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Submission + - Ryugu asteroid samples contain all DNA and RNA building blocks

Submitted by symbolset
symbolset writes: More and more science is pushing back the Drake equation, reducing the parameters necessary for life to form. From the discovery that organic molecules are formed in the little red dot protogalaxies at the edge of our visible universe to AI models that identify a self replicating RNA molecule in only 45 nucleotides. Now comes Toshiki Koga et al with a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy reported on by phys.org finding all the nucleobases of RNA and DNA in pristine samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. The bases being uracil adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. Ammonia was also found.

The universe it seems is made of soup.

Submission + - 50 percent of consumers prefer brands that avoid GenAI content (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: A new survey from Gartner suggests consumers may not be as enthusiastic about generative AI in marketing as companies assume. According to the research firm, 50 percent of U.S. consumers say they would prefer to do business with brands that avoid using GenAI in consumer facing content such as advertising and promotional messaging. The survey of 1,539 Americans, conducted in October 2025, also found growing skepticism about the reliability of online information, with 61 percent saying they frequently question whether information they use for everyday decisions is trustworthy.

That broader distrust may help explain the pushback against AI generated messaging. Gartner found that 68 percent of consumers often wonder whether the content they see online is real, while fewer people now rely on intuition alone to judge credibility. Instead, more consumers are actively verifying information and checking sources. Gartner says brands that use AI should be transparent about it and focus on clearly helpful use cases rather than forcing AI driven experiences on customers.

Submission + - Nuclear Regulators Scrap Rule That New Reactors Must Withstand 9/11 Plane Crash (reason.com) 1

Submitted by fjo3
fjo3 writes: Regulations have made it harder and more expensive to deploy nuclear power in the United States. But in January, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rolled back more than a dozen regulations, including the "aircraft impact assessment." The rule, which was finalized in 2009, required developers of new power plants to demonstrate to the NRC that their reactor core would remain intact in the event of an improbable 9/11-style plane crash.

Submission + - Epic, Android, and what's *really* behind Google's "existential" threat to app d (thenewstack.io)

Submitted by destinyland
destinyland writes: One source in the "Keep Android Open" movement shared a good theory on Google's motives for requiring Android developers to register. "You can't separate this really from their ongoing interactions with Epic and the settlement that they came to... " Twelve days ago Epic Games and Googleannounced a new proposalfor settling their long-running dispute over the legality of alternative app stores on Android phones. (Rather than agreeing to let third-party app stores into their Play Store, Google wants them to continue being sideloaded, promising ina blog post last weekthat they'll even offer a "more streamlined" and "simplified" sideloading alternative for rival app stores. "This Registered App Store program will begin outside of the US first, and we intend to bring it to the US as well, subject to court approval.")

So "developer verification" could be Google's fallback plan if U.S. courts fail to approve this proposal, argues my unnamed source in the "Keep Android Open" movement. "If the Google Play Store has to allow any third-party repository app store, Google essentially has given up all control of the apps. But if they're able to claw back that control by requiring that all developers, no matterhowthey distribute their apps, have to register with Google — have to agree to their Terms & Conditions, pay them money, provide identification — then they have a large degree ofindirectcontrol over any app that can be developed for the entire platform."

At the Keep Android Open site there's now a "huge backlog" of signers for an Open Letter that already includes EFF, the Software Freedom Conservancy, and the Free Software Foundation. ("Richard Stallman is actually a friend of mine," Prud'hommeaux says, and when it comes to Google's plans to register Android developers, "He'scompletelyopposed to it." Though Prud'hommeaux adds with a laugh that Stallman "is more or less opposed to everything Google does.") He believes Android's existing Play Protect security "is completely sufficient to handle the particular scenarios they claim that developer verification is meant to address" — and wonders if Google could just collaborate with other Android app distributors on improving security, "working with the community instead of against it.”

TheKeep Android Opensite urges developers not to sign up for Android's early access program when it launches next week. (Instead, they're asking developers to respond to invites with an email about their concerns — and to spread the word to other developers and organizations in forums and social media posts.) There's also apetition at Change.orgcurrently signed by 64,000 developers — adding 13,000 new signatures in less than a week. And "If you have an Android device, try installing F-Droid!" he adds. (Google tracks how many people install these alternative app repositories, and a larger user base means greater consequences from any Android policy changes.)

Plus, installing F-Droid "might be refreshing!" Prud'hommeaux says. "You don't see all the advertisements and promotions and scam and crapware stuff that you see in the commercial app stores!"

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