An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: The newest online-only school greenlighted (PDF) by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools comes with a twist: The academic curriculum will be taught entirely by AI. Charter schools -- independently operated but publicly funded -- typically get greater autonomy compared to traditional public schools when it comes to how subjects are taught. But Unbound Academy's application, which proposes an "AI-driven adaptive learning technology" that "condenses academic instruction into a two-hour window," is a first for the model. (Unbound's founders have been running a similar program at a "high-end private school" in Texas, which appears to be in-person.) Unbound's approach leans on edtech platforms like IXL and Khan Academy, and students engage with "interactive, AI-powered platforms that continuously adjust to their individual learning pace and style." There will be humans, just fewer of them, and maybe not actual accredited teachers: It will adopt a "human-in-the-loop" approach with "skilled guides" monitoring progress who can provide "targeted interventions" and coaching for each student. Academic instruction is whittled down to just two hours. The remainder of the students' day will include "life-skills workshops" covering areas such as critical thinking, creative problem-solving, financial literacy, public speaking, goal setting, and entrepreneurship. The online-only school targets students from fourth to eighth grades.

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OpenAI is nearing the end of its "ship-mas" spree. Now, on the 10th day of this Christmas-tinged AI extravaganza, the company is revealing its most outlandish product to date—an information hotline called 1-800-CHATGPT.

The CDC has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States. NPR reports: Louisiana health officials initially reported the infection last week, saying a person was hospitalized after being exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared their findings that indicate the H5N1 virus responsible for the illness belongs to a genetic lineage that's circulating in wild birds and poultry -- different from what's spreading in dairy cattle and driving the majority of infections in agricultural workers. In the U.S., more than 60 people have been infected so far, although some research suggests the official tally may be an undercount. The illnesses linked to dairy cattle have largely led to mild illnesses in humans. The version of the virus in the Louisiana case is the so-called "D1.1 genotype." It has previously popped up in poultry workers in Washington state, who developed mild symptoms after testing positive in October. More recently, however, a teenager in British Columbia was hospitalized after contracting this D1.1 strain of the virus. Canadian health officials were unable to figure out how that person was infected. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis with the CDC, told reporters on Wednesday that bird blu has a well-established history of leading to severe illness and death. He added: "Infections without a clear source of exposure do occur, neither these cases nor the cases with known animal or animal products exposure have resulted in human to human transmission." California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the H5N1 bird flu virus moves from the Central valley to Southern California herds. The declaration will allow for a more streamlined approach among state and local agencies to tackle the virus, providing "flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California's evolving response,'" reports the Los Angeles Times, citing a statement from Newsom's office. "Building on California's testing and monitoring system -- the largest in the nation -- we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information," said Newsom in a statement. "While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus." Further reading: US Government Orders Nationwide Testing of Milk for Bird Flu to Stop the Virus's Spread Bird Flu Fears Stoke the Race for an mRNA Flu Vaccine

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If you find yourself losing motivation to do much else besides scroll on your phone, TikTok, ironically, may offer a solution: Create a dopamine menu. It's not obvious by the trendy name what that even means, but there is no shortage of videos out there explaining the concept. Essentially, you're creating a list of the things you love to do or the things you need to do, as long as you get a little rush of fulfillment or joy from them, then referring back to it when you feel stuck. Here's what you need to know about the new viral trend.

Why is there a menu involved?

First of all, a dopamine menu is actually what it sounds like, which is to say it looks similar to a restaurant menu. You have appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and specials. These categories each serve a purpose: to help you figure out which kinds of activities belong under which heading. You're familiar with how restaurant menus work, so these groups can help guide you as you figure out how much time and energy each activity might cost you. Here's what each means:

• Appetizers are small activities that bring you a quick rush of fulfillment or happiness, but don't take a lot of time or effort. Going on a walk or grabbing a coffee can be an appetizer.

• Entrees are still accessible, but require a little bit more from you. If texting an old friend is an appetizer, getting dinner with an old friend is an entree. Think of these as activities that pay off a little more. Going to the gym is an entree, for instance, because it requires more out of you than an appetizer, but it also gives you a greater reward at the end.

• Sides are activities that work together with a different task. Perhaps cleaning your bedroom could be an entree, as you do feel accomplished when it's over, but that's still hard work and can be frustrating, so listening to a podcast or favorite artist while you do it could count as a side.

• Desserts are indulgences you don't always "order" but really cherish when you do, like a bubble bath or splurging on something from your Amazon wishlist. Getting takeout can be a dessert. Then again, if you really enjoy cooking, making a delicious meal could literally be an entree. Where you sort things depends on how much effort they require of you, personally, and how great you judge the reward to be.

• Specials are similar to desserts, but less accessible and frequent. Going to a museum might be a dessert but going on a vacation would be a special. They are more resource-intensive than your standard self-treats but should give you a major sense of happiness or accomplishment.

What do you do once you've made a dopamine menu?

It's best to actually write this out somehow. A contributing factor to why these menus are all over social media is that there is an appeal to actually making a menu by hand. If you're the crafty type, creating one using paper, markers, stickers, and other art supplies could even be an entree for you.

Once you've made your dopamine menu, you keep it on hand so that when you're feeling low on energy or joy, you can whip it out and pick from it, like you would at a restaurant. Depending on how "hungry" you are for something to do and how much time and energy you have to "spend," you select what you want.

The goal here is to create some structure so you can look at a ready-made list of things that will increase your mood, motivation, and overall happiness. You're aiming to deny yourself the opportunity to claim you just couldn't think of anything to do on a day you're bored or lackluster. Spending some time thinking about what really makes you happy or what will thrill you when it's finally taken care of reminds you that there's plenty to do, so even making the menu itself can be a little dopamine hit.

I decided to try it out. Here's what I came up with:

It was actually trickier than I thought it would be since a lot of the things I do for self-care and fun—like take classes, have meetings for my personal businesses and projects, go to in-salon appointments, or go on trips—are pre-planned and don't lend themselves to day-of dopamine hunting. I had to think about tasks I enjoy that are accessible on any given afternoon when I'm feeling low. I was impressed that I came up with so much, but I'll warn you this does take some time. Ultimately, I was pleased to see the variety among the things that make me happy.

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If you have a flexible spending account (FSA), you know the drill: Use the funds before the end of the year, or lose them. Unfortunately, chances are slim you can pack the rest of the year with doctor's appointments. Does that mean your hard-earned funds go to waste? Definitely not. You can spend your remaining FSA funds on other qualifying healthcare costs. As the end of the year approaches, take stock of your FSA balances and make a plan to spend any leftover money.

Stock up on over-the-counter items

Many over-the-counter medications and health items are FSA-eligible, including pain relievers, cold medicine, bandages, dental care products, menstrual products, and more. Scan your medicine cabinet and make a list of anything you need to stock upon. Snag yourself epsom salt for $24.99, Supergoop! sunscreen for $38.00, or perhaps one of those snazzy massage guns for $299.99.

Get new glasses or contacts

If your vision isn’t quite 20/20, use FSA dollars to order a new prescription for eyeglasses or contacts. Don't forget to stock up on eye drops and lens solution, too.

Purchase orthopedic supplies

Knee braces, wrist splints, compression socks and other orthopedic items can help relieve chronic pain issues. Use FSA money to offset the costs of these.

Pre-pay for planned procedures

If you have medical procedures scheduled for early next year, many healthcare providers will allow you to pre-pay the estimated costs this calendar year using FSA funds. This includes dental work, physical therapy, chiropractic visits, Lasik eye surgery, and more.

The bottom line

However you choose to spend your FSA funds, don’t let that money go to waste. After all, it came out of your paycheck. Check in with your employer’s rules for any balance remaining on Dec. 31 this year, so you aren’t left forfeiting your hard-earned funds. You can find a complete list at the FSA store here.