Massive marine heatwave caused Caribbean coral reefs to collapse much faster than predicted – new research

For decades, coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been suffering from disease, pollution, overfishing and rising sea temperatures, yet most have continued to grow – until now. In 2023 and 2024, surface temperatures climbed to record highs in the world’s oceans, and a marine heatwave of unprecedented length and intensity spread across the tropics. Satellites […]

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The ocean system that shapes Europe’s climate

Nigma Photography/Shutterstock For generations, the mild and temperate climate of north-western Europe has been credited to one legendary force: the Gulf Stream. This idea is so deeply entrenched in our cultural identity that in James Joyce’s Ulysses, the protagonist Stephen Dedalus refuses to take a bath, arguing that “all Ireland is washed by the Gulf […]

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EFF and 18 Organizations Urge UK Policymakers to Prioritize Addressing the Roots of Online Harm

EFF joins 18 organizations in writing a letter to UK policymakers urging them to address the root causes of online harm—rather than undermining the open web through blunt restrictions. The coalition, which includes Mozilla, Tor Project, and Open Rights Group, warns that proposed measures following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill risk […]

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Shutting Iran’s oil wells may be straightforward – but the consequences are not

The Strait of Hormuz – the narrow waterway through which between 20% and 25% of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes – has been effectively closed for just over two months. As tensions have escalated, Iran has restricted passage through the Strait, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping, sharply limiting […]

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Shut Down Turnkey Totalitarianism

William Binney, the NSA surveillance architect-turned-whistleblower, called it the “turnkey totalitarian state.” Whoever sits in power gains access to a boundless surveillance empire that scorns privacy and crushes dissent. Politicians will come and go, but you can help us claw the tools of oppression out of government hands. JOIN EFF Become a Monthly Sustaining Donor […]

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Getting Digital Fairness Right: EFF's Recommendations for the EU's Digital Fairness Act

Digital Fairness in the EU The next few years will be decisive for EU digital policymaking. With major laws like the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the AI Act now in place, the EU is entering an enforcement era that will show whether these rules are rights-respecting or drift toward overreach and corporate control. With the […]

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A Bridge to Somewhere: How to Link Your Mastodon, Bluesky, or Other Federated Accounts

One of the central promises of open social media services is interoperability—the idea that wherever you personally decide to post doesn’t require others to be there just to follow what you have to say. Think of it like a radio broadcast: you want to reach people and don’t care where they are or what device […]

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How individual consciousness works – and makes us unique

Benjavisa Ruangvaree Art As we go through life, our brains run different processing modes. Some – the attention and sensory systems – result in very similar experiences of the world: what colour the sky is, how warm the day feels. But there is another, deeper side to the brain which weaves together your memories, goals, […]

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Utah’s New Law Targeting VPNs Goes Into Effect Next Week

For the last couple of years, we’ve watched the same predictable cycle play out across the globe: a state (or country) passes a clunky age-verification mandate, and, without fail, Virtual Private Network (VPN) usage surges as residents scramble to maintain their privacy and anonymity. We’ve seen this everywhere—from states like Florida, Missouri, Texas, and Utah, […]

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