OVERWORLD:
-About Brazil's X ban-

ONE BETWEEN:
-Kids are AI-generating nudes of their classmates-

THE DEPTHS:
-The world’s oldest company-

“Finally I am becoming stupider no more.”
Paul Erdős

✦DISCOVERY PICKS✦

▶️ YouTube:
German guy confused by English insult - suck my d*ck

✖️ X:
23 Survival Tips And Tricks You Might Not Have Known Before. 

❓
Mystery link.

Fight

About Brazil's X ban

Come to Brazil? More like get the fuck out of Brazil.

A Brazilian judge recently ordered the suspension of X after Musk failed to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

Here’s the gist of it:

✦The beef has history✦

The decision comes Musk’s decision earlier this month to close X’s offices in Brazil after de Moraes allegedly threatened to arrest the company’s legal representative.

The legal representative had, again allegedly, not complied with what Musk described as “censorship orders.” The Brazilian Supreme Court had notified X that failure to designate a new legal representative within 24 hours would result in a ban.

The conflict between Musk and de Moraes has been ongoing for months. In April, the Brazilian justice opened an investigation into X after Musk reactivated accounts that had been ordered blocked for spreading misinformation. Many of these accounts were linked to supporters of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

X has defended its stance, claiming that de Moraes is demanding actions that contradict Brazil’s own laws. The platform announced plans to publish all of de Moraes’ “illegal demands” and related court documents.

Additionally, Musk’s other company, Starlink, revealed that de Moraes had also ordered the freezing of its finances, accusing Starlink of being wrongly held accountable for fines levied against X.

✦QUICK HITS✦

✦Business & Tech✦

No please: Major sites are saying no to Apple’s AI training program. As they’re preparing their entrance to the AI space, major news outlets like The New York Times and Vox Media have opted out, reflecting concerns over AI data usage and intellectual property rights.

Retro utopianism: Hyundai’s conceptual retro take on electric vehicles are gaining hype, and will probably manifest, as it plans to launch 21 electric models by 2030, including high-performance EVs. For example, Hyundai's N Vision 74 coupe, inspired by the 1974 Pony Coupe and a virtual supercar.

22 Examples of Google Employees Trying to Avoid Creating Evidence in Antitrust Case

✦Fashion & Culture✦

How Jasper Mutimer Took His Brand to the Top of Australia’s Streetwear Scene

Harmony Korine said that Hollywood is creatively crumbling as talented minds shift to gaming and streaming. “IShowSpeed is a movie, Kai Cenat is a movie”, he said at the Venice Film Festival. He believes conventional films are ending, with new forms of entertainment emerging.

✦Hmm… Interesting✦

Cozy 2-minute reflection: Blogs are weird and I do not understand them

Woolly mammoth 'de-extinction' is nearing reality — and we have no idea what happens next

Athletes and musicians pursue virtuosity in fundamental skills much more rigorously than knowledge workers do

For programmers: Programming ZKPs: From Zero to Hero

ONE

BETWEEN

X-ray vision’s consequence

Kids are AI-generating nudes of their classmates

Thorn, a non-profit focused on defending children from sexual abuse, just revealed a survey that proved suspicions…

1 in 10 minors said that their classmates have used AI tools to generate nude images of other kids.

This finding puts real stats on the growing misuse of AI technologies among young people, particularly the use of "nudify" apps.

✦About the bell-ringer✦

While the survey's findings are concerning, it is important to consider the context. Thorn has faced criticism for its previous initiatives, such as providing law enforcement with a tool that scrapes sex workers' ads into a database.

Additionally, Thorn’s founder Ashton Kutcher (yes, Ashton Kutcher) stepped down after controversially supporting convicted rapist Danny Masterson.

Despite these controversies, the organization has partnered with major tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft to combat AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AIG-CSAM). This is another layer of irony, as these are on the innovating edge of creating the tech they’re trying to fight.

THE DEPTHS

Old, old, old

The world’s oldest company

If you’re in Osaka, there are two things you need to see: Osaka Castle and Shitennō-ji, Japan’s first Buddhist temple.

Both iconic structures are the work of Kongō Gumi (金剛組), the oldest continuously operating company in the world.

Established in 578, the company was born out of the construction of Shitennō-ji, commissioned by Prince Shōtoku Taishi.

At that time, Japan was predominantly Shinto and lacked the specialized miyadaiku, or temple carpenters, necessary for Buddhist temple construction.

To address this, the prince hired three skilled craftsmen from Baekje, a Buddhist state in what is now Korea, including Kongō Shigetsu, whose descendants would run the company for over 1,400 years.

Throughout its long history, Kongō Gumi built and rebuilt many of Japan’s significant structures, including Osaka Castle in 1583.

The castle, repeatedly damaged by fire and lightning, provided the company with consistent work.

While temple construction was the company's mainstay for centuries, the 20th century brought some tough challenges.

The decline of Buddhism and the aftermath of World War II reduced the demand for temples, prompting Kongō Gumi to pivot towards crafting coffins, a decision driven by the widow of Kongō Haruichi, the company’s 37th leader.

They’re still pushing it though — despite further challenges. For example, the economic downturn following the burst of Japan’s real-estate bubble in the 1990s forced Kongō Gumi to become a subsidiary of Takamatsu Construction Group in 2006.

Today, only one member of the Kongō family remains involved, but the company’s skilled miyadaiku continue to practice their ancient craft with the same dedication and precision.