5/29/2023 0 Comments Nick bostrom amazon![]() Bostrom's thought experiment goes like this: suppose that someone programs and switches on an AI that has the goal of producing paperclips. Bostrom was examining the 'control problem': how can humans control a super-intelligent AI even when the AI is orders of magnitude smarter. The notion arises from a thought experiment by Nick Bostrom (2014), a philosopher at the University of Oxford. This gives me reason to believe that it's less likely than non-economists believe that the world will end this way. Taking a more future-bound perspective, my research (Gans 2017) shows that for a paperclip apocalypse to occur, we must make important underlying assumptions. Instead, their focus has been on the more mundane, recent improvements in machine learning (Agrawal et.al. But, to date, economists have not paid much attention to them. ![]() The underlying ideas behind the notion that we could lose control over an AI are profoundly economic. Instead it is that, at some point, switching on an AI may lead to destruction of everything, and that this destruction would both be easy and arise from a trivial or innocuous initial intent. The concern isn’t about paperclips per se. It has even led to a popular iPhone game explaining the concept. It motivated Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk to express concern about the existential threat of AI. ![]() The notion that artificial intelligence (AI) may lead the world into a paperclip apocalypse has received a surprising amount of attention. ![]()
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5/28/2023 0 Comments Crossroads franzen review![]() In a quiet and uncanny fashion it is entirely adequate: a prosaic causeway coursing through the swamp at night. ![]() Unpolished and unsloppy, difficult to quote or fault, his free indirect style sticks to the contours of consciousness and attempts not one thing else. ![]() The Corrections was a masterpiece, but Crossroads is his finest novel yet. In playing to his strengths so inordinately he has unlocked a new, late style, distinct from the well-hewn blocks of prose poetry typical of his first three novels or the mashed-potatoes-and-gravy consistency of his last two. To set a novel half a century in the past, as he now does, is something like dealing oneself a full house. In dreams, as a once-famed tale from the Depression had it, begin responsibilities. Giving up, for now, in Crossroads, on representing present youth, Franzen has doubled down on representing the white ones’ parents and grandparents as the impressionable, inquisitive, and dynamically flawed young men and women that they once had been. ![]() 5/28/2023 0 Comments Gnelfs by Sidney Williams![]() ![]() Her mom Gabrielle soon realizes that something evil hides behind Heaven’s fantasies. For four-year-old Heaven, they seem very real. Gnelfs are Saturday morning cartoon characters, half gnome and half elf. ![]() As they unravel ancient secrets and modern evil, they find they must confront a nightmare. ![]() but Jag Walker and Debra Blane discover the creatures are at the root of a larger conspiracy as they begin a search for her missing brother. They’ve picked up the name Mormo, and they are said to be terrifying. Legends abound about hideous creatures who live in the swamps near Aimsley, Louisiana. Summons all of the forces at her command to establish a new kingdom, night brothers who can ravage any who oppose her. ![]() When drought dries up her prison, she is reborn and “I’m going to kill a priest,” rasps a late-night caller, soon warning, “After the priest, you’re next.” The frightening threat leads ex-journalist Gable Tyler into an investigation of demonic forces and more as he seeks to find answers behind a girl who talks to angels and is driven by a mysterious being who calls himself Azarius and communicates only through a mirror.įor ages, an ancient vampire born of the legendary Lilith lies trapped beneath the waters of a Louisiana spring. ![]() ![]() ![]() Insert The Stars Within You and the amazing depth that Juliana McCarthy goes into. While astrology is not new to me nor the idea of charting, zodiac sign, and astrology philosophy - I just didn't have a full grasp of it. Similarly notes that indicate that some signs are likely to easily find wealth "from family" as if that's related to your sign, and physical descriptions in the ascendants such as "pale-skinned." These types of currents running through astrology can make it feel very exclusionary and only welcoming of certain kinds of people, which is a shame.Īs a avid learner of the world, I am always on the lookout for something new to delve into. I'm tired of the binaries-signs being masculine/feminine, or phrases like "who benefit most of all from members of the opposite sex," which make this book and astrology in general feel very outdated and uninclusive. ![]() ![]() The downsides are ones rife throughout astrology, but still downsides. While there isn't extensive information on houses and aspects past explaining to you how they work, the explanation was the first in astrology that I actually understood, and I now think I'll be able to look at what houses my signs are in and understand what that means for the first time despite having dedicated plenty of time to astrology in the past. Moon in Aquarius), and it does the best job I think of any astrology book I've read of explaining what the planets are actually trying to tell you. It gives very good information for each sign and planet (ex. This book is an excellent primer for figuring out your birth chart. ![]() 5/28/2023 0 Comments The mayfair bookshop eliza knight![]() ![]() Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can't get on the plane fast enough. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life. ![]() ![]() But Nancy Mitford's seemingly dazzling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. "An absolute must-read!"-Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author The Last Bookshop in Londonġ938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford-one of 1930s London's hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters-and a modern American desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop. One of Hasty Booklist's Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Novels! ![]() ![]() ![]() It is refreshing to read a children's novel that so honestly examines conflict. In my opinion the age group in 15 and older as people younger than this will get bored very easily with this book as it isn't very captivating as I mentioned before. This is not my favourite genre and I think I will enjoy fantisy (the next genre we are reading). The author did well to decribe the characters and the scenes but could have worked on making it more interstenting for my age group (13-14yrs). ![]() What I think of it: I thought that the book wasn't extremely interesting untill over half way throught the book. He longs to go play soccer outside with his friends and when they find the perfect soccer pitch the boys decide to clear it when they are caught by Israeli soldiers during a curfew and their lives are in danger. Karim Aboudi has been stuck insidean apartment block for weeks in Ramallah because of a curfew set by the Israelis with his Mum (Lamia), Dad (Hassan), older brother (Jamal) and two younger sisters(Farah and Sireen). This book takes place in Palestineand tells the stroy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from a Palestinian point of view, an eleven year-old boy called Karim. A little piece of ground by Elizabeth Laird ![]() 5/28/2023 0 Comments Wishful Thinking by Lynette Sofras![]() She claims 'Killing Jenna Crane', a romantic thriller and 'Unworkers' a modern ghost story/women's fiction are her personal favorites to date. She writes contemporary women's fiction, often involving romance with suspense or a supernatural twist. Lynette currently lives in an early Victorian cottag A former teacher, Lynette gave up her career in education a few years ago in order to focus on her writing and thus fulfill her childhood dream. You can find more details of her novels on her website: or Amazon author page. Her recent release 'The Nightclub' is a romance packed with suspense, while her latest, 'Cocktails and Lies' is her first foray into the cozy mystery genre. ![]() A former teacher, Lynette gave up her career in education a few years ago in order to focus on her writing and thus fulfill her childhood dream. ![]() 5/28/2023 0 Comments The Watcher Girl by Minka Kent![]() ![]() ![]() And no one in this town would have reason to harm her. It’s as if she vanished into thin air.It’s not like Meredith to simply abandon her loved ones. Until the day she disappears.Her car has been discovered in a grocery store parking lot—purse and phone undisturbed on the passenger seat, keys in the ignition, no sign of struggle, and no evidence of foul play. ![]() She has two lovely stepchildren and is living in affluence in a mountain resort town.Īfter three years of marriage, Meredith’s life has become predictable. Her husband, Andrew, is a charming and successful financial broker. A woman’s disappearance exposes a life of secrets in a twisting novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Memory Watcher.Meredith Price is the luckiest woman alive. ![]() ![]() ![]() When Frederick grew into adulthood, he discovered more complicated set of writings that would help shape his moral being. Frederick learned the basics of reading and writing, which would be cornerstones to his future livelihood. ![]() While he was not permitted to attend school, Frederick paid some of the white children to teach him, usually presenting fresh baked goods to earn his keep. Still, young Frederick tried always to see the best in people and sought to better understand what was going on and his place in the larger picture. His being born in the middle of America’s love affair with the slave trade is not lost on the reader who pays attention to the early portion of Blight’s book. While he was a curious child, Frederick was also subjected to deplorable abuse towards those around him. ![]() Blight, I tried my best to understand how the man, his writings and outward sentiments shaped America, with views that still resonate today.įrederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in a small shed on a plantation in Maryland, around 1817, the mulatto son of a slave and slaveholder. It also being Black History Month, I thought to educate myself a little more about the man and the impact he made on US history. ![]() At a time when race relations are strained, the name of Frederick Douglass is tossed around with great regularity. ![]() 5/27/2023 0 Comments Mismatch inclusive design![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() We should all consider inclusion as a part of the process rather than just a code we have to incorporate. The book reflects a deep understanding of people and how to include anyone without making a big deal. Kat Holmes exudes a distinguished persona, and her values shine through in her work. Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design is a must-read for anyone who works in the design field or decides on a larger group of people. This book has made me notice small details in the format that can improve the usability of any product, something that the designer could have quickly done if they had considered a diverse group of people. There is no normal everyone uses designs differently, which can be such a beautiful thing. Book Cover_©MIT Press Publication Inclusive Design is a process | Kat HolmesĪny inclusive design does not imply that it is suitable for everyone instead, it highlights the consideration of all parties during the design process. In this book, she gives inclusive principles and examples of inclusive and exclusive design, with stories of people who faced exclusion and went on to create what they wanted. As the author of the best-selling book Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design, Kat has tried and tested various approaches one can take to make an inclusive space, product, or even website. Previously at Google and Microsoft, she has led experience design for some of the most influential companies. Kat Holmes collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to lay the groundwork for inclusive design solutions. ![]() |