Generation Alpha: The generational cohort born from 2011 to 2015. Generation Alpha are the children of the Millennial generation. Weened on cellphones, raised by robots, they are mommy's little cyborgs. I'm a Millennial. I have a Generation Alpha daughter. As such, I am partly responsible (that is to blame) for both the way Generation Alpha … Continue reading Raising Generation Alpha
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
There is no doubt in my mind that we will all shortly by ruled by machines in some variation or the other. I am not talking about robo-cops and terminators (just yet), but rather about technology-powered governments with increasing, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience over their subjects - building and enforcing some form of a WIFI curtain … Continue reading The WIFI Curtain: Dystopia Now? – The Future of Digital Dictatorships and Totalitarian Technocracies
It's no secret, Terry Pratchett is my all-time favourite author, and has been since I was an 11-year-old girl-child, told by my English teacher to "go read this book [Lords and Ladies] at the back of the classroom. You're too smart for what I'm about to teach the rest of them." (true story). Although dismissed … Continue reading A Slip of The Keyboard
"Appraising the book by the peak-end rule, I overconfidently urge everyone to buy and read it." ~ Jim Holt, New York Times I concur with the quote. Daniel Kahneman's seminal work on behavioral economics and decision making, Thinking Fast and Slow, is one of the world's least-read best sellers. This puts the book in good company, also on the … Continue reading Thinking Fast and Slow
Creativity is a sign of intelligence, and artificial intelligence is getting creative. In 2016, a novel authored by an algorithm nearly won a prestigious Japanese literary prize. (The novel was, creatively, titled The Day a Computer Writes a Novel.) AI has only got more creative (although, perhaps, not more talented depending on your definition of artistic … Continue reading Artificial Art
I have already written about the inherent conflict between past, present and future generations for earthly resources. I thought, while I was at it, it was worth taking a few minutes to explore the future euthanasia and the great grey area mess of ethics around this concept. First, some definitions: Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally … Continue reading Senicide and other such things
The monstrously complicated monetary system we have today is responsible for the greatest leaps and bounds of human prosperity, and for the most depressing of depressions suffered by civilisation to date. Want to understand how it works? The Ascent of Money is a good place to start.
This is a strange and wonderful book, filled with strange and wonderful people, and their strange and wonderful ideas. Read this book to be inspired by the power of thinking differently to everyone else - and the marvelous, amazing inventions that can be wished into existence through sheer willpower, imagination, and tenacity. You will meet … Continue reading The Odditorium
Person or Property? - That is the Question... “From a legal perspective, this is a complicated area, as the algorithms of an AI act as a “black box” — even the creator of the artificial intelligence is not always sure why the algorithm made a certain decision," ~ Marten Kaevats, Adviser of the Strategy Unit of the Government … Continue reading With robot rights, come robot responsibilities
