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Time of India
07-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
The Sith of Silicon Valley: Ziz LaSota's AI cult left six dead – who is she?
Once upon a time in the cold expanse of Alaska, a homeschooled child stared at the aurora borealis and wondered if the world was real. Years later, that same child – taller than most men, cloaked in black, calling herself Ziz – would terrify Silicon Valley's Rationalists, faking her own death, wielding a samurai sword, and leaving six bodies in her wake. This is the tale of Ziz LaSota, the transgender AI doomsday cultist who believed humanity would perish under artificial intelligence – unless she saved it first. Born under northern lights, reborn in the shadow of AI Ziz LaSota's early life was unremarkable: eldest of three, father a university instructor, homeschooled through lonely Alaskan winters. But teenage depression twisted her mind inward. Puberty felt like death. She wrote that she was 'horrified at being overwritten by a new self.' Logic became her religion. LessWrong and the Rationalist forums her sacred texts. At the University of Alaska, she read of 'x-risk' – existential risk – and decided AI was the harbinger of humanity's doom. She dropped out of graduate school and arrived in the Bay Area in 2016, ready to 'save the world.' But Silicon Valley is a cruel temple for prophets. She was just another zealot in a city full of them. The Sith emerges She became Ziz: more than six feet tall, blond curls tumbling past her black cape, declaring her faith in the Sith – the dark side order of Star Wars. She called Rationalists 'master Jedi.' The community tolerated her eccentricities. After all, they believed AI could destroy us all. Peter Thiel, Sam Altman, Sam Bankman-Fried – they had all passed through the Rationalist forge. But Ziz took it further. Her blog listed categories of people to be 'airlocked.' She advocated radical veganism, sleep deprivation rituals, and violent moral tests. She recruited a cadre of mostly transgender and nonbinary tech aspirants from Google, Oracle, NASA – they called themselves the Zizians. To them, Ziz was the messiah AI safety had awaited. From cult to killing field The timeline of blood is as absurd as it is tragic. 2019: Zizians don Guy Fawkes masks and robes to disrupt a Rationalist event in California. No guns were found, but SWAT stormed the venue. Arrests followed. Their chanting was described by police as 'speaking in tongues.' 2020: In Vallejo, California, landlord Curtis Lind was stabbed with knives and a samurai sword after demanding unpaid rent. He shot two Zizians in self-defence. One died. Ziz faked her death by falling off a boat, her obituary running in Alaska newspapers. 2023: The parents of Michelle Zajko, a close Zizian, were found shot dead in Pennsylvania. Bullets matched Zajko's gun, but evidence fell short. Ziz was arrested with them in a hotel, bailed out, and disappeared again. 2025: Lind was stabbed to death before he could testify against the group. Days later, in Vermont, two Zizians fired at Border Patrol agents. One agent and one Zizian died in the shootout. The philosophy that eats itself Rationalism always prided itself on logic untainted by emotion. But Ziz turned logic into madness. Roko's Basilisk, the infamous AI thought experiment predicting torture for those who don't create AI, haunted her. She believed any attempt to stop AI would condemn her to eternal torture by future malevolent superintelligences. Her solution: don't back down, escalate, airlock the doubters. Eliezer Yudkowsky, the Rationalist guru who warned of AI extinction, called Ziz's descent 'sad,' writing that weirdness attracted weirder people, some of whom turned out to be 'genuinely crazy and in a contagious way among the susceptible.' The Rationalist reckoning Today, Ziz sits in a Maryland jail, awaiting trial on gun, drug, and obstruction charges. She is not accused of wielding the murder weapons herself, but prosecutors say she orchestrated the violence. The Rationalist community is left with a bitter aftertaste. Was Ziz simply an unwell woman who found justification in AI apocalypse theory, or did Rationalism's own doomsday fetish birth her? Zvi Mowshowitz, a Rationalist blogger, asked if Ziz would have simply created another cult if AI philosophy hadn't ensnared her. 'The odds are, like, 55 percent,' he guessed. But perhaps the final lesson is simpler, as one Rationalist writer put it: even if the world is ending in five years, you cannot live like it is. That way lies madness, murder, and a black-caped prophetess clutching a samurai sword under flickering fluorescent lights.
Business Insider
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A HENRY aims to save $100,000 for his kids' futures but won't push college: 'Trade school is a really good option'
Cimarron Beckstead, 39, has put over $20,000 into his two kids' college savings accounts — and he didn't have to put any of his own money aside. Instead, he thanks the state of Alaska for annual oil dividend checks. "We wanted to put it into an investment account for their future rather than just spend it on a new TV or whatever else we want right now," Beckstead, a father of a five- and seven-year-old, told Business Insider. "We're going to recalculate everything as they start getting a little bit older and see if we need to start adding more ourselves. But as of right now, we have not actually put any of our money in there." Beckstead is referring to Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend. The state's revenue department allocates an annual payment to Alaska residents from the investment earnings of oil and minerals revenue. The amount of the check varies based on the fund's performance. The 2024 dividend amount was $1,702, up from $1,312 a year prior. Beckstead and his wife both work for major telecommunications companies, and he said theircombined income is in the low six figures. He identifies as a HENRY — or high earner, not rich yet — a group that typically makes a six-figure income but, due to cost-of-living, student-loan debt, or a mortgage, must be cautious in order to live within their means. Are you a HENRY (a high earner, not rich yet)? How are you thinking about big financial decisions, like college savings, housing, or childcare? Share your story with this reporter at asheffey@ Beckstead said that he wants to ensure his sons are aware of all the postsecondary options they have, like trade school, when they get closer to college age. Neither Beckstead nor his wife had to take out student loans for their educations due to their jobs paying for their degrees; Beckstead said his degree in IT business management has not yet furthered his career, but he's grateful to have pursued his degree because he believes "knowledge has more value than just career prospects." His goal is to have a combined $100,000 saved for both of his children, allowing them the same financial freedom that Beckstead said he was grateful to have. "We feel very fortunate that we both ended up with companies that paid for our college, but by no means is that guaranteed," Beckstead said. "So we wanted to give our kids an opportunity in life where we kind of felt like we got lucky." 'Trade school is a really good option' Beckstead puts Alaska's yearly dividend checks directly into the state's 529 accounts. These are state-sponsored investment accounts that allow money to grow tax-free and can be used to cover education expenses. Alaska offers one of the top 529 plans due to its low expense ratio and benefits for future University of Alaska students. If his kids express interest in a college route that's more expensive than costs at a state school, Beckstead said he would likely withdraw some money from his savings or 401(k) to help supplement any additional expenses. "I think we should be okay," Beckstead said. "We should be in a good enough financial position to pay for college within reason, as long as it's a public school within in-state, or a trade school, or something like that." The higher education sphere is rapidly changing as more young people are questioning the value of a college degree, and there's a growing interest in alternative postsecondary routes like trade school or directly entering the workforce. President Donald Trump's administration has even joined the trade school push — Trump recently suggested that federal funding for Harvard should be redirected to trade schools, an area of investment which he said is "badly needed." Still, college continues to be the primary route that students take after high school. The New York Federal Reserve recently found that college graduates continue to earn more than those without a four-year degree; the median worker with a college degree earned about $80,000 a year, compared to $47,000 for a worker with just a high school diploma. "I'd like to give them their options," Beckstead said. "I'm really going to try to push them to do something in-state because it's more economically feasible, but honestly, if I had to push them in any direction, I think trade school is a really good option." While some Americans are able to pay off their student loans if they are able to find a steady-paying job after graduating, BI has previously spoken to dozens of older borrowers who have been paying off their student loans well into retirement with no end in sight, and regret pursuing their higher educations. The future of Alaska's yearly checks is uncertain. Some state lawmakers have introduced legislation to lower the annual dividend amount to a flat rate of $1,000 and would eliminate the dividend for anyone making over $50,000 a year — or $100,000 a year for a married couple — which would make Beckstead ineligible, if passed. Beckstead knows that the annual checks might not last forever, and he still wants to ensure his kids will have the funds they need for whichever path they choose. He said that he will plan to supplement with his savings if the dividends go away, and that, regardless of where the contributions are coming from, the 529 accounts will continue to grow. "I'm hoping they'll have enough, depending on what they do, that there would be plenty to pay for the whole thing if they decide to go to college," Beckstead said. "And if it's going to cost more at that point than we have money saved, then we'll just hopefully be able to help them pay for whatever the remainder is."
USA Today
30-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
15 states may see Aurora Borealis tonight and into the weekend. See maps
15 states may see Aurora Borealis tonight and into the weekend. See maps The aurora's are back! And may be visible throughout the weekend. The University of Alaska and NOAA track auroras using the Kp-index, a global auroral activity indicator which has a scale from 0 to 9. It measures the fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, tied to specific geographic locations. Several states in the northern U.S. are forecast to have the finest views by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration. If the weather is clear this weekend, many northern states should be able to see the northern lights – North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are among them, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. States that may see auroras over the weekend Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. The Kp index, which measures activity in Earth's magnetic field, is expected to peak during the weekend at 4.67, according to the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. View NOAA's 3-day forecast for the most recent timing breakdown. NOAA's aurora forecast Earth's magnetic field acts as a barrier We're protected from the solar winds by the invisible barrier that the Earth's magnetic field creates. Stronger solar winds have the ability to disturb the magnetic field and gorgeous auroras are produced when the planet's magnetic field's gasses contact with the storm's particle stream. Though uncommon, the display can be visible over Europe and the United States during primarily large auroral events. According to the University of Alaska, during a major event in 1958, the aurora could be seen from Mexico City. SOURCE NASA, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center, and USA TODAY research
San Francisco Chronicle
29-05-2025
- Science
- San Francisco Chronicle
Swiss glacier collapse renews focus on risks of climate change as glaciers retreat around the world
The landslide that buried most of a Swiss village this week is focusing renewed attention on the role of global warming in glacier collapses around the world and the increasing dangers. How glaciers collapse — from the Alps and Andes to the Himalayas and Antarctica — can differ, scientists say. But in almost every instance, climate change is playing a role. In Switzerland, the mountainside gave way Wednesday near the village of Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley, because the rock face above the Birch Glacier had become unstable when mountain permafrost melted, causing debris to fall and cover the glacier in recent years, said Martin Truffer, a physics professor at the University of Alaska who studies how glaciers move. While the debris insulated the glacier and slowed melting, its weight caused the ice to begin moving — which accelerated dramatically a few weeks ago. Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village in recent days, 'when it became clear that there's a whole mountainside that's about to collapse,' said Truffer, who grew up in Switzerland. Glacial lakes pose threat Lakes that form at the base of glaciers as they melt and retreat also sometimes burst, often with catastrophic results. Water can even lift an entire glacier, allowing it to drain, said Truffer, adding that Alaska's capital of Juneau has flooded in recent years because a lake forms every year on a rapidly retreating glacier and eventually bursts. In 2022, an apartment building-sized chunk of the Marmolada glacier in Italy's Dolomite mountains detached during a summer heat wave, sending an avalanche of debris down the popular summer hiking destination, killing 11. A glacier in Tibet's Aru mountain range suddenly collapsed in 2016, killing nine people and their livestock, followed a few months later by the collapse of another glacier. There also have been collapses in Peru, including one in 2006 that caused a mini tsunami; most recently, a glacial lagoon overflowed in April, triggering a landslide that killed two. 'It's amazing sometimes how rapidly they can collapse,' said Lonnie Thompson, a glacier expert at the Ohio State University. 'The instability of these glaciers is a real and growing problem, and there are thousands and thousands of people that are at risk.' Scientists say melting glaciers will raise sea levels for decades, but the loss of inland glaciers also acutely affects those living nearby who rely on them for water for drinking water and agriculture. No way to stop the melting Scientists say greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal have already locked in enough global warming to doom many of the world's glaciers — which already have retreated significantly. For example, glaciers in the Alps have lost 50% of their area since 1950, and the rate at which ice is being lost has been accelerating, with 'projections ... that all the glaciers in the Alps could be gone in this century,' Thompson said. Switzerland, which has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023, the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022. A 2023 study found that Peru has lost more than half of its glacier surface in the last six decades, and 175 glaciers disappeared due to climate change between 2016 and 2020, mostly due to the increase in the average global temperature. A study published Thursday in Science said that even if global temperatures stabilized at their current level, 40% of the world's glaciers still would be lost. But if warming were limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit ) — the long-term warming limit since the late 1800s called for by the 2015 Paris climate agreement — twice as much glacier ice could be preserved than would be otherwise. 'There's places in Alaska where we've shown that it doesn't take any more global warming,' for them to disappear, Truffer said. 'The reason some ... (still) exist is simply because it takes a certain amount of time for them to melt. But the climate is already such that they're screwed.' ___
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
Swiss glacier collapse renews focus on risks of climate change as glaciers retreat around the world
The landslide that buried most of a Swiss village this week is focusing renewed attention on the role of global warming in glacier collapses around the world and the increasing dangers. How glaciers collapse — from the Alps and Andes to the Himalayas and Antarctica — can differ, scientists say. But in almost every instance, climate change is playing a role. In Switzerland, the mountainside gave way Wednesday near the village of Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley, because the rock face above the Birch Glacier had become unstable when mountain permafrost melted, causing debris to fall and cover the glacier in recent years, said Martin Truffer, a physics professor at the University of Alaska who studies how glaciers move. While the debris insulated the glacier and slowed melting, its weight caused the ice to begin moving — which accelerated dramatically a few weeks ago. Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 300 people , as well as all livestock, from the village in recent days, 'when it became clear that there's a whole mountainside that's about to collapse,' said Truffer, who grew up in Switzerland. Glacial lakes pose threat Lakes that form at the base of glaciers as they melt and retreat also sometimes burst, often with catastrophic results. Water can even lift an entire glacier, allowing it to drain, said Truffer, adding that Alaska's capital of Juneau has flooded in recent years because a lake forms every year on a rapidly retreating glacier and eventually bursts. In 2022, an apartment building-sized chunk of the Marmolada glacier in Italy's Dolomite mountains detached during a summer heat wave, sending an avalanche of debris down the popular summer hiking destination, killing 11. A glacier in Tibet's Aru mountain range suddenly collapsed in 2016, killing nine people and their livestock, followed a few months later by the collapse of another glacier. There also have been collapses in Peru, including one in 2006 that caused a mini tsunami; most recently, a glacial lagoon overflowed in April, triggering a landslide that killed two. 'It's amazing sometimes how rapidly they can collapse,' said Lonnie Thompson, a glacier expert at the Ohio State University. 'The instability of these glaciers is a real and growing problem, and there are thousands and thousands of people that are at risk.' Scientists say melting glaciers will raise sea levels for decades, but the loss of inland glaciers also acutely affects those living nearby who rely on them for water for drinking water and agriculture. No way to stop the melting Scientists say greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal have already locked in enough global warming to doom many of the world's glaciers — which already have retreated significantly. For example, glaciers in the Alps have lost 50% of their area since 1950, and the rate at which ice is being lost has been accelerating, with 'projections ... that all the glaciers in the Alps could be gone in this century,' Thompson said. Switzerland, which has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023 , the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022. A 2023 study found that Peru has lost more than half of its glacier surface in the last six decades, and 175 glaciers disappeared due to climate change between 2016 and 2020, mostly due to the increase in the average global temperature. A study published Thursday in Science said that even if global temperatures stabilized at their current level, 40% of the world's glaciers still would be lost. But if warming were limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit ) — the long-term warming limit since the late 1800s called for by the 2015 Paris climate agreement — twice as much glacier ice could be preserved than would be otherwise. Even so, many areas will become ice-free no matter what, Truffer, the University of Alaska expert. 'There's places in Alaska where we've shown that it doesn't take any more global warming,' for them to disappear, Truffer said. 'The reason some ... (still) exist is simply because it takes a certain amount of time for them to melt. But the climate is already such that they're screwed.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
