Researchers have discovered the existence of ancient potheads, an Alphabet-owned company conducted a controversial Russian troll experiment, and local politicians could save us from the crypto-pocalypse. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.
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Today's Headlines
Ancient peoples smoked the chronic at funerals
New evidence suggests that 2,500 years ago, ancient people in what is now western China smoked marijuana while playing ritualistic music. Researchers analyzed ancient incense burners from funerals that tested positive for cannabis—and the stuff was relatively high in THC content, by ancient standards. It's a glimpse into how cannabis spread around the world and how humans of all kinds have used it, from ushering loved ones into the afterlife to playing 8 straight hours of Zelda.
A company owned by Google's parent company bought a Russian troll campaign
Jigsaw, a company owned by Google parent Alphabet, paid $250 to run a small-scale disinformation campaign last year in Russia, proving how utterly easy these troll campaigns are to buy. They say it was with the aim of testing disinformation-for-hire services—their target was a political website they created themselves—but critics are not pleased the company actually carried one out.
Cocktail Conversation
Bitcoin has a problem: Mining it requires a massive amount of energy. The cryptocurrency's estimated CO2 emissions are currently somewhere between the annual emissions of Jordan and Sri Lanka. But whether or not crypto burns down the world may be in the hands of some unlikely heroes: local politicians. Local regulators will be the ones in charge of the power market, and could force miners to use greener energy sources, like hydropower.
WIRED Recommends: Garmin Forerunner 245
Need a new smartwatch to track your runs, but don't want to give in to the ever-popular Apple Watch? This $300 piece is light, compatible with both iOS and Android, has detailed fitness tracking, and can store up to 500 songs. Our reviewer gave it a solid 8/10.
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