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MetaMeta Platforms Inc. is a $1.7T conglomerate operating a suite of apps and digital services used by billions, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook's standalone Messenger app. Founded and majority-controlled by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, Meta has pioneered and shaped the popular uses of social media and its monetization for about two decades, ranking among the world's highest-valued companies.
In 2004, Facebook launched as a platform to connect student profiles at Harvard University. Innovations like the News Feed—one of the earliest algorithm-based curation approaches—boosted the app's growth exponentially, while the ability to allow advertisers to buy targeted ads based on user location and preferences ballooned revenue. After going public in 2012, Facebook surpassed 1 billion users, or about 14% of the world's population.
Facebook acquired Instagram, WhatsApp, and VR headset manufacturer Oculus before rebranding as Meta in 2021. Although successful in leading the mobile photo-sharing market and owning a dominant messaging app, Meta has faced backlash for its limited moderation of hate speech and misinformation.Explore Meta
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Meta's acquisition strategy for Instagram and WhatsApp led to a 5-year-long antitrust lawsuitIn 2020, the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta as part of the agency's efforts to rein in big tech companies. The FTC alleged that Meta overpaid for Instagram and WhatsApp in a "buy or bury" strategy to gain access to those companies' talent and diminish competition. In 2025, a federal judge sided with Meta, citing intense change in the social media landscape. NPRThe majority of Meta's revenue comes from advertisingSince introducing Facebook Ads in 2007, ads have become the main way Meta makes money and keeps the social media platforms free for users. Meta's targeted ad program allows businesses to set a maximum advertising budget and be charged only for the actual number of impressions an ad receives. In 2025, $196.175B of Meta's $200.966B annual revenue came from advertising. InvestopediaTargeting cholesterol metabolism may help address macular degenerationResearch published in 2025, based on human plasma samples and mouse models, indicates that boosting the levels of a molecule called apolipoprotein M in the blood can improve cholesterol processing, helping prevent some cellular damage that contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Washington University in St. Louis MedicineWatch how metals are extracted from rechargeable devices during recyclingRecyclable batteries found in cars, phones, power tools, and other electronics contain lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other precious metals, whose reuse generates 70% fewer emissions than during their initial mining. Upon shredding these devices, a filter press squeezes the pieces through a proprietary fluid, which separates them for future reuse. JerryRigEverythingHeavy metal legends Black Sabbath touched on existentialist themesAlthough they’re primarily known for Ozzy Osbourne’s distinctive singing and Tony Iommi’s singular riffs, the metal icons Black Sabbath also have a body of work that explores existentialist questions about mankind’s purpose. Philosophy professor William Irwin unpacks the band's lyrics and applies them to some of existentialism’s major themes, drawing comparisons between the band and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. And PhilosophyMetals can be welded together in space without needing heatOn Earth, oxygen naturally reacts with metals to form an oxide layer on their surface, which prevents two different pieces from fusing when they come into contact. If the layer is worn away without oxygen to replenish it, metals can instead stick together upon impact—a phenomenon known as cold welding. VeritasiumMetal detectors identify induced magnetic fields in conductive objectsA changing magnetic field in a transmitter coil causes an electric current to be produced in materials that conduct electricity. This current generates its own magnetic field, which can be detected by a receiver coil and transmitted to a control box, which identifies the presence and depth of an object. MetalDetector.comFiber lasers used for metal engravings can’t burn your skinThese devices use diodes and mirrors to create pulses of light that vaporize metal in billionths of a second, though at wavelengths that cannot react with organic material. Pulse width, power, and speed adjustments can produce white, black, and even colored patterns through controlled heat reactions. WIREDAbout 20% of asteroids are metal worlds similar to Earth's coreThe biggest of these (that we know of) is 16 Psyche. Measuring 140 miles across, its iron and nickel content is potentially worth 10,000 quadrillion dollars. NASA’s mission to Psyche—reaching the asteroid in 2029—will study it to learn about its formation. CelestiumMetallic hydrogen exists in Jupiter and Saturn due to high pressure and temperatureThis state of hydrogen has metallic properties, including conductivity, which powers these planets' magnetic fields. First theorized in the 1930s, its existence was confirmed through indirect evidence before being created in a Harvard lab in 2017. Astronomy MagazineThe 17th-century vomit-inducing metal cupAccording to 17th-century medical theories, your body consisted of four "humors", all of which needed to be in balance. If one were off kilter, some would prescribe sips of wine from an antimony cup. The cups were fashioned from nearly 100% of the metal and would make the wine toxic, inducing vomiting and diarrhea to balance the humors. Victoria and Albert MuseumMetal fragments can create glowing rings when sand chips them off helicopter bladesThe Kopp-Etchells effect—named after two soldiers who died in action in Afghanistan—may occur when kicked-up material shaves off fragments from a helicopter blade's abrasion strip. Due to a property called pyrophoricity, the fragments react with air and ignite, producing halos. Fox NewsEarth's core is leaking precious metals, including goldEarth's core, containing 99.999% of all known gold, is leaking trace amounts of precious metals into the mantle. Advanced isotopic methods have detected this leakage at volcanoes in Hawai'i, providing new insights into the movement of material beneath Earth's surface. Popular ScienceWhy Metallica sued Napster—and enraged music fansWhen Lars Ulrich, the drummer for metal legends Metallica, began his press campaign against Napster, an early filesharing software, he said he was fighting for artists. Listeners weren't convinced, especially because data suggested that filesharing services helped record sales rather than hinder them. This history of the ordeal contextualizes more modern problems in the music business, especially considering streaming services like Spotify were initially seen as a solution to illegal filesharing. StereogumMetastasis: When cancer cells begin to travel through the bodyMetastatic cancer starts in one part of the body and moves to another over time. This is known as metastasis. Such cancers are much more harmful since they attack multiple parts of the body, adapting new metabolic changes to suit the various environments found throughout a body. Knowable MagazineIn 2024, Meta launched an AI video generator to create or edit videos through promptsThe tool puts the Meta in direct competition with OpenAI and Google as more companies are investing billions of dollars to capitalize on the explosion of public interest in machine learning and generative media technologies. Bloomberg TechnologyMeta has added video features to attract more young users to FacebookAmid an aging userbase and competition from newer social networks like TikTok, Facebook has seen its perceived relevance and cool factor progressively decrease. The Local tab and dating features are among several efforts to counter this perception. ReutersWatch a review of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glassesCombining smartphone features with a luxury eyeglass brand, Meta's peripheral provides discreet recording, audio, and AI-powered functions. They represent an ongoing effort by the company to develop hardware for the augmented and mixed reality market. Kevin The Tech NinjaBy 2022, Meta was betting strongly on a metaverse strategy for its productsMoving beyond the controversies over fueling misinformation, division, and harm worldwide, Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism about technology's role in connecting people. Meta's multibillion-dollar investments in integrative AR and VR technologies have further evolved its founder's vision. Land of the Giants Watch the unveiling of Meta's Quest 3S mixed reality headsetMeta’s social apps like Facebook and Instagram are the most high-profile part of its business, but the company has sought building out a hardware line of peripherals like the Quest headset, which combines virtual and augmented reality. CNETAs of 2025, Meta Platforms Inc. is the largest social media company in the worldFacebook alone has nearly three billion monthly active users, with advertising across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp generating 97% of Meta's revenue. Messenger adds more than 650,000 users a daily. Investing.comHow metaphors shape the way we thinkA metaphor is often viewed as a form of art, deployed only in special circumstances to help an audience grasp something complex or unique. But metaphors are far more fundamental than that, shaping much of how we think about our relationship to others and the world. This article explores how a focus on the metaphors we use can clarify and strengthen our thinking. Learn more here. AeonFake sugars may disrupt metabolic healthAlternative sweeteners such as stevia and sucralose are 100 times sweeter than common table sugar. New research suggests these "high-intensity" sweeteners significantly disrupt the composition of the gut microbiome, affecting overall health. (Some users may encounter a paywall.) The Washington PostWhat is metabolic rate?Read this article to better understand the concept of metabolic rate, which is defined as the amount of energy expended by an organism over the course of a day. Basic metabolic rate (or BMR) is this metabolic rate at rest, during which the body only... BBCSleep deprivation may slow metabolismThis article explains that, according to research from Penn State, restricting sleep for just a few days can affect how the human body metabolizes fats and change how satisfied people feel after a meal. The study found that people who don’t get... Penn StateIs metabolism related to weight loss?Read this article to better understand metabolism and why doctors say it's only one piece in the puzzle to managing weight. Metabolism breaks down and converts what we consume into energy, which provides fuel for all of our body's functions—both... Jefferson HealthSpontaneous metabolism may give clues to origins of lifeRead this article to learn more about the discovery that suggests that metabolism could have begun spontaneously on our planet—and why it means that scientists may need to rethink how we define life’s origins. A team of researchers at the... National GeographicUse this interactive to compare metabolism by cell type or nutrientThis interactive from the University of Utah's Genetic Science Learning Center shows users how various types of cells burn and store nutrients. Liver cells, for example, are the body’s most metabolically complex cell type and are able to burn nearly any kind of nutrient, which they then export to other cells through the blood stream. Muscle cells are able to completely burn glucose and fatty acids for energy, as well as put glucose molecules together to build glycogen, which be stored and used when needed. Brain cells also burn glucose for energy, but they are unique in that they cannot store it; rather, they rely on glucose supplied by the liver through the bloodstream. University of UtahWhere did heavy metal music come from?Learn about and listen to metal in this interactive map that charts the course of heavy metal music since its birth in the 1960s. Metal distinguished itself from earlier music by prioritizing amplified distortion and emphatic beats, giving rise to the description that metal music was heavy and masculine. Heavy metal evolved from various types of rock—blues, psychedelic, garage, and hard—and has since inspired dozens of sub-genres, such as thrash metal and grunge. This web of metal music continues to grow with the advent of new genres, including trance metal and djent. Map of MetalHow metabolism, when cells convert molecules into energy, worksMetabolism is when a cell’s internal network of chemical reactions breaks down food molecules and transforms them into pieces of the cell itself. Sometimes, cells build replacements for worn-out parts. Other times, they build energy molecules that power the cell’s activities. Stated ClearlyThe history of metallurgy: an interactive timelineHumans have long been shaping metals into useful tools and aesthetic accessories. By 8,700 BCE, humans already had mastered four types of casting copper. Within a few thousand years, people were combining metals to make the alloy bronze and had... Bodycote plcExplore the metaverse with this mind mapThe metaverse is a complex concept that involves interlocking and rapidly evolving parts, including Web3, augmented reality, and trademark law. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when faced with the new legal, financial, ethical, and creative intersections of our reality and its virtual echo. This mind map details the metaverse and its implications for various fields that interact and overlap. Click through the map to read and listen to topic summaries or explore more in-depth resources. World Economic ForumMaking art in the MetaverseMore artists are turning to the metaverse to showcase their surrealist, digital art. View a sample of their art here. TalenthouseThe interoperable metaverse and what that meansThis explainer video explores the challenges of achieving the interoperability needed to unify economies, avatars and systems across virtual worlds in the metaverse. MediumWriter who coined 'metaverse' talks Meta, distances himselfThe sci-fi writer took to Twitter to clarify his relationship with Facebook, following Meta's whistleblower scandals. Business InsiderA video compares two visions for the metaverse: one from Nvidia and one from FacebookThe CEOs of top technology companies Nvidia and Meta recently revealed their visions for the metaverse of the future. As of 2021, both Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg were bullish on virtual world-building, although Huang seemed more focused on the metaverse's business implications than its social ones, which Zuckerberg prioritized. CNETThe origins of the word 'metaverse'Unpacking where the word "metaverse" came from and dissecting its history. XR TodayExpert predictions on the metaverseExperts are split about the likely evolution of a truly immersive metaverse. Many worry current online problems may be magnified if Web3 development is led by those who built today’s dominant web platforms. Pew Research CenterWhat does the metaverse actually look like?An emerging virtual world could change how we work, play, and do business. This five-minute video shows you what it looks like and the potential it holds. YouTubeA framework for understanding the metaverseAn article answering some of the metaverse's most foundational questions: How much of the metaverse is already here? When will the rest arrive? And how will it grow? Matthew BallThe Metaverse is neither AR nor VR, exactlyEverything you never wanted to know about the future of talking about the future. WiredWhat is the metaverse and why should you care?Is the metaverse just a trending topic, or is it going to shape the future of social media marketing? Here's everything you need to know. HootsuiteWeb3, NFTs, metaverse, and the direct-to-avatar economyA comprehensive explanation of Web3, NFTs, the metaverse, and the direct-to-avatar economy. Not Boring by Packy McCormickCoinbase and the metaverseIn this essay, Coinbase founders Brian Armstrong and Alex Reeve talk about the importance of the metaverse, the components of it, and the role Coinbase plays. CoinbaseThe first prenatal screen for disease was developed in 1961Scientist Robert Guthrie created a method to test newborns for a metabolic defect called phenylketonuria, or PKU. This blood test didn't look for gene variants—it hunted for excess phenylalanine in the blood. The disorder is caused by an inability to digest the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to excess phenylalanine in the body. PKU results in intellectual disability, seizures, and other symptoms if it isn't caught early and treated with a specialized diet. National Institutes of HealthMark Zuckerberg testified before Congress eight times between 2018 and 2024Zuckerberg testified in Congress for the first time in 2018 over Facebook's privacy violations and its failure to detect Russian interference on the app during the 2016 election. Since then, Zuckerberg has appeared a total of eight times to defend Meta against privacy violations, child safety, and more. (Some users may experience a paywall.) The New York TimesScientists determine the smells of objects in outer spaceUsing spectrographic techniques, scientists determine the chemical composition of planetary atmospheres, comets, and other objects in space. Combining these chemicals in labs on Earth has revealed locations in space that smell like nail polish remover, rotten fish, and urine. BBCThe internet has changed how fans understand wrestlingMaintaining the illusion of professional wrestling—or kayfabe—was once considered the most important aspect of running a successful promotion. That’s changed over time, with wrestling’s most serious fans growing as interested in the stories behind the scenes as they are in the matches taking place in the ring. Voices of WrestlingThreads offers sleek design but fails to deliver X’s unique user experienceDespite its smooth setup, Threads lacks the algorithmic depth and cultural edge that made X (formerly Twitter) feel essential to longtime users. The overlap with Instagram contacts creates a less authentic space, limiting the raw, real-time energy people loved on X. Vogue SingaporeMark Zuckerberg has been a huge advocate for open source technologyOpen source technology is software, hardware, or code that's publicly accessible for viewing or editing. Zuckerberg has been an advocate for open source since 2003 and said he wouldn't have been able to build Facebook without open source code. Bloomberg Originals
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