Science Tidbits #7

[scottydog]

More on how the AI Revolution will make most jobs obsolete.

[Lupine]

The thing is this has been a concern (or outright phobia) about technology for a century or better. There were predictions of disaster from everything from the invention of the electric light to robots in the 70s and 80s. But yet here we are.

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, new technology always scares people. Humankind will schlep onward.

[Lupine]

A sad passing that went unnoticed and unsung. Franz de Waal wrote a great book titled The Ape and the Sushi Master which was one of the more profound things I've read in recent decades. The book is a bit old at this point but still quite instructional. He wrote others mostly concerning chimpanzees, but that was the book that introduced me to his ideas.

[RJDiogenes]

Aw, that's a shame. I'm sure I've read some of his work on Bonobos. He was certainly correct that human behavior can be considered a special case of general ape behavior.

[RJDiogenes]

This is interesting.

What are they looking for? Aliens? Secret Chinese Moon missions?

[Lupine]

Asteroid detection seems like the best option, though most articles I could find didn't give any reason why Space Force is involved.

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, why the Space Force? There would have to be some military concern involved. I wonder if they will decided to take over more dormant satellites. Maybe the ISS when it's decommissioned.

[scottydog]

Looks like a scientist has finally been able to communicate with an advanced nonhuman intelligence. Check it out.

[RJDiogenes]

"CETI."

She's right that this is a great task for AI, because it's great at processing and organizing huge amounts of information superhumanly fast. They'll also need to catalogue or film the whales' behaviors at the same time as their speech, as well as everything they can about the immediate environment. Then they might have enough to use the AI to start simple conversations-- and then maybe the whales will actually participate in teaching the AI, once they understand what's going on.

[scottydog]

She's right that this is a great task for AI, because it's great at processing and organizing huge amounts of information superhumanly fast. They'll also need to catalogue or film the whales' behaviors at the same time as their speech, as well as everything they can about the immediate environment. Then they might have enough to use the AI to start simple conversations-- and then maybe the whales will actually participate in teaching the AI, once they understand what's going on.

Maybe AI will have us talking to all animals. Perhaps I can verbally persuade the squirrels from pillaging my bird feeder, and the rabbits from nibbling at our garden veggies. Maybe AI could even have us talking to insects, or even plants. Just imagine the third-party mediations with mosquitos, with us trying to get them to stop biting us.

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I doubt if there are many species that have actual languages-- maybe some cetaceans, some primates, and a handful of birds. AI may be able to get desired reactions out of other animals with certain calls, but I wonder how much animal communication also involves context, like scents and body language. Insects will be a particularly hard nut to crack-- I suspect that they have a complex means of communication, but probably more similar to communication between neurons than an actual language.

[scottydog]

Well, I doubt if there are many species that have actual languages-- maybe some cetaceans, some primates, and a handful of birds. AI may be able to get desired reactions out of other animals with certain calls, but I wonder how much animal communication also involves context, like scents and body language. Insects will be a particularly hard nut to crack-- I suspect that they have a complex means of communication, but probably more similar to communication between neurons than an actual language.

Good point. I guess well find out the limits of what AI can do in this area, and in many areas.

Here's one of my favorite current day philosophers talking about AI technology.

[RJDiogenes]

He makes a valid point, but I'm not sure if he thinks it's good or bad.

[Gary]

Carbonised Herculaneum papyrus reveals burial place of Plato

Ancient Roman graveyard — with over 1,400 tombs — unearthed in France.