Just a Free Thinker at Large

Artificial Intelligence

The New Bicameral Minds

Every morning, I get up early and start getting lunches ready for the kids, prep the table for breakfast, sweep around said table, fill water bottles, and so on. This is my Monday to Friday routine, at least until school gets out in a couple of weeks. While I go

Balancing Doomsday and AI

A couple of years ago, there was this combination science-fiction, disaster, not to mention heavily satirical film called, "Don't Look Up". The movie was written, produced, and directed by Adam McKay and David Sirota. The film included a star-studded cast that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill,

AI Whisperer: Job of the Future?

I was thinking about this idea that a high-paying job of the future is going be prompt engineer. An "AI whisperer" if you like. This person is able to talk to the AI in a way that consistently provides the output they are looking for. One place where you can

Yes, You Are Living in a Simulation

I've always loved the question, "Are you living in a computer simulation?" The question was made famous in a 2003 paper by philosopher Nick Bostrom, who suggested that we are almost certainly living in a simulation. You can go back and read the paper after you're done reading this, but

The 15-Minute City Conspiracy

Ah, the 15-minute city! An exciting new urban planning concept that has been gaining momentum in recent years. This idea is simple, yet powerful: create neighborhoods or districts where residents can access all of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their home. This includes access

Genius In. Genius Out. (Episode 032 of the TIC TEK TOE podcast)

Amazingly, it has just occurred to me that I should probably post podcast episodes here as well, so I'll start today. I do a semi-regular podcast with Evan Leibovitch; semi-regular because the schedule should be less thought of as a schedule and more of a 'whenever it happens' kind of

Artificial Intelligence

Silicon Valley's Magic School Bus

Greetings, fellow humans. And sure, if the AIs of the world want to listen in and read, I'm okay with that, too. Ready for a little nostalgia? A little trip down memory lane? Just climb aboard for a wild ride on the Magic School Bus with your guide and driver,

What Do You Do With Your New AI Superpowers?

This morning, I was thinking about how we (or some of us) are always talking about how cool it would be to have superpowers. I've played that game with my kids and, to be honest, with other adults, or people that society would consider adults, anyhow. To be 100% completely

Thoughts on Capitalism, Universal Basic Income, and Automation

Welcome to the world of generative AI, folks! Have a seat, get comfortable, and for heaven's sake, buckle up. It might be a bumpy ride. The rise of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, and other advanced machine learning models has the potential to revolutionize the way we work,

Alcohol, Canada, and the CCSA Report: The Devil’s in the Details

Alcohol is back in the news in Canada and the new report from The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is making waves. The CCSA report updates their guidelines on safe alcohol consumption, and this is the first update in 11 years. The TL:DR on this one

Does Artificial Intelligence Think?

A few days ago, over on LinkedIn, a friend, Fred Richards, posted a poll question. Does AI think? 11% of people said "Yes" while the "No" camp took home 79% of the vote. "Maybe" stood alone with 0% of the vote while the remaining 11% said, "Keep throwing $$ at it!

Little Red Riding Hood, In Space!

I should start by pointing out that what follows is inspired by a video I watched with Elizabeth Ann West. She was demonstrating some advances with an AI tool called Sudowrite, an amazing tool for writers. In the demonstration, she asked the audience for story ideas and one of them

NOT Quoting Mark Twain

I had taken a break from my morning work to stretch and add a few steps to my smartwatch (have to get those 10,000 steps in, you know). I picked up my Android tablet, fired up my eBook reader app, and started walking around the house, going up and

To Sleep, Perchance To Die

To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub,    For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,    When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,    Must give us pause.      – William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Act 3, Scene 1 It was a long time ago. That part, at least, is

Angry at AI for Stealing Your Job?

If the answer to the above question "Yes", then consider that you may be angry for the wrong reason, and at the wrong people. Or AI. Generative AIs, like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Dall-E, are the talk of the town. Not just your town or my town, but all of them.

Health

Radon: A Slow-Moving Killer in Your Home

A few months ago, we received information from the Government about radon gas. You get these things from time to time; suggestions on insulating your home, or getting regular medical checkups, or making sure you're prepared for emergencies. While I can't remember why we took note of this particular message,

Music

The Girl With The Golden Ear

She was a legend in the radio industry, known as "the girl with the golden ear." She had a knack for picking songs that would become hits, like Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and "Takin' Care of Business", Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets", and Queen's "Bohemian

Fiction

Dement Horizon

A twisted little tale of impossible goals and what happens when the workload exceeds your ability to cope.    By Marcel Gagné Dement Horizon: A Tiny Audiobook0:00/4:131× "I need it tomorrow. Noon." The door slammed shut leaving Gilbert alone with a mountain of paperwork. He gazed at the

Artificial Intelligence

Should We Have Guardrails on ChatGPT, You.com, Bing, and Others?

When you were a baby, your parents probably kept you in a cradle or a crib. That crib, no doubt, had guardrails on either side. Asking why the crib had guardrails seems a little silly but let's spell it out. Guardrails are an essential safety feature in a crib because

Blogging

I'm Leaving Substack & Medium

Rather than bury the lede, I'm going to start by telling you that I've tried Substack, and I've tried Medium, and now I'm going to abandon them both. What follows is a story about Facebook, a ghost, and a very messy home. If you're still here, let's begin. Years ago,

Prior art

Intellectual Property, Giants, Apple pie, and Turtles

We often admire the achievements of great people who have made remarkable contributions to science, art, literature, and other fields of human endeavor. And rightfully so. We marvel at their discoveries, inventions, creations, and insights that have changed the world for the better. But we should also remember that these

Music

Transformative Music and the Power of Radio

The first time I paid for a piece of music was back in 1972 which means I was either 12 years old or would, at some point in that year, be 12 years old. The music I bought was a 45 RPM record, a single, by one Sammy Davis Jr.

Work

The Old Woman, Work, Contribution, and Value

There was a time when somebody might have observed that a stay-at-home mom didn't work. These are more enlightened times, but I have no doubt that some still feel that way. As a stay-at-home dad, caring for a special needs son, I have first-hand experience regarding this concept. You do

Linux

Linux, Open Source, and Civil Disobedience

When I was still arguably a kid, there was an old TV show that my friends and I all watched called, “Baretta.” In the show’s theme song, “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow,” voiced by the great Sammy Davis Jr., we hear the words, “Don’t do the crime

Valentine's Day. Fact, Fiction, and Hearts.

As I sit down to write this, it's Valentine's Day, the day of love, hearts, flowers, and of course, chocolate, in heart-shaped boxes. The "Valentine" in Valentine's Day isn't that chubby little guy with the bow. That's Cupid. While he shows up a lot on cards and pictures every February