Month: February 2017

  • About Zuckerberg’s Global Community Vision

    About Zuckerberg’s Global Community Vision

    Two weeks ago Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of FaceBook, dropped what I consider to be an ideological bombshell on the tech industry and on business in general. It doesn’t even matter what the true intentions behind it are. It grabbed attention and dared to change – at least for a little while – the tune of the global business discourse.

    Mark’s Global Community^ post is very well written and published at the ideal time to provide maximum PR value. I’m not surprised that some have even seen it as a sort of political statement. I liked how this article^ from The Guardian explores the text.

    Perhaps this is indeed the beginning of the age of corporations governing the planet publicly (rather than from the shadows). If it is, I’d definitely have Mark run the show rather than somebody like Trump. I try to keep a balanced tone on this website but even though I can understand why Trump has become the man he is (given the society that shaped him), I do believe it’s healthier to leave his world ideology behind and advance to something more akin to what Mark is envisioning.

    Mark’s “manifesto”, as some in the press have called it, is of course rich with positive examples about FaceBook’s achievements. What I really appreciated though is the fact that it acknowledged some serious issues with the website, such as the fact that some people’s posts get censored when they shouldn’t and posts that should be removed are not. Mark’s explanation for this makes a lot of sense: “we’re operating at such a large scale that even a small percent of errors causes a large number of bad experiences.”

    Still, FaceBook does censorship. It has a special kind of censorship but it’s still censorship. And I don’t mean this respected author^ getting banned for saying bad things about Trump’s supporters. Perhaps that was a good way to break the circle of insults. What I mean is how FaceBook prevents people from being exposed to other opinions, keeping them inside their comfort zones, blissfully unaware of the storm raging outside. I call this phenomenon ideological clumping. FaceBook engages in this probably because a happy user generates more revenue for the company.

    This issue of ideological clumping is addressed in the manifesto so I’m curious how FaceBook will deal with it in the future, especially given the fact that its financial model is based on convincing creatives to pay money in order to get their content in front of their followers. By this I mean how the default follow command on FaceBook only means that a user allows the application’s algorithms to sometimes show posts from a followed person, page or group.

    The manifesto also addresses the issue of fake news. The viral spread of misinformation using social media is an intellectual disease that has given Trump more than a few votes – granted, he wasn’t the sole benefactor of this phenomenon. Sadly, this is a problem that Mark & co. will have to work much harder to fix than by writing a goody two shoes manifesto.

    Last but not least, FaceBook’s visionary CEO mentions artificial intelligence quite often. Trusting A.I. to do the very hard work of curating content is a risky bet with a lot of unknowns – something he acknowledges, but not strongly enough I think. If A.I. were truly intelligent I’d be more inclined to trust it, but right now, we’re talking about some closed-source (sometimes buggy) algorithms that are controlling the information people are exposed to, not to mention able to shut people up. There’s less intelligence in there than there is manipulation for the advertisers’ interests.

    I’m quite sure the company has plenty of ulterior motives when it wants to offer free internet to people. Mark actually made some parallels to television in his text. Well, television was free in many countries if only to make it easier to manipulate the masses. “Connect the world” they say. But FaceBook is not only a tool for change. It’s also an advertisement platform, let’s not forget that. And the kind of product that political parties have to sell is much more dangerous than a brand of bad detergent.

    When it’s all said and done, I think that Mark’s step forward volunteering to do what can be done in helping with global problems is a positive example for corporate responsibility. This manifesto was needed and I’m truly happy it’s out there. For this reason, I’m going to give Mark & co. the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see what the future holds. So far, score 1 for FaceBook.

    Oh, and one more thing. I am really curious to see how other corporations will respond to this and if they even will. I’m thinking especially about Google, whose “do no evil” mantra 5 to 10 years ago was heading the company towards the same style of social action that FaceBook is doing today. But now-a-days Google’s execs seem even more uninspiring than Microsoft’s.

    Today FaceBook has something way more powerful than Google: it has people’s lives, not only their web searches. Combine this with a bright CEO that has a very skilled PR team behind him and you get yourself a serious challenger to tech leadership. If Mark showed anything to these behemoths it’s the fact that in the 21st century a CEO is as much a public figure as any politician and perhaps even more needed.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01830-MarkFaceBookBuildingGlobalCommunity-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’About Zuckerberg's Global Community Vision’ desc=’Mark Zuckerberg dropped what I consider to be an ideological bombshell on the tech industry and on business in general.’]

  • Madonna – Ray Of Light

    Madonna – Ray Of Light

    Oldie but goldie is probably applicable to a song which is almost 20 years old. This is one of the jewels scattered through Madonna’s art. It’s highly danceable and full of positive energy. A lot of intricate beat construction went into this melody. It’s one of those songs that reward the attentive listener. The well written, descriptive lyrics, turn this piece into quite a ride.

    Due to her commercial success, many have disregarded or labeled Madonna’s music. That’s a costly mistake to make, for as an artist, Madonna has evolved and changed considerably throughout the years. The “Bedtime Stories” and “Ray Of Light” albums seem to me to be among her most genuine and profound works. Especially on “Ray Of Light”, her voice seems to have reached a peak of… honesty, if you will.

    “Faster than the speeding light she’s flying
    Trying to remember where it all began
    She’s got herself a little piece of heaven
    Waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one”

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCDxvnsOQg^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/4Fpsa3pYc3gozrxHRRPvR6^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/778704^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01307-MadonnaRayOfLight-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Madonna – Ray Of Light’ desc=’A lot of intricate beat construction went into this melody. It's one of those songs that reward the attentive listener.’]

  • How Pregnancy Changes the Brain

    How Pregnancy Changes the Brain

    Almost any woman withbaby can tell you that they feel that their mind works differently than before. I always attributed this to the fact that during fetal development, the brain has to adapt to an increased amount of work. It’s all the extra that comes from regulating the operation of all the additional bodily functions that are required by the development of a new human being. After birth, the brain has to adjust once again, dealing with the extremely complex social dynamics that are involved in having a new human being around in a group – and the larger the group, the more variables the brain will have to keep track of.

    A recent neuroimaging study has found pronounced differences in the physical structure of women’s brains during fetal development and afterwards:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/12/19/pregnancy-changes-the-brain-for-as-long-as-two-years/?utm_term=.824fa427caec^

    The fact that these changes occur shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. It’s our body working at its finest, adapting in wonderful ways to the tasks that it has to undertake. I’m happy that scientists have went through the effort to understand more about this important period in a woman’s life and about the changes that occur. Now we have one more reason to be in awe of our body’s amazing complexity.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01612-HowPregnancyChangesBrain.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’How Pregnancy Changes the Brain’ desc=’Almost any woman withbaby can tell you, they feel that their mind works differently than before.’]

  • Kalya Scintilla – Manzanita

    Kalya Scintilla – Manzanita

    Combining native-American flutes, mysterious whispers, various folk instruments and a staggering array of electronic sound textures, this is the sort of music that can be watched with eyes closed. It’s the sort of music that overwhelms the mind and taps imagination on the shoulder saying “it’s time to move”. Psybient titan Kalya Scintilla leads the way yet again.

    “Stories are part of our culture and our history, we learn from them.”

    You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Kalya Scintilla’s album :).

    https://kalyascintilla.bandcamp.com/track/manzanita^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNToDNKFf4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNToDNKFf4^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/3qkRA6vWRJT0XVAbTKCzU2^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01298-KalyaScintillaListenToTheTrees-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Kalya Scintilla – Manzanita’ desc=’Combining native American flutes, mysterious whispers, various folk instruments and a staggering array of electronic sound textures, this is the sort of music that can be watched with eyes closed.’]

  • Romania Takes on Corruption in the 21st Century

    Romania Takes on Corruption in the 21st Century

    Following the proposal and then adoption of a law that would have allowed corruption to thrive, on the 5th of February, 2017, the capital of Romania was the scene of the largest public protest since toppling the communist regime in 1989. The number of people participating in the capital alone was anywhere between 120,000 and 300,000, depending on who did the estimating. The protests spiraled to other cities in Romania as well as many cities around the world that host large Romanian diaspora communities. As a result, the law was repealed.

    Here’s a beautiful video showing the scale of the protest as well as some wonderful moments that took place during the peaceful manifestation:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZPgJ4spMZw^

    Backup version:

    https://www.facebook.com/alexandru.damian.73/posts/1425087934176498^

    Romania can do it. Romania did it twice in less than 30 years. I think this should be an inspiration for other democratic countries where this sort of manifestation can still take place without the fear of military intervention. So, is the USA just going to sit tight while decades of progress in human rights and empathy towards ourselves and the ecosystem are systematically erased?

    I’m happy to see my brothers and sisters from Romania standing up against the system in such a beautiful, peaceful way. I wish I could say that I’m proud of my country, but unfortunately what you see in the video is a protest of the minority. The majority has actually voted in this disgusting government. So even if I would care for a feeling like “pride” (I don’t), I still couldn’t be proud of my country. I am sad that Romania was fooled into voting in the current government. But I would totally be proud of the brothers and sisters that try to wake up the victims of mass manipulation.

    The only solution I see is to engage in peaceful but determined activism. Wake up the sleepers, educate those left in the dark by offering them alternative sources of information and patiently allowing them to find the truth themselves, for this is the only way to accept it. Open any discussion, even with the most bitter of enemies with a smile: we’re all in this together.

    I wish that one day the human species will discover that the greatest gift of having free will is the ability to transform the primordial “survival of the fittest” instinct into something different. We don’t need to compete by killing each other. There are many other more elegant ways for the powerful to show their might.

    In fact, the mightiest of the mighty will eventually find that the ultimate show of force is to surrender to peace and love.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01815-RomaniaCorruption21stCentury-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Romania Takes on Corruption in the 21st Century’ desc=’This should be an inspiration for other democratic countries where this sort of manifestation can still take place without the fear of military intervention.’]

  • Eminem – Lose Yourself

    Eminem – Lose Yourself

    Greek mythology gave us the concept of a muse^. Many artists refer to their muses. I find that often, art itself becomes the muse. This is where this song comes in. It’s one of the best hip hop songs of all time thanks to an excellent combination of great music, fiery singing and awesome writing all coming together to tell a touching story. Actually, in my book, this is one of the best songs of all time, period.

    I think it’s hard not to be stimulated and pumped up by it. Sure, some people will simply block the message due to a certain dislike for the genre or the artist. But otherwise, this melody can be an energy source and consistent motivator whenever you may need it.

    “Look
    If you had
    One shot
    Or one opportunity
    To seize everything you ever wanted
    In one moment
    Would you capture it
    Or just let it slip?

    […]

    You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
    You own it, you better never let it go
    You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
    This opportunity comes once in a lifetime you better

    […]

    Success is my only motherfuckin’ option, failure’s not
    Mom, I love you, but this trail has got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem’s lot
    So here I go is my shot
    Feet fail me not ‘cause maybe the only opportunity that I got

    […]

    You can do anything you set your mind to man” [I chose to interpret man as human, not as male.]

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j1Udjwh8ro^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/7w9bgPAmPTtrkt2v16QWvQ^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/1109731^

    And of course, it’s not a coincidence that I post this today. There are many changes in my life this early 2017.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01793-EminemCurtainCall-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Eminem – Lose Yourself’ desc=’Excellent combination of great music, fiery singing and awesome writing all coming together to tell a touching story.’]

  • Hypernormalisation

    Hypernormalisation

    Wait wait wait. Before you start screaming “Whaaat!? An almost three hours long documentary about manufactured truth and propaganda through social media?!”, just watch this short, 1 minute extract from mentioned documentary:

    http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/chilling-clip-from-adam-curtis-doc-should-make-everyone-rethink-their-online-outrage/^

    Now, imagine that there are a lot more minutes like that in the documentary located at the link below. Also imagine that together, these seconds are much more powerful than taken in individual extracts (think “interconnected brains math”: 1+1=3, 3+3=a million). Now feel free to go ahead and advance your awareness of the world:

    http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/hypernormalisation-2016/^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01511-Hypernormalisation-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Hypernormalisation’ desc=’An almost three hours long documentary about manufactured truth and propaganda through social media.’]

  • Pendulum – Slam

    Pendulum – Slam

    With a fitting title, this track is a total dance-floor wrecker. There’s barely time to breathe while the song buzzes every muscle. It’s also somehow charged with an extreme amount of positive energy. Rumor has it necromancers use this melody to raise the dead. But these be happy zombies.

    Make sure you don’t have the volume turned up too high ‘cause this one might spill the soup from your neighbor’s bowl (depending how beefy your speakers are). Another rumor has it that some construction companies use this to test structural stability in skyscrapers. They go in with a couple of custom subwoofers and if the walls don’t crack after playing this tune, then it’s a good building.

    Completing the package comes one of the funkiest music videos I know of, which every time I watch installs a big fat grin on my face. If there’s anything I can call “oldie but goldie”, it’s this. Enjoy!

    “We’re marooned on a small island,
    In an endless sea,
    Confined to a tiny spit of sand,
    Unable to escape

    But tonight… its heavy stuff!

    YouTube (one of the most uplifting videos ever):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIOQfdn9L9c^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/5iafDaZllVA8NXPr7ciK1C^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/81251332^

    This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This exploration was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

    Original post:

    If there’s anything I can call “oldie but goldie”, it’s this. One of the funkiest music videos I know of, which every time I watch installs a big fat grin on my face. Enjoy!

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01452-PendulumHoldYourColor-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Pendulum – Slam’ desc=’Rumor has it necromancers use this melody to raise the dead. But these be happy zombies.’]

  • Four Awesome Photo Series

    Four Awesome Photo Series

    These four amazing photography sets have showed their goods in front of my eyes in the past few months. After the ensuing visual orgasm, I have decided to share these with you, dear Reader.

    Wildlife photographer of the year 2016:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/09/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2016/499979/^

    The most influential images of all time:

    http://100photos.time.com/^

    20 Awesome modern sculptures:

    https://brightside.me/article/17-modern-sculptures-you-will-fall-in-love-with-62655/^

    The very best drone photography of 2016:

    https://qz.com/868006/drone-photos-dronestagrams-best-images-of-2016/^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01516-ThreeAwesomePhotoCollections-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Four Awesome Photo Series’ desc=’These four amazing photography sets have showed their goods in front of my eyes in the past few months. After the ensuing visual orgasm, I have decided to share these with you, dear Reader.’]

  • Tomas Dvorak – The Bottom

    Tomas Dvorak – The Bottom

    Music is play. While listening to such melodies, this simple fact can really be appreciated, commended and truly felt. It’s a wonderful composition, brimming with diversity. The creation is part of the soundtrack of awesome Machinarium^ (which I highly recommend, especially since the game and its soundtrack are in such amazing symbiosis). It’s lovely when a healthy dose of graphical inspiration brings artists to the point of creating such beautiful music.

    You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Tomas Dvorak’s album :).

    http://store.floex.cz/track/the-bottom^

    The song can also be listened for free available in high quality on SoundCloud, another great website when it comes to supporting emerging and independent artists:

    https://soundcloud.com/minorityrecords/01-the-bottom?in=minorityrecords/sets/machinarium-ost^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHPjpflNssY^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/6VZf0fnX3X8Un6lcxSWiFV^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/15618007^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01293-TomasDvorakMachinarium-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Tomas Dvorak – The Bottom’ desc=’It's a wonderful composition, brimming with diversity.’]