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User: babymac

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Comments · 102

  1. Not to mention wow, flutter, harmonic distortion, poor stereo separation and physical media degradation. I don't think people would be clamoring for old technology if pop music mastering engineers hadn't fucked up the new technology so badly. I'll take a digital file (mastered well) any day of the week over this obsolete garbage any day.

  2. A fool and his money... on Mainstream Scientists Cashing In On Climate Wagers (reuters.com) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...are soon parted.

  3. Re:Self-important nigilists on Google DeepMind's AI Beats Humans At Even More Computer Games · · Score: 1

    Agreed. Slashdot is one of the worst places to go for commentary on AI developments. Is it because of an aging audience?

  4. Congratulations... on Privacy Advocates Leave In Protest Over U.S. Facial Recognition Code of Conduct · · Score: 1, Informative

    By pulling out of the process, they're basically ensuring they will have zero say in the outcome.

  5. I think I know... on Baseball Team Hacks Another Team's Networks, FBI Investigates · · Score: 1
  6. Re:"Holograssholes" ? on Hands On With Microsoft's Holographic Goggles · · Score: 1

    What will Jay-Z make his wife look like?

  7. Re:Does the job still get done? on Economists Say Newest AI Technology Destroys More Jobs Than It Creates · · Score: 1

    There is currently no autonomous car to buy anywhere. No taxi, truck, bus driver has been replaced so far and no one knows when it will happen and if it will happen at all.

    I think you're deluding yourself. The people working on the problem of automated driving (just as one example) aren't going to stop. The technology that enables it; the sensors and algorithms aren't going to cease to be developed. They're going to succeed and whether that's a year from now or ten years from now, it doesn't really matter. And I think the same holds true for the most important technology - some form of AI. It would appear to me that the largest questions of how to develop (even an imperfect, less-than-human-capable) intelligence have been resolved. The only thing remaining is the refinement and distribution of the final product.

    Once that takes place, I don't think there will be any stopping the technological, scientific, economic and societal upheaval.

  8. Re:This synopsis on Research Highlights How AI Sees and How It Knows What It's Looking At · · Score: 2

    But don't worry. I'm sure the armchair experts of Slashdot will be along any minute to tell us how this all just a bunch of hype and that the computers are stupid (I'm not disagreeing - for the moment) and AI is at least ten millions years away and will likely NEVER come to pass. Seriously though, I think a large portion of this site's users have their heads in the sand. I don't work in the field, but I am very interested in it and I read a lot of material from a lot of reputable sources. It seems to me that there are some very deep pockets out there treating this as a serious project and are determined to succeed. Personally, I think they will succeed and far sooner than almost everyone will expect. To have a huge impact, AI doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to reason at a human level to be of use or have a noticeable effect on the economy. And once simpler forms of AI arrive, it will advance very rapidly. I think the folks here on Slashdot will be denying the possibility of such a thing right up until the day before they find themselves on the unemployment line. I think we (and our political leaders) should be preparing for a new economy today while there's still time. Otherwise, it'll be a catastrophe for the majority of working people and society at large.

  9. B-b-b-but Slashdot said...! on Research Highlights How AI Sees and How It Knows What It's Looking At · · Score: 1

    I have been assured many, many times by the experts of Slashdot that computers are nowhere near achieving artificial intelligence.

  10. I'll just leave this here on Should IT Professionals Be Exempt From Overtime Regulations? · · Score: 2
  11. Steps to molecular machines? on Researchers Design DNA With New Shapes and Structures · · Score: 2

    The next step should be to figure out how to create DNA "tools" to help assemble molecular scale machines!

  12. Re:People think it's silly... on Hawking Warns Strong AI Could Threaten Humanity · · Score: 2
  13. Re:People think it's silly... on Hawking Warns Strong AI Could Threaten Humanity · · Score: 2
  14. Re:Hawking sure is a downer on Hawking Warns Strong AI Could Threaten Humanity · · Score: 2

    The Machine Stops by EM Forster. An amazing read!

  15. Re:They tried to raise prices 20% unnanounced on Cutting the Cord? Time Warner Loses 184,000 TV Subscribers In One Quarter · · Score: 1

    A lady at work the other day didn't seem to know that one could still receive over-the-air broadcasts for television. I wonder how many people don't realize this and are paying for TV that they don't want or need.

    Yeah, that's been my experience as well. When my wife and I were just discussing the possibility of ditching pay TV, my mother-in-law couldn't quite grasp the concept of an over-the-air antenna. She grew up with it of course, but she couldn't fathom that it still existed. And we have been pay TV free for a couple of years now!

  16. Re:More conservative fear-mongering on Black Swan Author: Genetically Modified Organisms Risk Global Ruin · · Score: 1

    I'm as liberal any one on Slashdot. While I don't know the author's political leanings, I will say that this GMO flavor of fear-mongering has usually been generated by the left.

  17. Re:zomg singularity! on Machine Learning Expert Michael Jordan On the Delusions of Big Data · · Score: 1

    There is no "general definition" of the term technological singularity. At least, none that I'm aware of.

  18. Re:Computer vision... on Machine Learning Expert Michael Jordan On the Delusions of Big Data · · Score: 1

    True and while general machine vision is far from perfect, it is here. And it won't be too much longer before it's perfected.

  19. Re:zomg singularity! on Machine Learning Expert Michael Jordan On the Delusions of Big Data · · Score: 1

    The whole idea of "the Singularity" is nonsense. It is basically people seeking a surrogate "God" in technology, and the singularity is needed to create the "all knowing" aspect.

    This all depends on one's individual interpretation of the word singularity. My interpretation of it means a point in history and technological development beyond which predictions become impossible. There is no "all knowing" aspect in my interpretation. There is certainly no "God" in my interpretation. Some people interpret the term to mean the point at which humanity and machines merge. Once again, that's not my interpretation. My idea of the singularity raises questions about what happens to human civilization when all material needs and wants can be manufactured on demand, near-instantaneously and extremely cheaply. The other question of course is what an advanced AI might look like and how might society be transformed if similar AIs were available to everyone. If you ask me, neither AI or on-demand manufacturing are wild, outlandish ideas. Those things are coming down the technology pipeline and sooner than most people think. Society should prepare for these technologies now, not dismiss them.

  20. Re:zomg singularity! on Machine Learning Expert Michael Jordan On the Delusions of Big Data · · Score: 1

    Yes, I suppose that's why he's a director of engineering at Google.

  21. Re:Conservatives crying "no fair"? on Conservative Groups Accuse FCC of Helping Net Neutrality Advocates File Comments · · Score: 1

    The real problem isn't lack of net neutrality. It's lack of competition due to monopolies granted to the cable and phone companies

    And yet I'm not aware of a single conservative out there trying to break up those monopolies.

  22. Re:Long overdue on News Aggregator Fark Adds Misogyny Ban · · Score: 1

    And yet there are TONS of posts in the Fark thread pretty much saying exactly this.

  23. Literally the only thing I care about from this WWDC is the role Andre Young will be playing as an Apple employee. As long as he's drawing an Apple paycheck, they won't get another penny from me for anything. As far as I'm concerned, the guy is a misogynist and a homophobe. His presence is an insult to every female, gay and lesbian employee there.

  24. Re:what stupidity on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    Following confusion as to why Mulgrew, a life-long Democrat,

    Yeah, because we all know that by choosing a party affiliation, you suddenly become scientifically literate!

    Don't pretend that Republicans are not hostile to science.

  25. Re:Form factor? on Shuttleworth: Apple Will Merge Mac and iPhone · · Score: 1

    Not just 64GB of storage I hope. The Crossbar RRAM technology should provide at least 1 TB of storage on phones in the near future. If the technology is as easy to manufacture as they say and it's licensed widely, it should be successful.