We already know that ChatGPT is a liar. Part of the problem with it is how authoritative it sounds. Despite being frequently wrong, it states everything with extreme confidence. This flaw is perhaps most obvious when seeing how ChatGPT flounders with something simple like tic-tac-toe.

Thanks to machine learning, there may soon be yet another Beatles song. But rather than something awful like ChatGPT writing lyrics, this is just using advanced technology to clean up old audio.

Over on Instagram (and elsewhere), Soren Iverson is mocking up hilarious features that no one wants, like this:

This link was discovered via Elsewhat, a brand-new blog of many things from Neale Van Fleet.

Down in Colombia, four young children who survived a plane crash were found after 40 days in the Amazon. That’s a hell of a thing. Still, there are some issues with the process authorities used to locate them. In particular, they may have found the kids, but now they’ve lost a search dog.

[The children] told officials that they had found a dog – a Belgian Shepherd search dog named Wilson that belonged to special forces. The dog had gone missing on May 18, Suárez said. “The kids told us that they spent three or four days with Wilson and that they (found) him quite skinny,” he added.

I’m glad the children are safe and sound, but where is Wilson now? Let’s focus up here, people.

On Monday, I wrote about the recent spat of deaths in horse racing. I was curious about why exactly horses are put down when they get injured. Now, the LA Times has some answers. They’re not terribly good answers, particularly if you’re indifferent at best to the existence of horse racing, but they explain why things are the way they are.

Dale Wheatley works for the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois, which manages bodies donated for science. Apparently, he recently informed his supervisors about his “concerns about the mishandling and poor conditions of donated bodies”. What happened next is more than a little horrifying.

Dale Wheatley…came into work two weeks ago and found sage burning and three severed heads lying on a plastic container by his desk.

Wheatley might have a point.

I would love to sit down with the writer of this recall notice to just really unpack the language that was chosen:

“The customer may experience some dissatisfaction or be discouraged if they are unable to easily access the seatbelt… in its stowed position. Driving without the use of a seatbelt increases the risk of injury in a crash,” said the notice from the federal safety regulator.

If you have Bronco, please don’t get discouraged. Fasten your seatbelt, someone needs you.

[Photo courtesy of P. Kafasis]

Down in Utah, a previously-discussed book ban has now indeed resulted in the Bible being banned.

12 horses dying at Churchill Downs in a one month span feels like an awful lot.

Churchill Downs Inc. said in a statement that there has been no common factor linking the fatalities, and testing of the track surface has not revealed any abnormalities.

Maybe it’s just me, but the idea that it might be normal for a dozen horses to be put down in a month seems pretty terrible.