Australia Says You Can Opt Out of the Algorithm. The UN Ditches an Old Map.

Ever feel like your social media feed is less a curated experience and more a digital puppet show, with an algorithm pulling all the strings? Australia feels you. The land down under is proposing new laws that would let users do the unthinkable: choose between the algorithm's content buffet and, you know, stuff from accounts they actually follow.

This isn't Australia's first rodeo with digital sanity. Back in December, they banned social media accounts for kids under 16. The new rules would also block content that promotes dangerous behaviors or harms mental health for younger users. Because apparently, we've reached a point where a government has to step in and say, "Maybe don't show kids how to eat laundry detergent."

It's a refreshing thought: reclaiming a bit of agency in our digital lives. Imagine, a feed that prioritizes your interests, not just engagement metrics. What a concept.

The World Got a New Map (Finally)

Speaking of things that needed an update, let's talk maps. For five centuries, the Mercator projection has been the undisputed champion of world maps. A map so old, it predates the invention of the pencil. The only catch? It's wildly inaccurate, especially when it comes to the true size of continents.

Africa, for instance, looks significantly smaller than it actually is, a cartographic slight that's had lasting, problematic effects on perception. Because when your map makes Greenland look bigger than Africa (it's not), you might be getting some things wrong.

Enter the United Nations, which recently decided enough was enough. They've adopted a resolution to replace the Mercator with the far more accurate 2018 Equal Earth Map. The push was led by Togo, arguing that these distortions really do matter. The most surprising detail? The U.S. was the only country to vote against the more accurate version. Perhaps they just really liked the old one's vibe. Or maybe they just enjoy making Greenland look important. Either way, the world just got a little more accurately depicted, one resolution at a time.