Human brain can process certain sentences in ‘blink of an eye’, says study
Researchers say findings differ from previous theories that words are understood one by one
Latest posts made by wtg
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At-a-glance language processing
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The people strike back
Annoyed Redditors tanking Google Search results illustrates perils of AI scrapers
"Spreading misinformation suddenly becomes a noble goal," Redditor says.
A trend on Reddit that sees Londoners giving false restaurant recommendations in order to keep their favorites clear of tourists and social media influencers highlights the inherent flaws of Google Search’s reliance on Reddit and Google's AI Overview.
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2024’s deplorables moment?
In the North Philadelphia neighbourhood of Fairhill, signs of Puerto Rico are never far off. The US island territory's red, white and blue flag adorns homes and businesses, and the sounds of salsa and reggaetón boom from passing cars and restaurants selling fried plantains and spit-roasted pork.
The area is the beating heart of Philadelphia's more than 90,000-strong Puerto Rican population and forms a key part of Pennsylvania's Latino community, which both the Democrats and Republicans have sought to woo ahead of the 5 November election.
But on Monday morning, many locals were left seething at a joke made at Donald Trump's rally the night before in New York, in which comic Tony Hinchcliffe described Puerto Rico as an "island of garbage".
The joke, some said, could come back to haunt the Republicans in a key swing state that Democrats won by a narrow margin of 1.17% - about 82,000 votes - in 2020..
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RE: No endorsement
Bezos' op-ed. I don't think it's behind a paywall, as I was able to get to it directly on their site without a subscription.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/
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RE: No endorsement
The Washington Post has been rocked by a tidal wave of cancellations from digital subscribers and a series of resignations from columnists, as the paper grapples with the fallout of owner Jeff Bezos’s decision to block an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
More than 200,000 people had canceled their digital subscriptions by midday Monday, according to two people at the paper with knowledge of internal matters. Not all cancellations take effect immediately. Still, the figure represents about 8% of the paper’s paid circulation of 2.5 million subscribers, which includes print as well. The number of cancellations continued to grow Monday afternoon.
A corporate spokesperson declined to comment, citing The Washington Post Co.'s status as a privately held company.
“It’s a colossal number,” former Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli told NPR. “The problem is, people don’t know why the decision was made. We basically know the decision was made but we don’t know what led to it.”
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Smart watches for medical diagnostics
As the chief anaesthesiologist at CHUV University Hospital, Patrick Schoettker is all too aware of the complications which can follow a lengthy operation under general anaesthetic.
Rapid blood loss from the surgical site can send the patient into shock, triggering sudden and dangerous dips in blood flow through the body. But patients can also develop severe lung problems after many hours of deep sedation, a complication which accounts for a quarter of all deaths within the first six days of surgery.
Such tragedies sometimes occur due to underlying frailties in the patient's physiology which had gone undetected. But what if hospitals had a quick, low-cost way of screening for them ahead of major procedures?
Schoettker and his colleagues are conducting a trial which involves fitting patients with a smartwatch known as the Masimo W1 several weeks ahead of their pre-operation consultation. The data it has collected is then used to form an assessment of their state of health..
Other uses, including diagnosing neurological problems:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241025-the-smartwatches-that-can-predict-parkinsons-disease
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Crokinole
Tabletop curling meets shuffleboard.
https://pudding.cool/2024/10/crokinole/?utm_placement=newsletter