Also, Smith Road to close long-term; Ivy Tech plays with ChatGPT
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A star nicknamed the “Demon Star,” documented on an ancient Egyptian calendar of lucky and unlucky days more than 3,000 years ago, will be the topic of discussion at Indiana University Kokomo’s free Observatory open house Sunday, Nov. 10.
Patrick Motl, professor of physics, will begin the open house at 7 p.m. with discussion of Algol, a variable star in the constellation Perseus. Algol serves as the eye of Medusa, a mythical gorgon with snakes for hair. Legend said her appearance was so frightening that anyone who looked at her turned to stone. The hero Perseus killed her and used her head as a weapon.
Algol is a binary variable star system of two stars that revolve around each other and brighten and dim as one star eclipses the other.
Motl will discuss how the star was recognized as unusual in antiquity, the story of how it was understood as a multiple star system, and the Algol paradox.
After the presentation, stargazers may be able to see Saturn and the moon, with Venus setting and Jupiter rising, through the Observatory’s telescopes. They include a six-inch Takahashi refracting telescope and a 16-inch Meade reflecting telescope mounted together. The Takahashi provides exceptionally sharp images of planets, while the Meade allows viewers to see fainter objects in the sky, due to its larger light-collecting area.
Observation will continue through 9 p.m., weather permitting. The Observatory is at 2660 S. Washington St. Free parking is available on campus.
Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.
Smith Road to close long-term
Smith Road between Touby Pike and Sparks Road/CR 50 E will close beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, November 8. This will be a long-term closure lasting from November 8, 2024, to approximately May 1, 2027, at which time Smith Road will have been reconstructed to a new alignment near the existing alignment.
Questions regarding the project should be directed to Mr. Jon Pyke, at 765-456-7400.
Ivy Tech to offer Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT
Ivy Tech Community College is offering a two-day instructor-led training course to help users learn to maximize the use of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence program.
The course, Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT, will be offered Nov. 11 and 13 at the Ivy Tech Kokomo campus at 1815 E. Morgan St.
Prompt Engineering is the art of crafting targeted questions and instructions to guide AI models towards specific outputs. The class requires no advanced coding skills but rather a creative approach to communication and problem-solving. Students’ role will be to bridge human intent and machine responses, ensuring effective and accurate interactions between users and AI.
In this class, students may learn the skills needed to become familiar with Prompt Engineering. The program includes real-world examples, hands-on exercises, and expert guidance. The classes will be offered in three two-hour sessions from 6-8 p.m. each day. The cost of the course is $150.
To register for the Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT class go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PJZRqG1Pqkj1c9RnpF3E8op63SfKr5d_vEgrw45DaiI/edit. For more information, contact Bonnie Devers, Ivy Tech Kokomo Ivy+ Career Link program manager, at bdevers3@ivytech.edu or 765-252-5497.