x.com/YouTubeInsid... As a statistician teaching data science, I'm well aware of the difference between machine learning and genAI. But what Google's post totally fails to mention is the issue of CONSENT, and the fact they didn't even bother to ask for it

YouTube Liaison on X: "No GenAI, no upscaling. We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video) YouTube is always" / X

No GenAI, no upscaling. We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video) YouTube is always

x.com

AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...

AI slop and the destruction of knowledge

This week I was looking for info on what cognitive scientists mean when they speak of ‘domain-general’ cognition. I was curious, because the nuances are relevant for something I am researching at t…

irisvanrooijcogsci.com

After seeing the mostly disappointing Life of Chuck, I want to see Tom Hiddleston in more movies with dancing. Giles suggested "Loki, the Musical" and I AM SO HERE FOR IT that I've been writing the set list in my head #LokiTheMusical #OnceMoreWithGloriousPurpose

www.stuff.co.nz/business/360... This change is great for those customers who were choosing to pay with paywave and pay the extra, but crap for those who were choosing to not use paywave, who will soon be forced to absorb the extra cost of everyone else using paywave.

The payment processing racket is finally getting busted

OPINION: That awkward checkout dance has been playing out across New Zealand for years, but it was never really about café owners trying to squeeze extra profit from your flat white.

stuff.co.nz

#Dunnettcontent Latest WG issue quoted a comparison between Dunnett and Dumas that made me grin, because I discovered Dunnett soon after I got my adult library card, by wondering what the other big hardbacks were on the shelf next to Dumas ⚔️📚

www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/01/c... F*** you. You have no f***ing right to call for the next government to not repeal your law when you've been repealing perfectly sensible laws right, left and centre since you got into power 2 years ago

Coalition parties call for opposition not to re-ban oil and gas exploration

The government's repeal of the 2018 ban passed through Parliament yesterday.

1news.co.nz

The former Attorney General of Israel, Michael Benyair is now calling Israel's actions in Gaza genocide. "To eternal shame. Jews, who suffered a genocide 80 years ago, are committing genocide in Gaza. Shame, rage, and sorrow"

Science shouldn’t be a partisan issue. From cancer treatments to extreme weather alerts, science makes everyone’s life better, regardless of political affiliation. But science becomes partisan when corrupt politicians defund research, fire scientists, and censor data, harming us all.

Cowabunga Dude! 🤙 #tmnt

appleinsider.com/articles/25/... Please share this as far and as widely as you can. I find it additionally infuriating that I can't opt out via desktop, as I only ever use Facebook on desktop

Meta wants to upload every photo you have to its cloud to give you AI suggestions

Meta's latest feature gives Facebook the power to continuously upload your private photos to its cloud — even the ones you never intended to share. Here's how to stop it.

appleinsider.com

Car skid warning sign is the perfect summary of generative AI issues: initially looks plausible, then you realise it's not physically possible -- and there's danger in your future

once again I must tap my own sign

I realise now also that many people won’t know that harmful digital communications & much of harassment is considered civil law, not criminal. So those women photographed without their consent can’t have been harassed because they don’t *know* that he photographed them. It’s a massive flaw.

Kate@knhannah.bsky.social · last yr.

Let’s not let the possible nat sec & vetting failure issues mask the fact that police didn’t think there was a prosecutable crime: this tracks with my experience of harassment law & its implementation. A total overhaul is needed: stalking, harmful digital activity, harassment, privacy, consent.

🔑 under-discussed point — why they were on signal:

If you want a long, but very thorough, read on just how crazy dangerous the situation is with Elon, @brockm.bsky.social has laid it all out in a single article. Please read it. www.techdirt.com/2025/02/05/t...

The 24-Hour Reality Check: Musk’s Impossible Power Grab And America’s Crisis

There are twenty-four hours in a day. This isn’t a matter of political opinion or technological disruption—it’s as immutable as the fact that two plus two equals four. No amount of geni…

techdirt.com

I think this week the Norwegian oil fund will have felt fully vindicated for voting against Musk's ridiculous pay deal, given how many worldwide consumers are turning against Tesla... www.reuters.com/business/elo...

Elon Musk clashes with Norway wealth fund CEO; 'friends are as friends do'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has clashed with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, one of the automaker's top investors, according to a record of the conversation released on Tuesday.

reuters.com

Literal money quote p23 SSAG report: "The global evidence for the role of [Science,Innovation &Tech] in driving productivity growth is unequivocal and increasingly obvious. We stand frustrated by the apparent & persistent inability of the policy community in New Zealand to comprehend that reality."

Blunt report from the Science System Advisory Group (www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-...).

I am not impressed with this NZ summer, or the quality of NZ housing. We have the heating on, I'm wearing as many warm layers as I do in winter, and I'm still cold.

The main appeal of the Day of the Jackal was always the competence porn: the Jackal is intriguing because of how thoroughly he does his job. Four episodes in, the TV version is mostly good but all the characters have been making an irritating number of mistakes

On BBC Radio Scotland shortly talking about the role of money in politics - and how the super rich are buying access to politics In 2023, two-thirds of political donations in Britain came from just 19 individuals, each giving more than £1 million.

My next-door neighbours from London days, Ilia and Andrew Leitch, are contributors to the project that's discovered the current longest genome in the world: www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

A 160 Gbp fork fern genome shatters size record for eukaryotes

Plant genetics; Plant evolution

cell.com

I *think* the first book fandom to have Merch (and a convention) was probably Vril: The Power of the Coming Race, AKA The Coming Race, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, which was 1870s. Trilby was mid 1880s iirc.

I'm looking for a PhD student! Please feel free to share the link with anyone you think would be interested, thanks. www.wgtn.ac.nz/scholarships...

This is so unbelievably disappointing (especially the suggestion the J'Ville train line apparently doesn't count as "rapid mass transit" & therefore the areas around the stations shouldn't be upzoned 🙄). Very grateful for Joel's excellent coverage on this thespinoff.co.nz/politics/02-...

The first recommendations for the future of Wellington’s housing are in, and they’re shit

A whistle-stop tour through a list full of bizarre and regressive decisions that allow a lot less housing in Wellington.

thespinoff.co.nz

Another notable thing about Wheel of Tine tv series is that it features in roles large and small many more older women than one usually sees in any show,  really

I wish more people knew about this study Police did in 2021 where they reviewed every incident for 11 years meeting the threshold for firearms use and estimated that, had the officers been carrying a gun (i.e. if police were routinely armed), 92 more people would've been shot and 43 of them killed.

Tom@tomcpearce.bsky.social · 3y ago

One of the things I'm most concerned about with the incoming government is that we will end up with armed police. Luxon has said he thinks that should be an "operational decision" for them, so the only thing standing in the way is the current police executive not being in favour. That won't last.

How on earth can I contact Booking.com? I want to tell them that my booking host has apparently sent me an inbox message but my inbox is empty. All the help FAQ pages keep trying to redirect me to message the host, which I've done, but the original issue is from Booking.com

Hooray! The recording of the Natalie Haynes interview of Susan Cooper at the British Library is now up on the web: living-knowledge-network.co.uk/library/the-... Natalie Haynes is a fantastic classicist and stand-up comedian, and Susan Cooper is the author of the wonderful Dark is Rising series