Google Flu Trends — an attempt to estimate flu rates by analyzing searches for flu-related topics — is not terribly accurate. And a group of social scientists might have figured out why. Turns out, the culprit could be Google's own algorithm, which seems to prioritize searches that might have nothing to do with someone having the flu, such as someone asking how to tell the difference between flu and a cold.
Why Google Flu Trends fails
New monkey: so rare only 8 of 52 nearby villages knew it existed
An international team including Yale researchers has described a new species of Colobus monkey living high in the forest canopy of the Democratic Republic of Congo — only the fifth… READ THE REST
Brain implant lets a paralyzed man feed himself and pet his dog
Keith Thomas broke his neck diving into a pool in 2020 and was paralyzed from the chest down. Six years later, thanks to a set of brain implants that bypass… READ THE REST
Your brain can track two voices at the same time
You know the trick of picking one voice out of a crowded room — the "cocktail party" problem. A new study in PLOS Biology looks at the messier moment when… READ THE REST
Free up computer space with 2TB of cloud storage for $59 — for life
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: FileJump is offering 2TB of cloud storage in an easy-to-use package for only $59 (MSRP $467) for… READ THE REST
All Babbel language courses just dropped in this exclusive offer
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Get a Babbel lifetime subscription covering all 14 languages for $159 (reg. $299) with code LEARN. Plenty of… READ THE REST
This $40 AI tool writes, formats, and covers your next ebook
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: EbookMagic uses AI to generate, format, and package ebooks with custom covers, Kindle-ready exports, commercial rights, and… READ THE REST
