Good morning, and Happy Halloween! We hope all of you have a fantastic day of watching scary movies and trick or treating. To get you in the spirit, we’re doing a (slightly) spooky edition of the news today. Enjoy!

Scary Section (if you dare)

The science behind seeing ghosts

Think you live in a haunted house? This might help you… or not. These answers are all based on research, so if you’re looking for a spiritual medium this is not the section you’re looking for.

Low-frequency sound. Much like we can only see a portion of light on the visible spectrum, the human ear can only pick up on a range of frequencies. Humans cannot hear sounds below ~20hz (known as infrasound), however, those sounds still have an effect on our minds. According to a study in 2003, concert-goers reported feeling uneasy or sorrowful, getting chills, or “nervous feelings of revulsion and fear,” when hearing infrasound.

Mold. Many reported ghost sightings occur in run-down old homes or institutions, lending to the likely possibility of mold. And while bad for your respiratory system, it’s also bad for your brain.

Toxic mold can induce hallucinations, delirium, anxiety, and irrational fears which could have you freaking out over the wind draft that grazed your arm. An investigative team from Clarkson University found a strong correlation between the presence of mold and reports of hauntings at 13 locations.

Suggestion. Studies show that we are more likely to believe in a paranormal experience when others back up our beliefs. While we can convince ourselves that we saw or heard something, we are more likely to believe it when another person backs our own sightings.

A common example could be the Ouiji board, and while I’m somewhat of a ghost skeptic, I do remember playing in middle school and getting the absolute s*** scared out of me (whoever moved the piece is no longer my friend). That being said, I believed I was haunted for years.

Carbon monoxide. Just as breathing in mold could disorient our senses and lead us to believe we saw an apparition, the same can be said for this odorless colorless gas. We all know about the detectors in our homes that protect us from the deadly gas (go change your batteries if it’s been a while), but you may not know it can cause auditory hallucinations, pressure on your chest, and “unexplainable feelings of dread”. That sounds great.

Ever seen this giant skeleton?

This iconic Halloween decoration is becoming a hot seller, and a bit controversial? The 12-foot-tall skeleton has been sighted in many neighborhoods (including mine) this year and years past due to its shocking size and ominous figure. Since its release in 2020, it’s been a top decoration for Halloween heads at a steep price of $300, yet it sells out every year.

It’s grown to be so popular that the “12 Foot Skeleton Owners Group” on Facebook boasts 268,000 members and consists of everything from tips on how to set it up to HOA complaint letters owners have gotten.

As they move into more neighborhoods, some Home Owners Associations are starting to take notice, and not in a good way.

Why are they so popular to hate?

A look into the group shows that HOAs are sending stern warnings at the very least, and at the very most fining the homeowners or revoking their membership. This has not pleased those who like their giant Skellys.

• Since the 1970s, the percentage of people who live in communities governed by HOAs has skyrocketed to almost 25%, according to Bloomberg.

• Less than half of homeowners in an HOA neighborhood are glad to have an HOA and 31% of them feel their board has too much power, according to a recent Rocket Mortgage survey.

However, to avoid the strict rules the HOAs enforce, some fanatics have gotten bolder and started keeping them the entire year, turning them into permanent residents.

• To evade the strict neighborhood rules, people have dressed their skeletons in holiday-themed clothing, turning the Halloween decoration into the Statue of Liberty or the Easter Bunny to skirt the rules.

• One TikToker even shared a step-by-step DIY Grinch costume you can slip over all those bones to create a wholesome wintertime yard ornament.

As the battle to keep giant skeletons rages in communities across the US, rumors have come about that Home Depot may be discontinuing the decoration, to the dismay of many. One spokesperson told the Washington Post, “We have not made that decision yet. Stay tuned next year.” While they plan to keep things vague, they’ll have an army of supporters waiting for an answer.

Now For Some Actual News

Hurricane Otis has been devastating

Not the words you’d want to hear from the NHC. Hurricane Otis was supposed to hit Acapulco, Mexico, as a tropical storm, but instead, when it made landfall last Wednesday, it transitioned into a Category 5 hurricane.

This baffled the scientists who were tracking it. Right before it reached land, Otis passed through a hot pocket of ocean, making the storm more powerful and larger than anyone anticipated — before they had time to prepare.

This created a disastrous result.

• At least 47 people have been killed after Otis hit the resort city last week

• Dozens are still missing amid the chaos and 29 boats were known to have sunk in the Acapulco Bay

The search for the missing is still underway as citizens criticize the government’s response to the disaster. As more aid began to arrive in Acapulco, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador struck back at critics on Saturday, defending the government’s response and accusing his political opponents of exaggerating the storm’s devastation.

US consumers went crazy last quarter

I guess a lot of us hit the casino and bought a boat that was probably more expensive than we would’ve liked. Government data revealed that the GDP spiked 4.9% this summer, more than analysts predicted and the highest it has risen since the last quarter of 2021.

Despite headlines recapitulating fears that a recession is looming, consumer spending went up 4% in Q3 after just growing 0.8% the previous quarter. This happened all while the Fed continued raising rates, which is supposed to slow the economy down.

While big expenses went towards groceries and other necessities, discretionary spending was booming:

• Experts attribute a lot of that to concerts and movies (thank T-Swift and Barbie)

• Another big portion was attributed to gambling, travel, and sports equipment

Another plus… Unlike other large economies, the US is “on track this year to return to reach the level that would have been predicted by the pre-pandemic trend,” according to the Treasury Department.

If Kim Kardashian can use it so can… your kid?

The already thriving market for weight loss drugs like Ozempic might get even bigger as it opens up to kids. The CDC estimates that around a quarter of kids aged six and up in the US have obesity, and manufacturers are working to make their weight loss drugs available for that age group.

Why would they do this?

According to Bloomberg, Novo Nordisk is testing its Saxenda in kids as young as six, and Eli Lilly is getting ready for similar trials of Mounjaro, both are weight loss drugs aimed at children. If either of the drugs are approved, they would be the first of their kind to be approved for such a young demographic.

Prescribing these medications is typically a last resort as most parents want to try diet and exercise changes first; not every case is deserving of medication, said Stephan Myers, the head of bariatric surgery at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.

• There is currently no universal screening recommendation for the age group regarding the drugs and practitioners have varying levels of familiarity with eating disorders when concerning their use.

• Pediatric obesity experts have stated that the concerns are valid and warrant careful consideration before prescribing these medications.

The new market for these weight-loss drugs has the potential to give the companies customers for life, as the weight is only kept off as long as you keep taking it. Goldman Sachs’s recent estimate that the drug category would make $100 billion by 2030 didn’t even take sales to children into account, and who could blame them?

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Grab Bag

Biden has had enough of AI

Hopefully, this delays the singularity at least a little bit. The Biden Administration issued a sweeping executive order yesterday to regulate AI technology.

The order hopes to balance the needs of new cutting-edge technology with those of national security and consumer rights, creating a safety net that could be bolstered by later legislation and international cooperation.

This is an initial step to help ensure AI can (ideally) only be beneficial and trustworthy, instead of deceptive and malicious. The order seeks to steer the direction of AI in a way that protects consumers and the public without damaging the profits of companies working on or with the technology, which is basically everyone.

Using the Defense Production Act, the order requires leading AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government, while the Commerce Department will watermark AI-generated content to help differentiate between real and fake interactions.

AI can be applied to almost every industry, and the lack of safeguards is an alarming issue, however, this new order hopes to lay the foundation for a future where it can reach its full potential as an incredibly useful tool.

Beatles to release their last “new” song

Speaking of AI... the Beatles will release their final “new” song, "Now and Then”, on Thursday thanks to the help of AI technology.

The song was originally supposed to be released earlier but was called off due to bad audio quality and the untimely deaths of Lennon and George Harrison, who was also on the track. But now, AI gave hope to the remaining members who thought it would never be released.

The AI tech helped pull John Lennon’s voice from a voice recording taken back in the 70’s. The mix was muddy due to Lennon’s vocals and piano not being able to be separated, and thus the track couldn’t be produced properly.

The AI was able to separate the voice from the piano to allow the Ringo and Paul to hop back on the track with their longtime friend, once more. "It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us," Starr said, referring to Lennon. "It was like John was there, you know. It's far out."

Spooky Snippets

T-Rex Terror: According to Sandia National Laboratories, this is what a T-Rex actually sounds like. Nope. I’m Out.

Haunting Hum: Remember when we were talking about infrasound? Here’s a real-life example called the Taos Hum that’s been haunting people for decades.

Goosebumps Galore: Here are 700 songs that are scientifically designed to give you goosebumps. Listen if you dare.

Sir, You Forgot Your Bag… An unclaimed bag in a Detriot airport was found with a dolphin skull inside.

Stripping Skelly: A man in Utah was forced to take down his Halloween display after he used a street sign to set up a pole-dancing skeleton.

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