Rather than accepting that tech happens to society, we need to put societal needs first, and then examine how we want and allow tech to play into that.
Connection is powerful and magical. It’s also enervating, subject to manipulation and addictive.
It’s always encouraging seeing new banks of EV chargers popping up. Today, it was my first spot of chargers on a National Trust property: Nymans.
Compared with the general population, participants with hoarding disorder scored almost universally high on altruism.
Fascinating.
Romantasy is here for your attention.
Blame TikTok.
January 2025 was probably the month I’ve taken the fewest photos in years. Possibly in decades.
I need to change that.
DeepSeek represents more than just a product — it embodies a different way of thinking that challenges the conventional approach to AI. It’s not about a specific company, but about demonstrating that others can also leapfrog the big boys with clever thinking.
Bit tired this morning. Had a tyre blow out in the way home, and the AA finally got to me over four hours later.
Got home just after 2.30am.
Today’s job: find a mobile tyre fitter.
😱
Six Colors, Dan Moren: UK orders Apple to implement secret global backdoor for end-to-end encryption
the United Kingdom’s government has mandated Apple provide a backdoor for access to end-to-end encrypted data in every country, combined with a gag order preventing the company from disclosing this fact to its users
The Washington Post broke the story.
Maybe that’s the real threat of AI: not that it acquires superhuman intelligence, but that it acquires superhuman persuasiveness. Judging by the number of people I see posting screenshots of ChatGPT output as though it’s gospel, we may be heading that way.
This is not an architectural movement that I’m rushing to embrace… BoND turns Fire Island house into a “machine for voyeurism”:
“Calling it a machine for voyeurism, everything is on display,” said the team, which aimed to “execute the fine line of both sexual playfulness and desire.”
No, spell checker, when I write “virality” I mean it. I do not mean “virility“. Giving students feedback on “virility“ would not be good for my career.
The university system in the UK is in trouble:
Over the last two weeks, more than 1,000 redundancies have been announced by just four institutions, sparking concerns about the long-term health of the sector. With institutions cutting courses to make savings, questions are being raised over the ability of universities to train enough people with the research skills the country needs.
The new(ish) government needs to act, as every round of cuts threatens the UK’s long-term competitiveness.
Beautifully written and conducted interview with James May from Top Gear/The Grand Tour. Love the final line:
James May is the eternal combustion engine that never combusts into anger, the Grand Tourist more likely to write a poem than raise a fist, a bloke, but one suited to the age of the electric car.