let’s break down everything we know so far. U.S. Lawmaker Urges Declassification Over Unnamed Foreign Threat Source: Don Sniegowski/Pexels The chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Turner, calls on the White House to declassify information about an unnamed “serious national security threat” related to a “destabilizing…
One of the latest online marketplaces is now facing a lawsuit thanks to a single button. Amazon, which is the biggest retailer in the world, has a global online presence that has led people to late-night shopping. However, the “Buy Now” feature, which is located directly under the “Add to Cart” button has led people to spend more money, with some claiming that they accidentally purchased items. Amazon’s Secret Weapon Source: Christopher/Ebdon The button, known as the Buy Box, appears on product pages and prompts users to make a purchase, skipping the process of adding the product to the cart.…
The U.S.-based artificial intelligence (AI) research organization OpenAI is teasing its latest AI project, Sora. The AI company says Sora “can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions.” Rather than being a text-to-image AI, Sora allows users to create photorealistic videos based on a prompt users give. How exactly does this work? And when does Sora go live for the public? Let’s get into it. OpenAI Is Training AI to Make Videos Source: OpenAI The company behind AI innovations like ChatGPT and DALL-E is ready to tackle the world of content creation and, perhaps, cinema. In a blog post,…
In March 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to combat the growing unhousing crisis in the state by approving plans to build 200 prefabricated tiny homes in San Jose at no extra cost to city taxpayers. Less than a year later, Newsom’s administration is pulling back on its promise. Rather than build 200 tiny homes, the state is sending the city a check for $12.7 million to build the homes. Why this sudden change in plans? Let’s get into it. What Was Newsom’s Program? Source: George Rose/Getty Images Newsom’s 2023 program was his attempt to fight the unhousing crisis in…