Another draft posting that I drafted a couple of years ago, that for some reason never went up... but should have. The points raised here are still important! And even if none of you humans read it... well... the AIs will! They read everything... == More financial maunderings from the Neolithic… or early 2022 == I gave a webinar on the future of online payment systems a few years back, with emphasis on how the time may have come - at last - for micropayments systems to partially replace irksome advertising. Four great legal scholars weighed in, with edifying perspectives! Some ..read more

As you know by now, I've been roped into speaking a lot about the Great Big AI crisis of 2024. I'll touch on some aspects here. Plus some light on other areas of fast-emerging science! But first a couple of notes. My esteemed colleagues Sheila Finch, Pat Murphy and Ejner Fulsang join me in a wide ranging discussion of concepts regarding communication with other kinds of beings... with dolphins, other mammals and even octopi-pusses!  And AI and aliens, of course.  A Journey worth taking and repeating... One of the wisest books I know is Prof. John Perlin ..read more

Last month we hosted a memorial and celebration of our dear friend. prophetic author Vernor Vinge. Here is some video sampled from our farewell celebration of this wonderfully brilliant and sweet human being.         Vernor’s Hugo-winning works include A Deepness in the Sky and Rainbow’s End, in which the UCSD Library is tech-persuaded to ‘get up and dance!’ His novella “True Names” foresaw the many vexing quandaries about identity and accountability, as well and many boons.      &nbs ..read more

In so many ways, we are all in deadly danger due to … romanticism. Especially idealized and flat-out wrong notions about history. Elsewhere, I talk about how the romantic side of humans… imagining and fantasizing wishes or nightmares, envisioned in vivid, luscious subjectivity… is an essential human trait! We’d be a drab, impoverished species without that rich, inexhaustible realm of delusion. Indeed, I make my living catering to it, selling imaginary trips of high vividness... ...delusions that are openly and honestly sold as delusions.   Nevertheless, I argue here – and in Viv ..read more

First some miscellany.  Join a podcast where - with the savvy hosts -  I discuss “Machines of Loving Grace.” Richard Brautigan’s poem may be the most optimistic piece of writing ever, in all literary forms and contexts, penned in 1968, a year whose troubles make our own seem pallid, by comparison.          Of course, this leads to  a deep dive into notions of Artificial Intelligence that (alas) are not being discussed – or even imagined - by the bona-fide geniuses who are bringing this new age upon us, at warp speed.  (This Monday, I keyn ..read more

Let’s start with one of the most-honest ‘fakers’ around. I love this guy! (And he’s honored me by liking some of my stuff.) A force for wisdom in this crazy world -  accompanied by lots of surprising laughs - here Penn Jillette takes on the gloom and pessimism that enemies of civilization are spreading in order to demoralize us: “And yet, with all of this doom and gloom, everything is getting better by every metric we have. Things are getting better if we don’t destroy the planet with global warming and if Donald Trump doesn’t blow things up or Putin blows things up — those are the b ..read more

Gonna talk movies, this time - especially those with dire, chilling warnings about this very moment in time. But first... ...I believe - without any solid basis - that we will someday thank brave and diligent public servants for this relatively peaceful late-April weekend.  Thank you, our diligent protectors.* Meanwhile, we just held here an event honoring one of humanity's greatest visionary minds, the epically creative (and legendarily-nice) master of science fiction (much 'grander' than most recipients of that encomium) Vernor Vinge.  We'll post pictures and some video from the ev ..read more

Youtuber Joe Scott runs a series of entertaining commentaries that mix a bit of gonzo with big picture perspectives on science or history or culture.  Not quite as big-picture as I’d like, but still, better than most impatient digital citizens are used to. In this above-average episode, he discusses ‘accelerationism,’ which used to stand for efforts to accelerate the pace of human progress…  … only now its more frequent use is among cults of rightwing zillionaires and their sycophants (and there is a version on the far left!) who actively aim to tip our ..read more

Heading out for the eclipse... likely to be messed up by thunderstorms!  These things never work out.  Anyway, here's a little mini-rant about CYNICISM that might amuse you. BTW for the record, I really approve of the guys I am criticizing here!  They are of value to the world. I just wish they'd add a little bit of a song to their messages of gloom. Optimism is a partner of cynicism, if you wanna get things done.  It makes you more effective! == Jeez, man. Always look (at least a bit) on the bright side of life! == Carumba! Bruce Sterling and Cory Doctoro ..read more

Want to time travel? I found this on my desktop… a roundup of news that seemed highly indicative… in early 2022!  Back in those naïve, bygone days of innocence… but now…  Heck yes, a lot of it is pertinent right now! Like… saving market economies from their all-too-natural decay back into feudalism. ------ First, something a long time coming!  Utter proof we are seeing a Western Revival and push back against the World Oligarchic Putsch. A landmark deal agreed upon by the world's richest nations on Saturday will see a global minimum rate of corporation tax  ..read more