• THE ‘DEAD INTERNET’ IS A HALF-PROPHETIC CONSPIRACY which suggests that effectively the entire internet has been taken over by AI models and other autonomous machines with the vast majority of posts and profiles being just bots – in fact, barely interacting with humans at all, with everything we access online just a machine-maintained illusion, almost like ‘The Matrix.’ While having become a bit of an ironic joke, this theory does contain a kernel of truth, getting at a mounting anxiety at how fake and corporate the world wide web has become. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, creator of the most popular AI chatbot on Earth, now admits he’s starting to worry that Dead Internet theory is coming true. Ironic that his chatbot – whose entire purpose is to emptily imitate human writing and personality, capable of churning out entire novel’s worth of text with a smash of the enter key – effortlessly fakes facts as much as it does a human soul. It’s a spammer’s dream, elevating the entire industry whose products are now all joining in on treating the internet as their dumping ground. The ethos of these companies is largely that much of the human experience is something that can and should be automated to ensure as frictionless an existence as possible, with emails, DMs and texts all be easier written with an AI-generated image being a more convenient way of capturing our increasingly LLM-mediated imagination than a drawing or photograph.” [FUTURISM]

 

  • ALCOHOL VS. CANNABIS RESEARCH IS INCONCLUSIVE as to which is an overall healthier or more detrimental option, since THC is still classified as a ‘schedule 1’ drug without accepted medical use (despite approval in the majority of states), which limits medical studies. “From a biological perspective, the benefits are similar in terms of helping people relax and serving as a social lubricant. But purely from a safety perspective, cannabis wins, as long as ingested as a drink, gummy or edible. However, smoking from Vapes, which have no standardization as to what additives or other chemicals may be added, could be a lung damage risk factor. But no known quantity of cannabis can kill a person.” Alcohol, on the other hand, is classified as a group 1 carcinogen by Int’l Agency for Research on Cancer, and is “highly addictive with substance-use disorders that are highly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, is a toxic psychoactive & dependence-producing substance according to World Health Organization, and drinking a certain amount in one day will kill a person… So, the answer is complicated, but for clued-in consumers who are aware of their own psychological and physical strengths & weaknesses to ascertain whether a cannabis cocktail or a glass of wine might be exactly what the doctor tacitly approves of, cannabis appears to be safer.” [FOOD AND WINE.COM]

 

  • AS COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY CLASSES RESUME THIS WEEK AND MANY STUDENTS LEAVE HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME, parents are susceptible to ‘Empty Nest Syndrome’ – “a feeling of grief and loneliness associated with emotions typically driven by a fear of the unknown and inability to control their child’s environment. Symptoms of the syndrome can include depression, loss of a sense of purpose, feelings of rejection, worry, stress, anxiety, and fear for their child’s welfare, regardless of his/her age and life experience” at that point. For many parents, concern and/or guilt over whether or not they’ve personally prepared the child adequately to live independently is a further burden – emotions which often emanate in early childhood, when youngsters ‘leave the nest,’ as early as kindergarten and through teen years, when both guidance and control get increasingly surrendered to school systems as well as the child’s peer groups. Crisis mode isn’t merely an abstract emotion induced by a perceived danger or threat, it’s a physiological response that can lead to behavioral change,” but keeping perspective on the reality that vast majority of kids will end up just fine is the smartest and safest path. [CHARLATAN]

 

  • PREDICTABLE MUSIC PATTERNS SYNCHRONIZE WITH BLOOD PRESSURE and may offer a drug-free approach to cardiovascular health. Newest research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress found that predictable music patterns, especially certain types of classical music with predictable phrase structure & volume, induce “entrainment, the body’s tendency to sync physiological rhythms with external stimuli, which activates reward pathways in the brain and may allow music to slow or prevent heart disease.” [EPOCH TIMES HEALTH]

 
THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

  • A McKinsey study reports that 70% of failed business Change programs cite ‘lack of clarity’ and ‘poor communication’ as a core reason. “Leadership is about being understood, and how well others act because of what was said, with ‘clarity’ being the true differentiator between average managers and transformative leaders who, when they focus on less on sounding impressive and more on being understood, unlock trust, inspire action, and drive meaningful performance. The moment you as a leader speak, your audience is asking three brutal questions: Do they believe you believe it? Do they believe you know where you’re going? Do they believe there’s something in it for them? If you don’t sound convincing or connect it to their lives, you might as well be reading the Cheesecake Factory menu.”

 

  • The Treasury Department has just released a list of 68 job categories where no federal taxes will apply to tips beginning 2025. The list includes occupations and service categories where tips are “customarily and regularly received” including: food & beverage/ entertainment & events/ hospitality/ home/ recreation & instruction/ transportation & delivery/ personal, pet & family care.