Professors Are Disposable Now
Arizona State University quietly launched Project Atomizer, a $5‑per‑month web app that uses an AI chatbot called Atom to stitch together faculty‑generated content from Canvas into personalized learning modules. The tool creates courses without informing or compensating professors, and early tests have produced error‑laden, disjointed modules that critics say lack pedagogical coherence. Faculty, including literature professor Chris Hanlon, have publicly decried the unauthorized use of their materials and the poor quality of the AI‑generated courses. The initiative reflects President Michael Crow’s aggressive push to make AI central to ASU’s future strategy.
Looking for Moral Authority in All the Wrong Places
AI leaders Anthropic and OpenAI attended the inaugural Faith‑AI Covenant roundtable in New York, convened by the Geneva‑based Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities. The meeting brought together tech executives and representatives from major world religions to discuss embedding morality into...
Go Ahead, Ruin My Day
Researchers from a decade‑long randomized trial have found that arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, a common knee surgery, provides no measurable benefit over sham procedures. Moreover, patients who received the meniscus trimming experienced higher symptom scores, accelerated osteoarthritis, and increased likelihood of...
There’s No Penalty to Enabling Pedophiles, I Guess
Leon Botstein, who served as Bard College president for 51 years, announced his resignation after a WilmerHale report detailed extensive in‑person contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The investigation revealed multiple visits to Epstein’s island, concerts attended together, and...
Capitalism Has Lost the Plot
Ustwo’s chief executive Maria Sayans announced that the studio will pivot toward a contractor‑heavy workforce, scaling back permanent employees after the success of Monument Valley 3. The shift reflects a growing industry belief that gig talent can lower costs and increase...
The Personification of Astronomical Bodies Is Always Amusing
NASA’s Artemis II mission will now only orbit the Moon, postponing a crewed landing. The agency is undergoing significant budget reductions, leaving the lunar lander contract undecided and casting doubt on a near‑term return. Meanwhile, China’s space program signals it could...
Spiders in Spaaaaaaaace!
Two jumping spiders, Nefertiti and Cleopatra, spent a record 100 days aboard the International Space Station, becoming the longest‑living arachnids in space. The insects adapted to microgravity with little physiological stress, and Nefertiti even readjusted to Earth’s gravity after return....
An Adorable Baby
A 250‑million‑year‑old Lystrosaurus embryo fossil has been imaged in unprecedented detail, providing the first direct evidence that early mammal ancestors – therapsids – laid eggs. The specimen’s unfused lower jaw confirms it died inside the egg, while larger individuals show...
Something Has Happened to My Blog
A personal blog administrator noticed a dramatic shift in traffic patterns, with visits now occurring around the clock instead of the usual daytime peak. Analysis revealed that the surge is driven by AI agents and automated bots, which have more...
Tetragnatha, the Long-Jawed Orbweaver, or the Stretch Spider
The article spotlights Tetragnatha, the long‑jawed orbweaver often called the stretch spider, featuring a striking photograph of the tiny arachnid hanging from dry grass. These spiders are distinguished by their elongated chelicerae and horizontal, sheet‑like webs that thrive in moist...
The Loons Have Been Handed the Control of Science
Matt Ridley, a British aristocrat and libertarian author, was invited by the National Institutes of Health to address the discredited lab‑leak hypothesis despite lacking virology credentials. The blog post denounces the invitation as a symptom of political interference, linking Ridley’s...
Life From Space? I Have Questions
Scientists analyzing samples from the carbon‑rich asteroids Ryugu and Bennu have identified all five nucleobases that form DNA and RNA, confirming that these fundamental organic molecules can arise through abiotic processes in space. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, add...
Making Babies with a Computerized Sperm Storage Site
Fairfax Cryobank, a leading sperm storage provider, operates a detailed online donor catalog where clients can select vials based on extensive personal profiles. The article critiques these profiles for highlighting non‑heritable traits such as humor and appearance, which may mislead...
“List of Jews” Has an Ominous Ring
A federal judge has ordered the University of Pennsylvania to supply records identifying Jewish employees as part of an antisemitism investigation. The court’s directive does not require the university to disclose each employee’s specific group affiliation, but it does demand...
Now I Know What They Do at Faculty Meetings on the Humanities/Social Sciences Side of Campus
The author argues that empathy is not an innate trait but a teachable skill that should be cultivated like literacy. Drawing on personal experience, the piece refutes the notion that teaching empathy is futile and likens its societal value to...