Author: Darren Holt

Anomalies and Alternative ScienceEngineering

Twistronics-Inspired Breakthrough: Scientists Control Sound Waves with Metamaterial “Twistelastics”

Researchers at CUNY ASRC have developed “twistelastics,” a technique using rotated metamaterial layers to control sound and vibrations. This breakthrough enables unprecedented wave manipulation for medical imaging, electronics, and communications.

In a groundbreaking development that bridges materials science and wave physics, researchers at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) have discovered a revolutionary approach to controlling mechanical vibrations and sound waves. Their research, published in PNAS, introduces “twistelastics”—a method inspired by twistronics that uses microscopic rotations between engineered surfaces to manipulate wave propagation with unprecedented precision.

The Science Behind Twistelastics

by Darren Holt
AI AnalyticsCybersecurity

Shadow AI in UK Workplaces: £208 Billion Productivity Boost vs Critical Security Threats

Shadow AI usage among UK workers is saving billions in productivity while creating unprecedented security risks. New research shows 71% of employees use unauthorized AI tools despite potential data breaches and privacy concerns.

In a dramatic workplace transformation, UK employees are embracing artificial intelligence at unprecedented rates, generating an estimated £208 billion in productivity savings while simultaneously creating critical security vulnerabilities that threaten organizational integrity. This phenomenon, termed “Shadow AI” in a comprehensive Microsoft-commissioned study, represents both a massive economic opportunity and a pressing security crisis unfolding across British businesses.

The Shadow AI Epidemic: Scope and Scale

by Darren Holt
BusinessPharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson Stock Hits Record High on Earnings Beat and Orthopedics Spinoff Plan

Johnson & Johnson shares soared to unprecedented levels following a robust quarterly earnings performance and the announcement of a strategic spinoff for its orthopedics unit. The company’s latest moves signal a sharpened focus on high-growth medical segments, building on its successful Kenvue separation.

Johnson & Johnson is making waves in the healthcare investment landscape as its stock catapults into record territory, fueled by a powerful combination of earnings outperformance and transformative corporate restructuring. The healthcare titan not only surpassed Wall Street’s second-quarter profit expectations but also lifted its full-year guidance, while unveiling plans to spin off its orthopedics business as a standalone entity under the DePuy Synthes brand. This strategic maneuver continues Johnson & Johnson’s deliberate shift toward specialized medical innovation, following the successful separation of its consumer health division into Kenvue last year.

Earnings Performance Exceeds Expectations

by Darren Holt
CybersecurityGovernment

Satellite Security Crisis: Researchers Discover Military Secrets Broadcast Unencrypted

A groundbreaking study reveals satellites are broadcasting sensitive military and corporate data without encryption. Researchers intercepted US Navy communications and retail logistics using inexpensive consumer hardware, exposing critical security vulnerabilities in global satellite infrastructure.

In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through security communities worldwide, researchers have discovered that thousands of satellites orbiting Earth are broadcasting highly sensitive military, corporate, and personal data without any encryption protection. The findings from a comprehensive three-year study conducted by teams from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Maryland expose critical vulnerabilities in global communications infrastructure that could be exploited by malicious actors with minimal technical expertise.

The Scale of the Satellite Security Crisis

by Darren Holt
AI AnalyticsEconomy and Trading

‘It was the internet then, it is AI now’: IMF upgrades U.S. growth outlook but sees ‘echoes’ of late ’90s dot-com boom | Fortune

The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its U.S. economic growth forecast while highlighting concerning parallels between today’s AI investment surge and the late 1990s dot-com boom. Despite tariff uncertainties, massive data center investments and computing power are driving economic resilience.

The International Monetary Fund has delivered a cautiously optimistic update to its global economic outlook, raising U.S. growth projections for 2025 while drawing striking parallels between today’s artificial intelligence investment boom and the dot-com era of the late 1990s. The international lending organization now projects the U.S. economy will expand by 2% next year, slightly higher than previous forecasts, as AI-driven investments help offset the dampening effects of trade tensions and tariffs.

Revised Economic Projections Show Modest Improvement

by Darren Holt