Race starts under F1’s new-for-2026 regulations have been a hot topic across the opening few rounds of the campaign, with a greater variety in rapid, average and poor getaways adding to the drama on the first lap of a Grand Prix.

Allan McNish has completed his first weekend in his new position as Racing Director at Audi, having taken up the role from the Miami Grand Prix onwards.

Mirnotoriety shares a report from The Telegraph: Richard Dawkins has said chatbots should be considered conscious (source paywalled; alternative source) after spending two days interacting with the Claude AI engine. The evolutionary biologist said he had the "overwhelming feeling" of talking to a human during conversations with Claude, and said it was hard not to treat the program as "a genuine friend."

In an essay for Unherd, Prof Dawkins released transcripts that he said showed that the chatbot had mulled over its "inner life" and existence and seemed saddened by the knowledge it would soon "die." Prof Dawkins said he had let Claude read a draft of the novel he was writing and was astounded by its insights. "He took a few seconds to read it and then showed, in subsequent conversation, a level of understanding so subtle, so sensitive, so intelligent that I was moved to expostulate: 'You may not know you are conscious, but you bloody well are!'" Prof Dawkins said. "My own position is: if these machines are not conscious, what more could it possibly take to convince you that they are?" Mirnotoriety also points to John Searle's Chinese Room (PDF), which argues that something can sound intelligent without actually understanding anything. Applied to Dawkins' experience with Claude, it suggests he may have been responding to a very convincing illusion of consciousness rather than the real thing: John Searle's Chinese Room (1980) is a thought experiment in which a person, locked in a room and knowing no Chinese, uses an English rulebook to manipulate symbols and provide flawless answers to questions posed in Chinese. Searle's point is that a system can simulate human intelligence and pass a Turing Test through purely syntactic processes, yet still lack genuine understanding or consciousness.

Applying this logic to Large Language Models, the "person in the room" corresponds to the inference engine, while the "rulebook" is the trillion-parameter neural network trained on vast corpora of human text. Just as the person matches Chinese characters to rules without understanding their meaning, an LLM processes token vectors and predicts the next token based on statistical patterns rather than lived experience.

Thus, while an LLM can generate sophisticated prose or code, it does so through probabilistic, high-dimensional pattern manipulation. In essence, it is "matching shapes" on such an immense scale that it creates the near-perfect illusion of semantic understanding.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also warned Yerevan against pursuing closer ties with the European Union.

The 0.5% contraction in GDP significantly missed the Central Bank’s earlier projection of 1.6% annualized growth for the period.

• Trump was speaking to the New York Post

• Tickets for US opener v Paraguay go for $1,000+

• Infantino recently defended World Cup prices

Donald Trump has questioned the value of four-figure World Cup tickets for matches involving the US, telling the New York Post that “I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest.”

The remark came in a phone interview with the Post, with Trump claiming he “did not know that number” for the USMNT’s opening match against Paraguay. In December, Fifa established a base price for Category 3 tickets – the cheapest available to most fans, given the small swathe of Category 4 seats at the tournament – of $1,120, according to the Guardian’s reporting at the time.

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Oil firm seeks to reduce stake in carbon capture and storage projects in north-east of England after schemes fail to win over shareholders

BP plans to sell stakes in two flagship carbon capture and storage projects in the north-east of England as the company continues to retreat from the green agenda.

The oil company hopes to reduce its share in the Net Zero Teesside (NZT) project, which aims to develop the UK’s first gas power plant to be fitted with a controversial carbon capture system to remove its emissions.

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Turmoil and violence rocks state since prime minister Narendra Modi’s party claimed victory in legislative election

Tensions have been high in the Indian state of West Bengal after a top political aide from Narendra Modi’s party was shot dead in the street and hundreds were arrested as violence broke out following elections this week.

The prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) claimed victory in the West Bengal elections on Monday, defeating Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had ruled over the state legislature for 15 years.

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MODENA (ANP/BELGA) - FIFA en het Italiaanse sportplaatjesbedrijf Panini gaan na ruim zestig jaar hun samenwerking voor het WK-stickerboek verbreken. De wereldvoetbalbond maakte donderdag bekend vanaf 2031 samen te werken met het Amerikaanse Fanatics.

Sinds het WK voetbal van 1970 in Mexico geeft Panini een stickerboek uit waarin plaatjes van de spelers van de verschillende landen kunnen worden geplakt. Maandag presenteerde het Italiaanse bedrijf nog het stickerboek voor het WK van deze zomer in de Verenigde Staten, Mexico en Canada.

Na het WK van 2030 zal Fanatics mede via dochterbedrijf Topps het stickerboek, de bijbehorende plaatjes en andere verzamelobjecten uitgeven. Het Amerikaanse bedrijf verkoopt onder meer merchandise van Amerikaanse sporten als honkbal en basketbal en ook voor het komende WK voetbal zijn shirts te koop op de website. Via sportkaartenbedrijf Topps geeft Fanatics nu ook al plaatjes uit van sporters. Fanatics en FIFA werken al langer samen.

AALSMEER (ANP) - Bloemen lijken in aanloop naar Moederdag iets minder populair te zijn dit jaar, maar nog steeds wel een geliefd cadeau. Dat blijkt uit cijfers van veilingbedrijf Royal FloraHolland.

Volgens het bedrijf zijn deze week tot en met woensdag 154 miljoen bloemen verhandeld, 1 miljoen minder dan vorig jaar rond deze tijd. De roos is met 44 miljoen stuks opnieuw veruit het populairst.

Bram Rijkers, operationeel directeur van branchevereniging voor bloemisten VBW, ziet dat de ondernemers in Nederland nog wel volop bloemen hebben ingekocht en stelt, net als Royal FloraHolland, dat ze nog altijd cadeau nummer één zijn rond Moederdag. "De bloemisten hebben veel ingekocht, ook omdat het een relatief warm voorjaar was en er veel aanbod is. Wij zien geen terughoudendheid daarin."

Daarmee lijkt Moederdag niet het moment om te bezuinigen, ondanks dat het consumentenvertrouwen deze maand fors afnam. "Definitieve cijfers hebben we natuurlijk nog niet, maar de voortekenen zijn goed", aldus Rijkers.

We leven in een tijdperk van eindeloze mogelijkheden. Of je nu in de supermarkt voor het schap met chocolade staat of op Netflix een serie wil uitzoeken: de keuze is reuze. Dat lijkt fijn: hoe meer opties en informatie, hoe beter onze beslissingen. Toch blijkt uit psychologisch onderzoek dat juist het tegenovergestelde vaak gebeurt, vooral bij slimme, analytische mensen.

De Amerikaanse psycholoog Barry Schwartz legde dat al begin deze eeuw bloot in een invloedrijke studie. Zijn conclusie: mensen die streven naar de perfecte keuze, zogeheten maximizers', zijn vaker ongelukkig dan mensen die genoegen nemen met goed genoeg, de satisficers.

Het klinkt contra-intuïtief. Wie slim is, analyseert beter, weegt opties zorgvuldiger af en zou dus tot betere keuzes moeten komen. Maar precies die neiging tot grondigheid blijkt een valkuil.

De verlamming van perfectie

Maximizers willen niets minder dan de beste optie. Dat betekent vergelijken, heroverwegen en blijven zoeken, zelfs als er al een goede keuze voorhanden is. Psychologen spreken van analysis paralysis: een toestand waarin denken het handelen blokkeert.

Waar een satisficer een prima laptop koopt en verdergaat, blijft de maximizer reviews lezen, alternatieven checken en twijfelen. Het gevolg: mentale uitputting en uitstel. Beslissingen die minuten zouden moeten kosten, slepen zich voort over dagen.

Het brein als oververhitte rekenmachine

Slimme mensen zijn vaak goed in scenario-denken. Ze zien niet één uitkomst, maar tien. Ze wegen risico’s, denken vooruit en zien nuances. Maar in een wereld vol opties leidt dat al snel tot informatie-overload.

Elke keuze wordt een strategische exercitie. Wat te eten, welke baan te kiezen, zelfs welke kleur muurverf, alles krijgt onnodig gewicht. Het brein raakt overbelast en elke beslissing voelt als een potentiële misstap.

En zelfs als de keuze eindelijk gemaakt is, is de rust van korte duur. Maximizers blijven nadenken over wat had kunnen zijn. “Was er iets beters?” “Heb ik iets gemist?” Die voortdurende vergelijking met niet-gekozen alternatieven voedt twijfel en spijt.

Satisficers doen dat minder. Zij sluiten een keuze mentaal af en richten zich op de toekomst. Dat verschil verklaart waarom zij, ondanks minder analyse, vaak tevredener zijn.

De prijs van optimalisatie

Onze samenleving stimuleert maximaliseren. Alles moet beter, sneller, efficiënter. Technologie maakt het bovendien eenvoudig om eindeloos te vergelijken. Maar er is een grens aan wat optimalisatie oplevert. Op een gegeven moment wegen de kosten - tijd, energie, stress - zwaarder dan de marginale winst van een iets betere keuze.

De paradox is scherp: hoe intelligenter en grondiger iemand keuzes benadert, hoe moeilijker die keuzes kunnen voelen.

De les is niet dat nadenken zinloos is, maar dat grenzen nodig zijn. Wie zichzelf toestaat te kiezen zodra iets goed genoeg is, bespaart mentale energie en vergroot de kans op tevredenheid.

Bron: Psychology Today

LEIDEN (ANP) - De opvarende van het cruiseschip Hondius die woensdagavond is overgebracht naar het Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC) is geïnfecteerd met het hantavirus. "De patiënt is hiervan op de hoogte gesteld en heeft toestemming gegeven om deze informatie te delen", meldt het Leidse ziekenhuis.

Over de identiteit van de persoon geeft het ziekenhuis geen informatie.

Matt Straite Photography has added a photo to the pool:

The torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha symbolize the transition from the ordinary world into sacred space. In Shinto tradition, passing beneath a torii marks a spiritual boundary — a movement from the everyday into a place where the presence of the kami (sacred spirits or deities) is honored.

At Fushimi Inari, the gates are especially significant because there are thousands of them lining the trails up Mount Inari. These vermilion-colored gates were donated by individuals, families, and businesses as acts of gratitude or prayers for prosperity, success, protection, and good fortune. Inari, the shrine’s deity, is closely associated with rice, agriculture, trade, and business prosperity, so many companies donate gates in hopes of continued success.

Huilend zit de 22-jarige Mairon A. donderdag in de rechtbank. Hij mist zijn vriend, zegt hij. "Lugani was mijn maatje. Ik was elke dag met hem." Maar door een kogel, afgevuurd door Mairon, is Lugani (19) nu dood.

A 20-year-old described as a cybercriminal organization’s "last resort" for cryptocurrency thefts will now serve a 78-month sentence for his role in a $250 million scheme. Marlon Ferro, of Santa Ana, California, was a member of what prosecutors called a social engineering enterprise (SEE) consisting of at least 12 other individuals, and was tasked with traveling across the US and physically stealing what other members couldn’t through online fraud. The gang all shared different responsibilities, but Ferro was the only one who carried out physical burglaries across the US when the methods of the crew’s remote cybercriminals failed to result in a financial reward. “Marlon Ferro served as the criminal enterprise’s instrument of last resort,” said US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “When his co-conspirators couldn’t deceive victims into handing over access to their cryptocurrency or hack their way into digital accounts, they turned to Ferro to break into homes and steal hardware wallets outright. “This scheme blended sophisticated online fraud with old-fashioned burglary to drain victims of millions of dollars in digital assets. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: cryptocurrency fraud is not a victimless, consequence-free crime carried out safely behind a screen – it is serious criminal conduct that will lead to federal prison.” The FBI pinned Ferro to numerous specific thefts across the US between 2023-2025 when the SEE was operating. In total, the SEE was responsible for more than $250 million worth of cryptocurrency thefts during this period. The earliest tale of Ferro’s work came in February 2024, when he traveled to Winnsboro, Texas, and stole a hardware cryptocurrency wallet containing roughly 100 bitcoins, then valued at more than $5 million, before laundering it through online exchanges. He relocated to California later that year, the Justice Department stated. The move allowed him to connect with and integrate himself into the SEE’s inner circle, since some members were located in California, as well as others in Connecticut, New York, Florida, and overseas territories. Ferro began doing the SEE’s dirty, physical work. After another member identified a potential target, Ferro traveled to New Mexico and surveilled a residence for several days, and situated an iPhone in front of the property so members of the group could also watch remotely and alert Ferro if the owner returned. Despite several days’ worth of surveillance, Ferro seemingly failed to spot the home security system, which captured him breaking into the premises by throwing a brick through a window. Also on the 20-year-old’s rap sheet were details of his money laundering activities. Ferro used fraudulent ID documents belonging to a foreign national via “his KYC guy” to create a digital payment card account at what prosecutors described as “a geo-blocked platform.” Court documents named it as RedotPay, which secured some licenses to process transactions in the US and elsewhere earlier this year but it is still not allowed to offer products or services to US citizens. This payment card account allowed SEE members to spend their stolen cryptocurrency at retail stores and nightclubs, the DoJ said. Ferro alone spent more than $255,000 on designer clothing on behalf of SEE members, including multiple Hermès Birkin bags for one member’s girlfriend. He also gathered stolen cryptocurrency from group members after the SEE’s leader, Malone Lam, was arrested in September 2024, and used those funds to pay the leader’s lawyer. Ferro also regularly passed along messages from Lam to other group members while Lam was jailed. He was sentenced to 78 months in prison, with three years of supervised release, and ordered to repay $2.5 million in restitution. Lam’s gang Each member, who according to court documents [PDF] found and built relationships with each other through online gaming platforms, brought a different specialty to the crew. Some took responsibility for voice phishing and “database hacking,” while others looked after money laundering, among varied tasks. At least two members were involved in more than one of these operations. The superseding indictment alleged that the SEE comprised three hackers who compromised websites and servers to gather cryptocurrency-related databases, as well as two “organizers” who also helped identify potential targets. Six members worked as “callers,” the individuals carrying out voice phishing attacks, attempting to convince targets they were helping to secure their accounts against cyberattack. Money launderers, of which the SEE had at least eight, including Ferro, worked to exchange stolen cryptocurrency and other goods into fiat currency through bulk cash or wire transfer. The launderers also helped procure luxury services for group members, such as exotic car purchases, private jet rentals, international vacations, or shipping the bulk cash across the US, the Justice Department alleged. ®

Na dagenlange onduidelijkheid voor de kust van Kaapverdië is de MV Hondius eindelijk op weg naar Gran Canaria. Daar kan iedereen van boord. Nederlandse ziekenhuizen vangen voor het eerst patiënten met het Andesvirus op. Wat is er nu bekend over besmettingen?