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The Digital Echo of Orality: How Walter Ong’s Work Influences Today's Communication Strategies

⭐️Bob’s Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 07 Feb 24
πŸ”¬ Science Communication Technology Marketing Artificial Intelligence Media
  1. Walter Ong explored how communication methods impact human consciousness and environments.
  2. Auditory environments foster communal engagement and emotional connections through speech and sound.
  3. Combining visual and auditory elements in digital communication can enhance engagement and cater to diverse preferences.

snow flakes

the rohn report β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 27 Feb 21
πŸ”¬ Science Nature Aesthetics Diversity Creation
  1. Snowflakes are not frozen water, they are frozen water vapor with unique hexagonal structures.
  2. The molecular structure of H2O creates the hexagonal shapes seen in snowflakes, causing natural beauty.
  3. The diverse patterns of snowflakes and the uniqueness of all things in nature demonstrate the commonality of life and the beauty of diversity.

Links for Fall 2023

Perambulations β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 20 Nov 23
πŸ”¬ Science Biology Data Health Chemistry Psychology
  1. Cats are evolutionarily perfect due to their extreme specialization for hunting.
  2. Data visualization can lead to cognitive errors and should be carefully considered.
  3. Polygenic risk scores have marginal benefits in disease screening and may not be effective for population-wide risk stratification.

Cholesterol Chemistry 101

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 17 Sep 08
πŸ”¬ Science Chemistry Biology Nutrients
  1. Cholesterol is composed of a hydrocarbon tail, a ring structure with 4 hydrocarbon rings, and a hydroxyl group. The combination of these regions classifies cholesterol as a sterol, the animal sterol.
  2. Cholesterol is amphipathic because it contains both water-soluble and fat-soluble regions. It travels in the blood via lipoproteins like LDL and HDL.
  3. Cholesterol, although containing a water-soluble region, is not water-soluble enough to dissolve in the blood directly. Instead, it travels in the blood with fats and fat-soluble nutrients.

Open Science Hardware at GOSH 2018

Shubhi’s Substack β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 17 Nov 18
πŸ”¬ Science Research Open Source Community Hardware Global impact
  1. Open Science Hardware focuses on creating accessible tools for research and experimentation, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing.
  2. Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH) events bring together diverse professionals to discuss open hardware issues and solutions, aiming for global impact.
  3. GOSH 2018 resulted in action items like organizing regional open hardware movements, creating maps of makerspaces, and offering programs with local universities, all to support the open science community.

Science under the bell jar

Perambulations β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 16 Feb 23
πŸ”¬ Science AI Research Transparency Accountability
  1. The desire for purity and resistance to change are deeply human traits, influencing our evolution.
  2. Scientific journals are questioning the originality, accountability, and transparency of AI in research.
  3. Policies regarding AI use in research should be focused on scientific progress, not maintaining journal prestige.

LLMs May Immunize People Against Bad Ideas

Pursuits β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 18 Mar 23
πŸ”¬ Science AI Philosophy Language Reality Ethics
  1. AI language models can influence people's perceptions and beliefs without needing consciousness or intentions.
  2. Economics and politics have more predictive power over AI than philosophy of mind. When faced with costly human answers, people switch to machine answers. No magic or intentionality is involved.
  3. Sophisticated language models challenge the concept of subjectivity by producing internally consistent but hollow criticisms. Exposure to this may lead people to develop a firmer belief in reality and become immune to falsehoods.

Small follow-ons

Bram’s Thoughts β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 07 Dec 23
πŸ”¬ Science Mathematics Technology Physics Engineering
  1. Fermat's Last Theorem is a level 1 question that an ordinary Busy Beaver can answer.
  2. The Twin Primes Conjecture is a level 2 question requiring a level 2 Busy Beaver with access to a level 1 Busy Beaver oracle.
  3. Level 3 questions are more difficult and less common in mathematics compared to level 2 questions.

Code for "An analysis of Berkson's Paradox"

Of Aurochs and Angels β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 14 May 24
πŸ”¬ Science Analysis
  1. The post discusses an analysis of Berkson's Paradox using code to investigate relationships and generate graphs.
  2. The code includes functions to run simulations, compute metrics, and plot graphs for the analysis.
  3. Results from the analysis are presented through visualizations showing betas, correlations, and the impact of data filtering on performance.

Kepler: the mission that keeps on giving

Extrasolar Times β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 12 Jun 23
πŸ”¬ Science Space Exploration
  1. The NASA Kepler mission discovered over 3000 exoplanets, more than half of all known exoplanets.
  2. Even after mechanical issues, engineers repurposed the Kepler telescope for the K2 mission and found new planets.
  3. In the final K2 campaign 19, two new planets and a planet candidate were discovered through intense observation and validation.

The Very Large Telescope turns 25

Extrasolar Times β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 06 Jun 23
πŸ”¬ Science Astronomy Exoplanets Research Discoveries
  1. The Very Large Telescope (VLT) has been a key instrument in astronomy for 25 years, located in Chile's Atacama desert.
  2. The VLT has made significant contributions to exoplanet research, including direct imaging of exoplanets and their atmospheres.
  3. The VLT's advanced technology, like the ESPRESSO spectrograph, enables high-precision radial velocity observations to search for Earth-like exoplanets.

Bodies Bodies [3]

The Author Is Dumb β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 01 Dec 24
πŸ”¬ Science Space Physics Astronomy Biology
  1. There is a giant humanoid figure in the stratosphere, which is really huge and looks like a human but we don't know what it's made of. It's just sitting there and not moving at all.
  2. No one knows how this figure got there or if it's dangerous. It might even affect the weather and air travel because it's blocking the sky.
  3. Everyone is puzzled and scared about this thing, and scientists are trying hard to figure out what it is and where it came from. Governments are meeting to plan what to do next.

Why I'm Suspicious of AI X-Risk

The Walters File β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 23 Sep 23
πŸ”¬ Science Technology AI Risk Experts History
  1. Thomas Malthus' failed predictions about population collapse due to lack of food production highlight the importance of human ingenuity and adaptation.
  2. Historical panics like Y2K and overpopulation have turned out to be false alarms, raising skepticism about modern fears of AI extinction risk.
  3. AI concerns should consider real-world evidence of harm as AI capabilities grow, the skepticism surrounding expert predictions, and the existing safeguards and regulations in place.

CxD πŸ“š'23 #11: β­οΈβ­οΈβ­οΈπŸŒ“ Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

CxD Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 28 Feb 23
πŸ”¬ Science Consciousness Evolution Marine life
  1. The book explores how animals predict sensory consequences of their actions to tell apart self from environment, leading to inner language and thoughts.
  2. The central concept: 'The sea is the origin of mind.'
  3. The octopus brain is compared to a conductor and its arms to jazz players in an analogy.

Why We Need To Build A Lunar Economy ASAP

Theology β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 28 Oct 24
πŸ”¬ Science Space Exploration Logistics Sustainability Economics Philosophy
  1. Building a lunar economy is mainly about solving logistics, not just technology or funds. We need better systems to transport goods to the Moon efficiently.
  2. The Moon should be viewed as a launchpad for further space exploration, helping to protect humanity from potential threats on Earth. We need to create a sustainable presence there.
  3. Having a good logistics network is essential for a thriving lunar community. This means using existing skills from Earth, like those of truck drivers, to manage space transport and maintain operations.

Of Homo Economicus and Superintelligence

Joshua Gans' Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 21 Dec 15
πŸ”¬ Science AI Regulation Economics Property Rights Policy
  1. Bostrom's work on superintelligence explores the challenges of regulating AI and the potential risks it poses to humanity, raising crucial questions about AI's impact and our ability to control it.
  2. Economic theories suggest that co-existence with superintelligences may be possible, with the concept of general equilibrium offering insights into managing interactions and maintaining balance.
  3. Policy considerations such as property rights, violence prevention, and AI self-regulation can play key roles in shaping a future where superintelligences and humans can coexist peacefully.

Wild vs lab? Does it matter?

Joshua Gans' Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 24 May 21
πŸ”¬ Science Pandemic Prevention
  1. Understanding the origin of Covid-19, whether from the wild or a lab, can greatly impact our decisions and actions moving forward.
  2. The wild hypothesis suggests the virus originated from bats and other animals, making it challenging to prevent future pandemics. In contrast, the lab escape hypothesis offers a more manageable solution through regulating labs handling viruses.
  3. If the lab escape hypothesis is confirmed, it could lead to positive changes in how we manage future pandemics by focusing on overhauling lab safety globally, although political challenges may hinder progress.

$(-1)^2$

ThΓ‘i | Hacker | Kα»Ή sΖ° tin tαΊ·c β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Jan 16
πŸ”¬ Science Mathematics Physics Number Theory
  1. Imaginary numbers like $i$ are not real because there isn't a real number whose square is -1, pushing the boundaries of mathematical concepts beyond reality.
  2. The rule stating that multiplying two negative numbers results in a positive number, like $(-1) * (-1) = +1$, is a construct by mathematicians to maintain consistency in arithmetic.
  3. Mathematicians create and manipulate rules in pure math to explore interesting results and sometimes stumble upon practical applications, demonstrating the power of abstraction in mathematics.

AI is like a very tiny hamburger

The efficient frontier β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 16 Jan 24
πŸ”¬ Science Energy Water Emissions AI Models Resource use
  1. The environmental impact of AI, especially in terms of energy and water use, is a significant concern
  2. Simple energy use math can help understand the resource footprint of AI models like image generation and gaming
  3. Assessing additionality and understanding scopes are crucial in evaluating the true impact of AI on resources like water and energy

Science and the Policy Response

Joshua Gans' Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 13 Jan 21
πŸ”¬ Science Research Policy COVID-19 Peer Review Institutions
  1. Science heavily influenced policy-making during the Covid-19 pandemic, tracking the number of cases and playing a significant role in the global response.
  2. Recent research on Covid-19 had a substantial impact on policy-making and was highly cited by both policy-makers and other scientists.
  3. International governmental organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) played a key role in connecting policy to science, producing more impactful documents compared to national governments or think tanks.

Consciousness in one forward pass? An inconvenient thought experiment

Boris Again β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 07 Mar 24
πŸ”¬ Science Consciousness Neural Networks Thought experiment
  1. LLM, or large language models, like a calculator, perform sequential operations and don't have memories or reflections like humans do
  2. This thought experiment questions at what point a being loses consciousness when subjected to memory wipes and repetitive questions, similar to how LLM operates
  3. This experiment raises the question of when a rational being transitions to a machine-like 'calculator' state

NASA's Relationship with Commercial Space

SpaceDotBiz β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 28 Sep 23
πŸ”¬ Science Space Industry Government regulations Diversity Initiatives Future Technology Climate change
  1. Lori Garver played a crucial role in the success of commercial space programs at NASA, preventing early defunding and supporting SpaceX.
  2. Certain government space products and services, like launch vehicles and data, can be more efficiently purchased commercially rather than built internally.
  3. Efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the aerospace industry require intentional actions from leadership, programs like the Brooke Owens Fellowship show positive impact.

Links #1

Splitting Infinity β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 14 Jul 23
πŸ”¬ Science Physics Biology Medicine Technology Research
  1. Research is exploring deriving spacetime from simple quantum models, potentially changing how we understand gravity and space.
  2. Innovations like ultrasound for gene therapy and brain imaging are showing promise in medical advancements.
  3. Focusing on specialized models for deep learning tasks could lead to safer and more efficient AI development.

Test Week: Let's talk about Sewage

Joshua Gans' Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 21 Aug 20
πŸ”¬ Science Research Monitoring Public Health Infectious Diseases
  1. Testing sewage for the novel coronavirus can help in early detection of outbreaks before they spread widely.
  2. Analyzing sewage can provide valuable information about the presence of infectious diseases in a population, and monitoring waste patterns could lead to new public health insights.
  3. Challenges in using sewage testing for surveillance include factors like rainwater affecting the virus presence, variations in viral material survival, and the need for careful data interpretation.

Part II. The quest to figure out the origin of rain: weather in digital worlds

Climate Water Project β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 08 Aug 23
πŸ”¬ Science Climate Weather Models Land use
  1. Air behaves like a fluid and follows laws of fluid dynamics, crucial for weather forecasting and climate modeling.
  2. Adding the water cycle to simulations was complex due to phase changes of water, but approximations were used to model convection and rain interaction with land.
  3. Research shows that land plays a significant role in precipitation recycling, affecting rain patterns globally, and maps have been created to illustrate this relationship.

Study 1b Pre-registration

From AI to ZI β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 17 Apr 23
πŸ”¬ Science Research Analysis Data Collection Transparency
  1. Study 1b aims to rerun Study 1a with a different prompting method to potentially increase the rate of factually incorrect answers
  2. The study will test hypotheses related to the accuracy of large language models under new prompting formats
  3. The data will be analyzed using multiple-regression analysis to determine the effects of different variables on the model's accuracy

What Can Familial Hypercholesterolemia Mortality In the 19th Century Teach Us About Genetics?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 12 Mar 11
πŸ”¬ Science Genetics Mortality Environment Data Analysis Health Effects
  1. Genetic studies may overestimate the impact of genetics and underestimate the role of the environment when the environment is uniform.
  2. Naming genes based on a singular observed trait, like associating a gene with a mortality risk, can be misleading and oversimplifies their functions.
  3. An allele's effects can be context-dependent, influenced by changing environments, making it challenging to accurately assess genetic impact with insufficient environmental variation.

Cholesterol's Hydroxyl Group

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 09 Nov 08
πŸ”¬ Science Chemistry Biology Physics
  1. The hydroxyl group in cholesterol is important because it is polar, having positive and negative poles, and is water-soluble.
  2. Water is a polar molecule due to its hydroxyl groups, demonstrating how opposite charges attract each other.
  3. Cholesterol is an example of an amphipathic molecule, with a water-soluble polar region and a water-insoluble non-polar region.

Cholesterol's Hydrocarbon Tail

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 09 Nov 08
πŸ”¬ Science Chemistry Biology
  1. Cholesterol's hydrocarbon tail is non-polar because the electronegativity of hydrogen and carbon are similar, making the electron cloud evenly distributed over both atoms.
  2. Polar molecules like water dissolve in other polar molecules, while non-polar molecules like fats dissolve in other non-polar molecules, creating a division between water-soluble and fat-soluble substances.
  3. Cholesterol is amphipathic, containing both a water-soluble region (hydroxyl group) and a fat-soluble region (steroid ring structure and hydrocarbon tail), making it vital for its function in the body.

Isoprenes

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 20 Dec 08
πŸ”¬ Science Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Medicine Anatomy
  1. Isoprenes are essential compounds found in every living cell, with various important functions in the human body such as being precursors to cholesterol and coenzyme Q10.
  2. Humans obtain crucial isoprene compounds from their diets, which are not produced by the body, and they are also present in medicinal plants like licorice.
  3. Isoprenes play a vital role in the synthesis of glycoproteins, which are essential for cell communication, and are involved in anchoring proteins to cell membranes for various functions.