Chaos & Amazement #2342 The Techno-Optimist Manifesto, the Whole Earth Catalog, and Admiral Akbar’s Thing

Oct 21, 2023

Musk considers removing X platform from Europe over EU law. “Musk hasn't given the voiceless a voice, he's just dragged us all down into the swamp, and the only people who truly benefit are shameless grifters.” https://wired.trib.al/jq3gDLR
Twitter’s transformation into Trump’s anti-woke TruthSocial is now almost complete. Find me on BlueSky clowillaerts.bsky.social. I’ll follow back.
The Techno-Optimist Manifesto https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/
- Embrace technology and optimism.
- Technology fuels growth and progress.
- Free markets empower individuals.
- Make everything affordable.
- Reject pessimism and resentment.
- Build a brighter future through action.
Figure's humanoid is already walking and performing autonomous tasks. It’s getting good at bipedal walking, but skeptics await practical applications promised by year-end.

State of AI Report 2023 covers AI breakthroughs, regulation, economics, and safety. Small language models trained with specialized datasets can rival models 50x larger. https://www.stateof.ai
- Ukraine deploys AI-powered drones with autonomous killing capabilities, marking a concerning first step in "killer robots" on the battlefield. The Saker Scout drone can identify and strike targets without human intervention.
- AI image detectors wrongly label real war photos as fake, spreading disinformation. These tools can't accurately replicate reality, leading to confusion on social media. Experts like Hany Farid highlight their unreliability. AI Images Detectors Are Being Used to Discredit the Real Horrors of War.

Lemon is the only way to say "I love you" https://bnox.be/2023/10/lemon-is-only-way-to-say-i-love-you.html I highly recommend Netflix’ new series based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher. Here’s a clip:
Appropriate Technology' according to The Whole Earth Catalog https://bnox.be/2023/10/appropriate-technology-according-to.html
[Elsewhere, in Dutch] Mijn eerbetoon aan Ada Lovelace, digitale pionier, en Margaret Hamilton, heldin van de Apollo missies. Software has eaten the world
Media Marketing | News | De blijvende impact van Ada Lovelace, door Clo Willaerts

Follow-up on last week’s dancing chickens: Who did it better? https://reddit.com/r/funny/comments/17a9cb9/who_did_it_better/ Song: Pegao/ Me Miro y La Mire by Omega Chickens: https://tiktok.com/@ilgallinaio_special/.
Imagine a unique musical experiment where Red Hot Chili Peppers' album, 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik,' is transformed into a whimsical rendition using the nostalgic sound effects from the classic video game, Donkey Kong Country
Here’s Under The Bridge:
Just when you thought Admiral Ackbar's 'It's a trap!' moment couldn't get any more iconic, someone turns it into an action figure... of a certain appendage!
Not a trap, just a unique collectible. Admiral's Thing from Death by Toys

Chaos & Amazement