Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Resisting Demoralization
This week, we discuss history repeating itself, a phone wipe scandal, Meta's relationship with links and more.
The Abstract
Scientists Make Breakthrough in Solving the Mystery of Life’s Origin
For years, researchers have puzzled over how two ingredients for life first linked up on early Earth. Now, they’ve found the “missing link,” and demonstrated this reaction in the lab.
News
Flock Wants to Partner With Consumer Dashcam Company That Takes ‘Trillions of Images’ a Month
That dashcam in your car could soon integrate with Flock, the surveillance company providing license plate data to DHS and local police.
Podcast
Podcast: The Underground Trade of Car Hacking Tech
The Flipper Zero is being modified to break into cars; the wave of 80s nostalgia AI slop; and how the Citizen app is using AI to write crime alerts.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT Encouraged Suicidal Teen Not To Seek Help, Lawsuit Claims
As reported by the New York Times, a new complaint from the parents of a teen who died by suicide outlines the conversations he had with the chatbot in the months leading up to his death.
chatbots
Attorneys General To AI Chatbot Companies: You Will ‘Answer For It’ If You Harm Children
Forty-four attorneys general signed an open letter on Monday that says to companies developing AI chatbots: "If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it.”
Flock
CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide
Flock said it has "paused all federal pilots" after police departments said they didn't realize they were sharing access with Customs and Border Patrol.
AI Slop
80s Nostalgia AI Slop Is Boomerfying the Masses for a Past That Never Existed
AI makes it easier than ever to slip into the comforting glow of nostalgia.
News
Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review. It’s Making a Lot of Mistakes
Three sources described how AI is writing alerts for Citizen and broadcasting them without prior human review. In one case AI mistranslated “motor vehicle accident” to “murder vehicle accident.”
The Abstract
Scientists Discovered Bats Group Hugging and It’s Adorable
Scientists filmed a bat family in their roost for months, capturing never-before-seen (and very cute) behaviors.
404 Media
404 Media at Two Years: How We've Grown, and What's Next
We're reflecting on the impact our journalism had in year two, how we've grown with your support, and what we aspire to accomplish in year three.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Our Second Anniversary Party!
This week, we have some party pics and musical selections from last night.
The Abstract
A ‘Warp’ In Our Solar System Might Be an Undiscovered World: Planet Y
In addition to Planet Nine, the solar system may also contain a closer, smaller world that could be spotted soon, according to a new preprint study.