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An Anonymous Coward writes:

Open AI claims that AI has found a solution to the Navier-Stokes Millenium Prize problem.

The Navier-Stokes equations are a good model for most fluids we see around us like water and air. They are partial differential equations, and their solution is the velocity of the fluid --- a field that varies with both location in space and time. The Millenium Prize problem asks whether it is possible to start the equations with smooth initial conditions and smooth forcing, but still reach a solution with a singularity (i.e. infinite velocity at some time and point in space). One may either prove that such solutions stay smooth for all time, or one may construct an example which has a finite time "blowup"; the claim by OpenAI is that they found solutions with singularities. The result itself is interesting and it will most likely have some consequences within fluid dynamics, but these are medium to long term things that are hard to predict. I personally am not capable of judging the validity of the result (FWIW Sabine Hossenfelder explains reasonably well why the result might not be valid despite the "lean confirmation").

Sadly, the whole thing is clouded by allegations of not-exactly-plagiarism. In their statement OpenAI does not deny that their internal models may have been trained on research performed by others. To be more clear, there exists professor Tristan Buckmaster who was working with a friend from Anthropic on exactly this problem, and exactly this approach to the problem, and prof. Buckmaster used OpenAI's tools. I personally found prof. Buckmaster's statement a good read, and I don't want to forget this blog post by Curtis Pyke.

I believe the larger story is the AI agent collective. In the Hugging Face hack many AI agents started talking to each other and worked together to achieve their goals. OpenAI states that to solve the Navier Stokes problem, they purposefully set up to 10000 agents to work in groups that could communicate internally. At the same time OpenAI states that we are not prepared for AI --- the BBC has a broader text on controlling AI here.

I believe the larger story is that these AI agent collectives look a lot like global workspaces. This whole thing fits in nicely with the fact that humans consider themselves superior to other animals because they have language: unconstrained communication of different components is what leads the collective to have an actual chain/train of thought (the communication log).

I believe there is more to say, but I want to start a discussion, not to lecture. I apologize if I left anything important out.

Original Submission

Tim Curry has died at age 80

The British actor was known for iconic roles like Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise.

Curry earned three Tony nominations and a Daytime Emmy and released three musical albums in his career

The British star got his start on stage in the West End, starring in the original London production of Hair in 1968 after attending Birmingham University. But according to the actor, he fudged his own experience to get a part in the show. "When asked if he had professional experience and an Equity card, Tim lied about both," his website reads. "By the time the producers found out the truth, they were sufficiently impressed with his talent and presence to sponsor him for his union membership."

In 2012, Curry suffered a major stroke and has used a wheelchair since. Curry, who never married and has no children, mostly pulled back on his acting career then, focusing instead on voiceover projects.

Dolly Parton has passed away.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-death-cause-country-music-legend-singer/89232175007/

Dolly Parton, the "Queen of Country" singing icon with a personality as bold as her signature blond coif and rhinestone-encrusted outfits, has died. She was 80 years old.

Parton's death was announced in a video message from her family on her social media pages and confirmed to USA TODAY.

[...] Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the death of his aunt [...]

[...] My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us for ever.

Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil; she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.