Stochastic Thoughts

7. Juan Enriquez – Homo evolutis

miguel — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:43:34 +0000

Juan Enriquez used this to advertise his industry. It is a shame that he used it for his own commercial interests, because it is a very interesting read and the idea of speciation is probably the best I have read so far.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

6. Douglas Rushkoff – The discovery of intelligent life from somewhere else

miguel — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:13:51 +0000

Douglas Rushkoff is under the impression that life from somewhere else is more intelligent there life here. A classic case of “the grass is greener on the other side”. Not very insightful nor interesting.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

5. Ed Regis – Molecular manufacturing

miguel — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:27:55 +0000

Ed begins with the usual (and annoying) fad of nanotechnology and all the great stuff that can – but never does – come out of it. But, somehow, he is also sceptical about it! Also loved it. The pieces are getting better.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

4. John Gottman – Laboratory earth colonies

miguel — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:01:32 +0000

This is good fun sci-fi. Obvious stuff, straight forward and playing nicely to my childhood imagination. Loved it.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

3. Timothy Taylor – Culture

miguel — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:44:31 +0000

I like this one. Just listen to this: “Wittgenstein implied that what cannot be said cannot be thought. He meant by this that language relies on a series of prior agreements”. Genius and interesting. The first truly good/insightful piece.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

2. Howard Gardner – Cracking open the lockbox of talent

miguel — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:41:05 +0000

Not sure what the great vision of Howard Gardner really is. We have already cracked open the lockbox of talent – it is called wealth. It has been working fine and got an elite to the top. No one will want to change that. Talent is overrated anyway.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

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Not sure what the great vision of Howard Gardner really is. We have already cracked open the lockbox of talent: it is called wealth. It has been working fine and got an elite to the top. No one will want to change that. Talent is overrated anyway.

1. Kevin Kelly – A New Kind Of Mind

miguel — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:28:19 +0000

The Wired people piss me off with their visions of grandeur and self-smugness. Kevin Kelly waffles about the internet and how it will become artificial intelligence. It is poorly written and way too self-congratulatory. It just looks idiotic.

Part of the Edge Annual Question 2009

PS: This chap agrees with me

The Edge Annual Question 2009

miguel — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:27:05 +0000

The Edge Annual Question 2009 is an interesting read. Edge magazine asked dozens of people from all walks of life to write something on the basis of two questions: What will change everything? And, what game-changing scientific ideas and developments do you expect to live to see? I have been reading through all of them and will post short (twitter-style) reviews of all of them in the next days. I hope this is an enjoyable read.

You can read the full articles at Edge Annual Question 2009

wall street y los monos

miguel — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:38:02 +0000

Una vez llego al pueblo un señor, bien vestido, se instaló en el único hotel que había, y puso un aviso en la única página del periodico local: estaba dispuesto a comprar cada mono que le traigan por $10.

Los campesinos, que sabían que el bosque estaba lleno de monos, salieron corriendo a cazar monos. El hombre compró, como había prometido en el aviso, los cientos de monos que le trajeron a $10 cada uno.

Pero, como ya quedaban muy pocos monos en el bosque, y era difícil cazarlos, los campesinos perdieron interés, entonces el hombre ofreció $20 por cada mono, y los campesinos fueron otra vez al bosque.

Nuevamente fueron mermando los monos, y el hombre elevo la oferta a $25, y los campesinos volvieron al bosque, cazando los pocos monos que quedaban, hasta que ya era casi imposible encontrar uno.

Llegado a este punto, el hombre ofreció $50 por cada mono, pero, como tenia negocios que atender en la ciudad, dejo a cargo de su ayudante el negocio de la compra de monos.

Una vez que viajó el hombre a la ciudad, su ayudante se dirigió a los campesinos diciéndoles: Fíjense en esta jaula llena de monos que el jefe compro para su colección. Yo se los vendo a ustedes por $35, y cuando el jefe regrese de la ciudad, se los venden por $50 cada uno.

Los campesinos juntaron todos sus ahorros y compraron los miles de monos que había en la gran jaula, y esperaron el regreso del ‘jefe’.

Desde ese día, no volvieron a ver ni al ayudante ni al jefe. Lo único que vieron fue la jaula llena de monos que compraron con sus ahorros de toda la vida.

Ahora ya tienen ustedes una noción bien clara de como funciona el Mercado de Valores y la Bolsa.

undemocracy

miguel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:22:13 +0000

A step-by-step to an undemocratic victory:

A party loses narrowly an election.

In the immediate days after the election the losing party brings all its supporters out to the streets with cries of oppression and election rigging.

It must use the latest technology fad to broadcast the message in order to grab international support: the politicians love causes abroad – they are so much simpler – and the public is usually clueless.

The democratically elected party trembles – democratic victory is no argument against popular rebellion.

With a bit of luck, the democratic victors will use force to impose the rule of law.

As the chaos builds up, the pathway to an undemocratic victory is assured.

Democracy is a waste of time when the needs of the few are louder than the will of a majority.