The event on May 27was focussed around the physical sound of the cars, and the more metaphorical soundness of the human mind and body

Emil George from Kochi drove through 28 States and six union territories on the Indian mainland in ninety seven days

Gujarat businessman takes his beloved 1950 MG YT on a 12,000 km road trip with family and friends

The heavily updated Hyundai Alcazar is a heady combination of space, luxury and practicality

Kia India unveils the EV9 e-SUV and Carnival Limousine, blending cutting-edge technology, luxury, and sustainability

RL Cafe is run by Bindhu KV and her husband, Balachandran T, in Thiruvananthapuram

The siblings helming the new CakeWalk cafe hope to give us a taste of the memories associated with their legacy bakery, which was once among the city’s favourite date spots in the Nineties

By monitoring water use, adopting renewable tech, and taking to recyclable packaging, alcohol brands across the country are attempting to move towards a greener future

Vallachira panchayat in Thrissur District of Kerala has held Onam celebrations without a break since 1962. The 10-day festival which highlights folk performances is now a showcase for tourists

From Burmese atho to crispy lamb bhel, Sonal Ved has documented India’s classic chaat and street food in her new book India Local, with recipes from chefs and home kitchens

The cafes will serve millet-based food products and also have these on sale, says Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad

The Ambur Canteen serves a variety of flavours that its founders grew up on, including recipes from their mothers, grandmothers and cooks

Grunge interiors, quirky graffiti and flavour-driven dishes are the highlights of Gresham Fernandes’s new popup, Bandra Born, in Mumbai

Two Canada-based Malayali friends brew Taika, an artisanal arrack using fruits, spices, dates and jaggery Their ‘naadan charayam’ label bears the image of an elephant and a Kerala bus

Popular wedding caterers are setting up kitchens for Deepavali, enabling customers to try, buy and post traditional sweets. We travel to each festive outpost, sampling the coffee and ladoos

GVQ Time Cafe in Kochi, derives from the anti-café movement where customers pay for the time they spend there

Sales of organic vegetable is gradually picking up in the Nilgiris owing to the changing mindset of people towards healthy eating.

Located on the 10th floor in Egmore, and spread across 4,500 square feet, Irida Skky Lounge focusses on technique-driven dishes and cocktails

The menu, featuring 100 dishes, is a diverse mix of cuisines with dishes like spanakopita, Thai curry, muttai 65 and avakkai urulai

Brewers have taken exception to the draft notification on it and demanded its withdrawal

Circars Bistro, Visakhapatnam’s newest American and continental dining space, offers a smorgasbord of offerings for the palate

1. STD epidemic slows as new syphilis and gonorrhea cases fall in US  The Associated Press
2. Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2023  CDC
3. At Long Last, the Surge in S.T.I.s May Be Leveling Off  The New York Times
4. ‘Been a long time since I felt that way’: Sexually transmitted infection numbers provide new hope  POLITICO
5. There are millions of sexually transmitted infections in the US every year, but new data shows the epidemic may be slowing  CNN

1. Teen infected in Canada’s first bird flu case is in critical condition  The Washington Post
2. A Canadian teen is in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu  The Associated Press
3. Teenager in critical condition with Canada’s first human case of bird flu  The Guardian
4. H5N1-infected teenager now in ‘critical condition’ say Canadian doctors  The Telegraph
5. Canadian teen with suspected avian flu in critical condition  University of Minnesota Twin Cities

1. Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 20 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California  Spaceflight Now
2. SpaceX morning rocket launch in Cape Canaveral: What time is liftoff of Starlink satellites?  Florida Today
3. SpaceX rocket launches Koreasat-6A satellite, lands Falcon 9 booster on record-tying 23rd flight (video)  Space.com
4. Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 launches customer payloads, China to fly resupply mission to Tiangong  NASASpaceflight.com
5. SpaceX launches and lands Falcon 9 rocket deploying 24 Starlink satellites  KTLA Los Angeles

1. Fantasy football rankings Week 11: Sleepers, projections, starts, Russell Wilson, Calvin Ridley and more - The Athletic  The New York Times
2. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Quarterbacks For Fantasy Football Week 11  Sports Illustrated
3. Week 11 Waiver Wire: Top Pickups, Drops Likely Available After Reviewing Box Scores  Bleacher Report
4. Fantasy Football Week 11 Defense (DST) Rankings and Streamers  NBC Sports
5. Fantasy plays: Players to start and sit for NFL Week 11  The Associated Press

1. Video: Mike Tyson shows he's not your typical 58-year-old during open workout  MMA Junkie
2. Tyson vows to bring 'devil himself' into Paul fight  ESPN
3. Watch 58-Year-Old Mike Tyson Crush Pads Days Away from Jake Paul Fight  Sports Illustrated
4. Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to watch the fight, time, odds  The Associated Press
5. The Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match shows streaming is just cable now  The Washington Post

1. Horoscope for Wednesday, November 13, 2024  Chicago Sun-Times
2. Horoscope for Wednesday, 11/13/24 by Christopher Renstrom  SFGATE
3. Horoscope for November 13, 2024: Today's cosmsic energy brings luck to these zodiac signs  Hindustan Times
4. Your Daily Horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant: November 13, 2024  The Cut
5. Linda Black, what’s my horoscope today? Scorpio, listening helps avoid stupid arguments (11/13/24)  MLive.com

1. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns in abuse fallout: All to know  Al Jazeera English
2. Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Over U.K. Church Abuse Scandal  The New York Times
3. Why did Justin Welby fall so tragically short? Because he was preoccupied with efficiency, not listening  The Guardian
4. Church of England Leaders Kept Evangelical Beatings Secret  ChristianityToday.com
5. UK Priest Who Married Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Steps Down Over Child Abuse Scandal  NDTV

1. Republicans inch closer to US House majority, full control of Congress  Reuters
2. Republicans 2 seats away from House majority, giving Trump leeway to implement agenda  Fox News
3. State of Congress: Republicans near formal House majority  POLITICO

1. Who is Mike Huckabee, the evangelical, pro-settlement envoy to Israel?  Al Jazeera English
2. Mike Huckabee once said that ‘there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian’  CNN
3. Trump nominates Mike Huckabee for US ambassador to Israel  Fox News
4. Trump Picks Mike Huckabee, Former Arkansas Governor, for Ambassador to Israel  The New York Times

1. How will Donald Trump’s plans for education affect Chicago Public Schools?  Chicago Tribune
2. Trump pledged to close the Education Department. What would that mean?  The Washington Post
3. Could Donald Trump eliminate the Department of Education?  WCNC.com
4. So You Want To Abolish The Department Of Education? Here’s What You Need To Know.  Forbes

1. Special Counsel Jack Smith plans to resign, file report before Trump can fire him: report  Fox News
2. Jack Smith expected to resign ahead of Trump inauguration  WAVY.com
3. Special counsel Jack Smith plans to retire before Trump takes office: report  New York Post

1. 'Taking revenge on society': Deadly Zhuhai car attack sparks questions in China  BBC.com
2. Man Upset About Divorce Allegedly Rams Car into Crowd, Killing 35: Reports  PEOPLE
3. Video: 35 killed in mass hit-and-run in Zhuhai, China  CNN
4. Driver rams his car into crowd in China, killing 35. Police say he was upset about his divorce  The Associated Press
5. Zhuhai car attack: China clears memorial as government scrambles to respond  Reuters

If you've caught an adorable ladybug and you want to keep it for a while as a pet, they're easy to care for! In this article, we'll tell you how to set up a ladybug habitat and feed it so your ladybug is happy and healthy. Just remember to release your ladybug after a few days since they tend to thrive best in their natural habitat.

Trump's flying car initiative gains momentum as UFO expert Dr. Michael Salla signals potential involvement, bringing advanced aerospace expertise to ambitious urban development plan.

The on again, off again Federal Do Not Cal List is now officially, and permanently, on again. Earlier this week a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FTC and FCC's registry does not violate the telephone solicitors First...

Funny and somewhat scary Fund Race uses freely available data from the FEC on campaign contributions. You can search by zip code, address, or even name, to find who is donating, to which candidate, and how much. Find out if...

Canada becomes the first national government to roll out an integrated RSS-syndicated eNewsroom.

Summary: We know that LLMs hallucinate. And we know that we can overcome some of that problem with better prompts. But can LLMs provide references for their work? I conducted an experiment.

Recently my friend Scott Mace asked this on X in response to a post about the evolution of software and how LLMs will likely follow that same trajectory:

Yes, but how trustworthy will it be? Can I at least see the links it used to create its response?

From X
Referenced 2024-05-21T18:09:06-0400

The short answer is "no", but the real answer is a bit more nuanced because of how LLMs like ChatGPT work. First the short answer: LLMs don't understand what they're saying so they can't reference the material that it used to create a response. They don't work like that. They don't go out, do a bunch of research and then create a response. Instead lots (and I mean LOTS) of material is fed into the program that creates the model, a multi-dimensional matrix of word orders. Then when you ask a question ("give it prompt" in LLM-speak), it processes the question and generates text based on the probabilities of words in its model¹. There's no way it can satisfy Scott directly because the model doesn't—can't, as far as I know—include the references that it used to create the text because it's generating it on the fly from material that has been thoroughly blended together.

But, in fairness, that's not what people do most of the time either. If you asked me over lunch or at the end of a tech presentation to describe zero trust and its pros and cons, I'd start talking. I wouldn't start looking up things on the web and somehow weave them into text complete with references. I'd go look for references if you asked me to back up something I said. So, let's try that with ChatGPT 4o. I gave it the following prompt:

You are a writer for a website focusing on technology. Your specialty is security. Write a 150 word explanation of zero trust with three pros and three cons.

ChaptGPT answered with this text:

Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle of "never trust, always verify." Unlike traditional security models that assume everything inside the network is safe, Zero Trust assumes that threats can exist both inside and outside the network. It requires strict identity verification for every user and device attempting to access resources, regardless of their location.

Pros:

1. Enhanced Security: By continuously verifying users and devices, Zero Trust reduces the risk of breaches and unauthorized access.
2. Minimized Attack Surface: It limits access to only what is necessary, reducing potential entry points for attackers.
3. Improved Compliance: Helps meet regulatory requirements by ensuring strict access controls and logging all access attempts.

Cons:

1. Complex Implementation: Deploying Zero Trust can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a significant overhaul of existing systems and processes.
2. Increased Costs: The initial investment in technology and training can be high.
3. User Experience Impact: Continuous verification can lead to friction and inconvenience for users if not implemented smoothly.

Zero Trust is essential for modern cybersecurity, but it requires careful planning and resources to implement effectively.

That's pretty good. But what if we need some references to other material to back up the pros and cons? I asked ChatGPT to supply them:

Now repeat that task, but this time include references as hyperlinks to back up each pro and con.

ChaptGPT answered with this text:

Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle of "never trust, always verify." Unlike traditional security models that assume everything inside the network is safe, Zero Trust assumes that threats can exist both inside and outside the network. It requires strict identity verification for every user and device attempting to access resources, regardless of their location.

Pros:

1. Enhanced Security: By continuously verifying users and devices, Zero Trust reduces the risk of breaches and unauthorized access (CSO Online).
2. Minimized Attack Surface: It limits access to only what is necessary, reducing potential entry points for attackers (NIST).
3. Improved Compliance: Helps meet regulatory requirements by ensuring strict access controls and logging all access attempts (Gartner).

Cons:

1. Complex Implementation: Deploying Zero Trust can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a significant overhaul of existing systems and processes (Forrester).
2. Increased Costs: The initial investment in technology and training can be high (ZDNet).
3. User Experience Impact: Continuous verification can lead to friction and inconvenience for users if not implemented smoothly (TechRepublic).

Zero Trust is essential for modern cybersecurity, but it requires careful planning and resources to implement effectively.

That looks great! Nice references for each bullet. There's just one problem. All the links, except the NIST reference, are dead. I don't know if they're wrong, made up, or stale. I tried finding content on a few of the sites by searching and came up dry. As I heard Johannes Ernst say once, ChatGPT is a "large language model" not a "large fact model" and this bears that out.

Still, asking for references or evidence for statements is something people are going to want. So, I tried a different tack. This time I asked this:

Why do you say complex implementation is a problem for zero trust? Can you give me a few references on that I can read myself?

ChatGPT responded with this:

Implementing a Zero Trust security model can be challenging for several reasons:

1. Overall Complexity: Zero Trust requires a comprehensive understanding of your network's intricacies, including users, devices, applications, and data. This can involve significant changes to existing infrastructure, which can be disruptive and costly. Organizations need to be prepared for the extensive planning and resources required for successful implementation​ (Help Net Security)​​ (Enterprise Networking Planet​).
2. Legacy Systems: Many organizations have legacy systems that are not designed to operate within a Zero Trust framework. These systems might require different security measures or even complete replacement, adding to the complexity and cost (Help Net Security)​​ (Enterprise Networking Planet​)
3. Cultural Shift: Zero Trust is not just a technological shift but also a cultural one. It requires continuous verification and strict access controls, which can lead to user frustration and resistance if not managed properly. Ensuring user buy-in and minimizing disruption to workflows through training and communication is essential (Deloitte United States)​​ (Guidehouse).
4. Resource Intensive: Implementing and maintaining Zero Trust can put a strain on IT resources due to the need for continuous monitoring and management. The need for advanced security tools and ongoing updates further adds to the resource demands (Help Net Security)​​ (Enterprise Networking Planet​).
5. Stakeholder Alignment: Achieving buy-in from all stakeholders and aligning them with the Zero Trust principles is critical. This requires a coordinated effort to educate stakeholders, prioritize gaps, and ensure consistent understanding and application of Zero Trust principles across the organization (Deloitte United States)​​ (Guidehouse).

These challenges highlight the importance of a phased and well-planned approach to Zero Trust implementation, considering both technological and human factors. For more detailed insights, you can refer to articles from Help Net Security and Guidehouse.

Much better. The links in the bullets all work, but the ones at the end don't. The articles it references aren’t very detailed, so I wouldn’t say they’re stellar references, but at least there’s a pointer to outside material that discusses similar challenges. So, partial success.

I've found that when you're using ChatGPT to do research, treating it like a librarian and asking questions that follow up are the best way to gain confidence that the material is correct and find the supporting material, just as I did above. I'm sure you could wrap additional helper functions around an LLM to make getting references easier. But for now interrogation through chat is the best way to get comfortable with the results.

Notes

1. Yeah, this is really simplified and thus wrong, but it's directionally correct. For a better explanation, see What Is ChatGPT Doing … and Why Does It Work?.

Photo Credit: Older Man Talking to Robot Librarian from DALL-E (public domain) Prompt: draw me a rectangular picture of an older man talking with a robot librarian. Use earth tones.

Tags: genai llm chatgpt prompt+engineering

Anna Mills, Bluesky Social, Nov 13, 2024

The most interesting migration in social media these days is from twitter to Bluesky. Here are two approaches to making it easier: the first is a 'starter pack' on people in AI and education. It makes use of the Bluesky Lists feature or the Bluesky Starter Pack. In the same genre, here's a Tech Media Starter Pack. The second, via Miguel Guhlin, is based on a hashtag with members listed on a Google Docs spreadsheet. It's cleverly done. You have to apply to be listed on the spreadsheet, and to be accepted you have to use the #Edusky hashtag in your account on Bluesky. Viral. Here's the Edusky feed.

Helen J. DeWaard, Canadian Journal of Learning Technology, Nov 13, 2024

I enjoyed the lavish illustrations in this article, a rarity in academic publications. After anm introductory section, the paper offers what is essentially a dialogue around the topic of sharing and openness in education. This bit from  the abstract resonated most with me: "It is becoming ever more important to share expertise as practitioners, researchers, and theorists in the field of education by making explicit what is often tacit and unspoken, and when sharing knowledge, reflections, and actions. By actively thinking-out-loud through blogs, social media, and open scholarly publications, educators can openly share details of what, how, and why they do what they do." This is the space where OLDaily operates - a somewhat middle ground between full academia on the one hand and the popular press on the other.

Paula MacDowell, Kristin Moskalyk, Katrina Korchinski, Dirk Morrison, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, Nov 13, 2024

This paper reports on a process where thirty-five teachers enrolled in an elective three-credit multimedia design course "engaged in experiential activities focussed on developing artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, alongside a collaborative assignment to co-author an open-access textbook, Teaching and Creating With Generative Artificial Intelligence." In the process, "the Student Artificial Intelligence Literacy (SAIL) framework was developed (illustrated)." The paper concludes with the usual recommendations ('do no harm', 'develop communication skills', etc.). Each participant wrote a chapter, though a common template was used. I very much like the idea of producing a useful open resource as part of class activities. Oddly, the article doesn't provide a link to the textbook, but I found it here. It's a nice selection of 'how-to' articles that readers, I think, will find useful. One chapter (chapter 20 1/2?) is missing.

Alexandra Mihai, The Educationalist, Nov 13, 2024

Interesting commentary on the state of research in educational technology today and what's missing. What's missing? Research that links theory through technology to needs and practices (so I summarize). Thus, Alexandra Mihai looks for "insights into how educational technology can enhance the learning process" and "how technology can contribute to addressing the increasing diversity of our learner population." Mihai also considers the impact of AI on the research process, suggesting "it's so important to maintain our agency in the research and writing process." I don't think education as a discipline has come to terms enough with how people actually learn, which (to me) explain the persistence of the sort of teacher- and institution-focused approaches Mihai asks for here.

Roberto J. Rodriguez, et al., Office of Educational Technology, Nov 13, 2024

This is a longish (79 page PDF) resource from the U.S. government's Office of Educational Technology. "The Department heard educators say that AI is here to stay, AI will keep changing, and safely integrating AI in educational settings will require informed leadership at multiple levels across the education system." The toolkit is divided into three sections: migitating risks, strategy for AI integration, and guiding its use. The risks considered include privacy and data security, student civil rights, accessibility, and digital equity. The second section is weaker, focusing on the 'instructional core' (credited to Elmore, but basically Moore (1989)), with a corresponding focus on instruction. The third section begins with a discussion of AI literacy (limited to "includes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to engage with AI safely") and promotion of "responsible use". 

Paul Sawers, TechCrunch, Nov 13, 2024

According to this article, "Meta has launched a new partnership with a slew of universities in the U.S. and U.K., as it looks to ingrain VR across the education system." I guess it's a big deal (per Mixed, Upload, Social Media Today, Technopedia, ReadWrite, etc etc) but it's hard for me to stifle a yawn. It's not simply that I was here for the Second Life hype, it's that their product is a "digital twin" of the university - "environments that directly replicate their real-world campus counterparts" - the least imaginative use of any media ever. I think there's a lot of room for VR in education, but this announcement isn't it.

Forgoing watching Arnold at the RNC last night, I tuned in instead to the streaming video keynote from the Apple Expo 2004 in Paris. It was the first public demonstration of the Tiger OS and several other hardware and software products. For something to really rock your world, take a look at the new IMac G5.