Sunday, October 8
Saturday, October 7
Building an AI Military
- Will it take 5 years - 2028?
- Will it take 10 years - 2033?
What will an AI military look like?
- Instead of having human bodies fight a ground war, the military will have robots, AI enhanced to fight the war.
- Instead of having human bodies on a naval ship, we will have robot sailors, AI enhanced.
- Instead of having human bodies fly a jet fighter, we will have robot pilots, AI enhanced.
What is interesting here in the sense of its inevitability is that this will happen... it is not conjecture or speculation, it is a reality that will take place sooner than later.
Obviously, there will be human bodies still in the military in a variety of positions, but eventually they will be replaced as well.
Military Forecasting Experts all agree that our global militaries will be mostly Robots with AI enhancement by 2050. This is only a little more than 25 years ahead.
If you think about this logically, it makes sense to send robots with AI enhancements to fight wars rather than human beings.
With that in mind, it will encourage wars rather than discourage wars since very few human beings will ever be involved.
Can you imagine what it would be like if Vladimir Putin sent robots into Ukraine rather than human beings? That would have changed Putin's aggression tremendously. Actually, he would have been more aggressive than he has been.
And then you would have Ukraine fighting the Russian Robots with their own robots. It would be more costly but human lives would have been saved... providing no fighter bombers with robot pilots drop their bombs on Ukraine... then, human lives will be involved.
Is this the way we want to fight wars in the future? Or do we want to find some way to stop wars altogether?
Space Force to Guard the Moon
Artist's illustration of NASA astronauts near the moon's south pole, a region thought to be rich in water ice, a key resource that could help humanity extend its footprint out into the solar system. (Image credit: NASA)
It's been reported that United States Space Force Commander Gen. Chance Saltzman surveyed the Force's members to develop a mission statement for America's newest military branch. Aside from the novelty of crowdsourcing soldiers as to their interpretation of their mission (which I like but could draw criticism from more constitutionalist folks), the result seems to be on target: "Secure our nation's interests in, from and to space."
However — and with all due respect to the general from this son of a sergeant — I believe his interpretation of at least a part of this statement may be incorrect and informed by a bias that is all too common in the sometimes overly conservative and hallowed halls of the Pentagon.
First, having a simple and concise statement is essential. Shorter is better. Having that statement be co-generated by those forming the first cadres of the Force is an excellent idea to encourage buy-in and ownership.
The term "secure" is also essential. Protecting U.S. national interests is the chief priority of all our military branches, from under the sea to above the sky and all places in between.
He interprets securing that national interest "from space" as the defense of systems and technologies such as communications, navigation and missile warning. In other words, protecting those elements of the defense infrastructure vital to what the military refers to as the "Joint Force" (i.e., all the branches that might be part of a combined military action or activity on Earth).
So far, this is all great stuff. However, what the good general is missing in his reading and interpretation, and perhaps, in what his soldiers are saying (although I bet not, given their probable age demographic), is anything referring to the outward-facing phase of developing space activities without reference to direct support of our on-the-planet military posture and capabilities. In other words, the Space Force's role in securing our national interests beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). READ MORE...
Friday, October 6
Democracy Threatened
Definition of Democracy - a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
Definition of Socialism - a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism. a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
The Republicans and their policies are AGAINST Socialism... whereas the Democrats and their policies are in favor of Socialism.
Socialism and Democracy ARE NOT THE SAME FORM OF GOVERNMENT...
Hilliary Clinton (Democrat), who lost the Presidential election to Donald Trump (Republican) has recently stated that the Republicans are DESTROYING DEMOCRACY.
My question is: How are the Republicans doing this?
- Are they in favor of Socialism? NO
- Are they in favor of a big government? NO
- Are they in favor of illegal immigration? NO
- Are they in favor of more government spending? NO
- Are they in favor of inflation? NO
- Are they in favor of an increase in illegal drugs? NO
- Are they in favor of an increase in crime and violence? NO
- Are they in favor of defunding the police? NO
When you think about it, all the questions above, are those talking points that the Democrats support. Hilliary Clinton and her Democrats are accusing the Republicans of doing what they are promoting and supporting.
SO WHO REALLY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING DEMOCRACY?
Microplastics Found in Sealed Cave
A cave that's been closed off to human visitors for 30 years has been found to contain high concentrations of microplastics — and that should worry you.
Such were the findings of a pair of new studies, the most recent of which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, that used the cave's hermetic seclusion as a way of gauging just how far microplastics have penetrated the environment, and more specifically, subsurface water systems.
"A lot of research has been focused on surface water settings," Elizabeth Hasenmueller, a geochemist and associate director of the WATER Institute at Saint Louis University who authored both studies, said in a statement. "However, one of the most understudied areas in this field relates to what's happening to the subsurface in terms of microplastic contamination."
Inescapable Waste
Scientists continue to find new places where these tiny shards of plastic waste — five millimeters and smaller — end up, and none of them are reassuring. Recent notable studies have discovered it everywhere from polluting clouds to the inside of human hearts.
The locale selected by the researchers is Cliff Cave, located in Missouri, and while it has been closed to the public since 1993, it is located near a residential area. As such, it's not totally sequestered from civilization, but serves as a good case study on how human settlements impact nearby ecosystems. READ MORE...
Starbucks Coffee
I would suspect that it was much less than $5 then probably around $2.50 or $3.
However, it was delicious.
Today, a large Vanilla Cappuccino at Starbucks is between $5.50 and $6.50 depending upon one's location.
I WOULD NEVER in my wildest dreams pay that much money for a cup of coffee... UNLESS, I was in possession of a gift card.
I have been asking for Starbucks gift cards for several years now for my birthday and Christmas... The reason why I am even talking about this is that I used one of those cards today, to get a large Vanilla Cappuccino.
After using the card and getting a receipt to keep track of how much was left, I asked my wife, who is the caretaker of these cards, how much I had left not including this card.
She informed me that I had $80 left in a variety of cards ranging from $5 to $25. While that may seem like a lot, $80 will only buy me about 13 cups of coffee, maybe 14/15 depending upon how much is left on the card that we just used.
So, depending upon how often I get a large Vanilla Cappuccino at Starbucks, these cards will last me 6 to 18 months. However, there is a birthday this month and Christmas in two months after that so I am sure my Starbucks gift card wealth will increase.
I might be able to extend the longevity of these cards if I reduced the size cup, I get but I have gotten so used to drinking the large that a smaller size would seem like I was cheating myself.
Ukrainian Calls Russian Tank Tech Support for Help
In the 20 months of Russia’s wider war on Ukraine, the Ukrainian army has captured around 200 of Russia’s T-72B3 tanks.
The T-72B3, a product of Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil, is one of Russia’s newer tanks. And unlike, say, the T-64BV, the T-80U or the T-72AMT, Ukrainian industry doesn’t have much experience with the type.
So when a Ukrainian tanker with the callsign “Kochevnik” ran into problems with his captured Russian T-72B3—problems local expertise couldn’t immediately solve—he called Uralvagonzavod tech support. And incredibly, the help line actually helped.
Militarnyi captured Kochevnik’s calls on video.
Kochevnik serves in the Ukrainian army’s 54th Mechanized Brigade, which fights around Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine and operates mostly Soviet-vintage equipment including T-64 tanks and BMP fighting vehicles. It also owns some of Ukraine’s ex-Russian T-72B3s.
Kochevnik was trolling the Russians, mostly. But his gripes with his 45-ton, three-person tank were real. The tank had been spewing oil. Its compressors weren’t working. The electrical turret-rotation mechanism kept failing, forcing the crew to rotate the turret with a hand crank. READ MORE...
Thursday, October 5
A Reduction on Oil Production in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia could begin easing its production cut sooner than oil market participants believe as the world’s top crude oil exporter wouldn’t risk demand destruction through too high prices, consultancy Rapidan Energy Group says.
Due to the Saudi and OPEC+ cuts and falling commercial crude inventories in the U.S., oil prices climbed to their highest levels in months in early trade on Thursday —the U.S. benchmark jumped to a 13-month high and Brent hit the highest price since November 2022 and a new high for 2023.
Early this month, Saudi Arabia extended its 1 million bpd cut through December. The production levels would be reviewed each month until the end of 2023.
According to Rapidan Energy’s president Bob McNally, Saudi Arabia could start easing the cuts sooner than traders realize as it wouldn’t want to overheat the market.
“They do not want to deliberately over-tighten the market, because if you get a spike, then you get a demand collapse, and you get a bust,” McNally told Bloomberg Television in an interview on Thursday.
“The real sensible way to bring prices to heel is for Saudi Arabia and OPEC+ to say: ‘We’ve made our point, we’ve scared away the speculative shorts’,” the energy expert added.
Last week, Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy at ING, said that even though the oil price rally had “more room to run,” a break above $100 per barrel for Brent wouldn’t be sustainable.
“OPEC+ will also want to be careful about overtightening the oil market. They will be shooting themselves in the foot if they push prices to levels where we start to see an increased risk of demand destruction,” Patterson wrote in a note. READ MORE...
Driving Habits
I have only been one accident while driving as a messenger in a company car when I was 20 years old. It was not my fault. I have had half a dozen speeding tickets, maybe a few more or less, but nothing within the last 5 years.
When I retired in 2015 at the age of 67, I decided that there was very little need or reason to exceed the speed limits other than by 5 miles. Not sure why I decided on 5 miles and not 7 but that the number I selected.
Prior to my 40th birthday, when I got behind the wheel of a car, I drove like a bat out of hell, except inside the city limits.
Prior to my 30th birthday when I was behind the wheel of a car and unless I was going to or from work, I always had a 6 pack of beer sitting next to me in the shotgun seat.
Obviously, over the years I have mellowed but I am also aware that as I get older, my reaction time gets longer and while there is not much difference with regards to reaction time between 70 mph and 80 mph, it is still enough to make me drive cautiously.
These days wherever I am driving to or driving from whether it is within the city limits or out on the highway or on a country 4-lane road that is heavily traveled, the cars that pass me by are driving 15-20 miles over the posted speed limit signs.
Seldom do these speeders get caught by the police which only serves to encourage their behavior, but the fines for speeding are so low, that they act as an incentive to speed not a disincentive.
Over the years, the youth are supposed to be more intelligent that the previous generations and yet when they are behind the wheel that never seems to be the case.
I cannot understand that if many of these speeders are speeding because they are late for work, then why not get up 10 minutes earlier? If you are late getting to work, then what can I assume about the quality of their work?
It is good, bad, or just mediocre?
Is that the kind of employee you want to be?
Is that the kind of parent you want to be if you have children in the car, observing your driving habits?
Driving habits are a little problem with LARGE IMPLICATIONS...
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