AI and Compute:
ICE-GRT: Instruction Context Enhancement by Generative Reinforcement based Transformers https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.02072
The Internet enabled mass surveillance, but that still leaves you with exabytes of data to analyze. According to Bruce Schneier, AI’s ability to analyze and draw conclusions from that data enables “mass spying.” https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/12/ai-and-mass-spying.html
Artificial Neural Networks with Brains: Researchers connected cultured human brain cells (organoids) to an interface that allowed them to give the organoids audio data. They found that it was able to recognize vowel sounds. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/11/1084926/human-brain-cells-chip-organoid-speech-recognition/ [https://archive.is/C9cLX]
Researchers Create First Functional Semiconductor Made From Graphene https://research.gatech.edu/feature/researchers-create-first-functional-semiconductor-made-graphene (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXBtPmVrES4)
Building AI without a Neural Network -- Hivekit is building tools for a distributed spatial rules engine that can provide the communications layer for hives, swarms, and colonies. https://hivekit.io/blog/building-ai-without-a-neural-network/
Wolfram GPT! 🎉🎆 Making ChatGPT smarter with computation, *accurate* math, *curated* knowledge, real-time data and visualizations. https://www.wolfram.com/wolfram-plugin-chatgpt/
Microsoft Adds AI Key in First Change to PC Keyboard in Decades https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-04/microsoft-ai-copilot-keyboard-new-key-is-msft-s-biggest-change-in-years [https://archive.is/r8fYx]
Race and sex:
The Talk: a brief explanation of sexual dimorphism — Actually, there are 23,328 genders - the story of how sexual reproduction and anisotropy evolved. https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/yA8DWsHJeFZhDcQuo/the-talk-a-brief-explanation-of-sexual-dimorphism
Sex Differences in Work Preferences, Life Values, and Personal Views https://stevestewartwilliams.substack.com/p/sex-differences-in-work-preferences
"It is undeniable that...Ashkenazi Jews have high general intelligence. It is also undeniable that they are successful. But the level of Jewish financial, political and cultural success cannot be explained solely by their exceptional cognitive ability." https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/does-iq-alone-explain-jewish-success
Politics:
Trump vowed he’d ‘never’ help Europe if it’s attacked, top EU official says https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-vow-never-help-europe-attack-thierry-breton/
Russian TV: “In four years, Trump destroyed more than all presidents. More than Bush Jr and Obama. In four years, he caused more damage to foreign policy positions of the United States than both his predecessors.”, says Professor Andrey Sidorov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7WZCWfXahA
Ukraine:
Twenty years from now people in the future will still be watching these clips of Russian soldiers dying on failed assaults in Ukraine. People in the future will keep asking, "Why were so many Russian soldiers willing to throw their lives away?" https://twitter.com/RealJakeBroe/status/1745329912658133328
“Kill ratio 7 to 1 per Russian sources‼️ Russians attacked Sinkivka in small infantry groups this time. Without a single armored vehicle, the Moscow boys tried to storm a house on the northern outskirts of the city.” https://twitter.com/PStyle0ne1/status/1745199789791203488
“We are ready to support Ukraine in 2024, 2025, 2026 so on. This is the challenge of our generation. If you add up the entire GDP of the coalition countries, we outnumber Russia 25 to 1. It should not be impossible for us to increase the proceedings," said British Foreign Minister David Cameron. https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1744972059229171835
The lower house of the Italian Parliament voted in favor of a resolution to continue military support to Ukraine as well as supporting collective assistance within the framework of NATO, the EU and international forums. https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2024/01/10/avanti-con-gli-aiuti-a-kiev-ma-si-aprono-crepe-nel-pd_2a079ae1-e20c-4e05-98f5-ad31ae24d673.html
NATO pledges further major military, economic aid to Ukraine https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nato-pledges-further-major-military-economic-aid-ukraine-2024-01-10/ [https://archive.is/JtoyW]
The EU took the first step to approve €50 billion for Ukraine. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/01/10/ukraine-facility-council-agrees-on-elements-of-new-support-mechanism-for-ukraine/
"President Joe Biden’s administration is backing legislation that would let it seize some of $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to help pay for reconstruction of Ukraine" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-10/white-house-throws-support-behind-seizing-frozen-russian-assets [https://archive.is/cfujy]
Ukraine 7: Seizing Russian Sovereign Assets - my only concern with this is that it is a door closer. IF (big if) there is a reasonable Russian opposition, a Kremlin clique that doesn't want the Russian economy and military destroyed in a failed effort to conquer Ukraine, that money could be an incentive to them. If they overthrow Putin and end the war, some of that could be theirs for (personal enrichment/patronage/bribe paying/rebuilding Russia). Sure, they'd have to pay some probably large amount to Ukraine in a negotiated settlement, but to take that away leaves whoever might overthrow Putin with... not much.
This is not an ethical argument about whether it's the right thing to do, but a strategic one: are our leaders committing to the completely strategic ruin of Russia, or just the removal of this government?