Walking on the moon

The moon landing wasn’t just a leap forward for humanity, it marked a leap forward in fashion. Inspired by astronauts’ footwear, Moon Boots were all the rage in the ’70s and ’80s. More than your average winter boot, they were out of this world 😎

Humans have always been fascinated with the moon, but now we’ve got a new reason to look there. In an effort to find a quiet spot to probe for radio signals that followed the Big Bang, scientists are setting up shop on the far side of the moon.

Talk about a gig in the sky ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 eGift Card!)

WEEKLY POLL

What are we thinking?

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

Pepsi launching prebiotic beverage

Part of the reason PepsiCo acquired Poppi in March was to capitalize on the popularity of the wellness-promoting beverage, but it was also to double down on the wellness category—one that’s rapidly growing as consumers continue to grow more health-conscious.

In that regard, the 132-year-old brand is launching Pepsi Prebiotic Cola.

“From the iconic blue can, to the consumer-preferred Pepsi Zero Sugar, our portfolio has always adapted to the needs and flavor preferences of the consumer,” Ram Krishnan, CEO of PepsiCo Beverages U.S., said in a statement. “Pepsi Prebiotic Cola represents the next leap forward in giving consumers choice, optionality and functional ingredients in their cola experience.”

The play is simple: consumers that drink Poppi for its gut-health-promoting properties may not have had any interest in Pepsi prior to the acquisition. Bundled offerings and cross-promotional marketing will help PepsiCo get the attention of those customers, and steer them towards the company’s next big thing, all while maintaining and growing its brand awareness.

Pepsi Zero continues to outperform the company’s traditional offerings, and the hope is Pepsi Prebiotic Cola will help drive further growth.

AI

Researchers remove watermarks from deepfakes

At a White House event in 2023, executives from some of America’s leading AI companies—including Meta, OpenAI, Google, and Amazon—pledged to make sure consumers could tell the difference between an authentic digital image and a deepfake by including watermarks on any deepfake generated on their platforms.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo just figured out how to remove such watermarks, rendering the practice moot and revealing that AI companies are probably on the wrong track when it comes to making sure fact can be distinguished from fiction in the world of visual AI.

“It tells us that the danger of deepfakes is something that we don’t even have the tools to start tackling at this point,” said Andre Kassis, a PhD candidate in computer science who led the research.

Similar studies have been conducted in recent years, including at the University of Maryland, in a collaboration between researchers at the University of California and Carnegie Mellon, and research conducted at ETH Zürich. However, Kaassis says his team is the “first to expose a systemic vulnerability that undermines the very premise of watermarking as a defence against deepfakes.”

PETS

Dogs’ personalities impact what TV shows they prefer

Does your dog hide under the bed when it hears a sudden unfamiliar noise? Does its tail start wagging out of control at the thought of going to the park? Without answering, we can probably tell based on what TV shows it prefers.

That’s according to a study conducted by researchers at Auburn University, who analyzed interviews of 453 dog owners whose furry friends expressed interest in TV. They cross-referenced what they learned about the dogs’ personalities with what TV shows those same dogs tended to show the most interest in.

What they found is that dogs who tend to be more excitable and social prefer watching TV shows where they can track moving objects, whereas more reserved and anxious dogs tend to respond to non-canine audible stimuli on the TV, such as thunder, a car driving by, or a doorbell.

"These results suggest that television viewing habits may be predicted by aspects of a dog's personality and that dogs may represent objects in the 2D television format similarly to the 3D environment," the researchers said in their paper.

"Further evaluation of these behaviors could result in appropriate application of television interventions in shelters based upon individual dog temperament, maximization of the utility of television programming as an enrichment tool for companion dogs, and screening of television programming that could be a potential stressor for companion dogs," they wrote.

MUSIC

Billy Joel health update

Billy Joel appeared the other day on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast and provided an update on his health after he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

The disease is often mistaken for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and only about 20% of those who have it are actually correctly diagnosed. It happens when excess cerebrospinal fluid enters the brain, causing problems with balance, vision, hearing.

Luckily, the Piano Man says that despite his diagnosis resulting in the cancellation of all his upcoming shows, he’s doing alright.

"I feel good,” he said. “They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling. It's not fixed. It's still being worked on, I feel fine. My balance sucks. It's like being on a boat."

He said it’s unclear what actually caused it, and its origins are still poorly understood by scientists.

For now, the singer is working on promoting his multi-part HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the first part of which was released on Friday. Part 1 was released July 18th, with Part 2 coming this Friday.

STAKE TRIVIA

Movin’ on up

We’ve done lots of trivia about TV, and we’ve done lots of trivia about music. But you know what we haven’t specifically looked at? TV theme songs 😏 

If you’re ready to move on up, if you think you can turn the world on with your smile, you’ll absolutely love today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow afternoon—keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.