October 17, 2025

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Researchers share how we store visual memories, Consumer Reports investigates protein powders, Spotify teams up with music labels to take on AI, and guess which man of a thousand faces is set to play George Jetson 🤔

Let’s get into it!

According to a report published by Consumer Reports (CR), many protein powders on the market contain potentially unsafe levels of lead.

The organization investigated 23 different brands, and found two thirds of them contained traces of lead in excess of what’s considered safe by the group’s in-house food safety experts. In some cases, 10 times that amount.

That said, CR noted in its report that the investigation was intended to raise awareness for consumers to understand what they’re ingesting, rather than sounding the alarm about an imminent threat to those who purchase and consume protein powder or readymade shakes.

“Many of these powders are fine to have occasionally, and even those with the highest lead levels are far below the concentration needed to cause harm,” the report said.

Heavy metal ingestion can lead to significant neurological damage, particularly in developing brains. The investigation found contamination to be more present in plant-based proteins than animal-based, likely due to the tendency of plants to absorb whatever contaminants are in the vicinity.

You can see the full list of brands the report investigated, and get further details about the study here.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California may have unlocked hidden information about how the brain stores visual memories through a method of categorization.

The researchers analyzed the memory recall of 24 people with epilepsy and were able to identify what kind of memories they were recalling based solely on their brain activity. The patients were chosen because they had previously had electrodes implanted in their brains in order to monitor epileptic seizure triggers.

The USC team had the participants categorize images they’d been shown based on a list that included animal, plant, vehicle, building, or small tool, and monitored the activity recorded by the electrodes when the patients recalled what image they’d seen and categorized it.

“We let the patients see five categories of images... Then we recorded the hippocampal signal,” said Dong Song, an associate professor at USC, director of the Neural Modeling and Interface Laboratory, and the study’s lead. “Can we decode what category image they are recalling purely based on their brain signal?”

The researchers found distinct neurological patterns for each category, including which neurons fired and when they fired, indicating a clear “filing system” or “temporal encoding.”

Hey Def Leppard, turns out a photograph is enough 😏

The tidal wave approaching the music industry may have just picked up speed, with Spotify announcing a partnership with Sony, Universal, and Warner to build out AI products in its app.

The streaming giant did not specify what these products would actually feature beyond the use of AI, but stated they would be “responsibly” developed, and would not violate the copyrights of any musical artists.

Recording artists are among the most concerned profession when it comes to the creeping normalization of AI that leverages others’ intellectual property to produce content.

In a statement about the partnership, Spotify attempted to ease those concerns.

“Some voices in the tech industry believe copyright should be abolished,” said Spotify. “We don’t. Musicians’ rights matter. Copyright is essential. If the music industry doesn’t lead in this moment, AI-powered innovation will happen elsewhere, without rights, consent, or compensation.”

Warner, Universal, and Sony are already engaged in litigation with two AI music startups—Udio and Suno—who they’ve accused of violating their copyrights to train AI algorithms to generate music.

That’s right folks—there may be a live-action Jetsons film in theaters before flying cars are commercially available in real life.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the live-action Jetsons flick has been in pseudo-development since at least 2003, with names like Adam Shankman, Robert Rodriguez, and Conrad Vernon floated at various points to potentially sit in the chair behind the camera.

The latest buzz surrounding the long-awaited film suggests Colin Trevorrow will direct, but more importantly for many, Jim Carrey may star in the movie.

Carrey has been laying low for quite some time when it comes to the silver screen. Though he was heavily involved in the animated Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, his last role outside Sonic was in the Dark Crimes drama that debuted in 2016.

Trevorrow, meanwhile, has been a little busier, featuring as the director just three years ago for Jurassic World Dominion.

No script has been confirmed for The Jetsons, but The Wrap first reported Jim Carrey is in talks with Warner to star.

Quizmaster’s choice

Happy Friday, Staker! It’s time for another round of trivia à carte 🥳 

We’ve got another set of 10 random questions—the only thing connected them is that they’ll make sense if you were born in the ’60s. So walk on down memory lane with today’s trivia!

Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified on Monday afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox and don’t forget to check your spam folder!*