by Patrick Rhone, Master Generalist
Tonight, I didn’t know the right setting for cooking white beans in my Instant Pot. So, I Googled it. The top result was Google’s AI telling me exactly what I needed to know. Did not need to click further. I now know the right method going forward.
Did I use AI for the answer? Did I learn?
Yes.
What happens when the AI is good enough (i.e. now) that teachers start accusing anyone of using AI because they can’t tell the difference between when a student has learned a way to phrase something better or solve a problem in a different way? How does one distinguish between learning and learning?
Is This the Best Cover of Radiohead’s Creep?
Yep. Goosebumps.
An Increasingly Worse Response — Garrick van Buren
A toy giraffe that, when a person engages with it, can only — collapse.
As a metaphor for new technologies, this toy giraffe’s message is worth considering, “we break when any pressure is applied.”
Finally, a useful way of thinking about the current usefulness of AI.
People can change – annie’s blog
People can change. The only limit on what you can learn in a lifetime is how many years you get. There is not a hard stop on openness or curiosity. Change is difficult but people can change. It is right to ask them to do so because things change when people change.
My wife fulfilled a bucket list item with a book.
“We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people—our strength—from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”
On the subject of food, my most recent food obsession is the humble Jambon Beurre — the unofficial national sandwich of France (more than three million jambon-beurre sandwiches are sold in France each day).
So simple. Only three ingredients. But, in discussing this with my Dad today another side thought occurred to me… Because of its simplicity the quality of each ingredient matters that much more. And, I believe this to be a general rule of thumb. The simpler the dish, the more important the quality of the ingredients — the mediocre simply has no where to hide!
You can use canned peas in a casserole and folks will likely never notice. Use them for mushy peas and they’ll likely be terrible.
So, with the jambon beurre I’m careful to use good ham (usually a lightly smoked prosciutto actually), a generous slather of Président butter and a fresh baguette.
I’ve tried the cheap quality alternatives to all three and, well, let’s just say it is not why I keep making them.
This idea came up in conversation with my dad this morning (credit mostly to him):
If you use a microwave until it dies, no problem. You can buy a new one.
You can drive a car until the wheels are practically falling off. Then replace it with a new one.
You only have one body. It can’t be replaced.
Just like the car or the microwave, how well you maintain them and carefully you use them will have an effect on how long they last.
But your body, once it’s done, it’s done.
So, it’s even more important to use and maintain it as well as you can, for as long as you can. Because it’s irreplaceable.
So, put the best fuel (food) in it you can. Make sure that fuel is clean and high-quality (organic, sustainable, balanced, chemical free, ingredients you can trust, etc.). Keep your regularly scheduled maintenance visits (doctors, dentist, etc.). Run it regularly at both cruising and highway speeds (regular walking and exercise). Give it regular washings and keep it looking good (clean cars run better and last longer, so do bodies). These things may cost you more, but that’s because they are better and better for you.
I like this way of thinking about it and making choices for what I do and consume based on this line of thought.
Pairs well with a conversation I had with a friend many years ago, explaining why the added expense often kept me from shopping at the wonderful natural food co-op that’s just a block and a half away as often as I should. He turned to me and said, “Patrick, it’s an investment in your health”.
All these years later, these words ring in my head whoever I shop there.