October Current Events 2024: Science & Technology News

Updated December 2, 2024 | Infoplease Staff

World News | U.S. News | Disaster News | Current Events This Week

The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the Science & Technology news events you need to know so far for October 2024.

  1. Researchers Begin To Doubt The Efficacy And Health Benefit Of Fluoride In Water
  2. Meta Launches Its AI On Facebook, Instagram, And Ray-Ban Sunshades

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Researchers Begin To Doubt The Efficacy And Health Benefit Of Fluoride In Water

Friday, October 4, 2024 – Researchers from Manchester, Dundee, and Aberdeen universities examined data from 157 studies comparing towns that had fluoride added to their water supply versus those that did not have fluoride added. The analysis found that the benefits of fluoridation have decreased since the 1970s when fluoride toothpaste became more readily accessible.

The analysis of these trials, which included 2,908 children from the UK and Australia, suggested that fluoridation might result in 0.24 fewer decaying baby teeth per kid. However, the estimate is subject to uncertainty, which means that more recent schemes may provide no advantage, according to the researchers.

Advocates argue that one of the primary advantages of water fluoridation is that it eliminates disparities in oral health outcomes. The review attempted to investigate this but found insufficient data to support the assertion, while the researchers said that this did not necessarily imply there was no impact.

Source: The Guardian 

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Meta Launches Its AI On Facebook, Instagram, And Ray-Ban Sunshades

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – Meta's AI assistant, which can produce text and graphics, is now accessible on its social media platforms in the United Kingdom and Brazil, having previously been introduced in the United States and Australia. Regulations and product testing delayed the U.K. debut, and Meta's AI services are still unavailable in the EU owing to the "unpredictable" legal climate.

Users in the UK may now access the Meta AI chatbot by tapping on an icon in their app or by purchasing a pair of £299 Ray-Ban Meta frames from a UK shop and activating its voice assistant. Meta stated that the most recent implementation, "will assist individuals in generating the content, addressing inquiries, and sharing the outcomes”

U.K. users who want Meta to stop using their Facebook and Instagram posts to train its AI models must fill out an objection form, which can be found in their app's privacy settings. However, users of Meta's AI products cannot prevent their interactions with the AI tools.

Source: The Guardian 

 

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