All posts tagged: Alpha

Gen Z & Alpha Could Never Handle These 11 Things That Were Part Of Millennials’ Daily Lives

Gen Z & Alpha Could Never Handle These 11 Things That Were Part Of Millennials’ Daily Lives

Published by Jenni Sidey

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, which means they’re now fully grown adults, often raising kids themselves. While much of their daily lives were full of mundane activities that Gen Z and Alpha could never handle, they were the first generation to be raised with internet in their home for most of their adolescence and likely had cell phones as teenagers. Millennials, the generation Brookings calls “a demographic bridge to America’s diverse future,” gained a lot from their exposure to information in their early years, but not all of that was for the better. Still, Gen Z and Alpha likely find that childhood quaint, as theirs has been so dramatically different.  Gen Z & Alpha could never handle these 11 things that were part of millennials’ daily lives 1. Living without social media Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock Millennials didn’t have constant access to social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram, and many think Gens Z and Alpha simply couldn’t handle it. Facebook was the millennial entry point into social media, and its arrival on the …

Why Cohere is merging with Aleph Alpha

Why Cohere is merging with Aleph Alpha

Published by skeptic

Canadian AI startup Cohere is taking over Germany-based Aleph Alpha, with the blessing of their governments, in a bid to offer a sovereign alternative to enterprises in an AI landscape dominated by American players. “Sovereign AI” refers to systems where companies and governments retain full control over their own data — rather than routing it through U.S. tech giants like Microsoft or Google. As companies that develop large language models, Aleph Alpha and Cohere have been hometown stars, while still lagging far behind OpenAI and the likes globally. But similarities aside, this isn’t an alliance between equals. Last valued at $6.8 billion, Cohere will lead the new entity that will incorporate Aleph Alpha, subject to approval by authorities and shareholders. The deal’s key financial backer is Schwarz Group, a German retail conglomerate. As an existing shareholder in Aleph Alpha, it is already fully onboard with the acquisition. And going forward, it will also become a strategic backer of the newly combined entity with €500 million in structured financing (approximately $600 million). In return, Schwarz Group …

Scientists Say They’ve Tested a Way to Get to Alpha Centauri in Just 20 Years

Scientists Say They’ve Tested a Way to Get to Alpha Centauri in Just 20 Years

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech The nearest star system to our own, Alpha Centauri, is well over four light-years away — tens of trillions of lonely miles that could take hundreds, if not thousands, of Earth years to reach using contemporary rocket propulsion methods. But there may be a way to cut the length of the journey down significantly. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Newton, a team of researchers at Texas A&M University say they’ve demonstrated an exciting new approach, which uses lasers to propel and steer objects from a distance, without physical contact. They claim lasers could one day push entire spacecraft, accelerating them to the point where the trip to Alpha Centauri will only take around 20 years. While that may still sound like a long time, it’d be a major upgrade over having to send a generation ship built to survive thousands of years. That’s if the concept can effectively be scaled up, of course. …

Texas A&M optical propulsion could cut travel time to Alpha Centauri to 20 years

Texas A&M optical propulsion could cut travel time to Alpha Centauri to 20 years

Published by skeptic

Researchers at Texas A&M University have demonstrated optical propulsion using laser-driven “metajets” with full three-dimensional control. Their lab-scale results suggest that light-powered propulsion systems could cut travel time to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to ours, to roughly 20 years. Current space propulsion technologies would take hundreds of thousands of years to complete this journey, highlighting the immense potential of optical propulsion in driving future endeavours into the final frontier. What is optical propulsion, and why is it gaining traction? Optical propulsion uses light, typically from lasers, to generate force on objects without physical contact or onboard fuel. While the physics has been understood for decades, practical control has remained a barrier. The latest work, led by Dr Shoufeng Lan, assistant professor and director of the Lab for Advanced Nanophotonics, provides a controlled demonstration of how light alone can direct motion in multiple dimensions. Published in Newton, the study outlines a method to convert photon momentum into a measurable mechanical force. The context is stark: conventional rocket propulsion would take hundreds of thousands of …

10 Things Gen Z Does That Gen Alpha Finds Deeply Embarrassing For Them

10 Things Gen Z Does That Gen Alpha Finds Deeply Embarrassing For Them

Published by Jenni Sidey

We all thought we were the coolest kids on the block once upon a time, but in truth, every generation develops its own habits without realizing how quickly they’ll look outdated. What feels normal or even cool at one moment can start to feel slightly forced just a few years later. That shift tends to happen gradually, until someone younger suddenly surprises them by pointing out just how embarrassing their behavior is in a way that’s hard to ignore. Gen Z may have grown up shaping online culture, but Gen Alpha, currently between the ages of zero and 13, is now interacting with it from a different angle than their 14 to 29-year-old counterparts. These kids have been surrounded by content from the start, which changes, well, pretty much everything. And while Gen Z still thinks they’re too cool to be cringey, many of the things they do actually make Gen Alpha feel deeply embarrassed for them. Here are 10 things Gen Z does that Gen Alpha finds deeply embarrassing for them 1. Over-explaining in …

Wall Street’s Trillion-Dollar Bet On “Tax Alpha”

Wall Street’s Trillion-Dollar Bet On “Tax Alpha”

Published by Jenni Sidey

Tax alpha — the practice of improving investment returns by reducing taxes — has become one of the fastest-growing strategies on Wall Street, according to Bloomberg.  Rather than focusing only on beating the market, many investment firms now design portfolios to minimize taxes, often producing higher after-tax returns even if pre-tax performance is similar to traditional strategies. After years of rising markets, many wealthy Americans hold large unrealized gains in stocks and funds. To address the resulting tax burden, asset managers have developed a wide ecosystem of tax-optimization techniques. More than $1 trillion is now invested in strategies built around tax efficiency, ranging from simple ETF structures to complex hedge fund portfolios. Some of the simplest approaches involve structuring funds to limit taxable events. Certain exchange-traded funds minimize distributions by carefully timing stock sales, reducing investors’ annual tax bills. At the other end of the spectrum are more complex strategies that deliberately generate losses or deductible expenses that can offset gains — and sometimes even ordinary income. One of the fastest-growing segments is tax-aware long-short …

2x Heybike ALPHA e-bike at 9 each, Bluetti power station, more

2x Heybike ALPHA e-bike at $999 each, Bluetti power station, more

Published by skeptic

We’re ending February’s first week of Green Deals with plenty to love, starting with Heybike’s Valentine’s Day e-bike bundle offers, which is giving folks the chance at two ALPHA All-Terrain Mid-Drive e-bikes for $999 each, among others. We also have a few of our top Bluetti power station picks from its current sale, like the Elite 400 Portable Power Station back at an exclusive $1,221 low for the second time. You can also find Segway’s Max G2 Electric Scooter down at $700 (alongside a cheaper alternative), as well as Anker’s Super Bowl weekend flash sale with up to $3,300 savings, A Greenworks cordless electric string trimmer roundup alongside a new low on the brand’s 40V 5.0Ah high-power battery, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Segway GT3 SuperScooter low price, the increased exclusive savings to new low prices on EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra home integration bundle, the newer DELTA Pro Ultra X station, and more. Head below for other New Green Deals …

28 Years Later ‘Alpha’ Chi Lewis-Parry Reacts Nude Scene Furore

28 Years Later ‘Alpha’ Chi Lewis-Parry Reacts Nude Scene Furore

Published by Sam Flores

Last year’s 28 Days Later sequel, 28 Years Later, introduced a new type of infected known as the “Alphas”, who were notably more physically dominant and roamed the plague-ridden UK totally nude. Of these domineering zombified humans, the most talked-about was undoubtedly Samson – who made a big impact in last year’s Danny Boyle film thanks to his huge stature and, indeed, his huge prosthetic manhood. Played by 6’8” former MMA fighter Chi Lewis-Parry, who reprises the role in the new sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, he has admitted he isn’t surprised by the attention that his prosthetic penis has garnered. “I’m not mad about it – not even now. But I don’t want to take away an ounce of credibility from the immense work that everyone put into these films. Everyone is incredible. And I don’t want Samson’s prosthetic to steal any of the shine,” he told Variety. Chi had previously told GQ around the release of the first movie that he was “proud” of people talking about his prosthetic appendage. “I’m …

Gen Alpha Says These Outdated Slang Words Make You Sound Old

Gen Alpha Says These Outdated Slang Words Make You Sound Old

Published by Jenni Sidey

As with any generation, Gen Alpha has its own lexicon of what’s cool and what’s not, and they’re letting everyone older than 13 know. You might think you’re hip, but Gen Alpha says certain outdated slang words make you sound old. Social media influencer Nicole Pelligrino interviewed her Gen Alpha sister, Simone, and Simone’s bestie, Georgia, to discover which words are in and which are out, and these 5 words that you probably use more than you realize are letting everyone know that your cool card has been revoked. Trying to figure out where you fall on the social ladder was hard enough once, let alone repeating the endeavor. So how about this: Stop trying to keep up with the times. Sure, you roll your eyes at “6-7,” but you’re not a kid anymore, and that’s OK! It’s time for Gen Alpha to have its moment. Gen Alpha says these outdated slang words make you sound old: 1. Slay SeventyFour | Shutterstock If you assumed that “slay” has something to do with saving princesses and …

What Choppelganger Means To Gen Z & Gen Alpha

What Choppelganger Means To Gen Z & Gen Alpha

Published by Jenni Sidey

Has a friend or relative ever told you that you look exactly like someone they know or possibly even a celebrity? Then you realize the person in question is Steve Buscemi? Okay, no hate to Buscemi, but even if you guys are doppelgangers, or in this case, “choppelgangers,” some things are better left unsaid. Gen Zers and Gen Alpha have coined the phrase “choppelganger,” and it’s making the rounds, which likely means its popularity has suddenly made it uncool. But in case you were wondering, it’s a play on the classic word “doppelganger,” but it doesn’t quite mean the same thing. The term “choppelganger” has become a new phenomenon on social media for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and it’s definitely not the compliment it might sound like at first, but it definitely has a purpose. What choppelganger means to Gen Z and Gen Alpha In the simplest terms, a choppelganger is the less attractive version of a doppelganger. “Trending word alert. I present to you ‘Choppleganger.’ This word is fresh on the scene, and …