December 11, 2023 4 min read Whatever fantasies we may have had about the nonprofit structure of OpenAI have been eviscerated. While it remains a nonprofit, it’s proven entirely beholden to ruthless capitalism By Ed Zitron Sam Altman, seen here at APEC Leader’s Week in San Francisco, California, was fired briefly as CEO of OpenAI… Continue reading OpenAI’s Soap Opera Collapse Bodes Ill for AI Benefiting Humanity
Why Some People Choose Not to Know
In the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, the wealthy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a magical, life-changing epiphany. Thanks to visits from a series of ghosts, his eyes are opened as to how his behavior affects other people—and he goes from a selfish grump to a generous benefactor overnight. Scrooge’s transformation comes down to knowledge.… Continue reading Why Some People Choose Not to Know
Christmas Tree Economics, Explained
December 11, 2023 4 min read Economists dive into the financial impact of Christmas trees—real and artificial alike—on the U.S. By Jay L. Zagorsky, Patrick Abouchalache & The Conversation US Peace, joy and profit margins: Retailers sell Christmas trees at a markup of up to 500%. The following essay is reprinted with permission from The… Continue reading Christmas Tree Economics, Explained
A New Type of Heart Disease is on the Rise
Tanya Lewis: Hi, this is Your Health, Quickly, a Scientific American podcast series! Josh Fischman: We bring you the latest vital health news: Discoveries that affect your body and your mind. Lewis: And we break down the medical research to help you stay healthy. I’m Tanya Lewis. Fischman: I’m Josh Fischman. Lewis: We’re Scientific American’s senior… Continue reading A New Type of Heart Disease is on the Rise
Can You Marry an Alien? (& More Weird Questions)
Podcast: Download MYS291: It’s almost New Years, so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin weird questions from listeners, about topics like can you marry an alien; baptizing faeries or unborn babies; what the Soul Gem or the Borg do to your soul; time travel and alternate universes; and more weird questions.… Continue reading Can You Marry an Alien? (& More Weird Questions)
Millions of U.S. Homes Risk Disaster because of Outdated Building Codes
December 11, 2023 3 min read Building codes that don’t fully account for climate change are “one of the most significant factors” in increasing disaster risk, a federal report says By Thomas Frank & E&E News Neighborhoods are seen submerged in flood water from the Meremac River on December 31, 2015 in Pacific, Missouri. CLIMATEWIRE… Continue reading Millions of U.S. Homes Risk Disaster because of Outdated Building Codes
The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing
The following is a condensed version of “The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing” by Rachel Lu, published at Law & Liberty. A year or so after we were married, my husband asked me a question. It was unexpected, but it started a train of thought that returned to me as I was reading David Brooks’ latest… Continue reading The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing
New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
Earth’s fate rests on a coin flip. In 5 billion years, our sun will balloon into a red giant star. Whether Earth survives is an “open question,” said Melinda Soares-Furtado, an astrophysicist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Sure, Earth could be swallowed by the sun and destroyed. But in some scenarios, Earth escapes and… Continue reading New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration
Successful public health campaigns and medical advances have enabled the United States to conquer a range of disfiguring and damaging diseases. Polio, which paralyzed thousands of Americans annually, was wiped out by widespread vaccinations. In 1999 the nation’s last hospital for lepers closed its doors in Louisiana. A global campaign eradicated smallpox, while lethal tuberculosis,… Continue reading Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration
World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time
Last week at the start of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, 134 countries signed a declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from processes related to producing and consuming food. It’s the first time in nearly three decades of climate summits, which were established to set the world’s direction in tackling climate change, that… Continue reading World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time