History is outdated; it’s full of old news

October 17, 2024

🎓 History is outdated; it’s full of old news: A Massachusetts couple is suing their son’s high school after he got a bad grade and detention for using AI on a history project. Their argument? The student handbook doesn’t explicitly ban AI and this grade will hurt the little cheater’s college applications. The school’s response? The handbook says no “unauthorized technology.”

Tags: AI (artificial intelligence), education, Massachusetts, school

Printer friendly

Tropicana Las Vegas implosion

The site of the former 23-story, 917,400-square-foot hotel is becoming a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s, who are relocating to Las Vegas. The controlled demolition used 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord, dang.

600 million cyberattacks

Target Windows every single day. Microsoft’s latest report with all the gory details says more than 99% of attacks go after your passwords. Antivirus software is a must, folks.

WOW! Watch SpaceX catch a starship booster in air

🚀 Touchdown complete: SpaceX nailed the upright landing of one of its massive Starship rockets. As it fell from the sky, thrusters slowed it down before it was caught by two “chopstick” arms attached to a giant metal tower. Why’s this a big deal? It’s a step toward reusable rockets. The video is incredible.

69,370 bitcoins

Headed for the U.S. Treasury. It’s the stolen proceeds from the Dark Web drug marketplace Silk Road, valued at $4.6 billion at current prices. It took four years for the government to establish ownership. Crazy twist: The agent who secured the money is sitting in jail.

2.5% cost-of-living increase

Added to Social Security benefits in 2025. The max benefit will increase to $5,108 per month. FYI, if you get Supplemental Security Income, you’ll see two payments hit next month: Nov. 1 and Nov. 29.

2,200 pounds

Of explosives used to implode the Tropicana Las Vegas. The site of the former 23-story, 917,400-square-foot hotel is becoming a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s, who are relocating. The controlled demolition used 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord. Dang! Watch it happen here.

17 days

A dozen drones flew over secure U.S. military locations. They zoomed over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, moved over the home base of the Navy’s SEAL Team Six and, finally, surveyed the world’s largest naval port (paywall link). U.S. officials don’t know where they came from or how to stop them. Ahem, China? These yours?

43% drop

In trolls taking over “Call of Duty” voice chats, thanks to AI. The software, ToxMod, listens for and reports bad behavior. The snitch bot is definitely working; there’s been a 67% reduction in repeat offenders.

Zero, zip, zilch, nada

Aliens out there thinking about invading Earth. Elon Musk says UFO sightings are government weapons programs — for instance, the 1950s flying saucers were really advanced U.S. spy planes. SpaceX has thousands of satellites in orbit and has never encountered an alien spacecraft.

Introducing: Bolt & Bolt-M

💣 War drones need specially trained operators: Well, they did. The U.S. Marine Corps is testing a new AI-powered strike drone. Select any target, and Bolt-M follows autonomously, even if it loses connection. To attack, choose the direction, angle and height, and it does the rest. Just … wow.