Misinformation

September 30, 2024

Good morning! Here in Central Minnesota we’ve been having glorious Northern California weather. Perhaps it is time to plant a vineyard? When the weather is like this, it’s the perfect time to be outdoors (reference these Musings from two weeks ago). When was the last time you thanked a long-haul trucker — or anyone in logistics?

• We left the Appalachians and Eastern Kentucky just ahead of the big hurricane… hope the horses and bourbon are OK.
  • Asheville, among our favourite places, is decimated apparently.
• Don’t tell Katie Ledecky, but so-called splash pads in public parks are soaring in popularity while the discipline and skill of swimming itself has declined dramatically.
  • Like we said, don’t tell Katie.
  • Outside our front window a massive splash pad is under construction featuring what would appear to be dozens and dozens of plumbing fixtures designed to delight and to cool the youngsters…
    • … just in time for winter.
  • We’re guessing a massive 25′ lego contraption will morph itself into a water slide — but what parents will let their kids climb that high?
• The human race has been subject to misinformation, disinformation, sleight-of-hand, trickery, and scams since before the Neanderthals.
  • But, that breadth and scope of the occurrences of bogus information has exploded exponentially in recent years.
  • So, what to do about it?
  • Sorting through all of it requires more primary source information and the in-person collection of data than ever before.
  • And still, it will become more and more difficult — probably — to know what is true and what is not true.
  • Harvard’s motto is Veritas (truth)… easier to proclaim and sustain 400 years ago than today.
  • And, will Operative Artificial Intelligence introduce itself as, “Hi, I’m Hal,” one of these days?
    • We had better be ready.
• There are approximately 30,000 commercial aircraft currently serving the world.
  • The aviation industry is predicting an annual 3.2% growth in the number of commercial jets in service over the next ten years.
  • The vast majority of those new aircraft will be narrow-body jets, the industry says — giving us about 43,000 jets in the air by 2034.
• The race for electricity is far greater than any gold rush, or copper rush, or silver rush, or lithium rush, or tulip rush… it’s crazy
  • The four behemoth technology companies (Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft) combined just started to exceed $50 billion of capital spending each quarter.
    • That’s approaching a $quarter-trillion annually.
  • Where will all of this new electricity come from?  (Electric Power Research Institute)
• Does anyone know why we are being treated to mega doses of Snoop Dogg?
• Do you wonder how and why Bill Shakespeare was allowed into the schools — or has he been kicked out and we just haven’t heard?
  • A friend and faithful reader dropped by the other day with a gourmet bar of chocolate, a 65% dark cocoa in an attractive red wrapper.
  • I rarely open a treat like this immediately, but rather save it for a day when I might really need it.
  • Apparently I needed it and so I opened it and savored a few of the delicious little squares.
  • Then I noticed there was a Shakespeare Sonnet printed on the inside of the wrapper — presumably making the chocolate that much healthier and life-lengthening.
  • Well, this is a bit erotic, don’t you think?  (After a bit of research, I’m told it’s #154)
  • Do not read further if you have fragile senses and sensibilities:

The Little Love-god
The little Love-god lying once asleep,
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vowed chaste life to keep
Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warmed;
And so the General of hot desire
Was, sleeping, by a virgin hand disarmed.
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love’s fire took heat perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy,
For men diseased; but I, my mistress’ thrall,
Came there for cure and this by that I prove,
Love’s fire heats water, water cools not love.

     – (Wm. Shakespeare, c. 1609)