Get Gary Johnson some coffee for his second 'Aleppo' moment
Social Cues: Tech giants form a Voltron-esque nonprofit so you can stop worrying about the Terminator.
It's only natural that National Coffee Day follows National Drink Beer Day.
Social media woke up with a salute to the caffeinated drink that fuels society. A double shot of espresso could be just the thing for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson after his second foreign policy slip-up.
Social Cues breaks down what's buzzing across Facebook and Twitter each morning. Here is what's trending on Thursday:
#NationalCoffeeDay: Raise your cups this morning to celebrate coffee. If you click here, you might even be able to score some free brew. For true java fiends, here's our guide to the best coffee makers of 2016.
Aleppo Moment: Johnson might need a good caffeine jolt to save himself from yet another social media roast. The Libertarian presidential candidate was stumped during a televised town hall on Wednesday night, when MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked him to name one foreign leader he admired. After an awkward pause, Johnson told the moderator he was having another "Aleppo moment," referring to the recent embarrassment when he didn't recognize the name of the war-torn Syrian city. Here's a comprehensive cheat sheet on world leaders from the CIA, for next time.
Partnership on AI: Google, Facebook, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft are teaming up to stop fears of a real-life Skynet. With a prevalent public misunderstanding of artificial intelligence (thanks a lot, Terminator), the five tech giants formed a Voltron-like organization called Partnership on AI to tell the world there's nothing to fear about artificial intelligence. Facebook users are already skeptical about the alliance.
iMessage: Your iMessages aren't as private as you think they are, according to a report from The Intercept. While the conversations are kept hidden, Apple can turn over your contacts, along with the date, time and IP address of messages, to police if hit with court orders, the report said. The debate over privacy and public safety echoed across Facebook after the article's revelations.
Carbon Atmospheric Levels: Maybe none of the above issues will matter, considering it's all downhill for Earth. Researchers say climate change's effects on the planet have passed the point of no return, with carbon dioxide atmospheric levels for September topping 400 parts per million. While that threshold has been crossed in the past, 2016 is predicted to be the year in which CO2 levels will not drop back down. The atmosphere needs to be at least below 350 ppm for a "safe" level of carbon dioxide -- so, who's looking to go to Mars with Elon Musk?