August, 2024 archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
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.
Patriot Gamers 0
Thom argues nationalism and patriotism are not the same thing and that nationalism is inimical to patriotism. He quotes the French president:
President Macron said that nationalism is a betrayal. “By pursuing our own interests first with no regard to others, we erase the very thing that a nation hold most precious, that which gives it life and what makes it great, its moral values.”
He also points out that America was founded on an idea, however imperfectly that idea may have been implemented, not on white DNA. He argues that today’s Republican Party has forsaken patriotism for (white) nationalism. And, to steal a phrase from Mark Twain that my two or three regular readers know quite well, Thom hears an echo a rhyme from history.
Listen to his reasoning.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” feels compelled to flaunt his portable phallus in public.
Errata 0
(I have made this post a “sticky” so it will appear at the top of the page until I unstick it in a few days.)
(Unstuck 2024-08-05.)
In preparing a post that will appear tomorrow (WordPress allows you to schedule future posts), I learned that I have been misquoting Mark Twain, fortunately in a way that did not alter the intent of what he said. He did not say that history “often echoes,” he said that it “often rhymes.”
Using the blog’s “search” feature, I went back and fixed my mistakes (I reserve the right to fix my mistakes). I can’t say that I got all of them, but I think I got most of them.
Vaccine Nation 0
At The Seattle Times, physicians and medical school professsors Christopher A. Sanford and Paul Pottinger debunk de anti-vaxxer bunk.
I find the article commendable not because it breaks new ground. It does not. But it thoroughly demolishes the four primary anti-vaxx lies in one succinct piece.
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
Rebecca Watson draws a line between intentional dis- and misinformation on the Disinformation Superhighway and what she refers to as sh*tposting (which I can best define as sort of stupid wisecracks intended as “humor”). She uses as a starting point the J. D. Vance couch slur and how it went from a casual and completely fabricated post on the site that used to be known as Twitter to a torrent of tripe (warning: some language).
Or you can read the transcript.
Afterthought:
Methinks the primary take-away here is that “social” media isn’t.
Weird Times 0
Thom responds to a caller who thinks that calling Trump and Vance “weird” is a bad tactic by pointing out that calling Trump weird is an understatement.
Twits Own Twitter X Offenders
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Elon Mush has a new suit.