2021 archive
Seeing Isn’t Believing 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Belgium’s Ghent University’s Learning and Implicit Processes Lab takes a deep dive into “deep fakes.” A snippet:
Although this new technology has many beneficial uses, it’s also ripe for abuse. Deepfakes are increasingly being used to harass and intimidate political activists, and harm those in the business, entertainment, and political sectors. Female celebrities are being Deepfaked into highly realistic pornographic scenes, while worry grows that politicians could be made to “confess” to bribery or sexual assault. Such disinformation may obviously distort democratic discourse and election outcomes.
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*Follow the link for the link.
Facebook Frolics 0
Leonard Pitts, Jr., offers a solution to the toxicity of Facebook (and of “social” media in general).
All That Was Old Is New Again, Vaccine Nation Dept. 0
History professor Kyle Harper points out that irrationality, fear mongering, and falsehoods are not unprecedented in the face of health crises. A snippet:
Private interests that shamelessly peddle misinformation? The history of British mercantilists lobbying against quarantine sounds perfectly contemporary. Resistance to medical science? Since the introduction of smallpox inoculation and then vaccination, a weird alliance of religious militancy and pseudoscience has worked to stoke fears and doubts about our best tools to protect human health. Livestock dewormer? Just a fresh take on the venerable tradition of quackery. It’s hard to be original in the annals of human folly.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
He was polite to his mail carrier.
According to an affidavit by Inspector Erik Bohin, Mr. Kortz later told investigators that he believed Mr. Vignone and his family had poisoned him and his family with cyanide when they were previously neighbors. The affidavit did not elaborate on that claim or provide details as to where they once lived.
Now, about those psychiatric exams for persons who want to buy guns . . . .
Maskless Marauders 0
Florida Man says, “Suffer the children.”
And, while we are on the topic of suffering the children . . . .
We are a society of stupid.
Maskless Marauders 0
We are a society of stupid.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Drew Sheneman cuts through the–er–marlarky. A nugget:
Methinks he may have a point worthy of consideration.
Suffer the Children 0
Collateral damage:
More damaging information at the link.