Category Archives: Recommendations

Recommendations from around the web.

Careful with That Orbit Now

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Scientists and aerospace engineers alike have long been worried about the consequences of junking Earth’s orbit^. On this site the topic was first mentioned shortly after North Korea put an (apparently) useless satellite^ up there. This is a serious issue, as highlighted by this year’s conference on space debris, which was understandably worried about recent initiatives that consist of launching entire constellations of micro-satellites:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/04/21/thousands-of-tiny-satellites-are-about-to-go-into-space-and-possibly-ruin-it-forever^

The title of the article linked above is a bit misleading, as it is often the case with these for-profit media publications that rely on grabbing attention. No, this won’t ruin our orbit “forever”. But if the worst comes to pass, it will, however, ruin it for a couple of generations. So, from a single person’s perspective, it is forever.

Should we expect the worst to happen? With SpaceX alone planning to plant about 3000 (yes, that’s three thousand) satellites in orbit during the next decade, I think it is a valid concern. Especially as this is done with little (if any) preparation to mitigate orbital pollution:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-26/elon-musk-s-plan-to-girdle-earth-with-satellites-hits-turbulence^

We’re being reckless with our satellite launches. This can cause an orbital catastrophe that might see us lose a lot of our assets there, leading to an informational collapse. So far, I haven’t seen any of these organizations that dump junk around the orbit even consider a valid, peer-reviewed de-orbiting strategy. This seems extremely short-sighted for a species that is increasingly relying on its extra-terrestrial ventures.

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Opening to Love

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This profound and emotional writing celebrates the difference between men and women in a glorious way. It honors love by crossing into the mystic with little regard for social norms (especially the social norms of Western culture). It is a text that challenges, but one that will shine in an open mind and open heart:

https://sacreddreamsinspiration.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/opening-to-love/^

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Just How Bad Is It to Do Food Delivery for Today’s App-Overlords

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As it turns out following this journalist’s two-week investigation, it’s pretty bad. The man could barely manage $4.4 per hour working his legs off (for Uber Eats) in Stockholm, capital of Sweden, where the cost of living has increased drastically in the past decade. The pay was better when working for Foodora, a similar service, but still unfair given the amount of work, not to mention the minimum salary in Sweden. The interviewing procedure for Foodora is outright humiliating. The practical test encourages possible employees to jeopardize their life by breaking traffic regulations. Here’s the story in all its juicy (read gory) details:

https://www.breakit.se/artikel/7599/i-spent-two-weeks-delivering-for-uber-eats-and-made-4-4-per-hour

Some of the things a technologically interconnected world has brought us are great. But damn, some of the others are pretty sad. I bet the argument that “at least they’re creating jobs” will eventually pop up. No, these are not jobs. This is slavery, plain and simple. The fact that the slaves are willingly performing this demeaning work is even worse. This shows the decay of the social structures that were meant to ensure our progress as a species.

Remember this and give a solid tip when you’re delivered food, especially if you’re forced to use a service such as Uber. Even better, protest these tactics and boycott such companies until they offer a minimum wage like any respectable company should. There are other ways you can get food delivered home. Seek restaurants that treat their staff with respect and offer them a stable salary.

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Tesla Motors May Be in Trouble, but Remember These Facts

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A respected investigative journalist has recently penned a rather worrying piece about Tesla Motors’ progress with its high-stakes Model 3 vehicle. Things are far from going according to plan. What is even more disturbing for me are some of the recent shock & awe declarations of CEO Elon Musk. For example his unrealistic plans for colonizing Mars^ or sending people around the world aboard rockets (see this awesome fact-checking^ video), both of which would be a complete waste of critical resources and a mockery of the critical situation in other parts of the planet. The following Seeking Alpha article pours some cold water on all the Musk hype:

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4112109-model-3-may-mess-short-tesla-yet

Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Musk. He’s done great with Tesla Motors. In fact, he’s done so great that now Big Motor is out to get him. It’s amazing how much competition he managed to ignite and thus has done the world a great favor. He’s done even better with Space X given how much the enterprise has helped our extra-terrestrial research and development. But some of his statements are scientifically unsound and that devalues him in the eyes of those that matter a lot for his ventures’ future. I have no problem with idealism, but I do have a problem with cheap PR tactics.

But I digress. The reason I am writing this is to remind you about some of the great things we have because of Tesla Motors. And what better way to share facts than together with a laugh? Here’s an awesome oldie but goldie comic from The Oatmeal, work of cartoonist Matthew Inman:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla_model_s

And since I mentioned Tesla and The Oatmeal, let me end on a positive note by sharing Matthew’s awesome post-mortem kudos to scientist Nicola Tesla. I think the cartoonist is right and few scientists were as unfairly treated by history as Tesla. But I also think that few scientists have been “avenged” as well as Tesla, thanks to Matthew’s work:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla

The cartoonist actually managed to get help from his fans and Elon Musk himself to save Nicola Tesla’s lab. There are plans to turn it into a museum. In fact, The Oatmeal comic did so well that it drew out a critical response from a columnist over at Forbes. Below, you can find both the article from Forbes and Matthew’s amusing and wonderful reply:

http://theoatmeal.com/blog/tesla_response

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Man Who Makes Friends within Ku Klux Klan Is a True Role Model

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By providing an inspiring real life story of how empathy can change the world, this man has become a living embodiment of what society can achieve when it doesn’t fall prey to fear and hate:

http://ijr.com/the-declaration/2017/08/948022-man-spent-decades-befriending-kkk-members-hundreds-left-group^

When he started making friends among the KKK, Daryl embraced “the enemy” because deep inside he knew that there is no enemy. People make mistakes; they sometimes end up on a path that leads to suffering because they had few alternatives. That doesn’t make them any less human than the ones on the “other side”. But one important fact is that we’re all in the same boat. It’s up to us – to all of us – to grow each other up and to make sure that the boat we’re on becomes a party boat towards a beautiful land, not a dirge heading for the cemetery.

White supremacists, Islamic extremists, corporate crooks and whatever “villains” you can think of, they all begin as innocent, harmless babies. It’s the society that people live in that turns them into something that they themselves probably would have hated as children to hear that they could become. No baby is born with a desire to do harm. Yes, we do have an instinct for survival which demands that some basic physical needs are met. But in most (unfortunately not all) societies on Earth there’s quite a stretch until a human will kill another human for food.

I can name at least one Nobel Peace Prize winner who doesn’t deserve that honor as much as Daryl. It takes not only courage but also love to make one go there, on the front lines, facing those that would do one harm. I wish more people will soon think and do as Daryl and make friends within the groups they despise most. It is something I also have been doing, which is why Daryl’s much more meaningful work has a special meaning to me as I am championing the same cause. Communication is a prime ingredient of peace. I believe that such actions are essential if we wish to take our next evolutionary step forward not only as a society but also as a species.

Empathy saves!

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Germany, Nationalism and the NFL

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A far-right party has just entered the German parliament^. It is a frightening indicator that even a nation that has put people through – and gone itself through – terrible suffering at the hands of such ideology is not safe from a wave of worldwide nationalism that threatens to do great harm to our society in the near future. In the meantime, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean the very same nationalism is mocking sportsmen’s civic attitude^. I’m referring here to Trump’s comments about National (American) Football League players who kneel during the singing of the national anthem in protest of the racial segregation in their country.

To call somebody that has gone through grueling physical trials to reach the pinnacle of a sport a “son of a bitch” is the lowest I’ve seen Trump sink since taking office. This is why for me this is even more important than the predictable election result of a German right-wing party. Regardless of Trump’s policies, as president of the United States he is also a trend-setter, especially in countries within the USA’s sphere of influence (which is not limited to NATO countries).

Trump has an issue with sportsmen using the NFL as a sort of political platform in order to protest racial discrimination. It is sad that he has the slightest negative personal gripe with this and outright preposterous that he goes public with it. The very fact that people have become so desperate as to use sport as a means of protest should make every American think twice about the dismal situation in which their divided federation finds itself. Trump, of course, should read a bit of history, as there have been at least four major boycotts of the Olympic Games^: this is not the first time sport has been used to draw attention towards an outrageous situation.

The players’ respect towards “the flag” is called into question. This is incredibly misguided and it’s sad that some people even consider the notion. I like to think that for some Americans their flag means more than a tool for encouraging people to consume and die for in unjust wars. I’m sure that quite a few Americans like to think of their flag as a symbol of everybody. Those players are defending what that flag – any flag for that matter – should really stand for: a symbol of union. Instead, they are mocked by a person who preaches division by trickling poison into the hearts and minds of those desperate enough to take it (and there’s plenty of those across the world now-a-days).

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Behind China’s Success

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Like pretty much everybody that is up to date with current events, I’ve been following China’s rise as a high-tech superpower with great interest. The article below touches on some very important points concerning innovation while showing some interesting statistics about one of China’s innovation hubs, Shenzhen:

http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21720076-copycats-are-out-innovators-are-shenzhen-hothouse-innovation^

But there’s more than patent applications that will power China’s success. The country’s social system is more competitive than many of its Western adversaries. Many Westerners (including me) would have ethical qualms in toying with genetically engineered human embryos. I’m quite sure that China is willing to go further and faster with such experiments. It is quite possible that this is an even greater game-changer than our so-called efforts into artificial “intelligence”^ (for a reality check regarding the marketing trick sold as “intelligence”, check the linked article).

China has lots of natural resources (land, minerals) and it knows how to use them (unfortunately it also generally has less moral qualms about damaging the ecosystem compared to other countries). Combine all this with a government which (like it or not) has been more constant than many of the competing superpowers and you get the textbook definition of “game-changer”. The following years will no doubt be very interesting (and hopefully we’ll see some good decisions being taken going forwards).

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A Minute to Breathe

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Sometimes art is the best way to get a point across. I could say much more, but let’s leave it at that. See the video, get the message, spread the message (if you care about it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwwQ4uVGGSE^

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Smartphones, Tablets and How Social Media Hijacks Our Minds

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It’s no news that the use of smartphones and tablets has been found to be detrimental for the usual brain development of children. I’ve placed emphasis on the word “usual” because even though children that are allowed to use smartphones and tablets end up having a different brain structure (both physical and operational), this may not be detrimental for them in a possible future where a whirlwind of interaction with robots and multiple various forms of AI at the same time might become a part of the daily routine. But that’s a risky bet to make. It is now quite well recognized (also by neuroscientists) that these devices are harmful for children^.

Recent studies, however, have shown that the exaggerated use of smartphones is causing damage in adults too. One of the most serious effects of smartphone abuse is social retardation, which has grave repercussions across a wide spectrum of behaviors:

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/04/06/technology-addiction-mental-health/^

But wait, there’s more. The “hardware” side of the problem is further compounded by the software that we use. According to Tristan Harris, a former Google product manager, our minds are being hijacked by social media (and other similar online products). Here’s an excellent interview with Tristan where he explains how and why this happens:

https://www.wired.com/story/our-minds-have-been-hijacked-by-our-phones-tristan-harris-wants-to-rescue-them^

There is also a TED talk by Tristan where he describes the tactics and purposes of the corporations that profit from hijacking our time and attention:

https://www.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_the_manipulative_tricks_tech_companies_use_to_capture_your_attention^

The smartphone is not only made to capture our attention, but also to encourage changes in how our brain works (neuroplasticity^ plays a huge role in this). As a result of these changes, our attention is easier to capture and once baited, it can be manipulated so that it doesn’t escape the trap. It wouldn’t be so bad if our attention and time would be invested in something useful, but many times this is not the case.

Social media excels at propagating cheap thrills and “harmless” pleasures. Tempting us to divide our attention and scatter it across the endless assault of notifications, these websites and applications offer little more than a specter of happiness –it’s all that’s necessary in order to keep users satisfied and hooked on a certain platform. Unfortunately, social media has started to play an increasingly important role in who people vote for. Spreading knowledge this way has started to seriously harm our culture and society not only by allowing the rampant spread of false information but even more importantly by isolating social groups and preventing the spread of correct information.

This is where things start to become very dangerous, because dis-informed voters are what dangerous individuals use to grab the leadership.  Power-hungry manipulators might be able to advance their interests and the interests of those they collude with, but this usually comes at a steep cost for humanity as a whole.

It’s impressive how far these manipulation techniques have gotten. What’s a bit scary for me is that even with the army of psychologists and researchers at their disposal, the corporations are still barely scratching the surface when it comes to the intricacies of how the brain works. As the knowledge about our psyche advances, so increase the ways it can be exploited. Perhaps as an informed adult you can now take measures against this sort of manipulation. That’s the optimistic outcome when it comes to adults. However, take a deep breath now and think of the children^.

Update: And then, of course, there’s the Trojan horse aspect these devices pose. Privacy? What privacy?

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Let’s Give Mars a Rest

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I am happy to announce that there is a fair to good possibility that seeding life on Mars may be much more difficult than previously thought. In a recent study, an extensive analysis of the chemical elements present on the planet’s surface (particularly in the regolith^) has shown that Martian soil might very well be outright poisonous for life:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-compounds-may-sterilize-martian-soil/^

So why am I happy because of this “bad news”? Because it’s not bad at all. I believe that given the current state of our society and civilization, Mars is too costly and too early an investment to make. Mars is not going to be easy to colonize in the next decades. Before we go about colonizing Mars, I believe we should do our homework. And I’m not talking only about the technology to shield us from the radiation in space, but also about our own society. A species that is still governed by what I can only call “uncontrolled survivalistic behavior” is not ready for the responsibility of being the shepherd of a new ecosystem.

I can’t agree with this “let’s start colonizing other planets” fad. Eric Mack has a very good point when he says that “this notion that Mars or the Moon is our salvation because the end of the world is nigh is really silly”. If we’re so good at destroying ecosystems, perhaps we should consider fixing this problem before we go off trying to pollute other worlds.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2017/05/03/stephen-hawking-mars-colony-moon-space-elon-musk/#7117bf826537^

The second page of the article above brings a very good point: “Let’s just run through the scenarios: rising sea levels, famine, epidemics, ecological collapse… If all those came to pass, even all at the same time, Earth would still be more habitable than anywhere else in our solar system. Really, you can’t undersell the value of a working magnetic field and an atmosphere, even one with a little too much carbon dioxide in it”:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2017/05/03/stephen-hawking-mars-colony-moon-space-elon-musk/2/#761a6189d1c5^

As a child, I was eager to read anything there was available about Mars. It was “my favorite planet”. Perhaps two decades of increasingly boring news about “water found on Mars” made me a bit allergic to our obsessive interest in the planet.

Lately, things shifted into overdrive as various corporations started to jump on the “colonization” bandwagon. I guess it’s pretty good PR to say you’re going to build a colony on Mars or the Moon, but as the adage says “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

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