Weekend takeaway: Super, scientific, bright, young things

13 Jan 2017

From young scientists to Facebook and the future of journalism, here is all your essential reading for the weekend. Image: GaudiLab/Shutterstock

From the winning Irish BT Young Scientists to Google’s next expansion in Dublin, we cover all the important areas in the sci-tech world this week.

 1. The future is bright for these 25 amazing young scientists

From BT Young Scientist winners to entrepreneurial academics, these young dynamos will blow you away.

2. Is Google planning a 400-job expansion for Dublin?

Google is understood to be planning to create 400 new jobs in Dublin, cementing its position as one of the city’s biggest employers.

3. Can Facebook save journalism and bring it into the digital age?

Facebook is trying to teach journalists how to thrive in the digital age, while also tackling the scourge of fake news. The key lies in helping users tell the difference between truth and lie.

 4. Backdoor found in WhatsApp encryption that allows snooping 

Despite WhatsApp claiming that its messages are end-to-end encrypted, new research has shown that a backdoor exists within the code to allow Facebook and others to read a transcript of messages.

 5. iPhone cracking firm Cellebrite has been hacked

Cellebrite, the Israel-based company allegedly hired by the FBI to crack the iPhone’s encryption last year, has itself been hacked, the company admitted.

 6. Irish release date for Nintendo Switch revealed, but price could be an issue

The much-anticipated Nintendo Switch console has finally been given a release date, but the shareholders don’t seem too impressed.

 7. Watch: Ruby seadragons filmed in the wild for first time

Though related to the leafy and common seadragon, ruby seadragons are so elusive, that capturing them on video in the wild has proved impossible, until now.

 8. Video sharing start-up Overcast to create 70 jobs at Irish HQ

Irish B2B video sharing platform Overcast has announced that following a €500,000 investment, it is to create 70 jobs in its Dublin office over the next three years.

 9. Fintech start-up Flender achieves £500,000 crowdfunding target

Dublin fintech start-up Flender has surpassed its £500,000 crowdfunding goal on Seedrs.

10. TCD researcher Sabina Brennan puts brain health on the radar

Dr Sabina Brennan, whose work has won a major award for science communication, is planting awareness of brain health into our brains. She spoke to Claire O’Connell.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com