The use of DDT to control Malaria also save millions of lives.
As to GMOs being natural and there for safe, that is also nonsense. Long ago a bug resistant celery was produced using traditional plant breeding techniques. Worked great, except if slightly bruised it produced a lot of toxin that ended up killing a few people.
Balinese takes its religion very seriously, and it is under serious threat in the modern world. The quiet time is just part of that, they put a lot of effort into festivals.
They are also under cultrual attack from large numbers of Javanese immigrants, and this is a way to assert their Balinese culture.
Xi Jinping wants people to be obedient. But he cannot throw everyone that makes a careless remark in jail, and he does not want to because it will upset too many people.
So he introduces a system of social credit. It is not just about trains, a high credit is very good for getting jobs, promotions etc. A low credit can have you punished by trains, as a warning that you are on you way to worse things if you do not behave.
Once everyone is focused on their social credit, self censorship will be very strong. There is a small upside -- nobody will smoke on trains either.
OTOH The US Red Light Camera system is purely about making money. Quite different.
The TSA No Fly List is more similar. I would not go about criticizing the TSA too publicly. No other western country would tolerate such extra judicial punishments. But at the end of the day it is more about incompetence than malice.
Problem is that History is not taught in schools. People do not know China's recent history.
During Mao's strong man Great Leap Forward some 30 *Million* people starved to death. A billion went hungry -- the birth rate plummeted. All due to Mao. Then the cultural revolution.
Since Deng Xioping there has been an economic miracle. But now we have a new emperor, Emperor Xi Jinping. Ruler for life.
Maybe he will be good for China. But if he is not, then there will be no way to remove him until he dies. He has centralized all power, removed all checks and balances, and cracked down on media and anyone that dissents at any level. Not good signs. He also boasts an aggressive foreign policy.
So, be careful what you wish for. Most strong men have been disasters for their countries of the highest order. Hitler, Stalin, Mao. The exception is probably Lee Kuan Yew, but he kept a semi-democratic system in place.
There is nothing peaceful about the Burmese Buddhists that that are murdering and raping *thousands* of Rohingyans. The evidence is overwhelming that the Rohingya are the victims. And their plight is severe.
It is Genocide, and due to apathy by Australia and others likely to be successful.
I do not know how you can live with yourself promoting such lies. I suppose you think that the Jews also brought the Holocaust upon themselves. And that Pol Pot was a kind man misunderstood by western media.
I have seen a lot of nonsense on Slashdot. But this is the first time I have seen something really evil.
Law enforcement needs to go through the courts to punish (at least in theory). The TSA can just put you on a No Fly List. No appeal possible.
Do not mess with them.
(It always amazes me that the USA has the strongest constitution yet the ugliest laws. What would the USA be like without any constitution, better or far worse?)
An AI need never be conscious in our sense of the word. But when it can do all the things that humans can do then it will no longer need us. The toughest thing will be to be able to program itself, i.e. to do AI research.
That is a good 50.. 200 years off, but that in turn is nothing in terms of human evolution. But once it happens, humans will be obsolete technology.
So as worms became monkeys which became humans, we live on the cusp of the next evolutionary step -- the rise of robots and the end of biology.
Is this a good or bad thing? Is anything a good or a bad thing? Not really important because it will happen anyway.
Trump is my kind of man. He will make Ameerica great. Get rid of those polticians from Washton. And most of all, I can undstand what he is saying. None of them big words other folks use. He thunks just like me, And he got a lot of money so he good.
The last time I been to one of these, I had more interest looking at the other vendors booths to see what they are doing and where the market is shifting.
So you got good value out of the conference. That is what they are for, to find out where the industry is going. And for us Engineers, it is good to stick out head up out of the cubicle from time to time.
The other major reason to go is, of course, to pick up the free tee shirts. I save a small fortune on clothes. (Actually, a tiny fortune compared to what my wife spends...)
SJBE you make a good analysis of today's dumb robots. But as they slowly become more intelligent this will change. They will take less effort to set up, and they will be able to work in less structured environments.
How much and when is unknown. But it would be interesting to hear your perspective on this.
As to minimum wage, there have been many studies to show that they do not affect employment much. Business that worry how they would pay extra wages forget that their competitors also would need to pay them.
(Australian minimum wage is AU$17.70/hour (US$13.78) (permanent), but most work is on awards greater than that. And includes the free health care of course. No huge unemployment.)
The price of robots is falling fast. They are made by other robots in China.
I would agree that a limited $60K robot is at best marginally economical. But what about when it only costs $20K in a few years time. And has enough smarts to detect and resolve simple problems. And the order taking is automated. And there is another robot to assemble the burgers and hand them to the customers.
Not tomorrow. But in ten years time the world will be very different.
60 years ago, when Parkinson wrote his great paper, there were no computers. Things like banks and tax offices ran entirely by hand. Rows of clerks, possibly with mechanical adding machines.
But those bureaucracies have grown, not shrunk. That is a clear, amazing fact. All that computer organization over 60 years has produced no reduction in the size of bureaucracies. Not cynical, but actually true.
For unlike the finite capacity for the human gut, our desire for rules and regulations, processes and procedures knows no bounds.
As Parkinson pointed out, the size of a bureaucracy is governed by many factors, none of which relate to the amount of work to be performed. So as machines free up productive labour, they will all just end up being petty bureaucrats. Which does not require any great intelligence, just conformity with an ever growing body of rules.
Once something becomes fashionable, everyone does it. If I was a pointy haired manager, I'd do it too.
My pet peeve is the trend some years ago for very horizontal windscreens. Makes the car very hot on even mild days, and amplifies the effect of any dirt. Also reduces fuel efficiency because people need air con most days, and does nothing for aerodynamics (look at an aeroplane -- pointy at back, not front).
But once it became fashionable, every car manufacture does it. The more horizontal the cooler the car looks and the better it will sell.
Phones will mindlessly follow Apple. Live with it.
Over 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or 50 years? The ability of AI systems will change dramatically.
Over 5 years we can sort of predict. Self driving cars and trucks will *start* to make an appearance, as will fruit picking machines etc.
Over 10 years it is more difficult. Lots of semi-intelligent machines running all over the place.
Nobody has a clue about 20 years.
Over 100 years, the AIs wont need us to program them any more, and the result is fairly easy to predict.
My personal bet is that in the medium term we will continue to see what happened during the last 50 years. As computer systems automated bureaucracies those bureaucracies just continued to grow and grow. As more and more rules and regulations are introduced, displaced workers will all become petty bureaucrats.
No magic technologies required. So hyper drives or other non existent physics.
Just software for computers. If such a code was received, would people execute it? Of course the would! Maybe on a computer isolated from the internet. Initially.
The idea is also old, explored in Hoyle's A for Andromeda in the 1960s. His aliens had to include instructions to build the computer, but we now have computers powerful enough.
There is a light bubble expanding around the earth starting about 1900 when 50/60hz signal started being sent. So now about 120 light years radius. Any other intelligence within that bubble would be aware we existed, and be able to send us a signal that we would receive in 120 years time.
Space is big. Really big. Much, much father then the walk to the local store. So if you want to cover those distances, you need to travel at the speed of light. Or radio waves. And then have someone at the other end to receive them.
The reason this is unlikely is that space is big. So there is unlikely to be any life within the current bubble. Maybe in 1000 years time, but by then we will have developed our own intelligent computers and have become extinct.
Theives.com can be a perfectly valid organization. Their line of business just happens to be malware. The CA is not saying anything about the products they provide.
Further, in practice, all you need is a DUNs number, which you get just by applying to them. The CA then checks that number matches your name. So no check at all really. (I recently bought a code signing cert.)
Slashdot Mirror
The use of DDT to control Malaria also save millions of lives.
As to GMOs being natural and there for safe, that is also nonsense. Long ago a bug resistant celery was produced using traditional plant breeding techniques. Worked great, except if slightly bruised it produced a lot of toxin that ended up killing a few people.
Balinese takes its religion very seriously, and it is under serious threat in the modern world. The quiet time is just part of that, they put a lot of effort into festivals.
They are also under cultrual attack from large numbers of Javanese immigrants, and this is a way to assert their Balinese culture.
After, Nyepi they then have a wild party, with the Ogoh-Ogoh -- have a look at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Bali is still a magic place, despite the thousands of yobbo Australian tourists. Let's hope it remains that way.
Xi Jinping wants people to be obedient. But he cannot throw everyone that makes a careless remark in jail, and he does not want to because it will upset too many people.
So he introduces a system of social credit. It is not just about trains, a high credit is very good for getting jobs, promotions etc. A low credit can have you punished by trains, as a warning that you are on you way to worse things if you do not behave.
Once everyone is focused on their social credit, self censorship will be very strong. There is a small upside -- nobody will smoke on trains either.
OTOH The US Red Light Camera system is purely about making money. Quite different.
The TSA No Fly List is more similar. I would not go about criticizing the TSA too publicly. No other western country would tolerate such extra judicial punishments. But at the end of the day it is more about incompetence than malice.
The pollution in the USA was never even close to that in China today. THis is mainly due to climate differences.
Problem is that History is not taught in schools. People do not know China's recent history.
During Mao's strong man Great Leap Forward some 30 *Million* people starved to death. A billion went hungry -- the birth rate plummeted. All due to Mao. Then the cultural revolution.
Since Deng Xioping there has been an economic miracle. But now we have a new emperor, Emperor Xi Jinping. Ruler for life.
Maybe he will be good for China. But if he is not, then there will be no way to remove him until he dies. He has centralized all power, removed all checks and balances, and cracked down on media and anyone that dissents at any level. Not good signs. He also boasts an aggressive foreign policy.
So, be careful what you wish for. Most strong men have been disasters for their countries of the highest order. Hitler, Stalin, Mao. The exception is probably Lee Kuan Yew, but he kept a semi-democratic system in place.
+1
There is nothing peaceful about the Burmese Buddhists that that are murdering and raping *thousands* of Rohingyans. The evidence is overwhelming that the Rohingya are the victims. And their plight is severe.
It is Genocide, and due to apathy by Australia and others likely to be successful.
I do not know how you can live with yourself promoting such lies. I suppose you think that the Jews also brought the Holocaust upon themselves. And that Pol Pot was a kind man misunderstood by western media.
I have seen a lot of nonsense on Slashdot. But this is the first time I have seen something really evil.
Law enforcement needs to go through the courts to punish (at least in theory). The TSA can just put you on a No Fly List. No appeal possible.
Do not mess with them.
(It always amazes me that the USA has the strongest constitution yet the ugliest laws. What would the USA be like without any constitution, better or far worse?)
An AI need never be conscious in our sense of the word. But when it can do all the things that humans can do then it will no longer need us. The toughest thing will be to be able to program itself, i.e. to do AI research.
That is a good 50 .. 200 years off, but that in turn is nothing in terms of human evolution. But once it happens, humans will be obsolete technology.
So as worms became monkeys which became humans, we live on the cusp of the next evolutionary step -- the rise of robots and the end of biology.
Is this a good or bad thing? Is anything a good or a bad thing? Not really important because it will happen anyway.
Trump is my kind of man. He will make Ameerica great. Get rid of those polticians from Washton. And most of all, I can undstand what he is saying. None of them big words other folks use. He thunks just like me, And he got a lot of money so he good.
You close your eyes.
Indeed, the Rohingya are currently being exterminated by the Buddhist Burmese.
Websites are developed by marketing. So of course they contain no information.
But you need to buy something to solve a problem.
At the conference, with a bit of luck, you can actually find a product manager and possibly even an engineer. Priceless.
The last time I been to one of these, I had more interest looking at the other vendors booths to see what they are doing and where the market is shifting.
So you got good value out of the conference. That is what they are for, to find out where the industry is going. And for us Engineers, it is good to stick out head up out of the cubicle from time to time.
The other major reason to go is, of course, to pick up the free tee shirts. I save a small fortune on clothes. (Actually, a tiny fortune compared to what my wife spends...)
No. You need to feed your slaves.
Incidentally, Australian minimum wage is US$13.78 with health care. No huge unemployment.
SJBE you make a good analysis of today's dumb robots. But as they slowly become more intelligent this will change. They will take less effort to set up, and they will be able to work in less structured environments.
How much and when is unknown. But it would be interesting to hear your perspective on this.
As to minimum wage, there have been many studies to show that they do not affect employment much. Business that worry how they would pay extra wages forget that their competitors also would need to pay them.
(Australian minimum wage is AU$17.70/hour (US$13.78) (permanent), but most work is on awards greater than that. And includes the free health care of course. No huge unemployment.)
The price of robots is falling fast. They are made by other robots in China.
I would agree that a limited $60K robot is at best marginally economical. But what about when it only costs $20K in a few years time. And has enough smarts to detect and resolve simple problems. And the order taking is automated. And there is another robot to assemble the burgers and hand them to the customers.
Not tomorrow. But in ten years time the world will be very different.
60 years ago, when Parkinson wrote his great paper, there were no computers. Things like banks and tax offices ran entirely by hand. Rows of clerks, possibly with mechanical adding machines.
But those bureaucracies have grown, not shrunk. That is a clear, amazing fact. All that computer organization over 60 years has produced no reduction in the size of bureaucracies. Not cynical, but actually true.
For unlike the finite capacity for the human gut, our desire for rules and regulations, processes and procedures knows no bounds.
As Parkinson pointed out, the size of a bureaucracy is governed by many factors, none of which relate to the amount of work to be performed. So as machines free up productive labour, they will all just end up being petty bureaucrats. Which does not require any great intelligence, just conformity with an ever growing body of rules.
Once the AI can program itself, a good 50 years away, people will be obsolete technology. Why would the robots want to keep parasitic humans around?
Once something becomes fashionable, everyone does it. If I was a pointy haired manager, I'd do it too.
My pet peeve is the trend some years ago for very horizontal windscreens. Makes the car very hot on even mild days, and amplifies the effect of any dirt. Also reduces fuel efficiency because people need air con most days, and does nothing for aerodynamics (look at an aeroplane -- pointy at back, not front).
But once it became fashionable, every car manufacture does it. The more horizontal the cooler the car looks and the better it will sell.
Phones will mindlessly follow Apple. Live with it.
Read the news. China has been massively upgrading its military. With modern weapons. Air craft carrier.
Not yet a match for the USA. But fast becoming able to massively overpower their first target. Taiwan.
Over 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or 50 years? The ability of AI systems will change dramatically.
Over 5 years we can sort of predict. Self driving cars and trucks will *start* to make an appearance, as will fruit picking machines etc.
Over 10 years it is more difficult. Lots of semi-intelligent machines running all over the place.
Nobody has a clue about 20 years.
Over 100 years, the AIs wont need us to program them any more, and the result is fairly easy to predict.
My personal bet is that in the medium term we will continue to see what happened during the last 50 years. As computer systems automated bureaucracies those bureaucracies just continued to grow and grow. As more and more rules and regulations are introduced, displaced workers will all become petty bureaucrats.
http://wwwcomputersthink.com/
No magic technologies required. So hyper drives or other non existent physics.
Just software for computers. If such a code was received, would people execute it? Of course the would! Maybe on a computer isolated from the internet. Initially.
The idea is also old, explored in Hoyle's A for Andromeda in the 1960s. His aliens had to include instructions to build the computer, but we now have computers powerful enough.
There is a light bubble expanding around the earth starting about 1900 when 50/60hz signal started being sent. So now about 120 light years radius. Any other intelligence within that bubble would be aware we existed, and be able to send us a signal that we would receive in 120 years time.
Space is big. Really big. Much, much father then the walk to the local store. So if you want to cover those distances, you need to travel at the speed of light. Or radio waves. And then have someone at the other end to receive them.
The reason this is unlikely is that space is big. So there is unlikely to be any life within the current bubble. Maybe in 1000 years time, but by then we will have developed our own intelligent computers and have become extinct.
To travel far, you need to travel at the speed of light. Radio waves. In which case you need someone else to receive them.
Theives.com can be a perfectly valid organization. Their line of business just happens to be malware. The CA is not saying anything about the products they provide.
Further, in practice, all you need is a DUNs number, which you get just by applying to them. The CA then checks that number matches your name. So no check at all really. (I recently bought a code signing cert.)