The Skeptics Guide #925 - Apr 01 2023 (Ad Free)
Added 2023-04-01 15:40:55 +0000 UTCInterview with Blake Lemoine; Quickie with Steve: Batteries with Double the Energy Density; News Items: Mammoth Meatball, Lunar Ice, First Blitzar Observed, England Allows Gene-Edited Crops; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction
Comments
Hot damn! This was a great interview that stretched my mind so much I had to download twice. Thanks for a well balanced ( to an almost unbearable level) discussion on A.I.
Erik Gordon
2023-04-28 22:35:54 +0000 UTCI was unable to download the episode in my app Pocket Cast for Android. Not sure if it was because my PayPal was low on funds and it failed. Now that I topped it off and the payment gone through it still fails to download. Could still download it through Patreon though.
Anders Nilsson
2023-04-07 14:08:50 +0000 UTCGreat interview. I suspect one problem with AI is the inability to prioritize independently from the volume of data. While it's fantastic at mashing up things and creating derivative works, or smoothing out thousands of reviews to a concise synopsis, it seems to prioritize things based on popularity. The more prevalent something is, the more likely AI is going to use it. It seems to lack the ability to set aside something in favor of something else. In many ways, AI is no different than movie studio execs and script writers that recycle banal, derivative works. Seeking to create something in the horror genre, AI (and studios) are more likely to resort to zombies, and vampires and werewolves. It could rank them by popularity, but what is the likelihood that birds will be on that list? Where would it rank? I suspect the bottom and only because there is one movie (The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock). Further, will that list include tomatoes? (Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.) If so, will there be other fruits or vegetables on that list? I doubt it. Can AI look at the dearth of "Invisible Man" stories and work from that angle instead? Probably not. AI currently seems to rely on human creations for its creativity. It's the lack of priority (contextual nuance - ethics?) that I think separates AI from human intelligence. I can both support guns and welfare, I can prioritize welfare over guns because welfare, more than guns, benefits modern society as a whole. AI will look at the volume of information and assert guns due to their prevalence of support and portrayal in media. It seems AI is not different than human being in relying on popularity as a guiding factor. In this, AI is less alien to human intelligence than the octopus. I wonder if a "better" test of AI might be giving it data about the macro natural world only; starting from perception and building knowledge. Could it surmise atoms and the subatomic world? Galaxies? Tools? Mining, smelting and forging? Can AI develop curiosity?
Asymetra
2023-04-07 07:07:22 +0000 UTCYup just an amazing interview! Absolutely loved it and the various positions of everyone. Introduced me to different ways of thinking about it and as a someone who is not a subject matter expert really educated me on some of the ways to think about this.
Andrew Ross Atkins
2023-04-06 12:26:11 +0000 UTCIMO your best interview yet in the years I have been listening to your great show! So impressed with Steve, Cara and Blake on how they presented their arguments. Am not sure or just don't remember if you have had guests before who had a position on a subject that was on the opposite end of yours but it would be really good for the show to have one in your show at least once a year.
Vincent Tabirara
2023-04-05 14:31:50 +0000 UTCReally enjoyed the different approaches Cara and Steve took in the interview. Both in their respective element. Fantastic interview.
Curtis Renwick
2023-04-05 02:12:29 +0000 UTCFantastic interviews, guys. I loved the respectful push-back from Steve and Cara that actually furthered discussion. Great job.
Dave Ruff
2023-04-02 22:55:07 +0000 UTCOne of, if not the most interesting episodes ever.
Shawn Morris
2023-04-02 17:03:14 +0000 UTCAu Claire de la Lune is not to be confused with the Debussy piece (Claire de Lune).
Richard Moore
2023-04-02 17:01:03 +0000 UTCAloha, Cindy. They do take emails. info@theskepticsguide.org . Spent 15yrs on the Big Island and still keep a little off grid cabin there. Hawaii Library was always important to us as was HPR. Mahalo to you and the HPL.
Jim Sky
2023-04-02 06:45:28 +0000 UTCI wish I knew how to send you the screenshots
Cindy Kaneshiro
2023-04-01 20:11:01 +0000 UTCI am a library assistant at Nanakuli Public Library. We are part of the Hawaii State Public Library System. I own both your books. I haven’t gotten to read the second one yet because my husband snagged it first. Being irritated because I have to wait till he finishes to read it, I checked our library collection to see if we have it. You have arrived. The Hawaii State Public Library System owns copies of both your books.
Cindy Kaneshiro
2023-04-01 20:09:58 +0000 UTC"We share 60% of our genes with bananas." That explains a lot.
Ted Apelt
2023-04-01 19:46:28 +0000 UTC
