Technology

Computer monitors show financial data. More data being created and stored necessitates the use of new unit measurements.

Science

The world generates so much data that new unit measurements were created to keep up

3:02pm November 19, 2022

by Ashley Ahn

The mass of the Earth can now be measured as 6 ronnagrams rather than 6,000 yottagrams. An electron's mass can now be said to be about 1 rontogram rather than 0.001 yoctograms.

As Twitter's workforce crumbles, users are tweeting their eulogies for the platform

4:38pm November 18, 2022

As Twitter employees and some users have been leaving the platform, they've been tweeting their eulogies — and their love letters to the communities they built there.

Jake Thacker in Portland Ore. had about $70,000 worth of investments in his account on FTX. He may have lost it all.

Economy

FTX investors fear they lost everything, and wonder if there's anything they can do

2:28pm November 18, 2022

by Chris Arnold

More than one million people may have lost their money in the spectacular collapse of the cryptocurrency trading firm. Some had big chunks of their life savings disappear into a black hole.

Queue Listen Now

People walk outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.

National

Fired by tweet: Elon Musk's latest actions are jeopardizing Twitter, experts say

12:37pm November 17, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

Firing an employee by social media, giving others an ultimatum, and battling possible bankruptcy: the latest actions by Musk are hurting business, a labor lawyer and tech PR specialist tell NPR.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid were also there to discuss threats to the U.S.

The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns

12:37pm November 17, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The FBI is concerned that the Chinese government could use TikTok to influence American users or control their devices. The company is working with the U.S. government towards a security agreement.

Arts

Life is chaotic. White noise streams can help you tune out (and fall asleep)

1:53pm November 15, 2022

by Nick Quah

White noise streams are a kind of sonic wallpaper. For many, they help keep some parts of the brain distracted so that other parts may better focus on things, like writing, studying or sleeping.

Queue Listen Now

Amazon plans to lay off 10,000 of its corporate and technology employees, The New York Times reported Monday.

National

It's the end of the boom times in tech, as layoffs keep mounting

8:16pm November 14, 2022

by Laurel Wamsley

Amazon will reportedly lay off 10,000 employees as soon as this week. That follows job cuts at Meta, Twitter, and Stripe, with CEOs citing economic uncertainty and a slowdown in online ad buying.

Ballot counters process absentee ballots on Nov. 8 at Huntington Place in Detroit. The scene this year was much calmer than 2020, when protesters descended on Detroit and yelled for election officials to "stop the count!"

Politics & Government

Election officials feared the worst. Here's why baseless claims haven't fueled chaos

5:46pm November 14, 2022

So far, false claims of voting malfeasance have not incited the chaos that many had feared would ensue, stoked by a mythos of election fraud that's become a core belief for many on the right.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Have you invested in crypto on FTX or other platforms? We want to hear from you

3:59pm November 14, 2022

by Chris Arnold

A prominent cryptocurrency trading platform, FTX, has collapsed cutting off investors from their holdings. If you've invested in crypto, NPR wants to hear your story.

What happens to 'Black Twitter' under Musk?

5:10pm November 12, 2022

For many, Twitter has become a virtual neighborhood, a place for communities to gather. So what does Elon Musk's Twitter takeover mean for those users?