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How worried should we be and why? This is a meandering essay about language, intelligence, and the claims of AI enthusiasts and catastrophists. Although I’m no expert, given how little we really know about human cognition relative to its infinite complexity, I am skeptical about both apocalyptic and utopian predictions AI and our future. What…
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(originally posted on Your Angry Pediatrician on Substack, lightly edited) This is a story of how in science, despite our attempts to achieve some understanding of objective reality, context still matters. What seems like a good idea in one instance can become a really bad idea in another, not because the science changed, because it…
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The explosive growth of AI technology raises a host of concerns. Data centers hosting AI servers are projected to consume unsustainable amounts of electicity in the near future. At the same time, despite the wonderous achievements so far, critical questions about what society gains from this technology remain unanswered. Our challenge is addressing the issues…
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“How have you been, Professor?” Walter Lippmann asked as the scientist approached. “I am well. Although, I must say it is not so cold and windy down in Princeton!” Lippmann and Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin help Einstein with his overcoat and pull up a third stool. Einstein places his hat on the bar and unwinds…
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Walter Lippmann, one of the “fathers of journalism”, looks up as a slender man in black enters the bar and approaches with a smile. The Roman collar tells him that his visitor is Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He raises his glass as the priest takes off his hat and overcoat and pulls up a…
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Last month, I participated in an event called Ignite Carroll, part of the national Ignite series, where a speaker has five minutes and twenty slides to share a topic. I took a stab at it and it went well, though I was clearly outclassed by many of the other speakers who gave much more polished…
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I wasn’t planning to write on this topic again so soon, but I guess the state of the world is such that it can’t be avoided. I recently needed to avail myself of the services of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, using their online portal. First, what a wonderful service! Kudos to the hardworking…
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What do the boundaries of the State of Michigan have to do with the ultimate fate of the Universe? Strap in, we’re going for a ride! On a recent trip with friends to Michigan and Indiana, I learned about the Toledo War, a boundary dispute during the early years of Michigan history. The region has been…
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Staying ahead of current events is a constant challenge for Science Fiction writers. What seemed like gee-whiz future tech yesterday is now sitting on the kitchen counter. If you are not careful, the future you create may end up looking like a bad episode of the Jetsons. Thanks to a recent post by Cassie Kozyrkov (@decisionleader.bsky.social), we…
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Robert Wack 