still salient:
"This inclusive attitude is one of the strengths of Coleridge’s approach, which grew from his celebrated powers of synthesis. Seeing polarised debates as revealing an interdependent whole, he tried to embrace the views of his philosophical opponents, rather than simply dismiss them. He saw dichotomous or binary thinking (B versus C) as merely disputative, whereas a broader trichotomy (B versus C within a broader unity of A) presented a unified whole as the higher ideal that fierce yet dependent polar opposition imperfectly represents. The view of a higher union of opposites leads to reasoning, while binary thinking leads merely to arguing."
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
This single sentence in the middle of the article seems to lack detail. I'm not sure I agree with the statement: "If a role can be outsourced, it can be automated."
Wow, two diametrically opposed reviews of Atlas of AI. One calling it a written TED talk of self-promotion and the other a manufactured impossibly glowing review with no real content: "A must-read for anyone who has ever had to interact with an AI system -- which includes anyone who has ever shopped on Amazon, used social media, searched on Google, driven through a red light camera, used a credit card, flown on a plane... and much more. AI is increasingly part of every aspect of modern life. So this is a book that everyone alive today should read."
Join us on Zoom vHerf (Meeting # 2619860114 Password vHerf2020 )
"How do we hold on to meaning and purpose when the possibility of death is constantly in view? How can we believe in a just world when the world is patently unjust? How can we grasp the truth when the nature of truth itself is in doubt?"
"Religious and philosophical thinkers have obsessed over these questions for millennia; existentialists have made them a primary concern over the past two centuries. In his seminal work Existential Psychotherapy (1980), the American psychiatrist Irvin Yalom categorised our existential problems into four ultimate concerns: death, freedom, existential isolation, and meaninglessness. We want to live, but we know we will eventually die. We have the freedom to make choices, but there is no absolute truth to ground these choices. We want to feel connection, but we feel alone in our subjective experience. We want our lives to be meaningful, but there appears to be no inherent meaning in the Universe.
"Awareness of these concerns gives rise to anxiety that we must manage; the defence mechanisms for doing so can be conscious or unconscious. A basic tenet of existential therapy is that how we manage this anxiety is intimately tied to our emotional wellbeing. Someone might try to avoid awareness of death by compulsively throwing themselves into the well-worn distractions of work, sex, drugs, fitness or any other activity that keeps them busy. Another might try to avoid awareness of freedom by staying with a romantic partner who controls their decision making and limits their autonomy. Yet another avoids existential isolation by blindly conforming to their ingroup and denigrating or attacking the other."
I just finished a very long series called Worm. It was written by an amateur author completely for free, and he has a donation link that his fans used to let him continue to write instead of working a normal job. A few chapters got released every week, the way that serials used to be released before books became affordable. It shattered all kinds of records for web serials, and remains far and away the most popular one ever written. It was fantastic, one of the best series of books I've ever read in the fantasy/science fiction space. Just beware, it's very dark, and there are no characters who are only good or only bad. Definitely don't let your children read it, even though it's about super heroes and super villians. Here's the Author's description:
Worm:
An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons.
The story, titled Worm, takes the form of a web serial, posted in bite-sized reads in much the same way that authors such as Mark Twain would release their works one chapter at a time in the days before full-fledged novels. Worm started in June 2011, updating twice a week, and finished in late November, 2013. It totals roughly 1,680,000 words; roughly 26 typical novels in length (or 10-11 very thick novels). The story updated on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with bonus chapters appearing on the occasional Thursday, as explained below.
The actual work is divided into a number of story arcs, each containing five to sixteen individual chapters. Interludes (side stories) are inserted between each story arc to showcase events from different perspectives or provide some background information that the reader wouldn’t get from Taylor’s point of view. Further interludes were released as bonus content when the audience reached specific donation goals, but these were found to distract from the core story (with a good reception, but still) and were paced out more in favor of additional main-story chapters.
Readers should be cautioned that Worm is fairly dark as fiction goes, and it gets far darker as the story progresses. Morality isn’t black and white, Taylor and her acquaintances aren’t invincible, the heroes aren’t winning the war between right and wrong, and superpowers haven’t necessarily affected society for the better. Just the opposite on every count, really. Even on a more fundamental level, Taylor’s day to day life is unhappy, with her clinging to the end of her rope from the story’s outset. The denizens of the Wormverse (as readers have termed it) don’t pull punches, and I try to avoid doing so myself, as a writer. There’s graphic language, descriptions of violence and sex does happen (albeit offscreen). It would be easier to note the trigger warnings that don’t apply than all the ones that do.
All in all, this probably isn’t a story for the sensitive or the young. I’d peg it with a PG-18 rating, but I think we all know that there’s kids who can handle that sort of thing and there’s adults who can’t. Use your best judgement and ask in the comments below if you’re still unsure.
If I haven’t scared you off yet, you can begin reading Taylor’s story here. Enjoy.
"The U.S. economy was resurrected in an extraordinarily effective way" when the Federal Reserve took actions last year in response to the pandemic-induced recession, Warren Buffett said during Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A, BRK.B) virtual annual meeting. The Fed "moved with speed" and demonstrated that they would do "whatever it takes" to restore bond market trading, which had frozen early in the pandemic. About 85% of the economy is now running in "super high gear."
Energy: Asked about whether climate change rhetoric has become too irrational regarding investments in fossil fuel companies, Buffett said "people on both extremes are a little nuts." "I would hate to have all the hydrocarbons banned in three years - it wouldn't work... but I do think the world is moving away from them too," he added. Buffett still has "no compunction in the least about owning Chevron (CVX)."
Tech: Mega-cap tech stock valuations are not "crazy," he declared, outlining that Berkshire's sale of some Apple (AAPL) shares last year "was probably a mistake" and "Charlie in his usual way let me know it was a mistake." Charlie Munger is Buffett's 97-year-old business partner and vice chairman of Berkshire.
SPACs: "It's a killer," Buffett said. "When the competition is playing with other people's money... they're going to beat us... We're not going to have much luck as long as this continues." He also likened the **** (stupid censor that is s p a c) craze to gambling. "It's shameful what's going on. It's not just stupid, it's shameful," added Munger.
Taxes: Buffett declined to speak about what he feels about the proposed federal tax changes - saying it's not appropriate to express his views at Berkshire's annual meeting - though he's not worried about the possibility of higher corporate taxes. Buffett also said he voted for Biden in the presidential election.
Robinhood: "I'm looking forward to reading the S-1 [IPO prospectus]," Buffett said. "It's become a very significant part of the 'casino' part" of the market. There's nothing illegal about it, there's nothing immoral. But I don't think you build a society around it," he added. Munger took a stronger stance, calling the gamification "deeply wrong."
Crypto: Buffett declined to comment on bitcoin (BTC-USD), but Munger let it rip: "Of course, I hate bitcoin's success... it's creating a financial product out of thin air. I don't welcome currency that is so useful to kidnappers and extortionists."
Portfolio advice: "You couldn't help but do well if you had a diversified group of equities. There's a lot more to picking out stocks" than figuring out which industry is going to have a bright future, Buffett added. He then pointed out that in the 1930s there were more than 2,000 auto manufacturers in the U.S. "In 2009, there were three left and two went bankrupt."
Crypto: Buffett declined to comment on bitcoin (BTC-USD), but Munger let it rip: "Of course, I hate bitcoin's success... it's creating a financial product out of thin air. I don't welcome currency that is so useful to kidnappers and extortionists."
This was my reaction the first time I ever heard of Bitcoin. Of course, sometimes I wish I'd put $10,000 into it back then. But, I didn't.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Now I'm fighting the urge to yawn now that I know it's a way to cool off the brain. Here's a visualization of the yawn duration for the mammal data set.
"Icing muscle injuries may delay recovery
Date:
May 18, 2021
Source:
Kobe University
Summary:
In sports, it is common practice to apply ice to sore muscles in order to reduce inflammation. However, a new study on mice has revealed that icing severe muscle injuries may actually prolong the healing process. The results indicate that cooling the injury makes it difficult for macrophages to enter the damaged cells in order to repair them."
Woo hoo! Our climate change problems are over!
Cattle contribute 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions and seaweed will reduce it by 82%, so cattle will then produce 0.9%. I think it is the other 95% of greenhouse gas emitters that are the problem.
@silvermouse said:
Woo hoo! Our climate change problems are over!
Cattle contribute 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions and seaweed will reduce it by 82%, so cattle will then produce 0.9%. I think it is the other 95% of greenhouse gas emitters that are the problem.
Now, about YOUR diet....
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
entertaining writing, I got a chuckle out of this: "So if IQ scores are really dropping, that could not only mean 15 more seasons of the Kardashians...."
here's a little chunk of the reason...
Background
Accumulating evidence suggests that prenatal chemical exposure triggers epigenetic modifications that could influence health outcomes later in life. In this study, we investigated whether DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at the glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B (GRIN2B) gene underlies the association between prenatal exposure to an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), bisphenol F (BPF), and lower cognitive functions in 7-year-old children.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
Comments
still salient:
"This inclusive attitude is one of the strengths of Coleridge’s approach, which grew from his celebrated powers of synthesis. Seeing polarised debates as revealing an interdependent whole, he tried to embrace the views of his philosophical opponents, rather than simply dismiss them. He saw dichotomous or binary thinking (B versus C) as merely disputative, whereas a broader trichotomy (B versus C within a broader unity of A) presented a unified whole as the higher ideal that fierce yet dependent polar opposition imperfectly represents. The view of a higher union of opposites leads to reasoning, while binary thinking leads merely to arguing."
https://aeon.co/essays/the-spectacular-originality-of-coleridges-theory-of-ideas
Someone To Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins For Robert Parker. Finished it in one day. Starting The Drop by Michael Connelly.
Great read. He does a great job emulating Parker.
This makes sense:
https://www.newstatesman.com/business/companies/2021/04/ceos-are-hugely-expensive-why-not-automate-them
This single sentence in the middle of the article seems to lack detail. I'm not sure I agree with the statement: "If a role can be outsourced, it can be automated."
I was reading this one this morning: https://www.wired.com/story/researcher-says-ai-not-artificial-intelligent/. I may need to pick up the book "Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence."
My company is very much behind AI and ML (Machine Learning) and I'm working on process automation
Wow, two diametrically opposed reviews of Atlas of AI. One calling it a written TED talk of self-promotion and the other a manufactured impossibly glowing review with no real content: "A must-read for anyone who has ever had to interact with an AI system -- which includes anyone who has ever shopped on Amazon, used social media, searched on Google, driven through a red light camera, used a credit card, flown on a plane... and much more. AI is increasingly part of every aspect of modern life. So this is a book that everyone alive today should read."
the British are coming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Ludington
Rereading all my Louis L'Amour novels again.
light weight and chatty but worth considering:
"How do we hold on to meaning and purpose when the possibility of death is constantly in view? How can we believe in a just world when the world is patently unjust? How can we grasp the truth when the nature of truth itself is in doubt?"
"Religious and philosophical thinkers have obsessed over these questions for millennia; existentialists have made them a primary concern over the past two centuries. In his seminal work Existential Psychotherapy (1980), the American psychiatrist Irvin Yalom categorised our existential problems into four ultimate concerns: death, freedom, existential isolation, and meaninglessness. We want to live, but we know we will eventually die. We have the freedom to make choices, but there is no absolute truth to ground these choices. We want to feel connection, but we feel alone in our subjective experience. We want our lives to be meaningful, but there appears to be no inherent meaning in the Universe.
"Awareness of these concerns gives rise to anxiety that we must manage; the defence mechanisms for doing so can be conscious or unconscious. A basic tenet of existential therapy is that how we manage this anxiety is intimately tied to our emotional wellbeing. Someone might try to avoid awareness of death by compulsively throwing themselves into the well-worn distractions of work, sex, drugs, fitness or any other activity that keeps them busy. Another might try to avoid awareness of freedom by staying with a romantic partner who controls their decision making and limits their autonomy. Yet another avoids existential isolation by blindly conforming to their ingroup and denigrating or attacking the other."
more:
https://psyche.co/ideas/existential-psychotherapy-helped-my-students-cope-with-chaos
Cross post. Every Billboard top 100.
https://www.stereogum.com/category/columns/the-number-ones/
I just finished a very long series called Worm. It was written by an amateur author completely for free, and he has a donation link that his fans used to let him continue to write instead of working a normal job. A few chapters got released every week, the way that serials used to be released before books became affordable. It shattered all kinds of records for web serials, and remains far and away the most popular one ever written. It was fantastic, one of the best series of books I've ever read in the fantasy/science fiction space. Just beware, it's very dark, and there are no characters who are only good or only bad. Definitely don't let your children read it, even though it's about super heroes and super villians. Here's the Author's description:
Worm:
An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons.
The story, titled Worm, takes the form of a web serial, posted in bite-sized reads in much the same way that authors such as Mark Twain would release their works one chapter at a time in the days before full-fledged novels. Worm started in June 2011, updating twice a week, and finished in late November, 2013. It totals roughly 1,680,000 words; roughly 26 typical novels in length (or 10-11 very thick novels). The story updated on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with bonus chapters appearing on the occasional Thursday, as explained below.
The actual work is divided into a number of story arcs, each containing five to sixteen individual chapters. Interludes (side stories) are inserted between each story arc to showcase events from different perspectives or provide some background information that the reader wouldn’t get from Taylor’s point of view. Further interludes were released as bonus content when the audience reached specific donation goals, but these were found to distract from the core story (with a good reception, but still) and were paced out more in favor of additional main-story chapters.
Readers should be cautioned that Worm is fairly dark as fiction goes, and it gets far darker as the story progresses. Morality isn’t black and white, Taylor and her acquaintances aren’t invincible, the heroes aren’t winning the war between right and wrong, and superpowers haven’t necessarily affected society for the better. Just the opposite on every count, really. Even on a more fundamental level, Taylor’s day to day life is unhappy, with her clinging to the end of her rope from the story’s outset. The denizens of the Wormverse (as readers have termed it) don’t pull punches, and I try to avoid doing so myself, as a writer. There’s graphic language, descriptions of violence and sex does happen (albeit offscreen). It would be easier to note the trigger warnings that don’t apply than all the ones that do.
All in all, this probably isn’t a story for the sensitive or the young. I’d peg it with a PG-18 rating, but I think we all know that there’s kids who can handle that sort of thing and there’s adults who can’t. Use your best judgement and ask in the comments below if you’re still unsure.
If I haven’t scared you off yet, you can begin reading Taylor’s story here. Enjoy.
https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/1-1/
Just back from the library. The book on the bottom is Conrad The Heart of Darkness.
Highlights from Capitalist Woodstock
"The U.S. economy was resurrected in an extraordinarily effective way" when the Federal Reserve took actions last year in response to the pandemic-induced recession, Warren Buffett said during Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A, BRK.B) virtual annual meeting. The Fed "moved with speed" and demonstrated that they would do "whatever it takes" to restore bond market trading, which had frozen early in the pandemic. About 85% of the economy is now running in "super high gear."
Energy: Asked about whether climate change rhetoric has become too irrational regarding investments in fossil fuel companies, Buffett said "people on both extremes are a little nuts." "I would hate to have all the hydrocarbons banned in three years - it wouldn't work... but I do think the world is moving away from them too," he added. Buffett still has "no compunction in the least about owning Chevron (CVX)."
Tech: Mega-cap tech stock valuations are not "crazy," he declared, outlining that Berkshire's sale of some Apple (AAPL) shares last year "was probably a mistake" and "Charlie in his usual way let me know it was a mistake." Charlie Munger is Buffett's 97-year-old business partner and vice chairman of Berkshire.
SPACs: "It's a killer," Buffett said. "When the competition is playing with other people's money... they're going to beat us... We're not going to have much luck as long as this continues." He also likened the **** (stupid censor that is s p a c) craze to gambling. "It's shameful what's going on. It's not just stupid, it's shameful," added Munger.
Taxes: Buffett declined to speak about what he feels about the proposed federal tax changes - saying it's not appropriate to express his views at Berkshire's annual meeting - though he's not worried about the possibility of higher corporate taxes. Buffett also said he voted for Biden in the presidential election.
Robinhood: "I'm looking forward to reading the S-1 [IPO prospectus]," Buffett said. "It's become a very significant part of the 'casino' part" of the market. There's nothing illegal about it, there's nothing immoral. But I don't think you build a society around it," he added. Munger took a stronger stance, calling the gamification "deeply wrong."
Crypto: Buffett declined to comment on bitcoin (BTC-USD), but Munger let it rip: "Of course, I hate bitcoin's success... it's creating a financial product out of thin air. I don't welcome currency that is so useful to kidnappers and extortionists."
Portfolio advice: "You couldn't help but do well if you had a diversified group of equities. There's a lot more to picking out stocks" than figuring out which industry is going to have a bright future, Buffett added. He then pointed out that in the 1930s there were more than 2,000 auto manufacturers in the U.S. "In 2009, there were three left and two went bankrupt."
This was my reaction the first time I ever heard of Bitcoin. Of course, sometimes I wish I'd put $10,000 into it back then. But, I didn't.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-length-of-a-yawn-is-tied-to-the-size-of-the-brain
@Usaf06
I know, You're a big dog and I'm on the list.
Let's eat, GrandMa. / Let's eat GrandMa. -- Punctuation saves lives
It'll be fine once the swelling goes down.
Now I'm fighting the urge to yawn now that I know it's a way to cool off the brain. Here's a visualization of the yawn duration for the mammal data set.
Massen, Jorg, 2021, "Raw Yawn Data csv.", https://doi.org/10.34894/9HENTF, DataverseNL, V1
Raw Data of Massen et al. "Brain size and neuron numbers drive differences in yawn duration across mammals and birds"
Not something I'd like, but cool:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/18/22442336/google-project-starline-3d-video-chat-platform
Just finished Black Widow by Randy Wayne White and starting Ranger by Ace Atkins. Trashy fiction but well written.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210518114214.htm
"Icing muscle injuries may delay recovery
Date:
May 18, 2021
Source:
Kobe University
Summary:
In sports, it is common practice to apply ice to sore muscles in order to reduce inflammation. However, a new study on mice has revealed that icing severe muscle injuries may actually prolong the healing process. The results indicate that cooling the injury makes it difficult for macrophages to enter the damaged cells in order to repair them."
https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-deconstruct-the-world-by-thinking-like-jacques-derrida
Seaweed is beano for cows, reducing methane production (burps) by up to 82%.
https://scitechdaily.com/feeding-cattle-a-bit-of-seaweed-reduces-their-greenhouse-gas-emissions-82/
Woo hoo! Our climate change problems are over!
Cattle contribute 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions and seaweed will reduce it by 82%, so cattle will then produce 0.9%. I think it is the other 95% of greenhouse gas emitters that are the problem.
Now, about YOUR diet....
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-atoms-resolution.html
You always post interesting stuff, Edward. Thanks.
Dumb & getting dumber
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/iq-rates-are-dropping-many-developed-countries-doesn-t-bode-ncna1008576
entertaining writing, I got a chuckle out of this: "So if IQ scores are really dropping, that could not only mean 15 more seasons of the Kardashians...."
here's a little chunk of the reason...
Background
Accumulating evidence suggests that prenatal chemical exposure triggers epigenetic modifications that could influence health outcomes later in life. In this study, we investigated whether DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at the glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B (GRIN2B) gene underlies the association between prenatal exposure to an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), bisphenol F (BPF), and lower cognitive functions in 7-year-old children.
study here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002427?via=ihub
https://thebulletin.org/2021/05/the-origin-of-covid-did-people-or-nature-open-pandoras-box-at-wuhan/