Diaries

Thursday Open Thread 12-21-2017


To bounce back from hardship is one expression of resilience. Another common theme is to be able to provide the basics of food, shelter and health in the event of modern civilization disruptions. Maybe more important is the ability to maintain civil dialog and open communication with whom one disagrees, disapproves of or feels intimidated.

What is a republic? Foreword # 2

To truly understand a republic, and its importance in the political development of humanity, you must appreciate the role of science. So let me ask this:

What do you think our government, our national policies, our national reputation and our political prospects would look like if 28 Senators and 162 Congressmen (or some similar number) were world leading scientists?

Corporations Are Malignant Artificial Intelligence

This Visionary Sci-Fi Author Sees the Destruction of Human Civilization: Predatory Capitalism

Chiang is the acclaimed author of "Arrival" (Stories of Your Life and Others). He explains the threat of AI to humanity by riffing on an Elon Musk interview:

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Musk imagines a mechanized strawberry picker wiping out the species simply as a means of maximizing its production.

Long story short at Alternet:

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