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The Download: failed social media bans, and extending pets’ lives

9 The world’s official timekeepers have agreed to ditch the leap second  
It’s a move that ought to cut the risk of time-based computer glitches. (The Guardian)

10 Tesla has finally unveiled its flying car 
It’s taken a decade to get here—and still won’t even be shipping next year. (CNBC)

Quote of the day

“Tech companies used to make an effort to support women…Now we’ve swung completely in the opposite direction. Supporting women in tech has become controversial. It’s become political. It’s become risky.”

—Startup founder Sara Mauskopt explains why the cancellation of the Grace Hopper Celebration, one of the biggest gatherings of women in tech, hits so hard, Bloomberg reports. 

One More Thing

SIMON MITCHELL


Inside the experimental world of animal infrastructure

In the mid-2000s, toads were meeting a gruesome end near Ede, a leafy old town in the Netherlands. Residents responded by building wildlife tunnels beneath the road to help them reach their breeding ponds safely.

The crossings became popular. But a few years later, researchers found the local toad population had crashed from more than 10,000 to fewer than 1,000.

The case reflects a wider global push to build wildlife crossings and other forms of “animal infrastructure.” But do they actually help animal populations recover? Read the full story to find out.

—Matthew PonsfordWe can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Check out this podcast about the incredible, mysterious powers of fungi.
+ A four-year-old boy’s simple habit of waving to his neighbors is transforming his community.
+ From treehouses to geodesic domes, these homes show what happens when people build outside the rules.
+ Remember when the internet was made by people? The Museum of the Human Web is a playful archive of that era.

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