Bookmarks for 2026-02-24T03:09:30.215Z

• Google's Cloud AI leads on the three frontiers of model capability | TechCrunch Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Google's Cloud AI chief on the three frontiers of model capability | TechCrunch

  Site: TechCrunch

  AI models are pushing against three frontiers at once: raw intelligence, response time, and a third quality you might call "extensibility."

  

• Study learns the real reason why birds sing so intensely at dawn - Earth.com Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Study learns the real reason why birds sing so passionately at dawn

  Site: Earth.com

  Birds sing at dawn due to built-up energy from nighttime silence. When light returns, they release the energy through intense morning singing.

  

• Google's AI lead outlines three crucial AI frontiers: intelligence, response time, and cost - Google Search Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Google Search

• Google Cloud AI outlines three-front race for model dominance | The Tech Buzz Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Google Cloud AI outlines three-front race for model dominance

  Intelligence, speed, extensibility: Google's enterprise AI chief maps the battleground

  

• Google's Cloud AI leads on the three frontiers of model capability | TechCrunch Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Google's Cloud AI chief on the three frontiers of model capability | TechCrunch

  Site: TechCrunch

  AI models are pushing against three frontiers at once: raw intelligence, response time, and a third quality you might call "extensibility."

  

• Owning the AI Pareto Frontier — Jeff Dean - Latent.Space Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Owning the AI Pareto Frontier — Jeff Dean

  From rewriting Google’s search stack in the early 2000s to reviving sparse trillion-parameter models and co-designing TPUs with frontier ML research, Jeff Dean has quietly shaped nearly every layer of the modern AI stack.

  

• Eric Weinstein on X: "What our weather would look like if it was reported the way we report our Cost-of-Living adjustment. Any economist who doesn’t under this point is not a peer who should be reviewing anything. It’s not a scalar. It’s a dynamic group-valued field. Reported CPI is an obvious lie. https://t.co/aLEqBZNALQ" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Richard Grenell on X: "This crap is going to get someone killed. Comparing your political opponents to a party that murdered millions of people is despicable and dangerous. You are telling unstable people to take action to stop a genocide. Leaders on the left must stop this before the killing," / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Left-wing authoritarians use egotistical social tactics more often Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Left-wing authoritarians use egotistical social tactics more often

  Site: PsyPost - Psychology News

  A new study reveals that left-wing authoritarians frequently use egotistical tactics to manage their social image. Right-wing authoritarians are less likely to use these strategies, unless their beliefs are driven by aggression or submission.

  New research provides evidence that people with left-wing authoritarian traits tend to use more egotistical and opportunistic social strategies to manage how others see them, while broad right-wing authoritarianism is mostly unrelated to these specific tactics. However, the study suggests that the similarity between the two political extremes depends heavily on the specific psychological traits driving a person's authoritarianism. The findings were published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113611" target="_blank">Personality and Individual Differences</a></em>.

  Authoritarianism is a psychological tendency to value conformity over personal independence. It often involves a willingness to submit to authority figures and a desire to punish those who break social rules.

  Historically, scientists measured authoritarianism primarily on the political right. Right-wing authoritarianism scales ask participants if they support submitting to traditional authorities in government and religion. They also measure a desire to destroy "sinful" or radical new ways of life and a preference for strict adherence to old-fashioned social norms.

  More recent research has developed scales to measure left-wing authoritarianism. These questionnaires adapt the same core concepts to the opposite end of the political spectrum. They measure submission to left-wing authorities, such as environmental scientists or liberal leaders, and assess a desire to silence political opponents.

  Previous research provides evidence that left-wing authoritarianism is a valid psychological phenomenon with real-world implications. In prior studies involving thousands of participants worldwide, scientists found that left-wing authoritarians share many traits with right-wing authoritarians. Both groups exhibit heightened dogmatism, a need for cognitive closure, and a strong belief in a dangerous world.

  Other previous studies clarified the specific dimensions of left-wing authoritarianism. Scientists found it consists of anti-hierarchical aggression, which is a desire to overthrow the established order, and top-down censorship, which involves wanting to ban offensive views. It also involves anti-conventionalism, which is a strong rejection of traditional values.

  While past research highlighted similarities in personality and cognitive styles, scientists wanted to know if these traits manifest similarly in everyday social strategies. Specifically, they focused on tactical self-presentation, which refers to the goal-directed behaviors people use to shape how others perceive them. People often manage their public image to gain influence or to protect themselves when they feel vulnerable.

  These behaviors range from virtuous tactics, such as apologizing or acting as a moral role model, to opportunistic and egotistical tactics. Egotistical tactics include intimidating others, making excuses, or putting rivals down. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2024.2407808" target="_blank">previous study</a> indicated that left-wing authoritarianism was linked to a higher use of morally questionable, egotistical tactics.

  The scientists conducted this new study to build upon that prior work. They sought to understand the extent to which left-wing and right-wing authoritarianism exhibit similar, distinct, or opposing approaches to how people present themselves in daily life.

  "Authoritarianism involves influence and control, but there had been limited work on how people higher in left-wing authoritarianism and right-wing authoritarianism manage their public image to convey identities that are conducive to being influential. We were mainly interested in whether people higher in these two authoritarian orientations showed similar or dissimilar approaches," said study author William P. Hart of the University of Alabama.

  To explore these relationships, the researchers recruited 457 undergraduate students from a university in the southeastern United States. The participants were predominantly female and white, with an average age of about 18 years old. These individuals completed the study online at their convenience in exchange for course credit.

  The participants filled out several standardized psychological questionnaires in a randomized order. To measure the two types of authoritarianism, the scientists used multiple established scales to capture both broad traits and specific components. Finally, the participants reported how frequently they engaged in 12 distinct self-presentation tactics.

  The survey included 64 items asking about their past use of defensive strategies, such as lowering expectations with self-deprecating remarks. It also assessed assertive strategies, such as flattering others or exaggerating accomplishments.

  When looking at the broad measures of left-wing authoritarianism, the scientists noticed a consistent pattern. Left-wing authoritarianism was associated with an increased use of egotistical and opportunistic tactics.

  Specifically, people scoring higher in left-wing authoritarianism reported using more excuses, entitlement, self-enhancement, and intimidation. They also reported higher levels of self-handicapping, which involves creating obstacles to excuse potential failures, and acting needy to get help. These individuals also reported a reduced use of virtuous tactics, such as apologizing or setting a good example for others.

  The broad measures of right-wing authoritarianism painted a different picture. Global right-wing authoritarianism was mostly unrelated to the use of these specific self-presentation tactics. One of the scales showed only a weak positive relationship with flattering others and acting helpless.

  As a result, the overall profiles of left-wing and right-wing authoritarianism showed only weak similarities. This provides evidence that individuals elevated in these two types of authoritarianism tend to adopt distinct approaches to managing their social impressions.

  The scientists then looked deeper into the specific components that make up right-wing authoritarianism. This detailed analysis complicated the initial conclusions and revealed a much more nuanced reality. "We expected that the conclusions might change somewhat when we examined components of these authoritarian constructs, but the extent was surprising," Hart said.

  Right-wing authoritarianism can be broken down into three main psychological tendencies: conventionalism, submission, and aggression. Conventionalism involves a strict adherence to traditional social norms and morals. The researchers found that the conventionalism component was strongly disconnected from the left-wing authoritarian profile, as it was primarily related to an enhanced use of virtuous tactics.

  On the other hand, the submission and aggression components of right-wing authoritarianism showed a moderate similarity to the left-wing profile. People scoring high in these specific areas reported an increased use of intimidation, putting others down, and self-handicapping. They also exhibited a decreased tendency to apologize.

  "Left-wing authoritarianism was related to enhanced use of ego-focused and opportunistic self-presentation tactics, but global right-wing authoritarianism was mostly unrelated to these tactics," Hart explained. "That said, when we examined the facets of right-wing authoritarianism, some of them resembled left-wing authoritarianism but others diverged; so, really, the similarity between left-wing and right-wing authoritarianism on self-presentation really depends on which components are driving someone to be a right-wing authoritarian."

  The scientists noted that the effects observed in the study were in the small to moderate range. This is typical for personality research, but the researchers pointed out that even small effects can compound over time. This suggests that people higher in left-wing authoritarianism, at least, are highly strategic in managing their impressions to gain influence.

  The researchers caution against drawing broad moral conclusions from these data. "This is not a study on moral character; the data do not say that one political group is better or more moral than another. This is a study on how people present the self in ways that could facilitate influence. Also, it is correlational in nature and based on a college sample, so we advise against generalizing the findings too much and drawing causal conclusions."

  Future research could investigate how people with these traits manage impressions during actual, real-world interactions rather than relying on self-reported surveys. The scientists are also interested in exploring whether these individuals adapt their interpersonal strategies over time to suit different audiences.

  The study, "<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113611" target="_blank">Profiling left- and right-wing authoritarianism and their facets on tactical self-presentation: Convergences, divergences, and the space in between</a>," was authored by William P. Hart, Danielle E. Wahlers, and Bella C. Roberts.

  

• Nicki Minaj on X: "His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read. This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved. Do you wanna know the craziest part of this footage that" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Camus on X: "Jordan Peterson's razor-sharp warning on compelled speech: “Free speech is the core mechanism for society to define problems, generate solutions, and build consensus. Forcing bad tools interferes with thinking and communicating at the heart of civilization.” In this intense 1:33 https://t.co/WGM6cSwDdz" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• 2,000-year-old skulls reveal people in ancient Vietnam permanently blackened their teeth — a stylish practice that persists today | Live Science Added: Feb 23, 2026

  2,000-year-old skulls reveal people in ancient Vietnam permanently blackened their teeth — a stylish practice that persists today

  Site: Live Science

  In a study of 2,000-year-old skulls from Vietnam, archaeologists discovered that iron was the primary component that dyed teeth black.

  

• How to get better results from chatbots Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Stop using chatbots like Google

  Site: Axios

  The simplest fixes for bad AI outputs.

  

• How our view of "fundamental" has evolved over time - Big Think Added: Feb 23, 2026

  How our view of "fundamental" has evolved over time

  Site: Big Think

  The fundamental building blocks of reality are indivisible: quanta that cannot be split or divided. Our understanding remains incomplete.

  

• AI's "centaur phase" consumes Silicon Valley Added: Feb 23, 2026

  AI's "centaur phase" consumes Silicon Valley

  Site: Axios

  Autonomous agents are taking the tech world by storm.

  

• Elon Musk on X: "Yes" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Arthur MacWaters on X: "In LOTR, hobbits in the shire spent so long sheltered from evil that they don't even really believe it exists. The west is like the shire." / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• John Cleese on X: "The very word 'Islamophobia' is incorrect, as a phobia is an irrational fear Like my fear of spiders, or the Islamic fear of dogs People who criticise Islam are Islamosceptic And their criticism is not racial - it's cultural It's not racial to abhor Female Genital Mutilation" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• An AI Thought Experiment on Substack Is Sending The Stock Market Spiraling Added: Feb 23, 2026

  An AI Thought Experiment on Substack Is Sending the Stock Market Spiraling

  Site: Gizmodo

  AI is coming for everything, Wall Street seems to believe.

  

• Psychology says people don't become lonelier as they age because they lose social skills. They become lonelier because they lose tolerance for the kind of surface-level connection that used to be enough and haven't found anything to replace it with Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Psychology says people don't become lonelier as they age because they lose social skills. They become lonelier because they lose tolerance for the kind of surface-level connection that used to be enough and haven't found anything to replace it with

  Site: Global English Editing

  After decades of maintaining countless friendships and work relationships, I discovered that my growing intolerance for small talk wasn't making me antisocial—it was my psyche's way of demanding something more meaningful before time runs out.

  

• Mixing generative AI with physics to create personal items that work in the real world Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Mixing generative AI with physics to create personal items that work in the real world

  Ever had an idea for something that looked cool, but wouldn't work well in practice? When it comes to designing things like decor and personal accessories, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) models can relate. They can produce creative and elaborate 3D designs, but when you try to fabricate such blueprints into real-world objects, they usually don't sustain everyday use.

  

• Mars’ Missing Water Mystery Takes an Unexpected Turn Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Mars’ Missing Water Mystery Takes an Unexpected Turn

  Site: SciTechDaily

  New research shows that an intense regional dust storm transported unusually high amounts of water vapor into Mars’ upper atmosphere, boosting hydrogen escape. The discovery reshapes understanding of how the planet gradually lost its water. Today, Mars is known as a cold, dry desert. Yet its land

  

• How can deserts form next to oceans? | Live Science Added: Feb 23, 2026

  How can deserts form next to oceans?

  Site: Live Science

  Deserts are notoriously dry, so why do so many of them border oceans?

  

• Jonathan Turley on X: "Bari Weiss was just canceled as the speaker at UCLA Burkle Center’s annual Daniel Pearl Memorial guest lecture. It is the latest example of viewpoint intolerance, led by faculty members who did not want students to hear one of the most impactful figures in journalism..." / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Katie Miller on X: "The Atlantic is a pet project of Laurene Powell Jobs — kept alive only by the funding of her deceased husband’s money. It’s clear she is encouraging assassination culture." / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Batya Ungar-Sargon on X: "A 2018 Yale study found that when white liberals talk to Black people, they dumb down their vocabulary. It's the beating heart of wokeness: Minorities are oppressed and in need of your beneficence. Here is Gavin Newsom literally presenting himself as dumb to appeal to Blacks. https://t.co/yQgFabSzx9" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Winter Olympics star forced to give back gold medal immediately after becoming national hero Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Winter Olympics star forced to give back gold medal immediately after becoming national hero

  Site: GB News

  The American skater won two gold medals - though one did not make the trip home

  

• The "Windows vs. Linux" debate is a waste of time: Here’s a better approach Added: Feb 23, 2026

  The "Windows vs. Linux" debate is a waste of time: Here’s a better approach

  Site: How-To Geek

  It's not Windows vs. Linux, it's Windows and Linux.

  

• The powerful software can reduce the time needed to simulate reactions with large molecules from weeks to just minutes. | Live Science Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Ultrafast quantum chemistry engine could speed up the development of new medicines and materials

  Site: Live Science

  The powerful software can reduce the time needed to simulate reactions with large molecules from weeks to just minutes.

  

• Elon Musk on X: "Nailed it" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• X Freeze on X: "> be me > name company "Anthropic" (literally Greek for "human-centered") > hire a bunch of doomers who secretly think humanity is the disease > raise billions from Big Tech to build the world's most anxious, heavily-censored chatbot > write a 50-page "Constitutional AI" https://t.co/PRAPgZcQsa" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• Elon Musk on X: "MisAnthropic" / X Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)

  

• A Billion Years Are Mysteriously Missing From Earth’s History. Now, We Know Why. Added: Feb 23, 2026

  A Billion Years Are Mysteriously Missing From Earth’s History. Now, We Know Why.

  Site: 404 Media

  The Great Unconformity — a gap in Earth’s geological record — has puzzled scientists for 150 years. New research suggests it was created by shifting continents, rather than “snowball Earths” or Cambrian life.

  

• Archaeologists Discover Mysterious Collections of Animal Skulls in Neanderthal Cave Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Archaeologists Discover Mysterious Collections of Animal Skulls in Neanderthal Cave

  Site: Indian Defence Review

  Archaeologists have uncovered mysterious collections of animal skulls in a Neanderthal cave, raising new questions about their rituals and symbolic practices.

  

• Scientists Create “Levitating” Time Crystals That Defy the Rules of Physics Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Scientists Create “Levitating” Time Crystals That Defy the Rules of Physics

  Site: SciTechDaily

  Physicists at NYU have discovered a new type of time crystal—an exotic state of matter whose particles rhythmically “tick” while levitating on sound waves.

  

• Linus Torvalds jokingly ponders his successor as Linux boss • The Register Added: Feb 23, 2026

  Linus Torvalds jokingly ponders his successor as Linux boss

  Emperor Penguin releases kernel 7.0 rc1 with some numerological musings

  

• RFK Jr. says we need more herbicide production, stunning his followers - POLITICO Added: Feb 24, 2026

  RFK Jr. says we need more herbicide production, stunning his followers

  Site: POLITICO

  Supporters of the health secretary’s Make America Healthy Again movement are worried Kennedy is selling out.

  

• Trump DOUBLES DOWN On Tariffs After SCOTUS Ruling, He’s Not Playing - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  HE DID IT AGAIN

  Site: YouTube

  SUPPORT THE SHOW BUY CAST BREW COFFEE NOW - https://castbrew.com/Join - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLwNTXWEjVd2qIHLcXxQWxA/joinHosts: Tim @Timcast (eve...

  

• THE KILLING HAS JUST BEGUN | Timcast IRL #1455 w/ Andrew Heaton - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  THE KILLING HAS JUST BEGUN | Timcast IRL #1455 w/ Andrew Heaton

  Site: YouTube

  Visit America First - https://www.americafirstintl.orgDownload Rumble Wallet now and step away from the big banks — for good! https://rumblewallet.onelink.me...

  

• President Donald J. Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  President Donald J. Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address

  Site: YouTube

  Washington, D.C.

  

• THEY SAID NO?? - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  THEY SAID NO??

  Site: YouTube

  Become A Memberhttp://youtube.com/timcastnews/joinThe Green Room - https://rumble.com/playlists/aa56qw_g-j0BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO FIGHT BACK - https://castb...

  

• Gemini 3.1 Pro is a powerhouse for deep work — here are 7 prompts that prove it | Tom's Guide Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Gemini 3.1 Pro is a powerhouse for deep work — here are 7 prompts that prove it

  Site: Tom's Guide

  Gemini 3.1 Pro is built for hard problems — here's how to unlock Gemini 3.1 Pro’s best features

  

• Gavin Newsom reveals what's standing between him and presidential run Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Gavin Newsom reveals what’s standing between him and running for president: ‘I’m busted’

  Site: California Post

  California Governor Gavin Newsom explained to CNN what is standing in his way.

  

• Expertise Protects Against Cognitive Decline - Neuroscience News Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Expertise Protects Against Cognitive Decline - Neuroscience News

  Site: Neuroscience News

  Expert birdwatching leads to more compact brain regions for attention and perception, providing cognitive benefits into old age.

  

• Linguists Tested 191 Universal Grammar Rules. Only One-Third Survived Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Linguists Tested 191 Universal Grammar Rules. Only One-Third Survived

  Site: SciTechDaily

  A new study finds that one-third of proposed grammatical “universals” hold up under rigorous testing.

  

• NOW SHES DONE IT - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  NOW SHES DONE IT

  Site: YouTube

  Liberals and Conservatives are roasting Candace Owens over her Erika Kirk documentary series but the fringes seem to be rather enjoying itBecome A Memberhttp...

  

• IT TOTALLY BACKFIRED ON HER - YouTube Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Liberal Woman ROASTED After Fleeing Trump To Canada And REGRETTING IT | Tim Pool

  Site: YouTube

  Im not guna pile on, I hope she stays in CanadaBecome A Memberhttp://youtube.com/timcastnews/joinThe Green Room - https://rumble.com/playlists/aa56qw_g-j0BUY...

  

• MAGA rages at Gavin Newsom over viral book tour clip: 'Haunt him forever' - nj.com Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Gavin Newsom just ignited a new MAGA firestorm: ‘Haunt him forever’

  Site: nj

  The governor fired back at one critic, accusing him of "fake f---ing outrage."

  

• California Gov. Newsom viral SAT comment sparks GOP chairwoman backlash | Fox News Added: Feb 24, 2026

  California Gov. Newsom viral SAT comment sparks GOP chairwoman backlash | Fox News

  

• Richard Grenell on X: "Dear God, Atlantic….this is pathetic." / X Added: Feb 24, 2026

  Site: X (formerly Twitter)