Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest Neuralink, a company founded by Tesla and SpaceX creator Elon Musk, and their ambitious plans to create implantable brain–machine interfaces. We also examine home ownership rates among African Americans and Hispanics in the U.S; and more.
Kill Or No Kill? What Is The Best Way To Deal With SoCal’s Rising Coyote Population
Coyotes are back in Southern California and seemingly more aggressive than ever.
If you’ve checked the Nextdoor app or even just chatted with your neighbors recently, chances are they’ve mentioned a coyote sighting. Plus, just yesterday there was a grisly incident in Buena Park in which a coyote entered a resident’s home through a doggie door and attacked the dogs inside. So what’s the best way to deal with coyotes in urban areas? Are lethal means the answer?
Scientists say there’s no evidence that the number of coyotes is rising, but it seems anecdotally that there are more sightings and animal lovers and parents are understandably nervous.
Have you seen coyotes recently? How are you protecting your pets and children? What are your local officials recommending? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Niamh Quinn, human-wildlife interactions advisor with the University of California’s Cooperative Extension, a branch of the UC system which researches local issues; she tweets
Foreign Homebuyers Down, Hispanic Homeownership Up, Black Homeownership Down
For the first time in decades, homeownership numbers for black and Hispanic people living in the U.S. are going in different directions.
The Wall Street Journal reported black homeownership across the country fell to a record low in the first quarter of 2019, according to census data – a drop of 8.6 percentage points since the all-time high in 2004.
At the same time, Hispanic homeownership is growing faster than any other ethnic group in the U.S., including whites. The rate has grown 3.3 percentage points since hitting a record low in 2015.
Overseas buyers are also coming to the U.S. less and less. A new report shows the number of U.S. homes bought by foreigners has been cut in half over the last two years – leaving luxury homes in California, New York City and Miami empty.
Larry sits down with a reporter, housing expert, and local real estate broker to talk about what these numbers mean for Southern California.
Guests:
Laura Kusisto, reporter covering housing and the economy for the Wall Street Journal; she tweets
Richard Green, housing policy expert; director of Lusk Center for Real Estate Chair at USC; former senior advisor at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration
Ashley Thomas III, national third vice president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the nation’s oldest black real estate trade association; real estate broker in South L.A.
Putting The ‘I’ In AI: Elon Musk’s Neuralink Announces Plan To Hook Up Brains To Machines
Earlier this week, Elon Musk, the billionaire behind SpaceX and Tesla, presented his gameplan for hooking up brains to computers.
In a presentation at the California Academy of Sciences, which was also livestreamed, Musk and the team behind Neuralink, presented the devices they’ve been working on for the last two years. They also laid out an ambitious plan to implant a chip into a human brain by the end of 2020. One of the big potential promises of the technology would the creation of robotic limbs that would function like their organic counterparts.
We recap the event. Plus, we get a neuroscientist’s take on the current research in the field, the plausibility of Neuralink’s goals and the potential and pitfalls of this planned technology.
Guests:
Elizabeth Lopatto, deputy editor at The Verge; she was at Neuralink’s presentation Tuesday night at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco
Konrad Kording, professor of bioengineering and neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania
You’re Not Alice, But We Still Want To Hear About How You Went Down The (Internet) Rabbit Hole
It all starts so innocently – you’re reading an article, or looking up a detail about a musician your friend mentioned at dinner, and then suddenly you’ve discovered a member in your favorite 1960s singing group is actually the grandmother of the Butler brothers in Arcade Fire.
That’s when you realize you’re in it: the (Internet) Rabbit Hole.
The Internet can take you anywhere. In a lot of cases, that’s a good thing – there’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. Sometimes it can even be turned into a game. But it can also mean that you frequently get lost in a downward spiral of meaningless information that you never needed (or wanted) to know.
Do you ever get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available online? What is the last Internet rabbit hole you went down? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Fire, Attack At Influential Kyoto Animation
A man screaming "You die!" burst into an animation studio in Kyoto, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it on fire Thursday, killing 33 people in an attack that shocked the country and brought an outpouring of grief from anime fans.
Thirty-six others were injured, some of them critically, in a blaze that sent people scrambling up the stairs toward the roof in a desperate - and futile - attempt to escape. Others emerged bleeding, blackened and barefoot.
The suspect was injured and taken to a hospital. Police identified him only a 41-year-old man who was not a company employee. They gave no immediate details on the motive.
Most of the victims were employees of Kyoto Animation, which does work on feature films and TV productions but is best known for its mega-hit stories featuring high school girls. The stories are so popular that some of the places depicted have become pilgrimage sites for fans.
The blaze started in the three-story building in Japan's ancient capital after the attacker sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant, police and fire officials said.
With files from Associated Press