The New Risks ChatGPT Poses to Cybersecurity

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The New Risks ChatGPT Poses to Cybersecurity     The FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report found that phishing is the most common IT threat in America. From a hacker’s perspective, ChatGPT is a game changer, affording hackers from all over the globe a near fluency in English to bolster their phishing campaigns. Bad actors may also be able to trick the AI into generating hacking code. And, of course, there’s the potential for ChatGPT itself to be hacked, disseminating dangerous misinformation and political propaganda. This article examines these new risks, explores the needed training and tools for cybersecurity professionals to respond, and calls for government oversight to ensure that AI usage doesn’t become detrimental to cybersecurity efforts. Continued here

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How the shooting of Ralph Yarl demonstrates the fiction of a colorblind society in America     Given the gunshot wounds to his head and arm, the fact that Ralph Yarl was able to celebrate his 17th birthday on May 7, 2023, is a modern-day miracle. Less than a month earlier, on April 13, Yarl had gone to pick up his twin younger brothers from a play date in the Northland section of Kansas City, Kansas. Continued here

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From Black GIs to Puff Daddy: how African Americans fell in love with cognac     Naa Oyo A. Kwate a reçu des financements de National Institutes of Health; Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme.In the quiet town of Cognac, France, on a quaint cobblestone street just off the banks of the Charente River, lies the Musée des Arts du Cognac. The museum recounts the history, savoir-faire, and world renown of France’s most famous hard liquor. The production of cognac began in the early 1600s, and the museum covers everything in this long history from the crus that form the terroir to the painstaking process of building the barrels in which the spirit ages. One exhibit identifies cognac as “a particular favourite with middle class people of Afro-american or Latin origin.” It doesn’t really explain what that means – the fact that cognac’s biggest market by far is the United States, and within the country, African Americans reportedly comprise the largest share of consumers. Continued here

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Classic literature still offers rich lessons about life in the deep blue sea     When OceanGate, the deep-sea exploration enterprise, created a promotional video for its ill-fated US$250,000-per-head trip to see the wreck of the Titanic, it told prospective passengers to “Get ready for what Jules Verne could only imagine – a 12,500-foot journey to the bottom of the sea.” Those behind the video hoped viewers would recognize the allusion to the author of one of the most influential and widely read oceanic novels of all time, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”There are indeed eerie similarities between the 1870 French novel and the circumstances surrounding the Titan submersible, which lost contact less than two hours into its descent into the depths of the Atlantic. Continued here

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AI scam calls imitating familiar voices are a growing problem - here's how they work     Scam calls using AI to mimic voices of people you might know are being used to exploit unsuspecting members of the public. These calls use what’s known as generative AI, which refers to systems capable of creating text, images or any other media such as video, based on prompts from a user. Deepfakes have gained notoriety over the last few years with a number of high-profile incidents, such as actress Emma Watson’s likeness being used in a series of suggestive adverts that appeared on Facebook and Instagram. Continued here

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Common diabetes drug metformin could protect against long COVID     There are no drugs to treat long COVID – a condition that affects around 2 million people in the UK alone – so you can imagine the excitement when a cheap diabetes drug called metformin was shown to decrease the risk of getting the disease. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, showed that if you give people who are overweight or obese metformin when they are ill with COVID, they are 40% less likely to develop long COVID compared with people who are given a placebo (dummy pill). Continued here

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Soviet aggression prompted the birth of the Nato alliance - here's why that matters now     Reader in Military History and Intelligence Studies in the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University As Nato leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss Ukraine’s future within the alliance, it’s worth considering how the current discussions compare to the beginnings of the organisation. Continued here

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Here's how the Bank of Canada's interest rate hike to 5% will impact Canadian households     The Bank of Canada has just hiked its interest rate by another 25 points to five per cent — the second quarter-point hike since June’s interest rate increase to 4.75 per cent. The central bank has been steadily increasing interest rates over the past three years in an effort to tame inflation. While inflation is finally levelling out — June’s inflation rate was 3.4 per cent, the lowest since it peaked at 8.1 per cent in June 2022 — it still remains higher than the central bank’s two per cent target. Continued here

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Germany's far-right AfD makes key political gains as Olaf Scholz's governing coalition wobbles     Opinion polls and local election results currently make unhappy reading for Germany’s government. In fact, the consistently strong performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Europe’s largest member state (and arguably the member state with the best reasons to ward off a far-right challenge) is worrying for everyone.The anti-immigration, climate sceptic AfD recently celebrated two significant local election wins and has been polling ahead of the government in national voter intention polls. This happened despite the fact that the German courts have the whole party being monitored by the secret service on grounds of suspected extremism. Continued here

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When charities engage in 'brand activism', research shows they must demonstrate bravery to attract donations     Charities often rely on “warm and fuzzy” images and “poverty porn” tactics to attract donations. But in recent years, some UK not-for-profits have shifted towards activism-driven campaigns. Shelter’s 2021 Fight for Home campaign took a bold stand in support of the human right to safe housing with a protest-inspired logo redesign and a campaign spotlighting real people affected by the UK housing crisis. And more recently, during Pride month (June), charities including the Worldwide Fund for Nature changed their logos to a rainbow to signal their LGBTQ+ allyship. Continued here

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The French Revolution executed royals and nobles, yes - but most people killed were commoners     For a lot of people, mention of the French Revolution conjures up images of wealthy nobles being led to the guillotine. Thanks to countless movies, books and half-remembered history lessons, many have been left with the impression the revolution was chiefly about chopping off the heads of kings, queens, dukes and other cashed-up aristocrats.But as we approach what’s known in English as Bastille Day and in French as Quatorze Juillet – a date commemorating events of July 14 in 1789 that came to symbolise the French Revolution – it’s worth correcting this common misconception. Continued here

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How children affected by criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland need better legal protections     In the 25 years since the Good Friday agreement was signed, paramilitarism in Northern Ireland has remained ever-present in some communities. Of the 3,260 instances of paramilitary violence meted out since Northern Ireland achieved peace, 349 have involved children. These attacks have been shown to form part of an informal system of community “policing”. Both Loyalist and Republican paramilitary groups carry out so-called “punishments” against children accused of anti-social behaviour. Continued here

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How Gen Z are disrupting the definition of 'prestigious' jobs     Even before Molly Johnson-Jones graduated from Oxford University in 2015, she felt professional pressure to land a ‘prestigious’ job in a high-powered industry. She says she and her university friends felt there were sectors that carried cachet – particularly the rigorous fields of finance, consulting, medicine and law. That’s why Johnson-Jones ended up in investment banking for two years once she graduated, even though didn’t feel like quite the right fit.These kinds of “very traditional industries” have indeed carried prestige, says Jonah Stillman, co-founder of GenGuru, a consulting firm that focuses on different generations in the workplace. Stillman, a Gen Zer, says this sentiment is present in higher-education settings, but he adds many people across generations have felt pressure well before university to pursue these paths, including from family members or high-school counsellors.  Continued here

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Removing dams from the Klamath River is a step toward justice for Native Americans in Northern California     The Klamath River runs over 250 miles (400 kilometers) from southern Oregon to the Pacific Ocean in Northern California. It flows through the steep, rugged Klamath Mountains, past slopes of redwood, fir, tanoak and madrone, and along pebbled beaches where willows shade the river’s edge. Closer to its mouth at Requa, the trees rising above the river are often blanketed in fog. The Klamath is central to the worldviews, history and identity of several Native nations. From headwaters in Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin-Paiute lands, it flows through Shasta, Karuk, Hupa and Yurok homelands. The Yurok Tribe has legally recognized the personhood of the river. Continued here

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Children, like adults, tend to underestimate how welcome their random acts of kindness will be     We gave 101 kids who were 4-17 years old and 99 adults who were visiting a museum in Chicago an opportunity to perform a random act of kindness. They received two museum-branded pencils and were told that they could keep both pencils but were encouraged to give one to another visitor.The people taking part in this stage of our two experiments then completed a survey asking them to predict how big the pencil’s recipient would consider this act of kindness to be, how positive or negative that person would say they felt afterward, and how good or bad the act of giving the pencil away made them feel. Continued here

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Flexible and Effective: Leadership Strategies for the Hybrid Workplace     Our summer special report helps leaders gain a comprehensive view of risks, learn how to overcome market disrupters, and manage the analytical tools that provide predictive insight for decision-making.Our summer special report helps leaders gain a comprehensive view of risks, learn how to overcome market disrupters, and manage the analytical tools that provide predictive insight for decision-making.Many leaders don’t know how to manage work based on outcomes versus the proverbial “bums in seats” — tracking who is at the office and for how long. But it’s possible to have a high-performing, healthy workplace culture in a hybrid workplace, with flexibility in when and where people work. It just needs to be managed differently. Continued here

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The eight best gothic books of all time     Where would we be without gothic literature? With its seductive blend of the strange and macabre, gothic literature is one of those few genres that is also a mood: castles, coffins and claustrophobia, yes, but also darkness, secrets and vengeance.That flexibility helps the gothic slip in through the cracks, popping up in everything from the dark academia trend to TV’s Stranger Things. I found it sneaking into my second novel, The Birdcage Library, without even trying (though admittedly it is set in a castle). Continued here

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Biophobia: search trends reveal a growing fear of nature     Fear, disgust, and other phobic reactions are not uncommon when it comes to our interactions with the natural world – who doesn’t know someone who is afraid of spiders or snakes? Indeed, fear of spiders (arachnophobia) or of snakes (ophidiophobia) are thought to be among the most common “biophobias”.The latter is defined by the American Psychological Association as “the fear toward certain species and general aversion to nature that creates an urge to affiliate with technology and other human artifacts, interests, and constructions rather than with animals, landscapes, and other elements of the natural world”. Continued here

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Fungi could be the next frontier in fire safety     Australia is no stranger to fire-related disasters. The country experiences more than 17,000 residential fires each year.Each winter brings an increase in potential fire hazards due to the use of heaters and candles. Couple this with our already fire-prone vegetation, and a generally hot and dry climate, and you can see why there’s an urgent need to develop effective and sustainable fireproofing methods. Continued here

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Ezekiel Guti: revered Zimbabwean church leader who preached hard work and morals over miracles     Josiah Taru is affiliated with Great Zimbabwe University and the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at the University of PretoriaGreat Zimbabwe University provides support as an endorsing partner of The Conversation AFRICA. Continued here

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Are You Failing to Prepare the Next Generation of C-Suite Leaders? - SPONSOR CONTENT FROM DAGGERWING     For many people leaders, that’s been the mantra for the past three years. “Let’s just get through this moment in time, focus on the short-term solutions for our immediate needs, and when things go back to normal, we’ll deal with all the issues we’ve been putting on the backburner.” Continued here

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Cicadas could hold the secret to self-cleaning surfaces - new study     Keeping your car windowpanes spotless can feel like a never-ending battle against the forces of dirt and dust. But insects like cicadas have a fascinating trick up their sleeves that keeps their wings spotless, without the insect putting in any effort. And it may hold the key to save us the hassle of constant cleaning. Thanks to the peculiar texture of cicada wings, morning dew condenses on them and gradually grows into small water droplets. These droplets remove dust particles and microorganisms as they collide with each other or roll down the insect’s wings. Continued here

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From Shakespeare to Harry Styles: Have audiences always been rowdy?     When Harry Styles was pelted with chicken nuggets while on stage at New York's Madison Square Gardens last summer, he took it in his stride. "Interesting approach," smiled Styles, who has also weathered kiwi fruits, Skittles and bunches of flowers while performing. But when a mystery object hit him in the eye at a concert in Vienna last weekend, he wasn't laughing but, rather, wincing in pain.More like this: - The darker side of Disney songs - Gen Z and millennials' summer pastime - The Beatles' greatest album Continued here

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Author, ambassador, commentator, critic? It's not always easy to earn a crust as a former PM     Few Australians are losing sleep over how Scott Morrison is going to earn a crust after politics. Few outside the federal Coalition, at any rate. His continuing presence on the opposition backbench serves as a distraction from the present and reminder of the past. Unfortunately, that past keeps intruding on the present – most recently, in the form of the robodebt royal commission report. There is no reason to believe relief is in sight. Morrison’s prime ministership was a landmark in one respect that is rarely noticed. Leaving aside the independently wealthy Malcolm Turnbull, Morrison is the first prime minister originally elected to parliament under the post-2004 superannuation arrangements for politicians. These were the result of a decision made by the Howard government, as a defensive measure against an insurgent Labor Party under Mark Latham, to end the gold-plated scheme that had politicians getting a pension for life once they had been in parliament for eight years, with further generous benefits for ministers. Continued here

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A new, thin-lensed telescope design could far surpass James Webb - goodbye mirrors, hello diffractive lenses     Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life. To find the answer, astronomers will likely need more powerful telescopes than exist today.I am an astronomer who studies astrobiology and planets around distant stars. For the last seven years, I have been co-leading a team that is developing a new kind of space telescope that could collect a hundred times more light than the James Webb Space Telescope, the biggest space telescope ever built. Continued here

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Putting a price on exoskeleton assistance puts users in the driver's seat of honing the tech     My colleagues and I have used a tool from economics to measure the costs and benefits of wearing an exoskeleton, and we found that it offers a modest average benefit of US$3.40 per hour while walking uphill, when considering the combined effects of the assistance and device weight. This modest value is in contrast to the value of the assistance alone, which was much greater, at $19.80 per hour. These values were derived using our novel approach, which subtracts the values of the costs and benefits. Exoskeletons are mechanical devices that people can wear to boost their power or efficiency. They can be used to assist in manual labor or to aid in rehabilitation from injuries. Our approach brings the user into the evaluation process, which makes it possible to take into account the many ways people experience exoskeletons. Continued here

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'Humanity's signature': study finds plastic pollution in the world's lakes can be worse than in oceans     A world-first study has found concentrations of plastics in some lakes are higher than in the most contaminated parts of oceans, demonstrating the extent to which plastics have invaded Earth’s ecosystems.Lakes are sentinels for human activity. Many lakes are already suffering from issues such as algal blooms, deoxygenation, over-extraction and drying. Plastic contamination adds yet another threat to these highly stressed ecosystems. Continued here

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A Surfboard-Snatching Sea Otter Is Vexing Wildlife Officials in California     While the animal’s antics may look cute, the dangerous behavior could bring harm to humans or force authorities to euthanize the endangered mammalMeet 841, a sea otter with an affinity for surfboards. Over the past few years, photos and videos of the 5-year-old female have made the rounds on the internet, showing the creature fearlessly approaching surfers in the waters off Santa Cruz, California. But lately, it seems the otter’s antics have escalated. In some instances, the marine mammal has been spotted biting and stealing surfboards—and even climbing atop them. Continued here

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Female physicists aren't represented in the media - and this lack of representation hurts the physics field     Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But while the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on.As a physics professor who studies ways to support women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – fields and a film studies professor who worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, we believe the trailer’s depiction of women reinforces stereotypes about who can succeed in science. It also represents a larger trend of women’s contributions in science going unrecognized in modern media. Continued here

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Divorce benefits: How companies are helping workers navigate separation     Mental-health services, fertility treatments, paid menstrual leave, even pet bereavement – throughout the past few years, workplace benefits have evolved to keep up with employees’ increasing desire for a positive work-life balance.Now, some companies are also providing support for workers navigating the intense and time-consuming – but common – process of divorce. Continued here