Interesting Links for 16-03-2022

[andrewducker]

Interrupting = Rudeness is a cultural artefact

(tags:etiquette culture communication )

Do you have a terrible prospective memory?

(tags:memory adhd )

Ms. Marvel trailer looks like fun!

(tags:trailer video marvel tv )

Using AI to generate new biochemical weapons

(tags:chemistry AI biology weaponry Doom )

The Godfather almost never happened

(tags:movies mafia history )

The UK's minister for culture does not understand computers even slightly

(tags:computers algorithms politics conservatives OhForFucksSake )

A mother's early life experiences of adversity can influence her baby's sensitivity to stress

(tags:stress parenting mother children psychology )

Comments

[calimac]

Prospective memory: My mother claimed she had the worst. Once she had a box she needed to take out on her next errand. Knowing she'd forget it, she placed it blocking the door of her flat so that she could not leave without dealing with it. So what happened? She kicked the box out of the way and left.

Not knowing what algorithms are: Recently I had a strange encounter in a discussion group with someone who postulated an elaborate thought experiment to prove an unnecessary point. My saying so led to an exchange at cross-purposes, until the writer's saying that I didn't understand that this was just "a whimsical expression" led me to realize that he didn't know what the term "thought experiment" meant.

[andrewducker]

Oh dear. Not that I mind the average person not knowing what one is. But the minister responsible ought to have a handle on things before going into a meeting!

[simont]

In fairness, "algorithm" means two quite different things these days, since the word has been co-opted from its traditional definition of "procedure for solving a specific problem in software, detailed enough to be directly translated into code" to mean "impenetrable AI system which generates output that nobody can really explain the reasoning behind, but you're expected to trust it regardless, even in the face of multiple high-profile cockups".

Demanding that people phase out the latter seems perfectly reasonable to me!

[jack]

> Your prospective memory helps you remember to take action when later comes.

Oh no, no it doesn't! :)

Yeah, that's a good concept, I sort of realised that was a type of memory, but it is that which I don't do much. I feel like I'm in memento, but it's not really a problem now I can set reminders for things.

[zz]

"Do you have a terrible prospective memory?"

...fuck.

[andrewducker]

Join the club!

[lilysea]

Re prospective memory -

because of mental exhaustion/brainfog

I assume that my brain is actively going to forget things

and that I have to do my best to set reminders

so, I get Gmail calendar to send me reminders "cold food delivery arriving tonight"

I also write a little todo list on paper and put it on top of my laptop

I also have a draft email "Wednesday goals" in my inbox

I also set alarms on my phone that say "4pm, take out the rubbish"

even with all of this, I still forget stuff more than the average person my age

[andrewducker]

I have to have to-do lists and a calendar or nothing is happening and I'm not going to be anywhere at the right time.

Prospective memory

[channelpenguin]

I'll have to be the rebel / weirdo here and say my prospective memory is pretty good.

Re: Prospective memory

[andrewducker]

Normie!

Re: Prospective memory

[channelpenguin]

LOL! You know me better than that. It's just executive dysfunctions aren't my thing.

Interrupting = Rudeness is a cultural artefact

[jducoeur]

Oh, heck yes. More generally, the definitions of "rudeness" are largely cultural artifacts.

Many years ago, in the early days of the SCA discovering the Internet, I wound up in an extended email argument with one of our members from Texas on this topic. We gradually teased out that what I thought of as "rude" was simply proper plain-spokenness to him; what I thought of as "polite" discourse he perceived as utterly mealy-mouthed. While our definitions weren't quite opposite to each other, they were certainly a long ways apart.

Do you have a terrible prospective memory?

[anef]

Either that or I have Too Many Things to remember. I have delegated my work memory to Outlook, and my home memory to Google Calendar/Tasks, but I have to remember to put the potentially conflicting ones in both (in a different colour!), and sometimes I...forget.

Re: Do you have a terrible prospective memory?

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I've had several "I must invite myself at home to my early work meeting so I know to log in early" fails.