mobrec

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Interesting background on some interesting (and at times annoying) buzzwords in 2019.

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So we have gone from conflict diamonds to conflict avocados? I guess it proves out the old adage “if something is worth doing, it is worth doing for money”. Sadly.

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Automated processes and workflows aren't AI, but everyone wants to be a 'player' in the Artificial Intelligence space.

As I recently observed, most 'AI' purveyors seem to have the attitude “You can't buy AI, but I can sell it to you!”.

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Constraints can be a good creative tension to help temper and refine innovation. Just don't have 'too many' constraints.

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This is the stuff of sci-fi starting to come to life. It will be interesting to see how this develops over time.

https://www.apnews.com/Business%20Wire/856d3482387741d5937af2fcec9d2314

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> Science has found that reading is essential for a healthy brain. We already know reading is good for children’s developing noggins: A study of twins at the University of California at Berkeley found that kids who started reading at an earlier age went on to perform better on certain intelligence tests, such as analyses of their vocabulary size. > >
> Other studies show that reading continues to develop the brains of adults. One 2012 Stanford University study, where people read passages of Jane Austen while inside an MRI, indicates that different types of reading exercise different parts of your brain. As you get older, another study suggests, reading might help slow down or even halt cognitive decline.Science has found that reading is essential for a healthy brain. We already know reading is good for children’s developing noggins: A study of twins at the University of California at Berkeley found that kids who started reading at an earlier age went on to perform better on certain intelligence tests, such as analyses of their vocabulary size. > >
> Other studies show that reading continues to develop the brains of adults. One 2012 Stanford University study, where people read passages of Jane Austen while inside an MRI, indicates that different types of reading exercise different parts of your brain. As you get older, another study suggests, reading might help slow down or even halt cognitive decline. > > https://www.popsci.com/read-more-books

 

And it doesn't seem to matter if it is a physical book, an e-reader or an audio book (although the audio book has a slightly different impact on the brain).

 

As for audiobooks, the research so far has found that they stimulate the brain just as deeply as black-and-white pages, although they affect your gray matter somewhat differently. Because you’re listening to a story, you’re using different methods to decode and comprehend it. With print books, you need to provide the voice, called the prosody—you’re imagining the “tune and rhythm of speech,” the intonation, the stress on certain syllables, and so. With audio, the voice actor provides that information for you, so your brain isn’t generating the prosody itself, but rather working to understand the prosody in your ears.

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These types of articles seem to come down to the insatiable need for writers to sensationalize things that they don't necessarily understand.

For example, in the scenario outlined in the article, it is unlikely that the 'AI' (aka computer algorithm) was self aware and said to itself “hey, I have a comprehensive understanding of humans and their capabilities, so I will modify myself to 'cheat' at this task in a way that a human would find difficult to detect”.

More likely is that the algorithm was poorly defined and the brute force computational model (aka 'AI') found a way to 'solve' the problem in a way that wasn't contemplated by the software developer.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/31/this-clever-ai-hid-data-from-its-creators-to-cheat-at-its-appointed-task/

Feed Shark

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I knew that flickr has been on the decline for a while.  IMHO, Yahoo's acquisition was the beginning of the end.  SmugMug's heavy handed idiocy of late was the last straw for me.

After a few arrogant email demands from SmarmMug, I had had enough so I requested all of my data from flickr and it only took them a week and a half to provide the requested files.  I happily downloaded my content and deleted my account after 13 years of use.

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Autumn has always been my favorite time of year – especially when you get late afternoons like this.

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Dramatic Halloween sky at a park near the office.