Richard
Yes, I know, and I didn't mean to imply that the work was without value. But it's funny nevertheless.
1
Richard
JoinedAmerican expat living in Madrid. Former Ibiza hippie and San Francisco IT guy.
- RichardI read that report yesterday. While I don't doubt that it might be of scientific interest to somebody, my first thought was OK, this is an Ig Nobel Prize contender. And sure enough, when I went to look for the link I just gave, I found an article …1
- RichardCount me among the Ex Machina fans. The aesthetics were terrific as was the pacing. It also had a more sophisticated take on artificial intelligence than most other films of the genre. I was especially impressed by the notion that the Turing Test …1
- RichardIt's not really a news site, but I have found a number of stimulating panel discussions on cosmology, biology, cognitive science and physics here: http://thesciencenetwork.org/ It's not updated very frequently, but if you have never visited …1
RichardAgreed. Low orbit transport is well-known technology and the private sector is doing a fine job of getting the job done while lowering the cost. NASA should be focused on longer term problems that push the boundaries of science while having no …2- RichardInteresting idea. I wonder whether metaphor is inherent in the work itself or if it's something that the observer brings to the table. Certainly, an artist may have a metaphor in mind while creating the work. But the artist may fail to convey her …
- RichardLanguage is certainly useful, though some--like Jerry Fodor--have posited that there is a separate, internal language of thought (mentalese) that is distinct from our public, shared language. It's possible that our creative acts rely on this …1
- Richard> I, too, have been mulling this over in my mind a lot. Empathy, compassion, sympathy, warmth, kindness, charity, intimacy, mercy, friendliness... I have also been thinking about this, @lidja. My initial response was probably due to a general …1
- RichardI dunno. So few dollars and so much science to pursue. In his recent book, Accessory to War, deGrasse Tyson carefully documents the extent to which funding for the US space program was driven by military and geo-political concerns. The Hubble …1
- RichardHmm...humans have a capacity for language that no other species share. Other species certainly are conscious and some have rudimentary communication skills, but as far as we know, none has anything resembling ours. Language is the key enabler of …
- RichardI don't know about spirit or soul, but I have spent a fair amount of time over the past decade reading and thinking about consciousness and mind. I suppose I'm some sort of property dualist--I believe only in physical substance, but I think the …1
- RichardThat's a little like saying it would be nice to know the future, which is true but not possible. I'm not really sure of this, but I suspect that a capacity to love may be highly dependent on the dynamics of a specific relationship, not something …1
- Richard> Is it crazy to hope that somehow some new online dating site might grab hold of these assessment tools and integrate them into their algorithms so that each person’s CTL score shows up next to their profile? Ha. That would be a huge leap …
- Richardhttps://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9tBsLKt/3/2e70eaed/XL/i-9tBsLKt-XL.jpg Ibiza 1983 - Madrid 20152
- RichardYou may have read last month that an AI created print sold for $432,500 at Christie's in NY, far exceeding the estimated $10,000 it was expected to fetch. Obvious Art in Paris produced the work using an adversarial generative network, an AI …
3 - RichardIt's great that these images are going to be preserved. Neither this article nor another one I saw earlier discussed how access or licensing are going to work. I'm guessing that the NYT will retain the copyrights rather than place them in the …1
- RichardI just finished binge watching it. No spoilers from me, but I have to say, I'm glad it's ending. The British original was (IIRC) eight episodes over two seasons; the American one went on forever. Sadly, in the past couple years it seemed to provide …2
- RichardIn Madrid's Plaza Mayor https://photos.smugmug.com/Public/Street/i-tbCmKV7/0/0c27b784/XL/100523_0148-XL.jpg2
- RichardI'm not sure you can lay the blame on postmodernism, which arose as a method of literary criticism not a philosophy as such. But I certainly agree with you that in the public sphere, objectivity is endangered. I think that this guy is doing his act …1
RichardYes, you're correct. The public records do not include how you vote (which is secret), only that you did or didn't. This is still valuable information for political parties as it helps them target their campaign activities. Combining that …2- RichardI saw that earlier. If you read the whole article it's pretty clear that this guy has been a troll for a long time. Mostly harmless, I think.
- Richard> "Minimize damage to those in the car. Following that, minimize collateral damage to surrounding objects and entities. Following that, minimize damage to the car." "Minimize damage to the car. Following that, minimize collateral damage to the …
- RichardIn this case, I'm not sure you can separate logical/practical from the implictly ethical. What would a purely logical rule look like?
- Richard> It's the hope that kills you. I understand the sentiment, but it's the hope that keeps me going.3
