I think we’re overdue for a new edition of five interesting things: stuff you might find intriguing, share worthy, and/or actionable. So, let’s get to it:
Please stop believing ChatGPT – I’m increasingly alarmed by the number of people using ChatGPT for “research.” Please don’t! It doesn’t actually understand anything and it’s not “intelligent” by any stretch of the imagination. ChatGPT (or anything similar) is basically your phone’s predictive text on steroids. It’s stringing together words, literally making it up as it goes along. There’s a good, longer explainer at the link.
Orangutan, heal thyself – A fascinating piece on how a primate made a poultice to heal a wound.
Transylvanian Oasis – Thanks to various historical idiosyncrasies, Romania is home to 65 percent of the virgin forests in Europe. It’s an important bastion in the fight to conserve important species.
String theory – As with most human activities, a sport called kite fighting is having unintended consequences: sharp strings falling from the sky and injuring pedestrians and cyclists. Check out the story in Brazil.
Trees, please – The solution to our carbon emissions problem seems simple enough: just plant more trees. But tree planting is actually a complicated subject. They have to be the right trees, planted properly, given attention until they’re established, and you have to find ways to get humans to stop chopping them right back down again. This project is an example of how to do it right.
Comments? Thoughts? Random musings? Post them below.