SCOUT THE SCAM!
THANKS TO ANNABELLE MILLER, AN AMBASSADOR GIRL SCOUT of Greater Los Angeles, “Scout the Scam” enriches our knowledge of three crucial things: A.I. images, cookies, and online scams. This and … Continue reading
ON PLASTICS PART 2
YESTERDAY, ZOË SCHLANGER’S REVIEW OF BETH GARDINER’S PLASTIC INC got us ankle-deep in plastic bits. Today we explore the environmental aspects of this, quite apart from the squishiness. Health Aspects. … Continue reading
ON PLASTICS PART 1
TWO QUITE DISSIMILAR THINGS got me thinking about plastics: The first was “The Japanese Have A Word For It,” here at SimanaitisSays, April 3, 2026. The particular word is mottainai … Continue reading
I REALLY LIKE THAT SONG TOO, FROGGIE
HERE’S A TANTALIZING TITLE FOR A TECHNICAL PAPER: “Humans Share Acoustic Preferences With Other Animals,” by Logan S. James et al., AAAS Science, March 19, 2026. Science editor Sacha Vignieri … Continue reading
HURRAH FOR RENEWABLES PART 2
YESTERDAY Susanna Twidale celebrated renewables approaching the halfway point of global resources. Today in Part 2 we continue with a significant renewable not cited in her report. How About Hydro? … Continue reading
HURRAH FOR RENEWABLES PART 1
IN A WORLD BESET WITH AN UNJUSTIFIED (AND LIKELY ILLEGAL) MIDDLE EAST WAR, it’s encouraging that Susanna Twidale reports “Renewables Grew to Almost 50 Percent of Global Electricity Capacity in … Continue reading
A.I.’S MIRAGE REASONING—ITS LATEST HALLUCINATIONS
I’VE COME TO RESPECT GARY MARCUS’ knowledge and opinions concerning A.I. His latest analysis “The Mirage of Visual Understanding in Current Frontier Models,” Substack, March 29, 2026, introduces me to … Continue reading
A RUBE GOLDBERG-SORTA TALE
THE MARCH 2, 2026, AAAS SCIENCE HAS REVIEWS of fourteen books selected from two lists prepared annually by the National Science Teaching Association and the Children’s Book Council—the “Best STEM … Continue reading
A.I.’S PLACE, HUMAN EFFORT, AND FRICTION-MAXXING PART 2
YESTERDAY, DONALD MACKENZIE SHARED TRADEOFFS of A.I.’s seemingly unbridled upscaling. Here in Part 2, two means of human control are offered. One is pedagogical, though applicable to the rest of … Continue reading
A.I.’S PLACE, HUMAN EFFORT, AND FRICTION-MAXXING PART 1
HUMANITY IS AT A CUSP OF INTELLECT, tantamount to moveable type’s effect on sharing thought, radio and television’s effect on communicating it, and the computer’s effect on amassing it. Today, … Continue reading
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