Peter Lik Phantom
Peter Lik's 'Phantom' was sold for an unprecedented $6.5 million and is the most expensive photograph in history. PRNewsFoto/LIK USA

The CIA torture report release has led many to ask questions about what should be done next and if anyone involved in the program should be prosecuted. As leaders around the world continue to debate these questions, here's what is making the news on Thursday.

The Origins Of the CIA Jails

CIA Detention and Interrogation Program Report Funding
The CIA spent millions to maintain its detention and interrogation program, and told its officers to "think big." CIA

The New York Times reports on the initial vision for the detention centers after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. President George W. Bush signed an order giving the CIA the capability to detain terrorists or any individual affiliated with al Qaeda. The detention centers were initially modeled after the American jail system, including the same freedom and conditions, and interrogations would have strict guidelines that would prevent torture.

Asteroids Brought Water To Earth

While Philae may be on its side and powered down, the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission has been a complete success even without a proper landing. There were the first reports that one of Philae's onboard instruments "sniffed" organic molecules, but more analysis was needed before the team could reach any conclusion.

Comet Water Comparison
A look at how the water found on comet 67p is different than water found on Earth. European Space Agency

One of the main goals of the Rosetta mission was to determine if comets seeded life on Earth. How water arrived on the planet is a big mystery, and if the Philae lander or the Rosetta spacecraft detected water on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with a similar makeup or signature as that of water found on Earth, that would mean comets played a role in bringing life to the planet. In a new study, it appears that asteroids brought water to Earth, as water found on comet 67P does not match the chemical signature of water found on Earth.

"It’s not the same as terrestrial water -- it’s much heavier," lead author Kathrin Altwegg, physicist at the University of Bern, Switzerland, said to the Wall Street Journal.

A Takeout Apology

In a move that is surprising to no one, Benjamin Edelman, the Harvard Business School professor who flipped out after being overcharged $4 for Chinese restaurant takeout, apologized. "Having reflected on my interaction with Ran, including what I said and how I said it, it's clear that I was very much out of line. I aspire to act with great respect and humility in dealing with others, no matter what the situation. Clearly, I failed to do so. I am sorry, and I intend to do better in the future. I have reached out to Ran and will apologize to him personally as well," Edelman said on his website.

Not Millions Or Billions But Trillions

plastic_ocean
About 270,000 tons of plastic is floating in the ocean, a new study finds. Reuters

There are more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the ocean, amounting to over 250,000 tons of trash. And that's a conservative estimate, the Verge notes. There is a lot of plastic that's unaccounted for, and it's unclear how it affects local ecosystems or if the pollution gets into the fish we eat.

Superbugs, No Thanks

MRSA
Scanning electron micrograph of a human neutrophil ingesting Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). National Institutes of Health

Drug-resistant infections, or superbugs, could kill more people than cancer by 2050, the BBC reported. "Drug-resistant infections already kill hundreds of thousands a year globally, and by 2050 that figure could be more than 10 million. The economic cost will also be significant, with the world economy being hit by up to $100 trillion by 2050 if we do not take action," Jim O'Neill, an economist, said in a statement.