Monthly archives: September 2024

Break out the thesaurus and be better than a bot

This entry was posted in Artificial Intelligence on by

AI use is making certain words and phrases more prevalent (the article contains a table of ChatGPT’s 50 most overused words, usefully compiled by ChatGPT). So essays etc. written by AI all merge together into a sort of verbal sludge.

The article suggests some ways to counteract this tendency. The one they missed out- the only one that is truly valid- is to not use AI at all. If you are required to present your thoughts on a subject, and show your knowledge about it, the words need to make their way from your brain to the screen or page as directly as possible. Prompts are cheating.

https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-changing-the-way-we-write-heres-how-and-why-its-a-problem-239601

Tax the rich out of the sky

This entry was posted in carbon footprint on by

A tax on private planes and superyachtd could bring much needed revenue in, making billionaires pay for some of the harm they’re doing. Judging by the quote at the end of the article, I don’t think this government has the sense or courage to do it, though.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/18/superyacht-private-jet-oxfam-climate-finance

Russia’s useful idiots

This entry was posted in politics on by

In an unsurprising development, it appears that several rightwing commentators in the US have been getting funding from Russia, with encouragement to push pro-Putin talking points. They’re claiming they never knew where the money was coming from, and from what I know about them, I’m willing to believe that they really are that stupid.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/tim-pool-benny-johnson-influencers-russia-disinformation

Is Biochar a miracle material?

This entry was posted in Carbon Dioxide gardening on by

It certainly sounds it. The creation process generates more heat than it uses- meaning manufacture could be self sustaining, or used as energy generation. Once made, it acts as a form of carbon capture, putting it back into the ground. And once in the ground, it can aid water retention, improve soil structure, and aid access to nutrients.

There are some potential issues, mainly around the possibility of contamination depending upon the feed stock, but this sounds like a technology we should all be thinking about.

https://theconversation.com/biochar-doesnt-just-store-carbon-it-stores-water-and-boosts-farmers-drought-resilience-235765