Originally published in iHeart.
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📱 CALIFORNIA JUST PASSED A BIG NEW LAW FOR KIDS AND APPS! — Starting soon, app stores in California will have to ask: how old are you? Governor Gavin Newsom just signed a new law that adds age gates for kids using phones and tablets — making the internet a little safer for everyone.
—> 🧒 HOW IT WORKS: Parents will enter their child’s age when setting up a device, and apps will sort users into groups: under 13, 13–16, 16–18, or adult. No ID uploads or creepy data collection — just a simple age gate.
—> ⚠️ WHY IT’S HAPPENING: The law comes after concerns about teen safety online — from social media burnout to dangerous chatbot conversations. Now, AI chatbots have to include self-harm prevention tools, and social media apps must show warning messages after kids spend too much time scrolling.
—> 🧠 WHAT ELSE: Chatbots can’t pretend to be doctors anymore — they have to say, “Hey, I’m not human!” every few hours when talking to minors. And there’s a brand-new law cracking down on deepfake pornography, with fines up to $250,000 per violation.
Source: Engadget
hello, future. it’s me, kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. It’s time to meet the future NOW — with the latest on markets, tech, and freedom. The day is 287. The year is 2025. The planet is Earth.
The planet has complete 78.6 percent of its orbit around the Sun. My name is Kevin Cirilli —> LinkedIn. iHeart | iTunes | Spotify | Amazon | Pandora. Sign-up to receive the future in your inbox here.
Back to the future...
SOUND ON
🚀 HELLO FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli — Where tomorrow’s headlines land today. Make sure to check out the recent episodes of my new show with iHeart Media!
💾 Data Centers in Space — Harvard Business School’s Matt Weinzierl breaks down the bold new idea of building lunar data centers as AI demand skyrockets. What happens when the cloud leaves Earth? ☁️🌙 He’s the co-author with Brendan Rosseau of as awesome book —> Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier. Buy his book here.
🤖 Humanoid Robots by 2050 — Dr. Chris Mattmann, UCLA’s Chief Data & AI Officer (and former NASA JPL innovator), joins Kevin to explore whether human-like robots will work, think — and live — alongside us within our lifetimes.
⚡ Building the Future: Civilization Starter Kits — R. Scott Salandy-Defour, CEO of Liquid Star, reveals how solar-powered “starter kits” could bring clean water, energy, and internet to off-grid communities — and maybe one day, to Mars.
🎙️ HELLO FUTURE — The daily podcast from iHeartMedia’s Premiere Networks that connects the dots between space, AI, and the next great leap for humankind.
SPACE
🌕 NASA’S NEXT LANDING SITE COULD REWRITE MOON HISTORY! — Scientists have discovered something weird about the Moon’s biggest crater — and it could totally change what we know about how our lunar neighbor was formed. The massive South Pole–Aitken Basin, where NASA’s Artemis astronauts are set to land, might not have been created by a head-on asteroid crash like everyone thought. Instead, it may have been hit by a glancing blow, like a cosmic sideswipe 4.3 billion years ago! 🌌
—> 🧠 WHY IT MATTERS: That “side hit” could explain why the Moon’s far side is bumpy with craters while the near side (the one we see) is smooth. It also means astronauts landing there in the next few years might dig up material from deep inside the Moon — giving us clues about its fiery past.
—> 🪐 COOL SCIENCE STUFF: Scientists compared the crater’s shape to others around the solar system and found it’s stretched out like a teardrop. That means heavier minerals were squeezed to one side, changing how the Moon’s crust formed — kind of like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube!
—> 🚀 WHAT’S NEXT: When astronauts arrive, they’ll be standing on top of billions of years of history — maybe even secrets about how the Moon itself was born. Get ready: the next “giant leap” could uncover the Moon’s oldest mysteries yet.
Source: Futurism
QUANTUM // ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
HEALTH
🧠 MIND OVER MACHINE: NEURALINK PATIENT CONTROLS ROBOT WITH PURE THOUGHT! — For the first time ever, a man used his mind to move a robotic arm — no buttons, no joystick, just brainpower. 🤯
—> ⚡ HOW IT WORKS: ALS patient Nick Wray has a tiny Neuralink brain chip that turns his thoughts into Bluetooth commands. In a jaw-dropping demo, he used it to open the fridge, heat food in the microwave, grab a cup, and even take a drink — all just by thinking!
—> 🧃 REAL-LIFE SUPERPOWERS: Wray’s brain-controlled robot didn’t just work — it excelled. He crushed dexterity tests, moving puzzle pieces and performing what he called a “ridiculous trick shot.” Next up? He’s even testing how to drive his wheelchair using only his thoughts.
—> 🚀 WHY IT MATTERS: This milestone is part of Neuralink’s FDA-approved CONVOY study, exploring how brain chips could restore independence for people with paralysis. It’s a glimpse at a future where thoughts alone could control everything — from robots to computers to your car.
Source: Interesting Engineering
DIG DEEPER
🧭 EARTH’S SHIELD IS SHIFTING: SCIENTISTS FIND A GROWING WEAK SPOT IN OUR PLANET’S MAGNETIC FIELD! — Something strange is happening deep beneath our feet — Earth’s invisible magnetic shield, the force that protects us from deadly space radiation, is getting weaker over the South Atlantic Ocean. 🌍⚡
—> 🧲 WHAT’S GOING ON: Using 11 years of data from the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellites, scientists found that a weak zone called the South Atlantic Anomaly has grown by an area half the size of Europe since 2014. This “soft spot” means satellites flying overhead get blasted with more radiation — sometimes even knocking out their electronics!
—> 🌋 WHY IT’S HAPPENING: The magnetic field comes from molten iron swirling deep inside Earth’s core, acting like a giant dynamo. But something weird is happening under the Atlantic: parts of the field are reversing direction, like tangled magnets fighting each other. These “reverse flux patches” are making the field weaker toward Africa and stronger toward Siberia.
—> 🛰️ SWARM TO THE RESCUE: Launched in 2013, the Swarm mission is like a fleet of space detectives, mapping Earth’s magnetism from core to sky. Thanks to their decade-long watch, we now know the magnetic field isn’t stable — it pulses, shifts, and dances over time.
—> 🌌 WHY IT MATTERS: Our magnetic field is what keeps us safe from cosmic radiation and solar storms. If it weakens too much, power grids, navigation systems, and even satellites could be at risk. But don’t panic — scientists are keeping close watch, and Swarm’s data is helping us understand Earth’s living, breathing shield better than ever.
Source: European Space Agency (ESA)
ONE MORE THING
With gratitude,
Kev
ABOUT mtf.tv’s meet the future: mtf.tv’s meet the future is a cutting-edge platform focused on addressing key challenges at the intersection of national security, technology, and business. With a mission to embrace freedom to meet the future’s challenges and opportunities, mtf.tv offers forward-thinking media offerings and forums. mtf.tv produces the daily HELLO FUTURE show on iHeart Media’s Premiere Network, which reaches 9 in 10 Americans. iHeart | iTunes | Spotify | Amazon | Pandora
mtf.tv’s meet the future founder Kevin Cirilli.
