THE BUGS STUDENT NEWS
THE BUGS STUDENT NEWS
By Baxter Bell, Auggie Miller, and Poppy Sachens
Ai is going to start taking over jobs
AI is going to be limited/stopped after an incident or realization
A U.S. political figure is going to die
Donald Trump will divorce his wife then marry a younger person by an age GAP of 30 to 40 years
J.d vance and his wife will separate/Divorce
School canceled for a day due to severe weather
Fire within BUGS
Adele returns to making and performing music
iPhone 18???
Talor Swift announces retirement
Messi retires and gets a game show with Brando jewels and Ryan REYNOLDS
SOme new meme comes out
There is going to be a new cool sigma band
bugs get first place in the state test out of all of the schools in our district.
Bugs will get $1,000 for some award 🙂👍
Elon musk will get sued by a charter school (Totally not BUGS)
A famous actor will retire
By Michael Debby
Trigger Warning: Contains mentions of self-harm and sexual violence.
Roblox should shut down completely, because it is the cause for two suicide cases. Think about it: if you were the brother of someone affected, why would you keep the game alive?
Roblox puts kids in danger. The only reason it hasn’t shut down yet is because there’s no actual evidence that Roblox is 100% culpable for suicides and attempts. I know you all aren’t going to stop playing Roblox, but at least read this article before you buy more robux and support the game.
Predators on Roblox
The main issue is that Roblox is most probably one of the reasons for two cases of suicides, because it has a lot of predators in it. First, there was an autistic kid who thought he found a friend. According to NBC News, the mother of Ethan Dallas is suing Roblox for taking her son’s life. She says that Roblox is responsible because before he killed himself, he told her about his conversation with a predator on Roblox. The predator gave him money if Ethan would show him inappropriate pictures, and later threatened Ethan if he didn’t tell him where he lived.
Also, there are several inappropriate games and spaces on Roblox. For example, a young girl connected with a group where “participants are encouraged to either take their own life or the lives of others through a school shooting or bombing” (Martin & Powell, 2025). I also heard of a game where you can get followers out of making inappropriate content.
Roblox claims that they are adding protective features to keep predators off their website. While writing this article, it did try to verify my age through a picture or ID. But I wonder if anyone can just fake it.
Additionally, a user by the name of Schlep posted videos exposing “how predators operated inside the game” (Dolman Law Group, 2025). He reported predators to police, but Roblox responded by banning his account for good and claimed the evidence were mishandled.
Stealing Money
Roblox is also the cause of pain in families. Some people have lost money, and there is evidence that the company is trying to make a profit from kids.
Although Roblox says they have protections against storing billing information and unauthorized purchases, some kids still manage to spend thousands of dollars on the app without their parent’s permission. This means that Roblox’s claim does not match the evidence. You can try looking up kids losing money with Roblox and see many similar stories. Even with how professional Roblox sounds, all these stories prove it wrong.
Conclusion and Recommendations
As you can see, Roblox is the reason 2 kids committed suicide, and it shows what happens when kids are exposed to dangerous strangers.
As such, if you choose to use Roblox, you should not tell anyone your age online, use a voice manipulator when using voice chat, and make your username random–don’t use your phone number, address, or other identifying details. Also, never believe websites that tell you you can win free robux; it’s all one huge scam. Lastly, red flag when someone wants to contact you on a third-party app.
By Peter Sklyzonkshansylvasosla (this is NOT written by Ry Greer)
They die.
<———This dog won’t make it!
The stomach of the dog starts to hurt, often causing diarrhea and vomiting. This is because of an extreme caffeine rush that chocolate provides. They also hyperventilate to steady their heart beat. They can get seizures, or end up in comas. Worst comes to worst: DEATH.
Artists' depiction:
In 6th grade, we are studying what things we throw away and the different ways we handle our waste. We learned that we throw a lot of stuff in the trash, which will go to a landfill, but we can also recycle and compost so our waste isn’t wasted.
During our December Field Study, students had the option to research an activist who is working to change what waste we create and what we do with it. Below are selected profiles of waste activists.
Domingo Morales is a food waste activist in New York City who makes tons of community compost sites and helps out in the community by composting food waste and teaching people how to compost. He was born in the Bronx, New York City, and he started composting in 2015, when he joined Green City Force, an NYC waste managing community that trains young adults from the ages 18 to 24, and that led on to making huge progress and helping recycle food waste in NYC, and his goal is to spread out from New York City to the rest of the world and create a sustainable and healthy planet that composts like it’s second nature to them and their friends and family near them. (Ben, 603)
Domingo Morales is trying to create more composting sites to reduce waste. Morales is working with communities to build composting sites so they won't have waste. He wants to train and hire people to help with building the composting sites and help with composting. He grabs the attention of people by showing them how fun and interesting composting is. He hopes that building these sites and showing people how interesting it is will make them reduce waste and make them want to compost more. (Ivan, 601)
Domingo Morales wants to compost food scraps so it doesn't get wasted. Also we want the old food scraps to turn into soil so we can plant something else into the new composted soil. He wants people to save their food scraps so they can make new soil. (Julian, 604)
Domingo Morales has helped NYC compost their food scraps so they can grow food from the rotten food “that they think is waste.” He has built 10 sites across NYC and leaves them to the people so they can run it while he goes somewhere else and builds another site. This system works because he doesn't build an empire where he runs everything but he leaves it to the people. He hopes that his work leads to people composting more and recycling their food because humans waste so much food and he thinks that that is wrong. All in all, this shows how Domingo Morales is a great activist. (Leo, 604)
Kids against plastic is a campaign that encourages less plastic and strives to stop pollution and its health damage. They work against and spread awareness about environmental injustice, specifically plastic pollution. The way they do this is that they 1. Started to convince and help local cafeś and stores to eliminate plastic pollution and the four main causes 2. They learned about plastic pollution's effect on health, they then spread awareness about the issue 3. They spread awareness about how to stop pollution and reduce waste. Their goal is to stop waste nationwide! They hope that it leads to stopping ocean pollution. (Olivia, 604)
I picked kids against plastic because I am a kid and I would love to see other kids take on this issue. The issue I just mentioned is plastic pollution, how people use so much single use plastic and not enough reusable plastic. The plastic that we use can never fully decompose and will just get smaller until they eventually turn into micro plastics that can not only hurt animals but can also hurt us. The kids against plastic foundation helps by advocating to stop single use plastic and by helping people become more “plastic clever.” They also in one year picked up 56,676 pieces of plastic in their neighborhood streets, roads, and beaches. Other than that, kids against plastic helped people stop using single use plastic. Kids against plastic acknowledges that things are getting bad, that we need to act now because frankly the people in power aren’t doing enough and by the time that us kids are old enough to decide things the plastic problem will be out of control. Kids against plastic found hope they want to see a better future and are not afraid to work towards that. (Juno, 604)
Their names Amy and Ella and the social issue that they are addressing is plastic pollution.They hope that they can get enough people of youth like me and other peers and also adults to take action on plastic pollution.They are encouraging people to become plastic clever and change some things in their everyday life like.Reuseable bag,a refillable water bottle instead use a thermos ,reusable cup,and reusable straw like a metal straw.They also pick up trash,they have picked up a total of 56,676 pieces of trash and they want to pick up 10,000 of the four big polluters which are cups,lids,plastic bottles,and plastic bags. In the summer of 2017 Amy and Ella traveled around Britain with a group of female sailors that are doing research on how toxins and micro plastics can affect the body. (Legend, 604)
This is Anna Sacks, also known as the trash walker. Anna works to address waste of all kinds in New York City. On many days a week she walks at night on the streets and “dumpster dives” which means looking through bags of trash to see what she can salvage from the bags. Anna has said she looks through the trash bags near the grocery store and can usually find cakes and even seafood that is still fresh,while she rarely finds things like milk or yogurt that are still fresh. Anna hopes that her work will inspire other people to start thinking about what they really need to throw away and what they can donate or give to someone else. She hopes to encourage not only her half a million followers on tiktok, but also everyone else to play their part in helping New York City to become one of the least wasteful cities in America. (Livia, 603)
Anna Sacks is an activist online with over 400,000 followers. She finds trash almost every night that can be someone else’s treasure. Anna is part of the growing trend of "zero wasters" who go out at night and look for valuable items that do not need to be wasted. She thinks that the U.S and many other people who live here think that we have too many calories. According to Anna, she says that we should stop making as much food as we do because we don’t have enough mouths to feed. This means that food is being wasted because people can’t eat as much as we produce. Also according to, One Woman's Crusade to Reduce Waste in New York City, “placed on sidewalks until 8 p.m., four hours later than before. To some city residents, the bigger problem is that there is too much waste to begin with. A culture of abundance has created a costly and uninviting streetscape. Surplus food often ends up at the curb. Clothing and household items are discarded long before they are no longer useful.” (Lincoln, 604)
Anna Sacks (The Trash Walker,) is an activist that fights for less waste, and fights for how cities handle trash. She goes dumpster diving which is when she looks through the garbage and tries to find good, new, unopened things, which there are a million of. She goes almost 5 days a week and finds many things each night. There are things like makeup, bandaids, and snacks. She is a famous instagramer and made some corporate businesses change their policies such as coach. They used to hire employees to slash the unsold bags. She posts a lot of her findings to the social media group, Buy Nothing. She gives things away for free or gives to places that do good things with it. Many things get overproduced and that's what gets thrown away. Many times CVS or Walgreens throws away usable unused, unopened things. (Mira, 601)
Famous social media activist Anna Sacks is an activist for waste and recycling, she knows that Americans throw out way too many things, some of which are beautiful works of art and some of which aren’t used. Anna Sacks goes around New York City going through trash, also known as dumpster diving. On social media Anna calls out people and shames them for throwing out things that they don’t need to throw out but she also calls out the companies that make those items.
In Anna's Journey in New York city she goes around with big carts looking through trash, she notices things she likes and she takes them, sometimes she even sells them. Anna goes walking through New York city searching to see if anyone wants the perfectly good trash. In the video I watched about Anna she takes some perfectly good sweatshirts and even gives some to other people. She found unopened salads, unopened very expensive cakes and unused clothes. Anna also keeps some of the things that she finds. In my opinion Anna Sacks is a role model, Anna Sacks fights for what's right, Anna Sacks helps, the smallest things still make a difference. I got curious with Anna sacks and I watched more videos about her and she found probably thousands of unused christmas cards, unused wrapping paper, unused birthday cards, animals clothes, fathers day cards, she can open up her own store. Anna didn’t open up her own store but she does donate it to stores that can use that stuff, and people don’t have to pay money, people think that things from other people trash are gross, but people get that stuff for free and they aren’t even used so why should you pay money to get things from the trash. (Rafa, 601)
By Peter Sklyzonkshansylvasosla (this is NOT written by Ry Greer)
Many of us have heard the proverbial phrase, ‘A watched pot never boils.’ But is this actually true? The answer is considerably less complex than it sounds.
The answer is: Yes, a watched pot does boil
At the lab, we took over 1 test and the results were somewhat fascinating. When I was making mac and cheese, I watched the pot for 7 minutes and the pot DID boil. When I first found this out, I was baffled.
“Woah,” I said.
Just to make sure my results were correct, I tested one more time. Yet again, I was amazed. The pot boiled. There was one difference; the pot boiled in only 6 minutes.
“Woah.” I said.
To this day I still can't believe this.
5 Quick and Easy Tips for Succeeding in School
Written by Sadie Krebs, Current 8th Grader
Do you ever find school so overwhelming, long, sometimes even hard or disorganized? Well if you do, this article is for you. These tips will include a range of topics from staying organized to working harder to just making school more fun!
Tip 1: Use your planner!!
OK, I know how unappealing this may sound, but it really will help. This might not work for everyone, but from my experience, using your planner will help you stay organized. If you can consistently check what you have due, it becomes really helpful for staying ahead and on top of your work.
Tip 2: Note Taking!
This tip has especially been useful to me in 8th grade Biology, but it has continued to be throughout my classes at BUGS. Whenever you are watching a video or reading an article, grab a piece of looseleaf, or a page in your notebook, and take notes on the important ideas and concepts of what you're learning about. I also tend to find visual representations or specific examples extra helpful when you're looking back at your notes.
Tip 3: Do what you find fun.
At BUGS you're able to have lunch clubs, and, in the future, high schools and colleges will give you more choice about what you do in your day. For me, finding clubs I am interested in gives me something to look forward to in my day, which can be helpful if I have been doing a lot of work and I need a break. Talk to your teachers or administrators about clubs you and your friends could join do to change up your day.
Tip 4: Ask for HELP!!
Whenever you are unsure what to do, or you don’t understand, ask your teachers for help! They are there to support you, so take advantage of that!
Tip 5: Collaboration!
This can be received in a lot of different ways. Whether it is listening to your classmates and their ideas, or having other people look over your work and give you honest feedback, working with others is a great tool to have. Do whatever works for you when it comes to working with others, but remember, it can always help to have an extra pair of hands (and an extra brain!).
Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more fun and easy tips!
Have any tips you want me to add? Email sadie.krebs@bugsbrooklyn.org with any tips you want to share!
CAN AI SOLVE A CAPTCHA?
By Barak Zinger
WHAT IS CAPTCHA?
CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is a test to determine if a user is human or a bot, used to protect websites from spam and abuse. It works by presenting a challenge that is easy for humans but difficult for automated software to solve, such as distorted text, image recognition, or a simple checkbox that analyzes user behavior. These tests are crucial for securing online forms, preventing fraudulent transactions, and ensuring the accuracy of online polls by blocking malicious bot activity.
How it works
Challenge-response test: A CAPTCHA presents a test to the user that computers struggle to solve, such as recognizing distorted characters or selecting specific images.
Response verification: The user's response is sent back to the website, where advanced algorithms verify if the response is likely human-generated.
Bot blocking: If the response is identified as being from a bot, the user is denied access to the website or service.
Common types of CAPTCHA
Text-based CAPTCHA: Users must read and type distorted or warped letters and numbers that are difficult for bots to recognize.
Image-based CAPTCHA: Users are asked to select a series of images that match a specific object, like all the images containing traffic lights.
Checkbox CAPTCHA: A simpler version, like Google's reCAPTCHA v2, often uses a checkbox that analyzes your interactions with the page (like mouse movements) to determine if you are a human without requiring a specific action.
Audio CAPTCHA: An alternative for visually impaired users that presents distorted audio clips that they must decipher and transcribe.
Why Use CAPTCHA?
Preventing spam: Blocks bots from posting spam comments or fake reviews on forums and websites.
Securing forms: Ensures that only humans can submit forms for registrations, logins, and contact information.
Protecting e-commerce: Helps prevent fraudulent transactions and fake account creation.
Safeguarding polls: Prevents bots from skewing the results of online surveys and polls.
HOW hard is it?
As mentioned, a captcha is used to determine if a user is a human or a bot, so it isn’t hard for humans (find examples of CAPTCHA captcha.net) CAPTCHAs aren't hard for humans because they leverage our natural ability to recognize patterns, context, and objects (like cars or distorted text) that are easy for human brains but historically difficult for computers, using tasks that require general knowledge or visual common sense.
However, as AI advances, CAPTCHAs become more complex, focusing on subtle human behaviors (mouse movements, browsing history) rather than just puzzles, because bots are now able to adept at solveing image grids, making older CAPTCHAs surprisingly easy for them.
But now, for the question we have all been waiting for…
CAN AI SOLVE IT?
(drum roll…….)
YES, AI can solve CAPTCHAs, with modern AI systems achieving near-perfect success rates on many common tests by using advanced computer vision.
Citations:
“What is CHAPTCHA” + “How it Works” - IBM
“Common types of CHAPTCHA - fortinet
“Why Use CHAPTCHA?” - IBM
“How Hard is it?” - Microsoft Learn