Brain Ticklers, Ed. 40
Links for May 2023 that [carnivas thinks] will tickle the brains of his [purportedly] intelligent friends (and his future-self if AGI lets him live).
Hiya, folks!
Does the “40 editions” milestone call for a celebration? Or shall we wait to hit the 50? Given we aren’t really going to do anything in the physical world (“Brain Tickler” meet ups, anyone?), why don’t we actually celebrate right away? :tada: :tada: :tada:
Okay, that was the celebration about. Now to the links. They are fewer than usual, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are higher in quality. OK?
History
How Hiroshima rose from the ashes of nuclear destruction
Europe is not ready to be a "third superpower". (Okay, by last count, how many contenders are there for this position?)
The long, slow death of global development (Presents a pessimistic picture of the world. And I hope it is wrong)
Self-awareness among humans is fairly new (last 12K years or so) because first-person singular pronouns seem to have come into being only then. (I argue that despite all the K12 education in the 12K years, there has been no reasonable self awareness, ha)
Here…comes…INDIA!! The world has a new largest country, and it's on the move.
Just as I was typing this, a friend sent this over WhatsApp, haha. Thank you da, Western media:
Society
Small speakers that read out digital payment receipts (like "Received Paytm payment of…") are making fintech companies big money. This is crazy. First, it serves as branding for the company. Second, it is a semi-privacy issue for customers when the whole store hears how much they pay (e.g., "oh you spent so much time in the store only to buy things worth Rs. 50?). And third, the noise is annoying. I realize shoppers need it, but show a screen with the detail to them (beyond their phone). Why this sound? Let's please get rid of it, digital India.
There are good reasons you always feel 20 percent younger than your actual age
Where Americans once asked “how do we solve this?” they now query “how do we get management on my side?”
‘Over employed’ hustlers exploit ChatGPT to take on even more full-time jobs. ("Charles, who has worked as a software engineer and product manager and solutions architect, including at a FAANG company, had been all-in on over employment since 2020. While he currently works two jobs, he worked at four at the height of the pandemic—but said that AI tools have made juggling the positions much easier"). Scary.
World Startup Convention: The India start-up gala that exploded into a scandal. (Hey, is this too propaganda, given the current relationship between the Indian Government and the BBC? Ha!)
On different sides of the Atlantic, medical experts have weighed the evidence for the treatment of gender-dysphoric children and teenagers, those who feel intense discomfort with their biological sex. The consensus in America is that medical intervention and gender affirmation are beneficial and should be more accessible. Europe believes that the evidence is lacking, and such interventions should be used sparingly and need further study. (Scary & Sad).
Interesting-Perspectives
Many situations in management, like in medicine, rely on the operation of the self-fulfilling prophecy. So, this "radical candor" thing isn't useful?
To understand helpless human babies, our big brains and oddly involved dads, look to the evolution of birds (like Kiwi), not mammals
A zero-tolerance approach to talented jerks in the workplace is risky, even if banning them sounds attractive
Global GDP is not exponential: it's super-exponential
How would an octopus, who can easily see and move in all directions, conceptualize time? (Humans do it with ego-moving and time-moving metaphors. Which one you follow depends on your answer to the question: Next Wednesday’s meeting has been moved forward two days. What day is the meeting now that it has been rescheduled?)
The borderland between essays and software.
Science & Technology
(The lack of a) B2C Killer app for LLMs - an interesting HackerNews thread.
AI is already taking video game illustrators’ jobs in China
It’s easy to make something cool with LLMs, but very hard to make something production-ready with them.
While many people discuss the dangers and the nearer-term applications of AI, this post reflects on how it might extend our understanding and connection to the world around us (like how animals perceive things).
Prompt injection: What’s the worst that can happen?
35 ways real people are using A.I. right now
Perso-Dev
When we compare ourselves with those we perceive as higher status, we feel insecure and doubt our self-worth. This in turn leads us to chase status as a way to try to feel better about ourselves. (And then the cycle goes).
Truly splendid uselessness nourishes and elevates us spiritually, rather than simply providing a rush of mental or bodily pleasure. (Okay, that's the motto henceforth: Be useless, but in a truly splendid way).
Choosing backgrounds for success: The role of videoconference backgrounds in self-presentation. (TLDR: Don't use backgrounds, including blurring. You seem untrustworthy).
Random
Oven manufacturers include a secret "Sabbath mode"
Take this test to determine if you are a psychopath. (Note: It said I rank "low" on that spectrum and might actually be a people pleaser :-shrug)
Interesting: Flanderization is the process through which a fictional, formerly complex character's essential traits are oversimplified to being their entire personality, or at least exaggerated while other traits remain, over the course of a serial work.
Parrots learn to make video calls to chat with other parrots, then develop friendships. (I don’t think they researched about the use of background blurring, though).