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Net neutrality rules repealed in the U.S.

Last Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that regulates telecommunications in the United States, voted to repeal rules that ensure a fair and open internet. The reversal of these “net neutrality” regulations will make it possible for internet service providers to speed up service for certain websites, and block or slow down access to others.

The vote reverses a decision made in 2015 during the Obama administration to strengthen oversight of internet service companies. Net neutrality supporters say that this oversight is critical at a time when more Americans depend on the internet. But net neutrality opponents -- including internet service providers and FCC chairman Ajit Pai -- say that net neutrality discourages competition and innovation.

Following Thursday’s decision, internet service providers may be able to prioritize access to certain websites -- including ones that they own -- while making it harder for customers to use other ones. Critics of the decision also say that service providers could charge popular web services, like Netflix and Google, more to reach consumers, and that the costs could be passed onto consumers.

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Norwegian Parliament votes to decriminalize drugs

Last week, the majority of Norway’s Parliament voted to decriminalize all drug use and focus on treatment instead. The vote does not automatically decriminalize illicit drugs -- rather, it directs the government to begin revising its current laws related to drugs.

Under the proposed plan, people found with small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drugs could be sent to a treatment program, rather than fined or imprisoned. The new rules would mimic those in place in Portugal, which decriminalized drug use in 2001 and has since seen a decrease in habitual drug use and drug-related deaths. In 2006, Norway began testing a decriminalization program in Oslo and Bergen, through which drug users are sentenced to treatment. Last year, courts throughout the country were given the option to do this.

Supporters of the new approach argue that helping addicts recover from addiction will reduce the likelihood that they will commit crimes. A report released in June by Europe’s drug addiction monitoring agency found there were more than 48,000 drug law offenses and 266 drug overdoses in Norway in 2014, the most recent figures available.

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Scientists discover a “twin” solar system with eight planets

Last Thursday, NASA scientists announced the existence of a solar system with eight planets, the same number as our own solar system. The Kepler-90 system is more than 2,500 light-years away. It ties our own solar system for having the highest number of known planets.

Scientists had already known about seven planets orbiting the Kepler-90 star. The discovery of the eighth planet was made with the help of artificial intelligence developed by Google. Google software engineers created a “neural network,” a type of machine-learning technique, to analyze data collected by the Kepler space telescope. There was too much of this data for humans to examine on their own.

The Kepler-90 system is like ours in that it includes smaller, rocky planets closer to its sun and larger, gaseous planets farther away. Yet scientists believe that the eight planets are too warm to host extraterrestrial life. The Kepler-90 star is about 20 percent bigger and 5 percent warmer than our sun, and all of its planets orbit the star more closely than the Earth orbits the sun.

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Naples pizza-twirling wins UNESCO heritage status

On December 7^th, the Neapolitan technique of pizza twirling was added to the UNESCO’s “intangible heritage” list, which aims to raise awareness of traditions around the world. The practice, called “pizzaiuolo,” was one of 33 traditions added to the list this year; also among them were German organ craftsmanship and a style of Serbian folk dance.

The practice of pizzaiuolo has been handed down for generations, and includes songs and stories that turn pizza-making into a social ritual. UNESCO’s decision to add the practice to its list followed years of lobbying, and around 2 million people signed a petition to have the practice added to the list. The day the honor was announced, Neapolitan pizza makers handed out free pizza in the streets.

The intangible heritage list was created in 2003 and now includes more than 350 traditions and art forms. Other food-related traditions include Turkish coffee culture, the gingerbread craft of northern Croatia, and the Mediterranean diet.