Latest news with #Medium
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomer Says the Object Approaching Us From Beyond the Solar System Is Not What We Think
Earlier this month, astronomers were thrilled to spot an interstellar object — only the third of its kind ever observed — hurtling toward the center of the solar system on an extremely unusual trajectory and at a breakneck velocity. While we're only beginning to understand the unusual object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, the discovery led to widespread speculation, with some scientists suggesting that it may be almost as old as the Milky Way galaxy itself, and billions of years older than our own Sun. Unsurprisingly, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb — who has extensively written about 'Oumuamua, the second interstellar object ever discovered, notably hypothesizing that it might have been a relic from an extraterrestrial civilization — has now waded into the discussion. In a blog post on Medium, he argued that it will take more observations to conclude the nature of 3I/ATLAS, which is likely either a comet or asteroid. However, Loeb didn't rule out the "tantalizing possibility" that it was "sent towards the inner solar system by design" — a conclusion that's already proved controversial. Loeb chided the editors of Wikipedia and the scientific journal RNAAS for striking the hypothesis from his contributions, showing once again that his theories about extraterrestrial probes visiting our solar system remain as contentious as ever. The astronomer has remained steadfast in his belief that 'Oumuamua, an interstellar object first observed in 2017, may have been sent to us by an alien civilization, garnering him enormous attention in the media. He has even gone on to hunt for pieces of what he claims may be an alien spacecraft, based on detections of a three-foot, interstellar meteor crash-landing near Papua New Guinea in early 2014, by combing the ocean floor with a modified ship. In other words, his latest comments about 3I/ATLAS are very much in line with what we'd expect from him. In his blog post, Loeb announced that he had authored a new paper about 3I/ATLAS' unusual size. Based on its "anomalously bright" nature, the astronomer concluded that the object was roughly 12.4 miles in diameter. That would make it considerably larger than 'Oumuamua, which only measured anywhere from 330 to 1,300 feet long. However, those calculations raise more questions than answers. The interstellar object's ' "size estimate makes little sense for an interstellar asteroid because the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua was 200 times smaller, and based on the statistics of asteroids in the Solar system, we should have discovered a million objects of the scale of 1I/'Oumuamua before spotting one interstellar object that is [roughly 12.4 miles] in diameter," Loeb wrote. "We know that [12.4-mile] asteroids are rare, because non-avian dinosaurs were killed by an asteroid half that size 66 million ago, whereas meter-scale asteroids impact the Earth every year," he added. However, subsequent observations forced Loeb back to the drawing board. Given the lack of "spectral fingerprints of atomic or molecular gas," 3I/ATLAS likely isn't a comet, as Loeb had initially suggested. "If 3I/ATLAS is not an asteroid — based on the interstellar reservoir argument in my paper, nor a comet — based on the lack of the spectral fingerprints of carbon-based molecules around it, then what is it?" Loeb asked rhetorically, highlighting his "by design" theory. Fortunately, there's still time for the scientific community to get a closer look. "The size anomaly of 3I/ATLAS will be easily clarified by upcoming data," Loeb wrote. As it "gets closer to the Sun, it will get brighter. If it is a solid object without a cometary plume of gas or dust around it, then its brightness will increase inversely with the square of the decreasing distance from the Sun times the square of the distance from Earth." "The simplest hypothesis is that 3I/ATLAS is a comet and we are missing the spectral features of its gaseous coma because of its large distance from Earth," he added. But without any observed cometary tail, Loeb suggests there's a chance we could be looking at evidence of an extraterrestrial visitor. "Let us instead maintain our childhood curiosity and seek evidence rather than pretend to be the adults in the room that know the answers in advance," he concluded."Science does not need to feel like a lecture in a classroom, summarizing past knowledge. It could be far more exciting if the teachers would be willing to learn something new!" More on 3I/ATLAS: The Interstellar Visitor Hurtling Toward the Center of Our Star System Is Unimaginably Ancient, Scientists Say Solve the daily Crossword
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Verida AFI Reviews: A Real Strategy for Recovering Stolen Cryptocurrency
In the world of digital finance, promising technologies often come with high risks. Attacks on crypto wallets are becoming increasingly sophisticated—seed phrase hacks, phishing sites, malicious extensions, trojans… the threats are relentless. Fortunately, so are those who stand against them. UK-based law firm Verida AFI has developed an effective system to help recover stolen digital assets—even in seemingly hopeless cases. Positive reviews of Verida AFI show this service is in high demand. Success Stories That Speak Volumes Every successful case brings Verida AFI not only gratitude, but also new proof that recovering stolen cryptocurrency is not a pipe dream, but real-world practice. Find reviews on: HackMD Medium GitHub Clients highlight: The firm's effectiveness where local police wouldn't help Clear, jargon-free communication Fair terms—no upfront fees, only payout based on recovered funds 'I thought everything was lost. But after two months, part of the funds were back. A miracle? No, just Verida AFI doing their job.' Why Losing Crypto Isn't a Death Sentence The idea of crypto anonymity is a myth criminals love to exploit. But blockchain records every transaction permanently. If you know how to follow the trail, it's all there. Verida AFI uses this to turn the blockchain into a solid evidentiary trail—tracking funds through aliases, transit wallets, exchanges, and cash-out points. From Digital Trail to Real Funds Recovery begins with analyzing transaction flows using OSINT and blockchain analytics to identify: Wallet addresses tied to scammers Exchanges used for withdrawals IP addresses, devices, services involved Potential geographic locations Once the trail is found, Verida AFI takes legal action—filing freeze requests with exchanges, working with regulators, preparing claims, and, if needed, contacting law enforcement, Interpol, or international courts. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya: Merging Tech with Legal Expertise Verida AFI's strategy includes: Global coordination with exchanges and financial bodies Criminal claims and lawsuits Asset-freeze petitions Linking wallet addresses to criminals through documented analysis Helping restore wallet access, even if keys are compromised All actions follow legal frameworks, supported by high-tech blockchain analysis used in cybercrime investigations worldwide. Fee Structure That Protects You Their fee is based on success: 5–7% of recovered assets, paid only upon result. No upfront payments. This low-risk model makes their services accessible to those already affected. Who They Serve Clients include more than just crypto traders—they help NFT owners, DeFi participants, users deceived by 'trusted' investment platforms, and entrepreneurs holding funds in stablecoins. Regardless of the case, Verida AFI provides a tailored strategy, rooted in persistence and expertise. Your wallet was hacked and assets transferred elsewhere You fell victim to phishing or insider threats Malware or unauthorized access compromised your keys Or you simply want to understand where your crypto went and whether recovery is possible Verida AFI not only helps recover what was lost—they also teach you how to protect your assets in the future. In crypto, the most valuable asset is awareness. Conclusion As cybercriminal methods evolve, so do countermeasures. Don't stay silent or write off lost crypto as gone forever. A timely approach with Verida AFI could be the key to retrieval. In the digital world, nothing is truly lost—if you know where and how to look. Like this: Like Related
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Medium's CEO explains what it took to stop losing $2.6M monthly
Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine announced on Friday that the publishing platform has remained profitable since August of last year, when it first achieved this milestone. In a post, Stubblebine detailed what it took to achieve this goal, which involved a combination of product changes, an investor restructuring, renegotiated loans, unloading office space, layoffs, and other difficult cost-cutting measures. His post offers a deep dive into what it takes for a startup to achieve a turnaround and the tough choices that have to be made. According to Stubblebine, the company was losing $2.6 million per month when he joined in 2022. It was also losing subscribers, out of investor funding, and lacked an acquirer. He said that left the company with only one choice: 'make Medium profitable or shut down.' The platform's difficulties, in part, stemmed from its business model, which offered a single bundled subscription any writer could share in. The company had also experimented with bringing on high-quality professional editorial content, which Stubblebine said began to draw attention away from the amateur writers on the platform — those sharing their professional or academic work or writing about lessons that 'come from living interesting lives and writing about it.' When he joined as CEO, Medium's membership had topped 760,000 but was losing money every month. Stubblebine had to dig the company out of that hole, he said. On the product front, Medium introduced a way to add human expertise to recommendations with Boost, changed its Partner Program incentives to reward thoughtful writing, and added a Featuring tool that allowed publications to curate and promote other stories of interest. In terms of the finances, Medium owed $37 million in loans, and its investors held an additional $225 million of liquidation preferences (meaning the investors would get their money back before employees saw returns). Its governance was also overly complex and required getting investor approval from across five separate tranches before making major company decisions. To correct these problems and right the ship, Medium renegotiated its loans, eliminated its liquidation preferences, and simplified its governance to just one tranche of investors. It also sold off two of its acquisitions and closed down a third. Critically, Medium worked to clean up its cap table by renegotiating with investors, which Stubblebine didn't immediately want to do, he admitted. But after a year since the idea was first raised, the CEO realized that's what it would take to save the company. 'The investor restructuring required a bit of a sweet spot. The business had to look good enough to save, but not so good that there were other options,' he noted. 'The case I made to the loan holders was to convert their loans into equity or management would walk, and then to create enough ownership for them by going to the rest of the investors with terms for a recap,' Stubblebine explained. Six out of some 113 investors participated in the recap, where the investor stakes were diluted and special rights like liquidation preference and governance roles were given up. (He also shouted out to VCs who were easy to work with as partners, including Ross Fubini at XYZ, Mark Suster at Upfront, Greylock, Spark, and a16z.) Medium had to cut costs, too, both through layoffs — going from 250 people to just 77 — and through engineering optimization, which cut its cloud costs from $1.5 million to $900K. It also eventually got out of an office lease that saw it paying $145,000 per month for a 120-desk office space in San Francisco. Employees were granted new equity since their existing equity after the 'cram-down round' was likely to be worthless. The platform, once valued at $600 million, didn't share its new valuation as a result of all these changes, but it's considerably lower, of course. '…I have no ego about what our current valuation is,' Stubblebine wrote. 'But I'm also not going to tell you because I don't want that used as a point of comparison with other startups. We are profitable and they are not. That's a comparison point that serves us better,' he said.
TechCrunch
11-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Medium's CEO explains what it took to stop losing $2.6M monthly
Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine announced on Friday that the publishing platform has remained profitable since August of last year, when it first achieved this milestone. In a post, Stubblebine detailed what it took to achieve this goal, which involved a combination of product changes, an investor restructuring, renegotiated loans, unloading office space, layoffs, and other difficult cost-cutting measures. His post offers a deep dive into what it takes for a startup to achieve a turnaround and the tough choices that have to be made. According to Stubblebine, the company was losing $2.6 million per month when he joined in 2022. It was also losing subscribers, out of investor funding, and lacked an acquirer. He said that left the company with only one choice: 'make Medium profitable or shut down.' The platform's difficulties, in part, stemmed from its business model, which offered a single bundled subscription any writer could share in. The company had also experimented with bringing on high-quality professional editorial content, which Stubblebine said began to draw attention away from the amateur writers on the platform — those sharing their professional or academic work or writing about lessons that 'come from living interesting lives and writing about it.' When he joined as CEO, Medium's membership had topped 760,000 but was losing money every month. Stubblebine had to dig the company out of that hole, he said. On the product front, Medium introduced a way to add human expertise to recommendations with Boost, changed its Partner Program incentives to reward thoughtful writing, and added a Featuring tool that allowed publications to curate and promote other stories of interest. In terms of the finances, Medium owed $37 million in loans, and its investors held an additional $225 million of liquidation preferences (meaning the investors would get their money back before employees saw returns). Its governance was also overly complex and required getting investor approval from across five separate tranches before making major company decisions. To correct these problems and right the ship, Medium renegotiated its loans, eliminated its liquidation preferences, and simplified its governance to just one tranche of investors. It also sold off two of its acquisitions and closed down a third. Critically, Medium worked to clean up its cap table by renegotiating with investors, which Stubblebine didn't immediately want to do, he admitted. But after a year since the idea was first raised, the CEO realized that's what it would take to save the company. 'The investor restructuring required a bit of a sweet spot. The business had to look good enough to save, but not so good that there were other options,' he noted. 'The case I made to the loan holders was to convert their loans into equity or management would walk, and then to create enough ownership for them by going to the rest of the investors with terms for a recap,' Stubblebine explained. Six out of some 113 investors participated in the recap, where the investor stakes were diluted and special rights like liquidation preference and governance roles were given up. (He also shouted out to VCs who were easy to work with as partners, including Ross Fubini at XYZ, Mark Suster at Upfront, Greylock, Spark, and a16z.) Medium had to cut costs, too, both through layoffs — going from 250 people to just 77 — and through engineering optimization, which cut its cloud costs from $1.5 million to $900K. It also eventually got out of an office lease that saw it paying $145,000 per month for a 120-desk office space in San Francisco. Employees were granted new equity since their existing equity after the 'cram-down round' was likely to be worthless. The platform, once valued at $600 million, didn't share its new valuation as a result of all these changes, but it's considerably lower, of course. '…I have no ego about what our current valuation is,' Stubblebine wrote. 'But I'm also not going to tell you because I don't want that used as a point of comparison with other startups. We are profitable and they are not. That's a comparison point that serves us better,' he said.
Edinburgh Reporter
11-07-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Monexis Reviews A Broker You Can Trust
In the world of financial investments, where millions of traders make daily decisions that can lead to either the growth or loss of capital, trust in a broker is a fundamental necessity. And here comes Monexis — an American brokerage firm that not only promises fair and honest treatment of every client but is legally required to follow this paradigm. This is a huge plus for the brokerage industry as a whole and the investment community in particular. Reviews about Monexis will not lie: the broker is truly worthy of trust. Monexis Reviews – Opinions from Real Platform Users Users from different countries highlight that Monexis not only meets expectations but exceeds them. The platform consistently receives high ratings from the investment community for its transparent conditions, fast payouts, and professional approach to serving traders. Review authors particularly emphasize the quality of the analytics provided: the company's experts don't just inform; they help develop strategic thinking and make trading decisions that lead to capital growth. Furthermore, social media and news platforms like HackMD, Medium, and Blogspot often discuss the convenience and reliability of the investment platform: intuitive navigation, no technical glitches, and fast order execution. Clients also appreciate the localization of services — the company truly takes into account the linguistic and cultural needs of its audience, offering personalized solutions worldwide. Together, the reviews create an image of Monexis as a broker you can trust: reliable, professional, and client-oriented. Photo by Chenyu Guan on Unsplash Why the U.S. Jurisdiction Is a Mark of Quality The U.S. is one of the most strictly regulated jurisdictions in the world for financial services. Any company operating in this market must meet the requirements of organizations such as: • FINRA — Financial Industry Regulatory Authority • SEC — Securities and Exchange Commission • CFTC — Commodity Futures Trading Commission What does this mean for investors? Your funds are fully protected, the broker's reports are transparent, and its actions are monitored by regulators 24/7. Any attempt at manipulation, dishonest practices, or unjustified fees could result in the broker facing billions of dollars in fines and losing its license. Monexis, as a licensed broker from the U.S., follows these strict standards, making it one of the most reliable partners for investors and traders worldwide. Flexibility Combined with Stability Monexis blends American discipline with European flexibility in client services. As a result, traders have the opportunity to: • Trade hundreds of financial assets (stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, indices, commodities) • Use leverage up to 1:400, depending on the type of account chosen • Customize the trading platform interface to their preferences • Receive personalized recommendations and trading signals from the company's analytical department • Access 24/7 customer support — available in multiple languages and genuinely helpful, not just imitating participation Monexis' order execution system is based on a No-Dealing-Desk (NDD) technology — no interference with trades, only direct access to liquidity providers. This guarantees no conflicts of interest and allows trading at clean market prices without re-quotes. Monexis Innovations in Action Monexis provides access to professional software. In addition to the standard charting terminal, users receive: • A cloud-based analytics dashboard that aggregates all statistics on your trades • An AI advisor capable of suggesting the most profitable strategy based on your trading history • Built-in calculators for risk, currency, stop-loss, and take-profit levels • Demo accounts and educational resources — with courses on risk management, algorithmic trading, and crypto trading Each function is the result of collaboration with focus groups and professional traders who help test new services at the outset. Transparency of Non-Trading Operations Monexis ensures that its clients have no issues with deposit funding or withdrawal of funds. Deposits are processed almost instantly and without fees via: • Bank cards • E-wallets • Cryptocurrencies Funds can be deposited into an investment account through direct bank transfers (2-3 business days) or fast transfers (following Western Union, MoneyGram rules). Withdrawals are also hassle-free. Premium account holders withdraw profits in 3 hours, while others do so on average within a day. Security Like a Bank — Or Better Client funds are placed in segregated accounts at Tier-1 certified banks. All data is protected by the latest SSL encryption. Logins are secured via two-factor authentication and biometric verification for smartphone traders. Monexis Conclusion Monexis is a broker you can trust not just because it's based in the U.S., but because it adheres to strict regulatory standards, supports innovative technologies, and demonstrates rare client-orientation in every aspect. If you are an investor/trader who values legality, honesty, and real support over empty promises, trading with Monexis is worth trying. Invest with those who play by the rules but surpass others in opportunities. And you will succeed! Like this: Like Related
