Geek Stuff category archive

At Psychology Today Blogs, Marc Wittmann argues that, as far as AI is concerned, the “Singularity” remains a fever dream He makes three main points, the most important being that hardware cannot evolve. Follow the link, where he explores each one.

Some scientists and philosophers have the opinion that artificial intelligence could one day become conscious.
A computer remains the same physical structure from one moment to the next.
A living organism, in contrast, is never the same entity from one moment to the next.

Afterthought:

Mechanical processing speed is indeed impressive, but it’s not the same thing as intelligence.

Per security maven Bruce Schneier, it may well not be.

Security maven Bruce Schneir takes a look at last week/s CrowdStrike computer failure and concludes that the potential for such an event is a feature, not a bug, fostered by the fee hand of the market.

Here’s a bit from his article (emphasis added):

Imagine a house where the drywall, flooring, fireplace, and light fixtures are all made by companies that need continuous access and whose failures would cause the house to collapse. You’d never set foot in such a structure, yet that’s how software systems are built. It’s not that 100 percent of the system relies on each company all the time, but 100 percent of the system can fail if any one of them fails. But doing better is expensive and doesn’t immediately contribute to a company’s bottom line.

Follow the link for the context of that comparison.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Dr. Lantie Elisabeth Jorandby reacts to Surgeon General’s recent proposal that “social” media should come with warning labels for young persons by looking at the ample evidence that “social” media isn’t. Here’s a small piece of her piece:

A key piece of damning evidence cited in the advisory was a recent study of 6,595 adolescents. Researchers found that those who spent more than three hours a day on social media had double the risk of mental health problems. These included depression and anxiety.

Given that the average daily social media use among that age group is now 4.8 hours, and that 3 hours a day is associated with twice the depression and anxiety risk, you have to ask: What effect could 4.8 hours a day have on young people?

The entire article is worth your whiles.

In related news, the EFF wants you to know that your car may be watching you.

Mageia v. 9 with the Fluxbox window manager. The wallpaper is from my collection.

I’ve been using Mageia on various boxes since v. 3. I find it quite a nice piece of work.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Alain Samson takes a deep dive into how and why “clickbait” works, noting, among other things, that it

. . . exploits cognitive and emotional traits, triggering impulsive clicks

I must warn you that it’s not the best-written piece, but I think it still worth at least a skim. It might help you protect yourself against the nattering nabobs of nonsense trying to suck(er) you down their rabbit holes of rubbish.

One more time, “social” media isn’t.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Russell Ramsay reports on a study documenting how and why “social” media is not a reliable source of information. He notes that the study focused on TikTok (studies to have to focus, after all), but that its findings extend to “social” media in general.

In that context, he reminds us that

. . . social media platform algorithms are driven by popularity, not accuracy.

I commend the entire piece to your attention.

Methinks Atrios makes a telling point.

In a twist, the U. S. finds itself fighting new tech with an old law.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Jessica Koehler explores a number of ways in which “social” media isn’t. Here’s one of those ways (emphasis in the original):

Echo Chambers Leading to Confirmation Bias

Algorithms often create echo chambers by displaying content that aligns with users’ existing beliefs. This phenomenon reinforces negative thought patterns and contributes to polarized thinking. A report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences emphasized that social media plays a significant role in creating these echo chambers. The resulting increased isolation and misunderstandings in social contexts can be profound. Similarly, a report by the Guardian highlighted how algorithms on platforms like Facebook and Twitter exacerbate these echo chambers, intensifying political and social divides. This limited exposure to diverse perspectives leads to a narrower and more biased worldview.

Follow the link for more ways in which “social” media isn’t and for Koehler’s suggestions as to how to ameliorate its antisocial effects.