mardi 2 mai 2023

A scientific fact/tidbit you recently learned that you thought was interesting

It's estimated that in the universe a supernova occurs once every second.

I thought wow that's a lot, until I remembered the universe is a pretty big place. Kind of like saying once a second a grain of sand in the Sahara explodes.


The GOPs next campaign in the war on women

Is on the marriage front. The linked article describes how the GOP is coalescing around a push to make no-fault divorces a thing of the past. It’s an interesting read and I look forward to a rational discussion about the merits of such a notion.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...145422438.html


Bellingcat: A Beginner's Guide to Social Media Verification

Eponymous article by Bellingcat people on basic rules for checking articles on social media.

https://www.bellingcat.com/resources...-verification/

Quote:

The following guide seeks to explain how we can be vigilant about the videos and photos we see online while identifying those that contain misleading, misattributed or false information.

Verification doesn’t need to be difficult. It also doesn’t require any complicated algorithms or access to advanced tools or programs that automatically detect whether an image may be fake or manipulated.

A critical mindset and a close look at the context of an image or post, allied with simple tools such as a Google search or reverse image platforms, are often all it takes to discover whether a piece of content is genuine.
Mods: feel free to move elsewhere if you like.


Wrong "Store" Shooting

25-year-old Brittany Rich rolls up to a convenience store in her beat up 2010 Dodge Avenger. She heads into the store to make a purchase, possibly Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea, media has not clarified as of yet, before exiting the store.

Once outside the store, a "man" snatches her car keys out of her hand. She follows him around to the side of her car and tries to take her keys back. He shoots her 7 times, once in the stomach, killing her unborn child.

Police are still searching for 3 subjects, no descriptions given, but 3 black males can be seen in security video participating in this crime. Brittany Rich is white.

Ms. Rich has not been invited to the White House as far as I'm aware.

Video of the shooting captured in broad daylight can be found in the news report.

https://www.wral.com/carjackers-shoo...hild/20712593/


lundi 1 mai 2023

Shot while watching the game

Matthew DeLaney, a baseball player for Texas A&M-Texarkana, was standing around the bullpen, watching the game, minding his own business, when he was suddenly shot by someone who had nothing to do with the game and wasn't even in the same neighbourhood.

Texas college baseball player in hospital after being shot while watching game

Quote:

A baseball player for a small college in Texas is in hospital after he was struck by a stray bullet during a game over the weekend.

Matthew DeLaney, who was not in uniform for Texas A&M-Texarkana, was standing near the bullpen and batting cages near the south-west corner of George Dobson Field on Sunday when he was hit by a bullet fired from an adjacent neighbourhood, police said.

DeLaney, 18, was struck in the chest and taken to a Texarkana hospital, where he remained in intensive care in a stable condition.

...

Police said a disturbance ended with two men shooting at each other in front of the house. One of the shots travelled about 400 yards and hit DeLaney.


Dust storm causes enormous crash in USA

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/01/u...hes/index.html

40 to 60 passenger vehicles and at least 30 commercial vehicles.

6 dead and at least 30 hospitalised.

I'm horrified that people were continuing to drive (at speed one must presume) under such dreadful conditions.


AI makes non-invasive mind-reading possible by turning thoughts into text

Yet another leap forward.

AI makes non-invasive mind-reading possible by turning thoughts into text
“Our system works at the level of ideas, semantics, meaning,” said Huth. “This is the reason why what we get out is not the exact words, it’s the gist.”
Is it the AI communicating or is it us?

How long before AI can produce an accurate model of me, that can answer as I would?