Bbenzon
Description
Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. Intellectually, I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
MY BLOGS
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New Savanna
http://new-savanna.blogspot.com/
Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 7356 )
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Is Trump Serious About DOGE Or is It Just a Dodge So He Can Throw $$$$ to Rich...
Heather Cox Richardson, December 21, 2024, Letters from an American. In the end, Congress passed a bill much like the one Musk scuttled, but one of the... Read more
Posted on 22 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Bergen Arches, Home of the Jersey Drones
Posted on 21 December 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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Claude 3.5 Sonnet Speculates About Future Developments in AI and Beyond
In this article in 3 Quarks Daily I speculate about the overall course of the universe: Welcome to the Fourth Arena – The World is Gifted. Read more
Posted on 21 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
With Trump and Musk Steering the Ship of State, Expect the Unexpected
Katherine Miller, The Budget Fight and Trump’s Nihilistic Style, NYTimes, Dec. 20, 24. In view of the recent spat over funding the federal government... Read more
Posted on 21 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Is This Why I Like Claude 3.5?
Kevin Roose, How Claude Became Tech Insiders’ Chatbot of Choice, NYTimes, Dec. 13, 2024. Amanda Askell, a researcher and philosopher at Anthropic who is in... Read more
Posted on 20 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Musk is Grokking Bills Posted in Congress [DOGE]
Can’t we already determine a bill’s purpose simply by reading its name and assuming it will do the opposite? đ On a serious note, my staf... Read more
Posted on 20 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Claude 3.5 Sonnet Describes a Scrimshawed Sperm Whale Tooth
What’s this? This appears to be a scrimshaw - an engraved whale tooth or bone, which was a traditional art form practiced by sailors during whaling voyages. Read more
Posted on 20 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Friday Fotos: Graffiti in Winter, Jersey City, 2008
Posted on 20 December 2024
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
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Wisdom?
This is what I wrote: It is conventionally believed that wisdom comes with age, though I believe G.B. Shaw had some reservations about this. Well, I’m closer... Read more
Posted on 20 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
GPT in the Classroom, Part 1: Five Sonnets on the Gettysburg Address
I realize that, with ready access to sophisticated chatbots, some students will use them to complete writing assignments rather than do the writing themselves. Read more
Posted on 19 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Claude 3.5 Describes a Cypher in a Community Garden
What’s going on in this picture? This image appears to depict a study group or informal meeting taking place outdoors, set against a vibrant graffiti-covered... Read more
Posted on 19 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Mars Or Bust (?)
As well all know, Elon Musk is getting ready to go to Mars and establish a colony there. Why? Because we need to become a cosmic civilization if we are to... Read more
Posted on 19 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
The Taliban Are Shutting Down the Drug Trade in Afghanistan
Azam Ahmed, The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule, NYTimes, Dec. 18, 2024. [plus photographs by Bryan Denton] Bakwa was once the center of th... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Adam Savage Pretends He's a Velociraptor
Adam Savage's Dino Build: Wearing the Raptor Costume! (Ep 5) On the final day of Gary's time in Adam's shop, the team puts the finishing touches on the... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Claude 3.5 Sonnet Identifies an Old REVS COST (w/ Some Prodding)
I was standing on the High Line in New York City when I took this photo. What am I looking at? This image shows a "ghost sign" - a faded painted advertisement o... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Sez OpenAI to Itself... "To $$$$ Or Not to $$$$"
David A. FahrentholdCade Metz and Mike Isaac, How OpenAI Hopes to Sever Its Nonprofit Roots, NYTimes, 12.18.24. The terms of its last financing round have OpenA... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
John Coltrane Plays Greensleeves
The tune is old. From Wikipedia: "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene... Read more
Posted on 17 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Claude 3.5 Sonnet Describes a Scene Inside the Malibu Diner
Notice Claude’s reaction when I ask it to describe the couple seated at the left. As you know, Claude is produced by Anthropic, and Anthropic is very “safety”... Read more
Posted on 17 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
A Little Papal Humor
Pope Francis, Pope Francis: There Is Faith in Humor, NYTimes, 12.17.24. By this time the article is humming along nicely, His Holiness has gotten some good... Read more
Posted on 17 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Teaching Kids How to Make Their Own Little Language Models
Scott J Mulligan, Kids are learning how to make their own little language models, MIT Technology Review, October 25, 2024. “This new AI technology—it’s very... Read more
Posted on 17 December 2024 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
