A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100001 (that’s hello in binary)! Welcome to Volume 142 of Dovi’s Digest.
I want to start out by saying last week I made a silly mistake. Tanya Perel astutely pointed out that I wrote a few hundred words on The Far Side and then inexplicably didn’t use one of Larson’s drawings as my cartoon on the week. To make up for that here are two of my favourites:
Now to the real intro: Not matter who you are, it’s more than likely that at some point in the last two months you’ve heard the term ChatGPT. It is a an Artificial Intelligence chatbot that will give you answers based on a prompt that you give it. For example, I typed in “what is ChatGPT?” and it spat out this answer:
“ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI that has been trained on a diverse range of internet text to generate human-like responses to a given prompt. It is based on the GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) architecture and can be fine-tuned for various language tasks such as question answering, language translation, and text summarization.”
You can use it to write an essay, a work email, or even a musical number (Thanks Eylon for that one!). Naturally, people are worried that this may render their jobs obsolete, digest writers included.
Reader MB decided to put ChatGPT to the test and get it to write an intro for the Digest, here are the (rather scary) results:
MB:
could you please write an into to a blog. The blog is a weekly digest of a collection of various fascinating and unusual articles. The intro should be written in the style of someone who is light-hearted, quirky, highly intelligent and humble.
ChatGPT:
Hello lovely readers! I hope this week has been treating you well. In this weekly digest, I have scoured the depths of the internet to bring you a bouquet of the most fascinating and unusual articles I could find. From mind-bending science to quirky cultural phenomena, I've got a little bit of everything for you. So sit back, grab a cup of your favourite beverage, and get ready for a journey of discovery and entertainment. And remember, the true mark of intelligence is the ability to be both highly knowledgeable and humble at the same time. Enjoy!
MB:
could you please make it a little more personal, by including some childhood memory. You can just make one up.
ChatGPT:
Hello friends! I hope you're all doing fantastic this week. As I sit here sipping my hot cocoa, I'm transported back to my childhood days spent curled up with a good book and a steaming mug of cocoa. And speaking of good books, I've been on the hunt for the most fascinating and unusual articles the internet has to offer, just like I used to do with my beloved library books. So grab a cosy blanket, make yourself a warm drink, and let's delve into a world of discovery and entertainment, shall we? And don't worry, I promise to keep my newfound intelligence in check and maintain my humble roots. Here we go!
MB:
could you expand this a little more please?
Chat GPT:
Of course! Let me add a bit more detail to that introduction.
Hello dear friends! I hope this week has been kind to you so far. As I sit here in my cosy armchair, surrounded by books and with a steaming mug of cocoa in hand, I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. You see, this scene is reminiscent of my childhood spent lost in the pages of books and sipping on cocoa while snuggled up in a blanket fort. And just like those childhood days, I've been on a quest to bring you the most fascinating and unusual articles I could find.
Whether it's exploring the mysteries of science or delving into quirky cultural phenomena, I promise to take you on a journey that's both entertaining and educational. So, go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Grab a warm drink, wrap yourself in a blanket, and get ready for a delightful trip down the rabbit hole of knowledge and wonder. And don't worry, I've kept my sense of humour and humility intact. So sit back and enjoy!
Obviously this week’s headline article is about ChatGPT, and the race to write another program that will spot an AI written piece, thus saving writers everywhere.
The Dovi’s Digest Facebook and Twitter pages are updated daily, and are full of new facts, quotes and articles! Check them out here:
This week’s added extra uses the trolley problem (which I’ve linked here) to make you make increasingly absurd decisions. It’s an odd, yet enjoyable way to spend two minutes.
Do you enjoy the Digest? Would you like it to get better? Then please consider sharing it, as the more articles I’m sent, the better it is. It only takes a few seconds, and all you need to do is click here 👇. Thank you!
There were NO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
There are some other things to keep you occupied and take your mind off the inevitable rise of the machines. Read about the decidedly unglamourous and scary life of a teen influencer (and what it can do to family), an essay on snobbery (NOT written by AI), why Disney World is losing its magic, why our fingers get all crepe-y and wrinkly in water, learn about the underground prison economy, and the rise and rise of one of the first guerrilla graffiti artists.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
Who’s afraid of ChatGPT?
This 22-year-old is trying to save us from ChatGPT before it changes writing forever.
Crushed
When Johna Ramirez’s son joined a wildly popular circle of tween YouTube influencers, it seemed like he was fulfilling his Hollywood dreams. But in the Squad, fame and fortune came at a cost.
The Unholy Pleasure
Mark Oppenheimer’s life-long recovery from snobbery.
As Profits Soar, The Disneyland And Disney World Magic Is Dying
The happiest place on earth isn't just becoming prohibitively expensive, it's also stressful just to attend.
The Surprising Benefits Of Fingers That Wrinkle In Water
The skin on our fingertips and toes shrivels like prunes when soaked for a few minutes in water. But is this an adaptation that occurred to help us in our evolutionary past? And what can it reveal about your health today?
Prison Money Diaries: What People Really Make (and Spend) Behind Bars
We asked people in prison to track their earning and spending — and bartering and side hustles — for 30 days. Their accounts reveal a thriving underground economy behind bars.
The King of Kowloon: My Search for the Cult Graffiti Prophet of Hong Kong
For years Tsang Tsou-choi daubed his eccentric demands around Hong Kong, and the authorities raced to cover them up. But as the city’s protest movements bloomed, his words mysteriously reappeared.
Quote of the Week:
“The best conversations are with yourself. At least there’s no risk of a misunderstanding.” Polish writer, Olga Tokarczuk
Facts of the Week:
MPs in the Ukrainian Parliament must leave weapons and explosives in their lockers.
MPs in the UK Parliament are not allowed to call each other arse, git, rat, sod, swine, idiot, tart, coward, hooligan, cop, or guttersniper.
The Habeas Corpus act of 1679 became law only because a portly Lord was counted as ten votes and the Opposition didn't notice.
The British Labour Party is the largest political party in Western Europe.
The Romans drank turpentine to treat depression.
Frankincense is used in Oman as a stomach soother, cough medicine, blood thinner, wound cleaner, and fly repellent.
King Edward VII had a liqueur specially created for him to drink while driving.
Prairie voles can drink the equivalent of 15 bottles of wine a day.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Can you use eights 8s, together with mathematical symbols like + and -, to make 1000?
Bonus points: can you do it and make 100? What about 10?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Answer:
7