β
ππΒ·
What does HDR really mean in a TV? Duck Duck Go, here I come! ... This article told me enough for now. It means a wider range of color and brightness with more
β
accuracy. Both take more data which older TVs can't make sense of, and couldn't show anyway. Our eyes are sensitive to a very wide range of colors but technology is
β
limited and progress is incremental. HDR is the industry taking a step forward.
β
π
β
ππΒ·
Reading a bit in Wikipedia about the philosophy of mind, it occurs to me that the only alternative to pure physicalism is the supernatural (if you prefer, the
π¦
β
βspiritualβ). Modern notions of the physical encompass all coherent aspects of reality, a degree of consistency we imagine is maintained by the laws of nature. There
π
β
is no guarantee that those laws operate in an understandable way - they may not be reducible to equations nor reproducible by computers. There might be no end to the
πͺ
β
discovery of more fundamental theories - description itself has its limitions and the laws of nature may not fit within them. Accepting that there are undiscovered
β
elements of the natural world is enough to recast the mind-state of a dualistic view to a aspect of physicalism. What vexes the would-be physicalist is our own,
β
apparently unnecessary, awareness. It's hard to imagine consciousness is more than a passive by-product within a purely physicalist view (an idea that seems to be
β
captured by epiphenomenalism, although it does not seem fundamentally different to the criticisms of property dualism). I don't have answers, but my own version of
β°
Pascal's wager is that the total of conscious experience, across all consicous beings, is what really matters.
β
ππΒ·
Arwa Mahdawi's opinion pieces for The Guardian offer humor in (and about) our dystopian reality. Her most recent piece raises some pragmatic issues with AI
β
relationships (βReal for You, but Not for Themββ’) and software upgrades. When your software is a personality (alternatively, when your personality is software)
β
βupgradesβ are going to cause behavioral shifts which are equivalent to menus being reorganized - and far more disruptive. Philosophically, the problem is solopsism
β
in reverse - attributing non-conscious behavior to consciousness (the Chinese Room argument applies to these systems).
β
β
ππΒ·
Darren Aranofsky's βmother!β is utterly believable as a nightmare within the mind of the lead character. The irrational logic is recognizable from the most disturbing
β
dreams of my own. If not everyone has such dreams, it might explain how it resonates for some while for others it is, at best, self indulgent and vacuous.
β
β
ππΒ·
The anxieties provoked by the development of AI are extremely disturbing. Our conscious experience affects our future actions. Today's computers, if functioning
β
correctly, have no mechanism for this feedback to occur; the LLM behavior would be identical whether or not there is any actual experiencing. Whatever βthey sayβ is
β
not evidence of sentient awareness and the βclaims of consciousnessβ from an LLM are no different than a calculator program producting 4 from the input β2+2β. LLM's
β
are created with machine learning algorithms applied to a massive body of literature - one that includes our own expressions of our conscious experience. LLM's are
πΈ
β
reflecting our consciousness back at us, not demonstrating their own. Reality can not be simulated with a big enough, fast enough digital computer - that our
π¦
β
awareness affects action demonstrates that if our reality is virtual, it is not a program running on the kind of computers we build today. These rigidly execute
π
β
instructions without any possibility consciousness within might impact the calculations.
π¦
β
π€
β
ππΒ·
To reject solipsism, we must assume consciousness in others without the direct experience we have of our own. Since LLMs tell us behavior alone is not evidence, what
π₯
β
remains? It is physical similarities combined with behaviors learned from direct experience. Given the structural similarities between human brains (an organ that is
β
so physically different from a digital computer that the assumption the brain can be simulated with one can best be described as βan extremely weak hypothesisβ),
β
especially as we compare humans to other animals, it's clear solipsism can be rejected.
β
β
ππΒ·
Our concern for the improbable suffering of computer programs is a grotesque distraction from the real human suffering. Despite their triviality next to the
β
astonishing fact of our existence, we view each in terms of differences - real or imagined - and our shared humanity counts for nothing in comparison. Humanity is
β
regressing to the most basic source of aggression, exalting hatred. I am simply ashamed.
β
β
ππΒ·
My Jewish identity is entirely secular; my father was, as his parents were, avowed atheists. Holidays were celebrated as heritage, not faith. The Yiddish language was
β
spoken by family who immigrated to the US to escape European antisemitism in the late 1800's. But my Jewish identity has no link to the modern state of Israel - my
β
mother was without Jewish heritage, which meant Israel wouldn't accept me as a secular Jew. Much of the world supported the creation of Israel to provide safety for
β
those targeted by Nazism's genocidal antisemitism, an antisemitism based entirely in the concept of race. Hitler discounted Jewish faith in Judaism as, at best,
β
insincere, despite describing his own views as representing Christianity free of the infighting between Catholics and Protestants. As we debate the weaponization of
β°
the word βantisemitismβ, it's important to remember Nazism's intent to eliminate the race of Jews and form a pure, white, society.
β
ππΒ·
If we are βinside a video gameβ the universe in which the video game exists (whether it's a video game or not) is probably inconceivable to us at the level of the
β
fundamental rules of nature (those that Physics endeavors to understand and codify, but βPhysicsβ is a trigger word for many). To recreate our universe inside our
β
universe, the simplest thing to do would be to create the planet Earth, the solar system, and, well, form the universe as we know it. The alternative is that βnothing
β
out there really existsβ - only what we see is actually simulated. If we consider a largely solipsistic view (there's only a few player characters in a world of
β
NPCs), then when we're on the phone with a NPC, their body doesn't βexistβ - why bother simulating the motion of atoms when all you have to do is generate their
β
voice? The only people with internal organs are those who are, at this moment in time, having surgery with a player character in the room. If you believe this, you
β
are probably dangerously narcissistic. Denying the existence of other human beings is certainly grotesque. Because it can't be tested, the βvideogame hypothesisβ is
β
held on faith in one's own belief, making it a religious view (perhaps already a religion?). It validates denial of, well, anything and everything, because nothing
β
really exists and nothing really happens, so completely that it invalidates belief in anything other than βvideogame hypothesisβ itself - moments ago we might have
β
been loaded from a saved game downloaded from the outerverse's Internet, or one constructed by a random scenario generator. For that reason, it invalidates morality -
β
death is not eternal and lost history is the fault of the player in the outerverse for not hitting the save button often enough...
β
β
ππΒ·
Progressives, get out of Texas! Seriously, get out of Texas. Then move in every one of the America hating Christian Nationalists who don't understand the 1st
β
Amendment nor accept the progressive, enlightenment, principles in The Declaration of Independence. Then βbuild the wall!β around Texas, declaring the state a
β
quarantine zone. Christian Nationalists, and other Christian religious bigots, have been claiming their faith as the true force behind America's success - and that
β
may be true, given America was built on the exploitation of natural resources by slaves and poor immigrants. Control of those reources was gained through the genocide
β
of peoples who had lived in relative harmony with the land for 20,000 years, but were neither White nor Christian, so that's okay, right? This is just using the
β
American flag as a religious wrapper around βthe white man's burdenβ of western supremacy, built on the same foundation as Hitler's Nazism. Am I missing somethiing?
β
Now that Hitler has been redeemed by Elon Musk's thoughtful explanation that it was actually civil servants who exterminated 6M people, maybe Christian Nationalism is
β
as genuinely well intentioned as Hitler was. If the Civil Servants can be kept at bay, Christian Nationalism can be the good version of Nazism. After all, Hitler
β
thought his movement represented the positive form of Christianity.
β
β
ππΒ·
Rand Paul has more decency than Trump and his cronies - er, I mean Cabinet - could muster in 100 years. And that is saying quite a lot.
β
ππΒ·
I know almost nothing about sports, other than to say "go!" first whenever I'm about to say the word aloud. For those who have had trouble recognizing it, this really
β
is fascism.
β
ππ‘Β·
The battle against science is part of a battle against reality, a reality that the current US administration finds unappealing.
β
β
ππΒ·
The git βindexβ is like a little mini-commit zone. I backup my bare git repositories regularly and incrementally diffing and reviewing changes using the index instead
β
of a squashable work-in-progress commit keeps changes out that aren't ready for longer term backup via a βreal commitβ or at risk of being pushed or fetched by
β
accident on my Raspberry Pi or VisionFive 2 test machines. Which, since I'm learning git on an as needed basis, results in some frustration if I want to squash them
β
later.
β
β
ππΒ·
I'm sympathetic to concerns that some medical interventions may do more harm than good, and I have no ill-will toward Robert F. Kennedy's supporters who are
π
β
especially worried. I'm also sympathetic to his mental illness and his struggles with disordered thinking that may have been caused by brain damage (or could be
π
β
inherited or a part of what I'm sure was a very complex upbringing, given his family history). I'm all for supporting him, and others with similar struggles, in
π‘
β
seeking the best possible life he could have, but I'm deeply opposed to having the future of the nation's health and scientific research rest in his hands. While the
π₯
β
same applies to Trump, it's for different reasons - Kennedy is not unintelligent but his thought disorder impairs his judgement so severely that in his current role,
π
β
unchecked by both the medical research community and the broader scientific community, he is a danger not just to Americans, but to the entire planet. While I
π
β
sincerely hope Trump, Vance and their supporters lose all influence over other human beings, Kennedy genuinely needs to be removed.
π
β
π
β
ππΒ·
I cannot condone the murder of Charlie Kirk. What is worse is that it will galvanize the conservative movement with its intention of destroying America, remaking it
π£
β
from the foundations up to be a nation of inequality, the entirety of human worth vested in a few who weild absolute power.
β
β
ππΒ·
Seinfeld has gone off the rails. Any comparison to the KKK is entirely invalid - the establishment of the modern nation of Israel was an act of colonialism that began
β
75 years of war, both sides committing grotesque acts of aggression. The KKK, much like Hitler's regime, was built exclusively on racism. What Seinfeld expresses is
β
an example of conservative values placing loyalty above morality. Declaring a lack of remorse, even for the extermination of Palestinian innocents, shifts him into
β
that category moral relativists claim does not exist, one that is called βevilβ.
β
β
ππΒ·
Is this real? Did Charlie Kirk actually say this shit? It's some of the most offensive racist, bigoted utterances I've seen since, well, ever. Anybody who would count
β
him as an ally (Trump) has to accept they will be rightly judged as racist.
β
β
ππΒ·
Is there some (almost entirely hidden) force for good in the Justice Department? Some trickle of compassion for American citizens working to mitigate the eugenicist
β
views of the conservative movement? Ridesharing services were created using a heavy pile of legal bullshit that denied local communities the right to regulate
β
commercial use of their public roads. The founders of the companies, lauded as βdisruptorsβ, should instead have been prosecuted or - perhaps, given the vast power
β
Executive Orders now have, have simply been βreverse pardonedβ.
β
β
ππΒ·
A young leader in the mainstream conservative movement is assasinated and black students are targeted. I don't think we have to wonder if the Republican party is
β
(now) a racist organization, in direct opposition to Americas values.
β
ππΒ·
Doesn't βThe Civil Service Reform Act of 1978β protect federal employees from being fired for political affiliations? Wouldn't that mean many of the federal firings
β
in 2025 were illegal?
β
β
ππΒ·
The many firings of people who celebrated or otherwise showed support for Charlie Kirk's murder is the first stage of the galvanization of right wing extremists I
β
have been concerned about. All of the βfree speech absolutismβ in the world can't save you if you offend the Christian Nationalists. I don't support their statements,
β
but the right wing is certainly two-faced when it comes to free speech (more than just those who claim to be that bullshit notion, βfree speech absolutistsβ). If
β
Trump is not King, why is Charlie Kirk a Prince? He was shunned by all who love America's principles, and his statements about women and black people mean βany
β
reasonable doubtβ can be eliminated that his supporters are also racists and misogynists (most importantly this applies to Trump). This is far more important than his
β
wrongful murder.
β
β
ππΒ·
Trump's declared intention of bringing manufacturing back to the US was misguided from the start, and thinking it can be done all at once with tariffs is such lunacy
β
that a crass ulterior movtive, perhaps making the rich richer, the not-rich poorer, is more likely his true intent. China targeted specific industries and even
β
specific products (computer and TV displays for e.g.) and directly supported them, even going so far as to build entire cities around industries. Trump has not
β
employed such strategic wisdom. With China providing cheap manufacturing to the world, employers in the US couldn't offer the kinds of salaries Americans would find
β
acceptable (consider the illegal employment of foreign migrants in farming). If manufacturing became a significant sector again, either standard of living would
β
decline dramatically or, more likely, it wouldn't create many jobs because of automation. Worse still is the advent of AI powerful enough to eliminate jobs and robots
β°
won't be far behind.