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    Are tech companies moving too fast in rolling out powerful artificial intelligence technology that could one day outsmart humans? That’s the conclusion of a group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks. Their petition published Wednesday is a response to San Francisco startup OpenAI’s recent release of GPT-4, a more advanced successor to its widely-used AI chatbot ChatGPT that helped spark a race among tech giants Microsoft and Google to unveil similar applications.

      An Australian company has lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct mammoth. The high-tech treat isn't available to eat yet. The startup says it is meant to fire up public debate about cultivated meat. Also called cultured or cell-based meat, it is made from animal cells. Livestock doesn’t need to be killed to produce it – which advocates say is better not just for the animals but also for the environment. Vow used publicly available genetic information from the mammoth, filled missing parts with genetic data from the African elephant, and inserted it into a sheep cell. The cells multiplied in a lab until there were enough to roll up into the meatball.

        A new study says warming will fuel more supercells in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. The study says that makes it more likely that the lethal storms will strike more often in the more populous areas of Southern states. Supercells are nature's nastiest storms, producing most killer tornadoes and damaging hail. Even with moderate warming, the study projects a nearly 7% increase in supercells by century's end. The study author says what computer simulations show for the year 2100 seems to be here now. Scientists say Friday's Mississippi tornado fits the projected pattern but can't be blamed on climate change.

          There's a special chance this week to see five planets lined up in the night sky. Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars will gather near the moon in a planet parade. The best day to spot all five will be on Tuesday right after sunset. If you look out to the western horizon, you'll be able to see them stretching up toward the moon. You may need a pair of binoculars to catch Mercury and Uranus, which don't shine as bright as the other planets. But the five-planet array will be visible from anywhere on Earth, as long as you have clear skies.

            A project in Charleston, South Carolina, is using DNA to trace the African roots of three dozen people buried in the late 1700s. The remains were uncovered in the coastal city during construction in 2013. Since then, scientists have learned more about these people and their lives by pulling genetic material from their remains. The research showed most had ties to West Africa and most were likely born into slavery in Colonial America. It's one of a growing number of projects using ancient DNA research. In Charleston, the work has also inspired plans to build a memorial on the burial site.

            Park Hills voters in Tuesday's election will choose among three candidates seeking election as the city's mayor. All three were given the same questions and opportunities to provide photos.

            Spring has now officially "sprung" and The LIFE Center for Independent Living has announced its annual Easter egg hunt for children and adults with disabilities will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1, at New Heights Church, 4982 Flat River Road in Farmington.

            Despite supply-chain problems amid the lingering effects of the pandemic, 2022 saw major increases in solar and wind power in the United States, though that growth varied by state, according to a report released last month by a nonprofit focused on climate change. Nationally, electricity generated from solar and wind grew 16% from 2021, with wind accounting […]

            The post Missouri saw small gains in wind, solar energy capacity last year appeared first on Missouri Independent.

            Senate Democrats seized control of the Missouri Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to block a Republican proposal making it harder to change the state constitution. The measure that would impose a 60% threshold as the minimum majority for amendments has already passed the House and, if approved in the Senate, would go before voters in 2024. […]

            The post Democratic filibuster blocks vote on bill making it harder to amend Missouri Constitution appeared first on Missouri Independent.

            The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly double the state rate and one of the highest in the country. In hopes of helping veterans and other Missourians facing mental health issues, the Missouri House advanced a bill Wednesday that would require the state to conduct a study on using psilocybin, also known as […]

            The post Missouri House backs bill requiring state research on psychedelics to treat depression, PTSD appeared first on Missouri Independent.

            WASHINGTON — Both Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the Biden administration’s intensely contested expansion of what qualifies as wetlands that the federal government can regulate. The Senate approved a resolution, sponsored by West Virginia Republican Shelley Moore Capito, that would revoke the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of […]

            The post U.S. Senate clears measure to undo Biden WOTUS rule on wetlands appeared first on Missouri Independent.

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            Planning your own funeral may be a difficult task for you, but imagine your loved ones’ relief when they find out it’s already done. You’ll give them peace of mind and lessen their burden of having to make difficult decisions during their time of grief.

            Park Hills voters in Tuesday's election will choose among three candidates seeking election as the city's mayor. All three were given the same questions and opportunities to provide photos.

            Three men are running to fill two spots on the Leadington Board of Aldermen during the election on April 4. Each were given the same questions and the opportunity to provide photos. They are listed in the order in which their names appear on the ballot.

            In the April 4 election, two men are vying for a seat on the Desloge Board of Aldermen to represent Ward 3: Incumbent Travis Crews and challenger Russell Kester. Aldermanic terms are two years long.

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