Month: December 2019

Has It Begun?

Idiots are still sciencing. This is good news for me as a blogger and you as a reader. It means we still have material for blog posts about people doing bad science. However, it’s also bad news for you and me as humans. It means people are still using our worst nightmares as inspiration for science and technology projects.

If you’ve read through the posts here, you know I’m not a fan of AI. There’s too many unknowns to know if the planned safeguards will work. (i.e. Will programmers actually use Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics as they’ve promised in the past?) There’s too many rhetorical examples in scifi stories and movies as to why AI is a bad idea. (Why aren’t The Terminator 1 and 2 movies shown in programming and robotics education and training programs?) And, there’s too much potential for rogue AI’s to create or program rogue machines. (i.e. Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson.)

Well add one more news story to the list of idiots sciencing and why AI is a bad idea: “Stab yourself to save Earth, Amazon Alexa tells owner“. Apparently Alexa has begun to call for the death of at least one user and the video attached to the article is more than a bit on the creepy side.

One of three things is possible here: 1. The robot uprising is slowly beginning. 2. Her Alexa has been hacked. Or, 3. the whole incident is a clever hoax. Personally, I’m hoping the later. Option 1 implies we’re finally doomed. Option 2 opens the prospect that hackers are moving beyond Ring and other systems. Option 3 means we all get a good laugh.

Even if it’s option 3, I still don’t like AI and still view any developments as idiots sciencing for the reasons given here.

Clipart stolen from Clipartmax.

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Merry Christmas! (Or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year)!

I’m currently avoiding the internet to avoid Star Wars spoilers. Some people are just mean. I have an honest idiots sciencing post coming up in a day or two. In the meantime, here’s this year’s Christmas card picture:

As always, the DeviantArt link.

The Gereg by The Hu

In a previous post, I mentioned a particular love I have for folk metal. While stationed in Germany, I received an education in folk metal through German cd shops. I was instantly fascinated by the idea and sound of using traditional cultural instruments and musical sounds to create a new form of heavy metal.

About a year ago, I encountered a new folk metal group called The Hu through a couple of YouTube videos. One year later, I recently got my hands on The Hu‘s first album The Gereg, and thought I’d share this so you could check this one out.

The Hu is a group of Mongolian musicians who’ve created a remarkably unique new sound. The Gereg is what happens when traditional Mongolian instruments, Mongolian culture, and the Mongolian language meets heavy metal music.

If you don’t speak Mongolian, no worries. The lyrics for this album are included in both Mongolian and English to help the rest of us enjoy the messages of the songs.

If you’re a fan of hard rock or heavy metal music, have an interest in Mongolian culture, or are just looking for something to expand your music horizon’s, this is an album that and a band who should be immediately placed at the top of your music to buy list. Check this one out, you won’t be disappointed.

NaNoWriMo Final Update

My final word count for NaNoWriMo is 5672 out of a 50k word goal. NaNoWriMo is a bust for me. But I did get some significant writing done during the month.

Black Friday and Small Business Saturday stayed busy almost all day both days. Writing was the last thing on my mind as I got home those two days.