A really bad idea ...

A sunset of a different order

Geoengineering, this time, blocking the sun with man-made aerosols, what could possibly go wrong?

CLIMATEWIRE | A new supercomputer for climate research will help scientists study the effects of solar geoengineering, a controversial idea for cooling the planet by redirecting the sun's rays.

The machine, named Derecho, began operating this month at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and will allow scientists to run more detailed weather models for research on solar geoengineering, said Kristen Rasmussen, a climate scientist at Colorado State University who is studying how human-made aerosols, which can be used to deflect sunlight, could affect rainfall patterns.

Because Derecho is 3 ½ times faster than the previous NCAR supercomputer, her team can run more detailed models to show how regional changes to rainfall can be caused by the release of aerosols, adding to scientists' understanding of the risks from solar geoengineering, Rasmussen said. The machine will also be used to study other issues related to climate change.

Proposed solar geoengineering using a tethered balloon to inject sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere

Channeling Cat's Cradle comes to mind, does it not?

There, he learns of a substance called ice-nine, created for military use by Hoenikker and now likely in the possession of his three adult children. Ice-nine is an alternative structure of water that is solid at room temperature and acts as a seed crystal upon contact with ordinary liquid water, causing that liquid water to instantly freeze and transform into more ice-nine. 

And so it goes - K. Vonnegut

It's just a matter of time/rev II

 Illustration Ben Wiseman

Beginning in 2007, yours truly penned several blurbs regarding the emergence of digital actors and what it will mean to Hollywood and the art of film. Fast forward to 2023 and the path to synthetic video, complete with AI driven scripts and CG environments, including digital actors, is taking shape as we speak. IMHO, it doesn't matter who the star is if the script and film work as a viable entertainment medium, what does matter is how a movie is produced because if you can do it cheaper with the same results, the move to AI generated video becomes inevitable and ... there's no egos involved unless the AI entities in said films become self aware, complete with all the baggage us humans possess in great abundance. :)

SAY HELLO TO IRA. HIS HEAD IS VISIBLE ON A SCREEN AS though he’s in a videoconference. He seems to be in his early 30s, with a shaved head, a pronounced nose, and thin eyebrows. Ira seems a little goofy and maybe just a wee bit strange. But unless you knew his full name—it’s “Digital Ira”—you probably wouldn’t guess that he’s nothing but bits.

In the background, a graphics processor churns through the calculations that determine every roll of his eyes, every crease or bulge of his skin, and every little arch of his eyebrow. Digital Ira can assume almost any expression—joy, befuddlement, annoyance, surprise, concern, boredom, or pleasure—in about the same amount of time it takes a human to do so.

As Digital Ira affirms, graphics specialists are closing in on one of their field’s longest-standing and most sought-after prizes: an interactive and photo-realistically lifelike digital human. Such a digital double will change the way we think about actors, acting, entertainment, and computer games. In movies, digital doubles already replace human actors on occasion, sometimes just for moments, sometimes for most of a feature film. Within a decade or so, computer-game characters will be as indistinguishable from filmed humans as their movie counterparts. And in time, this capability will help bring movies and games together, and out of the union will come entirely new forms of entertainment.

Bad timing as Joan is Awful applies.

Hollywood actors have officially gone on strike, joining the Writers Guild of America on the picket lines for the first time in over 60 years — a reality that Netflix, a major force in the industry the actors are striking against, predicted almost exactly a month ago in its hit show "Black Mirror."

In the debut episode, titled "Joan Is Awful" and starring Annie Murphy, a woman's worst traits are exaggerated in a biographical drama starring Salma Hayek, who plays herself. But as it turns out, Hayek isn't her real self either, but an AI-generated likeness commissioned by an evil streaming corporation.

In other words, the Charlie Brooker-created Netflix show pretty much nailed the current discussion over a background actor's right over their digital likeness.

"Netflix really fucked up dropping that AI episode of 'Black Mirror' in the middle of the SAG negotiations, huh," movie reviewer Joe Russo tweeted earlier this week.

In some ways, it's an escalation of the existing conversation surrounding the threat of having AI replace writers.

It's just a matter of time. 

It's all about infrastructure ...

Look carefully at the chart above. What do you see?

You see the development of a high-speed rail system that is unrivaled anywhere on earth. You see the actualization of plan to connect all parts of the country with modern-day infrastructure that reduces shipping costs, improves mobility and increases profitability. You see a vision of the 21st century in which state-directed capital links rural populations with urban centers lifting standards of living across the board. You see an expression of a new economic model that has lifted 800 million people out of poverty while paving the way for global economic integration. You see an industrial juggernaut expanding in all directions while laying the groundwork for a new century of economic integration, accelerated development and shared prosperity.

In 12 years, China did this. During this time frame, the US did nothing thanks to adhering to an inept Middle Eastern foreign policy that cost this nation 8 trillion dollars with no return save for shattered countries, death in the thousands and enmity to the max while China, in 2023, begins to move in and pick up the pieces without firing a shot.

Simply unreal applies as it's all about infrastructure, something our so called political leaders in America seem to not understand in any way, shape or fashion.

Is there a high-speed rail system in the United States that is comparable to what we see in China today?

No, there isn’t. So far, less than 50 miles of high-speed rail has been built in the United States. (“Amtrak’s Acela, which reaches 150 mph over 49.9 miles of track, is the US’s only high-speed rail service.”) As everyone knows, America’s transportation grid is obsolete and in a shambles.

But, why? Why is the United States so far behind China in the development of critical infrastructure?

It’s because China’s state-led model is vastly superior to America’s “carpetbagger” model. In China, the government is directly involved in the operation of the economy, which means that it subsidizes those industries that enhance growth and spur development. In contrast, American capitalism is a savage free-for-all in which private owners are able to divert great sums of money into unproductive stock buybacks and other scams that do nothing to create jobs or strengthen the economy. Since 2009 US corporations have spent more than $7 trillion on stock buybacks which is an activity that boosts payouts to rich shareholders but fails to produce anything of material value. Had that capital been invested in critical infrastructure, every city in America would be linked to a gigantic webbing of high-speed rail extending from “sea to shining sea”. But that hasn’t happened, because the western model incentivizes the extraction of capital for personal enrichment rather than the development of projects that serve the common good. In China, we see how fast transformative changes can take place when a nation’s wealth is used to eradicate poverty, raise standards of living, construct state-of-the-art infrastructure, and lay the groundwork for a new century.

Capitalism run amok doesn't work, nor does us against them politics, both of which are killing this once great nation as we speak. Addendum: The wild card in this rosy scenario centers on the specter of GW and what it means to the fate of the world as man moves further into the 21st century.

Where's the beef?

Scott Ritter nails it as the disaster known as Ukraine has gone full circle, along the lines of Nam where victory was never part of the equation but rather money as war is the ultimate enabler for enormous profits for the war merchants supplying the weapons needed to perpetrate said war.

To whit.

Back in 1984, Wendy’s (an American fast-food chain) released an advertisement starring an elderly actress named Clara Peller. The premise of the ad had Peller ordering a hamburger from an unnamed competitor, only to receive a very large bun containing a very small beef patty on the inside. 

Upon examining the burger, Peller looks up in exasperation, and proclaims “Where’s the beef?”

Channeling Nam ...

In the weeks leading up to the summit, Ukraine was desperately trying to do its part, throwing its newly constituted NATO-trained and equipped assault brigades at prepared Russian defenses in actions which made the infamous “Charge of the Light Brigade” seem like the epitome of military planning and execution by comparison. With much of its NATO-provided weaponry, including the much-touted Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, destroyed or damaged without ever reaching the main Russian defensive positions, and some 20,000 Ukrainian casualties, the Ukrainian counteroffensive fizzled out. Instead of presenting his NATO partners with a decisive Ukrainian victory, Zelensky confronted his erstwhile allies with the harsh reality that not only would the conflict with Russia not be ending any time soon, but also the growing realization that, when it did end, it would be as a decisive Russian military victory.

But to achieve a peace that created the conditions favorable to Ukraine joining NATO meant that Ukraine must first defeat the Russian army on the field of battle. To do that, Ukraine would need NATO to radically alter the formulation upon which current levels of military assistance were being calculated, if for no other reason that the current formulations were, simply put, not working. But NATO is neither inclined nor capable of changing this formulation. Its goal has never been to defend Ukraine, but rather defeat Russia, a cause it is willing to pursue to the last Ukrainian.

Zelensky came to Vilnius like customers flock to fast food restaurants, full of expectations about the delicious burger they are going to order and consume, only to find himself cast in the role of Clara Peller, shouting out in exasperation, “Where’s the beef?”

The answer doesn’t matter. There is no beef. It’s just a script. And Zelensky is just an actor, playing out his role in the tragic opera that has become the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, watching helplessly as his nation and people are being sacrificed on behalf of a dysfunctional NATO alliance that proclaims its mission as peace, but whose only product is war.

Same as it ever was - Talking Heads

Ahead of schedule ...

Richmond, Vt., on Tuesday. Credit...Video by Gretchen Powers

Showing up early applies regarding the up and coming hellscape man is already experiencing in drips and drabs in the summer of 2023, which will be the warmest for planet earth until next year. When thinking about GW, Exxon and Shell, among significant others, comes to mind when they lied to us back in the 70s regarding GW as they knew fossil fuels, in their ability to generate copious amounts of Co2, when burned, would heat up the world with possible catastrophe results. Well, said results are beginning to happen, ahead of schedule.

LINCOLN, Vt. — The capital of Vermont — the state that often tops those “best states to move to and avoid climate change” lists — was, until Tuesday afternoon, mostly underwater.

Swollen by record-breaking rainfall, the Winooski River claimed nearly the entire downtown area of Montpelier late Monday. Swift-water rescue teams helped people escape from the upper floors of apartment buildings not far from the gold-domed State Capitol. Even the governor was forced to hike from his house on a snowmobile trail to reach an emergency response center in time to lead a news conference on the still unfolding disaster. By Wednesday morning, residents and business owners were stepping through the mud caking their front steps and basements to assess how much they had lost.

As the world heats up, our benchmarks are becoming increasingly useless — as useless as the notion that there are any places to move to and avoid climate change. Americans suffer from a longstanding delusion, a hangover of sorts from the Manifest Destiny era, that there will always be some corner of our vast country to escape to. Its 21st-century form is the notion that one can just pick up stakes and move somewhere else to get away from all this quickening climatic chaos.

It's different now ...

Making Trump look good ...

Jack Ohman / Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency

Making Trump look good is an art form in and of itself and fortunately, Ron's up to the job in making it happen.

It's about time!

Perrigo, via Associated Press

Make it cheap & available for all!!!

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception.

The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter — more effective at preventing pregnancy than condoms, spermicides and other nonprescription methods. Experts in reproductive health said its availability could be especially useful for young women, teenagers and those who have difficulty dealing with the time, costs or logistical hurdles involved in visiting a doctor to obtain a prescription.

It's about time!

98% :)

Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, has created the whitest paint on record with his students.Credit...John Underwood/Purdue University

98% reflectivity, something otherworldly in the push to cool down the planet using paint as the weapon of choice is stellar to the max. Even better, it doesn't look any different from ordinary white. :)

Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, didn’t set out to make it into the Guinness World Records when he began trying to make a new type of paint. He had a loftier goal: to cool down buildings without torching the Earth.

In 2020, Dr. Ruan and his team unveiled their creation: a type of white paint that can act as a reflector, bouncing 95 percent of the sun’s rays away from the Earth’s surface, up through the atmosphere and into deep space. A few months later, they announced an even more potent formulation that increased sunlight reflection to 98 percent.

The paint’s properties are almost superheroic. It can make surfaces as much as eight degrees Fahrenheit cooler than ambient air temperatures at midday, and up to 19 degrees cooler at night, reducing temperatures inside buildings and decreasing air-conditioning needs by as much as 40 percent. It is cool to the touch, even under a blazing sun, Dr. Ruan said. Unlike air-conditioners, the paint doesn’t need any energy to work, and it doesn’t warm the outside air.

Science done right never disappoints. :)

The infrared images showed how a sample of the paint (the dark purple square in the middle) actually cooled the board below ambient temperature, something that not even commercial “heat rejecting” paints do.Credit...Joseph Peoples/Purdue University

Why this matters ...

By 2050, nearly half the world may live in areas that have dangerous levels of heat for at least a month, including Miami, Lagos and Shanghai, according to projections by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Washington.

Question, how does this rise in heat impact the ability for society to function and ...

remember, this is just the beginning.

Quesstimate ... 2009

Off in the distance ...

Google just announced Search Labs, an experimental move against Chat GPT using SGE (Search Generative Experience), Code Tips and Add to Sheets, all driven by AI to leverage the net in ways not envisioned back in 2009. Regarding search, yours truly wrote a piece in 2009 discussing how search could be enhanced but AI was obviously not factored into the equation. Seems the take was not all that bad IMHO.

With AI, these recommendations are already being superseded but that's how science and tech should work as both disciplines are designed to be questioned and modified (think gravity & vacuum tubes) as needs warrant. To this writer, Google's initiative rings true. 

Back in 2009 ... Looking Toward Nirvana

The holy grail of computing (besides renders of 3D high res photorealistic scenes in less than 1/60th of a second) is high-end content served to people and machines tailored to their specific needs, something that is not being done today, AFAIK, by the Google's of the world when one conducts a search. At the present time, when one asks, for example, information on Babe Ruth's 714th home run, one gets thousands of sites/pages that cover the Babe's last exploits, a useful result that, unfortunately, is light years from getting one or two pages filled with the right material keyed to user preferences. Is there a way to do this? I think the answer is yes but questions like the following should be asked to at least get the ball rolling in the right direction.

For starters, why can't you do the following?

1. Conduct searches keyed to individual disciplines equipped with appropriate sub-category items able to be selected individually or combined in designated arrays, thus enabling one to easily build a targeted content set relating to specific area(s) of any given discipline (i.e. architecture/subcategory/renaissance; biology/subcategory/fungi, etc., etc.) at the beginning of the search process. By doing this, the accuracy of the search, in my opinion, would be greatly enhanced.

2. Be able to save the search string in question to eliminate rebuilding the drill-down pattern again when that particular search needs to be redone.

3. Have the ability to date, reorder and rank saved search strings to be used as needs dictate.

Without question, this is doable as this approach to conducting searches definitely works based on personal experience on developing this kind of system. Search results would still exist as sites/pages sets but the accuracy of the search conducted would, as stated before, be greatly enhanced.

Formatting and putting this information into properly formatted pages as described in the first paragraph of this discussion is another matter entirely as it will require sophisticated research into developing state-of-the-art database/semantic-driven environments but this will certainly become reality given the rapid acceleration of compute power and software design as seen by IBM & Intel and Simile. the innovative open-source semantic offering from MIT.

In retrospect, Google's SGE, if it works right, is exactly what I was asking for back in 2009. :)

13.4 ...

Credits: Visualization: Frank Summers (STScI), Greg Bacon (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

13,4 billion years ago, Maisie's Galaxy was alive and well, today, she's long gone but her light shines on, courtesy the Webb, the telescope changing how man views reality.

This 3D visualization portrays about 5,000 galaxies within a small portion of the CEERS (Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science) Survey, which gathered data from a region known as the Extended Groth Strip. As the camera flies away from our viewpoint, each second amounts to traveling 200 million light-years into the data set, and seeing 200 million years further into the past. The appearances of the galaxies change, reflecting the fact that more distant objects are seen at earlier times in the universe, when galaxies were less developed. The video ends at Maisie’s Galaxy, which formed only 390 million years after the big bang, or about 13.4 billion years ago. Music: Spring Morning, Maarten Schellekens CC BY-NC 4.0

Science never disappoints. :)