Category Archives: Think

Aviation, Energy, Environment, Think, Transportation

Next up: A push to ban air travel

August 17, 2021 EdwardM

Air travelers create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions that mostly harm other, less well-to-do people.

Source: Opinion: Big Tech flies too much. It’s time for these companies to practice what they preach to help stop climate change – MarketWatch

The article points out most carbon credit schemes are scams, where people pay not to cut down forests that no one had any intention of cutting down anyway.

In spite of having a solar PV powered home, in spite of retrofitting R-60 insulation in my house, in spite of adding 220 v outlets in my garage and outside my house to power a future EV, in spite of heating using wood waste products (UN says its carbon neutral), I did not even look at the IPCC 6 report or read the news stories. Every headline I saw was written as coordinated propaganda , not something trying to inform me.

Our household carbon foot print is less than 1/4th that of the average American home, and dropping.

I am so burned out on crappy science during this pandemic, I have lost confidence in all science. The IPCC 6 report? What ever. I’m not even paying attention!

Emerging Technology, Robotics, Software/Tech, Techie, Think

Stop Calling Everything AI, Machine-Learning Pioneer Says – IEEE Spectrum

April 6, 2021 EdwardM

This is true – with a reminder that even as a brain injured idiot, I am a retired computer engineer and computer scientist:

Artificial-intelligence systems are nowhere near advanced enough to replace humans in many tasks involving reasoning, real-world knowledge, and social interaction. They are showing human-level competence in low-level pattern recognition skills, but at the cognitive level they are merely imitating human intelligence, not engaging deeply and creatively, says Michael I. Jordan, a leading researcher in AI and machine learning.

Source: Stop Calling Everything AI, Machine-Learning Pioneer Says – IEEE Spectrum

Much of our “AI” mimics some human behaviors while much more is sheer computational horsepower enabling us to create models with complex weighted input mappings which we refer to as “machine learning”. This is all good but its not the AI that many people think of when they hear the term.

And this is actually quite cool:

He says he believes that developments in machine learning reflect the emergence of a new field of engineering. He draws parallels to the emergence of chemical engineering in the early 1900s from foundations in chemistry and fluid mechanics, noting that machine learning builds on decades of progress in computer science, statistics, and control theory. Moreover, he says, it is the first engineering field that is humancentric, focused on the interface between people and technology.

Public Health/Coronavirus, Think

“How Polarization Ate Our Brains”

April 1, 2021 EdwardM

Zeynep Tufekci on how masks became tribal group signaling:

I continue to believe that masks, including high-filtration masks, are an important tool, especially for the unvaccinated who must work or be indoors with other people. But it’s pretty clear that they have also become a talisman of sorts, essentially signaling belonging in a tribe, rather than a public health tool that’s quite useful under certain circumstances. It’s weird to see the mask debate come full circle. Now I get lectured for not talking about masks, even if the article is about vaccination, and people openly declare that they will continue to double-mask for a year even after being fully vaccinated–and for saying that on social media, they receive many likes and retweets (I’m not linking to examples because I’m not trying to focus on individuals). Meanwhile, those who deny the importance of the pandemic will often obsessively focus on masks, as if they are the greatest threat to liberty and individual expression rather than, yep, a public health tool that’s quite useful under certain circumstances. The talisman works both ways as a tribal signifier.

Source: How Polarization Ate Our Brains – Insight

Techie, Think

What the pandemic has taught us about science | Climate Etc.

October 14, 2020 EdwardM

How should the public begin to make sense of the flurry of sometimes contradictory scientific views generated by the Covid-19 crisis? The only way to be absolutely sure that one scientific pronouncement is reliable and another is not is to examine the evidence yourself. Relying on the reputation of the scientist, or the reporter reporting it, is the way that many of us go, and is better than nothing, but it is not infallible. If in doubt, do your homework.

Source: What the pandemic has taught us about science | Climate Etc.

#IOT Internet of Things, Automation, Business, Drones, Energy, Environment, Smart Phones, Think, Transportation

California to ban sale of new gas-powered cars in 2035

September 24, 2020 EdwardM

California will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars to combat climate change starting in 2035, a move that could help reshape the nation’s automobile market and its output of greenhouse gases.

Source: California to ban sale of new gas-powered cars in 2035 under Newsom order – SFChronicle.com

The State that is currently unable to provide sufficient electricity to its people, will require that all new vehicles sold after 2035 be – basically – electric. Will be interesting to see how they solve the infrastructure challenge in just 14+ years. The State is presently building just half of a high speed rail system over a period of 25 years.

Related: I do not understand the full concept of Executive Orders. The report notes this mandate is done via Executive Order in order to bypass the Legislature and public input. That is not a democracy in action – that is an authoritarian and undemocratic government.

Separately, the SF Bay area Metropolitan Transportation Commission has voted to mandate that 60% of all workers must work from home – with exemptions for work that cannot be done from home.

Issues have been raised as to how this creates social isolation, difficulties for many people who do not have homes suitable for work, and wipes out large numbers of businesses and jobs that support workers downtown. It also treats those who already walk or take public transport to work the same as everyone else – they too would be required to work at home.

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#IOT Internet of Things, Automation, Robotics, Think, Uncategorized

FedEx seeks to automate much of the package delivery process

February 7, 2017 EdwardM

FedEx is looking at everything – replacing drivers with autonomous delivery trucks and small robots, integration with Google Echo and Amazon Alexa to request package delivery via voice command, using “platooned” semi-automated truck caravans to reduce the number of drivers and reduce fuel consumption, and more:

The shipping giant is investing in autonomous trucks, and is interested in delivery robots and an Alexa app.

Source: FedEx Bets on Automation as It Prepares to Fend Off Uber and Amazon

Last night I had a bizarre dream. In my dream (really, I had this dream), Amazon had located package warehouses near trauma centers. After helicopters delivered trauma patients, they were then picking up and carrying packages by air on their return trip to their operation base generating a little revenue on the otherwise non revenue part of the flight.

Yes, probably a silly dream, but who knows?

Business, Emerging Technology, Innovation, Policy/Government, Techie, Think