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Headline Highlights
Crafting great headlines can be challenging. The initial words may seem unusual, only to get even more unexpected as you read on. By the end, you question if you’re consuming reliable news or an experimental novel akin to James Joyce’s works.
For instance, a striking headline appeared in an online music magazine on November 29th in Stereogum:
“A shroom trip with immortal influencers and special guest Mr. Beast, DJed by Grimes.”
Don’t worry if it sounds confusing; I’ll clarify the context shortly.
Starting with Grimes: an artist known for her sci-fi-inspired music, her climate-focused 2020 album is titled Miss Anthropocene, while her debut, Gady Prime, pays homage (albeit with a misspelling) to Frank Herbert’s Dune.
Conversely, Brian Johnson is a tech mogul determined to achieve longevity, engaging in a variety of life-extending efforts. His regimen includes exercise, dietary modifications, and even experimenting with rapamycin, a drug typically prescribed to transplant patients (which he has ceased taking), alongside his bold ambition to upload his consciousness into an AI.
The narrative unfolds as Johnson consumes hallucinogenic mushrooms during a livestream, while undergoing numerous health assessments. Grimes was invited to provide musical entertainment during this session. Although YouTuber Mr. Beast did not participate, other noteworthy figures like Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, and technology journalist Ashlee Vance were involved. If we were to explore the effects of psilocybin, ideally, a trusted companion and qualified therapist would be present. But Johnson clearly had a plan.
Details about the event can be found in a video online, which spans a little over five and a half hours. While feedback should have closely monitored this session, we recognize that unlike Johnson, we acknowledge our mortality and don’t want to spend our time recklessly.
Unexpected Inquiry
This may lead to a recurring segment in your feedback: “Questions You Never Considered.” Our reader Keith Edkins stumbled upon such an inquiry. To those attempting to investigate it, good luck!
Keith referenced a 2014 paper in Folia Parasitologica, known for its focus on parasites. Among them, Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled organism that infects cats and is prevalent in many humans, might be linked to psychiatric disorders such as intermittent explosive disorder. The paper poses an intriguing question: “Is there a correlation between the prevalence of subclinical toxoplasmosis and the frequency of rhesus-negative patients with national traffic accident rates?”
As Keith noted, “With proper statistical handling, the answer seems to be ‘no.’” But what a question! Can anyone challenge it?
Graphic Anomalies
Descriptive graphics can often perplex. Throughout our extensive journey in science journalism, we’ve often sought clarity in complex figures shared by researchers. From convoluted flowcharts to intricately shaded bar graphs, confusion has been a constant.
However, a recent publication in Scientific Reports caught attention: it depicts a woman receiving a tin of biscuits. As our reader Jim Santo aptly remarked, “This is wild,” and it’s true. Released on November 19th, the study aims to establish an AI-driven system to assist in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders. While feedback doesn’t express particular opinions about the study itself, it has gathered significant interest.
Quickly downloading a copy after spotting discussions about the paper on social media, the primary concern raised was Figure 1, touted as “the overall behavior of the framework depicted as an infographic.” It’s astonishing enough to demand attention.
Centered in this graphic is a woman cradling a small child; intriguingly, her feet seem to be encased in concrete. The child points towards a speech bubble saying “Missing Values and Executive Functions.” To the right, another speech bubble displays “Historic Medical Frimbral and Environmental Features.”
Additional elements include pink blobs resembling deformed kidney beans, symbolizing “7 TOL Llne storee.” Also featuring is a so-called “Factor Fexsectern” and a mysterious spiked bicycle.
As noted in the magazine’s retraction, all of this was produced by AI. As we continued to observe the graphic, growing intrigue stirred within. There’s a mention of “Totalbottl” at its base, but the actual meaning remains elusive. As for the bicycle, perhaps someone was riding it.
Curiously, this Scientific Reports article could claim the title of one of the fastest withdrawals we’ve encountered. Typically, journals may take years to retract flawed studies. On December 3rd, Retraction Watch reported that numerous works attributed to psychologist Hans Eysenck might require retraction due to “questionable data” and other anomalies, including an outlandish assertion suggesting some individuals possess a “cancer-prone personality.” Interestingly, Eysenck passed away in 1997, illustrating the slow pace of rectifying such issues.
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