Short Takes – 7-1-23

Boys experience depression differently than girls. Here’s why that matters. ScienceNews.org article. Long Read. Pull quote: “But the gap between boys and girls might not be as wide as the numbers indicate. Depression manifests differently in boys and men than in girls and women, mounting evidence suggests. Girls are more likely to internalize feelings, while boys are more likely to externalize them. Rather than crying when feeling down, for instance, boys may act irritated or lash out. Or they may engage in risky, impulsive or even violent acts. Inward-directed terms like “sadness” and “hopelessness” miss those more typically male tendencies. And masculine norms that equate sadness with weakness may make males who are experiencing those emotions less willing to admit it, even on an anonymous survey.”

Chemical Weapons Convention Regulations: Reducing the Concentration Level Above Which Mixtures Containing Schedule 2A Chemicals Are Subject to Declaration and Reporting Requirements. Federal Register BIS Final Rule. Summary: “The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the Chemical Weapons Convention Regulations (CWCR) to reduce the concentration threshold level above which mixtures containing a Schedule 2A chemical are subject to the declaration requirements that apply to Schedule 2A chemical production, processing and consumption under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). This final rule also amends the CWCR to reduce the concentration threshold level above which mixtures containing a Schedule 2A chemical are subject to the declaration and reporting requirements that apply to exports and imports of Schedule 2A chemicals under the CWC. These regulatory amendments bring the CWCR into further alignment with guidelines adopted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Conference of the States Parties (CSP), which established a low concentration limit for Schedule 2A chemicals.”

National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee. Federal Register NIST Meeting Notice. Pull quote: “The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC or Committee) will hold an open meeting via webcast on July 19, 2023, from 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary purpose of this meeting is for Committee Members to discuss each NAIAC working group's goals and deliverables. The final agenda will be posted to the NAIAC website: [https://]ai.gov/naiac/.”

The Huge Power and Potential Danger of AI-Generated Code. Wired.com article. Pull quote: “Regulators and lawmakers showing more concern about AI should also take note. With so much excitement about the technology’s potential—and wild speculation about how it could take over the world—subtler and yet more substantive evidence of how AI deployments are working out could be overlooked. Just about everything in our future will be underpinned by software—and if we’re not careful, it might also be riddled with AI generated bugs.”