A version of this story originally appeared in the Future Perfect newsletter. Sign up here!Right now, OpenAI is something unique in the landscape of not just AI companies but huge companies in general.OpenAI’s board of directors is bound not to the mission of providing value for shareholders, like most companies, but to the mission of ensuring that “artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” as the company’s website says. (Still private, OpenAI is currently valued at more than $300 billion after completing a record $40 billion funding round earlier this year.)That situation is a bit unusual, to put it mildly,…
Author: Laura Bennett
From sculpting faces to show off cheek bones to removing excess skin above the eyelid, interest in a nip and tuck is up, an online survey of plastic surgeons reveals. The findings are based on responses from a selected group of members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). In releasing the results, the academy said it wanted to showcase trends and correct disinformation about certain procedures. “As people returned to the office and eased back into the routine of daily life without quarantine, interest for elective surgeries and non-invasive ‘tweakments’ remain high,” said Dr. Theda Kontis,…
Canadians head to the polls on Monday for an election overshadowed by tariffs, economic uncertainty and annexation threats from the United States. Voters will decide whether to grant interim Prime Minister Mark Carney a full four-year mandate or give the Conservative Party a turn at the wheel after over nine years of Liberal Party government. Canadians begin casting their ballots in the country’s easternmost province, Newfoundland and Labrador, at 8:30 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) Monday. Canada’s uneasy relationship with the US has deeply influenced the tenor of this year’s campaign. US President Donald Trump’s tariffs against Canadian exports pose a grave threat to the country’s economy, and his threats…
Undergoing surgery? You’re not alone. As the population’s age increases, so do the number of surgeries. In fact, an estimated 40 million to 50 million surgeries are done every year in the United States, according to the statistics, with hip replacement, knee replacement and heart bypass surgeries among the most frequent procedures. “Surgeries have become one of the most common, safest and more reliable treatments across medicine,” says Dr. Stavros Memtsoudis, an anesthesiologist with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “We recognize that surgery can be an unsettling experience for some patients, so it’s important to be transparent from…
The recordings, which date from 1983 to 2018, will “fill in rich chapters of Springsteen’s expansive career timeline – while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist,” said Sony Music. Among them are working tapes from the sessions that led to rock classic Born In The USA, and an album that experimented with drum loops and synthesisers from the early 1990s. “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now,” Springsteen said in a statement. “I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.” The music…
A new study out of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine surveyed patients at a dermatology clinic between 2019 and 2021 and found that time spent on social media, and the use of photo-editing applications, correlate with a person’s desire to undergo cosmetic procedures. They say the angle of a “selfie” often distorts facial features in such a way that people don’t like the way they look. Called “Snapchat dysmorphia,” people seek treatments like Botox and fillers to try to look more like the filtered or edited versions of themselves. Those who interact with celebrities and influencers…
A plastic surgeon in northwest Florida has been arrested more than six months after his wife died following procedures he performed on her at his office, authorities announced Monday. Benjamin Jacob Brown, 41, was arrested Monday for second-degree felony homicide: manslaughter by culpable negligence, the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office said Deputies were called to Restore Plastic Surgery in Gulf Breeze on Nov. 21, 2023, for a report of a medical emergency, and they found that his wife, Hillary Ellington Brown, had suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to a local hospital, officials said. She was put on life support and died a…
Red light therapy isn’t the only skincare trend experts are seeing pop up recently. “Brotox” and other cosmetic treatments among men are also on the rise. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sean McNally said the term “Brotox” refers to Botox on men, but the trend extends to fillers and other treatments. “Historically, the most common Botox users were aged 35 to 55, but we have seen a shift in the market to younger patients seeking prevention over cure,” he said. Dr. Asmi Berry, a board-certified dermatologist with BHSkin Dermatology, said she’s seen “crazy transformations in terms of confidence” in the male patients she’s treated, no matter…
The collapse of High Street plastic surgery chain SK:N on Wednesday has shocked its customers and staff, many of whom have contacted the BBC to say they are owed thousands of pounds for treatments they’ve not yet had or wages not received. The group, which has 70 branches across the UK under various brand names, has given little detail beyond a message on its website to say its clinics have “ceased trading” with immediate effect and that is doing “all” it can to address customer concerns. Jane, 33, from Essex, who did not want to use her real name, says…
One of Britain’s largest plastic surgery providers, which had more than 70 branches across the UK, has collapsed. Customers calling SK:N Clinics’ main office number on Tuesday were told: “Unfortunately as of July 17, the SK:N Group, including SK:N Clinics, the Harley Medical Group, Skinbrands, The Skin Experts and ABC Medical has ceased trading.” The Birmingham-based firm previously said it had “the largest network of specialist skin care clinics in the UK”. Founded in 1990, it expanded to locations in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow as well as having 17 clinics across London. The company, which also had branches in Wolverhampton and…