Make it till you fake it
Even as a science journal retracts a study claiming Roundup is safe, the White House is trying to shield Bayer from lawsuits, illustrating the MAGA-MAHA schism. / Mother Jones
Related: Monsanto employees coauthored the study that became a cornerstone of the company’s claims of glyphosate’s safety. / Retraction Watch
In March, Trump signed an executive order to crack down on ticket scalpers; last week, his pardon of a sports executive effectively killed a federal case to improve ticket pricing. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
Voters’ minds are notoriously hard to change, but AI chatbots are remarkably good at it, regardless of whether the information they convey is factual or not. / The Washington Post [$]
“You try to make it good without making it distracting.” On films within films and the enduring influence of Angels With Filthy Souls. / The Guardian
See also: Real TV episode title cards that almost look fake. / Bluesky
A timeline of movies set in the future shows we’re now in the era of Her, Children of Men, and the Terminator, and that doesn’t seem entirely far-fetched. / Philip Bump
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“Our sense that we’re getting stupider may simply reflect our determination to be smart.” But really, are we getting stupider? / The New Yorker
There’s growing evidence that people are writing like chatbots, but it’s difficult to tell if that’s because chatbots are starting to sound more like people. / Gizmodo
See also: Will AI writing ever be good? / Read Max
“Some remain enamored with generative AI. What they lack in taste, they make up for in power.” AI art is bad, but it’s not going away. / Jacobin
Decades of optimization have turned the country music industry into an assembly line, making it ripe for AI automation. / The Verge
A photo of a crushed can of beer has won this year’s Turnip Prize, the award for the worst art that took the least effort. / BBC News
“A wild beaver has been spotted in Norfolk for the first time since beavers were hunted to extinction in England at the beginning of the 16th century.” / The Guardian
For those who love the look of old—even ancient—houses with modern extensions, here are some of the year’s best. / Dezeen
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