AI PERSUASION SKILLS RISING BUT STILL FALL SHORT OF SUPERHUMAN
Bird flu is causing a shortage of eggs and increasing prices across the U.S. Recently, one of the largest egg producers reported bird flu cases at its Indiana farm. While experts stress that the virus poses minimal risk to the public, concerns over egg safety persist. Federal regulations require commercial eggs to be sanitized, reducing the likelihood of contamination. If a flock becomes infected, the eggs are removed from the food supply. The virus is unlikely to be transmitted through eggs, especially if fully cooked, as the heat kills the virus. For extra precaution, pasteurized egg products are recommended. However, raw eggs should be handled carefully, washing hands and cooking surfaces to prevent contamination. Experts advise against consuming raw cookie dough or cake batter to avoid both avian flu and common pathogens like salmonella, which can cause food poisoning, especially in vulnerable populations. (New York Times)
CDC DATA DELETIONS SPARK CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC HEALTH ACCESS
Last week, thousands of pages were deleted from the CDC website, sparking concern among public health researchers. To preserve the lost data, researchers used the Internet Archive (IA), which collects and stores snapshots of online content. This archive became crucial for tracking changes on government websites, especially as CDC data was removed following President Trump’s executive orders targeting language related to gender and LGBTQ+ issues. Virologist Angela Rasmussen and her team quickly archived the deleted data, emphasizing that the removal of public health resources could harm Americans’ safety. Specific pages, like those detailing Mpox transmission risks, were altered or deleted, potentially depriving high-risk groups of critical information. While some datasets were restored, the deletions were alarming. Rasmussen and others are working to ensure the data is accessible for researchers and the public, fighting back against data loss through archiving efforts and continuing to reference the deleted information in their work. (Ars Technica)
Adrian Ward’s experience of getting lost in Austin highlights concerns that the Internet and digital technologies, such as GPS and search engines, may be eroding memory. This phenomenon, dubbed ‘digital amnesia,’ reflects growing fears that reliance on digital tools could impair memory. Some studies support this idea, such as one showing worse navigation skills for users of GPS. However, there’s no strong evidence suggesting that technology is broadly diminishing memory. Instead, research suggests people are simply offloading memory tasks to digital devices, such as using the Internet as an external memory bank. The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT may introduce new challenges, including potential cognitive laziness and the risk of forming false memories from AI-generated information. These tools could also alter how we recall the past, as seen with AI-generated avatars of deceased loved ones. As AI technology evolves, its impact on memory and learning remains an area of active research. (Nature)
Prof Mark Thomson, the future director general of Cern, predicts that advanced AI will revolutionize particle physics, potentially revealing fundamental insights about the universe. Machine learning is already being used at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to identify rare events crucial to understanding the origin of mass and the future of the universe. These AI-driven techniques are expected to transform the field, similar to the breakthroughs seen in protein folding with AI. Thomson emphasized that the LHC’s upcoming upgrades, including a tenfold increase in beam intensity, will enable groundbreaking observations of the Higgs boson, especially its self-coupling, which could reveal how particles acquired mass after the Big Bang. AI is also helping the LHC manage vast data from millions of collisions, improving its ability to detect dark matter and uncover unexpected phenomena. This new AI-enhanced approach promises significant discoveries after 2030, especially in areas once considered beyond the LHC’s capabilities. (The Guardian)
OpenAI has been testing ChatGPT’s persuasive abilities against responses from Reddit’s r/ChangeMyView forum, a space where users engage in discussions and award points to those who successfully change their views. By comparing AI-generated arguments to human responses, OpenAI measures the persuasiveness of its models. Although the latest version, o3-mini, ranks at the 82nd percentile in terms of persuasiveness—higher than earlier models—it still falls short of what OpenAI considers “superhuman” persuasion (95th percentile). Despite this, the model’s current performance poses risks, such as aiding biased journalism, scams, and political manipulation, particularly as AI can generate persuasive arguments at low cost. OpenAI categorizes the model’s risk as “Medium” for now, acknowledging its potential for large-scale influence operations. The company is taking steps to mitigate these risks, including monitoring AI-driven persuasion efforts and ensuring that the models refuse political persuasion tasks to prevent misuse in sensitive contexts. (Ars Technica)
Archaeologists have made an exciting discovery at the Domus Aurea, the ancient palace of Emperor Nero in Rome, where they uncovered a variety of pigments used by artisans to paint the palace’s frescoes over 2,000 years ago. Among the finds was a rare and remarkable chunk of Egyptian blue, an ancient synthetic pigment prized for its brilliant hue. Egyptian blue, which dates back to at least the third millennium BCE in Egypt, was used extensively in Roman decorations and has been found in significant sites like Pompeii and the Baths of Titus. The discovery at the Domus Aurea is particularly notable due to the large size of the Egyptian blue ingot, which weighs over five pounds and measures six inches long, suggesting its widespread use in the palace’s frescoes. Researchers are now investigating whether the pigment was locally produced or imported from Egypt. This find connects the art of ancient Rome with later Renaissance artists, who were inspired by the vivid blue. (Smithsonian)
A comprehensive study from University College London has found that people’s mental health and wellbeing tend to improve in the morning and worsen by midnight. Analyzing nearly 1 million survey responses from 49,000 participants over two years, the researchers discovered that happiness, life satisfaction, and a sense of life being worthwhile were higher on Mondays and Fridays, with Tuesdays also showing elevated happiness. In contrast, Sundays reported the lowest scores. The study also found that mental health was generally better in the summer and worse in winter, with seasonal changes affecting mood and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The study suggests that these daily fluctuations could be linked to physiological changes related to the body’s circadian rhythm, such as cortisol levels. While the findings provide valuable insights, the researchers caution that further studies are needed to confirm these results and consider potential biases in when participants respond to surveys. (The Guardian)
Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.
WORDS: The Biology Guy.
IMAGE CREDIT: NASA.
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