Category Archives: uncategorized

The Economist has noticed that: After years of dithering, companies are embracing automation – though I wouldn’t necessarily consider waiting for development of the appropriate level of DeepLearning-based AI before making the leap to be “dithering”. “We must build, but … Continue reading →

 Habib Fanny’s answer to What do you think about the fact that 45% of Republicans said they strongly or somewhat support the storming of the Capitol? correctly points out that the reported figure is nonsense. But the somewhat smaller numbers … Continue reading →

Source: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman tests positive for coronavirus after lockdown with maskless lawmakers during Capitol siege – The Washington Post

A friend recently pointed me to an article at Inside Climate News : Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero –  with the understandable comment “The game-changing, optimistic assertion in the headline … Continue reading →

Sometimes it is necessary to encourage people to follow a protocol while at the same time challenging its appropriateness and suggesting possible alternatives. Source: John Ioannidis: Coronavirus lockdowns questioned by Stanford scientist on Fox News – The Washington Post

I love the idea of Bloomberg Businessweek’s Annual Jealousy List, in which its writers select and promote the work of others. My reaction to the choices is mixed, but one that struck me is Susan Berfield’s selection of What Happened … Continue reading →

Aeon’s sibling Psyche presents Nicholas Agar’s views: On the moral obligation to stop shit-stirring | Psyche Ideas But, far from being the mere random trouble-making of a typical shit-disturber, the slow and deliberate shit-stirring of philosophers is actually what they … Continue reading →

Source: (20+) Live | Facebook This happened a couple of weeks ago. Panelists included Niki Ashton (didn’t show up but submitted a statement of support), Paul Manley, . . .and my fellow student from half a century ago John Philpot. … Continue reading →

The claim that An irrational constraint is the motivating force in modern science is completely wrong. The first hint of this comes in the subheading “Is hard data the only path to scientific truth? That’s an absurd, illogical and profoundly … Continue reading →

This article in ‘The Economist’  would be more useful if it identified specific problematic wordings in the proposed US Equality Act (whose goal is allegedly to “ban “discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity and sexual orientation””). If the … Continue reading →

What I had intended to post about is now gone! Moments ago the article: Federal Election Averted As Liberals, NDP Defeat Contentious Conservative Motion | HuffPost Canada had been about Singh’s raising the abstention option – which I had thought … Continue reading →

It is sad to see a competent physicist and capable writer spouting meaningless nonsense in order to advance his position in a “public relations race” of his own invention. There is no difference of opinion among physicists as to what … Continue reading →

With regard to plastics, I doubt that the promise of recycling significantly increased the market for petroleum-based materials. But even without recycling, separation of refuse streams is a good idea as different materials lend themselves to different methods of disposal. … Continue reading →

The source of this article is what makes it most interesting.

“Do send in your comments and suggestions” Ha! Do you really mean that you useless piece of shit? How DARE you comment on the disincentive to work of a universal basic income when you yourself have been provided with an … Continue reading →

On reading how Algorithms associating appearance and criminality have a dark past  (which, despite what I am about to say, includes much of value and interest) we eventually come to this: “The most contentious question seems to be whether reinventing … Continue reading →

How fucking stupid! And I’m NOT talking about Mr.T here. What kind of smug idiot does it take to crow wildly about how they know the difference between WWI and WWII when someone has a brief brainfart and misnames the … Continue reading →

I couldn’t resist answering this: If you’re from a country that was colonized in the past, how do your people feel about the countries who once were rulers? How do the Vietnamese feel about French, Brazil about Portugal, etc.?  In … Continue reading →

A recent Aeon Essay asks If language began in the hands, why did it ever leave? but do anthropologists really fixate on deciding which kind of communication came first while ignoring the obviously most likely alternative? Surely the utility of … Continue reading →