Links

Quoting Sam Altman

The intelligence of AI models scales logarithmically with the resources invested in training and operation, such as compute power and data, with scaling laws accurately predicting continuous gains over many orders of magnitude.

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Marisa Adesman's Lynchian surrealism

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Bretton Woods system

The Bretton Woods system established fixed exchange rates by pegging currencies to the US dollar, which was convertible to gold at $35 per ounce.

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Roman rule explains regional well-being divides in Germany

The study finds that present-day German regions formerly under Roman rule exhibit more adaptive personality traits (higher extraversion, lower neuroticism) and better health and well-being outcomes than regions not occupied by the Romans.

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US economic warfare provoked Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan rapidly industrialised and built a strong military, relying heavily on imported raw materials due to scarce natural resources.

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Samuel B. Griffith

Samuel B. Griffith II (1906–1983) was a brigadier general in the US Marine Corps who served in the Pacific during World War II, earning the Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross for heroism at Guadalcanal and New Georgia.

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Trumpian policy as cultural policy

Cowen suggests that the Trump administration’s primary aim is to elevate cultural policy above all else, using it to reshape American culture.

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New left eschatology

The left-leaning, online subculture that emerged around 2012, characterised by extreme negativity, exaggeration, and off-putting behaviours aimed at increasing social media engagement.

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DeepSeek

DeepSeek did not bypass export restrictions; instead, they optimised their chips for maximum memory efficiency, and their well-optimised low-level code was not limited by chip capacity.

· Link post  #ai #china
Should Trump issue an order on AI watermarks?

President Trump repealed Joe Biden’s executive order regulating the AI industry as part of over 200 executive orders he signed.

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Are free speech, colour-blindness, and meritocracy right-wing issues?

The author views inauguration speeches as self-congratulatory events where the new president boasts about future plans and subtly taunts opponents.

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The case for democracy

Reading about Franco and Salazar revealed that right-wing authoritarian rule in 1930s Iberia, with conservative dictators suppressing liberals, eventually led to national stagnation.

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Waiting on red

Danes strictly adhere to societal norms, like waiting at traffic signals, even when the streets are empty.

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Transition to IPv6

The transition to IPv6 has been ongoing for 25 years, yet as of 2024, only slightly more than one third of Internet users can access IPv6-only services; the majority still rely solely on IPv4.

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Obelisks, new class of life found in human digestive system

Researchers led by Ivan Zheludev have discovered a new class of virus-like entities called Obelisks, comprising diverse RNAs that have colonised human and global microbiomes unnoticed.

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HN on Obelisks

Obelisks are RNA elements similar to viruses or viroids, lacking a DNA counterpart, and they likely use host RNA transcription machinery to replicate.

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Quoting Balaji

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The case against legalising drugs

Dalrymple argues that while freedom is important, drug consumption reduces individuals’ freedom by limiting their interests and impairing their ability to raise families, fulfil civic duties, and maintain employment. Moreover, drug use affects not just the user but also their family, neighbours, and employers.

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The making of Community Notes

The team behind X’s Community Notes developed a community-driven approach to combat misinformation, addressing challenges of speed, scale, and trust faced by traditional methods relying on internal teams or media partnerships.

· Link post  #startups
H5N1

H5N1 is currently pandemic in birds and cows, leading to increased meat and milk prices.

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Zuckerberg's rapid moderation overhaul

Mark Zuckerberg led a swift, secretive six-week effort to alter Meta’s speech policies, bypassing the usual lengthy process involving employee and civic input.

· Link post  #startups
The typical man disgusts the typical woman

The typical woman finds most men unappealing, with the median man rated 2 out of 7 in attractiveness.

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Quoting Jeff Bezos

· Link post  #startups
Vegan AI safety researchers should eat meat to save the world

· Link post  #ai
Was Bowie fascist?

In the early to mid-1970s, David Bowie made controversial statements expressing apparent support for fascism, including referring to Adolf Hitler as “one of the first rock stars” in interviews.

· Link post  #music #history