Day: July 11, 2024

Lithium Ion Batteries a Growing Source of PFAS Pollution, Study Finds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Nature recently published an open-access article (not paywalled) that studies the lifecycle of lithium-ion batteries once they are manufactured,” writes Slashdot reader NoWayNoShapeNoForm. “The study is a ‘cradle-to-grave’ look at these batteries and certain chemicals that they contain. The University researchers that authored the study found that the electrolytes and polymers inside lithium-ion batteries contain Read more about Lithium Ion Batteries a Growing Source of PFAS Pollution, Study Finds[…]

Inputs, Outputs, and Fair Uses: Unpacking Responses to Journalists’ Copyright Lawsuits

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The complaints against OpenAI and Microsoft in New York Times Company v. Microsoft Corporation and Daily News, LP v. Microsoft Corporation include multiple theories––for instance, vicarious copyright infringement, contributory copyright infringement, and improper removal of copyright information. Those theories, however, are ancillary to both complaints’ primary cause of action: direct copyright infringement. While the defendants’ Read more about Inputs, Outputs, and Fair Uses: Unpacking Responses to Journalists’ Copyright Lawsuits[…]

Sharing material used to be the norm for newspapers, and should be for LLMs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Even though parents insist that it is good and right to share things, the copyright world has succeeded in establishing the contrary as the norm. Now, sharing is deemed a bad, possibly illegal thing. But it was not always thus, as a fascinating speech by Ryan Cordell, Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences Read more about Sharing material used to be the norm for newspapers, and should be for LLMs[…]

Report finds most subscription services manipulate customers with ‘dark patterns’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Most subscription sites use “dark patterns” to influence customer behavior around subscriptions and personal data, according to a pair of new reports from global consumer protection groups. Dark patterns are “practices commonly found in online user interfaces [that] steer, deceive, coerce or manipulate consumers into making choices that often are not in their best interests.” Read more about Report finds most subscription services manipulate customers with ‘dark patterns’[…]

The US Supreme Court’s Contempt for Facts Is a Betrayal of Justice

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When the Supreme Court’s Ohio v. EPA decision blocked Environmental Protection Agency limits on Midwestern states polluting their downwind neighbors, a sad but telling coda came in Justice Neil Gorsuch’s opinion. In five instances, it confused nitrogen oxide, a pollutant that contributes to ozone formation, with nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. You can’t Read more about The US Supreme Court’s Contempt for Facts Is a Betrayal of Justice[…]

Scientific articles using ‘sneaked references’ to inflate their citation numbers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] A recent Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology article by our team of academic sleuths – which includes information scientists, a computer scientist and a mathematician – has revealed an insidious method to artificially inflate citation counts through metadata manipulations: sneaked references. Hidden manipulation People are becoming more aware of scientific Read more about Scientific articles using ‘sneaked references’ to inflate their citation numbers[…]

Speed limiters arrive for all new cars in the European Union

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It was a big week for road safety campaigners in the European Union as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology became mandatory on all new cars. The rules came into effect on July 7 and follow a 2019 decision by the European Commission to make ISA obligatory on all new models and types of vehicles introduced Read more about Speed limiters arrive for all new cars in the European Union[…]