On reading We have been harmonised I was reminded the if you want to control a large group, one of easiest ways to do that is to get them all 1) naked and 2) alone. Naked, so that they feel watched by the authority, their peers and -more importantly - by their own selves. Religion … Continue reading Naked, and alone
Tag: big brother
On cults, climate and culture
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - based, of course (loosely) on the infamous, real-life story of the Manson Family's murder of Sharon Tait and her friends story gives us a glimpse of the dark side of happy hippie culture - and how counter-culture-culture can turn into a cult. Recently, I was asked to co-author … Continue reading On cults, climate and culture
Can we build a shared future without a shared past?
As deep fake technologies "improve", they now have the ability to manipulate the past as well as the future. We can no longer be sure that a historical document, photograph or even video footage has not been manipulated to change history (in ways not even Orwell's Big Brother could have imagined). Case in point, here … Continue reading Can we build a shared future without a shared past?
Secrets and Lies
I don't know about you, but I cannot live without a few secrets. Without secrets, without a private inner life, we lose our individuality and our sense of self. Today though, we are bombarded with messages telling us that privacy is worth sacrificing for the greater good; for the good of community security, for the … Continue reading Secrets and Lies
The Dummies Guide to Destroying the Internet: As Demonstrated by the EU
If you would like to destroy the Internet, the EU's Copyright Directive is a great place to start. The mildly horrifying piece of legislation is about to change the way the Internet as you know it. RIP the Declaration of The Independence of Cyber Space, the EU wants to centralise all the things. Want to post … Continue reading The Dummies Guide to Destroying the Internet: As Demonstrated by the EU
Our disappearing, digitised civilisation
"I still have 100s of computer programs I wrote for ZX Spectrum from 1983-85 that are on magnetic cassette tapes melting again in my attic, inc my 'chatbot,' and other programs from 1985-87 stored on an 8" magnetic reel. All less readable already than Egyptian hieroglyphics." I D Pearson There are now around 1.8 billion photographs taken … Continue reading Our disappearing, digitised civilisation
Weapons of Math Destruction
This book, written by a PHD mathematician who has worked as a maths professor, Wall Street quant and data scientist (in other words someone who knows what she is talking about) is essential reading (in my opinion) for contemporary humans. The book explains the biases built into big data and the resulting inequality and damage … Continue reading Weapons of Math Destruction
The blockchain never forgets…
It has been said that the Internet never forgets. But the blockchain really never forgets. With current Internet, although difficult, it is at least theoretically possible to have your secrets, once exposed, removed from the World Wide Web. There are digital detectives and privacy law firms who, for a mere $50,000 and $300,000 per "project" (plus a "small" … Continue reading The blockchain never forgets…
Somebody’s watching you…
If it feels like somebody is watching you, well, it's because they are. Who is this somebody? Pretty much anybody who wants to, that's who: Skynet Your insurance company and medical aid have already sold you respectively on the "benefits" of letting them track your driving habits, through your cellphone insurance app, and your lifestyle … Continue reading Somebody’s watching you…