Everyday Junglist
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About me. You know how everyone says to be a successful writer you should focus in one or two areas. I continue to prove them correct.
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The Case Against Pets
Why keeping a pet is fundamentally unethical As the current guardian of seven cats and two dogs whom I treasure more than words can express I was taken off guard to say the least by the strength of the case made in the piece. I have no problem accepting the ethical arguments that show conclusively in my view that the mistreatment of non human animals is morally wrong. Yet I still eat and use products derived from animals, including products that almost certainly were derived from animals whose treatment I would equate with torture. That said my intention here is not to address my obvious lack of ethical principles in this regard.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Petlife
For a Non Genius Brain, Focus On Anything Other Than Thinking
As a genius myself it always pleases me to see the non genius types among us trying to be just a little bit more like me. That said I was unhappy with the lack of balance in the article (linked below - note: link removed by author. It was a classic believe me. Hopefully you can get the gist of just what an ass the dude was that wrote it by reading this. Imagine this article but in reverse and taken totally seriously. You'll get my point.) and felt it could have highlighted the differences between us geniuses (aka genuii) and the common folk more strongly. After all if everyone were a genius there would be no genuii and we would all be common folk and we would all….wait a minute. Damn…that does suck to think about. In any case I rewrote the article in an attempt to do just that, plus make it shorter, and not so stupid, or boring. Enjoy.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Humans
Blockchains Won’t Fix the Problems with Human Genomics Because the Problems with Human Genomics Can't Be Fixed
If you’ve been waiting to get your genome sequenced, will a virtual token really make you change your mind? Yet another article bemoaning the lack of progress gene sequencing has made in improving the human condition (linked above). In this particular example the author suggest this “problem” is largely the result of a lack of available genomics data (whole genome sequence) data from people. It seems that not enough people are willing to get their genomes sequenced and then hand the data over to either government or private industry no matter the promises of anonymity made or sweeteners offered. I can’t imagine why anyone would have any problem trusting those two paragons of trustworthiness (government and biotech industry), but it turns out that a few enterprising technology companies have come up with a brilliant solution to this (non)vexing (non)problem, my favorite new(ish) kid on the techno-block, cryptocurrency aka bitcoin! And just like Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch foretold in the opening lines to their classic hit Good Vibrations.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in The Chain
Brain imaging, Consciousness, Jaynes and Wittgenstein
Author's preface: The first part of this piece relies very heavily on direct quotations from the piece referenced. Thank you author Colin Klein for a wonderful review and author/researcher Robert Shulman for one hell of a book.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Psyche
Why People Pay Me to Not Bother Them While They Drink Coffee
Why I Charge People to Get Coffee With Me Recently, a startup founder punched me in the face and asked if I wouldn’t mind backing the fuck up and not talking to him while he was trying to enjoy his morning coffee in peace? I was a dickhead in his personal space he explained, and he’d love to continue using my face for punching bag if I kept bothering him.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Confessions
Introduction to Decision Intelligence
The end of intelligence Curious to know what the psychology of avoiding lions on the savannah has in common with fooling people into thinking something which is not intelligence actually is, and the challenges associated with figuring out new words for things which implies they are something they are actually not. Also, ever wonder what would happen if you crammed a bunch of things which aren’t really science into a whole new field wrapped under the rubric of another thing which is not science (data “science”). Welcome to decision intelligence! A rapidly evolving field of “science” where nothing is what it seems and everything is what it isn’t. Confused yet? Come along on an exciting adventure into this brave new world of made up pseudoterms and important sounding but ultimately empty techno-jargon. Are you ready to begin? Uh-oh time for you to make a decision. Better bust out that intelligence I have heard so much about, and start deciding. If you don’t do it some artificial intelligence is gonna do it for you, so what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right in.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Top 6 Listicle Gimmicks According to Science
According to science According to a recent study published in a scientific journal the use of “according to science” in listicle titles has never been higher. The article found that many authors believed the use of the phrase “according to science” would add an air of credibility to their work that would otherwise be totally devoid of even the faintest shred of reliability or trustworthiness. According to a scientist this is terribly misguided and wrong. Instead it only serves to highlight the scientific naivety of the author and woefully misrepresents what science is and can do to the non technical/scientific public.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Filthy
Dear Women, Men Owe You an Apology Once Again
Dear Men, Feminism Needs You - Stop waiting for us to explain everything, and start doing the work I was lounging around watching football and drinking beer this week when my pal Tim asked a question I’ve been asked a hundred times before: How can men do a better job of helping feminists? It’s a strange query, and for years I’ve answered it by pointing out all the ways men can listen to women as they explain feminism to us and how we can help. But this time, I’d run out of patience.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Viva
Analogy Does Not Recapitulate Reality
The Possibility of Analogy Does Not Necessarily Correlate with the Probability of Reality I take a hard line against the currently (and formerly) in vogue position of equating human beings, particularly their brains, with computers. To me it is obvious that no such equivalence exists despite decades of suggestions otherwise. The number of analogies between various structures/functions of the human brain and those of a computer/computer system are as large as the number of neurons estimated to comprise said brain. The prevalence of these analogies often makes us forget that they are only that, analogies. They are not based in scientific fact, but instead are based in the imaginative capacities of the organ which is the topic of these comparisons. The possibility of analogy is however often confused with the probability of reality. Those things for which we can analogize more are thought to be more accurate representations of the real relationships of the things being compared. Therefore, because there are so many analogies possible between how (we hypothesize) a human brain works and how a computer works, it must be true that a human brain is very similar to, or exactly like, a computer. The point of analogies is (or should be) to help clarify/deepen our understanding of a thing through a comparison of that thing and/or it’s attributes with another (usually similar but not always) thing. We suggest that the first thing is like the other because of x, y, and z and the comparison allows us to see the thing we are trying to clarify our understanding of in a different way. To ‘see’ it anew. In no way however is the analogy an argument (it is not an argument and should not be viewed as such) as to the actual similarity (in point of fact/reality) of the two things. It is for illustrative purposes only and carries no truth value or “reality bestowing” power. Analogies are powerful, but they are not all powerful. They can clarify but they can also mislead. We must not confuse our ability to create analogies with our ability to clearly see, study, and understand reality.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
Genius Grant Winner is No Einstein When it Comes to Life
Genius mathematician Ramash Rapandradan winner of the prestigious Fields Medal and most recent MacArthur Fellow “Genius Grant” awardee struggles to complete a wide variety of activities most humans consider basic to everyday life. He has made important contributions to the study of hyperbolic geometry (also called Bolyai–Lobachevskian geometry or Lobachevskian geometry), a non-Euclidean plane geometry which considers the geometry of surfaces with a constant negative Gaussian curvature. In contrast to his proficiency with the highly abstract mathematical geometry he is less capable of functioning with actual geometry especially directions, which he does not know how to follow, and often becomes lost while walking or driving short distances from his apartment in Cambridge. Ramash is also said to be a leading mind in knot theory, the study of mathematical knots. These knots are similar to those from daily life such as ropes and shoelaces, but the ends are joined together so that they cannot be undone. In precise mathematical language, a knot is an embedding of a circle in 3-dimensional Euclidean space, R3. Two mathematical knots are equivalent if one can be transformed into the other via a deformation of R3 upon itself (known as an ambient isotopy). Ironically Ramash cannot tie his own shoelaces and often considers the various problems inherent in ambient isotropy while struggling to untangle his which he sometimes ties together rather than preparing a single knot for each shoe as intended by their design. Ramash will spend the no strings attached $645,000 five year stipend to continue his pioneering work in information theory and signal processing, two important branches of applied mathematics involving the quantification of information, and the analysis, interpretation and manipulation of signals. In contrast to his proficiency with information theory he struggles mightily to process information related to many aspects of his home life including where he put any of his silverware, which items need to go in the refrigerator and which in the freezer, and how to put on pants. He also misunderstands a host of signals sent by other human beings when involved in social interactions and often mistakes a friendly smile from a woman as an invitation to take her to bed, and a handshake from a man as a challenge to a duel. Reached for comment Ramash looked down sadly, shook his head, and mumbled “What’s this all about now? Who are you? Where am I?” and finally, “I forgot to wear my pants again didn’t I?”
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Fiction
Computer Defeats Human in Game of Computing
In a stunning result the artificial intelligence (AI model x101371-c) has defeated a human (Mark Starr) in a rules based game of computing for the first time ever yesterday. The modern computer outcomputed the human in just under 1 nanosecond making it the fastest win ever for a computer in a head to head matchup with its creator, man. Mr. Starr, looking grim but composed, said of the artificial neural network powered machine “It was only a matter of time. We knew one day a computer would become better at the action of mathematical calculation (computation) then us. In retrospect it should have been obvious, that is why we called them computers after all.” The AI, which is incapable of having or expressing emotions, said nothing as it is also incapable of speech, though it did offer to “Perform a Google search” and “Find an Indian restaurant in the area.” Technology analysts believe it is only a matter of time before modern computers become so good at computing that humans will have no need at all for computation and cede control of all calculations to their math superiors. This hypothetical point in time is referred to by some as the mathemological algularity and may signal the end of man’s dominance on the planet. Leader of the transmathematist movement (humans who believe the algularity will initiate a transition to a new golden age in which humans are no longer required to learn or study math at all) said of the AI’s win “This is just another sign that the algularity is at hand. Very soon now we will be freed of the shackles of universal math education. The quantitative sections of both the SAT and ACT will be a thing of the ancient past.” Algularity skeptics pointed out that man will still need to be able to compute simple things such as how to make change for a dollar or how many apples they have left of the four they started with after they eat two of them, and thus some low level computation will still be required. Skeptic John Albon said “All this talk of the algularity and computation free humans is nothing but a distraction from the fact that modern computers are still falling well below expected performance levels in matching us to our perfect dates. Call me when a computer has figured that one out.”
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Futurism
On Krav Maga and Fearing the Wrong Things
Author's preface: I first published this piece way back in 2018. Since it does not meet the Vocal 600 word count minimum rule I am adding this preface at the beginning to provide filler material. Typically I do this at the end of one of my many stories that do not meet the 600 word count minimum. I decided to mix things up for this story just because I love wasting my time writing filler material so much that I wanted to make sure everybody who wanted to would have the chance to read it and not click away after seeing "THE END" and not reading the subsequent filler material. And there you have it. What was once a 554 word story that did not meet the word count minimum is now a 600+ word count story that does. What a great use of mine and my reader's time wouldn't you say? Enjoy the story..
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Confessions
