>interchange w24y21
Curiosities for 14 → 20 June 2021
I think I may be playing in the wrong sector.
An invisible sculpture has just sold for $18,000.
I sculpt invisible things all the time for much less. Some even call it innovation.
Main Threads
>01. The future of war is bizarre and terrifying.
via Noahpinion
But what’s also worrying is how many of the new military technologies are specialized for use off the battlefield.
And, Upgrades to the US Army’s night vision technology make darkness into a video game.
Also, The U.F.O. Sightings Don't Impress This Physicist.
>02. What will post-pandemic shopping look like?
via Vox
Do you really want to be reminded of the looming threat of plague when you’re trying to buy face cream?.
And, As Life Returns to Normal, a Great Offlining May Begin.
Also, The pandemic saved the fast-food industry.
Finally, Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm: Buy now, pay later is growing beyond retail.
>03. We need to design distrust into AI systems to make them safer.
via MIT Technology Review
** “Artificial intelligence” implies that it’s a different type of intelligence, whereas “humanized intelligence” says it’s intelligent but motivated by the human construct. And that means when we create these systems, we’re also ensuring that it has some of our societal values as well.**
And, Artificial intelligence research may have hit a dead end.
Also, Bias Is a Big Problem. But So Is ‘Noise.’
>04. Your father’s stock market is never coming back.
via Fortune
Jerry spent three decades saving and investing, prudently, and dutifully. He and Nancy have accumulated $1.2 million—for them it’s all the money in the world. Took them their entire lives...Aiden made $800,000 in the past 12 months, starting with the $25,000 his grandfather left him. He did it from a phone, knowing virtually nothing about the instruments he traded. Read a few posts on Seeking Alpha, saw a few tweets from Mark Cuban, and pressed the Buy button. Then again, and again. Then with leverage. Then with crypto. It worked, repeatedly. Large gains led to larger trades, which led to even larger gains. “Why doesn’t everyone do this?”
And, Billionaires are looking for loopholes in President Biden’s plan to raise taxes.
>05. Drones and live-streams: How tech is changing conservation.
via BBC
"In the beginning, we had to work with a pen, notebook and GPS to document the information we found...But technology is getting better each year. Now we enter data into an app, which lets us send information quickly and directly to our operations room.
And, Tech giants fight 'cloud wars' deep in the ocean.
Also, The U.S. Is Not Ready For An All-Electric Future.
Other Threads
> Fresh pizza vending machine prompts curiosity and horror in Rome.
> Is rewatching old TV good for the soul?
> Japanese bullet train driver takes bathroom break as train cruises at 90 mph.
Quote for the Week
Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.
Erma Bombeck
Best for the week ahead!
-Tim
Interstate 3x uses business design to help commercial teams reduce the risk of innovation.