Jungle KursJUNGLE

🚨🇺🇸 “INFLAMMAGING” MAY BE A FIRST-WORLD PROBLEM Scientists used to think getting older automatically meant simmering inflammation in your body, brewing up diseases like heart trouble and dementia. But a new study finds Indigenous groups like the Tsimane in Bolivia and the Orang Asli in Malaysia don’t show this same rise in inflammatory molecules with age, even though some have sky-high infection rates. Turns out, inflammaging might be less about age itself and more about modern life full of greasy burgers, couches, and not enough germs to keep the immune system busy. So maybe our bodies are wired for more mud, bugs, and jungle hikes than Netflix and fries, and what we thought was “normal aging” could actually be a side effect of how we live. Source: The Conversation

While the entire planet holds its breath in the face of the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the European Union moves forward decisively. Where others hesitate, it legislates. Facing technological giants and cautious governments, Brussels waits for neither soft consensus nor external validation. Its strategy? Regulate first, innovate later. A risky bet, perhaps. But a committed bet. And above all, a clear message: AI will not be a jungle in Europe. The European Union no longer hesitates. In a climate where great powers struggle to frame artificial intelligence, Brussels moves forward, firm in its stance. Calls for a pause are multiplying, coming from American giants like Alphabet and Meta, but also from Mistral or ASML. The European Commission decides: no postponements, the legal framework unfolds according to the planned schedule. To those hoping for a reprieve, Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the Commission, responds clearly: “Time doesn’t stop. There is no pause.” A straightforward declaration, reflecting a strategy that aims to show Europe can set its own rules in a field still dominated by the United States and China. The deadlines are clear: since February, the text has been in effect. In August 2024, the first obligations will apply to general-purpose AI models, and in August 2026, it will be the turn of high-risk systems. This choice to stay the course is no accident. It embodies a desire for digital sovereignty, a bet on ethical governance of AI. A bet that could be costly… or highly rewarding. Behind the requests for delay lies a legitimate concern: compliance costs. Companies fear that the new rules will slow their capacity for innovation or put them at a disadvantage compared to competitors less legally regulated. Because while the EU deploys safeguards, the United States relies on self-regulation, and China accelerates without concern for democratic considerations. But for the Commission, this is a broader fight: to create a global regulatory precedent, as it did with the GDPR. The idea is simple: if you want to do business in Europe, you will have to comply with its rules. By setting a standard, even a restrictive one, the EU hopes to make its regulation a legislative export. A soft form of power. That said, adjustments are underway. The Commission is considering reducing certain administrative obligations, notably for small businesses. A gesture of balance between political firmness and economic reality. Because regulating AI without stifling innovation remains a tightrope walk. Europe’s ambition is clear: to become a laboratory for ethical AI. But this regulation, visionary as it may be, could also become a strategic handicap. In a global race where the champions are already identified, the EU risks being the regulator without champions. Yet, this regulatory bet is not unfounded. The Union knows that the next decade will see AI infiltrate every corner of the economy: health, finance, education, cybersecurity. It’s better to anticipate than to repair. Because while innovation moves fast, the damage can last. Faced with increasingly opaque and powerful AI models, leaving the field unrestricted would be dangerously naive. Europe is therefore playing its card: imposing a structuring framework, even if it causes some discomfort. It bets on legal stability as a lever of attractiveness, on ethics as a competitive advantage. The question remains whether, by walking straight in a blurry world, it will not end up walking alone. The European Union no longer hesitates. While great powers struggle to regulate AI, Brussels advances, unyielding. Despite calls for a pause from Alphabet, Meta, Mistral, or ASML, the Commission maintains its course. No postponement. Europe is playing big: strict framework, ethical bet. But in an unstable world, it risks walking alone, especially if the GENIUS Act shakes the global financial system .

Los Abuelos: A MASSIVE 3,000-year-old ancient Mayan city discovered in the middle of the jungle

In 2013, a father and son were found in the jungle 40 years after they were last seen in 1973 fleeing American bombings during the Vietnam war. The two woodcutters from a local village discovered a small hut in a tree, and inside, to their surprise, they found those who had been left for dead many years ago. Father Ho Van Thanh was last seen fleeing with his son Ho Van Lang in his arms after a bomb leveled their home following an air raid. From that day on, father and son lived in the thick of the forest like real primitive men, making rudimentary tools and weapons to survive. At the time of their discovery, the elderly Ho Van Thanh, aged 83, was in serious health conditions and was admitted to the nearest hospital. Ho Van Lang (aged 41), however, was perfectly healthy. Both men were convinced that the war was still ongoing.