The ‘publish or perish’ mentality is fuelling research paper retractions – and undermining science

The “publish or perish” paradigm is increasingly antithetical to the process of scientists making important discoveries, both big and small, and then typically publishing their findings in scientific journals for others to read. This sharing of knowledge helps to advance science: it can, in turn, lead to more important discoveries. But published research papers can be retracted if there is an issue with their accuracy or integrity. And, according to research shared by Nham Tran, in recent years, the number of retractions has been rising sharply. For example, in 2023 more than 10,000 research papers were retracted globally. This marked a new record, and in combination with AI’s impact on scientific publishing, has created a volatile environment in which scholarly literature is increasingly challenged for data accuracy.

Subjects: Education, KM

How to Sign Up for Local Emergency Alerts Before Natural Disasters Strike

Natural disasters have affected nearly 90 percent of U.S. counties since 2013, and while many households know about preparing emergency kits, a recent FEMA survey found a large drop in how many people are signed up to receive emergency alerts and warnings. Early warning systems save lives during disasters. To ensure you can receive these warnings via your phone, text, or email, Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett recommends and walks you through turning on your phone’s alerts and signing up for your local government’s emergency alert system.

Subjects: Disaster Planning

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, September 21, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: FTC Says Social Media Platforms Engage in ‘Vast Surveillance’ of Users; AI voices are officially too realistic; Tor Network Denies Report That ‘Anonymity Is Completely Canceled’; ‘Terrorgram’ Charges Show US Has Had Tools to Crack Down on Far-Right Terrorism All Along; and DuckDuckGo Joins AI Chat, Promises Enhanced Anonymity.

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Internet Trends, Privacy, Search Engines, Search Strategies, Social Media, Spyware, Technology Trends

TikTok ban goes to the court: 5 essential reads on the case and its consequences

TikTok headed to court on Sept. 16, 2024, in a bid to overturn a law that would force the video app to divorce from its China-based parent company or be banned in the U.S. During the appearance before a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, layers for TikTok said imposing such a prohibition would have “staggering” consequences for free speech. The court hearing is the latest development in a lengthy saga over the fate of an app that is widely popular, especially among young Americans, but that many politicians in Washington fear poses or is a security risk. Eric Smalley and Matt Willimas report that the outcome of the oral arguments presented by lawyers from the U.S. government on one side and TikTok and parent company ByteDance on the other, it’s unlikely to be the end of the story. Many analysts expect the case will head to the Supreme Court.

Subjects: Legal Research, Social Media, United States Law

You want to vote in the 2024 election − here is how to make sure that your voice is heard

Voting will begin in many states in just a few weeks – Alabama became the first state to begin sending out mail-in ballots on Sept. 11, 2024. It’s one of 10 states that send mail-in ballots to voters more than 45 days before Election Day. Every state’s regulations and procedures are different, so it is vital that you understand the requirements and opportunities to vote where you live. Amy Dacey, Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, American University, outlines a plan to ensure your vote and that your vote is counted regardless of where you live.

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Election Law

AI in Finance and Banking, September 16, 2024

This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government reports, NGO/IGO papers, industry white papers, academic papers and speeches on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate links to alternate free versions. Six highlights from this post: The Imperative to Realizing AI’s Potential in Banking: Finding the Right Fit; The Impact of Cloud Computing and AI on Industry Dynamics and Concentration; Empowering Global Banking Through AI-Driven Risk Management: A Practical Framework for Optimization and Methodological Integration; AI-Driven Failed Trials in Investment Strategies: A Network Data Analysis Approach; Harvard Business School (HBS) has published a case study on DBS’ strategy towards Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting the bank’s use of AI; and Banks bet on a tech surge. It’s paying off big time as AI, software bring ‘sea change’ in productivity.

Subjects: AI, AI in Banking and Finance, Cryptocurrency, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, September 14, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: Why digital identity should be a priority for the next president; Google, TSA Testing New “ID Pass” in Wallet, Created by Scanning Passport; Google sued over AI-driven tool for customer service call review; and Reolink’s battery-powered security camera can record for days without subscription fees; and This Tool Finds Matching Usernames Across 400 Social Media Networks.

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Financial System, Law Library Management, Privacy, Search Engines, Search Strategies

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, September 7, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: In a Big Blow to Internet Archive, Appeals Court Says Online Lending Library Is Not Fair Use; Clearview AI was keeping an illegal database of faces; gets fined; How to scan for unknown trackers that might be following you; Chase money glitch: How a viral TikTok trend turned out to just be plain check fraud; and How to scan for unknown trackers that might be following you.

Subjects: Cryptocurrency, Cybersecurity, Economy, Financial System, Healthcare, Legal Research, Social Media

LLRX August 2024 Issue

Articles and Columns for August 2024 Artificial Intelligence and the Law – David Colarusso founded and co-directs the Suffolk University Law School’s Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab. By training he is an attorney and science educator. By experience, he’s a data scientist, craftsman, and writer. LLRX is pleased to share what Colarusso states is …

Subjects: KM

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 31, 2024

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Six highlights from this week: Remote Work: A Ticking Time Bomb Waiting to be Exploited; Microsoft to overhaul Windows security after outage hits hospitals; How safe is Telegram?; Wyze’s new AI feature lets users search security cam footage; Safeguarding Subsea Cables Protecting Cyber Infrastructure amid Great Power Competition; and When A.I.’s Output Is a Threat to A.I. Itself.

Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Government Resources, Healthcare, Privacy