👅 Should I scrape my tongue?

Happy Tuesday! It’s August 15 — people are talking about San Francisco’s robotaxi expansion, the pros and cons of tongue scraping, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

🚕 In the news: San Francisco’s robotaxis

San Francisco approved a driverless car expansion. Is it a high-tech step in the right direction, or a disaster waiting to happen?

🚕 BBC: SF greenlit two driverless car companies to provide taxi service throughout the city. 100k San Franciscans have signed up for the services’ waitlist.

🚕 The SF Standard says forget the road safety — people are going to do drugs or have sex in these things! Without a driver, anything goes.

🚕 NPR says it's bad news for first responders. Driverless cars sometimes block emergency vehicles or otherwise interfere with rescue operations. People will die!

🚕 But WaPo thinks it's a necessary risk: Human drivers are too dangerous. It might be a while before driverless cars are ultra-safe, but it’s a start.

🚕 And Consumer Watchdog says the cars aren't safe yet. There are too many bugs and errors, and too little regulation of the industry.

👅 Cultural trend: Should I scrape my tongue?

Using a tongue scraper may remove toxins, fight bad breath, and prevent cavities. But does it also mess with our biome and kill good bacteria?

👅 Banyan Botanicals says tongue scraping is a staple of Ayurvedic medicine. It gets rid of toxins and stimulates your organs, improving your overall health.

👅 Cleveland Clinic says it helps prevent cavities and gum disease by removing plaque and bacteria. Tongue scraping is an important part of proper oral hygiene.

👅 The NYT sees the main benefit as combating bad breath. When bacteria builds up on the tongue, your breath will start to smell bad.

👅 But UCLA Health says removing microbes from your tongue could be bad for you. There are about 700 different types of bacteria in your mouth, and scraping your tongue may remove some — negatively altering your microbiome.

Quick hits from today & yesterday

🗳️ A Georgia grand jury indicted Trump on 10 counts, based on his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election. (Fox News)

🏈 Michael Oher, the inspiration for "The Blind Side," alleged he was duped into signing a conservatorship and lied to about being adopted. (Fox News)

⚽ Spain will play in their first Women's World Cup final after defeating Sweden 2-1 in the semifinal match. (ESPN)

🏛️ The mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his Virginia teacher in January pleaded guilty to child neglect. (NBC News)

That’s it for today! Reply at [email protected] with your takes, topic suggestions, or anything at all. Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We’d love to hear what you think.