Podcasts about generative artificial intelligence

AEM E&T Podcast host Resa E. Lewiss, MD, interviews author Jazmyn Shaw, MD.

Alain Goudey est directeur de l’innovation numérique à Neoma Business School et co-auteur d’une étude académique à comité de lecture sur l’IA générative dans l’enseignement supérieur. Cette enquête porte sur la façon dont les étudiants, les enseignants et les doyens perçoivent la légitimité de l’IA générative dans les établissements français de formation au management. Ses conclusions sont à la fois rassurantes et dérangeantes. Enseignement supérieur et IA générative : légitimité, paresse intellectuelle et la fin de l’examen traditionnel Le portrait qui se dégage d’une étude sur l’IA générative dans l’enseignement supérieur évoque ces attractions foraines qu’on appelle palais des glaces, où chaque partie prenante voit un problème différent et cherche une solution qui lui est propre. Toutes les illustrations de cet article ont été réalisées avec Midjourney. Lorsqu’Alain Goudey et ses collègues ont commencé à enquêter sur l’enseignement supérieur français début 2024, ils ne cherchaient pas à trancher le débat sur l’IA générative bonne ou mauvaise. Ils voulaient comprendre quelque chose de plus précis : comment le même outil pouvait être simultanément valorisé, redouté, accepté et dénoncé, parfois par la même personne. Leur étude, publiée dans Communications of the Association for Information Systems (CAIS), s’appuie sur des enquêtes menées auprès de 668 étudiants, 204 enseignants et 29 directeurs d’établissement (les « deans » du système anglo-saxon), complétées par 22 entretiens approfondis avec des enseignants ayant adopté l’IA en avance de phase. Ce qui en ressort évoque ces attractions foraines qu’on appelle palais des glaces : chaque partie prenante voit un problème différent et cherche une solution qui lui est propre. Le point de départ est un chiffre qui aurait dû clore le débat. Entre 80 et 92 % des étudiants, selon l’établissement, utilisent déjà des outils d’IA générative dans leur travail universitaire. Ce chiffre a été atteint en à peine dix-huit mois après le lancement public de ChatGPT. L’outil n’a pas attendu l’autorisation des institutions. Il s’est déployé de lui-même. Et dans bien des cas, l’enseignement supérieur est encore en train de rédiger sa note de cadrage. Le piège de la productivité Alain met le doigt sur le fond du sujet d’emblée. Les étudiants apprécient l’IA générative pour sa rapidité, sa capacité à générer des idées et son rôle d’appui à l’apprentissage. Mais ils craignent aussi, et leurs établissements avec eux, ce que les chercheurs appellent la « paresse métacognitive » : l’érosion progressive de l’effort cognitif qui produit un apprentissage réel. Pour lui, ce n’est pas une contradiction à résoudre, c’est un défi de conception pédagogique. « La résolution de ce problème passe par la conception des cours, où il faut réintroduire délibérément l’effort cognitif et la réflexion dans l’usage de l’IA générative en tant qu’outil, et non en tant que substitut à la cognition humaine ». Un problème de posture Le problème n’est pas la technologie, mais la posture que l’utilisateur adopte face à elle. Celui qui formule ce qu’Alain appelle une « requête naïve » obtient une réponse naïve : bien mise en forme, parfaitement médiocre. L’outil est capable de bien davantage, à condition que l’utilisateur apporte suffisamment de connaissances métier et d’esprit critique à l’échange. « Il faut cultiver sa propre réflexion plutôt que de déléguer l’ensemble du processus à la machine ». C’est, je l’ai souligné durant notre entretien, moins une question de prompt engineering que de discipline intellectuelle de base : savoir interroger la question avant de la poser. Les départements de philosophie enseignent cela depuis des siècles, sans se soucier de la mode. IA générative dans l’enseignement supérieur : les enseignants doivent former les étudiants aux outils d’IA générative et à leurs limites. Ils enseignent aussi l’Odyssée d’Homère et Frankenstein de Shelley dans le cadre du cursus de management. Image réalisée avec Midjourney. Une autre vision de la culture numérique Cette observation a conduit Alain à formuler une vision de la culture numérique qui tranche avec ce qu’on entend généralement. Le débat ne porte pas seulement sur la maîtrise technique des outils, il porte autant sur la connaissance suffisante du sujet pour juger si le résultat produit a une quelconque valeur. L’IA générative ne remplace pas l’expertise : elle amplifie celle que l’utilisateur porte déjà en lui. Ce qui soulève une question dérangeante pour les établissements qui forment des diplômés sans leur donner l’occasion de développer cette expertise. À Neoma, la réponse est délibérément double. Les enseignants forment les étudiants aux outils d’IA générative et à leurs limites. Ils enseignent aussi l’Odyssée d’Homère et Frankenstein de Shelley dans le cadre du cursus de management. L’objectif n’est pas l’enrichissement culturel pour lui-même : il s’agit de donner aux étudiants des modèles mentaux pour se représenter ce que peut être le leadership, ou ce qui arrive quand une création échappe aux intentions de son créateur. Alain appelle cela « construire une infrastructure cognitive » : « Nous devons permettre aux étudiants d’appréhender le monde à travers différents modèles, différents types de processus et cadres théoriques, afin de développer une véritable pensée critique sur ce que produit l’IA ». Une école de management qui fait l’impasse sur ces fondements produit des diplômés capables de manier l’outil, mais incapables d’en évaluer les résultats. Des examens qui mesuraient la mauvaise chose C’est dans le domaine de l’évaluation que le problème apparaît le plus clairement. Un enseignant capable de produire un examen de deux heures en trois minutes fait face à des étudiants qui peuvent y répondre en un temps tout aussi court. La valeur de diagnostic de l’exercice s’est ainsi évaporée. « Si ChatGPT ou n’importe quel outil d’IA générative peut réussir un examen, il faut repenser cet examen ». La réponse d’Alain n’est pas un retour au papier-crayon, même s’il reconnaît que l’évaluation écrite en présentiel reste la solution la plus simple à portée de main. Si un outil d’IA générative peut réussir un examen, il faut repenser cet examen. La valeur diagnostique de l’exercice traditionnel a disparu. Image réalisée avec Midjourney. Sa réponse est structurelle : évaluer les compétences tout au long du cours plutôt que de mesurer l’acquisition de contenus en fin de parcours, via des évaluations plus fréquentes et à moindres enjeux. Une solution ? La résolution de problèmes en situation réelle, l’évaluation par le processus et les examens oraux en présentiel préservent une partie de ce que l’examen traditionnel était censé mesurer. Mais Alain est honnête sur les limites : aucun format n’est totalement à l’abri. Les modèles d’IA évoluent trop vite pour qu’une solution unique reste valable durablement. La bonne réponse n’est pas de trouver une formule définitive, mais de considérer la refonte des évaluations comme un travail permanent. La conclusion de l’article va plus loin : ce que l’enseignement supérieur vend réellement devra peut-être changer. Si des contenus peuvent être récupérés, synthétisés et restitués à coût quasi nul par un outil accessible à quiconque dispose d’un navigateur, un diplôme qui certifie la maîtrise de ces contenus certifie quelque chose dont la valeur s’érode. Ce qui résiste à cette érosion, ce sont les compétences que l’IA ne peut pas encore reproduire de façon crédible : le jugement contextuel, le raisonnement éthique, la capacité à construire des cadres d’analyse et à les confronter à la réalité. C’est aussi, en substance, la manière dont j’aborde l’enseignement de l’IA, que ce soit avec des étudiants d’écoles d’ingénieurs ou de commerce, notamment dans le cadre de mon cours à Omnes Education (qui en est désormais à sa quatrième année consécutive). IA générative dans l’enseignement supérieur : une institution fragmentée La réponse institutionnelle de l’enseignement supérieur à l’IA générative a été, pour le dire avec ménagement, inégale. Sciences Po a interdit ChatGPT en janvier 2023, avant de changer d’avis. Trente-cinq universités publiques françaises se sont associées à Mistral AI. Les établissements élaborent une charte nationale. Neoma, où Alain est directeur de l’innovation numérique, a été l’une des premières écoles de commerce françaises à formaliser son approche, en lançant un programme de formation des enseignants, du personnel et des étudiants autour d’un socle commun initial, avant de passer à des ateliers spécialisés sur la conception des cursus, l’évaluation et la refonte des expériences d’apprentissage. Ce que la recherche révèle, c’est que cette activité institutionnelle ne résout pas un problème unique. Trois groupes de parties prenantes tentent chacun de résoudre leur propre version du problème sous le même intitulé. Les étudiants veulent des règles et une formation à la culture de l’IA. De leur côté, les enseignants développent leurs propres approches pédagogiques via des ateliers entre pairs. Les doyens définissent les politiques et négocient les infrastructures souveraines. Les préoccupations s’échelonnent dans une direction prévisible : la performance académique individuelle pour les étudiants, l’intégrité des évaluations pour les enseignants, la réputation institutionnelle pour les doyens. Ces trois groupes ne sont pas toujours en dialogue. L’objectif, tel que Neoma l’a mis en pratique, est de réunir les trois publics autour de la technologie sous un cadrage partagé, suffisamment tôt pour qu’aucun groupe ne puisse s’enfermer dans une position rendant toute coordination ultérieure impossible. La question de l’équité La question de l’équité traverse ces trois niveaux. L’accès aux modèles d’IA haut de gamme n’est pas gratuit. Lorsque j’ai soulevé la question de l’écart entre les abonnements de base et les offres professionnelles, la réponse d’Alain est révélatrice : le problème d’infrastructure est réel, mais secondaire. « La plus grande inégalité ne porte pas sur l’accès à l’outil, mais sur la capacité à l’utiliser correctement ». À Neoma, le partenariat institutionnel avec Mistral donne à tous les étudiants accès à un outil de niveau professionnel. Ce que montrent les données, même à accès égal, c’est un fossé important entre les étudiants qui utilisent l’IA générative pour obtenir la réponse la plus rapide possible et ceux qui s’en servent pour approfondir leur réflexion. Ce fossé ne se comble pas par l’égalisation des abonnements. Même si je partage l’essentiel de ce qu’Alain avance, je pense que la hausse des prix des modèles haut de gamme est prévisible. Elle tient à l’écart entre les investissements consentis et les retours commerciaux obtenus. Cela conduira quasi inévitablement à une fracture économique entre ceux qui ont les moyens et ceux qui ne les ont pas. Il suffit de regarder la grille tarifaire de Claude d’Anthropic pour s’en convaincre. Au-delà du modèle Pro, très limité en termes d’usage de tokens, notamment si l’on utilise le modèle Opus 4.6 plus sophistiqué, les tarifs atteignent déjà 1 200 € par an. Ce n’est pas une somme négligeable, d’autant plus préoccupante à l’heure où Claude s’impose rapidement comme la référence pour les utilisateurs soucieux de qualité. Quel sera l’impact des prix vertigineux de l’IA générative sur l’enseignement supérieur ? Le problème des « héros de l’IA » L’une des formulations les plus frappantes qui ressort des travaux d’Alain est ce qu’il appelle le phénomène des « héros de l’IA ». Dans les établissements d’enseignement supérieur français, certains enseignants font un travail pédagogique excellent et innovant avec l’IA générative : ils conçoivent de nouveaux formats d’évaluation, animent des ateliers, repensent des modules entiers autour de l’apprentissage augmenté par l’IA. Ils produisent des résultats. Et ils le font en grande partie seuls, sans reconnaissance institutionnelle, sans incitations de carrière, sans aucun mécanisme pour partager ce qu’ils ont appris. Les incitations sont mal calibrées. Dans l’enseignement supérieur, c’est la production de recherche qui est récompensée, pas la conception pédagogique, du moins pas de la même façon. Un enseignant pionnier qui repense entièrement un programme autour des compétences liées à l’IA générative recevra peut-être moins de reconnaissance professionnelle qu’un collègue qui publie un seul article dans une revue. « Nous devons aider tous ces héros de l’IA à obtenir davantage de considération pour l’innovation pédagogique, ce qui n’est pas nécessairement le cas par défaut dans l’enseignement supérieur ». Le risque, si rien n’est fait, est l’émergence d’un système à deux vitesses : une minorité d’enseignants à l’aise avec le numérique qui tirent leurs étudiants vers l’avant, tandis que la majorité reste à la traîne, ni formée ni encouragée à s’engager. L’innovation de terrain est réelle et précieuse. Sans structures institutionnelles pour la reconnaître, la valoriser et la reproduire, elle reste une exception plutôt qu’un modèle. IA générative dans l’enseignement supérieur : quand la légitimité s’effrite L’armature théorique de l’étude repose sur le modèle triadique de légitimité de Suchman, qui distingue la légitimité pragmatique (l’outil sert-il mes intérêts ?), la légitimité morale (est-il conforme à mes valeurs ?) et la légitimité cognitive (est-il tenu pour acquis dans la façon dont les choses fonctionnent ?). Ce modèle a été conçu pour des technologies adoptées progressivement. L’IA générative l’a mis à l’épreuve dans des conditions d’adoption massive quasi instantanée. Alain et ses co-auteurs n’y voient pas une raison de rejeter le cadre, mais une occasion de l’enrichir : ils introduisent un continuum légitimité-illégitimité plutôt qu’une simple alternative binaire. Ce que révèlent les étudiants Le résultat qu’Alain décrit comme l’asymétrie la plus notable dans les données concerne la dimension morale chez les étudiants. Les plus grands utilisateurs d’IA générative n’accordent aucune légitimité morale à ces outils dans un contexte académique. Ils les associent, avec une forte fréquence, à la triche, au plagiat, à la dévaluation des diplômes et à l’injustice. Ils utilisent un outil qu’ils considèrent comme éthiquement compromis. Ce n’est manifestement pas tenable. Sur ce point, Alain a une opinion très différente. « Utiliser l’IA générative ne constitue pas nécessairement de la triche. Cela dépend entièrement de la façon dont on l’utilise et à quelle fin ». L’échec institutionnel, selon lui, tient au fait que les établissements n’ont pas fait suffisamment pour modifier la perception que les étudiants ont de la technologie. Ce que révèlent les enseignants Les enseignants offrent un tableau plus complet. Les six dimensions de légitimité et d’illégitimité sont présentes dans leurs réponses. Ils reconnaissent l’utilité de ces outils tout en mettant en doute leur fiabilité, les jugent professionnellement nécessaires tout en trouvant leur architecture opaque, et invoquent leur potentiel inclusif tout en signalant la paresse intellectuelle et l’érosion de la pensée critique comme leur préoccupation la plus fréquemment citée : 58 occurrences dans le corpus qualitatif. Ce que révèlent les directions pédagogiques Pour les directions de ces institutions, le thème dominant est stratégique. La pression concurrentielle, la crainte de se laisser distancer et les gains d’efficacité dans les flux administratifs génèrent une légitimité pragmatique et cognitive. Ce qui introduit de l’illégitimité, ce sont les risques liés à la gouvernance : protection des données, surconfiance dans les résultats produits par l’IA, menace pour l’intégrité des évaluations à l’échelle institutionnelle. Le mouvement théorique le plus significatif de l’article consiste à traiter l’illégitimité comme une catégorie analytique à part entière, et non comme la simple absence de légitimité. L’argument, emprunté à la théorie du changement, est que les signaux d’illégitimité doivent être lus comme des signaux d’alerte qui appellent une réaction rapide. Un établissement qui interprète le malaise moral des étudiants vis-à-vis de l’IA générative comme un simple problème de communication passe à côté du signal. Ce malaise dit quelque chose sur ce que le cursus enseigne réellement, et sur ce que l’évaluation mesure effectivement. Lorsque les étudiants associent l’IA générative à la triche, à l’injustice et à la dévaluation des diplômes, ils ne sont pas irrationnels. Ils se trouvent dans les phases de déni et de résistance du modèle de changement de Scott et Jaffe. Les établissements ne peuvent pas se contenter d’étouffer ce signal : ils doivent traiter ce qu’il révèle. Source : adapté de Scott & Jaffe, « Survive and Thrive in Times of Change », tracé avec Claude. Voir : expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/05/scott-and-jaffe-change-model/ France, souveraineté et course mondiale Le contexte français ajoute une couche de complexité que la recherche saisit avec précision statistique et nuance qualitative. Sur le plan quantitatif, l’analyse n’a révélé aucune différence statistiquement significative dans la dynamique d’adoption de l’IA générative entre les universités publiques et les écoles de commerce. Sur le plan qualitatif, les choses diffèrent. Les écoles de commerce évoluant dans un marché très concurrentiel, ont avancé plus vite. Les universités publiques se sont mobilisées de façon plus systématique autour de la gouvernance, de la souveraineté et des infrastructures collectives, comme en témoigne l’alliance de 35 établissements avec Mistral AI et EdTech France. Alain n’y voit pas une contradiction, mais une division du travail qui, bien gérée, pourrait constituer un véritable atout. « Nous devons jouer collectif, parce que la compétition est mondiale ». La question de l’infrastructure d’IA souveraine, notamment la fédération ILaaS et le partenariat du ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur avec Mistral, déployé dans 26 universités pilotes depuis septembre 2025, n’est pas simplement symbolique. Il s’agit de permettre aux établissements français d’exploiter, de gouverner et d’adapter leurs outils d’IA sans dépendance envers des fournisseurs dont la tarification, les conditions et les capacités peuvent évoluer à tout moment. Encore faut-il que l’effet d’entraînement vers tel ou tel outil ne devienne pas trop fort. En ce moment, il est difficile de résister à l’envie d’utiliser Claude d’Anthropic quand tout le monde loue la qualité de son code et de ses résultats. Et le reste du monde ? La comparaison internationale est difficile à ignorer. Singapour, la Corée du Sud et les Émirats arabes unis intègrent la maîtrise de l’IA comme compétence nationale fondamentale dès le secondaire. Le regard d’Alain est direct : les décideurs publics français ne sont pas encore suffisamment préparés à l’ampleur de ce qui vient. « Avoir moins de personnes compétentes en IA que dans d’autres parties du monde est très dangereux pour notre économie et pour l’ensemble de nos organisations ». Le réflexe réglementaire, profondément ancré dans la culture politique européenne, n’est pas sans fondement. Prendre le temps de réguler de façon responsable a de la valeur. Mais cela ne peut pas se substituer à la rapidité d’adoption au niveau des compétences et des cursus. La question qui encadre la recherche L’entretien se termine, comme il se doit, par la méta-question : qu’est-ce que cela signifie d’étudier la légitimité de l’IA générative en utilisant l’IA générative ? L’équipe d’Alain a utilisé ChatGPT, Perplexity, NotebookLM et OpenAI O3 dans le processus de recherche, et l’a indiqué explicitement dans la déclaration d’utilisation de l’article. Sa réponse à la question des biais est prudente. Chaque étape de l’analyse a impliqué un codeur humain. L’équipe a confronté le codage assisté par IA à une analyse indépendante préalable des mêmes données, réalisée pour un rapport institutionnel français, puis comparé les deux séries. « Il faut être transparent sur l’usage que l’on fait de ces outils, pour quel objectif, à chaque étape ». Cette déclaration était un choix délibéré, précisément parce que le sujet de l’article rendait toute autre approche intenable. Utiliser l’IA pour améliorer la qualité d’un texte et l’utiliser pour en générer un que l’on présente ensuite comme le sien sont deux choses différentes. Techniquement, c’est une question de degré. Dans les faits, c’est la différence entre un travail assumé et une abdication. L’équipe d’Alain a su naviguer entre les deux pour publier. La plupart des étudiants de son corpus cherchent encore à tracer cette ligne, dans un environnement où personne ne l’a clairement expliquée et où les outils d’évaluation n’ont pas encore été reconstruits pour lui donner du sens. Trois recommandations, une par partie prenante Lorsqu’on lui a demandé une recommandation concrète par groupe de parties prenantes, les réponses d’Alain ont été sans ambiguïté. Pour les étudiants : associer la culture technique de l’IA, comprendre le fonctionnement des outils et connaître leurs modes de défaillance, à une réflexion critique et éthique authentique sur les résultats produits. Ni l’une ni l’autre de ces dimensions ne suffit seule. Un étudiant capable de formuler des requêtes avec fluidité mais incapable d’évaluer le résultat n’a rien appris d’utile. Pour les enseignants : ces enseignants pionniers, que lui-même appelle les « héros de l’IA », ne peuvent pas être laissés à opérer seuls. Les établissements doivent créer les conditions du partage des bonnes pratiques au sein de la communauté enseignante, et accorder à l’innovation pédagogique la reconnaissance professionnelle qui lui fait actuellement défaut. Un enseignant qui repense de fond en comble son dispositif d’évaluation mérite au moins autant de crédit institutionnel qu’un collègue qui soumet une communication à un colloque. Pour les dirigeants institutionnels : un cadre politique à plusieurs niveaux n’est pas une option. Les étudiants, les enseignants et le personnel administratif n’abordent pas l’IA générative depuis le même angle, et une politique unique imposée de haut en bas ne satisfera aucun d’eux. La direction doit gérer ces trois dimensions en même temps, et ouvrir un dialogue véritable entre les groupes avant qu’une crise ne force la main. « Les doyens doivent penser à toutes ces dimensions en même temps, et c’est là la partie difficile de l’histoire autour de l’intelligence artificielle ». Des trois niveaux, Alain identifie le niveau institutionnel comme le plus urgent. Les étudiants et les enseignants s’adaptent déjà, imparfaitement, en temps réel. Les cadres institutionnels qui permettraient de donner un sens et une direction à ces adaptations restent, dans la plupart des cas, à construire. L’urgence n’est pas exagérée. La complexité non plus. Le défi d’intégrer l’IA générative de façon responsable dans l’enseignement supérieur est un défi qu’aucun établissement ne peut se permettre d’ignorer, ni de relever seul. LIRE LE DOCUMENT DE RECHERCHE SUR LE SITE CAIS Alain Goudey est professeur et directeur de l’innovation numérique à Neoma Business School. Il est co-auteur de « Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Perceptions from the French Management Context », publié dans les Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 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Alain Goudey is Associate Dean for Digital Innovation at Neoma Business School and co-author of a peer-reviewed study on GenAI in Higher Education. The survey focused on how students, faculty, and deans perceive the legitimacy of generative AI in French management education. His findings are both reassuring and unsettling. GenAI in Higher Education, Legitimacy and Laziness, and the Exam That No Longer Makes Sense The picture that emerges from a study on GenAI in Higher Education is less a battlefield than a hall of mirrors, where every stakeholder sees a different problem and reaches for a different solution. All illustrations in text made with Midjourney When Alain Goudey and his colleagues began surveying French higher education in early 2024, they were not trying to settle the question of whether generative AI was good or bad. They were trying to understand something more precise: why the same tool could be simultaneously valued, feared, accepted, and denounced, sometimes by the same person in the same breath. Their study sits at the heart of what makes GenAI in higher education such a contested terrain. The resulting study, published in the Communications of the Association for Information Systems (CAIS), drew on surveys of 668 students, 204 faculty members, and 29 deans, completed by 22 in-depth interviews with early-adopter professors. The picture that emerges is less a battlefield than a hall of mirrors, where every stakeholder sees a different problem and reaches for a different solution. The starting point is a number that should have settled the debate. Between 80 and 92 per cent of students, depending on the institution surveyed, are already using GenAI tools in their academic work. ChatGPT's public release produced that figure within roughly 18 months. The tool did not wait for institutional permission. It deployed itself. And higher education is still, in many places, writing the policy. The productivity trap Alain identifies the central tension plainly. Students value GenAI for speed, idea generation, and study support. They also fear, and their institutions fear with them, what the research calls “metacognitive laziness”: the gradual erosion of the cognitive effort that produces real learning. He believes this is not a contradiction to resolve but a course architecture challenge. “The resolution of this problem lies in course design, where we need to deliberately reintroduce cognitive effort and reflection into GenAI as a tool, not as a replacement for human cognition.” The issue, as he puts it, is not the technology but the posture the user brings to it. Someone who submits what he calls a “naive prompt” receives a naive answer, smoothly formatted and perfectly mediocre. The tool is capable of something far more useful, if the user brings enough domain knowledge and critical intent to the conversation. “You have to nurture your own thinking process instead of delegating the whole process to the machine.” This is, as I noted during our conversation, less a matter of prompt engineering than of basic intellectual discipline: the capacity to question the question before asking it, something philosophy departments have been teaching for centuries under less fashionable names. GenAI in Higher Education: faculty should train students in GenAI tools and their limitations. They also teach Homer's Odyssey and Shelley's Frankenstein as part of the management curriculum. Image made with Midjourney That observation prompted Alain to make a point about AI literacy that differs from what is generally proffered. The debate is not simply about knowing how the tools work technically. It is, equally, about knowing enough about the subject matter to judge whether the output is any good. The observation that AI is most powerful in the hands of people who already know the business resonates here. GenAI does not replace expertise. It amplifies whatever expertise the user already brings. Which raises an uncomfortable question for institutions producing graduates who may never have had the chance to develop that expertise in the first place. At Neoma, the response has been deliberately dual. Faculty train students in GenAI tools and their limitations. They also teach Homer's Odyssey and Shelley's Frankenstein as part of the management curriculum. The goal is not cultural enrichment for its own sake. It is to give students mental models for envisioning what leadership looks like, or what happens when creation escapes the intentions of its creator. Alain describes this as “building cognitive infrastructure”: “We need students to be able to envision the world through different models, different kinds of processes and theoretical frameworks, in order to develop genuine critical thinking about what AI generates.” A degree in management that skips that foundation produces graduates who can operate the tool but cannot judge its output. Exams that assessed the wrong thing The structural challenge shows up most sharply when it comes to assessments. A professor who can produce a two-hour exam in three minutes is facing students who can answer that exam in equally little time. The diagnostic value of the exercise has vanished. “If ChatGPT or any GenAI tool can pass an exam, you need to redesign the exam.” Alain's prescription is not a retreat to pen and paper, though he acknowledges that supervised handwritten assessment is the simplest available defence. The structural challenge shows up most sharply when it comes to assessments. A professor in Higher Education who can produce a two-hour exam in three minutes with GenAI is facing students who can answer that exam in equally little time. The diagnostic value of the exercise has vanished. Image made with Midjourney His more substantive response is a structural shift. He believes one should refrain from just assessing content acquisition at the end of a course, favouring the assessment of competencies as the course progresses. This implies more frequent, lower-stakes evaluations embedded in the process itself. Live problem-solving, process-based assessment, and in-person oral examinations all preserve some of what the traditional exam was supposed to measure. The caveat he adds is honest: no format is fully immune. AI models are evolving too quickly for any single solution to remain adequate for any length of time. The appropriate response is not to find a permanent answer but to treat redesign as an ongoing practice. The deeper implication, which runs through the paper's conclusion, is that what higher education is actually selling may need to change. If content can be retrieved, synthesised, and presented at negligible cost by a tool available to anyone with a browser, the degree that certifies mastery of content is certifying something of diminishing value. What retains value are the competencies that AI cannot yet credibly replicate: contextual judgement, ethical reasoning, the ability to construct and test frameworks against reality. This, in essence, is also how I tend to approach AI teaching, be it with engineering or business school students, especially within the framework of my course at Omnes Education (now in its fourth consecutive year). GenAI in Higher Education: The Fragmented Institution Higher education's institutional response to GenAI in higher education has been, to put it gently, uneven. Sciences Po banned ChatGPT in January 2023, then changed its mind. Thirty-five French public universities have partnered with Mistral AI. Institutions are drafting a national charter. Neoma, where Alain is Associate Dean for Digital Innovation, was among the first French business schools to formalise its approach, launching a programme to train faculty, staff, and students with a shared initial curriculum before moving to dedicated workshops on curriculum design, assessment, and the redesign of learning experiences. What the research reveals is that this institutional activity is not solving a single problem. There are three different stakeholder groups each attempting to solve their own version of the problem under the same label. Students want rules and AI literacy training. Faculty are developing their own teaching approaches through peer-led workshops. Deans are setting policy and negotiating sovereign infrastructure. The concerns escalate in a predictable direction: individual academic performance for students, assessment integrity for faculty, institutional reputation for deans. They are not always in conversation with each other. Alain's framework for addressing this fragmentation involves working simultaneously at three levels: infrastructure, course design, and governance. What he advocates for, and what he argues Neoma attempted, is to bring all three audiences into contact with the technology under a shared framing, early enough that no single group can entrench itself in a position that makes later coordination impossible. The equity question The question of equity cuts across all three levels. Access to premium AI models is not free. When I raised the issue about the gap between basic and professional subscription tiers, Alain's response was characteristic: the infrastructure problem is real but secondary. “The biggest inequity is not about accessing the tool, but being able to use it in the right way.” At Neoma, the institutional partnership with Mistral provides all students with access to a professional-grade tool. What the data shows, even with equal access, is a large gap between students who use GenAI to get the fastest possible answer and those who use it to deepen their thinking, and that gap is not closed by equalising subscriptions. Even if I tend to agree with most of what Alain is stating, I do think that the rise of prices for premium models is predictable. This is due to the gap between investments and business returns. This will almost inevitably lead to an economic divide between the haves and the have-nots. Looking at Anthropic's Claude pricing structure is indeed revealing in that sense. Beyond the Pro model, which is very limited in token usage, especially if you use the more sophisticated Opus 4.6 model, prices already amount to €1,200 per annum. That is not a negligible sum, which is especially worrying at a time when Claude is rapidly becoming the norm for users who care about quality. What will be the impact of towering prices of GenAI on Higher Education? God only knows… The “AI heroes” problem One of the most striking formulations to emerge from Alain’s research is what he calls the “AI hero” phenomenon. Across French higher education institutions, there are faculty members doing excellent, innovative instructional work with GenAI, designing new assessment formats, running workshops, rethinking entire modules around AI-augmented learning. They produce results. And they do it largely alone, without institutional recognition, without career incentives, and without any mechanism for sharing what they have learned. The incentives are wrong. In higher education, research output is rewarded. Course design is not, or at least not in the same way. An “AI hero” who redesigns an entire programme around GenAI competencies may receive less professional recognition than a colleague who publishes a single journal article. “We need to help all these AI heroes to gain more consideration for educational innovation, which is not necessarily by design the case within higher education.” The risk, if this is not addressed, is a two-tier system: a minority of digitally confident faculty pulling their students forward, while the majority are left behind, neither trained nor incentivised to engage. The grassroots innovation is real and valuable. Without institutional structures to recognise, reward, and replicate it, it remains an exception rather than a model. GenAI in Higher Education, Where legitimacy breaks down The theoretical backbone of the study is Suchman's triadic model of legitimacy, which distinguishes between pragmatic legitimacy (does the tool serve my interests?), moral legitimacy (does it align with values I hold?), and cognitive legitimacy (is it taken for granted as part of how things work?). The model was built for technologies adopted gradually. GenAI tested it under conditions of near-instantaneous mass adoption, which Alain and his co-authors treat not as a reason to discard the framework but as an opportunity to extend it, introducing a legitimacy-illegitimacy continuum rather than treating it as a simple either/or. What students reveal The finding he describes as the most noticeable asymmetry in the dataset concerns the moral dimension among students. Students who are among the heaviest users of GenAI express no moral legitimacy for those tools in academic contexts. They associate them, at high frequency, with cheating, plagiarism, degree devaluation, and unfairness. They are using a tool they consider ethically compromised. This is plainly not sustainable. However, Alain's opinion diverges greatly. “Using GenAI is not necessarily cheating. It depends entirely on how it is used and for what purpose.” The institutional failure, in his view, is that institutions have not done enough to reframe how the technology is perceived by students. What faculty reveal Faculty present a more complete picture. All six dimensions of legitimacy and illegitimacy are present in their responses. Faculty recognise these tools as useful yet question their reliability, consider them professionally necessary while finding their black box architecture suspicious at best, and invoke their inclusive potential even as they flag intellectual laziness and the erosion of critical thinking as their highest-coded concern, at 58 occurrences in the qualitative dataset. What deans reveal For deans, the dominant theme is strategic. Competitive pressure, the fear of falling behind, and practical efficiency gains in administrative workflow all generate pragmatic and cognitive legitimacy. What introduces illegitimacy is governance risk: data protection, overconfidence in AI-generated results, and the threat to assessment integrity at institutional scale. The paper's most significant theoretical move is the treatment of illegitimacy as an analytic category in its own right, rather than simply the absence of legitimacy. The argument, borrowed from change management theory, is that illegitimacy signals should be read as early warnings requiring proactive response. An institution that treats student moral unease about GenAI as a communication failure misses the signal entirely. That unease is telling something about what its curriculum actually teaches, and what its assessment actually measures. When students associate GenAI with cheating, unfairness, and degree devaluation, they are not being irrational. They are in the Denial and Resistance phases of the Scott and Jaffe change model. These are illegitimacy signals in Suchman's sense: early warnings that the technology lacks moral legitimacy. Institutions must act on them, not suppress the signal, but address what it reveals. Source: adapted from Scott & Jaffe, “Survive and Thrive in Times of Change”, plotted with Claude. See: expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/05/scott-and-jaffe-change-model/ France, sovereignty, and the global race The French context adds a layer of complexity that the research captures with statistical precision and qualitative nuance. Quantitatively, the analysis found no statistically significant differences in GenAI adoption patterns between public universities and business schools. Qualitatively, the dynamic differs. Business schools, operating in a highly competitive market, have moved faster. Public universities have engaged more systematically around governance, sovereignty, and collective infrastructure, reflected in the alliance of 35 institutions with Mistral AI and EdTech France. Alain reads this not as a contradiction but as a division of labour that, if managed well, could represent a genuine asset. “We need to play collectively, because the competition is worldwide.” The sovereign AI infrastructure question, including the ILaaS federation and the French Ministry of Higher Education's partnership with Mistral rolling out across 26 pilot universities from September 2025, is not merely symbolic. It is an attempt to ensure that French institutions can operate, govern, and adapt their AI tools without dependency on providers whose pricing, terms, and capabilities are subject to change. This is only sustainable, however, as long as the peer pressure to use this or that tool, based on model performance, is not too strong. At the moment, it is hard to resist the urge to use Anthropic's Claude when everybody else is praising the quality of its code and results. The global comparison is difficult to ignore. Singapore, South Korea, and the UAE are embedding AI fluency as a core national competency from secondary education upward. Alain's view is direct: French public decision-makers are not yet adequately prepared for the scale of what is coming. “Having less AI-competent people than in other parts of the world is very dangerous for our economy and for all our organisations.” The regulatory instinct, which runs deep in European policy culture, is not wrong. Taking time to regulate responsibly has value. But it cannot be a substitute for speed of adoption at the level of skills and curriculum. The question that frames the research The interview ends, as it probably should, with the meta-question: what does it mean to study the legitimacy of GenAI using GenAI? Alain's team used ChatGPT, Perplexity, NotebookLM, and OpenAI O3 in the research process, and said so explicitly in the paper's disclosure statement. His answer to the bias question is careful. Every step of the analysis involved a human coder. Alain's team checked the AI-assisted coding against a prior independent analysis of the same data, conducted for a French institutional report. The team compared the two rounds. “You have to be transparent about your use of these tools, for what purpose, at each step.” The disclosure was a deliberate choice, precisely because the paper's subject made any other approach untenable. The line between using AI to improve the quality of writing and using it to generate writing you then present as your own is, technically, a matter of degree. In practice, it is the difference between a craft and an abdication. Alain's team navigated it carefully enough to publish. Most of the students in his dataset are still trying to locate that line, in an environment where nobody has explained it clearly and assessment instruments have not yet been rebuilt to make it matter. Three recommendations: one for each stakeholder When pressed for a concrete policy recommendation per stakeholder group, Alain’s answers were unambiguous. For students: combine technical AI literacy, understanding how the tools work and knowing their failure modes, with genuine critical and ethical thinking about the outputs they produce. Neither dimension alone is sufficient. A student who can prompt fluently but cannot evaluate the result has learned nothing useful. For faculty: the “AI heroes” cannot be left to operate alone. Institutions need to create the conditions for sharing best practices across the teaching community, and to give educational innovation the professional recognition it currently lacks. A faculty member redesigning assessment from the ground up deserves at least as much institutional credit as a colleague submitting a conference paper. For institutional leaders: a multi-level policy framework is not optional. Students, faculty, and administrative staff are not thinking about GenAI from the same vantage point, and a single top-down policy will satisfy none of them adequately. The task of leadership is to hold all three dimensions simultaneously, and to open genuine dialogue between groups before a crisis forces the issue. “Deans have to think about all these dimensions at the same time, and that’s the hard part of the story around artificial intelligence.” Of the three, Alain singles out the institutional level as the most urgent. Students and faculty are already adapting, imperfectly, in real time. The institutional frameworks that would give those adaptations coherence and direction are still, in most places, a work in progress. The urgency is not overstated. Neither is the complexity. The challenge of integrating GenAI in higher education responsibly is one that no institution can afford to ignore, or to solve alone. Alain Goudey is Professor and Associate Dean for Digital Innovation at Neoma Business School. He is co-author of “Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Perceptions from the French Management Context,” published in the Communications of the Association for Information Systems. The post GenAI in Higher Education, Legitimacy and Laziness appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Read more from VPM News:  Chesterfield students turn to generative AI for problem solving  ICYMI: Central Virginia public meetings for the week of May 4    Other links:  Report: Pricey transmission upgrades stalling much-needed Virginia energy projects (WHRO)  Richmond expands no-parking rules for bike lanes to include buffer zones (The Richmonder)  Can a carbon price lower power bills? Virginia is betting yes. (Grist)  Bilingual telehealth service launches in Virginia and West Virginia (Virginia Mercury)  Despite guilty verdict, jury lets Virginia town leader stay in office for now (The Washington Post)*  Iron Blossom Goes Big in '26 (Style Weekly)  *This outlet uses a paywall.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

El Jardín de Boboli al Revés Historias Bajo las Estrellas — Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Dentro de los muros de la ciudad de Florencia hay un jardín maravilloso. Senderos entre el verde bordeados de estanques y fuentes. Amplias escalinatas que, subidas con los ojos vueltos al cielo, dan la ilusión de poder tocarlo. Esta es la belleza que todos pueden ver y admirar. Debajo existe un reino desconocido que solo quien tiene imaginación puede descubrir. Una suave bajada al lado derecho lleva a la gruta del Buontalenti, desde donde se abre un pasaje subterráneo en profundidad, que conduce a un mundo misterioso. Las raíces de los árboles del jardín de arriba crecen y brotan reformándose al revés, como a través de un espejo. Entre las ramas, nidos de peces voladores. Pájaros que se deslizan sobre el agua lisa entre los nenúfares. Un peral y un manzano, apoyados en un banco, hablan de todo y de nada, masticando pistachos tostados, mientras las abejas sentadas bajo un emparrado de fresas tocan una suave música jazz perfumada de lavanda. Salpicaduras de agua, a veces sí a veces no, bañan prados y plantas a la luz del atardecer. De repente una pequeña cascada, formada por un pequeño río, acelerando se abre. Al instante un paseo arbolado toma forma en subida, indicando el camino a seguir. En este reino incontaminado, no controlado por el hombre, nada es imposible. En lo alto del recorrido, una gran apertura sobre las escalinatas, y el jardín de Boboli reaparece con sus maravillas y su historia. En lo alto, como si nada, un manto de intenso azul estrellado envuelve Florencia en una cálida noche de verano. — Escrita por Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Il Giardino di Boboli Sotto Sopra Dentro le mura della città di Firenze c'è un meraviglioso giardino. Vialetti nel verde contornati da vasche e fontane. Larghe scalinate che salite con gli occhi rivolti al cielo danno l'illusione di poterlo toccare. Questa è la bellezza che tutti possono vedere ed ammirare. Al disotto esiste un regno sconosciuto che solo chi ha immaginazione può scoprire. Una lieve discesa sul lato destro porta alla grotta del Buontalenti, da cui si apre un passaggio sotterraneo in profondità, che conduce ad un mondo misterioso. Le radici degli alberi del giardino di sopra crescono e germogliano riformandosi alla rovescia, come attraverso uno specchio. Tra i rami nidi di pesci volanti. Uccelli che scivolano sull'acqua liscia in mezzo alle ninfee. Un pero e un melo, appoggiati a una panchina, parlano del più e del meno, sgranocchiando pistacchi tostati. Mentre le api sedute sotto un pergolato di fragole suonano una leggera musica jazz profumata di lavanda. Spruzzi di acqua sì e no, bagnavano prati e piante alla luce del tramonto. Improvvisamente una cascatella di acqua, formata da un piccolo fiume, accelerando si apre. All'istante un viale alberato prende forma in salita, indicando la strada da seguire. In questo regno incontaminato, non controllato dall'uomo, niente è impossibile. Al culmine del percorso, una grande apertura, sopra le scalinate nel giardino di Boboli, che riappare con le sue meraviglie e la sua storia. In alto un mantello di blu intenso stellato avvolge Firenze in una calda notte estiva. — Scritta da Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Upside-Down Garden of Boboli Stories Under the Stars — Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Within the walls of the city of Florence there is a marvellous garden. Little pathways through the green, bordered by pools and fountains. Broad stairways that, climbed with eyes turned to the sky, give the illusion of being able to touch it. This is the beauty that everyone can see and admire. Beneath lies an unknown kingdom that only those with imagination can discover. A gentle slope on the right-hand side leads to the Buontalenti Grotto, from which a deep underground passage opens, leading to a mysterious world.   The roots of the trees from the garden above grow and blossom, reforming upside down, as if through a mirror.   Among the branches, nests of flying fish. Birds that glide across the smooth water among the water lilies.   A pear tree and an apple tree, leaning against a bench, chat about this and that, nibbling toasted pistachios, while the bees seated beneath a pergola of strawberries play a gentle jazz melody fragrant with lavender.   Sprays of water, now and again, bathe meadows and plants in the light of the setting sun.   Suddenly a little waterfall, fed by a small river, accelerating, opens wide. In an instant, a tree-lined avenue takes shape, rising upwards, pointing the way to follow.   In this unspoilt kingdom, untouched by human hands, nothing is impossible.   At the top of the path, a great opening above the stairways in the garden of Boboli, which reappears with all its wonders and its history.   High above, as if nothing were the matter, a mantle of deep starlit blue enfolds Florence in a warm summer night.   — Written by Lucia & Marco CiappelliStoriesottolestelle.com | MarcoCiappelli.com Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Preet Deep Singh is a Vice President at Apna.Co, a unicorn to match jobs with candidates. He has been actively involved in promoting the use of AI in public policy. He has trained over 50,000 Central Government officers including the Prime Minister's Office to use Generative Artificial Intelligence. He hosts multiple highly rated courses on AI on the Karamyogi portal.Previously, Dr. Preet led the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. As the lead of Startup India programme, Dr Singh worked on blockchain-based certificates, resolving the Angel Tax issue and defining Startups.Dr. Preet was earlier at Invest India, the national investment promotion agency of India leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption for the Government. Read more about Dr. Preet Deep Singh: https://businessabc.net/wiki/preet-deep-singhDr. Preet Deep Singh Interview Questions00:00 - Intro03:22 - Background07:18 - The Sikh Culture14:39 - Career21:17 - AI adoption & reskilling27:56 - AI adoption in govt32:57 - Use case training programme38:02 - Invest India41:02 - One District One Product Programme46:20 - Blue Machines AI51:35 - Apna.co55:45 - Angel Tax & blockchain-based certification01:01:08 - AI adoption in India01:08:43 - AI for citizen service delivery01:15:43 - Sovereign AI LLMs01:19:49 - Advice for young entrepreneurs01:21:16 - AI Literacy01:23:27 - ClosureUseful Links and Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-preet-deep-singh/https://www.deccanherald.com/india/who-are-persons-of-indian-origin-in-times-2025-list-of-100-most-influential-people-in-ai-3711538#google_vignettehttps://www.forbesindia.com/article/news/the-making-of-30-indian-minds-leading-the-ai-revolution/96124/1https://time.com/7312067/how-we-chose-time100-ai-2025/https://www.investindia.gov.in/one-district-one-producthttps://www.apnnews.com/ex-ministry-professional-dr-preet-deep-singh-joins-apna-co-as-head-of-public-policy-to-lead-ai-driven-government-partnerships/About businessabc.nethttps://www.businessabc.net/About citiesabc.comhttps://www.citiesabc.com/​​​​​​​​​​​ About Dinis Guardahttps://www.dinisguarda.com/https://businessabc.net/wiki/dinis-guardaBusiness Inquiries- info@ztudium.comSupport the show

With growing awareness and use of AI tools, the debate increasingly focuses on whether creativity will remain human. In this conversation with SBS Hindi, Balendu Sharma Dadhich, a pioneer of inclusive artificial intelligence and languages, breaks down the machine's creativity and its moral grey areas. Listen to this podcast to know whether using AI to write a book is ethical or not.

Most cities respond to infrastructure problems after residents report them. What if they could detect and prevent them first, while serving every neighborhood fairly? Host Stephen Goldsmith sits down with Daniel Pelaez (CEO of CYVL), Khahlil Louisy (Public Innovation Institute), and Mike Dennehy (former Boston Public Works Commissioner) to explore how artificial intelligence and computer vision are revolutionizing infrastructure management, closing equity gaps, and helping cities shift from reactive operations to predictive maintenance. In this episode, you'll learn: How computer vision detects infrastructure problems before citizens report them Why traditional complaint-based systems can miss concerns in lower-income neighborhoods How natural language queries democratize access to infrastructure data for city managers Why a "multi-modal" approach combining AI, citizen input, and external data delivers better equity outcomes What  cities can expect from predictive infrastructure systems Paper referenced: When Residents and Algorithms See Different Problems  Listener Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpod Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Smart City Solutions Data-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.

When ChatGPT first came onto the scene, it wowed users with its writing abilities, but drew laughs for generating images of seven-fingered hands and struggling with basic math, where 2+2 didn't always equal 4. But more recently, things have changed: Google and OpenAI's models bagged gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad last year, and now some experts say AI could pose an existential threat to the field of mathematics itself. Mathematicians Emily Riehl and Daniel Litt join Host Flora Lichtman to explore how this technology could change the way math discoveries are made—and what could be lost if things go too far. Guests: Dr. Emily Riehl is a professor of mathematics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Daniel Litt is an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Toronto. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Why do cities struggle to adopt AI at scale despite exponential improvements in the technology? Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Boston CIO Santi Garces and Harvard Business School Professor Mitch Weiss to explore the "growing gap" between AI capability and organizational adoption. Plus, hear how the city of Boston improved user satisfaction 3x with an AI-powered web search, why MCP servers are powerful and transparent tools for government, and how to move from pilot to production. Listener Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpod Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Smart City Solutions Data-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.

What does a city government owe its residents? Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO of Zencity, to explore how GenAI is fundamentally transforming the way cities measure, understand, and respond to resident needs. For decades, performance management in government has relied on operational metrics like crime numbers, pothole repairs, traffic flow. But what happens when the data looks good, yet residents feel less safe? When efficiency improves, but trust declines? In this episode, Feder-Levy argues that citizen satisfaction and perception should be the true North Star for city government. Using social sentiment analysis, AI-powered data agents, and real-world examples, he explores how GenAI is cutting response times, revealing hidden patterns, and closing the gap between statistics and lived experience. Listener Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpod Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Smart City Solutions Data-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.

Paid message: Sign up for the University of Zurich International Summer School: freshedpodcast.com/summerschool -- Today we conduct a premortem of Generative Artificial Intelligence in education. My guest is Mary Burns. Mary Burns is an internationally recognized expert in teacher professional development, online learning, and educational technology. She is the lead author of the new Brookings Institution's study entitled “A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect.” freshedpodcast.com/burns/ -- Get in touch! LinkedIn: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: info@freshedpodcast.com

IN CROCIERA SU MARTE | TRE PAPERELLE IN VIAGGIOMamma papera aveva due figlie e con loro amava fare viaggi in posti lontani. Le due paperelle avevano pochi amici, ma andavano spesso in giro.Giocavano nell'aia facendo finta di essere un gruppo e persino il giorno del loro compleanno, la grossa torta se la mangiarono tutta da sole.La mamma per regalo decise di portarle in crociera su Marte. Organizzò il viaggio con una navicella spaziale per turisti, si procurò i biglietti per una festa marziana intergalattica, e partenza prima possibile — in men che non si dica, prima che potessero dire "qua qua".Mentre tutte e tre erano nel cortile pronte per il viaggio, videro uno strano oggetto che volava a bassa quota sopra la fattoria. Posandosi a terra, da uno sportello si affacciò una piccola figura quadrata che disse:"Scusi, è lei in possesso di tre biglietti per Marte e tre per la festa intergalattica?"Le paperelle si guardarono stupite. Non avevano mai visto una creatura quadrata — testa quadrata, occhi quadrati, persino il sorriso sembrava quadrato."Sì, siamo noi!" rispose mamma papera."Qua! Qua! Qua!" fecero le paperelle in coro, saltellando dall'emozione."Prego, salite a bordo," disse il marziano con un piccolo inchino squadrato. "Il viaggio per Marte sta per cominciare."E in un balzo salirono sulla navicella, tanto erano curiose ed entusiaste per quella nuova avventura. Lo strano mezzo di trasporto partì veloce come una folata di vento.Nello spazio era l'ora di punta. L'astronave si ritrovò in coda e il marziano-pilota suonò il clacson: "Blip, blip!"Si affacciò al finestrino e borbottò: "Sempre più difficile viaggiare! Ma guarda, c'è pure un pianetino giocherellone che si è messo a girare su se stesso, neanche fosse una giostra! Oh che bel divertimento — vai più in là, fammi passare e continua a giocare!"Causa ingorgo cosmico, l'astronave atterrò su Marte con un leggero ritardo sulla tabella di marcia."Che meraviglia!" esclamarono le paperelle nel vedere una nave tutta di vetro pronta per la crociera, dove furono invitate a salire a bordo.C'era un gran movimento di piccoli marziani quadrati."Buongiorno, signora papera, si accomodi!" dicevano facendo un inchino, mentre le paperelle — qua, qua, qua — chiacchieravano e saltellavano contente.In sottofondo, chitarre quadrate suonavano un Rock interplanetario.Le tre viaggiatrici, con la faccina appiccicata ai vetri, osservavano stupite il colore rosso del pianeta.La nave partì lentamente sulla sabbia, ma a un tratto i motori cominciarono a rombare e su, verso la cima di una montagna, e poi giù sulle rocce rosse — sembrava di stare su un ottovolante, su e giù, su e giù. Poi di nuovo si posava e lentamente attraversava vallate immense."Che strano spettacolo! Che strano mezzo di trasporto che viaggia sulle rocce e sulla sabbia!" commentavano le turiste.Passarono le ore tra meraviglie e scoperte. Il tempo volò.Arrivò la sera. Sulla nave marziana, mamma papera e le paperelle si presentarono tutte in ghingheri, con fiocchi e fiocchetti, alla festa di compleanno intergalattica.I camerieri danzavano, davano il braccio alle turiste e servivano al suono di una musica Rock. Piccoli marziani si avvicinarono alle paperelle e, facendo loro un sacco di complimenti, saltellando e ballando, giocarono con loro.La festa era iniziata."Qui è tutto quadrato — i bicchieri, le bottiglie!" parlottavano fra di loro le papere.I dolcetti erano salati, i salati erano dolci, la torta era... bah, bah, ma che mondo è questo qua!I palloncini con la scritta "Buon Compleanno" erano — provate a indovinare — quadrati.La serata era al termine e fuochi d'artificio brillarono nel cielo per festeggiare i turisti... ed erano quadrati anche quelli."Ma che bravi e gentili questi marziani!" disse mamma papera, e continuò: "Su Marte ci siamo arrivate, visto lo abbiamo visto, divertite ci siamo divertite. Ora pensiamo a ritornare sulla Terra."A un tratto, la voce del comandante della nave avvisò i passeggeri dell'imminente arrivo di una navicella spaziale per il ritorno.Le tre papere non aspettavano altro. Salutarono e, attraverso un ponte di collegamento, entrarono direttamente nella navicella. E giù, verso il loro pianeta.Osservando la partenza dei turisti dalle vetrate della nave, i marziani in abito da camerieri lanciarono nello spazio decine di palloncini colorati.Nell'universo, sotto un cielo stellato, i satelliti girovagavano intorno alla navicella spaziale. Venere risplendeva in lontananza e la Luna, sempre più vicina, sorrideva con la sua faccia piena.Arrivate sulla Terra, scesero sull'aia tutte e tre felici.Palloncini quadrati con la scritta "Buon Compleanno" volavano in aria.Che sorpresa! Questa è certamente opera dei marziani.E raccontando in giro della loro avventura galattica, le due paperelle si fecero tanti amici. Tutti volevano sapere del loro viaggio su Marte.Il nostro pianeta sarà tondo, sarà grande, sarà piccolo, sarà bello, e sarà sempre casa nostra.— Scritta da Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CRUISE TO MARS | THREE DUCKS ON A JOURNEYMama duck had two daughters, and she loved taking them on trips to faraway places. The two ducklings had few friends, but they often went out and about.They played in the farmyard pretending to be a group, and even on their birthday, they ate the big cake all by themselves.As a gift, Mama decided to take them on a cruise to Mars. She organized the trip on a spaceship for tourists, got tickets for an intergalactic Martian party, and departure as soon as possible — before you could say "quack quack."While all three of them were in the yard ready for the trip, they saw a strange object flying low over the farm. Landing on the ground, a small square figure appeared at a hatch and said:"Excuse me, are you the ones with three tickets to Mars and three for the intergalactic party?"The ducklings looked at each other in amazement. They had never seen a square creature before — square head, square eyes, even the smile seemed square."Yes, that's us!" replied Mama duck."Quack! Quack! Quack!" chimed the ducklings in chorus, hopping with excitement."Please, come aboard," said the Martian with a little squared bow. "The journey to Mars is about to begin."And in one leap they boarded the spaceship, so curious and excited for this new adventure. The strange vehicle took off as fast as a gust of wind.In space, it was rush hour. The spaceship found itself in a queue, and the Martian pilot honked the horn: "Bleep, bleep!"He leaned out the window and grumbled: "It's getting harder and harder to travel! Look at that, there's even a playful little planet spinning around on itself like it's a carousel! Oh, what fun — move over, let me pass, and keep on playing!"Due to the cosmic traffic jam, the spaceship landed on Mars slightly behind schedule."How wonderful!" exclaimed the ducklings when they saw a ship made entirely of glass, ready for the cruise, where they were invited to come aboard.There was a great bustle of small square Martians."Good morning, Mrs. Duck, please make yourself comfortable!" they said with a bow, while the ducklings — quack, quack, quack — chattered and hopped about happily.In the background, square guitars played Interplanetary Rock.The three travelers, with their little faces pressed against the windows, gazed in wonder at the red color of the planet.The ship set off slowly across the sand, but suddenly the engines began to roar and up, toward the top of a mountain, then down over the red rocks — it felt like being on a roller coaster, up and down, up and down. Then it would settle again and slowly cross immense valleys."What a strange sight! What a strange vehicle that travels over rocks and sand!" the tourists commented.The hours passed amid wonders and discoveries. Time flew by.Evening came. On the Martian ship, Mama duck and the ducklings showed up all dressed up, with bows and ribbons, for the intergalactic birthday party.The waiters danced, offered their arms to the tourists, and served to the sound of Rock music. Small Martians approached the ducklings and, showering them with compliments, hopping and dancing, played with them.The party had begun."Everything here is square — the glasses, the bottles!" the ducks whispered to each other.The sweet treats were salty, the salty ones were sweet, the cake was... well, well, what kind of world is this!The balloons with "Happy Birthday" written on them were — guess what — square.The evening was coming to an end and fireworks lit up the sky to celebrate the tourists... and they were square too."How kind and lovely these Martians are!" said Mama duck, and continued: "We made it to Mars, we've seen what there was to see, we've had our fun. Now let's think about going back to Earth."Suddenly, the ship commander's voice announced the imminent arrival of a spaceship for the return trip.The three ducks couldn't wait. They said their goodbyes and, crossing a connecting bridge, stepped directly into the spaceship. And down, toward their planet.Watching the tourists depart through the ship's windows, the Martians in their waiter uniforms launched dozens of colorful balloons into space.In the universe, under a starry sky, satellites wandered around the spaceship. Venus shone in the distance, and the Moon, ever closer, smiled with her full face.Arriving back on Earth, all three stepped down onto the farmyard, happy.Square balloons with "Happy Birthday" written on them floated in the air.What a surprise! This is certainly the work of the Martians.And by telling everyone about their galactic adventure, the two ducklings made lots of friends. Everyone wanted to hear about their trip to Mars.Our planet may be round, may be big, may be small, may be beautiful, and it will always be our home.— Written by Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CRUCERO A MARTE | TRES PATITAS DE VIAJEMamá pata tenía dos hijas y le encantaba llevarlas de viaje a lugares lejanos. Las dos patitas tenían pocos amigos, pero salían a pasear muy a menudo.Jugaban en el corral haciendo como si fueran un grupo, e incluso el día de su cumpleaños, se comieron el pastel grande ellas solitas.Como regalo, Mamá decidió llevarlas de crucero a Marte. Organizó el viaje en una nave espacial para turistas, consiguió los billetes para una fiesta marciana intergaláctica, y salida lo antes posible — en menos de lo que se dice "cua cua".Mientras las tres estaban en el patio listas para el viaje, vieron un objeto extraño volando bajo sobre la granja. Al posarse en el suelo, por una escotilla se asomó una pequeña figura cuadrada que dijo:"Disculpe, ¿es usted la que tiene tres billetes para Marte y tres para la fiesta intergaláctica?"Las patitas se miraron asombradas. Nunca habían visto una criatura cuadrada — cabeza cuadrada, ojos cuadrados, hasta la sonrisa parecía cuadrada."¡Sí, somos nosotras!" respondió Mamá pata."¡Cua! ¡Cua! ¡Cua!" hicieron las patitas a coro, saltando de emoción."Por favor, suban a bordo," dijo el marciano con una pequeña reverencia cuadrada. "El viaje a Marte está a punto de comenzar."Y de un salto subieron a la nave espacial, tan curiosas y entusiasmadas por aquella nueva aventura. El extraño vehículo partió veloz como una ráfaga de viento.En el espacio era hora punta. La nave espacial se encontró en una cola, y el marciano-piloto tocó la bocina: "¡Blip, blip!"Se asomó por la ventanilla y refunfuñó: "¡Cada vez es más difícil viajar! Pero mira, hay hasta un planetita juguetón que se ha puesto a girar sobre sí mismo, ¡como si fuera un carrusel! Qué diversión — hazte a un lado, déjame pasar y sigue jugando."Por culpa del atasco cósmico, la nave aterrizó en Marte con un ligero retraso sobre el horario previsto."¡Qué maravilla!" exclamaron las patitas al ver una nave toda de cristal lista para el crucero, donde fueron invitadas a subir a bordo.Había un gran ajetreo de pequeños marcianos cuadrados."¡Buenos días, señora pata, póngase cómoda!" decían haciendo una reverencia, mientras las patitas — cua, cua, cua — charlaban y saltaban contentas.De fondo, guitarras cuadradas tocaban Rock interplanetario.Las tres viajeras, con sus caritas pegadas a los cristales, observaban maravilladas el color rojo del planeta.La nave partió lentamente sobre la arena, pero de pronto los motores empezaron a rugir y arriba, hacia la cima de una montaña, y luego abajo sobre las rocas rojas — parecía estar en una montaña rusa, arriba y abajo, arriba y abajo. Luego volvía a posarse y lentamente atravesaba valles inmensos."¡Qué espectáculo tan extraño! ¡Qué vehículo tan raro que viaja sobre rocas y arena!" comentaban las turistas.Pasaron las horas entre maravillas y descubrimientos. El tiempo voló.Llegó la noche. En la nave marciana, Mamá pata y las patitas se presentaron todas elegantes, con lazos y lacitos, a la fiesta de cumpleaños intergaláctica.Los camareros bailaban, ofrecían el brazo a las turistas y servían al ritmo de música Rock. Pequeños marcianos se acercaron a las patitas y, haciéndoles muchos cumplidos, saltando y bailando, jugaron con ellas.La fiesta había comenzado."¡Aquí todo es cuadrado — los vasos, las botellas!" cuchicheaban entre ellas las patas.Los dulces eran salados, los salados eran dulces, el pastel era... bah, bah, ¡pero qué mundo es este!Los globos con "Feliz Cumpleaños" escrito eran — adivinen — cuadrados.La velada llegaba a su fin y fuegos artificiales brillaron en el cielo para celebrar a los turistas... y también eran cuadrados."¡Qué amables y simpáticos estos marcianos!" dijo Mamá pata, y continuó: "A Marte hemos llegado, visto lo hemos visto, divertidas nos hemos divertido. Ahora pensemos en volver a la Tierra."De repente, la voz del comandante de la nave avisó a los pasajeros de la inminente llegada de una nave espacial para el regreso.Las tres patas no esperaban otra cosa. Se despidieron y, a través de un puente de conexión, entraron directamente en la nave. Y abajo, hacia su planeta.Observando la partida de los turistas desde los ventanales de la nave, los marcianos vestidos de camareros lanzaron al espacio decenas de globos de colores.En el universo, bajo un cielo estrellado, los satélites vagaban alrededor de la nave espacial. Venus brillaba a lo lejos y la Luna, cada vez más cerca, sonreía con su cara llena.Al llegar a la Tierra, bajaron al corral las tres felices.Globos cuadrados con "Feliz Cumpleaños" escrito flotaban en el aire.¡Qué sorpresa! Esto es sin duda obra de los marcianos.Y contando por ahí su aventura galáctica, las dos patitas hicieron muchos amigos. Todos querían saber de su viaje a Marte.Nuestro planeta será redondo, será grande, será pequeño, será hermoso, y siempre será nuestro hogar.— Escrita por Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ChatGPT has been a game-changer for education. Students now frequently use Generative Artificial Intelligence to complete assignments, but concern is growing about how this affects their academic integrity and critical thinking.Michelle Cheong is a Professor of Information Systems in Education at the Singapore Management University. By evaluating ChatGPT's performance in spreadsheet modelling, her latest research provides important insights into how educators can redesign student assessments to enhance learning at different cognitive levels.Read the original research: doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70035

In episode 174 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson and Tony Sager sit down with Kyle Leonard, Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at the Center for Internet Security® (CIS®), and Randy Rose, VP of Security Operations & Intelligence at CIS. Together, they continue their discussion of 2026 cybersecurity predictions from seven CIS experts, as shared on the CIS website.Here are some highlights from our episode:02:00. How cross-platform campaigns are becoming the norm03:09. Threat actors' use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to expand their attacks and gain efficiencies05:08. The blurring line of what separates today's script kiddies from nation-state threat actors07:47. Fully autonomous malware: in the realm of possibility but not here yet13:19. How specialization in the criminal ecosystem requires us to rethink analysis itself16:07. Shrinking dwell time: a product of the democratization of complex tools' availability18:02. The effective use of social engineering to lower threat actors' operational costs19:20. Malware's increasing use of trusted infrastructure to thwart cyber defenses20:25. The use of behavioral analysis to apply bottleneck security mechanisms22:40. Evolving threat actors' tradecraft: pseudo-random subdomains, GenAI models, and SEO poisoning26:39. What trust looks like today: something that's dynamic and negotiated at a moment's notice31:25. Supply chain attackers' pivot to edge device vendors and security appliance makers33:43. The ongoing work of CIS to support state and local governments' cybersecurity effortsResourcesEpisode 169: 2026 Cybersecurity Predictions from CIS — Pt 1The Evolving Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Cyber Threat LandscapeSurge of QakBot Activity Using Malspam, Malicious XLSB FilesActive Lumma Stealer Campaign Impacting U.S. SLTTsEpisode 173: Scammer Jousting as Human Risk ManagementClickFix: An Adaptive Social Engineering TechniqueImpact of Federal Funding Cuts to the Value of MS-ISAC CTIEpisode 157: How a Modern, Mission-Driven CIRT OperatesIf you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing podcast@cisecurity.org.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as one of the most debated forces in education today. Tools such as ChatGPT and Claude are widely predicted to reshape how students learn and how teachers teach. Advocates argue that GenAI could democratise access to high quality education, offering personalised learning at scale while reducing administrative burdens for educators. Critics warn of significant risks, from undermining student learning to eroding teacher autonomy. In this episode of Top Class, we explore the latest emerging evidence shared in the OECD's Digital Education Outlook 2026. Senior OECD Analyst Stéphan Vincent Lancrin speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the latest research, the potential and the risks of GenAI, and what this means for the future of teaching and learning.

Today on a special interview from DairyNZ, Michelle Watt talks to DairyNZ senior scientist Callum Eastwood, about what generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, and what opportunities it can provide to enhance farming systems. To find out more about how AI can help drive productivity on your farm, and check out the DairyNZ tool Daisy, got to www.dairynz.co.nz See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 173 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson is joined by Roger Grimes, CISO Advisor at KnowBe4. Together, they discuss "scammer jousting," a term coined by Tony Sager which describes empowering organizations to manage human risk using simulated phishing.Here are some highlights from our episode:01:05. How simulated phishing and scammer jousting manage human risk03:48. The shift in perception of security awareness training over the past 20 years06:19. The need for testing to build capability and resiliency amongst employees09:27. The many faces of phishing attacks and the impact of generative artificial intelligence15:00. How gamification is proven to help users learn more in their cybersecurity training16:57. How data empowers organizations to communicate the potential impact of a phish19:57. The use of behavior engineering to foster a stronger security culture23:56. The value of customer feedback in continuously enhancing phishing training29:52. Continuous and hyper-personalized training as the future of spammer joustingResourcesEpisode 77: Data's Value to Decision-Making in CybersecurityEpisode 98: Transparency as a Tool to Combat Insider ThreatsA Short Guide for Spotting Phishing AttemptsCIS Controls v8.1 Security Awareness Skills Training Policy TemplateSANS Workforce Security and Risk TrainingThe Evolving Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Cyber Threat LandscapeEpisode 110: How Security Culture and Corporate Culture MeshIf you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing podcast@cisecurity.org.

Host Stephen Goldsmith sits down with Suma Nallapati, Chief AI and Information Officer for the City and County of Denver, to explore how Denver is using generative AI to collapse bureaucracy and make government fundamentally more responsive to residents. Nallapati discusses Denver's Sunny AI platform, why combining the CIO and AI officer roles eliminates unhealthy friction between innovation and caution, and why the real opportunity of GenAI lies in freeing public servants from repetitive tasks so they can focus on the human connection that drew them to public service in the first place. Nallapati emphasizes that AI is a tool in government's toolbox—one that succeeds only when paired with ethical frameworks, transparency, and a relentless focus on resident outcomes rather than technology for its own sake.Listener Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpodMusic credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.

In episode 171 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson and Tony Sager sit down with Soledad Antelada Toledano, Security Advisor, Office of the CISO, Google Cloud at Google. Together, they discuss securing critical national infrastructure (CNI) in U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government organizations through artificial intelligence (AI) adoption.Here are some highlights from our episode:00:50. Introduction to Soledad02:48. How the convergence of informational technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) has created bigger attack surfaces04:10. The proliferation of threat actors targeting critical infrastructure sectors07:24. The challenge of legacy systems for U.S. SLTT owners of CNI08:13. Alert fatigue, limited visibility, and other challenges facing OT networks13:22. The value of automated cyber threat intelligence (CTI)24:46. Building strategic AI implementation around human in the loop (HITL)33:17. U.S. SLTTs' use of the cloud to test and build trust for securing CNIResourcesThe Changing Landscape of Security Operations and Its Impact on Critical InfrastructureCybersecurity for Critical InfrastructureEpisode 139: Community Building for the Cyber-UnderservedEpisode 119: Multidimensional Threat Defense at Large EventsLeveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence for Tabletop Exercise DevelopmentThe Evolving Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Cyber Threat LandscapeEpisode 148: How MDR Helps Shine a Light on Zero-Day AttacksVulnerability Management Policy Template for CIS Control 7CIS Critical Security Controls v8.1 Industrial Control Systems (ICS) GuideIf you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing podcast@cisecurity.org.

Host Stephen Goldsmith sits down with Brian Elms, former director of Denver's groundbreaking Peak Academy and founder of Change Agents Training, to explore how generative AI is transforming government's most successful employee empowerment model. Elms explains how Peak Academy has saved governments over $50 million by teaching frontline workers to become problem solvers in their own services, and why unlocking employee potential matters for everyone in a government organization. They also discuss how AI agents augment this work, with Elms recommending eliminating useless work first, then layering on performance management and AI tools to help subject matter experts — not just executives — drive continuous improvement from the ground up.Take the survey at bit.ly/datasmartpod.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

La Gatta GianninaLa gatta Giannina viveva in una casa con il giardino. Il muro di cinta confinava da un lato con un parco dove i bambini si ritrovavano per giocare. Il paese era piccolo ma grazioso — dai davanzali delle case, vasi di gerani e di petunie scendevano come cascate colorate.La sua padrona, la Signora Mafalda, la portava spesso in giro per il centro abitato. Tutti i bambini la conoscevano e appena la vedevano le correvano incontro facendole feste a non finire.Giannina era una grande giocherellona. Durante la giornata si divertiva a rincorrere lucertole, cacciare insetti, farfalle e tutto ciò che si muoveva. Per riposarsi si sdraiava al sole sulle pietre calde e poi andava a rinfrescarsi tra i fili d'erba. Nel giardino, tra il melograno, il limone e l'ulivo dalle foglie argentate, lei e Mafalda passavano i pomeriggi a giocare insieme.Ma un giorno Mafalda iniziò a notare qualcosa di strano. Giannina saltava per cacciare, ma sbagliava la mira e finiva tra i cespugli di rose. "Ohi, ohi, ohi! Mi sono bucata e la mia coda è impigliata fra i rami!" miagolava. Scansava per miracolo gli alberi dove prima saliva con sicurezza. Raggiungeva le ciotole dell'acqua e del cibo con andatura incerta.Preoccupata, Mafalda la portò dal Veterinario.Dopo aver ascoltato le strane avventure della micina, il Dottore sorrise e con aria saggia diede la sua sentenza: "Questa gattina non ci vede bene. Ha bisogno degli occhiali."Detto fatto, in quattro e quattr'otto il veterinario cercò in una vetrina piena di montature per animali domestici e, trovata quella perfetta, esclamò: "Ecco qua un paio di occhiali da signora elegante!"Appena poggiati sul musetto simpatico di Giannina, la gatta si guardò intorno meravigliata. Vedeva tutto più chiaro! Si strofinò alle gambe del Veterinario e saltò fra le braccia di Mafalda come per ringraziarla.Il Dottore, colpito dalla sua dolcezza, le fece un regalo speciale: una catenella dorata con al centro una piccola perla che brillava di luce propria. Sussurrando, le disse: "Se chiudi gli occhi e sfiori questa perla con il nasino, entrerai in possesso di poteri magici che solo tu avrai. Serviranno per aiutare gli altri."Giannina pensò che forse quel Veterinario era anche un Mago, ma non disse niente a Mafalda. Era un segreto fra lei e lo strano Dottore.Sulla strada di ritorno, qualcuno si girava a guardarla pensando: quella gatta sembra misteriosa, c'è qualcosa che luccica intorno a lei.A casa, il primo desiderio di Giannina fu di salire su una sedia e mettersi a guardare dalla finestra. I fiori brillavano nei loro colori e perfino l'erba era di un verde lucente come coperta di rugiada. Sorrideva felice come non mai.Mafalda, partecipe della sua gioia, decise di portarla al parco.Arrivarono in un baleno. Gli scoiattoli sgambettavano sugli alberi, gli uccellini cantando volavano da un ramo all'altro. Piccoli animali sbucavano da ogni parte e i bambini li seguivano curiosi — correvano con le lucertole, saltavano con le farfalle che danzavano nell'aria, mentre le rosse coccinelle si posavano sulla loro pelle come portafortuna.Dopo rincorse, scivolate e girotondi, i bambini si sedettero sul prato per la merenda. Dagli zainetti colorati uscirono spuntini appetitosi.Fu allora che arrivarono."Vriiip! Vriiip! Vriiip!"A tutta birra, un plotone di formiche sfrecciava su micromoto rombanti. Portavano mini caschi lucidi in testa, occhialini tondi sugli occhi e stivaletti minuscoli alle zampette. Frenarono di colpo davanti ai bambini, sollevando nuvolette di polvere."Pista! Ci siamo anche noi!" gridò la formica capo, alzando la visiera del casco. "Possiamo raccogliere le briciole?"I bambini risero a crepapelle. "Sì, sì! Sgranocchiate quante briciole volete!"Le formiche parcheggiarono le micromoto in fila ordinata, si tolsero i caschi con gesti teatrali, e si misero al lavoro trasportando briciole grandi il doppio di loro, cantando una canzoncina di marcia.In questa atmosfera gioiosa, Giannina e Mafalda camminavano sui vialetti. E improvvisamente, al loro passaggio, gli alberi piegarono i rami come in un inchino e le foglie frusciarono in segno di saluto. Le rose nelle aiuole schiusero le loro corolle e iniziarono a cantare. Le lucertole batterono le code sul terreno come su un tamburo: "Rattatatà! Rattatatà!" E i millepiedi si misero a ballare il tip tap al ritmo allegro."Oh cielo, questa è una grande baraonda!" esclamò Giannina, che iniziava a sentire un'aura misteriosa intorno a sé.Non poté fare a meno di pensare al Veterinario Mago. Quali potevano essere i poteri magici di cui era in possesso? E cosa sarebbe successo toccando la perla con il nasino?Lo disse a Mafalda, che portava un libro di favole sotto il braccio. Si guardarono e, capendosi al volo, presero la palla al balzo.Giannina riunì i bambini in un girotondo. Alcuni arrivarono velocemente, altri più timidi si unirono con calma. Anche le formiche, con la pancia piena, indossarono di nuovo i mini caschi, fecero un ultimo giro rombante sulle micromoto, poi scesero e si avvicinarono al gruppo.Era il momento giusto.Giannina chiuse gli occhi e sfiorò la perla magica con il nasino. Una scintilla dorata brillò nell'aria. Prese il libro dalle mani di Mafalda, lo aprì, e scelse la favola che sembrava attenderla, luccicando tra le pagine.Con voce dolce, iniziò a leggere."C'era una volta un coniglietto che viveva nel bosco. Inciampava nelle radici sporgenti degli alberi e nei sassolini. A scuola sbagliava a leggere le lettere e i numeri, così non voleva più andarci. Quando la maestra vedeva i suoi disegni gli diceva: 'Bravo!' Lo stesso facevano la mamma e il babbo: 'Bravo!' Ma a lui i colori sembravano sbiaditi. La verità era che non ci vedeva bene, ma invece di dirlo, scappava via e si nascondeva in una tana sotto un albero parlante. E l'albero, con il fruscio delle foglie, gli sussurrò un segreto: parla con i tuoi genitori. Così fece, e loro lo aiutarono a mettersi gli occhiali. E il mondo tornò bellissimo."Giannina chiuse il libro. Aveva capito: con la perla magica poteva leggere nel cuore dei bambini, scoprendo emozioni e segreti da portare alla luce."Sapete," disse ai piccoli ascoltatori, "anch'io fino a poco tempo fa non ci vedevo bene. Ma ho messo questi occhiali e puff! Il mondo è diventato più chiaro e bellissimo."Un bambino le si avvicinò, quasi vergognandosi, e le sussurrò all'orecchio: "Forse anch'io ne ho bisogno, come te."Giannina lo accarezzò dolcemente. "Io ti ho aiutato ad aprire il tuo cuore. Ora parla con i tuoi genitori, e tutto sarà risolto."Fu allora che un coniglietto apparve all'improvviso tra i cespugli. Si avvicinò a Giannina, la abbracciò e le disse: "Tu sei magicamente magica!"E — non ci credereste — quel coniglietto portava un bel paio di occhialini colorati.Da quel giorno Giannina prese per mano i bambini del paese, insegnando loro a credere in se stessi e ad avere fiducia. Diventò la mascotte con gli occhiali magici, e tutti volevano indossarli come lei.Ma la vera meraviglia era come ora vedeva il mondo dalla finestra: più luminoso, più colorato, più vivo. E ogni sera, prima di addormentarsi, sfiorava la perla con il nasino e sorrideva, sapendo che il giorno dopo avrebbe aiutato qualcun altro a vedere il mondo con occhi nuovi.Sembrava quasi fosse stato un sogno. Ma si sa, realtà e fantasia si prendono spesso per mano.— Scritta da Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

La Gata GianninaLa gata Giannina vivía en una casa con jardín. El muro del jardín colindaba con un parque donde los niños se reunían para jugar. El pueblo era pequeño pero encantador — desde los alféizares de las casas, macetas de geranios y petunias descendían como cascadas de colores.Su dueña, la Señora Mafalda, la llevaba a menudo a pasear por el centro del pueblo. Todos los niños la conocían, y en cuanto la veían, corrían a su encuentro para hacerle fiestas sin parar.Giannina era muy juguetona. Durante el día se divertía persiguiendo lagartijas, cazando insectos, mariposas y todo lo que se moviera. Para descansar se tumbaba al sol sobre las piedras calientes y luego iba a refrescarse entre la hierba. En el jardín, entre el granado, el limonero y el olivo de hojas plateadas, ella y Mafalda pasaban las tardes jugando juntas.Pero un día, Mafalda empezó a notar algo extraño. Giannina saltaba para cazar, pero fallaba la puntería y acababa entre los rosales. "¡Ay, ay, ay! ¡Me he pinchado y mi cola está enredada en las ramas!" maullaba. Esquivaba por milagro los árboles donde antes subía con total seguridad. Llegaba a los cuencos del agua y la comida con paso inseguro.Preocupada, Mafalda la llevó al Veterinario.Después de escuchar las extrañas aventuras de la gatita, el Doctor sonrió y con aire sabio dio su diagnóstico: "Esta gatita no ve bien. Necesita gafas."Dicho y hecho — en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, el veterinario buscó en una vitrina llena de monturas para mascotas y, al encontrar la perfecta, exclamó: "¡Aquí tenemos unas gafas dignas de una señora elegante!"En cuanto se las colocaron en su simpático hociquito, la gata miró a su alrededor maravillada. ¡Veía todo mucho más claro! Se frotó contra las piernas del Veterinario y saltó a los brazos de Mafalda como para darle las gracias.El Doctor, conmovido por su dulzura, le hizo un regalo especial: una cadenita dorada con una pequeña perla en el centro que brillaba con luz propia. Susurrando, le dijo: "Si cierras los ojos y tocas esta perla con tu naricita, obtendrás poderes mágicos que solo tú tendrás. Servirán para ayudar a los demás."Giannina pensó que quizás aquel Veterinario también era un Mago, pero no le dijo nada a Mafalda. Era un secreto entre ella y el extraño Doctor.De camino a casa, la gente se giraba para mirarla pensando: esa gata parece misteriosa, hay algo que destella a su alrededor.En casa, el primer deseo de Giannina fue subirse a una silla y ponerse a mirar por la ventana. Las flores brillaban en sus colores y hasta la hierba era de un verde reluciente, como cubierta de rocío. Sonreía más feliz que nunca.Mafalda, compartiendo su alegría, decidió llevarla al parque.Llegaron en un instante. Las ardillas correteaban por los árboles, los pajaritos volaban cantando de rama en rama. Pequeños animales aparecían por todas partes y los niños los seguían curiosos — corrían con las lagartijas, saltaban con las mariposas que danzaban en el aire, mientras las rojas mariquitas se posaban en su piel como amuletos de buena suerte.Después de carreras, resbalones y corros, los niños se sentaron en el césped para merendar. De sus mochilas de colores salieron aperitivos deliciosos.Fue entonces cuando llegaron."¡Vriiip! ¡Vriiip! ¡Vriiip!"A toda velocidad, un pelotón de hormigas pasó zumbando en minimotos rugientes. Llevaban pequeños cascos brillantes en la cabeza, gafitas redondas en los ojos y botitas diminutas en las patitas. Frenaron en seco delante de los niños, levantando nubecitas de polvo."¡Paso! ¡Nosotras también estamos aquí!" gritó la hormiga jefa, levantando la visera del casco. "¿Podemos recoger las migas?"Los niños se rieron a carcajadas. "¡Sí, sí! ¡Comed todas las migas que queráis!"Las hormigas aparcaron las minimotos en fila ordenada, se quitaron los cascos con gestos teatrales, y se pusieron a trabajar transportando migas del doble de su tamaño, cantando una cancioncilla de marcha.En esta atmósfera alegre, Giannina y Mafalda paseaban por los senderos. Y de repente, a su paso, los árboles inclinaron sus ramas en una reverencia y las hojas susurraron en señal de saludo. Las rosas en los parterres abrieron sus pétalos y comenzaron a cantar. Las lagartijas golpearon sus colas contra el suelo como si fuera un tambor: "¡Rattatatá! ¡Rattatatá!" Y los ciempiés se pusieron a bailar claqué al ritmo alegre."¡Cielos, qué gran alboroto!" exclamó Giannina, que empezaba a sentir un aura misteriosa a su alrededor.No pudo evitar pensar en el Veterinario Mago. ¿Cuáles podrían ser los poderes mágicos que poseía? ¿Y qué pasaría si tocaba la perla con su naricita?Se lo dijo a Mafalda, que llevaba un libro de cuentos bajo el brazo. Se miraron y, entendiéndose al vuelo, aprovecharon la ocasión.Giannina reunió a los niños en un corro. Algunos llegaron rápidamente, otros más tímidos se unieron con calma. También las hormigas, con la panza llena, se pusieron de nuevo los minicascos, dieron una última vuelta rugiente en las minimotos, luego bajaron y se acercaron al grupo.Era el momento adecuado.Giannina cerró los ojos y tocó la perla mágica con su naricita. Una chispa dorada brilló en el aire. Tomó el libro de las manos de Mafalda, lo abrió, y eligió el cuento que parecía esperarla, reluciendo entre las páginas.Con voz dulce, comenzó a leer."Había una vez un conejito que vivía en el bosque. Tropezaba con las raíces de los árboles y las piedrecitas. En la escuela se equivocaba al leer las letras y los números, así que ya no quería ir. Cuando la maestra veía sus dibujos le decía: '¡Muy bien!' Lo mismo decían su mamá y su papá: '¡Muy bien!' Pero a él los colores le parecían desvaídos. La verdad era que no veía bien, pero en lugar de decirlo, se escapaba y se escondía en una madriguera bajo un árbol parlante. Y el árbol, con el susurro de sus hojas, le contó un secreto: habla con tus padres. Así lo hizo, y ellos le ayudaron a ponerse gafas. Y el mundo volvió a ser hermoso."Giannina cerró el libro. Lo había comprendido: con la perla mágica podía leer en el corazón de los niños, descubriendo emociones y secretos que esperaban salir a la luz."¿Sabéis?" dijo a sus pequeños oyentes, "yo también hace poco no veía bien. Pero me puse estas gafas y ¡puf! El mundo se volvió más claro y más hermoso."Un niño se le acercó, casi avergonzado, y le susurró al oído: "Quizás yo también las necesito, como tú."Giannina lo acarició dulcemente. "Te he ayudado a abrir tu corazón. Ahora habla con tus padres, y todo se resolverá."Fue entonces cuando un conejito apareció de repente entre los arbustos. Se acercó a Giannina, la abrazó y le dijo: "¡Eres mágicamente mágica!"Y — no lo creeríais — aquel conejito llevaba un bonito par de gafitas de colores.Desde aquel día, Giannina tomó de la patita a los niños del pueblo, enseñándoles a creer en sí mismos y a tener confianza. Se convirtió en la mascota con las gafas mágicas, y todos querían llevarlas como ella.Pero la verdadera maravilla era cómo veía ahora el mundo desde la ventana: más luminoso, más colorido, más vivo. Y cada noche, antes de dormirse, tocaba la perla con su naricita y sonreía, sabiendo que al día siguiente ayudaría a alguien más a ver el mundo con ojos nuevos.Casi parecía haber sido un sueño. Pero ya se sabe, la realidad y la fantasía a menudo caminan de la mano.— Escrita por Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giannina the CatGiannina the cat lived in a house with a garden. The garden wall bordered a park where children gathered to play. The town was small but charming — from the windowsills of the houses, pots of geraniums and petunias tumbled down like colorful cascades.Her owner, Signora Mafalda, often took her around the town center. All the children knew her, and whenever they spotted her, they would run over and shower her with affection.Giannina was quite the little rascal. During the day she loved chasing lizards, hunting insects, butterflies, and anything that moved. To rest, she would stretch out in the sun on the warm stones, then cool off among the blades of grass. In the garden, among the pomegranate tree, the lemon tree, and the olive with its silvery leaves, she and Mafalda spent their afternoons playing together.But one day, Mafalda began to notice something strange. Giannina would leap to catch her prey, but she kept missing and ending up in the rose bushes. "Ow, ow, ow! I've pricked myself and my tail is tangled in the branches!" she meowed. She barely managed to dodge trees she used to climb with ease. She reached her food and water bowls with an uncertain gait.Worried, Mafalda took her to the Veterinarian.After listening to the little cat's strange adventures, the Doctor smiled and delivered his verdict with a wise air: "This little kitty can't see well. She needs glasses."No sooner said than done — in the blink of an eye, the veterinarian searched through a display case full of frames for pets and, finding the perfect one, exclaimed: "Here we are — a pair of glasses fit for an elegant lady!"As soon as they were placed on Giannina's sweet little snout, the cat looked around in wonder. She could see everything so clearly! She rubbed against the Veterinarian's legs and leaped into Mafalda's arms as if to thank her.The Doctor, touched by her sweetness, gave her a special gift: a golden chain with a small pearl at its center that glowed with its own light. Whispering, he told her: "If you close your eyes and touch this pearl with your little nose, you will gain magical powers that only you will have. They will help you help others."Giannina thought that perhaps this Veterinarian was also a Wizard, but she said nothing to Mafalda. It was a secret between her and the strange Doctor.On the way home, people turned to look at her, thinking: that cat seems mysterious — there's something glimmering around her.At home, Giannina's first wish was to climb onto a chair and gaze out the window. The flowers shone in their colors, and even the grass was a brilliant green, as if covered in dew. She smiled, happier than ever.Mafalda, sharing in her joy, decided to take her to the park.They arrived in no time. Squirrels scampered through the trees, birds sang as they flew from branch to branch. Small creatures popped out everywhere, and the children followed them with curiosity — they ran alongside the lizards, leaped with the butterflies dancing in the air, while red ladybugs landed on their skin like good luck charms.After chases, slides, and ring-around-the-rosy, the children sat down on the grass for their snack. From their colorful backpacks came tasty treats.That's when they arrived."Vriiip! Vriiip! Vriiip!"At full speed, a platoon of ants zoomed in on rumbling mini-motorcycles. They wore shiny little helmets on their heads, round goggles over their eyes, and tiny boots on their feet. They braked sharply in front of the children, raising little clouds of dust."Make way! We're here too!" shouted the lead ant, lifting her visor. "Can we collect the crumbs?"The children burst out laughing. "Yes, yes! Munch all the crumbs you want!"The ants parked their mini-motorcycles in a neat row, removed their helmets with theatrical gestures, and got to work carrying crumbs twice their size, singing a little marching song.In this joyful atmosphere, Giannina and Mafalda strolled along the pathways. And suddenly, as they passed, the trees bent their branches in a bow and their leaves rustled in greeting. The roses in the flower beds opened their petals and began to sing. The lizards beat their tails on the ground like drums: "Rattatatà! Rattatatà!" And the millipedes started tap dancing to the lively rhythm."Oh my, what a wonderful commotion!" exclaimed Giannina, who was beginning to feel a mysterious aura around her.She couldn't help but think of the Wizard Veterinarian. What could these magical powers be? And what would happen if she touched the pearl with her little nose?She told Mafalda, who was carrying a book of fairy tales under her arm. They looked at each other and, understanding instantly, seized the moment.Giannina gathered the children in a circle. Some came quickly, others more shy joined in slowly. The ants too, their bellies full, put on their mini helmets again, did one last rumbling lap on their motorcycles, then climbed off and approached the group.It was the right moment.Giannina closed her eyes and touched the magic pearl with her little nose. A golden spark flashed in the air. She took the book from Mafalda's hands, opened it, and chose the tale that seemed to be waiting for her, glowing among the pages.In a gentle voice, she began to read."Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit who lived in the woods. He kept tripping over tree roots and pebbles. At school, he made mistakes reading letters and numbers, so he didn't want to go anymore. When the teacher saw his drawings, she said: 'Well done!' His mom and dad said the same: 'Well done!' But to him, the colors seemed faded. The truth was, he couldn't see well, but instead of saying so, he would run away and hide in a burrow beneath a talking tree. And the tree, with the rustle of its leaves, whispered a secret: talk to your parents. So he did, and they helped him get glasses. And the world became beautiful again."Giannina closed the book. She understood: with the magic pearl, she could read the hearts of children, discovering emotions and secrets waiting to be brought to light."You know," she said to her little listeners, "not long ago, I couldn't see well either. But I put on these glasses and poof! The world became clearer and more beautiful."A boy approached her, almost embarrassed, and whispered in her ear: "Maybe I need them too, like you."Giannina gently stroked him. "I helped you open your heart. Now talk to your parents, and everything will be fine."Just then, a little rabbit appeared suddenly from the bushes. He came up to Giannina, hugged her, and said: "You are magically magical!"And — you won't believe it — that little rabbit was wearing a lovely pair of colorful glasses.From that day on, Giannina took the children of the town by the paw, teaching them to believe in themselves and to have confidence. She became the mascot with the magic glasses, and everyone wanted to wear them just like her.But the true wonder was how she now saw the world from her window: brighter, more colorful, more alive. And every evening, before falling asleep, she would touch the pearl with her little nose and smile, knowing that the next day she would help someone else see the world with new eyes.It almost seemed like it had been a dream. But as we know, reality and fantasy often walk hand in hand.— Written by Lucia & Marco Ciappelli Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LA BIBLIOTECA SECRETA DE LEOPOLDOHay gente extraña —les gusta pasar las noches leyendo libros.Otros son aún más extraños —creen en la magia que se esconde entre las páginas,en aventuras fantásticas,en historias de amores imposibles,en fantasmas que caminan entre los vivos,y piensan que todo lo que no existe —quizás sí existe.En fin, esta historia es para los que son un poco extraños,como tú y como yo —ya sabes, para los que.Entonces… escucha.Si desde el centro del pueblo tomas el camino hacia el monte,encontrarás una villa vieja y noble,que lleva ahí mucho tiempo.Serán unos 350 añosque está ahí en silencio,observando y respirando despaciobajo el cielo toscano.Salones enormes llenos de historia,pasillos sin fin,y ventanas grandes como sueños —pero ahora, en lugar de platos y figuritas de porcelana,nos regala historias en papel para quien quiera leerlas.Sí, ahora es la biblioteca del pueblo —un poco apartada, pero tan hermosa.Bueno, no se puede tener todo.Pues bien, sucedió que,en una noche de verano,envuelta en un manto de estrellasy la luz suave de faroles delicados,la villa se había llenado de voces, música, sonrisas,y tantas historias contadas y escuchadas,en voz alta o susurradas,que se entrelazaban en el abrazo de la fiesta.Sin duda una noche ya especial,pero presta atención,porque algo aún más inusual estaba por suceder.Sí, porque Elisa también estaba allí.Ojos grandes como el cielo,cabello oscuro como la noche,y un libro en la mano — como siempre.A pesar de todo lo que pasaba a su alrededor,Elisa prefería leer.Estaba allí, en el pasillo principal:entre el jardín y el patio interior,a medio camino entre lo seguro y el quizás,sentada en un sillón un poco grande para ella,sumergida en una historia misteriosa y cautivadora —en un mundo todo suyo.Pasa una página, luego otra,se acomoda los lentes amarillos,y pasa otra página…Cuando lentamenteel eco de una música de pianollegó a sus oídos.No le prestó mucha atención.Creyendo que venía del patio,pasó otra página — y luego otra.Pero pronto se dio cuentade que las notas que escuchabano venían del patio de la villa,sino de uno de sus pasillos —traídas por una brisa suave,desde lugares lejanos y sin tiempo.Sin pensarlo mucho,Elisa se levantó en silencio,se puso el libro bajo el brazo,y siguió la música.Atravesó antiguos pasillosy salas con estantes llenos de librosde todos los tamaños y colores imaginables —arcoíris de pensamientos y palabras en filaque parecían no terminar nunca.Mientras la música se hacía más fuerte,la luz disminuía,las salas que atravesabacomenzaban a parecer olvidadas,las escaleras de piedra que subía y bajabagastadas por el tiempo,los pasillos laterales eran ahora pasajes oscurosiluminados solo por antorchas en las paredes,que aparecían y desaparecían en la oscuridadcomo respiraciones.Una escalera,una puerta de madera entreabierta,otro pasaje,otra escalera,y más salas y estantes y libros sin fin.Luego, de pronto,una neblina cubrió el suelocomo una marea gentil,y frente a ella una gran cortina pesada —entreabierta.Se veía un poco de luzy unas pequeñas escaleras de madera.Las subió, esas pequeñas escaleras,y la música la envolvió como un abrazo.En el escenario, velas flotaban en el airecomo luciérnagas en una noche sin tiempo.Y allí, en el centro,sentado frente a un piano pequeñito,había un ratón.Pero no un ratón cualquiera.Leopoldo llevaba una chaqueta de tweed verde oscuro,pantalones marrones planchados con cuidado,y en su hociquito, unos lentes doradosque brillaban con una sabiduría antigua y gentil.Sus dedos danzaban sobre las teclascomo si estuvieran contando un secreto.«Bienvenida, Elisa», dijo, sin dejar de tocar.«Te estaba esperando.»Elisa parpadeó, encantada.«¿Cómo sabes mi nombre?»«Ah», sonrió Leopoldo, dejando que la última notase apagara suavemente en el aire,«quien ama las historias siempre reconoce a quien las busca.»Se levantó, se ajustó la chaqueta con un gesto elegante,y la miró con ojos llenos de estrellas.«¿Sabes dónde estás?»«En la biblioteca del pueblo», respondió Elisa,pero su voz temblaba un poco,como si supiera que la respuesta era otra.«Esa la conocen todos», dijo Leopoldo,bajando despacio del escenario.«Cada pueblo tiene una que todos conocen.Pero cada pueblo también tiene otra —una que casi nadie encuentra.»Hizo una pausa, los ojos brillando.«Tú has encontrado la segunda.»• • •Leopoldo la guió hacia una gran puerta de maderaque Elisa habría jurado que no estaba ahí un momento antes.Se abrió lentamente, sin ruido,como un suspiro contenido demasiado tiempo.Y lo que vio le quitó el aliento.Estantes infinitos trepaban hacia arriba,descendían hacia abajo,se extendían en todas direccionescomo espirales de galaxias hechas de papel y sueños.Velas flotaban por todas partes,iluminando libros que parecían respirar,latir despacio,como corazones dormidos.«¿Qué lugar es este?», susurró Elisa.«Esta», dijo Leopoldo caminando entre los estantes,«es la biblioteca de los libros nunca escritos.»Elisa lo siguió, confundida.«¿Libros nunca escritos? ¿Pero cómo pueden existir?»Leopoldo se detuvo, se volvió,y la miró con dulzura infinita.«Cada historia soñada existe, Elisa.Cada aventura imaginada antes de dormir.Cada cuento pensado pero nunca puesto en papel.Todos viven aquí,en la frontera entre el mundo y el sueño,esperando.»• • •Se detuvieron frente a un estante.Leopoldo señaló un libro pequeño,encuadernado en azul como un cielo de verano.«Tócalo», dijo suavemente.Elisa extendió la mano, vacilante,y rozó la portada.Un calor gentil le atravesó los dedos.Y por un instante — solo un instante —escuchó la risa de un niño,vio un dragón hecho de nubes,y un castillo construido con almohadas y mantas.«Este», dijo Leopoldo,«era el sueño de un niño de seis años.Una historia que le contaba cada noche a su osito de peluche.Nunca la escribió.Pero existe. ¿Ves? Existe.»Elisa sonrió, el corazón ligero.• • •Caminaron más,por pasillos de historias silenciosas,hasta que Leopoldo se detuvo frente a otro libro.Este era diferente.Más grande, encuadernado en cuero oscuro,con letras doradas que parecían temblar.«¿Y este?», preguntó Elisa, bajito.«Este», dijo Leopoldo,y su voz se hizo suave como una caricia,«pertenecía a una abuela.»Elisa lo tocó.Y sintió algo diferente.No una risa, esta vez.Sino una voz cálida, lejana,que contaba de una niña valienteque atravesaba un bosque encantadopara llevar la luz a un pueblo olvidado.«Era la historia que quería dejarles a sus nietos»,explicó Leopoldo.«Pero el tiempo… el tiempo a veces corre más rápido que los sueños.No le alcanzó el tiempo para escribirla.»Elisa sintió que le ardían los ojos.«Pero está aquí», susurró.«Está aquí», confirmó Leopoldo.«Para siempre.»• • •Siguieron caminando, en silencio,hasta que llegaron a un estante diferente a los demás.Estaba casi vacío.Solo unos pocos libros, espaciados,y tantos espacios abiertos, esperando.En el centro, un libro sin título.La portada era blanca, limpia,como nieve recién caída,como una página esperando su primera marca.«¿Puedo?», preguntó Elisa.Leopoldo asintió.Lo tocó.Nada.Ningún calor. Ninguna voz.Solo silencio.Pero un silencio lleno,como un aliento contenido.«Este libro está vacío», dijo Elisa, sorprendida.«Aún no escrito», corrigió Leopoldo.«Ni siquiera soñado. Todavía no.Espera a alguien que encuentre el corajede imaginarlo.»Se volvió hacia ella,y sus ojos brillaroncomo las velas que flotaban alrededor.«Quizás te espera a ti.Quizás espera a alguien más.Pero espera.»• • •Elisa se quedó quieta,mirando aquel libro blanco.Y comprendió.Comprendió que cada historia que había imaginado,cada aventura inventada antes de dormir,cada sueño que creía perdido al despertar,existía en algún lugar.Y comprendió algo más.Que no hay que tener miedo de escribir.Porque las historias ya existen —en el corazón, en la mente, en los sueños.Ponerlas en papelno es crearlas de la nada.Es solo abrir una puertay dejarlas salir.• • •«Tengo que irme, ¿verdad?», dijo Elisa, bajito.Leopoldo sonrió.«Tu mundo te espera.Pero ahora sabes que este lugar existe.Y sabes que cada historia que sueñessiempre tendrá un lugar aquí,la escribas o no.»Hizo una pausa.«Pero si la escribes», añadió con una sonrisa pícara,«podrá vivir también allá afuera.Y esa, mi querida, es otra magia todavía.»• • •Elisa se encontró de nuevo en el pasillo de la villa,sentada en el sillón un poco grande para ella,el libro todavía bajo el brazo.La fiesta continuaba,voces y música y risas,como si el tiempo nunca hubiera pasado.Pero algo había cambiado.Ella había cambiado.Abrió el libro que estaba leyendo,miró las páginas,y sonrió.Luego lo cerró.Porque ahora sabíaque las historias más bellasno son solo las que leemos.Son las que llevamos dentro,las que soñamos con los ojos abiertos,y las que un día,con un poco de coraje,nos atrevemos a contar.— Esta historia fue escrita por Marco Ciappelli para "Storie Sotto Le Stelle" Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LEOPOLDO'S SECRET LIBRARYSome people are strange — they like to spend their evenings reading books.Others are even stranger — they believe in the magic found between pages, in fantastical adventures, in stories of impossible love, in ghosts that walk among the living, and they think that everything that doesn't exist — maybe does after all.In short, this story is for those who are a little strange, like you and me — you know, for those who.So… listen.If you take the road up the hill from the center of town, you'll find an old and noble villa, one that has been there for a very long time. It must be about 350 years now that it has stood there in silence, watching and breathing softly beneath the Tuscan sky.Enormous rooms filled with history, endless corridors, and windows as large as dreams — but now, instead of porcelain plates and figurines, it gives us stories on paper for those who wish to read them.Yes, now it's the town library — a bit out of the way, but so beautiful. Well, you can't have everything.Now, on a summer night, wrapped in a blanket of stars and the soft glow of delicate lanterns, the villa had filled with voices, music, smiles, and so many stories told and heard, spoken aloud or whispered, intertwining in the embrace of the celebration.A special evening already, no doubt, but pay attention, because something even more unusual was about to happen.Yes, because Elisa was there too. Eyes as wide as the sky, hair as dark as the night, and a book in her hand — as always.Despite everything happening around her, Elisa preferred to read.She was there, in the main corridor: between the garden and the inner courtyard, halfway between the certain and the perhaps, sitting in an armchair a little too big for her, lost in a mysterious and captivating story — in a world all her own.She turns a page, then another, adjusts her yellow glasses, and turns another page…When slowly, the echo of piano music reached her ears.She didn't pay much attention. Thinking it came from the courtyard, she turned another page — and then another.But before long she realized that the notes she heard were not coming from the villa's courtyard but from one of its corridors — carried by a gentle breeze, from faraway places outside of time.Without thinking too much, Elisa rose silently, tucked her book under her arm, and followed the music.She crossed ancient corridors and rooms with shelves full of volumes of every size and color imaginable — rainbows of thoughts and words lined up one by one that seemed to never end.As the music grew stronger, the light faded, the rooms she passed through began to appear forgotten, the stone stairs she climbed and descended worn by time, the side corridors were now dark passages lit only by torches on the walls, appearing and disappearing in the darkness like breaths.A staircase, a wooden door left ajar, another passage, another staircase, and still more rooms and shelves and books without end.Then, suddenly, a mist covered the floor like a gentle tide, and there, before her, a heavy curtain — half open.A little light showed through, and a few small wooden steps.She climbed them, those little stairs, and the music wrapped around her like an embrace.On the stage, candles floated in the air like fireflies on a timeless night. And there, at the center, seated before a tiny piano, was a mouse.But not just any mouse.Leopoldo wore a dark green tweed jacket, brown trousers pressed with care, and on his little snout, golden spectacles that gleamed with ancient and gentle wisdom.His fingers danced on the keys as if they were telling a secret."Welcome, Elisa," he said, without stopping his playing. "I've been waiting for you."Elisa blinked, enchanted. "How do you know my name?""Ah," Leopoldo smiled, letting the last note fade softly into the air, "those who love stories always recognize those who seek them."He stood, adjusted his jacket with an elegant gesture, and looked at her with eyes full of stars."Do you know where you are?""In the town library," Elisa answered, but her voice trembled a little, as if she knew the answer was something else."That one everyone knows," said Leopoldo, stepping down slowly from the stage. "Every town has one that everyone knows. But every town also has another — one that almost no one finds."He paused, his eyes gleaming."You have found the second."Leopoldo led her toward a large wooden door that Elisa could have sworn wasn't there a moment before. It opened slowly, without a sound, like a sigh held too long.And what she saw took her breath away.Endless shelves climbed upward, descended downward, stretched in every direction like spirals of galaxies made of paper and dreams. Candles floated everywhere, illuminating books that seemed to breathe, to pulse softly, like sleeping hearts."What is this place?" Elisa whispered."This," said Leopoldo, walking among the shelves, "is the library of books never written."Elisa followed, confused. "Books never written? But how can they exist?"Leopoldo stopped, turned, and looked at her with infinite gentleness."Every story ever dreamed exists, Elisa. Every adventure imagined before sleep. Every tale thought but never put to paper. They all live here, at the border between the world and the dream, waiting."They stopped before a shelf.Leopoldo pointed to a small book, bound in blue like a summer sky."Touch it," he said softly.Elisa reached out, hesitant, and brushed the cover.A gentle warmth passed through her fingers. And for an instant — just an instant — she heard a child's laughter, saw a dragon made of clouds, and a castle built of pillows and blankets."This," said Leopoldo, "was the dream of a six-year-old boy. A story he told his teddy bear every night. He never wrote it down. But it exists. You see? It exists."Elisa smiled, her heart light.They walked on, through corridors of silent stories, until Leopoldo stopped before another book.This one was different. Larger, bound in dark leather, with golden letters that seemed to tremble."And this one?" asked Elisa, quietly."This one," said Leopoldo, and his voice grew soft as a caress, "belonged to a grandmother."Elisa touched it.And she felt something different.Not laughter, this time. But a warm, distant voice, telling of a brave little girl who crossed an enchanted forest to bring light to a forgotten village."It was the story she wanted to leave her grandchildren," Leopoldo explained. "But time… time sometimes runs faster than dreams. She didn't have time to write it."Elisa felt her eyes sting."But it's here," she whispered."It's here," Leopoldo confirmed. "Forever."They continued walking, in silence, until they reached a shelf unlike the others.It was nearly empty. Only a few books, spaced apart, and so many open spaces, waiting.At the center, a book without a title.The cover was white, clean, like freshly fallen snow, like a page waiting for its first mark."May I?" asked Elisa.Leopoldo nodded.She touched it.Nothing. No warmth. No voice. Only silence. But a full silence, like a breath held."This book is empty," said Elisa, surprised."Not yet written," Leopoldo corrected. "Not even dreamed. Not yet. It waits for someone to find the courage to imagine it."He turned toward her, and his eyes shone like the candles floating around them."Perhaps it waits for you. Perhaps it waits for someone else. But it waits."Elisa stood still, looking at that white book.And she understood.She understood that every story she had ever imagined, every adventure invented before sleep, every dream she thought lost upon waking, existed somewhere.And she understood something else.That you don't have to be afraid to write.Because stories already exist — in the heart, in the mind, in dreams. Putting them on paper is not creating them from nothing. It is only opening a door and letting them out."I have to go, don't I?" said Elisa, softly.Leopoldo smiled. "Your world awaits you. But now you know this place exists. And you know that every story you dream will always have a place here, whether you write it or not."He paused."But if you do write it," he added with a sly smile, "it can live out there too. And that, my dear, is another kind of magic."Elisa found herself back in the villa's corridor, sitting in the armchair a little too big for her, the book still under her arm.The celebration went on, voices and music and laughter, as if no time had passed at all.But something had changed.She had changed.She opened the book she had been reading, looked at the pages, and smiled.Then she closed it.Because now she knew that the most beautiful stories are not only the ones we read.They are the ones we carry inside, the ones we dream with our eyes open, and the ones that one day, with a little courage, we dare to tell.— This story was written by Marco Ciappelli for "Storie Sotto Le Stelle"  Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LA BIBLIOTECA SEGRETA DI LEOPOLDO Certa gente è strana,gli piace passare le serate a leggere libri. Altri sono ancora più strani —credono alla magia che si trova tra le pagine,alle avventure fantastiche,alle storie di amori impossibili,ai fantasmi che girano fra i vivie pensano che tutto ciò che non esiste —forse invece sì. In breve, questa storia è per quelli un po' stranicome me e te —insomma, per quelli che. Allora… ascolta bene. Se dal centro del paese prendi la via per il monte,trovi una villa vecchia e nobile,che è lì da tanto tempo.Saranno sì e no 350 anniche sta lì in silenzio,osservando e respirando pianosotto il cielo toscano. Stanze enormi piene di storia,corridoi senza finee finestre grandi come sogni,ma adesso, invece di piatti e statuine di porcellana,sforna storie su carta per chi le vuole leggere. Sì, ora è la biblioteca del paese —un po' fuori mano ma tanto bella.Beh, non si può avere tutto. Insomma, fatto sta che,in una notte d'estate,avvolta da un manto di stellee la luce soffusa di lanterne delicate,la villa si era riempita di voci, musica, sorrisie tante storie raccontate e ascoltate,a voce alta o sussurrate,che si intrecciavano nell'abbraccio della festa. Indubbiamente una serata già speciale,ma fate attenzioneperché qualcosa di ancora più insolito stava per avvenire. Sì, perché anche Elisa era lì.Occhi grandi come il cielo,capelli scuri come la nottee un libro in mano — come sempre. Nonostante tutto quello che le accadeva intorno,Elisa preferiva leggere. Era lì, nel corridoio principale:fra il giardino e la corte interna,a mezza strada fra il sicuro e il forse,seduta su una poltrona un po' troppo grande per lei,immersa in una storia misteriosa e avvincente —in un mondo tutto suo. Gira una pagina, poi un'altra,si accomoda gli occhiali giallie gira un'altra pagina… Quando lentamentel'eco di una musica di pianoforteraggiunse le sue orecchie. Non ci fece tanto attenzione.Credendo che provenisse dal cortilevoltò un'altra pagina — e poi un'altra. Ma in breve tempo si rese contoche le note che sentivanon venivano dal cortile della villama da uno dei suoi corridoi —portate da un vento leggero,da luoghi lontani e senza tempo. Senza pensarci troppo,Elisa si alzò silenziosamente,si mise il libro sotto il braccioe inseguì la musica. Attraversò antichi corridoie stanze con scaffali pieni di volumidi ogni dimensione e colori immaginabili —arcobaleni di pensieri e parole in fila per unoche sembravano non finire mai. Mentre la musica diventava più marcatala luce diminuiva,le stanze che attraversavacominciarono ad apparire dimenticate,le scale di pietra che saliva e scendevaconsumate dal tempo,i corridoi laterali erano ora passaggi scuriilluminati solamente da torce alle pareti,che apparivano e scomparivano nel buiocome respiri. Una scala,una porta di legno socchiusa,un altro passaggio,un'altra scalae ancora stanze e scaffali e libri a non finire. Poi, all'improvviso,una foschia coprì il pavimentocome una marea gentilee davanti a lei una grande tenda pesante —socchiusa. Si intravedeva un po' di lucee poche scalette di legno. Le salì, quelle piccole scale,e la musica la avvolse come un abbraccio. Sul palco, candele fluttuavano nell'ariacome lucciole in una notte senza tempo.E lì, al centro,seduto davanti a un pianoforte piccolo piccolo,c'era un topo. Ma non un topo qualunque. Leopoldo indossava una giacca di tweed verde scuro,pantaloni marroni stirati con cura,e sul musetto, occhiali doratiche brillavano di una saggezza antica e gentile. Le sue dita danzavano sui tasticome se stessero raccontando un segreto. «Benvenuta, Elisa» disse, senza smettere di suonare.«Ti stavo aspettando.» Elisa sbatté gli occhi, incantata.«Come sai il mio nome?» «Ah,» sorrise Leopoldo, lasciando che l'ultima notasi spegnesse dolcemente nell'aria,«chi ama le storie riconosce sempre chi le cerca.» Si alzò, si aggiustò la giacca con un gesto elegante,e la guardò con occhi pieni di stelle. «Sai dove sei?» «Nella biblioteca del paese,» rispose Elisa,ma la sua voce tremava un po',come se sapesse che la risposta era un'altra. «Quella la conoscono tutti,» disse Leopoldo,scendendo piano dal palco.«Ogni paese ne ha una che tutti conoscono.Ma ogni paese ne ha anche un'altra —una che quasi nessuno trova.» Fece una pausa, gli occhi che brillavano. «Tu hai trovato la seconda.» --- Leopoldo la guidò verso una grande porta di legnoche Elisa avrebbe giurato non esserci un attimo prima.Si aprì lentamente, senza rumore,come un sospiro trattenuto troppo a lungo. E quello che vide le tolse il fiato. Scaffali infiniti si arrampicavano verso l'alto,scendevano verso il basso,si estendevano in ogni direzionecome spirali di galassie fatte di carta e sogni.Candele galleggiavano ovunque,illuminando libri che sembravano respirare,pulsare piano,come cuori addormentati. «Che posto è questo?» sussurrò Elisa. «Questa,» disse Leopoldo camminando tra gli scaffali,«è la biblioteca dei libri mai scritti.» Elisa lo seguì, confusa.«Libri mai scritti? Ma come possono esistere?» Leopoldo si fermò, si voltò,e la guardò con dolcezza infinita. «Ogni storia sognata esiste, Elisa.Ogni avventura immaginata prima di dormire.Ogni racconto pensato ma mai messo su carta.Vivono tutti qui,al confine tra il mondo e il sogno,aspettando.» --- Si fermarono davanti a uno scaffale. Leopoldo indicò un libro piccolo,rilegato in blu come un cielo d'estate. «Toccalo,» disse piano. Elisa allungò la mano, esitante,e sfiorò la copertina. Un calore gentile le attraversò le dita.E per un istante — solo un istante —sentì una risata di bambino,vide un drago fatto di nuvole,e un castello costruito con cuscini e coperte. «Questo,» disse Leopoldo,«era il sogno di un bambino di sei anni.Una storia che raccontava ogni sera al suo orsacchiotto.Non l'ha mai scritta.Ma esiste. Vedi? Esiste.» Elisa sorrise, il cuore leggero. --- Camminarono ancora,tra corridoi di storie silenziose,finché Leopoldo si fermò davanti a un altro libro. Questo era diverso.Più grande, rilegato in pelle scura,con lettere dorate che sembravano tremare. «E questo?» chiese Elisa, piano. «Questo,» disse Leopoldo,e la sua voce si fece morbida come una carezza,«apparteneva a una nonna.» Elisa lo toccò. E sentì qualcosa di diverso. Non una risata, questa volta.Ma una voce calda, lontana,che raccontava di una bambina coraggiosache attraversava un bosco incantatoper portare la luce a un villaggio dimenticato. «Era la storia che voleva lasciare ai suoi nipoti,»spiegò Leopoldo.«Ma il tempo... il tempo a volte corre più veloce dei sogni.Non ha fatto in tempo a scriverla.» Elisa sentì gli occhi pizzicare. «Ma è qui,» sussurrò. «È qui,» confermò Leopoldo.«Per sempre.» --- Continuarono a camminare, in silenzio,finché arrivarono a uno scaffale diverso dagli altri. Era quasi vuoto.Solo pochi libri, distanziati,e tanti spazi aperti, in attesa. Al centro, un libro senza titolo. La copertina era bianca, pulita,come neve appena caduta,come una pagina che aspetta il primo segno. «Posso?» chiese Elisa. Leopoldo annuì. Lo toccò. Niente.Nessun calore. Nessuna voce.Solo silenzio.Ma un silenzio pieno,come un respiro trattenuto. «Questo libro è vuoto,» disse Elisa, sorpresa. «Non ancora scritto,» corresse Leopoldo.«Nemmeno sognato. Non ancora.Aspetta qualcuno che trovi il coraggiodi immaginarlo.» Si voltò verso di lei,e i suoi occhi brillaronocome le candele che fluttuavano intorno. «Forse aspetta te.Forse aspetta qualcun altro.Ma aspetta.» --- Elisa rimase ferma,a guardare quel libro bianco. E capì. Capì che ogni storia che aveva immaginato,ogni avventura inventata prima di dormire,ogni sogno che credeva perso al risveglio,esisteva da qualche parte. E capì qualcos'altro. Che non bisogna avere paura di scrivere. Perché le storie esistono già —nel cuore, nella mente, nei sogni.Metterle su cartanon è crearle dal nulla.È solo aprire una portae lasciarle uscire. --- «Devo andare, vero?» disse Elisa, piano. Leopoldo sorrise.«Il tuo mondo ti aspetta.Ma ora sai che questo posto esiste.E sai che ogni storia che sogneraiavrà sempre un posto qui,che tu la scriva o no.» Fece una pausa. «Ma se la scrivi,» aggiunse con un sorriso furbo,«potrà vivere anche là fuori.E quella, mia cara, è un'altra magia ancora.» --- Elisa si ritrovò nel corridoio della villa,seduta sulla poltrona un po' troppo grande per lei,il libro ancora sotto il braccio. La festa continuava,voci e musica e risate,come se il tempo non fosse mai passato. Ma qualcosa era cambiato. Lei era cambiata. Aprì il libro che stava leggendo,guardò le pagine,e sorrise. Poi lo chiuse. Perché adesso sapevache le storie più bellenon sono solo quelle che leggiamo. Sono quelle che portiamo dentro,quelle che sogniamo ad occhi aperti,e quelle che un giorno,con un po' di coraggio,osiamo raccontare. --- *— Scritta da Marco Ciappelli*   Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Survey: bit.ly/datasmartpodFor our first-ever listener survey, we want to hear what you like, who you want to hear from, and how we can better support you in your work. Your answers will help us understand our audience better and create more useful episodes for you. Thanks for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts!Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

Listener survey: bit.ly/datasmartpodIn our end-of-year episode, host Stephen Goldsmith reflect on 2025's most promising advancements in local government and shares his vision for how cities can harness generative AI to drive real change. Goldsmith discusses why a problem-first approach to AI implementation matters, how cities can rebuild public trust through better community listening, and why government processes must fundamentally transform—not just be overlaid with new technology. Drawing on decades of experience, he explains how bridging the gap between data-rich officials and context-rich residents creates opportunities for meaningful, co-created solutions.Episodes mentioned: City Leadership in the AI Era with Rochelle Haynes and Carrie Bishop; Generative AI and the Possibility Government with Mitch Weiss; and Recoding America Author Interview with Jennifer Pahlka.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

Dov'è andato Babbo Natale?C'era una volta il Villaggio di Babbo Natale — ma Babbo Natale non c'era. Era ormai sparito da giorni e giorni… anzi da mesi. Chi avrebbe preparato e consegnato i doni ai bambini come ogni anno?Quella parte del Polo Nord che di solito era molto movimentata, era diventata stranamente silenziosa — non si vedeva un Elfo in giro, niente suoni di campanelli, le slitte erano coperte di neve e tutte le renne sonnecchiavano confuse.Se guardavi nella sua casa non vedevi una traccia di vita. Il caminetto spento, la sedia a dondolo con le ragnatele, una tazza vuota sul tavolo di legno e un mozzicone di candela consumato da troppo tempo.Tante erano le voci che si erano sparse riguardo all'assenza di Babbo Natale. C'era chi diceva che si trovasse su un altro pianeta in una galassia lontana lontana, chi sulla Luna, chi sugli oceani immensi — e addirittura qualcuno diceva che aveva aperto una pasticceria a Buenos Aires.Il mistero era fitto. Nessuno se ne faceva una ragione e tutto era silenzioso e immobile.Nel frattempo, a molti chilometri di distanza, nei Mari del Sud, un gruppo di gabbiani che passavano le giornate a svolazzare sopra la baia avvistarono in lontananza un piccolo veliero. C'era solo un marinaio a bordo che stava issando sull'albero maestro scricchiolante la vela principale.Il gabbiano più anziano non poteva credere ai suoi occhi. Fece un paio di acrobazie nell'aria, tirò fuori il suo cannocchiale, guardò meglio e disse: "Ma io quello lo conosco! Quel marinaio viene da terre lontane!"Rivolgendosi agli altri gabbiani raccontò: "Un giorno, durante uno dei miei lunghi viaggi, persi la rotta e mi ritrovai sui tetti ghiacciati di un villaggio al Polo Nord. Atterrai proprio sulla casa di quell'uomo dalla lunga barba che vedete sulla barca. Lui mi sentì chiedere aiuto, venne a prendermi, mi nutrì e mi raccontò del suo lavoro. Secondo me questo incontro ha qualcosa di magico. La nostra prossima avventura sta per cominciare."Planando, si diressero verso la barca e atterrarono tutti sulla prua. Il gabbiano e il marinaio si salutarono come vecchi amici.Poco dopo, un gruppo di delfini arrivò vicino al veliero incuriositi. Nuotavano in cerchio intorno alla barca, saltando fuori dall'acqua.Il più giovane dei delfini notò qualcosa di strano. "Guardate! Dalla stiva escono trucioli di legno che galleggiano! E si vedono delle lucine sotto coperta."Il marinaio dalla lunga barba sorrise. "Venite," disse con voce calda, "vi mostro cosa ho fatto in tutti questi mesi."Aprì il portello della stiva e dentro, alla luce di due lanterne dondolanti, si vedeva un laboratorio galleggiante pieno di meraviglie. Con una pialla ben affilata aveva lavorato pezzi di legno recuperati in mare trasformandoli in giocattoli — e così aveva fatto anche con conchiglie, noci di cocco, tappi di sughero, bottiglie di vetro, stelle marine e fili dorati arrivati da chissà dove."Ho viaggiato per imparare nuovi modi di portare gioia," spiegò il marinaio. "Ma il lavoro è tanto e il Natale si avvicina. Mi aiutereste a finire?"E così tutti insieme si misero all'opera. I delfini portavano dal fondo del mare conchiglie speciali. I gabbiani raccoglievano piume colorate. Gli oggetti trasformati in doni furono messi in grossi sacchi di tela.I giorni passarono veloci.Il primo di Dicembre il capitano, indossato il suo rosso e caldo cappello e con la pipa in bocca, guardò il cielo stellato e disse: "È tempo di partire."I delfini sollevarono il veliero finché si alzò sopra le onde. Le vele si gonfiarono al vento e prese il volo, mentre lo stormo di gabbiani lo guidò tra le nuvole seguendo i sogni. Insieme continuarono il viaggio dirigendosi verso nord, volando nell'azzurro infinito.La notte arrivò veloce e nel cielo pieno di stelle una brillava più di tutte. Era la stella polare che con la sua luce accompagnava la discesa del veliero sulla terra.Per magia, nell'avvicinarsi al villaggio, il veliero si trasformò in una slitta super carica di doni. I regali costruiti nella stiva arrivarono nel laboratorio per essere consegnati insieme a tutti gli altri pacchetti.Quando atterrò sul tetto della sua casa, un tintinnio di campanelli si sentì in lontananza. Gli Elfi si affacciarono sulle porte e gridarono: "È lui! È lui! È Babbo Natale! È tornato!"Le renne dal naso rosso si svegliarono di colpo e cominciarono a lucidare le slitte, addobbandole di fiocchi e pigne colorate.La vita nel villaggio si risvegliò tutta insieme. I rami degli alberi si scuotevano come se avessero il solletico. Un gruppo di pinguini, approdati al Polo Nord per dare una mano, scivolando sulle lastre di ghiaccio a grande velocità, finirono dentro cumuli di neve e uscirono fuori come palle che rimbalzavano.“Che simpatici! Vi attaccheremo all'albero di Natale come decoro!" gridavano gli animali del villaggio.Ma i pinguini, liberandosi dalla neve, corsero verso la casa di Babbo Natale per aiutare nei preparativi.Al villaggio proprio tutti si misero in movimento. Le renne corsero all'Ufficio Postale e riempiti i sacchi di letterine, le portarono nel laboratorio. Gli Elfi con l'aiuto dei pinguini erano pronti per il lavoro.Quella mattina, quando le campane suonarono a festa, volpi, scoiattoli, lepri e orsi accorsero da ogni angolo della foresta per festeggiare il ritorno di Babbo Natale. C'era tanto da fare per la gioia di tutti i bambini del mondo.L'aria profumava d'abete e di dolcetti. Gli alberi di Natale scintillavano di ghiaccioli come stelle. Gli animali si rincorrevano felici con il naso girato verso l'alto.I preparativi cominciarono in grande lena. Per tutto il mese di dicembre lavorarono insieme — seghe che cantavano, martelli che suonavano, carta colorata che volava. Babbo Natale raccontava le storie del suo viaggio mentre inchiodava e levigava.E quando arrivò il 24 dicembre, tutto era pronto. I regali furono caricati sulla slitta e Babbo Natale partì per il suo viaggio più importante.I gabbiani volarono via verso nuovi orizzonti, lasciando le loro impronte sui tetti innevati.Da quel Natale si racconta che Babbo Natale non sia mai più andato via dal Polo Nord."E se fosse stata solo una favola? Sarà vero, o no? A voi la decisione finale!" — Scritta da Lucia & Marco CiappelliPer la versione in inglese e tante altre storie da leggere e ascoltare: https://www.storiesottolestelle.com Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Where has Santa Claus gone?Once upon a time there was Santa Claus's Village — but Santa Claus wasn't there. He had been missing for days and days… actually for months. Who would prepare and deliver gifts to the children as they did every year?That part of the North Pole which was usually very busy had become strangely silent — not an Elf could be seen around, no sounds of bells, the sleighs were covered in snow and all the reindeer dozed about confused.If you looked into his house you couldn't see a trace of life. The fireplace cold, the rocking chair covered in cobwebs, an empty cup on the wooden table and a candle stub burnt out long ago.Many were the rumours that had spread about Santa Claus's absence. Some said he was on another planet in a far, far away galaxy, some on the Moon, some on the vast oceans — and someone even said he had opened a bakery in Buenos Aires.The mystery was thick. Nobody could make sense of it and everything was silent and still.Meanwhile, many miles away, in the Southern Seas, a group of seagulls who spent their days fluttering above the bay spotted a small sailing boat in the distance. There was only one sailor on board who was hoisting the main sail up the creaking mast.The eldest seagull couldn't believe his eyes. He did a couple of acrobatics in the air, pulled out his spyglass, looked more carefully and said: "But I know him! That sailor comes from distant lands!"Turning to the other seagulls he told them: "One day, during one of my long journeys, I lost my way and found myself on the frozen rooftops of a village at the North Pole. I landed right on the house of that long-bearded man you see on the boat. He heard me calling for help, came to fetch me, fed me and told me about his work. I think this meeting has something magical about it. Our next adventure is about to begin."Gliding down, they headed towards the boat and all landed on the bow. The seagull and the sailor greeted each other like old friends.Shortly after, a group of dolphins arrived near the sailing boat, curious. They swam in circles around the boat, jumping out of the water.The youngest dolphin noticed something strange. "Look! Wood shavings are coming out of the hold and floating! And you can see little lights below deck."The long-bearded sailor smiled. "Come," he said in a warm voice, "I'll show you what I've done all these months."He opened the hatch to the hold and inside, by the light of two swaying lanterns, you could see a floating workshop full of wonders. With a sharp plane he had worked pieces of wood recovered from the sea, transforming them into toys — and he had done the same with shells, coconuts, cork stoppers, glass bottles, starfish and golden threads that had arrived from who knows where."I travelled to learn new ways of bringing joy," the sailor explained. "But there's so much work to do and Christmas is coming. Would you help me finish?"And so they all set to work together. The dolphins brought special shells from the bottom of the sea. The seagulls gathered coloured feathers. The objects transformed into gifts were placed in large canvas sacks.The days passed quickly.On the first of December the captain, wearing his red warm hat with his pipe in his mouth, looked at the starry sky and said: "It's time to leave."The dolphins lifted the sailing boat until it rose above the waves. The sails filled with wind and it took flight, whilst the flock of seagulls guided it through the clouds following dreams. Together they continued the journey heading north, flying through the endless blue.Night fell quickly and in the sky full of stars one shone brighter than all the others. It was the North Star which with its light accompanied the sailing boat's descent to earth.By magic, as it approached the village, the sailing boat transformed into a sleigh loaded with gifts. The presents built in the hold arrived in the workshop to be delivered together with all the other parcels.When it landed on the roof of his house, a tinkling of bells was heard in the distance. The Elves looked out of their doors and shouted: "It's him! It's him! It's Santa Claus! He's back!"The red-nosed reindeer woke up suddenly and began polishing the sleighs, decorating them with bows and coloured pine cones.Life in the village awakened all at once. The tree branches shook as if they were being tickled. A group of penguins, who had arrived at the North Pole to lend a hand, sliding on the ice sheets at great speed, ended up inside snowdrifts and came out like bouncing balls.“You are so funny! We'll hang you on the Christmas tree as decorations!" the village animals shouted.But the penguins, freeing themselves from the snow, ran towards Santa Claus's house to help with the preparations.In the village absolutely everyone got moving. The reindeer rushed to the Post Office and filled the sacks with letters, then carried them to the workshop. The Elves with the help of the penguins were ready for work.That morning, when the bells rang out in celebration, foxes, squirrels, hares and bears came running from every corner of the forest to celebrate Santa Claus's return. There was so much to do for the joy of all the children in the world.The air smelt of fir trees and homemade biscuits. The Christmas trees sparkled with icicles like stars. The animals chased each other happily with their noses turned upwards.The preparations began in earnest. Throughout the month of December they worked together — saws that sang, hammers that played, coloured paper that flew. Santa Claus told stories of his journey whilst he hammered and sanded.And when the 24th of December arrived, everything was ready. The presents were loaded onto the sleigh and Santa Claus set off on his most important journey.The seagulls flew away towards new horizons, leaving their footprints on the snowy rooftops.Since that Christmas it is said that Santa Claus never left the North Pole again."What if it was only a tale? Is it true, or not? The final decision is yours!" — Written by Lucia & Marco CiappelliFor the Italian version and many more stories to read and listen to: https://www.storiesottolestelle.com Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LTC Robert L. Maginnis (US Army, Ret.) is a national security and military strategy advisor; certified in Generative Artificial Intelligence from MIT; and author of, AI for Mankind's Future: A Christian Perspective on the Hi-Tech Revolution In this exclusive Schilling Show Unleashed Podcast interview Maginnis discusses the necessity of pursuing AI, the dangers of AI-human “relationships,” and special perspectives for Christians encountering AI in church settings.

Listen to host Stephen Goldsmith speak with two leading voices at the intersection of local government, data, and AI: Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of What Works Cities and Carrie Bishop, who leads data and AI initiatives for the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Haynes and Bishop share advice for mayors on leading AI‑driven culture change, choosing meaningful use cases, and making data central to how modern cities solve problems. They explore how cities can use data and generative AI to move beyond traditional public meetings toward intentional, co‑created community solutions, featuring real examples and leadership advice.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

THE SEASONS IN A BREATHAutumn appeared at the window and looked around— it was November."The leaves are yellow and red.The swallows fly away in flocks over the rooftops.The crisp air smells of roasted chestnuts and burning wood.I like it this way,"Autumn exclaimed.Winter opened the door and looked around— it was January."The snow and the freezing wind.In the woods, mistletoe on branches beneath a blanket of ice.The marmot sleeps in her covered den, dreaming of the stars.How lovely it is to be warm and cozy!"Winter exclaimed.Spring stepped out onto the terrace and looked around— it was April."The flowers bloom and the birds chirp, returning to their nests.With the mild temperature, joyful life vibrates in the air.How wonderful!"Spring exclaimed.Summer went into the garden and looked around— it was July.A cat rests in the shade of a pine tree.The air smells of cut grass and ripe fruit.The butterflies dance carefree to the song of the cicadas.The sun makes me smile!"Summer exclaimed.The months pass and the year spins at great speed,but they will always bring something beautiful. Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LE STAGIONI IN UN SOFFIOL'Autunno si affacciò alla finestra e si guardò intorno— era Novembre."Le foglie sono gialle e rosse.Le rondini volano via in gruppi sopra i tetti.L'aria fresca profuma di caldarroste e di legna bruciata.A me piace così.”Esclamò l'Autunno.L'Inverno aprì la porta e si guardò intorno— era Gennaio."La neve e il vento gelido.Nel bosco, il vischio sui rami sotto un mantello di ghiaccio.La marmotta dorme nella sua tana coperta, sognando le stelle.Ma che bello se al calduccio sto.”Esclamò l'Inverno.La Primavera uscì sul terrazzo e si guardò intorno— era Aprile."I fiori sbocciano e gli uccelli cinguettano tornando ai loro nidi.Con la temperatura mite la vita gioiosa vibra nell'aria.Che meraviglia.”Esclamò la Primavera.L'Estate andò in giardino e si guardò intorno— era Luglio.Un gatto riposa all'ombra di un pino.L'aria profuma di erba tagliata e di frutta matura.Le farfalle danzano spensierate al canto delle cicale.Il sole sorridere mi fa.”Esclamò l'Estate.Passano i mesi e gira l'anno a gran velocità,ma sempre qualcosa di bello porteranno. Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nicholas C Spies, Embracing Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Support Tool for Clinical Decision-Making, Clinical Chemistry, Volume 71, Issue 11, November 2025, Pages 1178–1179, https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/hvaf084

This episode features Mike Sarasti, former Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Innovation and Technology in Miami and a leading advocate for government transformation, in conversation with host Stephen Goldsmith. They unpack how GenAI and rapid process mapping are revolutionizing public sector efficiency, not by shaving seconds off legacy workflows, but by making space for human creativity and curiosity. Mike shares real-world examples and explains how city leaders can democratize AI tools and clear bureaucratic tedium while guarding against hype and automation overreach.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

Halloween over Florence: THE MARKET OF GHOSTSSeverino lived in the bell tower on the hill — the one next to the ancient Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.Every evening, at sunset, he would lock the gate at the base of the entrance stairway and before climbing back up, he would pause to watch Florence color itself amber.And so he did today as well. The tourists had left. Time stopped and silence became sacred again.Through the rusted bars the city stood there motionless — perhaps since forever; with its red roofs, marble facades and the Arno flowing between its stones like a glittering silver ribbon.Domes and towers trembling with light, almost suspended in the air, as if everything and everyone were holding their breath waiting for twilight — and for the night that would cover it with shadows, stars and dreams.One more glance, then he turned on his transistor radio that he had found a few years ago and the notes of Duke Ellington's 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' filled the autumn evening.Silence may be sacred for the monks, but for Severino music was more so. Seven, his raven, didn't need to be called and at the first notes launched himself from the cypresses of the cemetery above, circled in front of the imposing facade of the Basilica and suddenly glided down along the stairway, to land gently on his left shoulder."Hey Seven, had a good day?""Yes. Could have been worse — Let's settle for that."At which, Severino smiled, turned up the radio's volume and began climbing resolutely toward le Porte del Cielo, while Jazz music echoed among the ancient stones.Nine years ago, on this same day in the month of October, the Olivetan monks residing in the Abbey found a child on the steps of the Basilica.He was there, wrapped in fog, silent as the night, eyes curious as the wind, without name and without past. They called him Severino — I don't know why — and he grew up among prayers and silences. He played in ancient rooms and discovered his world, surrounded by books, tombs, art and mysteries never revealed. At night a raven and a black cat accompanied him, illuminated by the moon, in the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, wandering among imposing crypts and motionless statues that whispered memories and mysteries.But on Halloween nights the whispers transform into screams and endless laments. Secrets manifest themselves, legends become reality, and dreams disguised as nightmares knock on doors lit by candles. And that full moon night was precisely this night: October 31st — and remember, whether you believe in spirits or not, nothing changes: the ghosts will come.And Severino was up there, right there waiting for them to arrive. Leaning out the highest window of the bell tower, calm, looking at Florence from above. While Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight' played on his radio, he watched — tapping time with one foot and waited.At the second of the twelve strokes of the midnight bells, something began to happen. On the Arno formed a dense fog that pulsed with spectral green. It began to rise and slide slow but inexorable over the bridges like fingers of cold hands of impatient ghosts. It slid over the Ponte Vecchio and rolled through the streets of Oltrarno until reaching San Niccolò, where it climbed up the hill swallowing everything it found in its path.When it reached the gate of San Miniato, it slipped through the bars and climbed up the stairs until it covered, like a high luminous tide, the entire square in front of the church. It climbed up the marble facade and wrapped also the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, covering the entire hill in a cloak of mystery. Then slowly, as if by enchantment, the fog began to dissolve rising toward the sky and when the last cloud melted into the night air, the square was no longer empty.Small jack-o'-lanterns with flickering lights floated in the air smiling with teeth of fire. Black candles sprouted from nowhere, illuminating spectral stalls full of everything and nothing. Bats that seemed made of paper but were alive fluttered among the lights with wings of black velvet, while autumn leaves danced without wind, sparkling with gold and copper. Pumpkins of every shape filled the stands, some carved with funny faces, others covered with silver spiderwebs that shone like threads of moon. Witch hats swirled in the air like flying umbrellas rotating slow on themselves. Roasted chestnuts perfumed the air with cinnamon and mystery, while small dancing skeletons tinkled like ice bells.And finally in the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, the Portal opened. Like every Halloween, for centuries, spirits from all over the world congregated in Florence for their annual meeting. A spectral river of ghosts poured into the square, each heading toward their own stall, and each with their impossible merchandise to sell or trade. The spirits had arrived and Severino observed them from above. A carnival of other worlds, made of sounds, colors and unimaginable stories.The deserted square had transformed into the Market of Ghosts. Stalls kept materializing from nowhere, carved and glowing pumpkins told each other stories of Halloweens past, present and future laughing malicious among the perfumes of lost memories, past centuries, tomorrow's candles and fallen stardust. The sky above the Tuscan hills and above Florence was full of ghosts arriving from everywhere to search for the unfindable. But no human eye could see this spectacle. No one except Severino, who descended from the tower enchanted by that spectacle and immersed himself in the crowd pulsating with otherworldly life. Seven circled above him observing with attentive eyes and cawing a bit nervous. Some ghosts looked at him with curiosity and recognized him. Someone greeted him and many others whispered his name in forgotten languages."There he is," murmured a witch from Prague."The child of time," sighed a Norman knight."He's returned, I told you so." laughed a Caribbean pirate.But Severino paid them no attention because there were ghosts selling: dreams of sleeping dragons, laughter of northern gnomes, tears of mermaids in love, the last breath of dinosaurs, shadows of unicorns. And even fears from past Halloweens — two for the price of one, but only for tonight. The ghost of a pirate who died during a boarding gone not so well shouted: "Storm bottles! Lightning in jars!" A witch from Salem whispered: "Love potions that last three lifetimes…" A medieval knight showed swords that cut fear, A Chinese spirit waved kites that fly into the past.The spectral crowd grew and thickened, laughed and bargained, while Severino walked amazed and fascinated among the impossible stalls of the Halloween Market. Seven cawed restless from above and Eleven, the black cat with orange eyes, jumped from one tent to another not losing sight of a single movement of Severino and the hundreds of souls circling around him.A ghost monk from an era that never existed saw him and smiled at him from behind a stall full of ancient radios adorned with mysterious symbols. Severino approached, fascinated."How wonderful! Do they all work?""Oh yes, certainly" replied the monk. "These transmit on the waves of past, present, and future time. But you don't need to buy one."The other ghosts stopped. They ceased selling, buying and bartering. They looked at Severino with respect and listened to what the collector of frequencies told him."The transistor radio you already have is more special than you think. But to discover its true secrets, you'll have to search in the ancient crypts where everything began."And suddenly the first lights of dawn began to illuminate the sky behind San Miniato with pink. In rush and hurry the ghosts said goodbye flying away in the wind. "Until next Halloween!" They told each other crossing in the sky. The stalls vanished. Lanterns and candles went out. The Market of Ghosts dissolved like a dream.Severino found himself alone in the empty square, Seven on his shoulder and Eleven sitting on the low wallLooking at Florence illuminating itself in the day of All Saints. He observed his old radio with new eyes and from the ancient crypts of San Miniato, something seemed to call him. He turned it on, turned up the volume and descended the stairway in time to Chet Baker's version of 'Autumn Leaves'.It was time to throw open the gate of the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.___________________We will continue this story.... For now a Happy Halloween to all of you, may you always believe in magic!Story written by Marco Ciappelli for "Stories Under The Stars" Halloween 2025___________________Listen to Severino's Playlist for the songs that accompany this story and subscribe to discover new music with every adventure.

Halloween sopra Firenze: IL MERCATO DEI FANTASMISeverino viveva nel campanile sulla collina — quello accanto all'antica Basilica di San Miniato al Monte.Ogni sera, al tramonto, chiudeva a chiave il cancello alla base della scalinata d'ingresso e prima di risalire su, si soffermava ad osservare Firenze colorarsi d'ambra.E così fece anche oggi. I turisti se ne erano andati. Il tempo si fermò e il silenzio tornò sacro.Attraverso le sbarre arrugginite la città stava là immobile — forse da sempre; con i suoi tetti rossi, le facciate di marmo e l'Arno che scorreva fra le sue pietre come uno scintillante nastro argentato. Cupole e torri tremolanti di luce, quasi sospese nell'aria, come se tutto e tutti stessero trattenendo il respiro in attesa del crepuscolo — e della notte che l'avrebbe coperta di ombre, stelle e sogni.Ancora uno sguardo, poi accese la sua radio a transistor che aveva trovato qualche anno fa e le note di 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' di Duke Ellington riempirono la serata autunnale.Il silenzio sarà sacro per i monaci, ma per Severino la musica lo era di più.Seven, il suo corvo, non si fece chiamare ed alle prime note si lanciò dai cipressi del cimitero sovrastante, volteggiò davanti alla facciata imponente della Basilica e d'improvviso planò in basso lungo la scalinata, per posarsi gentilmente sulla sua spalla sinistra. “Ciao Seven, passata una buona giornata?”“Sì. Poteva andare peggio — Accontentiamoci.” Al che, Severino sorrise, alzò il volume della radio e iniziò a risalire deciso verso le Porte del Cielo, mentre la musica Jazz echeggiava tra le pietre millenarie.Nove anni fa, in questo stesso giorno del mese d'Ottobre, i monaci Olivetani residenti nell'Abbazia trovarono un bambino sui gradini della Basilica.Stava lì, avvolto nella nebbia, silenzioso come la notte, occhi curiosi come il vento — senza nome e senza passato. Lo chiamarono Severino — non so il perché — e crebbe tra preghiere e silenzi. Giocava in stanze antiche e scopriva il suo mondo, circondato da libri, tombe, arte e misteri mai svelati.Di notte un corvo ed un gatto nero lo accompagnavano, illuminati dalla luna,  nel Cimitero Delle Porte Sante, vagando fra cripte imponenti e statue immobili che sussurravano memorie e misteri.Ma nelle notti di Halloween i sussurri si trasformano in grida e lamenti senza fine. Segreti si manifestano, leggende diventano realtà, e sogni mascherati da incubi bussano a porte illuminate da candele. E quella notte di luna piena era proprio questa notte: il 31 d'Ottobre — e ricordati, che tu creda agli spiriti o no, niente cambia: i fantasmi arriveranno.E Severino era lassù, proprio ad aspettare che arrivassero. Affacciato alla finestra più alta del campanile, tranquillo, guardando Firenze dall'alto. Mentre 'Round Midnight' di Thelonious Monk suonava nella sua radio, lui guardava — batteva il tempo con un piede ed aspettava.Al secondo dei dodici rintocchi delle campane di mezzanotte, qualcosa cominciò a succedere. Sull'Arno si formò una nebbia densa che pulsava di verde spettrale. Iniziò a salire e scivolare lenta ma inesorabile sui ponti come dita di mani fredde di fantasmi impazienti.  Scivolava sul Ponte Vecchio e rotolava per le vie d'Oltrarno fino a raggiungere San Niccolò, dove si arrampicava sulla collina inghiottendo tutto ciò che trovava sulla sua strada.Quando raggiunse il cancello di San Miniato, scivolò fra le sbarre e salì lungo le scale fino a coprire, come un'alta marea luminosa, tutto il piazzale antistante la chiesa. Si arrampicò sulla sua facciata di marmo e avvolse anche il cimitero delle Porte Sante, coprendo tutta la collina in un mantello di mistero. Poi lentamente, come per incanto, la nebbia iniziò a dissolversi salendo verso il cielo e quando l'ultima nuvola si sciolse nell'aria notturna, il piazzale non era più vuoto.Piccole jack-o'-lanterns con luci tremolanti galleggiavano nell'aria sorridendo con denti di fuoco. Candele nere spuntavano dal nulla, illuminando bancarelle spettrali colme di tutto e niente. Pipistrelli che sembravano di carta ma che erano vivi volteggiavano tra le luci con ali di velluto nero, mentre foglie d'autunno danzavano senza vento, scintillando d'oro e rame. Zucche di ogni forma riempivano i banchi, alcune intagliate con facce buffe, altre coperte di ragnatele argentate che brillavano come fili di luna. Cappelli da strega volteggiavano nell'aria come ombrelli volanti ruotando lenti su se stessi. Castagne arrostite profumavano l'aria di cannella e mistero, mentre piccoli scheletri danzanti tintinnavano come campanelli di ghiaccio.E finalmente nel cimitero delle Porte Sante, il Portale si aprì. Come ogni Halloween, da secoli, spiriti da tutto il mondo si congregavano a Firenze per il loro incontro annuale. Un fiume spettrale di fantasmi si riversò nel piazzale, ognuno dirigendosi verso la propria bancarella, ed ognuno con le sue mercanzie impossibili da vendere o scambiare.Gli spiriti erano arrivati e Severino li osservava dall'alto. Un carnevale di altri mondi, fatto di suoni, colori e storie inimmaginabili.Il piazzale deserto si era trasformato nel Mercato dei Fantasmi. Bancarelle continuavano a materializzarsi dal nulla, zucche intagliate e lucenti si raccontavano storie di Halloween passati, presenti e futuri ridendo maligne fra i profumi di memorie perdute, secoli passati, candele di domani e polvere di stelle cadute.Il cielo sopra le colline toscane e sopra Firenze era pieno di fantasmi che arrivavano da ogni dove per cercare l'introvabile. Ma nessun occhio umano poteva vedere questo spettacolo. Nessuno eccetto Severino, che scese dalla torre incantato da quello spettacolo e si immerse nella folla pulsante di vita ultraterrena. Seven gli volteggiava sopra osservando con occhi attenti e gracchiando un po' nervoso. Alcuni fantasmi lo guardavano con curiosità e lo riconoscevano. Qualcuno lo salutava e molti altri sussurravano il suo nome in lingue dimenticate."Eccolo," mormorava una strega di Praga. "Il bambino del tempo," sospirava un cavaliere normanno. "È tornato, ve lo dicevo io.” rideva un pirata dei Caraibi.Ma Severino non ci faceva attenzione perché c'erano fantasmi che vendevano: sogni di draghi addormentati, risate di gnomi del nord, lacrime di sirene innamorate, l'ultimo respiro dei dinosauri, ombre di unicorni. E perfino paure di Halloween passati — due al prezzo di uno, ma solo per stanotte. Il fantasma di un pirata morto durante un abbordaggio andato poco bene gridava:"Bottiglie di tempesta! Fulmini in barattolo!"Una strega di Salem sussurrava: “Pozioni d'amore che durano tre vite…”Un cavaliere medievale mostrava spade che tagliano la paura,Uno spirito cinese sventolava aquiloni che volano nel passato.La folla spettrale cresceva e si addensava, rideva e contrattava, mentre Severino camminava stupito e affascinato tra i banchi impossibili del Mercato di Halloween.Seven gracchiava inquieto dall'alto e Eleven, il gatto nero dagli occhi arancioni, saltava da una tenda all'altra non perdendo di vista un singolo movimento di Severino e delle centinaia d'anime che gli giravano intorno.Un monaco fantasma di un'epoca mai esistita lo vide e gli sorrise da dietro una bancarella piena di radio antiche ornate di simboli misteriosi. Severino si avvicinò, affascinato. "Che meraviglia! Funzionano tutte?""Oh sì, certamente" rispose il monaco, ”Queste trasmettono sulle onde del tempo passato, presente, e futuro. Ma tu non hai bisogno di comprarne una."Gli altri fantasmi si fermarono. Smisero di vendere, comprare e barattare. Guardarono Severino con rispetto e ascoltavano quello che gli diceva il collezionista di frequenze."La radio a transistor che hai già è più speciale di quanto credi. Ma per scoprire i suoi veri segreti, dovrai cercare nelle cripte antiche dove tutto ebbe inizio."E all'improvviso le prime luci dell'alba iniziarono a illuminare di rosa il cielo dietro San Miniato. In fretta e furia i fantasmi si salutarono volando via nel vento."Fino al prossimo Halloween!” Si dicevano incrociandosi in cielo.Le bancarelle svanirono. Lanterne e candele si spensero. Il Mercato dei Fantasmi si dissolse come un sogno.Severino si ritrovò solo nel piazzale vuoto, Seven sulla sua spalla e Eleven seduto sul muretto a guardare Firenze che si illuminava nel giorno di OgniSanti. Osservò la sua vecchia radio con occhi nuovi e dalle cripte antiche di San Miniato, qualcosa sembrava chiamarlo. L'accese, alzò il volume e scese la scalinata a tempo di 'Autumn Leaves' nella versione di Chet Baker.Era giunta l'ora di spalancare il cancello della Basilica di San Miniato al Monte.Continueremo questa storia. Per adesso un Buon Halloween a tutti voi, che possiate sempre credere nella magia! Storia scritta da Marco Ciappelli per "Storie Sotto Le Stelle" Halloween 2025Ascolta Severino's Playlist per le canzoni che accompagnano questa storia e iscriviti per scoprire nuove musiche ad ogni avventura.

In this episode, we explore the evolving impact of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on the workforce, with a focus on how GAI can affect Asian American professionals. Drawing from recent research, we highlight how tasks requiring human agency—such as interpersonal communication and organizing—are gaining value, while roles centered on data processing and analysis face increasing automation. Tune in for strategies on up-skilling and re-skilling, plus a few alter ego career pivots as we imagine our lives beyond AI.Link to article about GAI.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has published its Generative Artificial Intelligence Survey Report 2025, offering a data-rich snapshot of how generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping the Irish education landscape. The report draws on insights from over 2,200 staff and learners across further and higher education and the English language education sector. The first national survey of its kind in Ireland, the Generative Artificial Intelligence Survey Report 2025 outlines how generative AI is understood, used and perceived within educational settings, and its anticipated impact on teaching, learning, assessment and the workplace. Key Findings of the QQI report Limited awareness of institutional supports: both staff and learners indicated limited awareness and clarity of institutional policies or guidance on the use of GenAI, highlighting the importance of clearer strategies and more structured support. Urgent need for GenAI literacy: the report identifies a critical need for targeted training and digital upskilling to ensure that in cases where GenAI is applied in teaching and learning, that it is used ethically and effectively. Apprehension around GenAI used for admission processes: both staff and learners expressed discomfort with the possibility that GenAI could be used in admission processes, raising concerns about fairness and clarity. GenAI and academic integrity: about a third of staff and learners think it is appropriate for students to use GenAI tools in assessments; as long as they clearly explain how and why they used them. Impact of GenAI in assessment: many staff and learners believe that GenAI is very to extremely likely change how learners are assessed over the next five years. Worry regarding reduced credibility of qualifications: a significant number of both staff and learner respondents believe that trust in qualifications may decline if it becomes difficult to determine whether GenAI was used to obtain them. To support deeper engagement with the data, QQI has developed interactive dashboards that allow users to explore the survey findings in greater detail. These dashboards offer dynamic visualisations and filters, enabling employers, educators, and policymakers to examine trends by types of institutions, age, gender and role of respondents, and fields of education. This tool is designed to help stakeholders make informed decisions about workforce development, digital skills training, and strategic planning in response to the evolving role of generative AI. The full report and dashboards can be accessed here: Analysis of results from the Generative Artificial Intelligence Survey 2025 | Quality and Qualifications Ireland More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Un Mistero A Firenze In Toscana c'è tanta magia: colline decorate con olivi, vigneti e cipressi, campanili che suonano ovunque, giardini nascosti, e ovviamente città incantate, piene di storia e bellezza, dove artisti famosi hanno creato opere d'arte meravigliose.In questo racconto ci troviamo nella città di Firenze, dove la magia abbonda e in ogni angolo si nascondono leggende.Un fiume chiamato Arno l'attraversa; e fra i tanti ponti ce n'è uno che giustamente è un po' più famoso degli altri: il Ponte Vecchio. In quelle case sospese adesso non ci abita più nessuno. Ogni giorno è pieno di turisti che lo fotografano e lo vengono a visitare da tutto il mondo, ma tanti e tanti anni fa su questo ponte c'erano macellai, pescivendoli e conciatori come se fosse un mercato, una piazza sospesa sull'Arno e la vita quotidiana era ben diversa dai giorni d'oggi.Ai tempi di questa storia le botteghe erano tutte gioiellerie di proprietà di mastri orafi, che lì ci vivevano, lavoravano e vendevano gioielli d'oro e preziosi di altissima qualità. Era uno dei cuori della città dove i fiorentini del tempo si ritrovavano e si fermavano a chiacchierare mentre andavano e venivano da una parte all'altra del fiume. Anche i ragazzini ci passavano le giornate divertendosi a giocare correndo da un lato all'altro indisturbati.A questo punto dovete sapere che da qualche giorno avvenivano piccoli furti nelle botteghe degli artigiani. Oro e preziosi sparivano come se rubati dal vento, in silenzio e di sorpresa, senza lasciare traccia. Chi sa chi lo sa? Chi poteva essere il colpevole?Gli orafi si riunirono, dopo la chiusura dei negozi, proprio sul ponte."Ma che cosa sta succedendo?" disse uno."Boh, a saperlo…" disse un altro."E mica si può andare avanti così, a passare da bischeri!"Bernardo, uno degli orafi, disse: "Va bene che sono un po' sbadato, ma di sicuro non sono cieco da non vedere se mi manca dell'oro dalla bottega."E via a farsi domande e interrogarsi fra di loro per cercare di trovare una spiegazione per questi furti, scoprire il ladro e magari ritrovare il maltolto.Insomma, era ormai da settimane che dalle botteghe sparivano pagliuzze della lavorazione dell'oro e vari oggetti preziosi — e tutto questo succedeva sotto gli occhi di tutti ma nessuno aveva visto niente.A chi dare la colpa se non a quei monelli dispettosi che si divertivano a giocare a pallone sul ponte! Fra partitelle, risate, corse, giochi vari e nascondino, chissà se qualcuno di loro non si era messo a rubare qua e là.Passarono altri giorni e altro oro era svanito nel nulla. Gli orafi, stanchi di questa storia, uscirono sul ponte e gridarono a gran voce tutti insieme: "Ora ci siamo proprio divertiti ed è ora di farla finita! Catturiamo il ladro!"Anche il fornaio Giulio uscì sull'uscio della sua bottega, a sinistra, in fondo al ponte, e benché non avesse capito di preciso cosa stava succedendo, mostrò a tutti le mani piene di farina gridando: "Io non c'entro, lo giuro! Le mani in pasta le ho solo perché sono sempre a preparare le focacce da cuocere in forno."E così dicendo si unì agli altri gridando: "Prendiamo il ladro con le mani nel sacco prima che quel sacco diventi quello della farina!"In quel fermento, Lapo, un ragazzino assai furbo e curioso, figlio dell'orafo Bernardo che era amico di tutti e giocava insieme agli altri ragazzini sul ponte, dopo aver riflettuto pensò: "C'è qualcosa che non mi torna: noi ragazzi non rubiamo, di chi può essere la colpa?"Così Lapo decise di indagare per conto suo. Perché come gli diceva sempre suo nonno: "conta più una cosa fatta che cento da fare" e poi aggiungeva che "se fai da te fai per tre."Allora, senza tanti discorsi, la sera seguente si organizzò, procurandosi una lente d'ingrandimento, un quaderno con matita per prendere note e una lanterna che lo avrebbe accompagnato nel buio. Quest'ultima la teneva stretta con una mano un po' tremolante, ma non c'era da esitare — la situazione non si sarebbe risolta da sola.All'imbrunire, si avviò dal Ponte Vecchio, dove abitava con suo babbo sopra la bottega, verso la colonna di Piazza Santa Trinita.Lì sopra c'era, e c'è ancora, la Statua della Giustizia che troneggiava così alta da toccare il cielo. Il percorso non era lungo, ma quella sera ci mise più del normale, perché osservava tutto con attenzione e curiosità. Guardava a destra, a sinistra, nei chiassi, oltre il parapetto del Lungarno e se vedeva un sasso spostava anche quello: "non si sa mai dove si possono trovare degli indizi" pensava.Aveva sentito dire che la colonna e la statua della Giustizia fossero magiche e piene di segreti. Ma la cosa più stupefacente era che dalla sua sommità, dove appunto si trovava la statua, si potesse vedere quello che succedeva in ogni punto della città — come si sa la giustizia vede e sa tutto.Arrivato in Piazza Santa Trinita, fece un gran sospiro, mosse un ultimo passo e ai piedi della colonna — che sorpresa… incontrò una lumaca."Una lumaca?" direte voi. "Eh, proprio una lumaca con tanto di casa sulle spalle, con le luci alle finestre e un caminetto acceso" Davvero, ve lo dico io… Credeteci… Insomma era lì, che si muoveva, lenta sì, ma determinata. Quando sentì il passo leggero del visitatore inatteso, si insospettì e ritirando le antenne come fossero freni, si fermò di botto e disse:"Altolà! Chi va là? Ma te chi sei e dove vai? Non starai mica cercando guai, a girellare solo soletto a quest'ora del crepuscolo?""No, ma che guai… anzi, tutt'altro Signora Lumaca" rispose Lapo, "io dovrei andare in cima alla colonna per vedere cosa sta succedendo sul Ponte Vecchio. Ci sono delle cose che non tornano tanto bene e sto indagando. Come può vedere ho pure la lente d'ingrandimento e il cappello!" Disse Lapo mostrando gli oggetti per evitare fraintendimenti. "Ora, visto che mi sembra del posto, mica mi saprebbe gentilmente dire, come posso fare a salire lassù?"La lumaca che abitava ai piedi della colonna ed era a tutti gli effetti la sua guardiana, sbuffò ma poi sorrise e mostrò a Lapo una piccola porticina alla base della colonna, nascosta dall'edera."Carissimo Lapo," disse aggiustandosi gli occhiali "mi sembri un ragazzo coraggioso, un vero amico e anche un bravo investigatore, ma solo dalla cima della colonna potrai conoscere la verità."Detto ciò, la lumaca sfregò i suoi tentacoli e cominciarono a brillare di una luce magica che avvolse Lapo facendolo diventare dell'altezza della porta che si aprì con un gran cigolio; talmente acuto da far scappare tutti gli uccelli che nella notte bazzicavano intorno.Lapo ora piccino, piccino ringraziò la lumaca e senza paura entrò all'interno della colonna. Nell'oscurità, rimase impressionato da uno stretto e alto pozzo che saliva invece di scendere. Sulle pareti luccicanti c'era una spirale di minuscoli scalini che iniziò a salire con passi determinati con la lanterna accesa ben stretta in mano. Arrivò in cima.Nella notte il cielo stellato illuminava la Statua della Giustizia che troneggiava su Firenze. Aveva una bilancia con due piatti in equilibrio in una mano e una spada dorata nell'altra.Come abbiamo detto in precedenza, per incantesimo, da lì si poteva vedere tutta la città — bastava guardare nella direzione giusta e pensare alla parte di Firenze che volevi vedere: una magia incredibile per una visione da togliere il fiato.Adesso era il momento di concentrarsi sul Ponte Vecchio e cercare di risolvere il mistero dei furti, ma nel muoversi intorno alla statua, per andare dalla parte che guardava il fiume, fece una scoperta incredibile. Non poteva credere ai propri occhi — tanto è vero che tirò fuori la lente d'ingrandimento per essere sicuro. Tutti e due i piatti della bilancia erano pieni di pagliuzze d'oro e monili preziosi."Mamma mia! E questa roba come c'è arrivata quassù?" Esclamò Lapo con gli occhi spalancati. "Questo è indubbiamente il bottino dei furti alle gioiellerie!"Prima, confuso e stupefatto non sapeva che pensare, ma poi, osservando meglio le pagliuzze si rese conto che erano tutte intrecciate con braccialetti e collanine: questi erano due nidi e un'idea gli balenò subito nella mente."Le gazze ladre!" Esclamò Lapo. Quegli uccelli furbetti amano tutto ciò che brilla, certamente sono state loro a rapinare le botteghe e a portare quassù la refurtiva.E nel bel mezzo di questo pensiero, all'improvviso comparvero in volo. Atterrarono sulla colonna agitate e furiose "KRAA KRAA KRAA! Oh, ragazzino ma cosa stai facendo a casa nostra? Non ti provare nemmeno a toccare queste meraviglie luccicanti; sono il nostro nido, le abbiamo trovate noi e sono nostre."Lapo non si fece spaventare e con calma rispose: "Ma che dite? A voi piacciono cose luccicanti che brillano e le prendete, ma non vuol certo dire che sono vostre."Le gazze gracchiavano tutte insieme sembravano impazzite e non conoscevano ragione. "Ma cosa dice questo?" Disse una. "Già, uno viene a casa nostra e pretende di comandare?" Aggiunse un'altra. "Sì, bellina la battuta. Non sono nostre? Ma che sei un comico? Cambia lavoro, guarda, perché non ci fai mica ridere." Disse un'altra.E tutte a ridere.Al che Lapo non si fece intimidire. Si frugò in tasca e trovò quello che cercava. Propose uno scambio. "E se si facesse un affare. A dire il vero io ci rimetto parecchio, ma mi state talmente simpatiche che vi darei volentieri queste belle biglie luccicanti in cambio dell'oro e i monili."Vedendo quei piccoli tesori brillanti e colorati, che non avevano mai visto prima, le gazze si calmarono. Si guardarono con uno sguardo furbo e senza esitazione… "Affare fatto!"Gli presero le biglie di mano in un battibaleno e volarono via gridando: "Evviva, siamo ricchissime! Da ora in poi faremo collezione di queste palline."Sospirando di sollievo e di soddisfazione, Lapo recuperò la refurtiva e scese a rotta di collo dalla colonna. La lumaca lo stava aspettando applaudendo. Con un altro incantesimo lo fece uscire dalla porticina e apparire proprio sul ponte vecchio dove diversi Fiorentini erano a prendere il fresco e chiacchierare — inclusi gli orefici."Babbo, babbo ho scoperto il mistero e trovato il colpevole: le gazze ladre! Sono state loro! I miei amici non hanno fatto niente di male." "Calma figliolo, ti ascolto". Rispose Bernardo.Lapo con tutto il fiato che aveva in gola non perse un attimo e raccontò tutto quello che aveva scoperto e visto: il cappello da investigatore, la lente d'ingrandimento, la lumaca magica che conosceva i segreti della colonna, la porticina, la statua in cima, la vista di Firenze, le gazze ladre e il trucco delle biglie colorate. Finalmente il mistero degli strani furti era chiarito, tutta la refurtiva recuperata fu restituita agli orafi del Ponte Vecchio per merito dell'intraprendente e coraggioso Lapo.A quel punto tutti quelli che erano sul Ponte Vecchio applaudirono gridando: "hurra, hurra, hurra, al piccolo investigatore."Mentre il ponte antico, forse incantato, risplendeva di luci dorate.Il fornaio Giulio mentre infornava focacce, canticchiava allegramente e con voce squillante annunciava: "oggi focacce a volontà gratis per tutti, dobbiamo festeggiare!"Le gazze ladre ritornarono a volare su tetti di Firenze e continuarono a trovare piccoli oggetti e persino pezzi di sogni luccicanti; e gracchiando dicevano: "Sarà pure che abbiamo perso un nido, ma di sicuro abbiamo trovato una storia da raccontare."E forse, chissà, una nuova storia ci sarà!— Scritta da Lucia & Marco Ciappelli | Ispirata da una leggenda fiorentina  Each story is currently written and narrated in both Italian and English.The translation from Italian (the original language) to English and the reading of the stories are performed using Generative Artificial Intelligence — which perhaps has a touch of magic... We hope it has done a good job!If you like it, make sure to tell your friends, family, and teachers, and subscribe to this podcast to stay updated. You'll be able to read or listen to new stories as soon as they become available. Visit us On The Official Website https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Professor Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Dr. Andrew Schroeder of Direct Relief and CrisisReady. They discuss how cities can break down data silos and build integrated, actionable platforms to better respond to public health and environmental emergency. Schroeder explains the role of emerging technologies like AI and cloud data platforms, the importance of recruiting data talent in city government, and practical frameworks for connecting health and environmental data. He also previews a joint workshop on urban heat crises, highlighting the need for simulation, coordination, and a people-centered approach to data-driven disaster management.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

Thanks for reading Actual Intelligence with Dr. Steve Pearlman! Subscribe FREE to receive new posts and support my work.APA to Students: Don't Bother to Think for Yourselves Anymore. Let AI Do It.If in the future you want a psychologist who can actually think about psychology, or a doctor who can actually think about medicine, or a teacher who can think about what their teaching, or a lawyer who can actually think about the law, then the new American Psychological Association's (APA) A.I. policies should make you concerned. Maybe they should even make you angry.As many who've been to college already know, the APA's standards for what constitutes academic integrity and citing sources is the prevailing standard at most institutions. When students write papers or conduct any research, it's typically the APA's standards that they observe for what they are permitted to use and how they must disclose their use of it.Yet, when it comes to supporting critical thinking and actual intelligence, the APA's new standards just took a problematic if not catastrophic turn. And the irony is palpable. Of all the organizations that set standards for how students should use their brains, you might think that the American Psychological Association would want to hold the line in favor of actual thinking skills. You might think that with all of the emerging research on A.I.'s negative consequences for the brain—including the recent MIT study that showed arrested brain development for students using A.I. to write, which you can learn more about on my recent podcast—that the APA would adopt a vanguard position against replacing critical thinking with A.I. You might think that the APA would want to bolster actual intelligence, independent thought, evidence-based reasoning, etc. But instead of supporting those integral aspects of healthy brain development, the APA just took a big step in the opposite direction.I'm referring to the APA's new so-called “standards” for “Generative A.I. Use,” standards that open the doors for students to let Generative A.I. do their thinking for them. For example, the APA liscenses students to have A.I. “analyze, refine, format, or visualize data” instead of doing it themselves, provided, of course, that they just disclose “the tool used and the number of iterations” of outputs. Similarly, the APA welcomes students to have A.I. “write or draft manuscript content” for them, provided that they disclose the “prompts and tools used.”To be clear, the APA's new standards make it all too clear that it is very concerned that students properly attribute their uses of Generative A.I., but the American Psychological Association is not concerned about students using Generative A.I. to do their thinking for them. In other words, the APA has effectually established that it is okay if students don't analyze their own data, find their own sources, write their own papers, create research designs, or effectively do any thinking of their own; it's just not okay if students don't disclose it. In short, the leading and most common vanguard for the integrity of individual intellectual work just undermined the fundamental premise of education itself.What the APA could have done and should have done instead was to take a Gibraltarian stand against students using A.I. in place of their own critical thinking and independent thought. That is what it has done to this point. For example, students were simply not permitted to have a friend draft an essay for them. They were not, in many circles, they were not permitted to allow a friend to proofread their work unless the syllabus licensed them to do so. But for some reason, since it is an A.I. drafting the paper instead of a friend, the APA considers it permissible.Thanks for reading Actual Intelligence with Dr. Steve Pearlman! Subscribe free to receive new posts and support my work.Consistent with its history of guarding academic standards, the APA could have said that students who have an A.I. “analyze … data” or “write or draft manuscript content” were not using their own intellect and therefore cheating. Period. Doing so would have sent a strong message across all of academia that permitting students to use Generative Artificial Intelligence instead of their actual intelligence was a violation of academic integrity, not to mention a gross violation of the most fundamental premise of education itself: the cultivation the student's mind.To be fair, not all of the usages of A.I. referenced by the APA's new standards are cheating. For example, allowing students to use A.I. to “create … tables” or “figures” instead of painstakingly trying to build them in Microsoft word, would not replace the student's meaningful cognitive work.Furthermore, and more importantly, the APA's policies are not binding. Educators, departments, and/or institutions need not follow suit. Any given educator can still restrict A.I. usages and determine their own standards for what is acceptable in a given course, including the establishment of policies that would treat using A.I. to “analyze … data” as cheating (which it should be).And finally, the APA still asserts that “AI cannot be named as an author on an APA scholarly publication.” Yet, to co-opt a psychological term, that seems nothing if not “schizophrenic.” After all, if a student uses A.I. to find its resources, “analyze” their “data,” and “write” their “manuscript,” then why shouldn't it be listed as an author, if not the lead author? What, after all, is the student really doing anyway?Thus, as arguably the leading force for what constitutes academic integrity vs. cheating, the APA's move at least implicitly licenses students across academia to use Generative A.I. in ways that will undermine their individual work, critical thinking, and overall actual intelligence. Once again, the APA just told students everywhere that using A.I. to “write or draft manuscript content” for them, instead of thinking about it themselves, developing their ideas themselves, referencing sources for themselves, perhaps even reading sources for themselves, and on and on, is perfectly okay as long as they cite it when they do so.And while it remains true that faculty can do as they wish, imagine being that high school, college, or graduate school educator who has to stand against the APA. Imagine having to hold the line against what will be mounting droves of students who ask, “Why can't we use A.I. in your class when we use it in our other classes?” And who ask, “Why can't we use A.I. in your class when the American Psychological Association says it is fine?” Considering that educators with stricter A.I. policies are already seeing students unenroll from their courses, the new APA standards my prove catastrophic.So, that returns us to the emerging problem: If you think that academic institutions should graduate students who can think critically about their subject of “expertise”—if you want a doctor who can think about medical things—then the APA just told you that you had better thing again.(This article written with no Artificial Intelligence, only the actual kind.)If you support actual intelligence, please share this with other likeminded people.*** This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pearlmanactualintelligence.substack.com

It's time for another episode of Ask Me Anything. Dawn and Ken answer listener questions that range from generative AI to whether grip strength is a biomarker for longevity and the potential of ketamine as a treatment for depression. Dawn also gives a brief overview of work she is doing with the deep-sea technology company Deep. As a special treat at the end of today's episode, Dawn plays a recording of the commencement speech that Ken recently gave at the University of West Florida. As the saying goes, you don't want to miss it. Show notes: [00:02:18] Ken starts off the episode with a listener question about whether Dawn and Ken read print books or digital, the reason being that a listener recently came across an article that claimed digital screens are rewiring our brains. [00:05:32] A listener asks about a paper titled “Grip Strength An Indispensable Biomarker for Older Adults” which claims that the ability to hang from a bar for 60 seconds for men, and 30 seconds for women, indicates that a person is likely to live longer. The paper claims that a decline in grip strength is associated with adverse health consequences, and the listener asks Ken what advice he has for developing and maintaining grip strength. [00:10:20] A listener asks a question inspired by our recent interview with Dr. Frank Butler. The listener asks if Ken has heard about the FDA approved depression therapy, esketamine, which is a derivative of ketamine and is a long-standing therapy for depression. [00:12:37] A listener asks Ken about a 2023 paper in the journal Age and Aging titled “Higher Dietary Protein Intake is Associated with Sarcopenia in Older British Twins” [00:16:13] A listener asks Ken about “Whisper,” which is a transcription product from OpenAI. The listener explains that OpenAI disclaims that Whisper should not be used in high-risk domains. However, according to a story by the Associated Press titled “Researchers Say an AI Powered Transcription Tool Used in Hospitals Invents Things No One Ever Said,” medical centers have already begun to use the tool to transcribe physician consultations. The listener explains that, according to the article, the use of Whisper in these contexts has led to numerous ‘hallucinations' from the AI tool and the listener asks Ken what his thoughts are on how tools like Whisper should be integrated into various industries. [00:20:21] A listener asks for Ken's thoughts on a series of articles by Kevin Roose in The New York Times claiming that there is no reason to learn how to code and program because very soon AI will take over all coding. Mr. Roose also asserts that the time is soon approaching when we need to have discussions on what rights to grant sentient AI. [00:21:57] A listener asks Ken if he concurs with a report from the National Academy of Medicine titled “Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health and Medicine – Opportunities and Responsibilities for Transformative Innovation,” which notes that large language models (LLMs) hold huge promise for patient care and healthcare system workflows, as well as risks. The listener asks if Ken agrees with the report's claims that two areas in which we could see near term applications of LLMs are patient education and synthesis of information of electronic medical records. [00:23:35] As a follow up question, Ken is asked about the aforementioned report's discussion of the “digital twin” concept. A digital twin is a computational representation of a patient or disease that could be used to speed up virtual experiments or subgroup analysis of investigational agents that carry risk for real patients. [00:26:26] A listener asks for Ken's thoughts on a paper published in the journal of Nutrition Health and Aging titled “Effects of Vitamin D3 Omega 3 Fatty Acids and a Simple Home Exercise Program on Change in Physical Activity Among Generally Healthy and Active Older Adults.” The paper claims that among generally healthy,

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, all the big tech firms were clamoring to make their own versions of the “intelligent” chatbot. Billions of dollars have been thrown into the technology – training the models, creating more advanced computer chips, building data centers. But last week, a Chinese artificial intelligence company called DeepSeek released a generative AI model that is not only competitive with the latest version of OpenAI's model, but it was done cheaper, in less time, and with less advanced hardware. For this midweek podcast extra, host Brooke Gladstone sat down with Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast and writer of the newsletter “Where's your Ed at,” to talk about how this new Chinese AI model threatens to burst the American tech AI bubble. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.