A 25-year Crohn’s disease mystery finally cracked by AI (sciencedaily.com)

Using advanced machine learning, the team examined thousands of macrophage gene expression profiles taken from both healthy colon tissue and tissue affected by IBD. This analysis revealed a genetic signature made up of 53 genes that consistently distinguished between aggressive, inflammatory macrophages and those responsible for repairing tissue.

The inflammatory response is such an important component of our immune system, but it’s also a culprit behind several diseases. I always think of the quote “with great power comes great responsibility” when I think of inflammation. It needs to be kept in balance, because when balance is lost, bad things happen.

I bet we’ll see this AI-based approach to research applied to other inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Could entire new approaches to treating these diseases be on the horizon?

End of The Line? Saudi scales back plan for 100-mile long megacity in the desert (independent.co.uk)

Without roads, cars or emissions, it was set to run on 100 per cent renewable energy with 95 per cent of the land preserved for nature.

The crown prince’s key advisor, American-born executive Jerry Inzerillo, told The Times that the country was “making a course correction” as the kingdom felt the financial pinch of an oil bust.

Now that’s cruel irony – a massive, “100 per cent renewable energy” project is being scaled back due to an oil bust.

I can’t find anything online about whether the plans to build NEOM Stadium survived the cuts.

Your Friend Asked You a Question. Don't Copy and Paste an Answer From a Chatbot (wired.com)

If someone asks you a question, when they could have asked the machine instead, it’s because they wanted your perspective. The internet exists, at least in theory, so that humans can connect with each other, and so that we can benefit from each other’s knowledge. Responding to a question with AI output ignores this dynamic, especially if you don’t say that’s what you’re doing.

If parents aren’t teaching this to their kids, they should be. And if teachers aren’t teaching this in schools, they should be.

I suspect middle-aged “kids”, like my GenX self, need to be teaching this to our parents, too.