| Time |
Event |
| 8:52a |
Scientific adviser's advice, UK
The UK's former chief scientific adviser warns that
the
world is not ready for the next pandemic.
|
| 8:52a |
ChatGPT as a programmer helper
ChatGPT was asked programming questions based on items in StackOverflow. More than half
of the
generated
answers were incorrect.
Take care against admiting a bullshit generator into the sources of what purport to be knowledge.
|
| 8:52a |
Googling today: Section 230, revisited
One way to make use of bullshit
generators
on web sites safer would be for a court, or a law, to insist that their operators are
legally responsible for the advice given by that they generate.
This would entail changing section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to distinguish
between publishing other people's writing (for which the site is not liable) and publishing
material generated by software that the site's owner generates (or contracts to generate)
using software. If generative systems participate in writing the text, the site would be
liable for that text.
An identified (even if pseudonymous) human author could use a
generative system, but would then take responsibility for its output.
|
| 8:52a |
Labour on climate crisis
The Labour shadow energy secretary agrees that
climate
defense is an emergency but says the tactics of Just Stop Oil are counterproductive
because they alienate people.
That might be true, but since they see that the climate emergency will kill them in a few
decades, what does he suggest that they do instead? Should they join Just Trust the
Government instead? Or Just Give Up?
It is the government's responsibility to be the climate leaders inspiring the people to
more action. If they demonstrate that following them is more effective than following
Just Give Up, millions will rejoice and follow them.
French activists have chosen a different tactic: picketing the energy company TotalEnergies
and
a big fund that invests in it.
I saw ads for TotalEnergies in Europe recently. It wants the public to associate it with
"all kinds of energy", especially renewable electric generation, and forget the
inconvenient fact that it is still increasing fossil fuel extraction.
|
| 8:52a |
Rice grows its own vit. A
Greenpeace won a court victory in the
Philippines
blocking commercial cultivation of rice that has been genetically modified to produce
Vitamin A. Deficiency of vitamin A kills around 100,000 people each year, world wide.
Any given genetically modified crop may be harmful, or not, depending on its practical
effects, which include whether it is restricts sharing among farmers by means of an
imposed legal monopoly (which could be a patent, or a plant variety monopoly).
The pesticide-resistant crops that campaigners denounce are harmful in practice, both
because of their restriction of farmers' rights and because the pesticides used on them
are harmful to wildlife and perhaps to humans too.
Vitamin-A-producing rice do neither of these kinds of harm, so they should be authorized.
See also my article,
"Biopiracy or Bioprivateering?"
|
| 8:52a |
Classified-docs criminal-case judge
*[A former White House lawyer] says [the corrupter's secret documents case] ‘could have
easily
gotten to trial and that Aileen Cannon has delayed on issues most judges would have
handled.*
This is more reason to suspect that that judge is trying to serve the corrupter.
|
| 8:52a |
Abortion rate now up
The abortion rate in the US has increased since the
Supreme Court was
taken over by the right-wing. So has the sterilization rate for women, who are taking
precautions to ensure they can't need an abortion.
I hope to see Congress swing Democratic this year because of grass-roots support for
abortion rights.
|
| 8:52a |
Students' rights to protest
*I run a university —
people
like me should be backing students' right to protest over Gaza.*
|
| 8:52a |
|
| 8:52a |
Brexit's effect on UK campaign
The taboo about reevaluating departure from the EU makes it impossible to
honestly
confront the issues raised by its consequences.
|
| 8:52a |
The ICC sounded the alarm, ISR
*The ICC
arrest
request is a fire alarm for Israel. Will it take heed?*
|
| 8:52a |
Urgent: Declare a climate emergency
US citizens:
call
on Biden to declare a climate emergency.
If you phone, please spread the word!
White House: +1-202-456-1111
and (TTY/TDD) +1-202-456-6213
|
| 8:52a |
Urgent: American-Israel PAC
US citizens: call on Democrats in Congress to reject AIPAC, which supports
enemies
of US democracy.
If you phone, please spread the word!
Main Switchboard: +1-202-224-3121
|
| 8:52a |
Urgent: UnitedHealth's medical monopoly
US citizens:
call on the DOJ to
break up UnitedHealth's medical monopoly.
|
| 8:52a |
Urgent: Investigate Mercedes' union-busting
US citizens:
call on
Congress to investigate Mercedes's union busting.
If you phone, please spread the word!
Main Switchboard: +1-202-224-3121
|
| 8:52a |
Urgent: Boeing contract to test nukes
US citizens:
call on
Congress to cancel Boeing's nuclear weapons testing contract.
If you phone, please spread the word!
Main Switchboard: +1-202-224-3121
|
| 8:52a |
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| 8:52a |
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