Two surprising tech stories made waves this week, featuring a secret biology lab linked to Lady Gaga and a sudden US government ban on a transforming drone.
First, a biology company called Outer Biosciences has found a way to keep real human skin alive in a lab for more than 30 days. The startup is run by Michael Polansky, who is the partner of pop star Lady Gaga. Polansky graduated from university in 2006 and has spent years working in technology. Now, his company is using this living skin to train artificial intelligence, or AI. AI is a smart computer program that can learn and analyze data like a human. By testing on living skin, the AI can help design better beauty and medical products. This matters to you because it could make skincare much safer and finally end the need for animal testing. Lady Gaga even sits on the company's board, and her own makeup brand is working with them.
Second, gadget fans in the US just got some bad news about a cool new toy. A company called HoverAir launched a modular drone, which is a device with parts you can snap together like building blocks. This specific gadget is a small camera with clip-on wings that turn it into a flying drone. However, just 3 days after its launch, the US government stepped in. The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, blocked the device. The US has strict rules against importing drones from Chinese companies due to safety concerns. The camera is still available in Canada, but US buyers are currently blocked from ordering it.
Both stories show how quickly the tech world is changing. We are seeing incredible new science that could improve our health, but we are also seeing how government rules can stop new gadgets in their tracks. It will be exciting to see how these living skin tests develop, even if we cannot fly the latest pocket drones just yet.
