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I don't remember who but <pronoun> said that AI or computer generated stuff can never be art since the most fundamental quality inherently required in any creator of a work of art is horniness. Find me a decent asexual artist, let alone great. AI no horny, no artist. After all Freudian theory still holds broadly, the only two urges (boiling down) we have are sex and aggression, procreate and destroy.

In my opinion? There is a big drop off in quality between the first book and the second, and each subsequent book is then a little worse. You can stop reading after the first book, or after the second, or after the fourth to get a coherent ending, so up to you how long you want to keep going..

Thanks for sharing, quite an interesting read especially considering it was published in 1984. "We are all supposed to keep tranquil and allow it to go on, even though, because of the data revolution, it becomes every day less possible to fool any of the people any of the time. If our world survives, the next great challenge to watch out for will come - you heard it here first - when the curves of research and development in artificial intelligence, molecular biology and robotics all converge." Man I wish the first sentence was true- not sure they anticipated that too much data would lead to the truth being more easily obscured. We seem to be on track with AI and molecular biology, but those robotists are really letting us down. (Just wrapping up Excession by Banks, so this whole thread was serendipitous for me)

For sure. It was this part you quoted (and the distinction you've made above) that led me to say "maybe a Luddite" and to recommend this. I am less concerned with technology itself than about using it responsibly to improve the world rather than to create more or new or exciting types of suffering because of profit.

Emma Vigelund of The Majority Report takes this point of view, and although I don't agree with it, it is a point of view that is coherent and understandable. If one thinks inclusion trumps competitive fairness, well, then the answer is clear. I think that gets complicated when scholarships, money and career advancement are on the line, but it's clear.

Does Dune Messiah get better? I loved the first book and I am shocked at how much less interesting this book is. I'm 70 pages in and we've had: - A meeting of conspirators to kill Paul - Paul and Chani having a discussion about whether he should impregnate Irulan - A second meeting of conspirators, this time on Arrakis - A meeting of Paul's inner circle in which...nothing much is decided. I haven't finished this chapter, so maybe they actually do something later. I can slog on for a bit longer, but WTF? I was really impressed with how tight Dune was, almost every scene had a bunch of worldbuilding, character development and plot movement woven together. Thus far everything is stagnant and dull.

Sad news, Laurence Fox loses libel trial and has to pay 180 grand in damages.

Yes, but I'd like to unerline this passage: I think this points out that it's the specific combination of technology and capitalism that is so dangerous. So it depends how you want to define "Luddism." If we're talking about the historical movement, then yes, we should all be Luddites, because neoliberalism threatens to make any technology terrifying. But if we're using a more common sense of the word, I think it would be better to direct the rage at socio-economic structures instead of technology itself. I'd say Iain Banks had an interesting view of what AIs could provide humanity in a socialist perspective. One could argue that it's a rather paternalistic view, but I think such a view is warranted given history, and I'd rather take that than the absolutely moronic idea that "the market" will allow for the proper development and use of technology. Another way to put it is that I'm a bit reluctant to embrace Luddism, because the early days of computer science and IT offered incredible promises for humanity, that were only betrayed once massive corporations took over and redirected the entire enterprise toward maximizing profit. We still have remnants of the potential though, like wikipedia, and as I said earlier, communication really can be said to be a good in itself, so I'd rather target our corporate overlords than the machines.

Adrian Tchaikovsky's Empire of Black and Gold and The Tiger and the Wolf are 3.99$ on Kindle.

Sorry about the random post. I was bored at work and scanning some stuff I had on my iPad and came across that. Thought I’d share.

I've been offered a vasectomy on my son's birthday, which is ironic as he's the reason i want one.

Today the cardiologist, the sweetest female doctor I have ever met, asked me what I do for a living. I told her I worked in leadership development. Ah so what kinda software do I develop? It’s not software, basically we train the management. Ah and whatever does one develop on them? Well… Ah is it like communication and the like? Yep, communication and the like. Ah. Imagine, this poor woman with her vast knowledge that she applies every day to save lives must have never heard anything so dumb, insignificant and meaningless to make a livelihood as developing managers in communication and the like. The sheer dumb corporate hubris to spend 50 hours of several people every week on these things.

Thank you Chats, DMC, Toth, and Liffguard. I just need to say it again outloud, it really sucks to feel a deep and meaningful connection with someone and think you found the one, but they are with someone else (it was all just emotional, nothing physical). She worked from home and I would sit with her when I was able and we'd talk for 8hrs+ every day. Frankly it's made me seriously doubt myself and my ability to discern how I'm seen by the people around me. Like am I even capable of having someone reciprocate these feelings? I had convinced myself many years ago I was happy alone, and then I met this person. Now all I want is someone to love me and care about me, and it's just like I'm putting too much pressure on any new woman I potentially meet. I think it's only fair to myself and others to not be trying to meet anyone right now, but I hate the loneliness so so much.

Is that a question?

See also Blood in the Machine, Brian Merchant's latest book.

I completed the main story in Horizon Forbidden West and now I've started the Burning Shores DLC story. I'm 63 hours in the game. At one point I got bored with all the side quests and just shot for finishing the main story. I found the last act of the main story less challenging than in HZD.

Imo, the show did a good enough showing that John loved Mariko. OTOH it's less clear how much Mariko loved John, because she certainly didn't put their love ahead of duty or even her desire to die.

I certainly hope so.

Not to mention a possible greyscale plague.

What Larry said.

Not enough apparently, when he's taking more votes from Trump than Biden.

This essay should be required reading on the broad topic of the ethics of technology, automation, and how we think about reactions to it, and is rather prescient for being written 40 years ago, particularly the conclusion: Is it ok to be a Luddite?

Just been reading up on Alleras / Sarella. If there is any doubt left that they are one and the same, then there is one clue which I think has been overlooked. Sarella's mother being captain of the ship Feathered Kiss is more than just an allusion to her being a Summer Islander, and therefore captaining a Swan Ship (swans have feathers, etc). Because Alleras is famed for his archery, as we see in the apple scenes. And what better ASOIAF-style metaphor for an arrow hitting its target could there be than .. a feathered kiss? Arrows use feathers in their fletching in the world of Westeros, as we see many times in the story, e.g.: Jon hung a quiver from his belt and pulled an arrow. The shaft was black, the fletching grey. As he notched it to his string, he remembered something that Theon Greyjoy had once said after a hunt. "The boar can keep his tusks and the bear his claws," he had declared, smiling that way he did. "There's nothing half so mortal as a grey goose feather." - Including those used by Alleras: Far and fast the apple flew . . . . . . but not as fast as the arrow that whistled after it, a yard-long shaft of golden wood fletched with scarlet feathers. And kisses are often used as metaphors when using a piercing weapon: Ebben drew his dagger. "A steel kiss will keep her quiet." Kurleket grabbed a handful of hair and yanked his head back in a hard jerk, baring his throat. Tyrion felt the cold kiss of steel beneath his chin. "Shall I bleed him, my lady?" So it's fitting that the daughter of the captain of the Feathered Kiss would be skilled at producing ''feathered kisses of a more deadly kind.

How much is the Trump campaign paying this asshat to be a spoiler?

As of now, the only other two confirmed are Utah and Hawaii (there was just a ruling in his favor on the latter). Here’s a good rundown of his camp’s reported efforts: