Category: electronics

  • We Are All Still Learning to Play Pong

    We Are All Still Learning to Play Pong

    I noticed an article the other day about Monash University in Australia getting funding for further research into growing brain cells onto silicon chips and teaching them how to play cribbage. Just kidding, the research is for teaching the modified brain cells tasks. They succeeded in teaching them goal-directed tasks like how to play the…

  • Thoughts on Gaming Disorder

    Thoughts on Gaming Disorder

    I just read an interesting article in the latest print issue of Clinical Psychiatry News, Vol. 51, No. 5, May 2023: “Gaming Disorder: New insights into a growing problem.” This is news to me. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual lists it as an addiction associated with the internet primarily. It can cause social and occupational…

  • AI Probably Cannot Read Your Mind

    AI Probably Cannot Read Your Mind

    I was fascinated by the news story about the study regarding the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to “read minds.” Different stories told slightly different versions, meaning they either did or did not include the authors’ caveats about the limitations of AI. Recently there has been a spate of news items warning about the dangers…

  • Beating My Head on The Shower Wall

    Beating My Head on The Shower Wall

    I’ve been practicing the shower juggling pattern. I’m combining at least a couple of different methods, which may or may not be helping me improve. I’m using JuggleMan’s advice about trying to get some extra space in between the balls so I feel less rushed. I’m also trying to use Taylor Glenn’s method of combining…

  • Thoughts on Gullibility and Artificial Intelligence

    Thoughts on Gullibility and Artificial Intelligence

    I watched an episode of Mysteries at the Museum the other night and attributed a clever prank that fooled thousands of people to a comedian named Buck Henry who persuaded thousands of people into believing that naked animals were destroying the morality of Americans. The show’s host rightly claimed that Buck Henry posed as a…

  • Sena Wants AI Dislodged

    Sena Wants AI Dislodged

    Well, the last couple of days have been entertaining with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) bots, at least for a while, to me. However, my wife, Sena wants AI dislodged. I thought I disabled it, but it just keeps popping up. Maybe the only way to protect ourselves from AI is with tin foil hats. On…

  • How’s It Hanging, Bard?

    How’s It Hanging, Bard?

    I read the experiences of Dr. Ron Pies and Dr. George Dawson with Google Bard (see my post Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence). So I had my own conversation with Google Bard yesterday. Hi, Bard; how’s it hanging? “I am doing well, thank you for asking! I am excited to be able to help people with…

  • Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence

    Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence

    Sena and I just read Dr. Ron Pies fascinating essay describing his interaction with Google Bard Artificial Intelligence (AI). As usual, this made me think of several movies with AI as a central theme. There are several: I, Robot (I wrote a post about this a couple of years ago), Blade Runner, The Matrix, 2001:…

  • Jim Learns About Induction Cooktops

    Jim Learns About Induction Cooktops

    I’m learning about induction cooktops. I know I’m way late in the game. The house we bought a little over two and a half years ago came with an induction cooktop. It’s the first one we ever had; we always used gas or electric stoves. The main topic here are the noises including clicking noises…

  • Evolutionary Thoughts

    Evolutionary Thoughts

    By now, you’ve probably read the digital news article describing how we’re all going to evolve into beings who resemble extraterrestrials (ETs) because of our preoccupation with digital technology. The authors describe us as eventually developing another eyelid that’ll protect us from the blue light emanating from our gadgets. Our hands will become claw-like and…