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Showing posts from June, 2024

[16th June 2024] Interesting Things I Learnt This Week

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1. Researchers plan to retract landmark Alzheimer’s paper containing doctored images : Researchers are planning to retract a landmark Alzheimer's paper due to manipulated data. The study investigated the impact of a specific protein on memory in mice. The findings suggested that the protein caused memory impairment. However, it was later revealed that the researchers had altered the data, leading to the retraction of the paper. While some scientists believe the amyloid beta hypothesis remains important for Alzheimer's research, others argue otherwise. My Take: It is definitely a black mark on the peer review process for having been duped that long, but I definitely feel that though late it did find the faults and forced to get a retraction on the paper. Often there are researchers who are under undue pressure, no different than engineers working on startups to come up with something. But I guess we as a society fail to acknowledge that finding out that something does n

Cash on Delivery Parcel Scam

I recently experienced this scam first hand. I received a VPP parcel (India posts version of Cash on Delivery) for Rs 2340 at my newly registered company's address. Luckily, the postman was alert and warned me about the possibility of a scam. I refused the parcel and I guess that was the end of it. But this seems like a successful scam as my Google search revealed. Here's how it works :  1. You receive a VPP parcel through India Post, often labeled as containing "important documents" or "registration materials."  2. The Cash on Delivery (COD) fee is high – Rs. 2340 – designed to pressure you into paying without checking the contents. They make enough from the ones that accept vs those who reject What's inside? From what I have heard they can contain the following  1. Worthless items: Think low-value books or generic reading material.  2. Copies of easily accessible documents: They might even include a copy of your company's registration certificate

[2nd June 2024] Interesting Things I Learnt This Week

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1. The Rubyglow pineapple : The Rubyglow pineapple, grown exclusively by Melissa's, is a mix between a normal pineapple and a Morada pineapple (that's usually inedible). The fruit, which was previously only available in Asia, features the pineapple's typically yellow center with a distinct ruby red colored outer shell. The rare fruit went viral and has now completely sold out by Fresh Del Monte.   My Take : The headlines about these limited-edition fruits are eye-catching, but the high price tag and quick sellout make it a minor story.  The real takeaway is the ongoing effort in genetic engineering to improve fruits – tastier, more nutritious, and longer-lasting.  This type of innovation holds the potential for significant global impact, compared to the more subtle changes LLMs might introduce. 2. Weather Union : Weather Union is a crowd-supported weather infrastructure project initiated by Zomato. It leverages a network of weather stations to collect real-time weather d

Will LLMs help us break the language barrier

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   In a world where knowledge is often confined by the language in which it's expressed, Large Language Models (LLMs) hold the promise of revolutionizing information access. These advanced models can bridge linguistic divides, enabling a more inclusive global knowledge landscape where everyone can thrive. Let's explore how LLMs can excel at breaking language barriers and the challenges they face in this mission. Advantages of LLMs in Breaking Language Barriers Seamless Translation Beyond Words: Current translation tools often miss cultural nuances and context. LLMs, trained on vast amounts of text data, understand the deeper meaning behind words, allowing for sophisticated translations. They capture cultural references and underlying intent, resulting in more accurate and natural-sounding translations that truly convey the essence of the original information. This goes beyond mere word-for-word substitution, offering a richer and more precise communication. Bridging the C