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Afroman wins legal battle over songs mocking US police

BBC News

US rapper Afroman has defeated seven sheriff's deputies in a court case after they sued him for releasing songs and videos that mocked them and a raid they carried out on his home. The officers broke down the musician's door in 2022 as part of a drug and kidnapping investigation, but the raid didn't lead to any charges. Afroman, best known for his 2000 hit Because I Got High, responded by using home security footage in viral videos that ridiculed the deputies. His video for the song Lemon Pound Cake was inspired by a deputy apparently eyeing a cake in his kitchen, while another video attributed personal and sexual transgressions to the officers. They sued him for defamation, but a jury has sided with the colourful rapper after a three-day trial. Afroman yelled outside the Ohio court, surrounded by supporters, in a clip posted on social media after the verdict.


The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn't recycle more nuclear waste

MIT Technology Review

The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn't recycle more nuclear waste Plus: The FBI has admitted it's buying Americans' location data. In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from atoms and light awaits its moment. The device is small but powerful--and also very valuable. Infleqtion, the company that owns it, is hoping its abilities will win $5 million at a competition next week. The prize will go to the quantum computer that can solve real health care problems that conventional "classical" computers are unable to solve. But there can be only one big winner--if there is a winner at all.


The Men Obsessed With 'High T'

WIRED

Fueled by the manosphere, men are boosting their testosterone levels through natural and synthetic means, with some competitively swapping test results on a regular basis. Mark Holman was skinny and depressed when he was working a 9-to-5 job as an air quality engineering consultant in 2018. "I felt weak, like a boy," says the 33-year-old New Orleans native. Determined to turn things around, he spent the next few years becoming a health coach and getting chiseled abs. But in 2021, after becoming perplexed as to why he was disinterested in sex with his partner at the time, he decided to test his testosterone levels.


Can quantum computers now solve health care problems? We'll soon find out.

MIT Technology Review

I'm standing in front of a quantum computer built out of atoms and light at the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre on the outskirts of Oxford. On a laboratory table, a complex matrix of mirrors and lenses surrounds a Rubik's Cube-size cell where 100 cesium atoms are suspended in grid formation by a carefully manipulated laser beam. The cesium atom setup is so compact that I could pick it up, carry it out of the lab, and put it on the backseat of my car to take home. I'd be unlikely to get very far, though.


Are Iran's athletes political pawns?

Al Jazeera

Will Gulf states join war? Game Theory: Are Iran's athletes political pawns? Game Theory Are Iran's athletes political pawns? While in Australia, members of Iran's women's football team found themselves at the centre of an international political storm. As several players choose to return home, difficult questions are being raised about athlete safety, agency and Western intervention.


Android Auto's Secret Superpower Is a Customizable Shortcut Button

WIRED

The app reads your email inbox and your meeting calendar, then gives you a short audio summary. It can help you spend less time scrolling, but of course, there are privacy drawbacks to consider.


US startup advertises 'AI bully' role to test patience of leading chatbots

The Guardian

The job's only prerequisite is having an'extensive personal history of being let down by technology'. The job's only prerequisite is having an'extensive personal history of being let down by technology'. US startup advertises'AI bully' role to test patience of leading chatbots Imagine a day at work where your main task is to pick a fight with a computer. No meetings, no emails - just you, a chair and a chatbot with the maddening tendency to think it has the cleverest mind in the room. The job title alone raises an eyebrow: "AI bully".


Rep. Swalwell, candidate for California governor, has an AI side gig

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Rep. Swalwell, candidate for California governor, has an AI side gig This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Rep. Eric Swalwell co-founded Findraiser, an AI tool that analyzes campaign fundraising data. Findraiser is being paid by dozens of campaigns, including his own.


The Fight to Hold AI Companies Accountable for Children's Deaths

WIRED

The Fight to Hold AI Companies Accountable for Children's Deaths After a series of suicides allegedly linked to AI chatbots, one lawyer is trying to hold companies like OpenAI accountable. Cedric Lacey relied on a camera to check on his kids while he was working as a commercial van driver going to and back from Alabama. Each morning, he would tune into the feed of his living room to make sure his teenage son, Amaurie, and his 14-year-old daughter were packing up their bags and getting ready to leave for school. But one morning last June, Lacey didn't see Amaurie up and about. Concerned, he called home, only to find out that his 17-year-old had hanged himself.


Gamified math. Video read-alouds. Why parents are saying no to screens in class

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Kate Brody's 7-year-old son plays at home in North Hollywood on March 14. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Early childhood experts say excessive screen time displaces hands-on learning and peer interaction critical to development. At least 11 states have considered legislation limiting technology in the classroom this year.