Interesting stuff

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Blowin started the topic in Friday, 21 Jun 2019 at 8:01am

Have it cunts

basesix's picture
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basesix Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 11:28am

I think we are a bit obsessed with 'intelligence' being 'human-intelligence'... as conversations circle around human's anthropomorphising of animals and our glee at finding human-traits in charismatic critters, maybe AI, if fed sufficient research data, will be able to give us information from, say, a worm's or a wren's point of view? Maybe a fungus/tree/termite group chat?
How good would it be if offshore-industry had to consult a seaslug, or whale AI?

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 11:39am

AI is great. Imagine all the capacity we will have to focus on jobs that are truly value-adding. I think it's still very early on but it will get there.

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basesix Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 11:43am

Could be food-preparation and the care-industry become the highest-paid jobs!
I think Jan-Svankmajer film-makers will be jobless, based on the trump/biden/spaghetti vid

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 11:53am

Who knows. For a start, it would be good if AI can find and book me a good value holiday. Just tell it the destination, dates, few preferences, and off it goes. It eventually learns your preferences and you don't even need to provide that.

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freeride76 Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 12:56pm

Can't you do that now?

What else do you see Flollo, or hope for?

Not having a go, genuinely curious.

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:18pm

Not really, I asked Chat GPT to do it and he gave me a bunch of links to follow. What I mean is for AI to fully book end-to-end travel plans. Book the flights, and hotels, pay with a credit card, organise pick-ups etc without the need for a user to go through multiple pages, enter credit card details, enter passenger details etc.

What else do I hope for? Architectural/drafting/infrastructure designs will definitely feel it. I already saw videos of some prototypes where AI produces a full set of designs. Sure, creativity is important but I feel like we're gold-plating every single project. Some standard projects should be fully automated while reducing the cost. There's a big chunk of design cost in every single house (it's not just about the house but also services and infrastructure leading to the house). There is potential here and to be honest, a big chunk of industry is leveraging peak demand times with offshore labor. So, we wouldn't feel the transition as much.

Another one is insurance. Currently, you can get some insurance directly but there is a whole broker market. Is that broker market really required? I get it, some stuff might be complex but I am convinced that AI can do a better, more customised job for 80% of the market. I want to give it a direction - get me the best insurance policy for my house. Also, cancel the old one in the process. I don't want to call anyone or speak to anyone. Same can be said about all the utility bills etc.

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velocityjohnno Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:22pm

Oh yeah, I hear about the architects not understanding sheet lengths and stud positioning with view to practicality and saving installation time quite a bit...

:)

WIth AI, it's being lined up as the Next Bubble

https://harpers.org/archive/2008/02/the-next-bubble/

I have linked this before, great article...

So what did we get out of the last bubble? That was social media: we got mass distraction, people acting like morons, a fall in productivity. We got WeWork and NFTs of Apes. We got free O-Bikes hanging from trees and in rivers. Still no closer to Moon bases or Mars.

With AI I've heard it could remove about 300 million+ highly paid white collar jobs from Europe... at the beginning of these booms all sorts of claims are made (see you in the Metaverse... or not!) Edit: but really, if anywhere near 300 million get laid off, 20% of those are going to take up surfing so don't say I didn't warn you!!!

Surely the next bubble can be better than this last one?

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:23pm

VJ the bubble will burst as it did on many occasions like the dot com bubble. But some good solutions always endure as they are useful for many people. Like everything else, it is 2 steps forward, 1 step backward.

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:28pm

I'm not impressed with the ChatGPT plugins https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-plugins

They are trying to copy traditional Google but in a different environment. Following on my comments about travel, there is no point in having an Expedia plugin as anyone can easily reach Expedia anyway. And even then, Expedia would be working with selected providers so again, no guarantee of the best deal. AI's computational power should leverage the whole globe of service providers. Human can't possibly check every hotel, private accommodation, car service...But AI is able to do that without Expedias of the world.

This is also where the bubble could come in - companies jumping on the latest buzz building fancy plugins and tools for something that consumers already have.

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:31pm

Basically, this is where the problem is:

Can you find me the cheapest flight from Sydney to London
ChatGPT
I apologize, but as an AI language model, I don't have real-time access to flight information or pricing. However, I can provide you with some general tips on how to find the cheapest flight from Sydney to London:

Use flight search engines: Websites like Skyscanner, Kayak, Google Flights, or Expedia allow you to compare prices from different airlines and travel agents. Enter your travel dates and search for flights from Sydney to London to see the available options and prices.

Be flexible with your travel dates: If possible, be flexible with your travel dates and consider flying on weekdays or during off-peak seasons. Flights tend to be cheaper when there is less demand.

Set price alerts: Some flight search engines allow you to set price alerts for specific routes. You can input your desired price range, and they will notify you when the prices drop or meet your criteria.

Consider layovers and connecting flights: Non-stop flights are usually more convenient but can be more expensive. Opting for flights with layovers or connecting flights might be more budget-friendly.

Book in advance: Generally, booking your flight well in advance can help you secure better deals. Prices tend to increase as the travel date approaches.

Remember that flight prices are subject to change based on various factors, so it's always a good idea to compare prices across multiple platforms and be aware of any additional fees or restrictions that may apply.

basesix's picture
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basesix Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 1:47pm

maybe take a cruise?

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velocityjohnno Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 2:15pm
flollo wrote:

VJ the bubble will burst as it did on many occasions like the dot com bubble. But some good solutions always endure as they are useful for many people. Like everything else, it is 2 steps forward, 1 step backward.

Absolutely; so we know how to play it. I think two things will be important: being on the capital (or business) side of the ledger (it's you who the productivity works for) and having total control over your work/income/ownership structure. Learned that in the 90's when no one would give you a go getting work.

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velocityjohnno Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 2:21pm

This subject definitely dovetails into the vids I linked yesterday in the Vids other than surfing thread. It's possible so many people will face the walking away from it all scenario of the Hikkikomori and 7 million US men choosing not to work or even look for work. You can see why I think surfing numbers will increase.

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velocityjohnno Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 2:26pm

And Flollo, re: the useful stuff, a couple of years ago Pops suggested to me that I go and find ways to model flows with software, I can now do this and it's so spun out seeing something you designed moving through a fluid. You're like whoa, I never imagined that a vortex would form in that location, why is that? And the icing on the cake is if X flows better than Y and you can see it on a screen and then go feel it in reality, that's golden. Never thought I'd be seeing such cool, empowering stuff when I started fooling around with these programs when I was recovering from illness some years ago.

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gsco Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 2:36pm

lol OpenAI is not trying to "copy" google.

The reason for layering large language models on top of plugins, search engines, computational machines, third-party services, etc, is that they're not designed to search databases/internet (such as look for flights), do mathematical computations, etc. They're a completely different thing altogether.

Loosely speaking, they're designed to interpret text input and generate text output, basically by parroting the massive text datasets on which they're trained or fit.

It then makes obvious sense to layer them on other technologies and databases etc that use their text output as instructions/input, which is exactly what OpenAI and many others are doing.

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velocityjohnno Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 2:42pm

The Ms came up with the idea of using it to write her own smut novels, I fully support her as long as I get to name the characters :) Huge market, you could generate it within about 5 mins.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/sex/secret-sex-habit-of-...

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 4:30pm

@gsco in other words, it will help businesses develop solutions at a reduced cost however, the end-user experience will still be dependent on the solutions those businesses provide. So, the buzz is coming from the business circles who are after an increased margin. That's basically my point, there is not much that the end user benefits from (flights being an example) unless the AI can get rid of the expensive middleman.

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flollo Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at 4:35pm
velocityjohnno wrote:

This subject definitely dovetails into the vids I linked yesterday in the Vids other than surfing thread. It's possible so many people will face the walking away from it all scenario of the Hikkikomori and 7 million US men choosing not to work or even look for work. You can see why I think surfing numbers will increase.

Yeah, I saw your videos. I didn't have a chance to watch in full but I put it on the list for when I have the time. It sounds very interesting.

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velocityjohnno Friday, 19 May 2023 at 12:45pm

udo's picture
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udo Wednesday, 24 May 2023 at 7:53pm
Supafreak's picture
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Supafreak Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 8:17am

AI Or Gain-Of-Function Research: Which Is More Dangerous? https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2023/05/30/is-ai-easier-to-c...

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old-dog Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 6:44pm

Just heard on the news that Albo wants to increase the age pension to 70. I'm still dirty on Labor for bumping it up to 67. All my life I was told it was 65 and then just as I was about to get there it went to 651/2 and then 66 and then I missed out on 661/2 by one month. All this and not a whimper from the unions, and yet look what went down in France. The whole country is going to shit, people living in cars etc. etc. and Albo is too busy with his voice legacy to even notice. He is the biggest lame duck PM in our history. I wonder what age his pension will kick in.

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flollo Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 6:52pm

That sucks old-dog. I’m more than 30 years behind you and I will probably never see a pension. I don’t trust the governments with anything, they will probably cancel it in the future.

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Supafreak Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 7:22pm
old-dog wrote:

Just heard on the news that Albo wants to increase the age pension to 70. I'm still dirty on Labor for bumping it up to 67. All my life I was told it was 65 and then just as I was about to get there it went to 651/2 and then 66 and then I missed out on 661/2 by one month. All this and not a whimper from the unions, and yet look what went down in France. The whole country is going to shit, people living in cars etc. etc. and Albo is too busy with his voice legacy to even notice. He is the biggest lame duck PM in our history. I wonder what age his pension will kick in.

By 2030, the age will increase to 68, before rising to 69 in 2036 and 70 by 2050. It’s hoped this formula will help working Australians sustain the livelihoods of their elderly unemployed counterparts. https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/itll-be-a-miracle-working-australi... https://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/programs/mornings/pension-age-increasin.... https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-06/aged-pension-debate-rekindled-is-...

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old-dog Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 7:48pm

This won't affect me but may just catch out the wife. You work hard and pay tax all your life then at the last minute they move the goal posts on you. Labor always penalizes the hard workers and rewards the bludgers.

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Supafreak Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 8:00pm
old-dog wrote:

This won't affect me but may just catch out the wife. You work hard and pay tax all your life then at the last minute they move the goal posts on you. Labor always penalizes the hard workers and rewards the bludgers.

It hasn’t happened yet , not sure if it’s actually Albo’s idea , what radio station were you listening too ? LNP wanted to introduce it by 2035 years ago . It’s not an election winning move . Did you read the article from 2018 ?

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blackers Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 9:23pm

The increase to 70 years is a Turnbull government legacy. Treasurer? Scotty.

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udo Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 10:27pm

That moment when the Gear kicks in...

old-dog's picture
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old-dog Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 11:11am

@ super, it was on the 9 and ABC news on TV. I stand corrected it is modelling from Macquarie Uni. saying the age will increase to 70 and not Albo. When labor raised the age to 67 the Libs said they would have preferred it to be 70 which allowed labor to get away with being the lesser of two evils and push it through. Make no mistake though, Albo would back it as well as including the family home in the asset test if given the chance. young people have the benefit of 10% compulsory super but for much of my working life it was 0-3%.

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Patrick Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 1:28pm

Peter Attia - How the food pyramid shaped the obesity epidemic.

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stunet Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 2:20pm

As Bono is to music documentaries, so too is Jordan Peterson to YouTube clips.

Whiny-voiced fucker is everywhere.

That said, the topic of the clip above looks interesting. Thanks for posting...

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Patrick Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 2:45pm

Stu, he's talking with Peter Attia, a physician (Stanford, John Hopkins, NIH).
Interestingly, he was also was the first person to make the round-trip swim from Maui and Lanai... which sounds like somewhat of an accomplishment.

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stunet Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 2:47pm

Yep I saw that. I was just being a bit of a dick.

Will watch it tonight.

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Patrick Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 3:05pm

Ok. Have you heard him talk about raising children? If you have, as a father, what do you think of his advice/observations (whiny voice aside)?

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stunet Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 3:20pm

No I haven't. Sounds like I've got a few vids to watch.

Patrick's picture
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Patrick Thursday, 1 Jun 2023 at 11:13pm

The development of aggressive children:

zenagain's picture
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zenagain Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 12:13am

I don't know why people hate Jordan Peterson so much? I think he's a brilliant mind and an amazing orator.

Thanks for putting that up Patrick. Fascinating stuff.

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Island Bay Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 3:04am

You and me both, Zen.

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Island Bay Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 3:31am

Here’s a little appetiser:

“ I started writing Maps of Meaning in 1985. I was very upset by the processes of the cold war – by the superhuman energy of the arms race, by the terrible ideologically-motivated battle taking place on the world stage. Other aspects of political and social behavior and conception appeared equally mysterious and distressing to me. I could not understand what forces drove the Nazis, the Stalinists, or the Khmer Rouge. I could not make sense of the human propensity for belief-inspired violence. I had frightening, re-occurring nightmares about the possible destruction of the world. I decided, in consequence, that I would devote myself to the alleviation of my ignorance. I have attempted to do so, ever since – while finishing my doctorate at McGill University, while serving as a faculty member at Harvard and the University of Toronto.

I had no idea where my search would lead me. I came over the course of a decade and a half to understand the meanings of many things that had been entirely hidden from me – things that I had cast away, stupidly, as of little worth. I came to realize that ideologies had a narrative structure – that they were stories, in a word – and that the emotional stability of individuals depended upon the integrity of their stories. I came to realize that stories had a religious substructure (or, to put it another way, that well-constructed stories had a nature so compelling that they gathered religious behaviors and attitudes around them, as a matter of course). I understood, finally, that the world that stories describe is not the objective world, but the world of value – and that it is in this world that we live, first and foremost.

This all may appear as something far removed from the original problem, but that is true only in appearance. I have learned what it is that makes the tyrant, and how attractive it can be to participate in that process. I have come to understand what it is that our stories protect us from, and why we will do anything to maintain their stability. I now realize how it can be that our religious mythologies are true, and why that truth places a virtually intolerable burden of responsibility on the individual. I know now why rejection of such responsibility ensures that the unknown will manifest a demonic face, and why those who shrink from their potential seek revenge wherever they can find it. I learned what I wanted to know – at least enough so that my nightmares disappeared.

It is my hope that the transmission of this knowledge will help those who receive it withstand the forces of ideological possession, and that this will in consequence aid in some small way the establishment of a long and conscious peace.”

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andy-mac Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 7:55am
Patrick wrote:

The development of aggressive children:
https://youtu.be/2o4Og5PBM50

Have seen this talk before and think he is on the money. Boys especially in that grade 6-9 year groups obviously are not meant to sit in a classroom 5 hours a day listening to stuff most have no interest in. Lunch breaks no tackle footy etc allowed as someone may get hurt, duty of care etc. State school sports need teachers doing a lot of extra unpaid work.
But that's out education system. Could we do it better, yes. But it would cost a lot more. State system tries to have programs where these kids can get extra support, but funding is scarce.
So many boys now just overweight, no interest on much except gaming, sucking in sugar powered slushie or big can monster drink before a school day of being bored and therefore getting into trouble with teachers.
Then they get dosed up with medication so they can fit in...
Crazy. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

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stunet Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 8:58am

There's a few things in that talk that make me question his line of thought, though I largely agree with the main thrust of his argument. Maybe it's just a distilled down version of a more thorough study?

It seems like he's fingering structural issues as much as individual ones (issues with the state as opposed to issues between parent and child). I'm the father of three boys, and my suggestion if you're looking for practical answers is to read Steven Biddulph or even better, Maggie Dent.

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flollo Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 9:18am
stunet wrote:

There's a few things in that talk that make me question his line of thought, though I largely agree with the main thrust of his argument. Maybe it's just a distilled down version of a more thorough study?

It seems like he's fingering structural issues as much as individual ones (issues with the state as opposed to issues between parent and child). I'm the father of three boys, and my suggestion if you're looking for practical answers is to read Steven Biddulph or even better, Maggie Dent.

It's sometimes hard to know with these clips as they are cut-down versions of a much broader set of uni lectures. I've been following JP for many years now and I watched a lot of his uni lectures (he used to publish full versions online but they go for hours) Although he comments on all sorts of stuff these days, my main interest is still in his psychology work. His books are outstanding as they go deep + everything is backed by strong references. I read them with a texter and a pen, taking a huge amount of notes, checking references, going back to chapters, and reading them several times. I read around 20-30 books a year and it's not often that something stands out like this.

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flollo Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 9:39am
andy-mac wrote:
Patrick wrote:

The development of aggressive children:
https://youtu.be/2o4Og5PBM50

Have seen this talk before and think he is on the money. Boys especially in that grade 6-9 year groups obviously are not meant to sit in a classroom 5 hours a day listening to stuff most have no interest in. Lunch breaks no tackle footy etc allowed as someone may get hurt, duty of care etc. State school sports need teachers doing a lot of extra unpaid work.
But that's out education system. Could we do it better, yes. But it would cost a lot more. State system tries to have programs where these kids can get extra support, but funding is scarce.
So many boys now just overweight, no interest on much except gaming, sucking in sugar powered slushie or big can monster drink before a school day of being bored and therefore getting into trouble with teachers.
Then they get dosed up with medication so they can fit in...
Crazy. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

I agree with this. Just to add, I think it's also important to distinguish between the US and here in Australia. Generally speaking, a lot of online content is based around the US context which honestly, is a complete mess. I believe our situation in Australia is better (although extreme safety conservatism is always a concern).

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stunet Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 9:57am

On the kids and danger thing: There's a reason kids are drawn to online, and it's not just because programmers are psychologists and know how kids' minds work, nor that the device has replaced the telephone as instrument of communication, but also that adults now administer many wild places and kids need places to be on their own to do, for want of a better term, dangerous shit.

In surfing, I understand that some kids need/want early competition and coaching, however that was never my experience, nor the case of any of my friends. We surfed to get away from parents and adults, and the beach was that wild place. Unless you live in truly regional areas it aint easy for kids to do that these days. Everywhere has overbearing adults and their prying eyes that rush to judgement.

Hence online has become their 'wild place'. It serves a psychological function yet it's really only a proxy and is unhealthy in many different ways (mood changes, anxiety, eyesight, sedentary, vulenerable to online predators).

I think if you have a kid who absolutely needs that getaway then you somehow have to make it happen. If not, they'll find it online.

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flollo Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 10:17am

Wow, that's a great summary. I've got 3 boys and I take them out all the time. We are out nearly every day and it's a lot of effort. But we are often alone, you don't really see many other kids. And sometimes my boys shock strangers when they climb super high rocks, catch wild animals, go on massive hikes...The look on people's faces on a remote bush hike when they see a 5-year-old coming around the corner :-).

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sypkan Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 11:43am
zenagain wrote:

I don't know why people hate Jordan Peterson so much? I think he's a brilliant mind and an amazing orator.

Thanks for putting that up Patrick. Fascinating stuff.

I know why...

because he uses (now) obscure concepts such as stats, evdence, and reality to dismantle his opponents arguments

that, and the fact his opponents have been indoctrinated into hating him, well before they have even listened to a single word...

I have read / listened to practically none of his 'self help' stuff that has made him famous - and tbh, I find a lot of that (and his whiney voice) kinda annoying....

but the shear breadth and depth of his wider knowledge is impresaive to say the least

one of the most interesting things of his I've watched is his bible stories series

which might sound incredibly boring... but the sprinkling of psychology and evolutionary biology he puts thoughout those lectures is impressive, captivating, and enlightening... for me anyway...

and the power of the bible stories in the shaping of our perceptions and society is an eye opener... even if it often may seem full of long bows and possibly bullshit...

the dude is a wealth of knowledge on so many subjects, you don't need to adhere to his politics to appreciate that...

or shouldn't believe that to be the case...

the tendency to cancel - without any thought at all or providing of counter argument - is a huge loss to his detractors, and society more widely...

debate before detract

please!

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zenagain Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 11:35am

'The look on people's faces on a remote bush hike when they see a 5-year-old coming around the corner :-).'

With a cross-bow?

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stunet Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 11:39am

Quick change of tack, yet still interesting, sort of.

This year's World Ocean Day will be celebrated in a wavepool!

"O brave new world, that has such people in it."

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Jelly Flater Friday, 2 Jun 2023 at 11:48am

Ha !

World ocean day in a pool ;)

- that’s a true sign of the times…

Changing definitions and identities, all to suit agendas and identities !

Luckily there will always be people willing to fight the good fight ;)

- that is, until we change the meaning of ‘brave’.

https://m.

&pp=ygUhSm9yZGFuIHBldGVyc29uIHRyYW5zZ2VuZGVyIHN0b3J5