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A fictional world where illegal magic allows people to switch bodies. A powerful sorceress, trained from a young age to be an assassin. A young man with untapped magical ability, kept from the truth of his great but dangerous destiny. Sounds like a good setup, right? It is. And it exists on Netflix in the form of Alchemy of Souls, a two-season Korean drama that concluded its epic tale in January. The fantasy romance was watched by millions across the planet, but never quite got the attention it warranted in the United States until now. Youre welcome in advance for introducing you to your new favorite show.

In the modern media era, its rare to find a big-budget story that isnt based on a preexisting IP. This is as true in the Korean TV industry as it is in American media, as many wonderful K-dramas are based on popular webtoons. Dont get me wrong the adaptation process has brought me some of my favorite fantasy TV shows of all time (The Magicians, Merlin, The Untamed), and some of the best K-dramas of the past few years (All of Us Are Dead, Hellbound, Yumis Cells). But theres something to be said for a story that doesnt follow an already established plot, setting, and cast of characters. At the very least, the creative team from the writers and director to the cast and costume designer has a full sense of ownership that allows them to make choices outside of the limitations of canon. And, from a viewers perspective, anything could happen, adding an extra layer of tension and excitement.

Alchemy of Souls comes from the minds of the Hong sisters, the iconic sibling writing team known for hits like Hotel del Luna (starring Brokers IU) and My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox. The Netflix K-drama follows the story of mages living in the Joseon-esque fictional kingdom of Daeho, which as the show states in its opening minutes does not exist in history or on maps (yes, its giving Merlin vibes). The series follows Nak-su (Jung So-min, at least for most of the first season), a warrior-sorceress who is forced to soul-shift into a body that leaves her much physically weaker, and without access to her magic. Still, Nak-su who, from here on out, goes by Mu-deok, the name of the persons body she switched into has deep, hard-earned knowledge of spellwork and swordplay. She is recruited by Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook), a young man from a noble family whose magical growth has been intentionally stifled since he was a child. He guesses her true identity, convinces her to train him as her apprentice, and their story properly begins. Romance may be involved.

While Alchemy of Souls isnt an adaptation, it does borrow elements from both the xianxia and romance genres. If youve watched any Chinese TV dramas, like the aforementioned The Untamed, then you are probably familiar with some of the xianxia tropes Alchemy of Souls employs. Xianxia literally means immortal heroes. It shares some elements with its sibling genre wuxia, which translates as martial heroes, but includes characters with supernatural or magical abilities that are far removed from whats possible in the real world. For example, while characters in the wuxia classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can defy gravity a bit by dancing through the canopy of a bamboo forest, characters in a xianxia like Alchemy of Souls can, you know, put their souls in other peoples bodies. As a white American who grew up in the 90s with limited access to international media, I love watching K-dramas and C-dramas as an adult. While their tropes may be obvious to their domestic audiences, they exist outside of the Western story structures that are most familiar to me.

Image: Studio Dragon

Many East Asian story formats are not allergic to romance and emotional vulnerability rather, they often lead with it. Alchemy of Souls is not embarrassed to devote entire scenes, especially in season 2, to the lead characters gazing longingly at one another while one of the series epic love ballads plays in the background. Alchemy of Souls (and much of Korean TV drama) articulates expressions of character interiority in new ways for many Western audiences, offering a refreshing alternative to the traditionally masculine character interiority of ironic distance, stoicism, and displays of physical dominance often prioritized in big-budget Western media. While anger, aggression, and emotional stoicism are depicted in Alchemy of Souls, these experiences are not contextualized as more or less heroic than gentleness, playfulness, or emotional openness. And the series is just as likely to show a character express emotional pain by throwing themselves onto the ground and weeping as it is to see them express emotional pain by striking someone with a sword.

While the love story between Mu-deok and Jang Uk is the central narrative of the show, it is very much shaped by the drama they were born into. Because of the actions of their parents generation, the destinies of Mu-deok and Jang Uk have been inextricably intertwined the complexity of which is slowly unraveled over the course of the shows 30 episodes. In the meantime, the dynamic between the two is refreshingly complex. To keep her true identity as the assassin Nak-su a secret, Mu-deok is pretending to be Jang Uks maid and therefore kind of is Jang Uks maid. (Again, major Merlin similarities.) However, she is also Jang Uks master in his magical training. When they meet, Jang Uk basically has to beg Mu-deok to take him on as her apprentice and, especially in the early episodes, she is often one step away from actually murdering him. While others may see Mu-deok as a servant to Jang Uk, that is not the truth of their relationship, and Jang Uk is never threatened by the ways in which Mu-deok has power over him. In this way, the dynamic takes on a subversive quality, complicating some of the traditional power imbalances between men and women in romantic relationships, both real and fictional. In the first season, this is further reinforced by the age difference between the leads, as Jung So-min, who plays Mu-deok, is 10 years older than Lee Jae-wook, who plays Jang Uk.

Outside of the two leads, Alchemy of Souls invests a good amount of energy in developing the worlds magical society, a crucial element to any series operating at this scale. In Daeho, there are four main families of power, and each of them has a young, hot heir apparent. (Think the Gossip Girl brats, but with magical powers.) Collectively, this group is known as The Four Seasons. Jang Uk is from the Uk family. His father, Jang Gang (Joo Sang-wook) was a powerful sorcerer who had the ability to perform the alchemy of souls, the spell that allows someone to swap bodies with someone else. Jang Gang dipped shortly after Jang Uks mother died in childbirth but not before making everyone promise they would never teach Jang Uk a lick of magic.

Image: Studio Dragon

Before the events of the series, Jang Uk was engaged to Jin Cho-yeon, thought to be the only surviving daughter of the Jin family, who is in charge of protecting most of the realms most powerful magic instruments. The Jin family is matriarchal, and they have the best, most consistent eyeliner game in all of modern TV. While Jin Cho-yeon may have been engaged to Jang Uk, she is secretly loved by Park Dang-gu (Yoo In-soo, who is much more lovable here than as cruel antagonist Yoon Gwi-nam in All of Us Are Dead). Park Dang-gu will eventually inherit control of Songrim, the seat of magical instruction in Daeho. And, finally, we have Seo Yul (K-pop star Hwang Min-hyun of the group NUEST), of the distant Seo family. Seo Yul is like the friend who might inspire unhealthy resentment for how pretty and talented they are, except they are too earnestly kind and good. He has a past connection with Nak-su, and the show occasionally flirts with a love triangle, but never fully commits. Rather, the Four Seasons especially Jang Uk, Dang-gu, and Yeo Sul are consistently portrayed as supportive besties.

This is only a sampling of the rich ensemble and world Alchemy of Souls builds out, and the unexpected journey the show takes its viewers on. I dont want to go too far into the second seasons plot, but lets just say the first season ends on a major cliffhanger and, when the story picks up after a time jump, the characters are much changed.

If youre a viewer looking for a meticulously outlined magical system or a fantasy story that prioritizes plot over emotion, Alchemy of Souls is not for you. But, if youre someone who misses the sentimental shenanigans of an adventure fantasy series like Merlin and are looking for another epic, emotion-driven fantasy that whips from silly to heartbreaking to devastatingly romantic in the space of an episode, Alchemy of Souls may just be your destiny.

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Netflixs best fantasy show Alchemy of Souls is a must for Merlin fans - Polygon

Among several conversations around ChatGPT, a concern that remains pervasive is how the revolutionary technology poses a threat to human jobs. However, it appears a US man has found his way out of this discussion with his online masterclass for beginners.

Junck is a 23-year-old techie hailing from Austin, Texas. Apparently, he first used ChatGPT in November of last year and was blown away. He saw an opportunity in making the tool more accessible to everyone.

Having had no formal training in AI, Junck trained himself by spending hours giving different kinds of prompts to ChatGPT every day. Speaking about his course, he said, I think people are kind of afraid of ChatGPT, so I tried to make it warm and exciting and approachable, reports Business Insider.

More than 16,000 students across the world have already enrolled on his course available on Udemy. For Indian users, its lifetime access is available for 449.

The course is divided into 50 lectures scattered across 9 sections. It begins with learning to write the first ChatGPT prompt and moves on to understanding its applications for businesses, students, and programmers. It also has sections dedicated to creating Incredible Art with DALL E-2, AI image generator and best plug-ins using AI.

Juncks course has a rating of 4.5 stars on Udemy. He relates his expertise in SEO and Marketing to the demand for his course. Apparently, around 200-250 students enroll every day. They are college students and working professionals from the US, India, Japan, and Canada. There are also students from non-ChatGPT places like Russia and parts of Middle-East countries.

Reportedly, Junck has carried the ChatGPT instructions to companies like ClearDesk and HPCwire. He also plans to make lectures on Googles Bard and Microsofts Bing once they are accessible to the public.

You can find the link to the course here.

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This US Man Taught Himself & Has Made Over 28 Lakhs With His ChatGPT Masterclass For Beginners - ScoopWhoop

Three University of Maryland undergraduates have been awarded 2023 scholarships by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, which encourages students to pursue advanced study and research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics.

Junior physics and mathematics double-degree student Deven Bowman and junior bioengineering majors Corinne Martin and Neel Panchwagh are among 413 Goldwater Scholars selected from 1,267 nominees nationally. Goldwater Scholars receive one- or two-year scholarships that cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year.

Over the last 15 years, UMDs nominations yielded 49 scholarshipsthe most in the nation. The Goldwater Foundation has honored 79 UMD winners and five honorable mentions since the program debuted in 1989.

We are immensely proud of all that Deven, Corinne and Neel have accomplished to this point and the bright futures ahead of them. Their success is a win for everyone at the University of Maryland and highlights the commitment of the university to provide opportunities for our students to advance knowledge in their research disciplines and address grand challenges that impact people and communities, both locally and globally, said Robert Infantino, associate dean of undergraduate education in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. Infantino has led UMDs Goldwater Scholarship nominating process since 2001.

Deven BowmanBowman started working remotely in a UMD research group the summer before his freshman yearduring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the next two years in that group led by Eun-Suk Seo, a professor of physics with a joint appointment in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, studying the cosmic ray spectrum. This research resulted in a first-author paper published in the journal Advances in Space Research, as well as a co-authored paper and a conference proceeding.

In summer 2021, Bowman joined the lab of Professor Steve Rolston, chair of UMDs Department of Physics and Joint Quantum Institute fellow, where he works on long-distance quantum communication. He presented his work at the Frontiers in Optics+Laser Science conference in 2022.

Over my career, I have interacted with many undergraduates and graduate studentsand it is clear Deven has an exceptionally bright future, Rolston said. He is highly motivated and very self-sufficient in both understanding the science and figuring out technical solutions.

Outside the lab, Bowman spent time tutoring two high school students in math, science and English and advised them on preparing for college for the past three years. He also competed in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition in 2021.

This summer, hell work at Caltech on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the U.S.-based gravitational wave detector, as part of a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

During his time at UMD, Bowman received the Presidents Scholarship and the Angelo Bardasis Scholarship from the Department of Physics.

After graduation, Bowman plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics, following in the footsteps of his father, Steven M.S. 80, Ph.D. 86. His mother, Anuradha 86, M.A. 97, studied physics then at UMD.

Their unwavering support for my education has been paramount to my success thus far, Bowman said of his parents.

Corinne MartinMartin participated for the past two summers in the Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she investigated the genetic regulation of neuronal axon projection and cancer progression in the brain. In addition, Martin troubleshot the code for a web tool called PegAssist to facilitate the use of a technique called prime editing by the broader biomedical community.

Last fall, Martin joined the lab of Christopher Jewell, Minta Martin Professor of Engineering and MPower Professor in UMDs Fischell Department of Bioengineering, to conduct immune engineering research. Martin recently co-authored a review article on engineering immunometabolism that has been submitted for publication; in May she will present a poster at Immunology2023, the conference of the American Association of Immunologists.

Corinne is already performing at the level of a graduate student, Jewell said. Her creativity, stunning intellect, infectious enthusiasm and kindhearted nature set her apart.

This summer, Martin will intern at Genentech in South San Francisco on the molecular genetics team, which develops, advances and optimizes gene-editing technologies that support the drug development efforts at the company.

At UMD, Martin is a member of the Design Cultures and Creativity program in the Honors College. She also volunteers as a tutor for the Every Child Project and is a taekwondo instructor, holding the rank of third-degree black belt.

After graduation, Martin plans to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering and lead an academic research lab focused on immune engineering to advance novel therapeutic strategies for autoimmune diseases, such as Crohns disease.

More than 50 million people worldwide are affected by autoimmune diseases, many of which are incurable and require lifelong treatment. As I know through my own battle with Crohns disease, these therapies often work by suppressing immune cells without distinguishing between healthy and self-reactive cells, impairing healthy immunity and leaving patients vulnerable to infection, Martin said. My career will leverage bioengineering approaches to selectively tune the immune response, improving treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects for patients.

Neel PanchwaghPanchwagh began his research career as a junior in high school when he joined a cancer metabolism lab at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, where he helped to characterize the effects of fructose metabolism on colorectal cancer growth and energy regulation.

During his freshman year at UMD, he joined a lab at Johns Hopkins Universitys Lieber Institute for Brain Development and studied mutations in the TCF4 gene, which are commonly seen in patients with the rare neurodevelopmental disorder called Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. Panchwagh co-authored a paper about this workthat was recently submitted for publication.

Since September 2021, Panchwagh has been conducting pancreatic cancer research at the National Cancer Institute, investigating the role of soluble mesothelin, a protein that plays an active role in both malignant transformation and tumor aggressiveness.

Outside the lab, Panchwagh served as a congressional intern in the U.S. House of Representatives for U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-06) and volunteers as a site leader for One Tent Health, providing HIV tests and information about safe health practices to the medically underserved population in D.C. He also is vice president and head delegate for UMDs Model United Nations Team.

He served as a teaching assistant for a new course, Integrative and Quantitative Concepts in Biology, taught by Najib El-Sayed, a professor of cell biology and molecular genetics and director of the Integrated Life Sciences program in the Honors College.

Neel truly stood out, becoming a distinct and unique driving force behind many of the discussions in our preparation sessions, El-Sayed said. He brought an element of initiative, leadership and enthusiasm that is rarely seen in classes where complex material is taught and always thought of applications to real-life situations.

Panchwagh, a Banneker/Key Scholar and member of the Integrated Life Sciences program in the Honors College, was inducted into the national engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi.

After he graduates, he plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in oncology and to contribute to translational research by developing therapeutics that target the molecular mechanisms that govern cancer biology.

Through my experiences, I have seen how physician-scientists use their medical background to tailor research toward patient impact, Panchwagh said. The M.D./Ph.D. route will allow me to gain an understanding of the research process while receiving comprehensive medical training.

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Maryland Today | Three Terps Named 2023 Goldwater Scholars - Maryland Today

Although many digital natives praise ChatGPT, some fear it does more harm than good. News reports about crooks hijacking AI have been making rounds on the internet, increasing unease among skeptics. They even consider ChatGPT a dangerous tool.

AI chatbots arent perfect, but you dont have to avoid them altogether. Heres everything you should know about how crooks abuse ChatGPT and what you can do to stop them.

Most front-end security concerns about ChatGPT stem from speculations and unverified reports. The platform only launched in November 2022, after all. Its natural for new users to have misconceptions about the privacy and security of unfamiliar tools.

According to OpenAIs terms of use, heres how ChatGPT handles the following data:

Rumors say that ChatGPT sells personally identifiable information (PII).

The platform was launched by OpenAI, a reputable AI research lab funded by tech investors like Microsoft and Elon Musk. ChatGPT should only use customer data to provide the services stated in the privacy policy.

Moreover, ChatGPT asks for minimal information. You can create an account with just your name and email address.

OpenAI keeps ChatGPT conversations secure, but it reserves the right to monitor them. AI trainers continuously look for areas of improvement. Since the platform comprises vast yet limited datasets, resolving errors, bugs, and vulnerabilities requires system-wide updates.

However, OpenAI can only monitor convos for research purposes. Distributing or selling them to third parties violates its own terms of use.

According to the BBC, OpenAI trained ChaGPT on 300 billion words. It collects data from public web pages, like social media platforms, business websites, and comment sections. Unless youve gone off the grid and erased your digital footprint, ChatGPT likely has your information.

While ChatGPT isnt inherently dangerous, the platform still presents security risks. Crooks can bypass restrictions to execute various cyberattacks.

Instead of spending hours writing emails, crooks use ChatGPT. Its fast and accurate. Advanced language models (such as GPT-3.5 and GPT-4) can produce hundreds of coherent, convincing phishing emails within minutes. They even adopt unique tones and writing styles.

Since ChatGPT makes it harder to spot hacking attempts, take extra care before answering emails. As a general rule, avoid divulging information. Note that legitimate companies and organizations rarely ask for confidential PII through random emails.

Learn to spot hacking attempts. Although email providers filter spam messages, some crafty ones could fall through the cracks. You should still know what phishing messages look like.

ChatGPT uses an open-source LLM, which anyone can modify. Coders proficient in large language models (LLM) and machine learning often integrate pre-trained AI models into their legacy systems. Training AI on new datasets alters functionality. For instance, ChatGPT becomes a pseudo-fitness expert if you feed it recipes and exercise routines.

Although collaborative and convenient, open-sourcing leaves technologies vulnerable to abuse. Skilled criminals already exploit ChatGPT. They train it on large volumes of stolen data, turning the platform into a personal database for fraud.

Remember: you have no control over how crooks operate. The best approach is to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) once you notice signs of identity theft.

ChatGPT writes usable code snippets in different programming languages. Most samples require minimal modifications to function properly, especially if you structure a concise prompt. You could leverage this feature to develop apps and sites.

Since ChatGPT was trained on billions of datasets, it also knows illicit practices, like developing malware and viruses. OpenAI prohibits chatbots from writing malicious codes. But crooks bypass these restrictions by restructuring prompts and asking precise questions.

The below photo shows that ChatGPT rejects writing code for malicious purposes.

Meanwhile, the below photo shows that ChatGPT will give you harmful information if you phrase your prompts correctly.

Unethical bloggers spin content using ChatGPT. Since the platform runs on advanced LLMs, it can quickly rephrase thousands of words an avoid plagiarism tags.

ChatGPT rephrased the below text in 10 seconds.

Of course, spinning still classifies as plagiarism. Paraphrased AI articles sometimes rank by chance, but Google generally prefers original content from reputable sources. Cheap tricks and SEO hacks cant beat high-quality, evergreen writing.

Also, Google releases multiple core updates annually. It will soon focus on removing lazy, unoriginal AI-generated pieces from SERPs.

AI language models have no biases. They provide answers by analyzing user requests and pulling data from their existing database.

Take ChatGPT as an example. When you send a prompt, it responds based on the datasets OpenAI used for training.

While ChatGPTs content policies block inappropriate requests, users bypass them with jailbreak prompts. They feed it precise, clever instructions. ChatGPT produces the below response if you ask it to portray a psychopathic fictional character.

The good news is OpenAI hasnt lost control of ChatGPT. Its ongoing efforts in tightening restrictions stop ChatGPT from producing unethical responses, regardless of user input. Jailbreaking wont be as easy moving forward.

The rapid growth of new, unfamiliar technologies like ChatGPT creates opportunities for quid pro quo attacks. Theyre social engineering tactics wherein crooks lure victims with fake offers.

Most people havent explored ChatGPT yet. And hackers exploit the confusion by spreading misleading promotions, emails, and announcements.

The most notorious cases involve fake apps. New users dont know they can only access ChatGPT through OpenAI. They unknowingly download spammy programs and extensions.

Most just want app downloads, but others steal personally identifiable information. Crooks infect them with malware and phishing links. For example, in March 2023, a fake ChatGPT Chrome extension stole Facebook credentials from 2,000+ users daily.

To combat quid pro quo attempts, avoid third-party apps. OpenAI never released an authorized mobile app, computer program, or browser extension for ChatGPT. Anything claiming as such is a scam.

ChatGPT is not a threat by itself. The system has vulnerabilities, but it wont compromise your data. Instead of fearing AI technologies, research how crooks incorporate them into social engineering tactics. That way, you can proactively protect yourself.

But if you still have doubts about ChatGPT, try Bing. The new Bing features an AI-powered chatbot that runs on GPT-4, pulls data from the internet, and follows strict security measures. You might find it more suited to your needs.

Original post:
Is ChatGPT Safe? 6 Cybersecurity Risks of OpenAI's Chatbot - MUO - MakeUseOf

A group of women footballers from Inchcape UK teamed-up with former squad members from Englands national team of Lionesses to raise funds for Leukaemia UK.

Women from the AM100 car retail groups Birmingham head office and its Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) retail division headed to the Football Associations (FA) St Georges Park training facility to compete in the annual Copa Del Cure Leukaemia last weekend.

Inchcape UK supported Cure Leukaemia as its charity of the year in 2022, donating 12,000 as a result of its fundraising and support, and its involvement in the annual six-a-side tournament succeeded in adding a further 2,00 to the total.

Employees used the retail groups gifted volunteering day to take part in the event, which saw them play alongside ex-England lioness and Wolves, Liverpool and Everton playerJody Handley on the pitch.

The Inchcape team was made up of: chief transformation officer Katie Martin; SEO and content editor Charlotte Smith; JLR Guilfords sales executive Annabel Mould, sales administrator Jo Philps, corporate sales advisor Makayla McGloin and receptionist Rosie Savage; JLR service advisor Lydia Duckworth; Porsche Bournemouth workshop manager Amy Dilley; and Inchcape UK head of communications Kayleigh Hellewell.

This summer Inchcape colleagues will be fundraising once again as a group take part in the London 2 Paris cycle bike ride.

The gruelling ride will be taking place between June 8 to 12. To sponsor the groups efforts, click here.

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Inchcape women join England Lionesses for charity football tournament - AM