So much for the dawn of the AI revolution
As an aside to your look at a book on hype over AI abilities, we had an unfortunate encounter with an AI that was recently introduced to health software that triages for our local doctor’s office. I was referred by a pharmacist to my doctor because my eyes had developed a severe allergic reaction to our daughter’s dog(24 May, p 27).
The AI ignored the referral by another health professional and other evidence like well-controlled, life-long eczema and the specific issue of the eyes. It simply took over the process, saying: “Hello Arthur, we see you have a rash…” I then ended up down a rabbit hole of irrelevant questions from which I couldn’t escape. I tried the next day with a different approach, with the same result. Resorting to the phone, I got an appointment. Lots of wasted time for the practice.
Emotions, good and bad, serve us well
As a counsellor and psychotherapist, I have a different take on emotions. What would be the point of them if they weren’t useful? We have them whether we like them or not(10 May, p 30).
Generally, we like the so-called positive ones and not many others. But they serve a major purpose, nudging us to recognise when something isn’t right or if we have a learning opportunity.
Once we fully accept emotions and express them, they disappear into the ether. This isn’t the same as taking them out on somebody else or projecting them.
Your article contains a lot of useful information, but since I read the opening lines about controlling our emotions, I could feel the pressure building. Now that I have got all this off my chest, I am feeling a whole lot better.
Did life on Earth get crushed into existence?
If mechanochemistry can transmute chemical compounds by smashing them in a ball mill, perhaps the chemical precursors of life didn’t arise in a warm tidal pool, but under rocks and pebbles compressed by geological forces(24 May, p 38).
Building brains that are immune to microplastics
The impact of microplastics on animal brains 鈥� and probably human cognition 鈥� got me thinking, while I still can. While we are engineering our downfall with plastics, we may unwittingly be crafting a “solution”: minds immune to microplastics, in the form of AI. Could we also engineer our way out of this conundrum? Or perhaps someone is already working on it 鈥� unwittingly(10 May, p 38).
Companion planting success, but in reverse
James Wong suggests tomatoes may do better when grown near basil. I found something similar, but different. When creating a veg garden, I thought I would test the companion-planting theory by growing basil and tomatoes 鈥� some near each other, some not. It wasn’t a scientific study, but I found basil grew bigger when next to a tomato plant. Proximity to basil, meanwhile, made no noticeable difference to the tomatoes(31 May, p 43).
Tread carefully in analysis of exoplanet atmospheres
The continuing arguments about the absorption spectrum of the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b shows the difficulty of such research. Who selects the size and contents of the set of molecular spectra against which to compare the planet’s data? The original 20 molecules seems an absurdly low number. That an expansion to 92 gives different results, and then to 650 different again, suggests that one might be able to suggest any number of molecules 鈥� either biologically or non-biologically generated on our own planet(31 May, p 19).
I wouldn’t advocate for the end of such research, just that researchers should be humbler about whether they have detected or merely found the possibility of a given molecule.
Why nuclear civilisations may actually last longer (1)
I take issue with the idea that we don’t hear from aliens because the ability to develop interstellar communication also means an ability to develop potent weapons that lead to self-destruction(24 May, p 21).
Such civilisations have the potential to last longer because they can find ways to avert natural Armageddon. We know an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs and are looking at ways to prevent future impacts. Nuclear bombs are one way to deal with asteroids. We also have methods to mitigate climate change, and advanced societies are also more likely to colonise other worlds, giving them greater protection from annihilation.
Why nuclear civilisations may actually last longer (2)
Game theory 鈥� the maths of strategic interactions 鈥� suggests we are unlikely to see full nuclear disarmament. Perhaps the best we can push for is the UN monitoring a reduction in stockpiles, and work to cut the dangers of automatic, hair-trigger reflex counter-attacks.
When imagination suddenly vanished
I am a writer of mainly historical novels. I scored fairly high on your imagination tests. That said, there was a time about 11 years ago when my imagination faltered after I had a haemorrhagic stroke. After a few days in intensive care, I was put on pills to reduce high blood pressure. Suddenly I couldn’t visualise anything, not even a rainbow. In desperation, I rang a friend who is a doctor specialising in stroke aftercare and told her about this. “Are you taking diuretics?” she asked. “Stop them at once.” I did and two days later my ability to visualise was back(31 May, p 37).
Consult a doctor before making any changes to your medication.
Mask up for the perfect way to chop onions
You don’t need complex research to find how to cut onions with no tears. When I chop them, I put my scuba mask on. Problem solved(24 May, p 12).
For the record
Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt (7 June, p 27).