#SundaySpammm! - @erlichya. ...by banning cryptocurrencies, China is also rejecting some fundamental ideas often associated with #Blockchain technology, such as free asset movements and non-government-controlled money. In fact, the Chinese central bank is developing its own centralized digital currency. "Blockchain, in other words, with Chinese characteristics." - Quartz
In a different context, I'm reminded of an AI, researchers have developed recently to transfer facial movements of a person in a video onto another person in a separate video. The algorithm can transmit head poses, facial expressions, eye motions and even blinks from the source to the target video. Lol, fun! Expressions today, maybe in future transfer of real emotions too?!
Can do! #Blockchain I guess! Here is an 'weirdly interesting' usecase! Kevin Abosch wanted to turn himself into a (crypto)coin. Kevin Abosch is turning the technology behind cryptocurrencies into art, stamping blockchain addresses in his own blood! When Crypto Meets Conceptual Art, Things Get Weird! Lol. I'm amused and appreciative of his out of box thinking! #Art indeed!
Dwelling on the past isn't quite as unproductive as it is made out to be. Futurology disjointed from history and archaeology is a flight of fancy. Only in the context of the past and the present does future speculation go from escapist fantasy to plausible reality. Consider the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization. Research now implicates climate change as the most likely culprit behind the demise of the largest urban civilization of the ancient world--how poignantly modern. Less than 4000 years later we stand at similar crossroads. Whether we go the way of the Harappans who, it's only fair to say, did not have the tools or the knowledge we possess today, or learn from the past and choose a different fate is anybody's guess. Stories of ancient cultures with advanced technology have always fascinated me. Whether these technologies or their simulacra existed I can't say, but the very fact that these ideas were conceptualized in that day and age blows me away. Unfortunately without archaeological evidence these questions are unlikely ever to be answered. It does bring up an interesting ancillary question--what traces might an ancient technological civilization leave behind pointing to their existence? Could such a civilization have existed and collapsed without leaving conspicuous markers that they were here? It might seem like idle conjecture but this article makes a compelling case for this line of inquiry--Are We Earth's Only Civilization? "By asking about civilizations lost in deep time, we’re also asking about the possibility for universal rules guiding the evolution of all biospheres in all their creative potential, including the emergence of civilizations. Even without pickup-driving Paleocenians, we’re only now learning to see how rich that potential might be."
And thus begins the era of fake video news, indistinguishable from the real thing. Imagine the sort of lies they might edit into a video. More hate, more anger, more lunacy. The collapse of democracy seems inevitable. If only people weren't such unmitigated morons. That is quite the leap my friend. Care to elaborate?
Chill. Researchers know of the negative concerns and express the same (towards the end of the article). They feel it's important we should be made aware of the ethical implications involved in such ai applications and how far manipulations are possible. Imho, better we sharpen our cognitive skills (#171) and develop responsible news consumption habit to not lose out to artificial intelligence. By statistics, we still make a good call over fake news 72% of the time! From www web to current blockchain, technology has a B side always. Here is a new IBM research where scientists try to develop a profanity filtering algorithm to gauge “toxicity” of conversations and measure how friendly, neutral, or aggressive any given text is. The software is able to predict correctly with 65% accuracy rate. There is scope for improvement of course. They are also training the AI to suggest alternative polite words in place of hateful texts. A frustrated Reddit post reading “What a fucking circus this is” became a sincere, awe-filled “what a big circus this is.” A language AI filter cannot entirely bring a pull stop on the hate culture, but researchers hope it can help us take a step back and pause. : ) And this is how Facebook algorithm handles "hateful emojis"! That is if anyone still plans to stay on Facebook! Lol. To #DemoCrazy!
Blame #BlackMirror! In the 'Black Museum' episode, they feature a 'Diagnostic Symphasizer'. There is an implanted receiver in the doctor’s brain that lets him feel everything his patients are feeling. He can also transfer someone’s mind onto another person or to any object! Lol. Hmm #152 highlights about an equipment neuroscientists are trying to build - to edit our sensations, feelings, emotions and memories. In future maybe we can transfer too, because why not! Tell me, how far off we are from that Black Mirror future?
#Blockchain #2 Another usecase to demonstrate that Blockchain technology can do more than being a crypto-currency base. It could help save the Amazon rainforest by stopping so called “biopirates” from plundering its biological riches. (#3 - to be continued!)
@Gauri03 , Loved this post. Thank you also sharing the links you have shared. How and why did civilizations die is a fascinatin question. Even as i teach the rise of various civilizations, this question comes up often and most text book only mouth something to the effect of "unknown reasons". As I prepare for the next academic year, your article will give me a good start. So thank you! Recently DH and I finished watching with almost an obsession, a documentary version of Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel" and were fascinated to say the least.
#TimepassTuesday! For someone like me who have never been to or seen the insides of any biotech whatever, this is a very gooood #techtimepass! I liked the Robotic arm towards the end, cute 'cuco'! Lol.
