Tootfinder

GPA 2025: AI development and human oversight of decisions involving AI systems were this year’s focus for Global Privacy regulators
https://fpf.org/blog/gpa-2025-ai-development-and-human-ov…

Optimal Robust Recourse with $L^p$-Bounded Model Change
Phone Kyaw, Kshitij Kayastha, Shahin Jabbari
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21293 https://arxiv.org/pdf…

Optimal Robust Recourse with $L^p$-Bounded Model Change
Recourse provides individuals who received undesirable labels (e.g., denied a loan) from algorithmic decision-making systems with a minimum-cost improvement suggestion to achieve the desired outcome. However, in practice, models often get updated to reflect changes in the data distribution or environment, invalidating the recourse recommendations (i.e., following the recourse will not lead to the desirable outcome). The robust recourse literature addresses this issue by providing a framework fo…

Design and deployment of a fast neural network for measuring the properties of muons originating from displaced vertices in the CMS Endcap Muon Track Finder
Efe Yigitbasi (on behalf of CMS Collaboration)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21062

Design and deployment of a fast neural network for measuring the properties of muons originating from displaced vertices in the CMS Endcap Muon Track Finder
We report on the development, implementation, and performance of a fast neural network used to measure the transverse momentum in the CMS Level-1 Endcap Muon Track Finder. The network aims to improve the triggering efficiency of muons produced in the decays of long-lived particles (LLPs). We implemented it in firmware for a Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA and deployed it during the LHC Run 3 data-taking in 2023. The new displaced muon triggers that use this algorithm broaden the phase space accessible to …

Multi-port programmable silicon photonics using low-loss phase change material Sb$_2$Se$_3$
Thomas W. Radford, Idris A Ajia, Latif Rozaqi, Priya Deoli, Xingzhao Yan, Mehdi Banakar, David J Thomson, Ioannis Zeimpekis, Alberto Politi, Otto L. Muskens
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18205 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.18205 https://arxiv.org/html/2511.18205
arXiv:2511.18205v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Reconfigurable photonic devices are rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of next generation optical technologies, with wide ranging applications in quantum simulation, neuromorphic computing, and large-scale photonic processors. A central challenge in this field is identifying an optimal platform to enable compact, efficient, and scalable reconfigurability. Optical phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a compelling solution by enabling non-volatile, reversible tuning of optical properties, compatible with a wide range of device platforms and current CMOS technologies. In particular, antimony tri-selenide ($\text{Sb}_{2}\text{Se}_{3}$) stands out for its ultra low-loss characteristics at telecommunication wavelengths and its reversible switching. In this work, we present an experimental platform capable of encoding multi-port operations onto the transmission matrix of a compact multimode interferometer architecture on standard 220~nm silicon photonics using \textit{in-silico} designed digital patterns. The multi-port devices are clad with a thin film of $\text{Sb}_{2}\text{Se}_{3}$, which can be optically addressed using direct laser writing to provide local perturbations to the refractive index. A range of multi-port geometries from 2$\times$2 up to 5$\times$5 couplers are demonstrated, achieving simultaneous control of up to 25 matrix elements with programming accuracy of 90% relative to simulated patterns. Patterned devices remain stable with consistent optical performance across the C-band wavelengths. Our work establishes a pathway towards the development of large scale PCM-based reconfigurable multi-port devices which will allow implementing matrix operations on three orders of magnitude smaller areas than interferometer meshes.
toXiv_bot_toot

"AI features have yet to meaningfully influence buying decisions"
YES, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS THAT SHIT— HOW IS THIS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND FOR THE C-SUITE
Anyone knows someone at Apple? I can offer consulting about how much people want AI, I'm willing to do it for $10,000/day if you pick me up with the company jet; it's just a 2 hour flight or so to Cupertino from where I am.
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/22/report-virtually-no-demand-for-iphone-air/

Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray fallout: What happens when teams move on from first-round QBs?

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/kyler-murray-tua-tagovailoa-q…

Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists
asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group,
is asking the U.S. District Court to block Trump’s White House ballroom project,
which already has involved razing the East Wing,
until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental asses…

Trump sued by preservationists over White House ballroom project
President Donald Trump has been sued by preservationists seeking an architecture review and congressional approval over his White House ballroom project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is asking a federal court to stop Trump’s White House ballroom project until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, public comments and wins approval from Congress. The National Trust argues that Trump, by fast-tracking the project, has committed multiple violations of the Administrative Pr…

Source: Microsoft is in talks to design future custom chips with Broadcom, which would involve Microsoft switching its business from Marvell (Abram Brown/The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/microsoft-discusses-custom-chips-broadcom

Microsoft Discusses Custom Chips With Broadcom
Microsoft is in talks to design future custom chips with Broadcom, which would involve Microsoft switching its business from Marvell, another maker of custom chips, according to one person involved in the discussions. Those discussions come amid intense demand for such chips as companies like Microsoft race to acquire more semiconductors and increase their AI products. Nvidia lords over the

The Inflection Points Podcast
The Inflection Points Podcast is Australia's home of long-form policy discussion...
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: https://www.greataustralianpods.com/inflection-points/

I keep coming back to the mirror dualities of the oppressed and oppressor under authoritarianism.
The oppressed is portrayed as both weak and godlike. The stereotypes are always some variation on sloth and incompetence, but yet somehow also a menace capable of destroying the "pure" society. To use the most relevant current example, Antifa being both little femme soy boys who would always get beat up by "real men" while also being an international terrorist organization on the brink of overthrowing the US government, the unarmed presence of whom makes the heavily armed agents of ICE flee for their lives. Antifa is both having absolutely no impact on ICE, and also having such an impact on ICE that the military needs to come in to protect them. The contradiction is obvious but never seems to occur to those who hold both to be true at the same time.
But few talk about the duality of the oppressor. The sovereign throughout history has always been both a ruler above the law, sometimes even the representative or incarnation of a divine force. Yet, this same superhuman/god-man is also a baby who needs constant care. This is absolutely a through line from the very earliest records of sovereign cults to modern cult leaders, CEOs, and Trump today. Power, for these people, is expressed both as the ability to force others to enact their will and in the ability to compel others to care for them. Can any of these "men" cook? Can they fix anything themselves? They are driven everywhere, cooked for all the time, constantly protected from danger. Kings are still dressed, at least for rituals. I could dissect masculinity here, but that's a whole thing.
It is as though the drive to care for our children, who must be taught to behave within acceptable norms, is hijacked by "leaders" who demand our care and attention... even at the expense of our literal children. And recently we've seen some of those very CEOs, with LLMs and return to office demands, show that their judgment is also little better than children, making decisions while pretending to understand a subject.
The oppressed are portrayed as both god-like and impotent and are, in fact, neither. Meanwhile the rulers portray themselves only as invulnerable and are, in fact, childish in their ability to survive without constant support. Their greatest fear from the collapse of society is figuring out how to make sure people keep taking care of them.
It just keeps rattling around in my head.
#USPol