The Know Daily - Tuesday 27 February 2024

_{Read in 5m 31s ∙ Listening to Shermanology ∙}

Japan is set to launch the world's first wooden satellite this summer. The tiny spacecraft - named LignoSat - is made of magnolia wood, and it aims to combat space pollution by showing how eco-friendly and biodegradable materials such as wood can be used in satellite construction. Here’s to a smooth flight 🫡

🇸🇪 Sweden to join NATO

Sweden is set to join NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). But what is the military alliance all about? 

Go on…
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established in 1949 and initially comprised 12 nations, including the US, UK, Canada and France. Crucially, they pledge “collective defence” - which means that an attack against one member state is considered an attack against all members. 

The alliance has since expanded to include 32 members across Europe and North America. Although NATO doesn’t engage in direct military intervention, individual members have provided military aid to conflict zones like Ukraine. More on NATO here.

So why is Sweden joining now?
Both Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Finland became a member in April last year, Sweden’s bid faced opposition from both Turkey and Hungary. The Turkish parliament approved their bid last month after Sweden “pledged closer cooperation” on security concerns, explained CNN - and yesterday, Hungary’s parliament also approved Sweden’s entry.  

Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán - who has remained in contact with Russia’s President Putin “in defiance of Western pressure” - had delayed approving Sweden's bid for over 600 days.

Why is this a big deal?
Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson said it was a "historic day" and a "big step" for Sweden to abandon 200 years of neutrality by becoming the military alliance’s 32nd member. With both Sweden and Finland now joining, NATO is seeing its “biggest expansion” since the 1990s, the BBC explained. 

What are the key issues NATO is facing?
Sweden's entry comes at a time of “increasing uncertainty” over NATO's future, POLITICO explained. Frontrunner for the US Republican presidential nomination Donald Trump earlier this month threatened to withdraw security guarantees for certain parts of Europe, AP reported.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky has also expressed frustration that his country has not been invited to join the alliance. NATO’s secretary general has said it is "inevitable" that Ukraine will become a member, but not until its war with Russia ends.

📱 Meta, misinformation and the news

As the world braces for “the biggest election year in history”, Meta has announced new plans to tackle misinformation and AI misuse. 

Tell me more.
In a blog post on Sunday, the Facebook and Instagram owner said it was setting up a dedicated team to tackle disinformation and the use of misleading AI-generated content ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.

Google, Microsoft, X and TikTok have also promised to crack down on misleading AI-content, noted Reuters.

What’s behind the move?
A growing concern about the impact of AI misuse on democracy, said Al Jazeera, in a year in which more than 80 countries are set to vote in elections representing around half the world’s population.

Last month, the World Economic Forum judged AI-driven misinformation that could influence key upcoming elections to be “the biggest short-term threat to the global economy”.

What else is going on?
Experts have also expressed concern over the de-prioritisation of news content by some of the biggest social media platforms. Last year, Meta said it would begin adjusting its algorithm to deprioritise news in favour of social connections - a move which, according to Digwatch, has “significant repercussions” for the public’s access to “reliable news sources”. 

While Meta argued that users favour social connections, Ofcom research found that Facebook was the most popular social platform for consuming news in 2023. Furthermore, according to the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2023, 43% of 18-24-year-olds say that social media is now their main source of news - up from just 18% in 2015.

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🐬 Fintastic find: Three dolphins were spotted in the River Thames on Sunday. Witnesses described the sighting as “incredible” - and after seeing the video, we can see why.

🗞️ Middle East latest: US president Joe Biden has said he hopes that a new, temporary ceasefire in Gaza is possible by “next Monday”. 

💡 Green growth: The UK’s net zero economy grew by 9% in 2023 and brought benefits across the country, says a report calling for continued investment in green businesses. 

🌓 Moon mission: “Odysseus” made history last week by becoming the first privately-built craft to touch down on the moon. It sent back a few cool pictures - but the mission has now ended early due to “human error” on Earth.

🤩 Tuesday wanderlust: The best beaches in the world (according to Tripadvisor) have been revealed - and 3 of them are in Europe.

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Trivia answer: A) George Michael, the late singer-songwriter and member of Wham!, appears on the new collectable coin  wearing his trademark sunglasses. He’s not the first music icon to have their face on a coin, joining the likes of David Bowie, Sir Elton John, and Queen. 

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