THE 2023 IG NOBEL PRIZES
IT’S IG NOBEL PRIZE time again! Officially the “33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony” rewards researchers in ten categories for presenting “things that make people laugh, then think.” I … Continue reading
AIRCRAFT CUTAWAYS—A VARIETY OF STYLES
THE PURPOSE OF A CUTAWAY, of course, is to reveal inner aspects of something by selectively omitting outer elements. The intent, though, depends on the audience: Is it a technical … Continue reading
CAR BUYERS AND USERS FOR SALE
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for the Internet to learn monetization. We are the product, not simply the users. And the automakers are now following suit. In *Privacy Not Included, September … Continue reading
MPC AIDING STEMMERS
STEM STUDENTS (THOSE STRIVING FOR degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) have Calculus 1 as a first hurdle. And for many it’s a formidable one. According to AAAS Science, … Continue reading
CITATIONS RAINING CAT AND DOG
“ARE YOU THE ‘SIMANAITIS, D’ referenced in a recent article?” the email asks. Well, what with a few math papers, scads of R&T articles, and now thousands of SimanaitisSays items, … Continue reading
SNOW WHITE AND THE BARIUM SULFATE DWARFS
“SCIENTISTS AT PURDUE,” reports Cara Buckley in The New York Times, July 12, 2023, “have created a white paint that, when applied, can reduce the surface temperature on a roof … Continue reading
GROUND-SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
ISABELLA O’MALLEY’S ARTICLE describes “Little-known but efficient, a different way to heat and cool your house,” AP News, July 13, 2023. It’s about ground-source heat pumps, their function related to, … Continue reading
“FAIR USE” AND A.I. PART 2
COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL POPPING UP in generative A.I. is causing legal complications of the Fair Use Doctrine. Here in Part 2, more tidbits are gleaned from Paula Samuelson’s “Generative AI Meets … Continue reading
“FAIR USE” AND A.I. PART 1
THE USE OF LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS scooping up copyrighted material has become a complex legal issue. Paula Samuelson’s article “Generative AI Meets Copyright” addresses fascinating aspects of this in AAAS … Continue reading
IF A.I. IS SO DAMNED SMART, HOW COME IT CAN’T INCLUDE E.A.?
“EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM,” E.A., for short, is a term coined in 2011 by philosophers Peter Singer, Toby Ord, and William MacAskill. Lately, it has become a buzz word among developers and doomsayers (some, the … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 