Chaos & Amazement #2509 The Economic Handoff to AI, Dark Factories in China, and The Uncomfortable

Mar 01, 2025

Gen Z teens tell us why they stopped trusting experts in favor of influencers on TikTok:
- they feel like friends,
- they offer quick & easy info, and
- social media feeds reinforce their views.
- https://fortune.com/2025/02/14/gen-z-teens-experts-trust-influencers-tiktok/
Kevin Kelly states that an "Economic Handoff" is coming. We'll see an economy of busy synthetics on one side and relaxed humans on the other. Machines handle productivity, while we mortal humans focus on art, innovation, connection. It's a mutual system, not replacement. I like the idea. https://kk.org/thetechnium/the-handoff-to-bots/
How well people know themselves defines how they behave. Those who have a less clearly defined “self-concept”—or an understanding of the thoughts and beliefs they use to define themselves—are more likely to distance themselves from their actions and, in turn, more likely to misbehave. https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/how-a-weak-sense-of-self-encourages-bad-behavior

China has entered the "Dark Factory" era, where AI and robots drive optimal efficiency—no workers, just machines, and no need for lights. https://x.com/XH_Lee23/status/1893522954803388879
Protoclone: Bipedal Musculoskeletal Android V1. Video uploaded by its makers. Still baffled by their choice of background music.

It's a qr code that floats. Occasionally hits the corner.
https://floatingqrcode.com
http://tree.fm – Tune Into Forests From Around The World
Escape nature, and unwind wherever you are.
The Uncomfortable is a collection of deliberately inconvenient everyday objects by Athens-based architect Katerina Kamprani. theuncomfortable.com
Severance — Music To Refine To feat. ODESZA. It’s exactly 8 hours long - perfect for your 9-5.
« There is nothing more I want than this. »