Search results for

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in November of 2022 there has been a surge in public awareness about, and use of, Artificial Intelligence. And this represents both a leap forward in technological capability, and the possibility for massive disruption in many fields including education. We learn about efforts at Florida Gulf Coast University to stay on top of this new learning curve we’re all facing on some level.

We learn about a UF/IFAS Extension and Florida Sea Grant citizen science program called Eyes on Seagrass that has been collecting information about seagrasses in upper Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay since 2019 — and is planning to expand into Lee County next year. Citizen Science is the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by everyday people who aren’t necessarily scientists themselves, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists. In other words — giving scientists more hands to collect the information they need to better understand whatever it is they are studying.

Tim Love spent his career in advertising, and he says there are correlations between the early days of that industry and mass media, and where we find ourselves today with our wide open and unregulated online world. He was Vice-Chairman of Omnicom Group, it’s a global advertising and marketing services company. But since retiring in 2013, he has focused his attention on our online world, and how, he says, it’s being openly used against us to sow division and uncertainty.

We took the show on the road to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in downtown Fort Myers because they were marking the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in the City of Palms. They have an exhibit up in the museum there called “Fanatics: Thomas Edison, Connie Mack and Spring Training in Fort Myers” and on Feb. 20 Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson officially proclaimed that day to be “Spring Training Day in Fort Myers.”

The Island Water Association distribution crews were onsite Thursday for an emergency water main repair near the intersection of Wulfert Road and Sanibel Captiva Road.

Kayla Min Andrews finished and published her mother's novel The Fetishist after she died.

On this episode of the GCL Book Club, we hear from prolific author Caroline Leavitt about her page-turner of a book, Days of Wonder, about justice, guilt, forgiveness, and reinvention.

In Bonnie Jo Campbell's latest novel The Waters, three generations of women—a matriarch who concocts healing potions, her daughters who scatter to various points, and her granddaughter, who’s left to care for herself—live alone on an island.

According to a recent report from PEN America — it’s a century-old nonprofit that works to protect free expression through literature — Florida overtook Texas during the last school year for the number one spot when it comes to the number of books banned in public schools. There’s been a 33% spike in book bans nationally, and Florida now accounts for more than 40% of all documented bans. In response to these trends, PEN America just named its first-ever Florida Director, Katie Blankenship. She’ll be overseeing advocacy in defense of free expression across the state. Her office is being funded by a group of bestselling writers who have come together to fight censorship in Florida.We meet Ms. Blankenship, and learn about the work being done by what’s called The Purple Group to push back against issues like book bans. It’s a nonpartisan group of Lee County residents who believe high quality public schools that welcome all students and their families are the bedrock of our multicultural, multi-ethnic democracy.

There is some relief for the many Southwest Florida business owners still navigating hurricane insurance claims and facing urgent rebuilding needs.Just in time for Small Business Week (May 4-10), the Small Business Administration has extended a critical 60-day grace period for Hurricane Helene and Milton survivors to apply for disaster recovery assistance.