Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

In modern-day Turkey, a team of researchers from the Notion Archeological Project has made a discovery that seems straight out of a legend: a collection of gold coins, over 2,000 years old, stashed in a small pot.

The research team, led by Christopher Ratté, an archeologist at the University of Michigan, has been conducting excavations in Notion since 2022. These coins were found beneath the courtyard of a Hellenistic house in Notion, or Notium, an ancient Greek city and archaeological site.

The precious coins are molded with the symbol of a kneeling archer, indicating they are Persian darics from the fifth century BCE. Darics were minted from the late sixth century until 330 BCE, when the Persian empire was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Not only were these coins used as currency but they were also likely intended as payment for mercenaries. Scientists contextualize this with past military activity and regional conflicts that occurred in Notion.

The discovery of the coins is significant to archeologists because most hoards of timeless precious metals are often found by plunderers before researchers have the chance to examine and record them.

“An archaeological find without contextual information is like a person suffering from amnesia—a person without memories,” Ratté explained to University of Michigan News. “It is still interesting and important, but the loss of knowledge is incalculable. In the case of this hoard, we know precisely where it was found, and we have a great deal of circumstantial evidence for when it was deposited, probably in the late fifth century BCE.”

While they all have the same emblem, researchers are currently working to distinguish the different coin styles to put them in chronological order. The artifact's age was determined by analyzing other artifacts found around it.

“This hoard will provide a firm date that can serve as an anchor to help fix the chronology of the (entire sequence of coins),” Ratté noted.

Although the coins were discovered last year, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has only recently permitted the disclosure of the findings.

By continuing to examine these coins, researchers may not uncover the exact reason why they were buried, but they could potentially enhance our understanding of ancient economic systems and the Persian Empire. Each discovery of artifacts from the past allows archeologists to further enrich our historical knowledge, one piece at a time.

In modern-day Turkey, a research team uncovered a hoard of over 2,000-year-old gold coins near a Hellenistic house in Notion, an ancient Greek city.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

The precious coins are molded with the symbol of a kneeling archer, indicating they are Persian darics minted from the late sixth century BCE until 330 BCE, when the Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

These coins, likely intended as payment for mercenaries, are significant because most hoards of darics are found by looters before scientists can investigate them.

Photo: Notion Archaeological Project / University of Michigan

Notion Archaeological Project: Website
h/t: [University of Michigan News]

All images via Notion Archaeological Project.

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READ: Trove of Persian Gold Coins Discovered in Ancient Greek City

Photo: Teomancimit via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Scholars have long debated who was the first to begin tracking time. Was it Julius Caesar in 45 BCE. who created the Roman calendar and introduced the leap day? Or the ancient Maya in 250 CE, known for their complex clock systems and fascination with chronology? Recent research suggests the first creators of the calendar actually came long before.

Scientists have recently discovered what may be the oldest known solar calendar in the world, interpreted from mysterious, intricate carvings at the Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Göbekli Tepe, a 12,000-year-old archaeological site, is regarded as one of the earliest indicators of organized human settlement in history—predating both the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge.

The study, published in Time and Mind, explains how the researchers interpreted various structures and symbols in the context of an ancient lunisolar calendar system. The most prominent markings are V-shaped symbols on a pillar, identified to represent individual days within a 365-day timekeeping system that includes 11 epagomenal, or additional, days.

Researchers also believe that Göbekli Tepe’s 11-pillar enclosures and a similar 11-pillar pool structure at nearby Karahan Tepe could be connected to this same lunisolar calendar system. This discovery is the oldest known example of its kind.

Furthermore, researchers believe that the ancient peoples at Göbekli Tepe held the summer solstice in high regard, with this event represented by a special symbol—a V worn around the neck of an eagle-like bird. This V motif also appears on other artifacts, including the Urfa Man statue, a wall carving at Sayburç, and a statue at Karahan Tepe. The V-symbol necklaces on these figures could suggest that they were seen as time-controlling or creator deities.

According to the scientists, the creation of the calendar was likely intended to track a shower of comet fragments that struck Earth nearly 13,000 years ago, around 10,850 BCE.

“It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected given their world had been devastated by a comet strike,” Martin Sweatman, a co-author of the study, remarked in a statement from the University of Edinburgh.

According to Sweatman, the lasting significance of these carvings to the people of Göbekli Tepe suggests that the impact event may have triggered the formation of a new cult or religion, which in turn could have influenced the development of civilization.

Recent research suggests that the 12,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey may contain the world’s oldest known solar calendar, predating other systems by thousands of years.

Photo: Rolfcosar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Carvings and structures at the site suggest a lunisolar calendar that was likely created to observe the sky following a comet strike around 13,000 years ago.

Photo: Mahmut Bozarslan via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

The event may have sparked new religious beliefs, ultimately contributing to the development of human civilization.

Photo: Radosław Botev via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 PL)

h/t: [EurekAlert!]

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READ: Turkey’s Ancient Göbekli Tepe May Be Home to the World’s Oldest Solar Calendar

Photo: Francesco Pierantoni via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

In 1974, legendary performance artist Marina Abramović performed Rhythm 0, a daring 6-hour work inviting her audience to do anything to her unmoving body. Through her work, Abramović attempted to explore human nature when given complete freedom and themes of sexual violation.

Before the performance, Abramović laid out 72 items on a table, ranging from harmless objects like a pen, perfume, a feather, and a rose to increasingly dangerous ones like a scalpel, a saw, a metal bar, a gun, and a bullet. She motionlessly stood there with the instructions: “There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired. Performance. I am the object… During this period I take full responsibility.”

According to Abramović, the evening started calmly, with nothing eventful occurring at the beginning. Her spectators would adjust her body and play with her, giving her kisses and a rose. Towards the third hour, the audience turned wild: someone used the sharp knives provided to cut the clothes off her body, and her neck was cut open so her blood could be sucked from it. A knife was later stuck between her legs, and rose thorns were pushed into her stomach. While crying, Abramović remained unmobile.

Groups formed in the audience, representing different sides of humanity: kindness and cruelty. Some tried to protect the artist and wiped her tears away.

The height of the performance came when the gun was loaded and put to her head, with someone guiding her finger to the trigger. People in the audience wanted to test her limits, pushing to see how far she would go for her art.

When the sixth hour had elapsed, Abramović explains that she began moving and returning to herself, no longer in the puppet-like form she had maintained. In response, everyone ran away, unable to face her as a human after seeing her as an object to be used.

Through her performance, in which she tested her mental and physical limits, Abramović intended to answer the question: “What is the public about, and what are they going to do in this kind of situation?” Abramović later reflected on the experience, realizing that the audience is capable of killing the artist if given the opportunity.

Rhythm 0 is one endurance performance out of many that Abramović has done throughout her career, including four other works in her Rhythm series: Rhythm 10, Rhythm 5, Rhythm 2, and Rhythm 4. In each performance, she explores the limits of her body through extreme pain or physical exhaustion.

Abramović is not only a pioneer in performance and endurance art, but also an explorer of human psychology and the boundaries of the human body and mind. At age 77, she continues to influence the art world with her work through her foundation, the Marina Abramović Institute.

Watch Abramovic's full reflections on the groundbreaking performance in an interview published by the Marina Abramović Institute.

In 1974, Marina Abramović performed Rhythm 0, a daring 6-hour work that invited her audience to do anything to her unmoving body.

Photo: Leo Reynolds via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The items she provided ranged from food and flowers to a loaded gun and knives.

Photo: Marc Wathieu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The performance escalated to extreme levels of danger and violence, revealing the cruelty of human nature when given the opportunity.

Photo: Francesco Pierantoni via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Abramović's endurance performances and her ongoing work through the Marina Abramović Institute continue to influence the art world by pushing the limits of performance art.

 

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Marina Abramovic Institute: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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READ: 50 Years Ago Marina Abramović’s Revolutionary ‘Rhythm 0’ Tested Human Nature

Photo: Rodrigoanfor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Since mid-July, Antarctica has experienced a near record-breaking heat wave, its second in the past two years. Despite Antarctica being in the middle of its winter, when the continent is typically the coldest and darkest, certain regions are experiencing temperatures up to 50°F above average.

Eastern Antarctica, where the heat wave is hitting the hardest, has seen temperatures alarmingly rise to -22°F and even -13°F. Usually, at this time of year, the temperature ranges from -58°F to -76°F.

While researchers are still investigating why this phenomenon is occurring, they suspect that the rare disruption of the southern polar vortex has to do with it.

The southern polar vortex consists of solid winds and low-pressure systems circulating 10 to 30 miles above the surface. Essentially, it exists to keep cold air trapped over Antarctica. When the wind pattern is disrupted, it causes cold air to escape and warmer air from the upper atmosphere to take its place, increasing the temperature.

The heat wave’s notable duration and severity can be attributed to the repeated waves of warm air coming from the southwestern Indian Ocean. The surges occurred frequently, one after the other, resulting in nearly continuous warming.

Amy Butler, a research physicist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told The Washington Post that the vortex, which is typically stable during winter, was likely disturbed by atmospheric waves.

“The main reason it is notable is because it is usually a relatively quiet time of year for the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex,” Butler explained.

This phenomenon is so rare that it only occurs once every 20 years. According to Butler, heat waves are far less common in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere, as they are disturbed less frequently.

The previous heat wave in March 2022 was the worst warming event ever recorded in Antarctica, with temperatures in certain regions rising up to 70°F above average. However, in comparison, the current heatwave has lasted longer and spread further.

Researchers continuously raise concern over the rapid glacier melting in Antarctica and Greenland. Scientists worry that the continent could experience more frequent heat waves as summer approaches in Antarctica. Such events could accelerate ice melt and alter ocean currents, both of which could lead to a climate disaster.

During its winter, Eastern Antarctica is experiencing a near record-breaking heat wave, with temperatures up to 50°F above average due to a rare disruption in the southern polar vortex.

Photo: GRID-Arendal via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

This event allows warmer air to replace the typically trapped cold air, raising temperatures due to continuous warm air surges from the southwestern Indian Ocean.

Photo: Pedro Szekely via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Researchers are concerned that more frequent heat waves could accelerate ice melt, disrupt ocean currents, and cause a climate disaster.

Photo: NASA via Rawpixel (Public Domain)

h/t: [CNN]

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Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

Ancient peoples may not have known everything we now know about dinosaurs, but recent research indicates that they were interested in their remnants.

Scientists have discovered ancient human rock carvings—petroglyphs—adjacent to dinosaur tracks in Northeast Brazil. Although these drawings were initially found at the site called Serrote do Letreiro in 1975, recent drone-assisted surveys have revealed additional petroglyphs.

This new evidence led researchers to reinterpret the site in the context of a relationship between fossil evidence and ancient human artistry. The dinosaur tracks found at the site belong to species such as iguanodontids and sauropods from the Cretaceous Period, which ended approximately 66 million years ago.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, suggests that the relationship between the indigenous drawings and the footprints is unquestionable due to their proximity. The researchers propose that the artists deliberately created the indigenous petroglyphs around the footprints, acknowledging and incorporating them into their work.

“People usually think that Indigenous people weren’t aware of their surroundings or didn’t have any kind of scientific spirit or curiosity,” Leonardo Troiano, the archaeologist who co-authored the study, told CNN. “But that’s not true. It’s very clear that they were interested in the footprints. We’ll never know if they knew about dinosaurs, but it is clear that they were curious about the prints and thought they were meaningful in some way.”

The drawings varied, featuring both organic forms and geometric shapes, with most consisting of circles. The circles often contained crosses or lines, but the exact meaning of the shapes remains undetermined. According to the study, the petroglyphs bore an astonishing similarity to other drawings found in the northeastern region of Brazil.

“They all seem to be abstract, and if they represented something to the people who made them, we don’t know what it is,” Troiano explained.

The ancient tribes who left behind the drawings were determined to have lived between 2,620 and 9,400 years ago by analysis of burial sites.

This is not the only instance of such a phenomenon. The study notes that other sites in the United States, such as Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks, Parowan Gap, and Zion National Park, have also uncovered petroglyphs near dinosaur footprints. However, none of these sites exhibit the same level of proximity as Serrote do Letreiro.

Recent research at Serrote do Letreiro in Northeast Brazil reveals that ancient petroglyphs, found near dinosaur tracks, indicate early human interest in the fossils.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

The carvings include abstract shapes such as circles, crosses, and lines, and were created by tribes living between 2,620 and 9,400 years ago.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

Similar petroglyphs have been found at other sites in America like Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks and Zion National Park, but none are as closely connected to dinosaur footprints as Serrote do Letreiro.

Photo: Leonardo P. Troiano (CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [CNN]

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Photo: Joshua J. Cotten via Unsplash

At 10 feet long, venomous, and covered with a scaly suit of armor, Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are already terrifying—and fascinating—enough.  And just to add to it, scientists have recently found that these giant lizards have iron-tipped teeth.

Using chemical and structural imaging, the researchers, led by paleontologist Aaron LeBlanc, discovered that iron is the protective orange layer coating the serrations and tips of the lizard's teeth.

The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, explains how aggressive feeding habits forced the Indonesian lizards to adapt. Komodo dragons are the largest existing predatory lizards and consume prey as large as carrion, deer, and even water buffalo. These apex predators rip large chunks of meat and swallow them whole, putting stress on their tooth enamel. This ultimately led to the evolutionary appearance of their iron-capped teeth.

“If they didn't have this iron coating, I'm sure the enamel on the cutting edges would wear away very quickly, and the tooth would dull,” Le Blanc told CNN.

The researcher initially thought the orange pigment was from food staining. However, after analyzing a fresh set of teeth from a Komodo dragon that had lived in the London Zoo, it became clear that the teeth emerged from the gums with the iron color rather than developing later.

According to the study, these lizards are not the only ones with iron-coated teeth. By analyzing the teeth of monitor lizards and crocodiles, the researchers found that iron deposits are common in reptile teeth. However, this feature is most apparent in ziphodonts—organisms with serrated teeth, such as the Komodo dragon. Non-reptilian animals also exhibit this trait: mammals that rely on gnawing, like beavers and rats, are also known to have similar iron tracings.

With this discovery, Le Blanc's team looked at the past and attempted to explore how ziphodont carnivorous dinosaurs, who had teeth similar to those of Komodo dragons, may have eaten. However, their investigation was limited by fossil analysis: the abundance of iron in fossils makes it extremely difficult to determine whether the metal was initially present or developed later.

Their research doesn't end here. According to Le Blanc, the next step is to search for other distinctive features in fossilized monitor lizard teeth to better understand the fossil composition.

Unfortunately, Komodo dragons are listed on IUCN's Red List and are classified as endangered. This discovery shows how much more there is to learn about these remarkable creatures. Understanding the species' unique adaptations is crucial to understanding the reptiles of the past and necessary for conservation efforts. It allows us to appreciate the complexity of these animals and emphasizes the importance of preserving them.

Scientists recently discovered that Komodo dragons have iron-coated teeth, with the iron forming a protective orange layer along the serrations and tips.

Photo: Aaron LeBlanc (CC BY 4.0)

This adaptation is necessary because their aggressive feeding habits put significant stress on their tooth enamel.

Photo: Danadi Sutjianto via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, found that while iron deposits are especially common in serrated-tooth organisms like Komodo dragons, they are also widespread in other reptilian teeth.

Photo: Mats Stafseng Einarsen via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

These findings are crucial for understanding the feeding habits of carnivorous dinosaurs and emphasize the importance of Komodo dragon conservation due to their unique qualities.

Photo: NAPARAZZI via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

h/t: [CNN]

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READ: New Study Reveals Komodo Dragons Have Iron-Capped Teeth

Photo: peshkov/Depositphotos

We're all familiar with photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight to generate oxygen. But have you ever heard of “dark oxygen”? This term is given to a phenomenon in which oxygen is produced on the sea floor without the typical process of photosynthesis. According to a recent study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers found that metal nodules on the abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean are splitting seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.

This phenomenon was initially discovered in 2013 by the head researcher of the Scottish Association for Marine Science, Andrew Sweetman. Sweetman found unusual amounts of oxygen being produced at the bottom of the sea floor where there is no light. Prior to this, scientists believed that marine plants were producing all the oxygen in the ocean through photosynthesis.

Instead, the study explains that seawater electrolysis, caused by the high voltage on each nodule's surface, produces “dark oxygen.” These nodules form when dissolved metal in seawater builds up on fragments of shells and other ocean debris in a process that takes millions of years.

The scientists conducted their research thousands of feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Mexico. The researchers collected the nodules and analyzed them, determining their voltages– which were similar to those of a typical AA battery. Additionally, from chambers on the bottom of the seafloor located a few miles out from the nodule fields, researchers assessed the oxygen levels and how it was used.

The researchers concluded that the polymetallic nodules acted like batteries—the combined voltage of various nodules on the seafloor created currents powerful enough to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

With this discovery, these lumps—composed of iron and manganese oxides and containing elements used in batteries such as cobalt, copper, and lithium—have become highly desirable to deep-sea mining companies. Currently, deep-sea mining corporations are developing plans to extract the nodules. However, marine biologists and scientists hold serious concerns about the mining activities causing the potential destruction of the habitat and disruption of the nodule formation process.

“There’s already overwhelming evidence that strip mining deep-sea nodule fields will destroy ecosystems we barely understand,” Professor Murray Roberts, a marine biologist from the Univerisity of Edinburgh, told BBC News. Professor Murray is one of 800 marine scientists from around the world who have signed a petition calling for a pause in mining activity.

“Because these fields cover such huge areas of our planet, it would be crazy to press ahead with deep-sea mining knowing they may be a significant source of oxygen production.”

This discovery has several implications: it not only challenges the previously held belief that photosynthesis was the sole method of oxygen production in the ocean but also raises questions about how deep-sea organisms use this newly identified source of oxygen. While there are no measures to protect the nodule sea beds yet, further research is needed to determine whether developmental activities and the preservation of these ecosystems can coexist.

“Dark oxygen” is a term used to describe oxygen production on the sea floor without photosynthesis.

Photo: NOAA

Metal masses on the abyssal plains act like batteries, using electric currents to split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.

Photo: Hannes Grobe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

This finding challenges the previous belief that oceanic oxygen production was only possible through photosynthesis and raises concerns about the potential environmental impacts of deep-sea mining.

Photo: NOAA

h/t: [BBC]

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READ: Battery-Like Metals Generate “Dark Oxygen” in the Deep Ocean

 

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If there’s anything we know about Mickey Mouse and his friends, it’s that Mickey is a mouse, Donald is a duck, and Goofy is a dog…or so we thought. According to Bill Farmer, Goofy’s voice actor of 37 years, Goofy is not actually a dog. During an interview with Yahoo Entertainment in 2020, Farmer confidently stated that Goofy is simply Goofy.

“He is not a dog,” Farmer told the media outlet. “Pluto is a dog, but Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family. I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is. He’s just Goofy.”

As a child, Goofy was Farmer’s favorite character while watching Disney animated shorts like Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Colour. However, it never occurred to Farmer that he would eventually become the voice of the iconic cartoon character. Passionate about voice impressions, the actor made his way to Los Angeles after a brief stand-up comedy career. Confident in his Mickey Mouse impression, which he had mastered in his childhood, Farmer auditioned for Disney.

“I can’t do Donald Duck very well. But Goofy was right in the wheelhouse,” Farmer said.

Since 1987, Farmer has been Goofy’s official voice with his initial debut in a TV special called Doggone Valentine. According to Farmer, it was Goof Troop, a series from 1992, that really helped him develop his character and become Goofy. In Goof Troop, Goofy is portrayed as a learning, single father of a son named Max. Farmer explained that through his acting, he explored his own relationship with his young son.

“My son at the time was around 5 years old, so I was substituting in my mind my son so I could have that father-son relationship and it became real,” explained the voice actor.

In 2009, Farmer was made a Disney Legend. As of 2024, he continues to voice Goofy. His most recent roles include Once Upon a Studio, a short film where he provided lines for both Goofy and Pluto, and the video game Disney Speedstorm as Goofy.

Bill Farmer, the voice actor for Goofy, has clarified that Goofy is not a dog but a unique character within the canine family.

 

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A post shared by Bill Farmer (@goofybill)

Farmer has voiced Goofy since 1987 and his work in Goof Troop (1992) helped him build a connection to his character.

 

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A post shared by Jim Cummings (@jimjcummings)

Recognized as a Disney Legend in 2009, Farmer continues to bring Goofy to life in recent projects such as Once Upon a Studio and Disney Speedstorm.

 

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A post shared by Bill Farmer (@goofybill)

Bill Farmer: Instagram | X | Facebook
h/t: [Yahoo Entertainment]

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@cityhouse_furniture Replying to @Shell I need a Gorilla sofa!!! This couch started from a AI rendering. And it has now turned into a real live Gorilla sofa. Many people are searching for this amazing couch. Well here it is the real Gorilla couch@Inspiring Designs #cityhousefurniture #gorilla #gorillacouch #interiordesign #furniture #furnitureflip #chinafurniture ♬ original sound – Cityhouse Global

Nowadays, it can be tricky to tell whether online products are real or AI-generated. What about a company that takes AI as inspiration and makes the product tangible?

Recently, gorilla-shaped sofas became a viral trend on TikTok, all created using AI imagery. One particular video, AI-generated by LuxArts, caught the attention of eager customers. Comments were filled with users inquiring where to purchase one or commenting on how comfortable they looked. Recognizing the potential market, a furniture sourcing company in China called City House Furniture has decided to make this viral concept a reality.

The couches are offered in black and brown and can easily seat two people. In fact, the sofa is so large that the six-pack of the gorilla acts as a comfortable backrest, while the gorilla’s chest works as a headrest. In a video showcasing the couches, an agent explains that a client requested it after watching the AI TikTok monkey sofa videos. He then goes on to say, “Everything in China is possible,” which is evident in what they manufactured.

While City House Furniture has shown the real product they are selling, multiple accounts on TikTok advertise only the AI images of these couches. Additionally, various merchants on eBay are listing the couches with these AI-generated images, creating opportunities for scams. LuxArts has even dedicated a whole page on their website warning viewers about potential scams featuring their AI-generated images.

With the rise of artificial intelligence in our daily lives, an increasing number of artists have been using AI to either substitute or integrate into their work, creating a unique mixed medium. It’s clear that AI imagination can be used to create tangible products that benefit customers by offering innovative items; however, the line of ethics may blur as creatives begin to rely more on AI for design and inspiration. The future of AI in design conceptualization is yet to be determined, but it appears that City House Furniture is taking steps in trying to demonstrate how one can blend digital creativity with human manufacturing.

While these sofas are seemingly being manufactured, it is unclear whether they are currently available for purchase.

This AI-generated design concept of a giant gorilla-shaped sofa went viral on TikTok.

@luxarts_ai Gorilla Shaped Sofa ️ #GorillaSofa #WildComfort #UniqueFurniture ♬ Sunrise – BCD Studio

Now, a company called City House Furniture in China has turned the viral AI-generated concept into a real product.

@cityhouse_furniture I need a Gorilla sofa immediately !!! The design of the Full sized King Kong sofa is create based on a AI design. Only in China they are able to create such unique designs of sofa's. This amazing sofa is the perfect addition for a kids playroom or any living space.#cityhousefurniture #gorilla #gorillasofa #interiordesign #chinafurniture ♬ original sound – Cityhouse Global

While the company has showcased the actual product, many online listings for the sofas raise concerns about potential scams due to the sole use of AI-generated images.

@luxarts_ai Gorilla Beds ️ #GorillaBeds #StrongSleep #SturdyComfort ♬ nhạc nền – LuxArts

LuxArts, the AI designers behind the gorilla sofa, exclusively shares AI-generated concepts that look very realistic, but they have a warning page on their website about product scams.

@luxarts_aiDog Shaped Fur Lounge Chairs #DogFurChairs #CanineComfort #CozySeating Curl up in canine coziness with Dog Shaped Fur Lounge Chairs. These chairs are designed in the likeness of adorable dogs, complete with fluffy fur upholstery for maximum comfort. Bring a touch of whimsy and warmth to your home decor with Dog Shaped Fur Lounge Chairs, where every sit-down is a snuggle with man's best friend. ️✨ https://luxarts.net/dog-shaped-fur-lounge-chairs/♬ nhạc nền – LuxArts

City House Furniture: TikTok | Instagram
LuxArts: Website | TikTok
h/t: [DesignTAXI]

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A new AI wearable is set to hit the market soon: Friend. Designed by Avi Schiffmann, a Harvard dropout, Friend is a necklace pendant that acts like its name suggests: a friend. The user simply has to touch a button, and a Friend will listen in via Bluetooth, evaluate, and then send a text to their phone. However, Friend also listens in all the time. The AI chatbot is capable of sending messages unprompted, offering encouragement or opinions based on conversations it hears.

AI has increasingly mixed in with our daily lives, whether through the use of ChatGPT or other AI wearable devices. Notably, Humane produced a laser pin that intended to free users from phone usage, and Meta has also collaborated with RayBan to produce a pair of eyeglasses that use AI technology to scan and analyze surroundings. Friend is different; the device doesn’t aim to improve productivity in any capacity but simply to provide companionship.

“I would really view the product as like an emotional toy. I think the only successful use case of large language models is people talking about their day and their feelings to tools like Replika or Character AI. But with hardware present, I believe it is a better emotional connect,” Schiffmann told TechCrunch.

The response to the product has been overwhelmingly negative. Various commenters on the company’s YouTube release video compare it to Black Mirror, find it satirical, or simply complain about the overall creepiness of the advertisement. Their concern is not unfounded. The idea of replacing basic interaction with yet another robot brings up questions of a decrease in genuine human connections.

Schiffman clarified that while the always-listening feature is emphasized, users are ensured security. The company does not retain any of the recordings, and users can choose to delete texts at any time.

While Friend does warrant some concerns, it could offer potential benefits. Socially anxious users might find that having a device that facilitates daily conversations provides a form of support and comfort. In addition to reducing isolation, Friend can help them practice communication skills while in a low-pressure environment.

Friend is currently available for pre-order in the U.S. and Canada for $99, with shipments scheduled to begin in January 2025.

A new AI wearable called Friend, designed by Avi Schiffmann, is set to launch in January 2025.

 

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This necklace pendant deviates from typical productivity devices by aiming to provide companionship. It can speak upon request but it also listens continuously and sends unprompted messages to users via Bluetooth.

Despite concerns about privacy and the potential impact on genuine human connections, Friend is intended to help alleviate social anxiety. See the trailer for the device and judge for yourself:

Friend: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Tech Crunch]

All images via Friend.

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READ: Friend: The AI Necklace That Could Redefine Friendship