Pope on AI, Toxic Leak Scare, and Underwater T. Rex

 Need To Know 

'Magnifica Humanitas'

Pope Leo XIV released a sweeping statement on artificial intelligence yesterday, warning the technology could deepen inequality, erode trust, and concentrate power without clearer guardrails. The 83-page encyclical—the US-born pope's first—is one of the most authoritative forms of guidance in Catholic doctrine. Read it here; watch the address here.

The document, titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), was presented at the Vatican alongside remarks from Anthropic cofounder Christopher Olah, who stressed the need for independent oversight and broader public participation in AI governance. Anthropic, valued at $380B and in talks to raise funds at a nearly $1T valuation, is separately fighting the US government in court over its refusal to allow the military unlimited access to its technology.

The current pontiff, formerly Robert Prevost, chose his papal name last year in part to honor Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum" (Of New Things) defended workers' rights during the Second Industrial Revolution. See four other encyclicals that stand out. 

California Chemical Containment

Officials say they have eliminated the threat of a toxic explosion at a storage tank in Garden Grove, California. A crack discovered on the side of the tank helped alleviate internal pressure, while firefighters sprayed water to reduce the temperature.

The tank is located at GKN Aerospace, a British facility that manufactures aircraft parts. On Thursday, it began overheating while carrying 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a compound used to make plastics and resins. When active, the chemical can cause eye and skin irritation as well as respiratory and neurological problems. The discovery prompted officials to place roughly 50,000 people under evacuation orders in a zone measuring nine square miles (see map).

Air quality monitoring suggests the tank has not leaked toxic levels of the chemical, and no one has been injured, as of this writing. Officials are continuing to monitor the area and contain the threat of leaks. Revisit deadly US chemical explosions here.

The Brain Under Pressure

Acute stress may make it more difficult to connect past events with new information, according to a recent study. The finding could explain why people can appear forgetful under pressure and eventually lead to strategies for reducing the effects of stress. Review the study here; scroll to "Discussion" for key insights. 

Scientists asked 121 participants to memorize a series of paired images, consisting of an animal and either a face or a scene. The next day, half the participants endured a demanding mock job interview, while the other half completed more comfortable tasks. All participants then took a test requiring them to recall the image pairs and find associations with new images. Brain scans showed that people who underwent the mock interview had reduced activity in the hippocampus, a region essential for converting short-term memories into long-term memories. See the hippocampus in 3D here.

If stress makes it difficult to recall past events, why do stressful situations leave such lasting impressions? Blame negativity bias. 

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> NASCAR legend Kyle Busch's cause of death found to be sepsis induced by severe pneumonia (More) | Daniel Suárez wins Coca-Cola 600 (More, w/video) | Felix Rosenqvist wins closest-ever Indy 500 by 0.02 seconds; watch photo finish (More)

> Cannes Palme d’Or awarded to Romanian Cristian Mungiu for English-language debut "Fjord" (More, w/full list) | BTS wins artist of the year at American Music Awards, the largest fan-voted awards show (More) | See the red carpet looks (More)

> New York Knicks sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers, reaching NBA Finals for first time since 1999 (More) | San Antonio Spurs tie series with Oklahoma City, Game 5 tonight (8:30 pm ET, NBC) (More)

Science & Technology

> SpaceX completes mostly successful test flight of Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket yet that may take astronauts to the moon's surface in 2028 (More) | Watch the rocket explode into a ball of fire, as planned (More) 

> Chinese tech giant Huawei touts ability to make cutting-edge chips within five years despite US sanctions cutting it off from manufacturing equipment and design software (More) 

> Single infusion of gene-editing treatment lowers cholesterol levels by up to 62% in a small trial, showing promise as a one-time treatment for heart disease (More) 

Business & Markets

> US stock markets enter post-holiday week after closing up Friday (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +0.2%), driven by signs of potential deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (More) 

> Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of 7-Eleven Japan and considered the "God of Convenience Stores," died last week of heart failure at age 93, Seven & i Holdings announced yesterday (More) 

> Delivery Hero shares rise over 10% in European trading after reports Uber is weighing a bid to buy the German food deliverer in deal valued at over $11B (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> Man shot and killed after opening fire outside the White House west security gate Saturday evening; one bystander wounded, shooter identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best (More) | See the moment when a nearby TV anchor takes cover (More)

> Texas primary runoffs to be held today; state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) leads incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) after nabbing endorsement from President Donald Trump (More) 

> Around 1.5 million international travelers journey to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia as the annual Hajj pilgrimage begins (More) | What is Hajj? (More) | See photos from the pilgrimage (More)

In-Depth

> As Predictable as Sunrise

The Pudding | Russell Samora and Shelly Tan. How predictable are similes? An analysis of 200,000 similes reveals patterns as clear as day. (Read) 

> It's My Vegetable, and I'll Cry if I Want to

SciShow | Staff. Onions are one of the oldest recorded vegetables in continuous use, incorporated into just about every major culinary tradition. Why do they make us cry, and can we avoid the tears? (Watch) 

See photos of Memorial Day events honoring fallen soldiers.

Meet Splash, the nation's first search-and-recovery otter.  

... and see a newly discovered bright blue, golf ball-sized octopus. 

Make your baby smarter by speaking in "parentese." (w/comics)

The best (and worst) US cities to start your career.

Sixteen maps from the 1960s declassified by the CIA.

Paraglider in Austrian Alps survives after being hit by plane. (w/video) 

Sneak peek at Chicago's new Pokémon Fossil Museum.

In partnership: This metal is up 557% and United States Tungsten sees the potential.*

Clickbait: Scientists found the T. rex of the sea. 

Historybook: Dow Jones Industrial Average begins with 12 stocks (1896); Actor John Wayne born (1907); Legendary jazz musician Miles Davis born (1926); First American woman in space, Sally Ride, born (1951); Musician Lauryn Hill born (1975).

*Please support our sponsors.