Another Summer weekend and lots of absolutely useless news and it falls to me to get the ‘word’ out there.
Let me open the post with a birthday wish for good friend of IST, John Liming of https://limingslynkz8.blog/ have a great day my friend.
In the recent months the biggest story in the news has been that of AI…and now as if on cue the Pope has made a pronouncement….
The Pope has released a guidebook on AI ethics. Yes, you heard that right.
The supreme pontiff has partnered with Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics to form the Institute for Technology, Ethics, and Culture (ITEC), a body that, according to its website, is designed to convene “leaders from business, civil society, academia, government, and all faith and belief traditions, to promote deeper thought on technology’s impact on humanity.”
Think of it as a Vatican-led AI ethics think tank.
Its first order of business is releasing a handbook, called “Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: An Operational Roadmap,” meant to help tech companies navigate the many grey areas of AI ethics.
“The Pope has always had a large view of the world and of humanity, and he believes that technology is a good thing,” Father Brendan McGuire, a pastor and ITEC advisor, told Gizmodo. “But as we develop it, it comes time to ask the deeper questions.”
https://futurism.com/pope-guide-artificial-intelligence
Keeping with the AI thoughts…..testing of a new drug designed by AI…..
For the first time, a drug both discovered and designed by an AI system is officially undergoing mid-stage testing in human clinical trials.
The drug called NS018_055 was developed by the biotech firm Insilico Medicine and is designed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease known to cause often debilitating breathing problems.
The drug was approved for phase 2 trials, meaning that scientists are now testing whether the drug actually works.
According to the folks at Insilico, it could prove to be a consequential step forward for the burgeoning AI-enhanced pharmaceutical field, which could lead to a completely new — and potentially lucrative — era of drug research and development.
https://futurism.com/neoscope/test-drug-ai-human
What will this accomplish?
Cheaper drugs? That’s a laugh. Lay-off of overpaid researchers? Makes profits greater.
Any thoughts on this one?
How many times have you heard some creationist say the humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth together?
Did they?
An astonishing new study concludes that human ancestors survived the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs. This fact, and other new insights into the timeline of animal evolution, are rocking the scientific community.
Researchers conducted a thorough analysis of the fossil record. They discovered that placental mammals – a group that includes humans, dogs, and even bats — originated in the Cretaceous period.
This suggests that these mammals shared the planet with dinosaurs for a brief period before the mass extinction event. This finding that throws a curveball into the long-standing debate among researchers.
Until now, it was a point of contention whether placental mammals walked alongside dinosaurs or only came into existence after the large reptiles had vanished.
Bet you thought there was more to that than there was, huh? Sorry just having a little fun.
The trend here in the US is that of a most idiotic game, pickleball, but seniors need to beware….
Pickleball is popular—especially among seniors. However, the sport can also lead to injuries, and a new analysis projects the health-care cost in the US in 2023 at up to $500 million, reports Quartz. The fast-paced sport can involve a lot of jumping, pivoting, and lunging, and those movements can put stress on the joints, causing injuries like sprains, knee pain, and torn rotator cuffs. In addition, Forbes notes that pickleball players are often people over 60. “While we generally think of exercise as positively impacting health outcomes, the ‘can-do’ attitude of today’s seniors can pose greater risk in other areas such as sports injuries, leading to a greater number of orthopedic procedures,” reads the UBS Group analysis.
UBS analysts looked at a 2021 study titled “Non-fatal senior pickleball and tennis-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments, 2010-2019,” according to Bloomberg. Based on that, the UBS report projected up to 67,000 ER trips and 366,000 outpatient visits this year—in addition to about 9,000 outpatient surgeries. Axios runs down the most common ailments: wrist (13.2%), lower leg (12.9%), head (11.9%), lower trunk (11.6%), and ankle (6.1%).Roughly 60% of pickleball injuries are sprains, strains, and fractures; 20% are contusions, abrasions, or internal injuries; and the rest include things such as cuts or dislocations, per CNN. The analysis found that up to one-third of pickleball players over 60, and the vast majority (86%) of pickleball injuries occurred in this age bracket. Also of note: About half of players have incomes of at least $100,000 annually. As Benzinga notes, pickleball’s popularity has grown quite a bit in the early 2020s, and it’s expected to see a huge increase in new players this year—perhaps up to 22.3 million.
A rule change proposed on Friday would require pizzerias to evaluate whether they can install emissions control devices for their kitchens stoves.
Critics say the devices will cost a lot of dough and may affect the flavour of the world famous cheese and tomato pie.
On Monday, a man tossed slices of pizza at New York City Hall in protest.
“Give us pizza or give us death,” shouted conservative activist Scott LoBaido, in a reference to an anti-British Revolutionary War slogan.
The act caught the attention of New York Mayor Eric Adams who responded with an impassioned defence of the beloved city staple.
“I think pizzas have saved more marriages than any other foods,” he said on Monday. “Sharing a pie with your boo is like, that’s the ultimate.”
The new rule proposed by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will apply to coal and wood-fired ovens installed before 2016.
Officials say it will affect under 100 of the city’s countless pizza joints.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66027038
It is big enough that these slugs are trying to outlaw gas cooking and heating now they want to come for a great pizza.
Enough of the mind numbing stuff….
Have a great Saturday and as always….be well and be safe….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 