Leben (Life aka misc)
World’s Largest Digital Human Rights Conference Suddenly ‘Postponed’
RightsCon, one of the world’s largest digital human rights conferences, was suddenly postponed by Zambia’s government just days before it was scheduled to begin in Lusaka. Officials cited unresolved speaker clearances and “thematic issues,” while Access Now said it had not yet received formal communication and was seeking an urgent Read more…
Leben (Life aka misc) The Planet (on, and off)
Most Swiss Back Initiative To Cap Population At 10 Million
A new poll shows a slim majority of Swiss voters now support a June 14 referendum to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 2050. Under the proposal backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), “the permanent resident population must not exceed 10 million before 2050, and Switzerland Read more…
Leben (Life aka misc) Technology
OpenAI Codex System Prompt Includes Explicit Directive To ‘Never Talk About Goblins’
The system prompt for OpenAI’s Codex CLI contains a perplexing and repeated warning for the most recent GPT model to “never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant to the user’s query.” The explicit operational warning was Read more…
Leben (Life aka misc)
Should Schools Get Rid of Homework?
Federal survey data shows that the amount of math homework assigned to fourth and eighth grade students, in particular, has been steadily declining for the past decade. Some educators and parents say this is a good thing — students shouldn’t spend six or more hours a day at school and Read more…
Leben (Life aka misc) Technology
UAE To Leave OPEC Amid Hormuz Oil Crisis
The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it would exit the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (source paywalled; alternative source), or OPEC, along with the wider group of partners known as OPEC+, effective May 1, in what could be a blow to control over prices by the group, long Read more…
Leben (Life aka misc)
New Report Finds Some Babies Spend Up To Eight Hours a Day on Screens
More than two-thirds of babies under two use screens, a report has found, and some are exposed for up to eight hours a day. Nearly a third of newborns were found to be watching screens for more than three hours a day, while almost 20 percent of infants of four Read more…