.
De verkoopcijfers van Li Auto, een Chinese producent van elektrische auto's, vielen de afgelopen tijd tegen. In het eerste kwartaal van dit jaar verkochten ze slechts 220 voertuigen, terwijl ze mikten op een aantal van 500. Dit is geen goed nieuws voor het bedrijf, maar ook niet voor de elektrische auto-industrie in het algemeen. Want waarom lijken consumenten nog niet warm te lopen voor elektrische auto's?
De afgelopen jaren is er steeds meer aandacht gekomen voor elektrische auto's. Ze worden gezien als de toekomst van mobiliteit, aangezien ze geen schadelijke uitstoot hebben en bijdragen aan een beter milieu. Toch lijken veel consumenten nog niet overtuigd te zijn van de voordelen van deze voertuigen.
Een belangrijke reden hiervoor is de prijs. Elektrische auto's zijn over het algemeen duurder dan auto's op benzine of diesel. Hoewel ze op de lange termijn voordeliger kunnen zijn vanwege lagere onderhouds- en brandstofkosten, is de initiële aanschafprijs voor veel mensen nog te hoog. Daarnaast zijn er nog niet genoeg betaalbare opties op de markt.
Een ander struikelblok voor consumenten is de actieradius van elektrische auto's. Hoewel deze de afgelopen jaren flink is verbeterd, zijn veel mensen nog bang om zonder stroom te komen staan tijdens een lange rit. Ook is het opladen van een elektrische auto niet altijd even gemakkelijk, aangezien er nog niet genoeg laadpalen zijn en het opladen lang kan duren. Dit kan een belemmering vormen voor mensen die veel kilometers maken.
Daarnaast is er ook nog onzekerheid over de ontwikkeling van de technologie. Hoewel elektrische auto's steeds beter worden, zijn er nog steeds vragen over de levensduur van de batterijen en de beschikbaarheid van reserveonderdelen. Dit maakt consumenten terughoudend om te investeren in een elektrische auto.
Tot slot speelt ook het gebrek aan kennis en voorlichting over elektrische auto's een rol. Veel mensen zijn nog niet goed op de hoogte van de voordelen en mogelijkheden van deze voertuigen. Hierdoor blijft het voor hen een onbekend terrein en kiezen ze liever voor wat ze al kennen: een auto op benzine of diesel.
Het is duidelijk dat er nog een aantal obstakels overwonnen moeten worden voordat elektrische auto's echt doorbreken bij het grote publiek. Zo moeten de prijzen omlaag en de technologie verder worden verbeterd. Daarnaast is het belangrijk dat er meer voorlichting komt, zodat mensen beter geïnformeerd zijn over de mogelijkheden en voordelen van elektrische auto's.
Hopelijk zullen deze ontwikkelingen in de toekomst bijdragen aan een grotere acceptatie van elektrische auto's en kunnen we uiteindelijk de omslag maken naar duurzamere mobiliteit. Tot die tijd zullen we geduld moeten hebben en afwachten hoe de elektrische auto-industrie zich verder ontwikkelt.
Bronnen: - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-20/li-auto-sales-disappoint-amid-tepid-demand-for-pure-electric-car - https://www.consumentenbond.nl/auto/de-voordelen-van-elektrisch-rijden - https://www.ad.nl/auto/waarom-het-nog-steeds-zo-lastig-is-om-elektrisch-te-rijden~a5f635f3/
https://itinsights.nl/2024/05/21/ontmaskerd-waarom-elektrische-autos-nog-niet-aanslaan-bij-consumenten/
https://itinsights.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IT_Insights_Image_BB53.png

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
[First] [Previous] [Next]
Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136
“Koalas!”
Bernard’s energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! I’ll never get tired of this, it’s all so cool!
As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
I’d be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if I’ll get any right this paw?
Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, I’d started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far I’d only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, I’d not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um… what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. It’s fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it I’m rambling!
I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas.
Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koala’s prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm… ok. I already know to discount the idea that they’re predators just from eye position, so let’s get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I can’t just guess that for the sake of guessing, that’s the same problem! Hrm, it’s tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.
Nevermind, I’ll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think they’re arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they-
Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, “As ever I’m delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. I’m looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?”
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, “Excellent! Then let’s get started.”
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
“Ah, there we are,” Bernard’s baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, “He looks so comfortable doesn’t he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!”
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, “A full paw? Hwuuu… jealous.”
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, “Late evening Rova?”
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rova’s direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadn’t been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool that’d flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, “Uh- I um… achem, a little bit yes, um- …sorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.”
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, “Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. That’ll be the list time I- …Ahaaaa…”
Lokki’s theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokki’s would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we weren’t too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which.
His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, “Ok, ok, let’s get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.”
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, “So, the Koala. Let’s start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.”
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh… I never want to see him angry again. So chilling.
I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koala’s physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
“Koala’s are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.”
It didn’t slip past my notice that Bernard didn’t bother to point out that the Koala’s eyes were forward facing. I didn’t think he’d simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasn’t necessary given that he’d already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
“Now this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koala’s are largely sedentary and it’s rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.”
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasn’t only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, “This is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.”
700!? Stars…
Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
“The leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koala’s low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.”
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didn’t take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
“Excuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?” Vlek’s grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailo’s recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, “You heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to them.”
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but they’ll have evolved to deal with that. Stars… I’m so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didn’t even consider the simplest solution.
“I see, thank you Doctor,” Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, “I assume they’ve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?”
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, “They have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koala’s liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.”
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, “This is mostly for adult Koala’s, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they don’t just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. It’s nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.”
Bernard’s assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way he’s acting it probably isn’t something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm…
“So,” Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, “Young Koala’s, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.”
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought it’d go. What’s different?
The unexpected normalcy of the Koala’s birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, “Now to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.”
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I don’t see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine.
I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one it’d just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They-
“They eat their own poop!?”
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an ‘Ugh’ over here and a ‘Blegh’ over there, Bernard’s own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
“Ha! Everytime! Each and every time. Clearly it doesn’t matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koala’s dietary development the reaction is the same!”
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, I’d never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species. Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww… Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. They’re serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it.
With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, “Ok then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why don’t we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koala’s live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.”
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. He’d alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the ‘predators’ we’d all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I would’ve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didn’t take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
“From habitats we move onto behaviours, so let’s start with territories. Koala’s are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering they’re only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.”
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
“As you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koala’s territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koala’s stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koala’s who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koala’s range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koala’s communicate?”
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koala’s body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
That’s how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs.
I clearly wasn’t the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, “I think they’ve got me beat on who’s got the deeper voice!”
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, “Oh you’re too kind. I’ll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As you’ve just heard, Koala’s are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from ‘Hello I’m over here’ to ‘This is my turf, stay away’. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if they’re acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.”
Really? They do something we do?
Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koala’s features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They don’t have tails so it’s obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then.
To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, “As well as their vocalisations, Koala’s are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koala’s utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.”
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right!
“Now then, we are getting close to lunchtime so I’ll finish this segment off with something I think you’ll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.”
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koala’s, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm...
I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans aren’t like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list.
Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koala’s in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what?
Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers.
Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I don’t need that in my head.
As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what I’d seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didn’t already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
“Koala diplomacy,” Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, “My favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koala’s and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koala’s to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koala’s are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.”
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
“Squee! That’d be so cool! I’d love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird! Ah! I’ve only heard their song on video. It’d be a treat to hear it in person!”
Ooo! I’ve read about them! I’d love to get up close to one.
“Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded? Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans don’t want to acknowledge for what it is.”
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option.
However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didn’t change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, “Yes Rysel? What’s on your mind?”
Sorry Bernard. I hope this one’s not too awkward for you to answer.
Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, “Thank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals for… particular reasons, and we know why. From how you’ve spoken about Koala’s I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?”
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like I’d imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that it’d been me who’d ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions?
Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh.
“A very good point Rysel, certainly one that’s worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.” Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, “We won’t be needing that. I’ve nothing prepared that I can show you and we’re heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, that’s plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.”
A bit? What does he mean just a bit?
Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasn’t going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
“So, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and I’d quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.”
While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernard’s assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didn’t believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. He’d pretty much confirmed we wouldn’t be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have.
The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
“Well I can see everyone’s excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,” chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, “Enjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and I’ll see you all back here at the usual time.”
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, “Hey Bernard, I uh… sorry if that last question was unexpected.”
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign I’d come to understand meant ‘not a problem’.
“No need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.”
Heh, called it.
I sighed, allowing tension I didn’t realise I’d been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, “Phew, that’s a relief. I’m glad. I’m curious to hear what this new lesson is you’ve got in store for us by the way.”
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, “Oh are you now? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to remain curious for the time being. It’s going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. But…”
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now!
Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I’m working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip that’s not a trip as it were. And when it happens, I’m going to need a few of the more accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. I’m hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?”
A trip that’s not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernard’s relying on me to help out!
Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, “Of course! Anything you need I’ll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!”
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, “Thank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times you’ve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think you’d appreciate the most.”
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
“Wait… WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?”
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, “Call it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise even for you!”
“Oh you ass!” Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernard’s leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.

Padres @ Reds - Tue, May 21

Game Status: Pre-Game - First Pitch is scheduled for 06:40 PM EDT

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Great American Ball Park: 85°F - Partly Cloudy - Wind 10 mph, In From RF
• TV: Padres: San Diego Padres, Reds: Bally Sports Ohio
• Radio: Padres: XEMO 860 (es), KWFN 97.3, Reds: WLW 700
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

NLC Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Milwaukee Brewers	27	20	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	Chicago Cubs	26	22	1.5 (114)	2	+2.0 (-)
3	Pittsburgh Pirates	22	26	5.5 (110)	6	2.0 (112)
4	St. Louis Cardinals	21	26	6.0 (110)	9	2.5 (112)
5	Cincinnati Reds	19	28	8.0 (108)	10	4.5 (110)

	Probable Pitcher (Season Stats)	Report
Padres	Joe Musgrove (3-3, 6.37 ERA, 41.0 IP)	No report posted.
Reds	Andrew Abbott (2-4, 3.06 ERA, 50.0 IP)	No report posted.

Padres Lineup vs. Abbott, A	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Arraez - 2B	-	-	-	-	-	-
2 Tatis Jr. - RF	.333	.666	3	0	0	1
3 Profar, J - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
4 Machado, M - 3B	.000	.000	3	0	0	2
5 Cronenworth - 1B	.000	.000	3	0	0	1
6 Solano - DH	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 Merrill - CF	-	-	-	-	-	-
8 Campusano - C	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 Kim, H - SS	.333	1.833	3	1	1	0
10 Musgrove - P	-	-	-	-	-	-

Reds Lineup vs. Musgrove	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Hurtubise - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
2 De La Cruz, E - SS	.333	1.000	3	0	0	2
3 Candelario - 1B	.375	.875	8	0	1	1
4 Fraley - RF	.500	1.500	2	0	0	0
5 Stephenson, T - C	-	-	-	-	-	-
6 Ford, M - DH	.000	.000	2	0	0	2
7 India - 2B	.200	.573	10	0	0	3
8 Espinal - 3B	.500	1.500	2	0	0	0
9 Benson - CF	.000	.000	3	0	0	1
10 Abbott, A - P	-	-	-	-	-	-

Division Scoreboard

SF @ PIT 06:40 PM EDT
MIL @ MIA 06:40 PM EDT
ATL @ CHC 07:40 PM EDT
BAL @ STL 07:45 PM EDT
^{Posted: 05/21/2024 04:40:00 PM EDT}

Giants @ Pirates - Tue, May 21

Game Status: Pre-Game - First Pitch is scheduled for 06:40 PM EDT

Links & Info

• Current conditions at PNC Park: 85°F - Partly Cloudy - Wind 6 mph, Out To LF
• TV: Giants: NBCS BA, Pirates: SportsNet-PIT
• Radio: Giants: KNBR 680, Pirates: KDKA-FM 93.7
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

NLC Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Milwaukee Brewers	27	20	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	Chicago Cubs	26	22	1.5 (114)	2	+2.0 (-)
3	Pittsburgh Pirates	22	26	5.5 (110)	6	2.0 (112)
4	St. Louis Cardinals	21	26	6.0 (110)	9	2.5 (112)
5	Cincinnati Reds	19	28	8.0 (108)	10	4.5 (110)

	Probable Pitcher (Season Stats)	Report
Giants	Logan Webb (4-4, 3.03 ERA, 59.1 IP)	No report posted.
Pirates	Martín Pérez (1-3, 4.86 ERA, 50.0 IP)	No report posted.

Giants Lineup vs. Pérez, M	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Soler - DH	.286	.851	21	1	3	3
2 Estrada - 2B	.000	.000	3	0	0	1
3 Matos - CF	-	-	-	-	-	-
4 Chapman, M - 3B	.350	.881	20	0	1	6
5 Flores - 1B	.333	1.333	6	1	2	0
6 Ramos - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 McKenna - RF	.400	1.500	5	1	1	3
8 Luciano - SS	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 Casali - C	.143	.543	7	0	1	1
10 Webb - P	-	-	-	-	-	-

Pirates Lineup vs. Webb	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 McCutchen - DH	.000	.333	2	0	0	0
2 Reynolds, B - RF	.167	.453	6	0	0	4
3 Cruz, O - SS	.000	.000	3	0	0	1
4 Joe - 1B	.333	.762	6	0	0	1
5 Gonzales, N - 2B	-	-	-	-	-	-
6 Suwinski - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 Grandal - C	.000	.000	2	0	0	1
8 Triolo - 3B	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 Bae - CF	-	-	-	-	-	-
10 Pérez, M - P	-	-	-	-	-	-

Division Scoreboard

SD @ CIN 06:40 PM EDT
MIL @ MIA 06:40 PM EDT
ATL @ CHC 07:40 PM EDT
BAL @ STL 07:45 PM EDT
^{Last Updated: 05/21/2024 04:46:13 PM EDT}

.
Verrassend nieuws: AI veiligheid wordt topprioriteit op Seoul summit!
Het is geen geheim dat kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) een steeds grotere rol speelt in ons dagelijks leven. Van slimme assistenten tot zelfrijdende auto's, AI is overal om ons heen. Maar met deze groeiende invloed van AI komt ook de zorg over de veiligheid ervan. Daarom heeft het Verenigd Koninkrijk aangekondigd dat het AI veiligheid bovenaan de agenda zal zetten tijdens de Seoul summit in 2024.
De toenemende zorgen over de veiligheid van AI-modellen zijn niet ongegrond. De afgelopen jaren hebben we verschillende incidenten gezien waarbij AI systemen verkeerde beslissingen namen, met soms verstrekkende gevolgen. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan het ongeluk met een zelfrijdende Uber-auto waarbij een voetganger om het leven kwam. Deze incidenten hebben aangetoond dat er nog veel verbetering nodig is op het gebied van AI veiligheid.
Daarom is het een positieve ontwikkeling dat het Verenigd Koninkrijk met dit initiatief komt. Tijdens de Seoul summit zal het VK aandringen op het stellen van strengere veiligheidseisen voor AI-modellen. Dit is een belangrijke stap in de goede richting om de veiligheid van AI te verbeteren.
Een van de belangrijkste aspecten van AI veiligheid is transparantie. Het is cruciaal dat bedrijven en organisaties die gebruikmaken van AI-modellen open en eerlijk zijn over hoe deze modellen werken en welke data ze gebruiken. Op die manier kunnen eventuele fouten of vooroordelen in de modellen worden opgespoord en aangepakt.
Een ander belangrijk punt is verantwoordelijkheid. Wie is er verantwoordelijk als een AI-model een verkeerde beslissing neemt? Dit is een ingewikkelde vraag die nog niet duidelijk is beantwoord. Het Verenigd Koninkrijk zal tijdens de Seoul summit pleiten voor meer duidelijkheid en verantwoordelijkheid op dit gebied.
Het is goed om te zien dat er nu al stappen worden genomen om de veiligheid van AI te verbeteren. Maar dit is slechts het begin. Het is belangrijk dat ook andere landen en organisaties zich bij deze inspanningen aansluiten. Alleen door samen te werken en strengere eisen te stellen aan AI veiligheid, kunnen we ervoor zorgen dat de voordelen van AI niet ten koste gaan van de veiligheid van mensen.
Tot slot is het ook van belang dat er voldoende aandacht wordt besteed aan de ethische aspecten van AI. Het gebruik van AI kan namelijk ook leiden tot vooroordelen en discriminatie. Het Verenigd Koninkrijk zal tijdens de Seoul summit ook aandacht vragen voor dit belangrijke onderwerp en pleiten voor meer ethische richtlijnen voor het gebruik van AI.
Kortom, het Verenigd Koninkrijk neemt met dit initiatief een belangrijke rol in het verbeteren van de veiligheid van AI. Dit is een belangrijke stap in de goede richting en hopelijk zullen andere landen en organisaties volgen. Laten we samenwerken om ervoor te zorgen dat AI veilig en verantwoord wordt gebruikt. Want alleen dan kan AI echt een positieve impact hebben op onze samenleving.
Bron: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-19/uk-to-push-firms-on-safety-in-ai-models-at-seoul-summit
https://itinsights.nl/2024/05/20/verrassend-nieuws-ai-veiligheid-wordt-topprioriteit-op-seoul-summit/
https://itinsights.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IT_Insights_Image_BB77.png

on a markdown test
Microsoft en Google bundelen krachten tegen cyberaanvallen: dit is wat er gebeurt!
Twee van de grootste techbedrijven ter wereld, Microsoft en Google, hebben hun krachten gebundeld om de strijd aan te gaan tegen cyberaanvallen. Dit is een grote stap in de richting van een betere beveiliging van onze digitale wereld, en het is belangrijk om te begrijpen wat dit precies inhoudt en wat de impact ervan kan zijn. In dit artikel zullen we ingaan op de samenwerking tussen Microsoft en Google en wat dit betekent voor de cybersecurity van bedrijven en organisaties.
Microsoft en Google werken samen
In het verleden stonden Microsoft en Google vaak lijnrecht tegenover elkaar als concurrenten op het gebied van technologie. Maar nu hebben ze besloten om samen te werken om de cybersecurity te verbeteren. Dit is een belangrijke stap, aangezien beide bedrijven enorm veel invloed hebben op de digitale wereld en veel bedrijven gebruik maken van hun diensten en producten.
De samenwerking tussen Microsoft en Google zal zich richten op het delen van informatie en kennis over cyberaanvallen en beveiligingsmaatregelen. Dit betekent dat ze elkaars expertise en ervaring zullen benutten om bedrijven en organisaties te beschermen tegen cybercrime. Ze zullen ook samenwerken om nieuwe beveiligingsoplossingen te ontwikkelen en te implementeren.
Impact voor bedrijven en organisaties
Deze samenwerking heeft een grote impact voor bedrijven en organisaties die afhankelijk zijn van Microsoft en Google voor hun digitale infrastructuur. Dit geldt met name voor bedrijven die werken met gevoelige informatie of persoonlijke gegevens van klanten. Met de gecombineerde kennis en middelen van Microsoft en Google kunnen deze bedrijven een betere beveiliging verwachten tegen cyberaanvallen.
Daarnaast kan deze samenwerking ook leiden tot nieuwe beveiligingsoplossingen die beschikbaar zullen zijn voor bedrijven en organisaties. Dit kan hen helpen om beter voorbereid te zijn op toekomstige cyberaanvallen en zo de schade te beperken.
Belang van cybersecurity
In deze digitale tijdperk is cybersecurity van groot belang. Dagelijks worden bedrijven en organisaties aangevallen door cybercriminelen die proberen gevoelige informatie te stelen of schadelijke software te verspreiden. Dit kan grote gevolgen hebben voor de bedrijfsvoering en het vertrouwen van klanten.
Het is daarom van essentieel belang dat bedrijven en organisaties investeren in goede beveiligingsmaatregelen en op de hoogte blijven van de nieuwste ontwikkelingen op het gebied van cybersecurity. De samenwerking tussen Microsoft en Google is een positieve stap in de goede richting en toont aan dat grote bedrijven hun verantwoordelijkheid nemen in het beschermen van onze digitale wereld.
Conclusie
De samenwerking tussen Microsoft en Google op het gebied van cybersecurity is een belangrijke ontwikkeling die de beveiliging van bedrijven en organisaties kan verbeteren. Door hun kennis en middelen te bundelen, kunnen ze betere oplossingen bieden tegen cyberaanvallen en zo bedrijven helpen om zich beter te beschermen. Dit benadrukt ook het belang van cybersecurity in deze moderne tijd en het belang van samenwerking om onze digitale wereld veilig te houden.
https://itinsights.nl/2024/05/20/microsoft-en-google-bundelen-krachten-tegen-cyberaanvallen-dit-is-wat-er-gebeurt/
https://itinsights.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IT_Insights_Image_TV64.png

In the SEO test.
"Ontdek de ruimte: Bezos hervat spectaculaire ruimtetoerisme lanceringen!"
Het is alweer een aantal jaren geleden sinds de lanceringen van Blue Origin's ruimtetuigen, maar het wachten is voorbij! Amazon-oprichter Jeff Bezos heeft aangekondigd dat het ruimtevaartbedrijf dit weekend weer zal beginnen met het aanbieden van ruimtetoerisme. Na een uitgebreide veiligheidscontrole en enkele testvluchten, staat Blue Origin klaar om de grenzen van de ruimte te verkennen en mensen de kans te geven om het allemaal van dichtbij mee te maken.
Sinds de eerste lancering in 2015 heeft Blue Origin zich gericht op het ontwikkelen van een veilige en toegankelijke manier om mensen naar de ruimte te brengen. Met hun New Shepard-ruimtetuig, dat bemand kan worden door maximaal zes personen, biedt Blue Origin een unieke ervaring voor ruimtetoeristen. En met de hervatting van de lanceringen, ziet het er veelbelovend uit voor de toekomst van ruimtetoerisme.
Het Blue Origin-team heeft de afgelopen maanden hard gewerkt aan het verzekeren van de veiligheid van hun ruimtetuigen. Er zijn aanpassingen gedaan en extra testvluchten uitgevoerd om er zeker van te zijn dat alles voldoet aan de hoogste veiligheidsstandaarden. Daarnaast zijn er ook nieuwe features toegevoegd aan het ruimtetuig, zoals grotere ramen voor een beter uitzicht op de ruimte.
De prijzen voor een reis naar de ruimte met Blue Origin zijn niet goedkoop, maar voor degenen die het geld hebben is het zeker een unieke en onvergetelijke ervaring. De vluchten duren ongeveer 10 minuten en bereiken een hoogte van meer dan 100 kilometer, waarbij de passagiers enkele minuten gewichtloosheid ervaren en een spectaculair uitzicht hebben op de aarde.
Met deze hervatting van de ruimtetoerisme lanceringen, lijkt het erop dat Blue Origin een belangrijke speler zal worden in de ruimte-industrie. Maar het bedrijf is niet alleen gericht op toerisme. Het heeft ook plannen om een grotere raket te ontwikkelen, genaamd New Glenn, die in de toekomst gebruikt zal worden voor commerciële satellietlanceringen.
Ben je ook geïnteresseerd in een reis naar de ruimte met Blue Origin? Houd dan hun website en social media in de gaten voor meer informatie over toekomstige lanceringen en hoe je een plekje kunt bemachtigen. Wie weet word jij wel één van de gelukkige ruimtetoeristen die het unieke gevoel van gewichtloosheid en het adembenemende uitzicht op onze planeet mag ervaren!
https://itinsights.nl/2024/05/20/ontdek-de-ruimte-bezos-hervat-spectaculaire-ruimtetoerisme-lanceringen/
https://itinsights.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IT_Insights_Image_BB57.png

.
Verkiezingen in 2024: Ontdek hoe AI de democratie verandert!
De komende jaren zullen de verkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten drastisch veranderen door de opkomst van AI technologieën. Dit is te danken aan een ambitieus project genaamd "2024 Election Officials Role-Playing AI Democracy" in de staat Arizona, waarbij AI wordt ingezet om de rol van kiezers, kandidaten en verkiezingsfunctionarissen te simuleren. Dit experiment is uniek in zijn soort en heeft als doel om te ontdekken hoe AI kan bijdragen aan een eerlijker en efficiënter verkiezingsproces. In dit artikel bespreken we de details van dit project en wat de mogelijke impact ervan kan zijn op de toekomstige verkiezingen.
Het project "2024 Election Officials Role-Playing AI Democracy" is een initiatief van de Arizona State University en het bedrijf Democracy 2024. De deelnemers aan dit project zijn AI-systemen die zijn getraind om de rol van verschillende partijen in een verkiezingsproces te spelen, zoals kiezers, kandidaten en verkiezingsfunctionarissen. Door deze simulaties in een realistische omgeving uit te voeren, hopen de onderzoekers meer inzicht te krijgen in de rol van AI bij verkiezingen en hoe deze technologie kan bijdragen aan een beter verkiezingsproces.
Een van de belangrijkste doelen van dit project is om te onderzoeken of AI kan helpen bij het verminderen van ongelijkheid en discriminatie in het verkiezingsproces. AI-systemen hebben namelijk geen vooroordelen en kunnen dus objectievere beslissingen nemen dan menselijke verkiezingsfunctionarissen. Dit kan voorkomen dat bepaalde groepen kiezers worden benadeeld en kan leiden tot een eerlijker verkiezingsproces.
Een ander voordeel van het gebruik van AI bij verkiezingen is de efficiëntie. AI-systemen kunnen enorme hoeveelheden data verwerken en sneller beslissingen nemen dan mensen. Dit kan het verkiezingsproces versnellen en ervoor zorgen dat de uitslagen sneller bekend zijn. Daarnaast kan AI ook helpen bij het detecteren van fraude en het beveiligen van het verkiezingsproces.
Hoewel dit project veelbelovend klinkt, zijn er ook zorgen over de mogelijke risico's en nadelen van het gebruik van AI bij verkiezingen. Zo kan het vertrouwen in het verkiezingsproces afnemen als mensen het gevoel hebben dat hun stem niet meer telt door de invloed van AI. Daarnaast is er een risico dat AI-systemen bepaalde vooroordelen overnemen van de data waarop ze zijn getraind, wat kan leiden tot ongelijke behandeling van bepaalde groepen kiezers.
Hoewel er nog veel vragen zijn over de impact van AI op verkiezingen, is het project "2024 Election Officials Role-Playing AI Democracy" een belangrijke stap in de richting van een beter verkiezingsproces. Het zal interessant zijn om te zien wat de resultaten van dit project zijn en hoe AI in de toekomst kan bijdragen aan een eerlijker en efficiënter verkiezingsproces.
In conclusie, de verkiezingen in 2024 zullen een stuk anders verlopen dan we gewend zijn door de opkomst van AI technologieën. Het project "2024 Election Officials Role-Playing AI Democracy" in Arizona zal een belangrijke rol spelen in het ontdekken van de mogelijkheden en uitdagingen van het gebruik van AI bij verkiezingen. Het is cruciaal dat we deze ontwikkelingen kritisch blijven volgen en ervoor zorgen dat de toepassing van AI bij verkiezingen op een verantwoorde en eerlijke manier gebeurt.
https://itinsights.nl/2024/05/20/verkiezingen-in-2024-ontdek-hoe-ai-de-democratie-verandert/
https://itinsights.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IT_Insights_Image_TV42.png

So a while ago, he cheated on me. I confronted about it once and he lied and said it was just "joke flirting that went too far." Ill call him Jaxon in this and the girl (who at the time identified as transmasc. she detransitioned) will be called Abigail. Jaxon was caught cheating by someone who ill label Jackie. Well she either heard it happening, or saw them leaving the bathroom together and connected the dots. Jackie tells Andrea (all names are fake) and they decide not to tell me (im fine with them not telling me because they had reasons i find valid.) Abigail thinks that Jaxon cares about her. Andrea tells Abigail that she is wrong and Jaxon doesnt care about her. Andrea also finds out that Abigail sent nudes to Jaxon and Jaxon sent nudes back. Andrea does a test on Jaxon and she said it took a while for him to flirt back. (This gave me a small amount of hope) Andrea tells people in the cast for the musical all of us are in. None of them tell me yet. (Andrea told me this during class. but fortime line sake i havent been told yet)
Then flash forward a couple of weeks. I hear the rumor going around about Jaxon cheating. I hear it from a friend (Amelia) that isnt even in theater. Amelia tells me to confront him. I do and he says he isn't. I hear later that same day from someone in the cast (Larry) tells me that he's cheating. I confront Jaxon again and he says "it was just joke flirting that went too far." I trust him and stay with him.
then we get to May 20, 2024. Andrea tells me about how major the cheating really was. I message Jaxon saying we are done. He gives me a really long apology that most of my friends have said it was manipulative. So. the issue is. Ive been secretly messaging him without telling them because im weak. i need help knowing what to believe. Do i wait to see if he changes and get back with him? or do i try to move on entirely? I cant bring myself to hate him. I genuinely want him to reflect on his actions and grow from it. Help.
TL;DR: my bf cheated a while ago, i confronted him, he lied, then i find out the truth, confront him again, got an apology that most of me believes is fake and ungenuine, and have been told he's trying to manipulate me.

chapters 1&2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
The lecture was supposed to be on Rationality 101, apparently not for Newcomers only. Serene was there to have her back but G was having a hard time focusing.
The boring black uniform more fitting for a hotel receptionist defaced the godlike beauty standing in front of a huge screen. Gentry couldn’t believe her eyes: this was the man she had her hands on a little while ago?
No, it couldn’t be.
It had been just an avatar, too perfect in its unblemished visage, too pure for this world. Yet the man whose face she remembered as if it was etched on the back of her eyelids, who she’d been constantly thinking about, who her hands itched to snatch, was standing right there, in the flesh.
Back in the dreamy simulated world she caught herself thinking that a trim waist like this couldn’t anatomically work on a human, yet here he was: a towering spread of fit shoulders perfectly balanced above the flexible whip of his midsection. The light-grey eyes that betrayed every movement of his pupils were as real as the ones that reflected the mock moon during her test. Below them lay the sharp slope of the cheekbones one could cut themselves on.
The only thing a bit different, apart from the outfit choice, was the young god’s hair. In the simulation, it was flowing and probably too long to be practical. This person’s mane was much shorter and fell down his neck in a neat ponytail, tastefully tamed with a single hairpin.
She had to get her hands on this treasure.
He was making last minute preparations for the lecture, looking through the papers on the desk, dark strands framing his face, light grey eyes sharp in careful concentration.
Professor Q, huh.
He said this was his name, and so did the note on the lecture hall door.
She was sure it was the man who had melted in her arms making the most delicious sounds a male throat could produce.
Had he recognised her?
Unlikely.
At the time of the simulation session, she didn’t have a camera that could pick up her facial features but just to be on the safe side, she decided to go by “G” in his class. There were bound to be lots of people with a name starting with a G, right? What would be the odds it was this particular newcomer that Q had tested that would end up in his class?
The man finally lifted his eyes at the audience and a gentle smile momentarily graced his features before disappearing as if he didn’t see someone he’d expected to.
The holoboard on the wall behind him obediently lit up following his nonchalant gesture. Gentry found it annoying that one needed a pair of special glasses to see all the augmented reality stuff and really navigate the city but again, with Sereen’s help she had more or less gotten used to it in the couple of days she had to deal with the necessities like settling down, getting food and finding her way around Ashtapada.
Still, could they use a piece of chalk or, at least, a marker to write on the board? No need to show off your Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism tech just to write a couple of notes on the board!
On second thought, high-tech-crazy or not, if this city brought up men like this one, she would definitely do her best to stay here to… reap the benefits!
They took a desk next to a huge clear floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the winter garden.
“Professor Q seems a little distracted today,” Sereen said, swiftly tapping a couple of buttons on G’s wrist to show her how to confirm that she was attending the lecture. “He’s usually much more chatty and friendly. I wonder what got into him.”
“Is he?” Gentry responded with an artificial air of indifference. “I just hope he’s more open to a discussion than that Poe guy.”
“He is! And Professor Poe isn’t that bad,” Sereen reprimanded before chuckling a little — since his little secret became known to students, he became known as Holopoe. “Just wait and see, it’s gonna be a blast. Q’s lectures are always very engaging.”
It proved to be utter bullshit.
After fiddling with the symbols on the interactive screen for ten minutes into the class, students getting more and more agitated behind his back, the lecturer seemed to give up. Turning back to the audience, he absentmindedly nodded to a couple of people in the lecture hall and sighed with a painfully fake smile.
“For today’s class, we are going to need to read a certain extract from a book,” he said, tone apologetic for some reason, but it solidified G’s conviction that she already knew this person. “I’ve just sent it to each of your wristcomms. We’ll have some quiet time and read it by ourselves, alright?”
“Reading from the comm?” Sereen mumbled to herself. “Couldn’t he just print them out?”
The rest of the students’ grumbles showed that they shared her disappointment. Q could only hopelessly smile again before returning to his work on the board.
Reading from the little semi-transparent screens was indeed torture. Quickly giving up on trying to awkwardly use gestures for scrolling through the text, she looked out of the window to entertain herself with the garden outside. From the modest height they were sitting at, the people below were quite discernible, partly hidden by the greenery, spread here and there in small groups and pairs. Gentry longed to be there, too. What was the use of being here with the most attractive person in the whole world if the only thing she could see was his back?
Well, the back didn’t look half bad, if she was honest, and what was below also pleased the eye.
But still. It would soon bore even the most easily entertained.
Her gaze fell to a small clearing where a lone male figure was sitting, writing something in a notebook. By the looks of it, the notebook was a real paper-made thing without the bells and whistles usual for Ashtapada. The next thing G noticed was a pair of slender legs, barefoot, stretched to dip the toes into the clear water of the artificial stream.
God bless the urban designers of this place!
The figure lifted the head and in an inconceivably graceful motion, swung the long blond bangs away from the face.
G straightened her back. Was it... Ok, maybe Q was the most handsome man she’d seen in her life but this... This was the younger boy she’d noticed a couple of days back, the one in a plaid skirt, shamelessly flirting with everyone within reach. Today, he wasn’t wearing one but the blue jeans hugging his thighs, rolled up almost to the knees, presented a picture just as tantalizing. Even with the hair was a completely different colour, even though the half-up, half-down style kept his face hidden, she was absolutely certain it was the same person.
Just you wait, young beauty, as soon as this “lecture” was over, your princess in shining armour was coming to pick you up!
Suddenly snapping out of the dull weariness, she turned on the auglasses S helped her obtain earlier and tapped away on her comm screen.
What a chance to give the local text sharing feature a go!
“The garden is pretty, but with a blossom like you, it is truly breathtaking. I wonder if anyone has picked this sweet flower or if anyone dares to,” she typed a cheesy note and folded the message into a neat 3D figurine of an origami paper crane with her fingers in the air.
Was S watching? Screw it, even if she was, she couldn’t read the message with her glasses off, right?
Carefully aiming the device at the lone figure, she launched the crane downwards, and it fluttered like a weightless butterfly in spirals, through the glass and right into the young man’s lap, not disturbing the notebook pages. He started at first at the intrusion but then turned his own glasses on and unfolded the message. A shy smile appeared on his plump lips, and he looked flattered, turning his head around to see if the sender was in sight. Catching no one, he typed something below the initial message and deftly folded it back into a crane that, to G’s surprise, flew directly at her, in uneven spirals along the wall. The man traced it with a smile, propping himself back on his arms, his whole slim body and face on full display now.
God, was he good-looking.
Easily passing the physical border of the glass again, the crane crashed into Gentry’s wristcomm, dutifully delivering the message and betraying her tactical position at the same time. An amused kind of surprise showed on the young man’s face and he waved at her to show that she had been exposed. She waved back, trying to look nonchalant but probably failing miserably.
Very smooth, G, way to go.
The message read, “Is a flower only good for looking at? Not this one.”
Oooh, this boy was playing with fire!
“Hey, G,” Sereen nudged. “Have you finished reading?”
“Mm? Oh, yeah.” Gentry lied easily. She had skimmed the first couple of paragraphs and was sure she’d be able to come up with something if asked.
“Done everybody?” the deep gentle voice called from the holoboard and G’s attention snapped back to the dignified face.
The class murmured affirmatively.
“I’m sorry today’s lecture isn’t as fun as usual,” he admitted. “I must say I’m still unsure how to approach such complex topic as this one. But with your help, I hope we’ll figure it out.”
Everyone seemed to perk up.
“You just read an extract on paradoxes,” Q went on. “And you might be wondering why we are raising a philosophical topic on a rational thinking course.”
“There you go,” Sereen whispered. “He’s back to normal!”
G humphed. This did seem interesting. Was it a good idea to read the extract after all?
Q continued, “In the text, you might have encountered the definition of a paradox. Would anyone explain it with their own words?”
A raised hand and the lecturer’s nod brought some courageous soul to their feet.
“It’s when you start with the correct premises, use consistent logic but wind up with an impossible conclusion,” they said. “There are three types: falsidical, veridical and antimony-type, which are...”
“Correct,” Q smiled and nodded the person back down. It was a smile worth starting a thousand wars over.
“Now there’s a reason why I asked you to read about them. Why do you think people have been fascinated with paradoxes for such a long time?”
S raised her hand and received a kind invitation.
“I might be wrong,” she said. “But it seems that they point at the limitations of our thinking, things that seem rational but in fact aren’t. We feel that with our all-conquering logic we can solve any puzzle but it’s not always the case. Right?”
“This is very insightful,” the teacher confirmed. “It is believed by many that what’s rational is true and therefore what rationality cannot explain must be false.”
“I definitely know someone who would die on that hill,” Gentry grumbled under her breath.
“I’m sorry?” Q asked. “Is there something you wanted to add... sorry, I don’t know your name?”
Still half mad with professor Poe, Gentry stood up. “It’s G, I’m a Newcomer. I was saying how a human mind can fool itself into thinking it knows what it looks at as long as it makes sense. But in reality, it’s not there, like the sky.”
That was the only thing she remembered from that last lecture! She felt the tips of her ears heat up but the kind and considering look on Q’s face showed her gamble paid off.
“These are very insightful observations, G, why don’t we try exploring them together?” — he waived her to sit down and turned back to the class — “Five minutes to discuss how paradoxes might reveal the weaknesses of rational thinking. Send your answers to the board when you’re done.”
“Whoa, daring as usual,” Sereen smiled. “I knew you’d enjoy his class.”
“Now, consider these two questions,” Q said to another student who stood up at his hand wave. “If an unstoppable force meets an indestructible object, what is going to happen?”
The person seemed to contemplate it for a while and the teacher didn’t rush him.
“Isn’t it one of those which are impossible to solve because the existence of the one automatically disproves the existence of the other?”
Q nodded, “Correct. The second one about the barber in a small town is of the same sort. Sereen?”
S stood up too, “The one that shaves all and only men that don’t shave themselves?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “At first, a premise like this seems perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” S responded, somewhat rashly. “But it’s clear that a barber like this cannot exist.”
“Wait, really?” Gentry whispered as Q nodded in satisfaction and urged her friend to go on.
“Yes, if we ask ourselves if this barber shaves himself. If he doesn’t, then he is part of the group which he does shave that do not shave themselves, but if he is in this group, then he does shave himself which makes it impossible for him to be this barber by definition.”
While the rest of the class was catching up with the logic, Q’s smile got only wider, more inviting.
“What does it tell us about the nature of the premise then?” he asked.
“That although it seems that it sounds logical on the surface, it is in fact nonsense and we don’t even need to hear the rest of the riddle to discard it completely,” S concluded.
The man chuckled.
“Well, I wouldn’t be that brash, to be honest, but on balance, you’re right,” he said. “If you stay after the lecture, I might recommend a couple of books on the topic. Your Newcomer friend is welcome to stay, too.”
G put up the best of the aloof fronts, “I’d be happy to, Professor.”
“Q is fine,” he smiled again and went on addressing the rest of the class that immediately exploded into a heated discussion.
***
“Basically, what I think we’re supposed to learn from this,” S concluded after a while, standing up so that everyone could hear her. “Is that before applying rationality, we have to make sure that all the premises we are dealing with are in fact realistic. Otherwise, there is no way rational thinking will help us.”
“Excellently put, as always,” Q applauded. “I’d love to see if everyone agrees or has something else to add to the discussion but our time is up. Feel free to write me a letter with your reflections on the topic.”
As interesting as the class was, the urge to leave the premises as soon as the teacher dismissed everyone seemed to be universal and applicable even to the Ashtapadans.
“I have to go now,” Sereen said. “Text you later, ok?” And with a reciprocal nod to Q, disappeared in the doors, joining the rest of the students.
Sadly, she couldn’t recall what they were talking about after the lecture, nor what titles Professor recommended for some home reading. She just hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.
What Gentry did remember though was that after Q left as well and she came up to the panoramic window, Sereen and the mysterious flower boy were leaving the garden together. And it was hard not to notice that her new friend took off her wristcomm before they took off, and hid it in the tall grass.

Hi all. I started 20 Mg of Prozac on Saturday. I slept fine Saturday, Sunday night I struggled to sleep and maybe for a couple hours. Last night I got at best 2 and a half hours and that’s with taking hydroxyzine.
Decided this isn’t for me and stopped the Prozac. Doctor agreed. She said to take Benadryl every 6 hours as needed and drink a ton of water to flush the Prozac out of my body. I took two Benadryls and I’m still unable to sleep but I feel tired.
When does this fix itself? I’m very scared.

I usually take my Prozac around 5-7 am, but I forgot this morning. I will be able to take it around 4, should I or just skip a day?
I have been on 20 mg for around 6 and a half weeks and have never missed a dose.

So I take 20 mg adderall XR in the morning and a 10 mg ‘booster’ in the afternoon. The bottle with the booster is normally labeled “Amphetamine salts.” Recently I got my prescription refilled and the bottle says “dextroamphetanine.” The pill looks different but I assumed it’s the same thing. Now when I take the new booster at noon my heart literally feels like it’s going to pump out of my chest. I had one pill left of the old “amphetamine salts” prescription and took it, and i was fine. Why am I reacting to the new prescription differently even though it’s supposedly the same thing? Should I stop taking it?

I'm not sure who to talk to about this. The people in my life think I'm overreacting and should ignore it, and it's ruining my relationship by bringing it up to my partner. I'm aware that I need to get therapy, but in the meantime I'm posting on Reddit and asking for advice.
I'm 25 and I've been in a couple relationships before, but I've never experienced RJ until now.
I've been dating my boyfriend for two years. We never argue or fight, except about this situation. Shortly after we started dating, I noticed a random girl would watch my Instagram stories daily. When I clicked on her account, it showed that I was blocked (so she thinks I don't know she's looking at my story, but it still shows up for some reason). Naturally I was suspicious and asked my boyfriend if he knew her. He said no. The stalking continued, so I asked him again. This time, he admitted it was a girl he used to talk to. It bothered me, but I tried to move on. However, she kept stalking me online and blocking me afterward, so I couldn't ever block her back. Then it escalated to her friends and mom checking my profile. I asked my boyfriend again if their relationship was more serious, and he finally admitted they had a serious relationship. His lying upset me, but he said she was unstable, and he wanted to avoid bringing her up.
It's been two years, and she hasn't given up. I've gone private on all my accounts, but I still get about 20 fake profiles consistently trying to access my pages, and the same fake accounts with 0 followers try to follow my boyfriend too. Even after deleting social media, I still have obsessive thoughts. I can't stand that someone from his past is trying to get a reaction out of me, and it's working.
I constantly feel resentment building until I cause yet another fight with my boyfriend about it. Neither of us wants to confront her because we feel that's what she wants. I've never engaged with her, but this situation is constantly on my mind, and I don't know how to move on. Knowing his ex is obsessed with him and our relationship has caused me to spiral into toxic RJ thinking.
I constantly wonder about their relationship and what memories they shared to make her harass his new girlfriend years later. I wonder how great their relationship was for her to never move on. And I’m jealous of that because OUR relationship has been affected because of her. I feel like my boyfriend is sick of me and this topic, and I don't blame him. Who wants to constantly be reminded of their ex?
It sucks that someone from his past is trying to insert herself into our relationship, and I guess my self-esteem is so low that it’s working. I hate her for how she's gotten into my head, and I wonder what our relationship would be like if none of this had ever happened. I know it's super irrational, but I resent him for ever loving someone who could cause me this much pain.

Jan, I’m here to tell you- your baby is absolutely not sleeping through the night til 8am every night. He’s not even a month old. He’s not been doing this since you brought him home. Stop fucking lying to people and making it sound like your fake ass sleep trainer isn’t your damn night nanny. You’re as big of a fraud as your stupid ass friend Dani Austin.
The reason why you didn’t want people “coming for you” is because you know damn well the info you’re putting out there is a lie and absolutely NO ONE believes a word you say. No pediatrician is going to recommend the bullshit you’re doing. I’ve worked in healthcare with children for over 20 years. NO ONE with a medical degree is telling you to do this. Routines are great but what you’re doing is a flat out lie and you know it. Your baby should not be sleeping all day and all night. What you’re doing is over feeding your baby so he’ll shut up and leave you and Devin alone so you can sleep, run errands, and get your daily massages. Hang up the act and quit trying to peddle this bullshit!! Either get off the internet or tell the damn truth because there’s no way in hell anyone believes this sleep trainer doctor approved bullshit.

So In my current homebrew game I am running one of my players is playing a Chaos Paladin their Oath is to cause as much Neutral chaos as possible. They worship the Chaos/trickster god, the god granted them with a power that when they pray something chaotic happens. But recently they prayed in the middle of battle and rolled a nat 20 and all of the enemies bursted into flames what do you think of this is this to op? What should I do to nerf it if so? Obv I gave the player the power and I think I made it op because he decides what happens when he rolls a 20 or a 1. He was inspired by a similar post on here I think.

• they can use this one per session

I wanted to ask to all the other 20 guys that still play HD Edition like me. Got back to the game after a while of not playing and jumped to good old singleplayer. Picked Berbers because why not, reached Castle then Imperial and wanted to make some Genitours, but they straight up don't appear in the Archery Range?
Have they changed it or do I just have fake memories? And before you even say it, yes, I know they are a team unit, but I'd swear on my mother Berbers were eitherway able to train them at some point...

I went to write this on another post but thought it was worthy of its own extended version.
Stop fkn stressing and buy the dips, if you cant buy more, hodl, If that's too much for you then sell now so we can buy it up cheap.
I've bought every dip to my means and am still up alot from very average bags.
Everyone constatly panicking over a one day red candle isn't helping.. It's no worse then all the fud packers on here. I've been screenshoting every fud poster on here, I'm getting ready to post a collage of fudmemes to call out when we hit 10c very soon, I have enough from launch, to 0.007 0.3 0.4 but let's give it another week to see your crap you clowns.
I joined this reddit group launch day, we have grown 80% in size you beautiful sloths and it's amazing to see it grow daily. We are smashing charts on all DEXs and growing CEX listings. We have a strong community on numerous socials and plenty of smarter members then me explaining charts and tokenomics, listen to them and stop fkn panicking everytime we drop a cent..
On launch eveyone was freaking out over not getting their coins in the first 20mins. I sat here posting "do not give your keys out to fake support pages" "follow solscan" "stop panicking" I doubt it helped, people are inclined to do whatever they will when they are panicking and such is the mainstream marketing campaign and minimal support of SLOTH so far. alot of begginers came over and freaked out over nothing or got rekt sending keys and making silly plays.
Ive been around a while and launched my own very very shit coins and I can tell you from Slothana's raise of 15-20mil presale it was always gonna take time to drop all those coins and their marketing budget alone was in the Mills. fkn wild af and proved it wasnt a scam to me instantly, the KYC to set up those ads made it way too balsey for them to rug and face penalties or online witch hunts from smarter coders then them. You couldn't go on any dex listing page without seeing a $SLOTH banner and once you looked at the basic ass website your google ads were flooded for the entirety of Easter.
All the 420 memes aside.. This is a fkn meme.. Of a Sloth.. With AI graphics.. Stoned and pushing to $4.20..
That's all it is.. I still think it's better then a dog with a fkn hat and the other thousand cat, shiba and frog variants.
If you want to gamble, cant play poker, want instant gratification in crypto and cant hold a coin for a month let alone a year. Fkn learn to bot, add another zero to your bag, trojan some whales and see where you end up. alot of massive whales are front-running $SLOTH right now. So you will end up where you started.
Let's pump this to a 7 or 8c this week, see some more burns from the team and if you can't hold out for a lambo just cop a couple camrys and sit down..