EOTO 1: The technology of Pigeons

 Did I know carrier pigeons existed? Absolutely! Would I have ever considered them to be a piece of critical technology to the development of human communication? Absolutely not!

What I learned about the carrier pigeon really opened my third eye to what the wide range of "technology" even refers to. Not once have I ever considered a living thing to be "technology" but upon contemplation, I like to think the shoe fits!

This leads me to believe that perhaps cavalry is a technical advancement of war; though no true "tech" is developed, the ability to utilize existing technology in a new way certainly qualifies. 

Similarly to the pigeon; a hand written note is not new, and a pigeon is not groundbreaking. Yet, combining the two creates a new innovation that sped up human communication by leaps and bounds. 

This is what is fascinating about technology; the newest innovation may be right around the corner without us knowing it. Maybe perhaps gamma rays are soon to be harvestable, allowing the wireless powering of devices anywhere there is electricity. Perhaps that is a foolish idea, but perhaps it is right around the corner. 

Or maybe there's a new development in waste management and sanitation systems, enough so where urban areas now can slash their sanitation department budgets in half. Something that would register little in the day to day life of Americans, yet serves as a major development. 

It is also humbling to acknowledge that technology will happen out of the realm of our grasp. For reference, the invention of the printing press did little for those who already couldn't read at the time. Yet, for future generations, this invention changed the fabric of human life. 

So in it's fullest summary, technology is all around us. In the words of the great philosopher Ferris Buehler, if you don't look around and appreciate it once in a while, 

Ya just might miss it! 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war

AI: We can all get along, right?

Who doesn't love the Terminator?

Ok, besides all the paranoid tin foil hat afficienados of course. 

But the question does remain, what is humanity to do when AI surpasses our own abilities?

And whos to say it hasn't already?

As we continue to test the limits of man's creation, we must also ask how far must we test the limits of man itself. Creating machines and technology to make the human life easier has been a process spanning millenia, but it seems we've reached a critical crescendo. Perhaps we stop asking if we "could" and start asking if we "should."

Of course, we want human life to be easy, but how easy do we want it. If we leave all our automated tasks to a machine, and spend the remainder of our time in leisure, is that relationship no different from a parent and child? This is a harrowing thought for some, but the question remains a valid one. The answer to this conundrum can be solved with a simple word change in philosophy;

AI should  not be developed to work for humans. 

It should be developed to work with humans. 

Humans are, of course, selfish and lazy, so we will obviously press to try to squeeze every ounce of value out of our technology. But what if we can push ourselves to match it?

Why should diagnosis be done at a major hospital by a simple computer? Or a fallible man or woman? 

Why not the unity of the two working in harmony to help serve the needs of hospital goers?

Why have machines who do work for us when they can assist us in tasks, and even improve our own abilities. Perhaps instruction is an art better suited for robots than man, given the complex and confounding nature of human communication?

Yet, here we lie in 2023, with many of my questions still remain unanswered. 

Consider this a warning to all pushing the envelope in the capabilities and programmed desire of AI. The consequences of our own actions may be sooner, rather than later.  We don't know how far we can go down this avenue, so it is certainly best to use Caution.

And, well, if this warning is not heeded, well,

I'll be back. 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/28/ai-has-better-bedside-manner-than-some-doctors-study-finds

Diffusion Theory; Science, or Psuedo?

 Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Brand new invention hits the shores of America!

This is how I imagine, ironically, how the invention of the newspaper would travel; via newspaper. I lead with this nugget of irony to highlight that there is no exact way to define how inventions and ideas reach the masses. 

Diffusion Theory works through a mathematical model, which is something I unfortunately reject; I feel very strongly about the quantification of human behavior. As good and refined as any metric may be, there is always an heir of uncertainty regarding human behavior. 

My question is what is the diffusion theory... of diffusion theory?

As our technology and ability to transfer information improve seemingly by the day, shoudln't our ability to transfer and consume information improve as well? Of course, this is accounted for in models, but the models remain inaccurate as to the weirdness of our existence. 

Even the most revolutionary invention, if banned by the CCP, will never be seen or utilized by well over one BILLION people. So where does diffusion account for this? 

Or perhaps, an agrarian farming technique revolutionizes wheat yields for farmers. For the coastal elite of the United States, how is it gaged when there is a discovery they have no reason, nor desire to learn?

I summarize these questions and ramblings to say that diffusion theory boils down to the act of the individual. Those who are curious, inquisitive, and open minded will always learn more, and faster, than those with eyes wide shut. 

We humans LOVE to make things neat and orderly, so much so it can define our thinking. But this bell curve does not work without the motivated individual. 

Learning is not a science, it is an art. It is an action for us all to engage in. 

So get out there and try and get ahead of the curve.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/diffusion-theory

EOTO #2 Reaction; Miss-Information

 Well, the impossible has happened. Turns out, I actually don't know everything.

I never knew the fundamental difference between the world wide web and internet until the presentation was given. The irony of this weighs heavily on me, as if I had used either of these services, I would've easily been able to find my answer. 

But what does this mean for other Americans? Certainly there is a wide variety of Americans who also do not understand these differences; in fact, it would not be surprising if the majority of these people use the internet and world wide web everyday!

The irony of it all is that this ignorance to the things we interact with everyday came about from the internet and web itself! The processes of which make up the world around us are hidden, to give the illusion of a shiny result with little work or err. Mistakes and failure are unacceptable in the 21st Century. Before the internet, people had to learn the processes in order to find the solution. Now, it's matter of a few key strokes. 

The art of "solving" for an answer is lost. Now, we "find" answers. This has undercut the entirety of American life, where workers have devolved to drones, with little to no problem solving ability to speak of. 

As the workforce still remains a generation pre-internet and world wide web, they stay savvy to the wonders of the internet, web, and the processes that got us here. Having a father who was a programmer for 40 years is the best resource I could have, a walking timeline of the changes to technology in the workplace, and how it inherently affected the staff at his own workplace. 

There is something more dangerous than Misinformation; Miss-information. Valuable knowledge is useless if no one bothers to learn and understand it. 

As technology increases its capabilities, and our own ignorance, being aware of the world around us and how it operates becomes more important. Try and gain information and learn, rather than memorize and compute. The world is full of things waiting to be learned, and excited people willing to teach them. 

Or of course, you could just Google it. 

https://opinion.inquirer.net/157615/why-is-the-internet-fostering-ignorance

EOTO #2: Alternativity is Subjective.

I have such a gripe with the term "alternative."

For audiophiles like myself, many people like to claim they listen to "alternative music." This meaning music outside the mainstream. Yet, they cite their favorite alternative artists as Oasis, Phish, and most notoriously, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I burn inside, knowing that artists who have sold millions of albums, sold out arenas internationally, and are world famous for their art, are in no way alternative. At one point, perhaps they were; but no longer 

I write this anecdote because the world of alternative media is in a similar identity crisis; but why?

More than ever, the American public has lost faith in their traditional media stalwarts; Fox and CNN used to be the three letters that defined the American news cycle; now, a bit more than a punchline. 

So what has happened in their wake? New sites have risen, and new sources of media emerged. Some for better, and some for worse. None the less, alternative media has seen an explosion in terms of popularity in the 21st century, due to both the rise of social media, and the simultaneous fall of traditional media. 

Sites such as the Daily Wire emerged with a new message; for fans tired of the subliminal conservative messaging on Fox, they can now consume a source where the curtain is back, and conservatives can consume hardline news that fits their agenda.

The most trusted names in media are no longer clean shaven men and glammed up women in suits on TV screens; they're MMA commentators who smoke weed in their basement, and tin-foil wearing conspiracy theorists. Is this good or bad for media as a whole? Only time will tell. 

I write longingly because the days of alternative media are nearing their end; these products are not going anywhere, of course; just the title in front of them. 

As big corporations lose their grip on the "InfoWars" (pun intended), and new faces and brands rise and grow in power, it may be time to bid adieu to this generation of "alternative media."

Because they are real close to taking center stage. 

https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/look-incestuous-alternative-media-echo-chamber-winning-over-online-audiences

https://fortune.com/2023/02/15/trust-in-media-low-misinform-mislead-biased-republicans-democrats-poll-gallup/

Plugged In; A diary from the first wave of "E-Babies" (Final)

 The industrial Revolution and it's consequences have been a DISASTER for-

Alright; perhaps that a bit extreme to start; let me go back to the beginning. 

In the summer of 2001, I was brought into this lovely, lovely world we all share. Coincidentally, so was ITunes and Apple's landmark IPod. And as dystopian as it may seem; we grew up together. 

The 21st Century has seen technological growth as rapidly as I've seen my own growth. For the first time. ground breaking creations and inventions were being created and evolving faster than humans themselves. 

Not long after the invention of the Ipod, Apple released a device even MORE groundbreaking than the IPod; the IPhone. All before my 6th Birthday. 

And to clarify, this "invention" was nothing like that in generations past. Electricity wasn't widespread until decades after the invention of the light bulb, and the Printing Press took centuries to see the fruits of Gutenburg's work become worldwide. 

No, these consequences were immediate. Growing up in a rich white neighborhood, 1st grade consisted of fun games on the playground like tag, hide and seek, basketball, and four square. 

2nd Grade recess was vastly different; kids all huddled in pockets around the playground, neck craned in a circle almost fighting to see the screens. It was incredible, how even at the time, despite not being able to see through the pow-wows scattered throughout the playground, I knew exactly what they were looking it. 

By middle school, every child had their hands on an Iphone, and the consequences were incredibly dire. Once the girls started to hit puberty, the destructive nature of these machines took hold. 

Kids were doing the things they've always done, but with a new level of apathy and ruthlessness. The days of confronting a fellow student and saying "You can't sit with us" are gone, now replaced by a mere removal from a groupchat, never forcing the art of confrontation on to the child. It was easier than ever for kids to be cruel to one another; and cruel they were. 

As an introvert, I've always kept to myself; but this new techonology made it easier to exist online rather than reality. Of course no other kids were watching Japanese Pro Wrestling at age 8; but the internet allowed me to find people to relate to, and would get along with. For the first time in my life, I found a community; a community with no real estate, a unique concept all its own. 

Technology ravaged the dating scene and intergender relationship. No longer were people's personal dealings subjected to the weight of childish rumors; there were videos, photos, text recordings, evidence strong enough to destroy a social life in mere 24 hours. 

Cheating was now even easier than ever; technology fostered and "us vs them" mentality for students. Work became collectively shared, with new ecosystems fostering; nerds and geeks sending homework to the jocks for social capital, money, or any type of bartering. 

Believe me; it was not all bad. The benefits created from the internet and the tech boom are countless and near un-ending. Unfortunately, so are the consequences. 

But hey, it's all not bad. Growing up with phones didn't change us all that much. Maybe even after reading this, you'll even want to be my friend!

(On Facebook, that is)

https://tlptech.co.uk/several-pieces-of-tech-from-2001-that-changed-our-world/

The Button; What Would You Do?

 “War. War Never Changes”

A quote from best selling game Fallout 4, based in a post nuclear apocalypse Boston. A game that was supposed to be based in a distant dystopian wasteland, unfortunately, now doesn’t seem so dystopian. But it must be asked, how could we, as humanity, get this close to disaster? Are we not all united through the belief that humans fizzling out in a giant ball of fire is bad? This begs us to ask the question; how have we come so close to something we all agree we want to avoid?

Three words. Military. Industrial. Complex. These words, so famously coined by general Dwight D Eisenhower, encapsulate the bulk of the history of global warmongering. But it makes sense, as the bodies of government that exist  in a perpetual game of risk and reward. 

Let’s say, for any given conflict, there are a million deaths. From these millions of deaths, however, billions others are able to profit from the sale of arms, funding, and other incentives that have been created around this industry. Sure, the odds of the equation are 1000-1 you’ll be on the good side of war, rather than the bad side, so it's worth risking this small chance at death for personal gain. Given this as a button, knowing that the people who suffer are out of sight and out of mind, many would unfortunately press this button. 

As a matter of fact, since the odds are so good, I’m willing to argue a majority of people would press the button again! And again, and again, and again, and again….. the pattern begins to unfold. 

So, why is the mainstream so devoid of anti-war voices? Is it the people? The culture? Rather, it’s the machine itself. The button has been pushed throughout the course of human history, over and over again, the thought of ignoring the button becomes taboo, so against the grain. The shifting of our culture is evident, as now children who are ostracized are those who read the bible, and regularly go to church. The new normal is abnormal. Sadly, this normal includes this button, being continuously pressed by the machine over and over again. 

And of course, I understand; you personally would never click the button. You, reader, are someone who sits patiently on your moral high ground, full of zen and tranquil in all hypothetical situations offered. You would be the exception, the one who claims they will go against the grain and fight for the betterment of all, rather than just personal gain.

Just like everyone else.

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/02/20/biden-makes-suprise-visit-to-ukraine/

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/poland-waits-to-pounce/