The Deep North

It’s striking that in reflecting on the decline of rational thinking and evidence-based approaches, we often end up unwittingly embracing some of the very habits we decry. Recently, a section of a post online stood out to me—"giving vent to cheap explanations you know are too easy to be true but just make you feel good"—feels particularly apt when applied to how we talk about climate change. Take the “immolation of Los Angeles” as an example. If we dig into it, the explanation isn’t as simple as "climate change" flipping some apocalyptic switch. There’s credible evidence that fire management budgets were slashed, warnings from preparedness experts were ignored, and proper forest and urban interface management wasn’t prioritized. These are tangible, actionable factors we can address. Instead, the issue is often framed as part of a single, all-encompassing narrative about CO₂, leaving no room for solutions outside that lens. It’s also worth noting that global data on ...

==================================================================== The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era Vernor Vinge Department of Mathematical Sciences San Diego State University (c) 1993 by Vernor Vinge (Verbatim copying/translation and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.) This article was for the VISION-21 Symposium sponsored by NASA Lewis Research Center and the Ohio Aerospace Institute, March 30-31, 1993. It is also retrievable from the NASA technical reports server as part of NASA CP-10129. A slightly changed version appeared in the ...

[This is a re-post of something, now paywalled, that I wrote on Quora a few years ago. This is by way of explaining some of my politics. Something else I wrote about socialism and wealth creation is here:  https://blog.bobtrower.com/2020/01/socialism-and-wealth-creation.html ] In one sense, you can’t be a libertarian without also being an environmentalist. How can you reasonably have liberty in a world destroyed by misuse?  Here is the definition of the word ‘libertarian’ as it applies to me, and as it is defined by the Collins English Dictionary: a believer in freedom of thought, expression, etc. a believer in the doctrine of free will of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertarian [The OED has essentially the same definition. I have a shelf full of dictionaries here (Shorter OED, Webster’s, etc.) and The Collins is my favorite for having both the words I am looking for and lucid definitions.] I identify as a ‘libertarian socialist’. It’s a thing! Some people calling the...

After reflecting on an article sent by a friend, I understand the rationale behind tourist taxes, especially for destinations like Venice that are overwhelmed and strained by over-tourism. However, to me, these fees also send a strong, unspoken message: that a destination is overcrowded, unfriendly, and ultimately not worth the hassle. Rather than viewing this as just a problem, I see a significant opportunity here for a travel software business and its clients to reshape the narrative around tourism. Tourist taxes may discourage visitors from overburdened hotspots, but they also create a chance to pivot and present a better alternative to both travelers and destinations. Pitching this, here’s what I mean: For Travelers : The very existence of tourist taxes signals congestion, strain, and perhaps even disrespect for visitors. That’s an opening to steer travelers toward destinations that aren’t overcrowded, don’t nickel-and-dime them, and actively want their presence. Imagine pitching...

We are at a critical juncture in Canadian history—a moment when every vote matters and every voice counts. The prospect of Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives taking power poses a real threat to the future of our nation, echoing the Trump-era nightmare that is wreaking havoc on our neighbors to the south. Poilievre has been running a relentless, quasi-legal campaign for years, mobilizing a base fueled by anger, division, and resentment—an eerily similar demographic to the one that propelled Trump into office. But while they shout about freedom and prosperity, their policies are nothing short of a Trojan horse for economic suffering and social decay.  Let’s be clear: this is not a clear mandate for the Conservatives. Polls may show a "horse race," but the majority of Canadians do not want to see the Conservatives in power. Yet, like the U.S., many of Poilievre’s supporters are set to vote against their own interests, lured by slogans and scapegoating, unaware that the polic...

Can we build autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work without new technical breakthroughs? This is from a Quora question today. I am absolutely of the opinion that not only is it possible, it is happening now and even a moderately proficient developer like myself can build such things. 1. Current Capabilities of AI General-Purpose Models : Existing models like GPT-4 and successors are already demonstrating superhuman performance in numerous domains. These include language understanding, programming, summarization, and even creative writing—tasks that are economically valuable. Domain Specialization : Fine-tuning models for specific tasks (e.g., legal document drafting, medical diagnosis, software debugging) is straightforward and leverages existing architectures without requiring technical breakthroughs. Multi-Modal Abilities : AI systems integrating text, image, and code are capable of performing complex tasks (e.g., generating app designs from ske...

  A Leadership Void in Uncertain Times Today, as Canadians, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, alongside the departure of key figures like Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, marks a significant and troubling shift in our nation's political landscape. Regardless of one’s partisan affiliation or personal opinions of Trudeau, his nearly decade-long tenure demonstrated the capacity to lead a G7 nation through turbulent times. While I have my criticisms—particularly the Carbon Tax and certain moments of virtue signaling—I recognize that Trudeau has navigated Canada through global challenges such as the pandemic, U.S. trade uncertainties, and growing existential threats. He has not been perfect, but perfection is not the standard; leadership, vision, and resilience are. What disturbs me most, however, is the environment in which this resignation occurred. Over the past few years, we have witnessed relentless, often mean-spirited campaign...