Quick hits: AI gets an 'F' in language; more on eggs; barndominium battles; gift economies; dam removal benefits

AI earns an "F" in language. "AI flunks language tests that take grammar out of the equation," writes Rutvik Desai for The Conversation. "I’m a researcher who studies language and meaning. My research group developed a novel benchmark that can help people understand the limitations of large language models [that are used by AI] in understanding meaning." Word pairings are oddly challenging for AI to grasp. Read why here.

The incredible edible egg also busts budgets. (Adobe Stock photo)

Eggs are a cooking and baking staple, but at their current prices, using eggless recipes is a way American shoppers can save some cash. From chicken meatballs to shrimp in purgatory to peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, these recipes don't have eggs. Don't feel like learning a new recipe to avoid eggs? Here's a list of egg substitutes.

There's a lot to learn about raising
chickens. (Unsplash photo)

Some Americans love eggs so much, they aren't ready to avoid them or try to replace them. Instead, they've decided to take a crack at raising their own chickens. "After living through a pandemic and struggling with ongoing high grocery prices (particularly rising costs for poultry and eggs), many people are ready to make a change for themselves," reports Patrick Kuklinski for Modern Farmer. "Starting a journey in keeping poultry can be overwhelming – there’s a lot to learn, and some breeds have easier requirements than others." To find out what you need to know to raise your own flock, click here.

The barndominium battle being waged in this small lakeside town is becoming more common in rural places. "In Victoria, Minn., dozens of neighbors "signed a petition to reverse city approval for a plan for a five-bedroom house with a 6,000-square-foot garage — big enough to hold at least 20 cars and maybe a pickleball court," reports Joe Barrett of The Wall Street Journal. "But sometimes one homeowner’s dream garage is another’s backyard nightmare, sparking lawsuits, zoning battles and moratoria on mammoth man caves."

The book opens with the author, Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, "picking ripe serviceberries from laden bushes, surrounded by songbirds who also are filling up on the fruit. . . .The plant supports many species wherever it grows," writes Jennifer Weeks in her review of Kimmerer's newest book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World. . . . "From this abundance, Kimmerer launches into her central point: Gift economies, centered on giving and re-giving, are all around us, and are a powerful counterpoint to market economies."

Small dam removal can make a big difference for freshwater plants and wildlife that once thrived along the East Coast. "More than 30,000 small dams currently block river tributaries from Maine to Maryland," reports Lela Nargi for Yale Environment360. "New initiatives to remove them are aimed at restoring natural flows, improving habitat for aquatic life, and reopening thousands of river miles to migratory fish, from shad to American eels."