4 August 2026

Today is the day that the Ray Bradbury story "There Will Come Soft Rains" takes place.

––– 凄い –––

Metformin also works in the brain to regulate blood sugar levels, appetite and energy metabolism. Interesting drug. We are still learning more about it.

––– 凄い –––

The settlement addresses allegations that both companies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against U.S. workers and instead preferred workers with temporary employment visas, when the companies hired and recruited during the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process.

“It is illegal to discriminate against U.S. workers by preferring temporary visa holders for jobs,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. 
It's about time.

––– 凄い –––

Mathematicians need to act. I agree but not in the way this person advocates. Mathematicians need to learn how to harness AI assistants to help them in their research. Otherwise people like this will steal their thunder. Look at Tsimerman – he says he's afraid of AI, but he's jumping right in to learn more about it and guide its development. That's the way to do it. 

––– 凄い –––

Apple Maps in iOS 27 looks fantastic! Significantly better than Google Earth now. Look at how they render trees!

––– 凄い –––

That Oxford professor may be fooling them in the UK, but he'd never fool them at Caltech. They have a fraud squad. You better be who you say you are.

––– 凄い –––

More proof that peptides can be very potent. Enlicitide is a macrocyclic peptide, first of its kind, to be FDA approved as a medicinal, to lower cholesterol by inhibiting PCSK9. It's an amazing example of biochemical research, and worth the read.

––– 凄い –––

Online Erdős Number Calculator. Hey, I found out I have an Erdös number of 3. Wow.

––– 凄い –––

Online advertising giant Adform was hacked, proving once again why ad blockers are necessary. Exactly, ads are intrusive, and they certainly have the ability to inject unwanted code. Block 'em all!

––– 良くない–––

Apheresis that removes cholesterol can also remove forever chemicals and microplastics. A bit inconvenient but at least it works.

––– 凄い –––

Apple says more ex-employees may have taken confidential data to OpenAI. Apple should have bought OpenAI a while back. Too late now.

––– 良くない–––

Now this is cool! How is Finger Frame AI done? How would you code for something like this?
––– 凄い –––

Fructose affects the brain differently from glucose. Glucose can suppress your appetite when you've had enough, but not fructose.

––– 良くない–––

Surveillance cameras will be required in all new cars by 2027. Ugh, whose idea was this?

––– 良くない–––

Politico discovers that the motor-voter system is a conduit to election fraud. This has implications to Oregon and California, naturally.
––– 良くない–––

Nathaniel VerGow is now in his third month as Multnomah County’s Homeless Services director. And he is already lower expectations of his performance.
The Oregonian/OregonLive: Are you expecting to see an increase in homelessness due to those constraints?
VerGow: Yes, I am expecting to see increases.
Of course. The Homeless Industrial Complex will continue to operate. Don't expect improvement, Portland.

––– 良くない–––

Hawaii facing ‘sluggish’ job growth through 2034. Well, it is a Blue state. And guess what sector is growing the most – healthcare and social assistance! Just like Oregon! What a coincidence. I wonder how of those healthcare dollars come from personal health services and hospices.
––– 良くない–––