The Common Pulse

  By   Justin Kirangacha| The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / NOVEMBER2025. The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into newsrooms has transformed journalism in ways few could have anticipated a decade ago. Major media organizations, including Standard Media Group, which made headlines yesternight for its extensive use of AI-generated reporting, exemplify both the promise and peril of this technological shift. While AI offers tools for efficiency, data analysis, and even automated content creation, its overuse raises fundamental questions about the integrity, accuracy, and human dimension of journalism. The proliferation of AI in media is not merely a technical issue; it speaks to the ethical, cultural, and economic pressures shaping the industry today. Efficiency Versus Editorial Integrity One of the most compelling reasons news outlets turn to AI is efficiency. Algorithms can scan through enormous datasets, monitor breaking news on social ...

  By   Justin Kirangacha| The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. When the internet coughs, the world holds its breath. This week, a massive and unexpected outage rippled across the digital landscape, plunging dozens of major websites, apps, and online services into temporary darkness. The cause was traced to a widespread failure in Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing juggernaut that quietly powers much of the internet’s infrastructure. What began as scattered user complaints on social media soon escalated into a full-scale digital blackout that reminded everyone how dependent the modern world has become on the invisible machinery of cloud networks. The scale of the outage was staggering. From e-commerce platforms and streaming services to banking apps and news websites, disruptions hit users in nearly every continent. It wasn’t just a few sites slowing down or freezing; entire networks were rendered inaccessible. Millions of users...

B y   Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. Welcome, and congratulations. You’ve lived long enough to see the age of flying cars, privately owned, solo-piloted aircraft, free to operate in unrestricted airspace, much as automobiles can take to the open road. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. The Pivotal BlackFly, a sleek, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has quietly and confidently stepped into history as the world’s first truly accessible flying vehicle. What makes the BlackFly disruptively similar to an automobile isn’t its range of about 20 minutes or its top speed of 55 knots, restricted by FAA ultralight regulations, but its accessibility. It is a machine not for the few but for the many, built for ordinary people who dream of flight but have no intention of spending years learning to become pilots. The BlackFly can be mastered by almost anyone with just a few days of training, roughly co...

By   Mutunga Tobbias| The Common Pulse/latest news/US/Qatar /Israel/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025.   Humans are social animals, wired by evolution to connect, communicate, and cooperate. From the earliest hunter-gatherer bands to today’s sprawling digital societies, our brains have always sought belonging, validation, and shared purpose. Yet, for all our modern technology promising infinite connections, science keeps bringing us back to one simple truth, the human brain has limits. We are not designed to maintain deep, stable relationships with hundreds or thousands of people. In fact, research suggests that our capacity for meaningful social bonds maxes out at around 150 individuals. This cognitive boundary, often called “Dunbar’s Number,” reveals profound truths about how our species evolved and why genuine human connection still matters more than social media follower counts. The Origins of the Social Brain Our ancestors’ survival depended on collaboration. Long...

By   Peninah Mbula | The Common Pulse/latest news/US/UN/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / September 2025.  Leucovorin (Folinic Acid): A New Frontier in Autism Treatment Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, has recently gained attention as a potential treatment for certain autism-related symptoms. Approved by the FDA for patients with cerebral folate deficiency, leucovorin helps restore folate levels in the brain, which can positively affect developmental and behavioral outcomes. While it is not a cure for autism, studies suggest that it may improve communication skills and reduce irritability in some children. Families and researchers alike are hopeful that this targeted therapy represents a step forward in personalized autism care.   Cerebral Folate Deficiency (CFD): Understanding the Link Cerebral folate deficiency occurs when folate levels in the brain are too low, despite normal levels in the blood. This condition can manifest in developmental delays, behavioral iss...

  By   Mutunga Tobbias | The Common Pulse/latest news/ Kenya/United States/Africa / September 2025 In the ever-evolving quest for renewable energy, innovation often comes from unexpected corners. While governments, multinational corporations, and global think tanks spend billions researching new solutions, sometimes it is the raw curiosity and ingenuity of students that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. Recently, a group of Chinese students unveiled an experiment that is as daring as it is imaginative: they have mounted a wind turbine on a tethered blimp, a system designed to float hundreds of meters in the sky and generate what they boldly call “infinite wind power.” This ambitious project is more than just a science fair stunt. It challenges the way we think about renewable energy and how the untapped layers of our atmosphere can be harnessed for human needs. At its heart, the idea is simple. Traditional wind turbines on the ground are limited by geography, wind...

By   Mutunga Tobbias | The Common Pulse/latest news/ Kenya/United States/Africa / September 2025    The skies over Scandinavia, usually symbols of order, efficiency, and calm travel, have recently become scenes of chaos and uncertainty. Drone incursions have forced temporary closures at two of Northern Europe’s busiest aviation hubs: Copenhagen Airport in Denmark and Oslo Gardermoen Airport in Norway. What might seem like a small unmanned aircraft drifting into restricted zones has translated into immense disruption, delayed flights, grounded passengers, and heightened security concerns. The events highlight not only the vulnerabilities of modern air transport systems but also the rapidly growing challenge of regulating drone technology in an age where accessibility, affordability, and mischief often collide with public safety. A Disrupted Morning in Copenhagen Copenhagen Airport, known as one of the most efficient transit hubs in Europe, faced a morning unlike any...

    By   Mutunga Tobbias | The Common Pulse/latest news/ Kenya/United States/Africa / September 2025   A New Dawn in Biotechnology The announcement from Chinese scientists that they have successfully de-aged a monkey has sent ripples through the global scientific community. For decades, researchers have speculated about the possibility of reversing aging in higher primates, but this breakthrough marks the first time it has moved beyond laboratory theories and cellular models. Unlike previous experiments that involved simple organisms such as worms, mice, or fruit flies, this leap involves a primate, an animal that shares much of its genetic and physiological blueprint with humans. The implications are staggering, as it signals a paradigm shift in our understanding of life, health, longevity, and even mortality itself. From Lab Rats to Primates: The Journey of Anti-Aging Research The pursuit of reversing aging has long been a cornerstone of scientific curiosi...

  By   Mutunga Tobbias | The Common Pulse/latest news/Ukraine/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / September 2025 For decades, the plastic crisis has been one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing humanity. From oceans clogged with bottles and bags to microplastics infiltrating food chains and even human bloodstreams, the scale of the problem has grown beyond imagination. Conventional recycling systems have failed to keep up with the avalanche of single-use plastics, and incineration only shifts the issue into greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists, environmentalists, and innovators have been tirelessly searching for alternatives. Recently, one discovery has sparked fresh hope: caterpillars, particularly those of the wax moth species, show remarkable potential in breaking down plastics naturally. This biological approach could redefine how the world tackles the plastic menace. The Global Plastic Crisis Plastic production has skyrocketed since the mid-20th century. Today, o...