This Year, We Found Ourselves Overwhelmed by a Flood of Clever Yet Meaningless AI Noise

OpenAI founder Sam Altman is featured on Sora

Sora/Screenshot

There’s no doubt that 2025 will be remembered as the year of decline. “Slop,” a term for AI-generated content that is often off-base, bizarre, and visually unappealing, has infiltrated nearly every online platform. It is also starting to corrupt our hearts.

Sufficient slop has built up over recent years that scientists can now assess its long-term effects on people. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that individuals using large-scale language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT exhibit significantly less brain activity compared to those who do not. This could adversely affect mental health as reports suggest that specific chatbots may encourage unhealthy beliefs and worsen certain mental health issues.

Furthermore, deepfakes have become ubiquitous, complicating the verification of truth online. A Microsoft study indicates that humans can distinguish between real and AI-generated videos only 62% of the time.

OpenAI’s latest application serves as a video sharing platform that is primarily AI-generated, except for one aspect: the app scans your likeness and integrates you and real individuals into the fictional scenes it creates. OpenAI’s founder Sam Altman has downplayed its significance by allowing users to create videos featuring him stealing GPU and performing skibbiddy toilet-style antics.

Yet, what about AI’s supposedly transformative effects on workplace efficiency? One study reveals that the introduction of AI has resulted in a decline in productivity, with 95% of organizations implementing AI reporting a lack of tangible returns on investment.

Slop devastates lives and careers. It is also eroding our historical narrative. As I work on a book about archaeology, I worry that future historians will look back upon the media from this period and criticize the layers of manipulative and false content. One key reason for recording our experiences, whether through writing or video, is to maintain a historical record of our activities. When I write, I aim to create a legacy that allows those living 5,000 years from now to understand who we were amidst the chaos.

AI chatbots recycle meaningless language. They produce content but not genuine memories. Historically, this may be more harmful than propaganda, which is typically crafted by people with clear intentions, reflecting societal issues and politics. Slop risks erasing our presence from our historical records, making it challenging to discern the intent behind it.

Perhaps the sole way to counteract our current cultural sloppiness is by coining words devoid of meaning. This might explain the emergence of the Gen Z “6-7” phenomenon in the mainstream. This term was designated, albeit nonverbally, as “Word of the Year” by dictionary.com. You can always default to saying 6-7 when lacking a specific response or for no reason at all. What will the future bring? 6-7. What impact will AI slop have on art? 6-7. How do we navigate a reality where jobs are scarce, violence escalates, and climate science is persistently disregarded? 6-7.

I would be intrigued to see AI companies attempt to create content around 6-7. Because humans remain one step ahead of the slop, inventing new forms of nonsense and ambiguity that can only be truly understood by another human.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Fame: A Clever and Thrilling Journey Over 30 Years

Angier (Hugh Jackman) shines in the cinematic adaptation

AJ Photos/Alam

fame
Priest Christopher (available in the UK and the US)

fame is perhaps most recognized for Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film adaptation of “The Prestige.” However, the accompanying books have captivated audiences and are often celebrated as literary masterpieces.

I only picked up this book recently, as I initially thought it revolved around stage tricks. Many claim to delight in the magician’s artistry, but I’d rather invest my evening enjoying something else. I was skeptical about reading a book focused on stage magicians from the late 19th century.

However, a conversation with science fiction writer Adam Roberts last year led me to ask him for his favorite sci-fi authors, to which he quickly included Christopher Priest. fame, no matter your stance on stage magic.

This sparked my interest, despite my reluctance towards the flashy white gloves and top hats. Plus, Tor’s republishing of the novel marks 30 years since its initial release, complete with a new introduction by John Clute. (Priest sadly passed away last year.)

Within the story are two distinct but closely related stage tricks and their mechanisms. Our primary protagonist (a loose term) is Magician Alfred Borden, known for his trick named The Transported Man. In essence, it features Borden entering one side of the stage and reappearing in a booth on the opposite end to thunderous applause.

If you appreciate complex and skillfully designed puzzle mysteries, this book is definitely for you.

However, Borden has a rival named Rupert Angier, who becomes obsessed with deciphering Borden’s transportation tricks. Angier then creates his own magical marvel, seemingly appearing instantly from within a blinking machine to another part of the theater.

Now it is Borden who grapples with unraveling the mystery of Angier’s performance, teetering on the edge of madness in his quest to uncover it. This intense rivalry culminates in a generational cycle. Consequently, Borden and Angier share narration duties with their respective descendants.

The novel is genuinely gripping, pulling you in like a magician enthralling an audience. Yet, it’s much more sophisticated than it seems at first glance.

I’ve yet to test this theory, but I believe you can read various sections in almost any order, and it remains engaging and comprehensible. In essence, it’s surprisingly well-constructed.

Concerning genre, it won the World Fantasy Award upon its initial release, but it incorporates elements of science, including real-life figures like inventor Nikola Tesla, and is often classified as science fiction today. The book’s atmosphere has gothic and steampunk influences, with a vintage style fitting for its period.

So if you’re a fan of intricate and beautifully crafted puzzle mysteries, this book is certainly worth your time. It triumphs in both plot and expertly managed suspense. I’m excited to see Nolan’s film adaptation, which is reportedly quite different from the book, but Priest himself praised the film and believed Nolan executed it well.

I would also suggest Emily…

World War
HG Wells (various publishers)
Given that Christopher Priest served as Vice President of the HG Wells Association, it seems fitting to recommend reading (or re-reading for many) this significant work. Originally published in 1898, it’s astonishingly modern in many ways. It’s a cornerstone of classic science fiction, even before the genre was officially recognized. I recommend it simply because it’s a classic worth revisiting.

Emily H. Wilson is the former editor of the New Scientist and author of the Sumerian trilogy set in ancient Mesopotamia. The final book in the series, Ninshuval, is set for release in August. You can find her online at emilyhwilson.com or follow her on x @emilyhwilson and instagram @emilyhwilson1

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Clever Cockatoos Master the Art of Using Public Drinking Fountains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tt-ylnz34s

In Sydney, Australia, Okkatoo has mastered the use of public water fountains by turning the handle, a feat not easy for birds. It appears they are imitating one another’s actions.

The Occato, or Kakatua Gallerita, engages in an intellectual competition, as some individuals have figured out how to open waste bins in eastern Sydney. In response, humans devise ways to keep these bins locked while continuing to find methods to open them.

Following reports of similar occurrences with Okkatoos using drinking fountains in western Sydney, Lucy Aplin from the Australian National University and her team temporarily marked 24 Occatos, accounting for a fifth of the local population. They documented the interactions at various drinking fountains, known as Bubblers in Australia.

Okkatoo using Sydney drinking fountain

Klump et al. 2025

During a 44-day observation, Cockatoos made 525 attempts to use a particularly popular fountain. Out of these, 105 attempts were made by 17 of the 24 marked birds. This indicates that about 70% of the more than 100 local birds attempted to use the fountain, according to researchers.

In their natural habitats, these birds typically drink from ponds or water stored in tree hollows near their roosts. However, Aplin notes they seem to prefer using the fountains instead, especially in the morning and evening, which are their regular drinking times before resting.

Researchers even observed more than 10 birds waiting for their turn at one bubbler, but the more dominant birds would often jump the queue.

Despite only 41% of the observed attempts being successful, the act of drinking from the fountain is certainly not a trivial task for these birds, according to Aplin.

“Birds must navigate their bodies through complicated movements,” she explains. “They often place one foot on the drinking fountain’s base and twist the handle with the other foot while leaning in to leverage their weight.”

She suspects that once an individual learns the technique, others follow suit by mimicking the actions.

“This serves as a clear example of culture—newly socially transmitted behaviors—which might surprise those who view culture as solely a human trait,” says Christina Zdenek from the University of Queensland, Australia. “Their innovative abilities in accessing new food and water sources are remarkable across the Tree of Life.”

Why are the Okkatoos doing this? Aplin posits that the water may taste superior to muddy pond water, or perhaps the bubbler offers a safer alternative from predators. It could also be a trend fueled by their thirst for innovation.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Review: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape One) Takes Us Back to the Summer of Riot Grrl in a Clever Teen Thriller

tYears ago, Parisian studios did not effectively create a new subgenre of narrative adventures, with teenage mystery life is strange. Part thriller, some relationship drama, it created an emotional Paean with unwavering friendship, using music, art and friendly characters. After a series of sequels, Nod's Montreal Studios created a new story about teenage relationships, split into two episodes or tapes.

In 1995, the introverted teen Swan faces his last quiet summer in a rural Velvet, Michigan town before his family moved to Vancouver. However, in the parking lot of a local video store, she meets fellow 16-year-old Nora, Autumn, and Kat, and the four girls bond about boredom and frustration with small town life. Soon they are inseparable, hiking in the nearby forest, setting camp fire, and confessing their secrets. Here they form the Bloom & Rage of the riot grrrl band, leading their dreams, desires and fear into fantasies of fame and revenge against silly boys and oppressive parents. However, when their swirling emotions seem to awaken a supernatural being in the forest, something terrible happens and the girls swear each other to the secrets of their lives.




A quiet summer, and… Lost record: Bloom & Rage. Photo: Don't nod

Twenty-seven years later, the group meets again in a rough bar on the outskirts of the town, which holds a special connection to their stories. Fall received an ominous package addressed to their band. Anything in the box could be the horrifying result of that tumultuous summer.

In the typical style of Not Nod, the game captivates interactive scenes and cinematic sequences, controlling the conversation that subtly shapes your relationships and story direction. The story interacts between two timelines that remind you of 2022 and two pivotal summers together in 1995. Sometimes the decision you make at the bar as 43-year-old Swann is renovated into her youthful experience, creating a fascinating ambiguity of causality and memory.




As with how we edit memories, just as it actually happens… Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Photo: Don't nod

Certainly, this game is about how we create and edit memories, just as we do what actually happens to girls. Swann is an avid filmmaker, and 1990s video cameras are with you throughout the game. You can always press the appropriate trigger and see the world through the camcorder lens. In the main story, we use it to shoot a band's music video, but you can record it at any time. This feature is incentivized by a bunch of theme checklists. Record 10 different birds, or 5 ruined playground rides, or graffiti snatches. But you can also capture your own scenes from and around town, record friends casually, and build sequences of themes that can be stored and edited. The interface recalls games like No Man's Sky and Marvel's Spider-Man, where shooting objects are practical gameplay components, but here the camcorder is also a factor of recollection and nostalgia. At the same time, we ask an interesting question about how the role of a player, both as a gamer and a cinematographer, relates to the protagonist, which we embodies in the game.

It's not the only clever trick the game plays in formats and conventions. For example, the dialogue system is specially designed to capture the dynamic energy and chaos of excitatory groups. Options and responses vary depending on who you are watching while you are speaking, characters screaming at each other and comments are lost in the noise. Sometimes you can time out the options in the dialog and choose not to say anything. In some great moments, this mechanic captures the desperate improvisational nature of a teen relationship, moments of wobbling or fleeting eye contact with one comment all day long.

You may find the dialogue to be robust and overly listened, and the sense of authenticity is increased. Those who have played Life Is Strange also see many similarities with the game, especially between Swann and Max Caulfield.

But like its predecessor, Lost Records stunningly captures the way in which seemingly insignificant moments are billed in meaning in younger adults. There's a picnic by the lake, then there's a game of truth or a crackle with absolute strength. The 90s setting is well supported with support with spot-on-contemporary references, from grunge band mixtapes to video players and trawldolls.

In the background, there is subtly a hint of the mystery at the heart of the game, and there is much to expect from the second part. Mainly, it's the character and its vulnerable relationship that sticks to you. Three days after finishing the game, I'm still thinking about them. Unless you simply refuse to indulge in emotional young adult drama, you will be there too.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape 1), now out. £59.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

A clever young scout attempts to construct a nuclear reactor in his family’s cabin. What ensued?

Nuclear reactions can be categorized as either fission (when an atomic nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei) or fusion (when two atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus). You can explore both of these reactions with a simple setup.

Small amounts of radioactive materials can be found in everyday objects, making nuclear fission a practical demonstration. For example, smoke detectors contain about 0.2 milligrams of americium-241, camping gas lanterns are coated with approximately 250 mg of thorium-232, and glow-in-the-dark gun sights contain around 1.2 micrograms of thorium-232. These materials are all radioactive and could potentially be combined to create a breeder reactor that uses neutrons emitted from one source to convert thorium-232 into the more radioactive uranium-233.

For a fusion reaction to occur, the temperature inside a fusion reactor must be hotter than the core of the sun – about 150 million °C (270 million °F) – Photo courtesy of Getty

David Hahn, a boy scout from Michigan, attempted this in 1994, but did not progress beyond the neutron generator stage before drawing attention from authorities. It is unlikely that his setup ever reached a stage where it could generate useful power.

Creating a functioning nuclear reactor from nuclear fission requires the ability to slow and control neutrons to maintain a self-sustaining fission reaction. Achieving this balance is challenging, especially in small reactors, and proper shielding and cooling are essential for safety.

While modern “microreactors” are available in the 5 megawatt range, they are still the size of a shipping container, making them unsuitable for small-scale setups.

Building a fusion reactor that uses an electric field to accelerate deuterium ions and fuse them into helium 3 is possible at home, resulting in a cold purple plasma. However, the energy required for the electric field exceeds the useful energy obtained from nuclear fusion, making it impractical as a reactor.

This article, by Tim Hurst from Sheffield, provides an answer to the question “Can I build a nuclear reactor in my shed?”

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