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Fair and DOESN’T miss anything
Following on previous about sugar and spice. Another Nieman item. Bloomberg and DailyMail are trying something new which SHOULD have been old. They recognize that social media is taking care of basic information for free. They’re finally grasping the two-way obligation of SERVICE in exchange for money. = = = = = START QUOTE: Boyce…
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Fair but misses the usual
Nieman has a fair-minded article on the decline of science journalism. The author recognizes that science journalism isn’t unique; it’s failing on the same schedule as general journalism. He misses the reason as always. He also categorizes science magazines oddly. He says Scientific American, Popular Science and National Geographic are the three biggest. SciAm has…
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Wanted to hear the music
Reprinting this 2016 item because I wanted to hear the march, and also because a couple of chance mentions have new reference points. = = = = = START REPRINT: Before 1960 local radio stations, even in big cities, spent a LOT of time serving farmers and agricultural occupations. Early morning typically featured one or…
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Not as simple as I thought
Somebody on substack mentioned the Episcopal tradition of painting the front door red to symbolize the Holy Spirit and a place of sanctuary. The sanctuary idea was big in the Vietnam era when Anglican and Unitarian churches were preaching peace. Especially after Nixon won the ’68 election and tainted the war with heretical Repooflican branding.…
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First thought, second thought
Amodei is giving two messages right now. 1. I will destroy the world. 2. Here are the laws that will prevent me from destroying the world. At first I was focused on the usual coquettish foreplay for venture capitalists. “Hey big boy! If you fund me hard enough, I’ll destroy all the computers ESPECIALLY THE…
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New ways to frustrate the customer
I’m pretty sure Google is letting AI do its programming now. Gmail is inconsistently failing to delete mail. You tick the delete box on items, hit the delete button, and they disappear for a moment. The next time you open Gmail the items have returned. Sometimes an extra step helps: go into Trash and ‘permanently…
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This is just goddamn STUPID.
New Scientist explains clearly and lucidly the latest foofaraw about AI “solving” problems. The Navier-Stokes equations allegedly describe the behavior of fluids in motion, and are used to predict things like flow in turbines. The alleged mystery was whether the equations could ever produce a MATHEMATICAL singularity where the fluid’s speed would go to infinity.…
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Noticing
Earlier this year I sanded and rasped the back door so I could open it easily. I had left it closed for many years, but needed to open it so I could replace the washing machine. Since then I’ve been spending more time in the back yard, paying attention to small things like deer poop…
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AI = Artificial Isidore
The new History Today print edition covers a remarkably vast and sophisticated intellectual project in the 800s. The purpose must have seemed worth the effort at the time but it’s incomprehensible now. I can’t make head nor tail of the mess. After Charlemagne died his weak son Louis couldn’t hold the factions together. The Empire…
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New? Depends on reference point
A well-written warning: = = = = = START QUOTE: Informational obesity will kill you. But first, it will dumb you down. Actually, it already is. You know it yourself. You wake up, pick up the phone and begin eating information before your brain has even brushed its teeth. By breakfast, you have consumed a…
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Justifiable release!
I’m constantly slamming local prosecutors and judges who dismiss charges and release serious criminals so the criminals can continue stealing and burning. This time I can’t argue with the decision! = = = = = START QUOTE: All charges have been dismissed against 78-year-old John Bligh, who was arrested for striking and killing a pedestrian…
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What would Nickles think?
Buick’s portholes, now seen as a fresh stylistic invention, were just a continuation of old practice. Before 1935 most cars had louvers on the side of the hood to let air flow through the engine compartment. The louvers were often turned into decorations. In 1941 Buick no longer needed the ventilation but still had the…
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Y no Roman concrete?
Archeology has been steadily moving forward with solid discoveries while most other sciences have stagnated or dissolved into insane abstraction or political stupidity. The secret of Roman perpetual concrete is a fairly recent finding. Why haven’t we applied it? Why aren’t we making cement with sea water and volcanic ash? Both ingredients are easily available.…
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Respect for craft
Bitcoin scammers nabbed 250 million from easy targets without leaving their computers, then splashed the cash all over the place, guaranteeing fast capture. No damn pride! I have far more respect for this year’s string of art thefts like the Renoir theft in Paris. The workers had to understand the building, alarm system and security…
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