Greetings from the LHH![i] Independence Day is the day after tomorrow, so happy early birthday, America! Things are a little hectic right now, which is why this post is coming out late today. I did six site visits in the last week, and I’ll be on the road every day next week, along with other duties. It’s totally fun, but a little bonkers.
I’ve been having fun with continuous line drawings and adding a little color to them. I’m calling this one vino in mano. OK – to the links. Let me know what you think in the comments. As usual, willing good for all of you!
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Read
What: The Economist, The stunning decline of the preference for having boys
Why: From the article:
However, the new girl preference also reflects increasing worries about boys’ prospects. Boys have always been more likely to get into trouble: globally, 93% of jailbirds are male. In much of the world they have also fallen behind girls academically. In rich countries 54% of young women have a tertiary degree, compared with 41% of young men. Men are still over-represented at the top, in boardrooms, but also at the bottom, angrily shutting themselves in their bedrooms.
Interesting throughout.
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What: The New Yorker, A.I. Is Homogenizing Our Thoughts
Why: Is the use of AI (LLMs in particular) making us dumber?
subjects who used ChatGPT demonstrated less brain activity than either of the other groups. The analysis of the L.L.M. users showed fewer widespread connections between different parts of their brains; less alpha connectivity, which is associated with creativity; and less theta connectivity, which is associated with working memory. Some of the L.L.M. users felt “no ownership whatsoever” over the essays they’d produced, and during one round of testing eighty per cent could not quote from what they’d putatively written.
I will tell you I use AI all the time. I especially use it for tasks that do not require my unique voice, such as letters of recommendation. So I am not at all surprised that someone who is being asked to write about something they do not care about who uses AI cannot remember anything that they “said”. But I also regularly drop my FITW essays (which I write myself, and which I care about deepy) into it after I have written them and ask it for suggestions for clarity. I have found it provides useful feedback.
Some interesting observations here. HT to TLW for this one.
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Watch
What: Project Hail Mary - Official Trailer
Why: Yes, sorry, it’s a movie trailer. But I am super excited for this movie! Almost everyone in my family has read the book and we all loved it. I can neither confirm nor deny that I might have been a little weepy at the end. The book is by Andy Weir who wrote The Martian, which is also excellent, but I like this one better. TLW and I agreed after reading it that it would make a great movie, and now it is going to be a movie! You should read the book while we wait for the movie. Inspiring. The core themes are friendship and duty.
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What: Peter Zeihan, The Revolution in Military Affairs: Europe's Future (11 min)
Why: Zeihan brings a dose of reality here in terms of logistics. Because America has proven to be an unreliable ally (Trump cozying up to Putin over Ukraine instead of doing the right thing), the Europeans are looking to re-arm. This video raises a few interesting points: the cost of an F-35 is about $110M and takes years to build. We can’t provide the Europeans the numbers they need. But do they really need F-35s? Based on the war in Ukraine, it seems we are seeing a revolution in military technology. What they might really need are drones and air defense. And do you know who is the world leader in drones and air defense now? Ukraine.
We went into WWII with a fleet of battle ships. Battle ships were proven to be worthless, outdated technology. What won the sea war in WWII were air craft carriers. It’s a similar moment now.
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Listen
What: The Rest is History, The Irish War of Independence: Rise of the IRA (Part 1)
Why: I discovered The Rest is History podcast a couple of months ago and I have really enjoyed it so far. I am consistently amazed by the range and depth of knowledge that the hosts have about history. I’ve listened to pods about ancient Rome, the Battle of Hastings, and this most recent one on the Irish War of Independence, for example. I knew very little about Irish history until TLW and I visited Dublin back before the plague (the COVID-19 plague, that is). We learned quite a bit while we were there, and I’ve done some reading since. I had romantic ideas of Ireland, but I learned quite a bit about how hard life was as a colonized people. This pod is a good introduction to TRH. If you’re not interested in Irish history, I recommend scrolling through their archives – I’m pretty sure you will find something you want to learn about.
[i] The LHH is the Last Homely House. But also, I just want to be super clear that the opinions expressed here are my own, not those of UNH or any related organization, nor are they TLW’s, who frequently tells me I am off my rocker, nor any other person who might be embarrassed by my musings. They are mine, all mine.