The gatekeepers of information have always played a crucial role for society. They were originally the television, radio and newspaper outlets that filtered information for the masses in the 20th century. The internet changed this dynamic by enabling search engines to filter content and emerge as new, more powerful gatekeepers. Now the dynamic is changing again with the emergence of Large Language Models trained on substantial portions of all human knowledge. By querying models such as ChatGPT, ...read more
Imagine it’s a crisp and sunny fall morning. You just left your local coffee shop, ready to start your day.Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of something moving in the bushes. Is it a squirrel stashing acorns for the winter? A robin fattening up for migration? As you get closer, the image becomes clear, and you unconsciously hold your breath.It’s a black cat out for its morning stroll.You pause for a second to decide your next move. Cross the street so the cat can’t cross ...read more
You can probably picture a vampire: Pale, sharply fanged undead sucker of blood, deterred only by sunlight, religious paraphernalia, and garlic. They’re gnarly creatures, often favorite subjects for movies or books. Luckily, they’re only imaginary … or are they?There are real vampires in the world of bats. Out of over 1,400 currently described bat species, three are known to feed on blood exclusively.The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, is the most abundant. At home in the tropical f ...read more
Researchers have trained African giant pouched rats to sniff out tuberculosis and explosives in the past. And they have now expanded the rodents’ scent repertoire to detect illegally trafficked animal parts — including pangolin scales, elephant ivory, and rhino horn, according to a report in Frontiers in Conservation Science.Interrupting this illegal trade is important in and of itself, of course. But the people who smuggle animal parts often also traffic drugs, humans, and weapons. But why ...read more
If you’ve ever experienced a scratchy tickle or tiny bump in the back of your throat that didn’t seem to go away, or maybe a mysterious case of bad breath despite regularly brushing your teeth, you might have had tonsil stones. These tiny, often unnoticed formations can pack a one-two punch of discomfort and embarrassment, yet many people don’t even realize they have them.Tonsil stones, or tonsilloliths, are actually relatively common. And while they’re not usually harmful, they can caus ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine