The Thread Of Complete Randomness

I saw this a day or two ago. It is, in my mind, beyond extraordinary if true.

Researchers have done an experiment where they showed images to individuals who had a special type of MRI scan called "functional" MRI. It shows up which neurons are active at any given time. They then fed the MRI data to an AI algorithm and the AI algorithm recreated the images the person had seen. They were eerily close.

This is by far the closest thing to mind reading there has ever been as far as I know, and much closer than I would have thought was *ever* possible.

Imagine this becoming a tool of investigating crimes? Some sort of continuous MRI scan during interrogation where an image might pop into a person's head and gets tagged as evidence.

Between this, chatGPT, VR and that scientist in China who genetically edited a baby I can't help but feel like the future is starting to become present in a disconcertingly rapid manner. Think of how analog the world felt in the late 1980s (the earliest reference I have in my personal experience) compared to this shit.

https://twitter.com/heykahn/st…yP5_p7BRFRdm2rwCcgCQ&s=19

Interesting situation developing with Gary Lineker and Match of the Day. Wouldn't have seen him overnight becoming the tip of the spear in a crusade, of sorts. I'm inclined toward respect at his refusal to back down and the show of solidarity from his co-hosts.

In the process of buying a house. It has no front garden but a long back garden with a fair bit of lawn. Obviously we'll be getting rid of that, so FINALLY! I get to destroy a lawn. Excellent! Looking forward to it.

Me? I'm just a lawn destructor. Um-di-dum-di-dum...

Equinox. Spring, summer, longer days, all that crap (for those of us this side of the equator).

Only 3 months until the days start getting shorter, autumn and winter on the way. I can't wait!

Quote from Backdrifter

In the process of buying a house. It has no front garden but a long back garden with a fair bit of lawn. Obviously we'll be getting rid of that, so FINALLY! I get to destroy a lawn. Excellent! Looking forward to it.

Try watering your lawn with Whisky ... that way it will come up half-cut

Quote from SkyWatcher

Try watering your lawn with Whisky

That'd be a criminal waste of whisky.

When the lawn is torn up and gone, no more lawn maintenance necessary. Excellent!

Christ. The powers that be have gone and organized a work party. I'm going to be asked 800 times in the coming days if I'm going.

Which answer best conveys how much I want to go?

"The four horsemen of the apocalypse couldn't drag me there" or

"I'm planning to accidentally fall into a vat of hydrochloric acid because I'd rather spend the night on life support in the burns ICU"?

A friend had an offer on a house accepted. She then went with 2 family members to the house, having arranged this with the agent, so they could see it too. It rapidly became obvious none of the seller's family, who were there, knew he'd put it on sale or accepted an offer.

On arriving, the seller's son was just leaving. My friend introduced herself as the buyer. The conversation went:

SON: Buyer? Buyer of what?

CAROL: Well... er... the house.

SON: Which house? Which number?

CAROL: (points) This one. Number 1.

(SON looks aghast and shocked as though slapped in the face. Stammers, gets into car, drives off)

Carol is then greeted at the door by the seller, who looks confused and mutters something about the house 'not being show ready' and 'those damn agents never tell me anything'. Carol's relatives are now visibly shrinking with embarrassment. The seller takes them through to the living room where his wife is reclining on the couch with their dog, looking utterly baffled at the sudden arrival of 3 complete strangers who seem to want to have a nose around her house.

Carol, now sensing the purchase might not be as much in the bag as she thought, asks the seller if he has definitely accepted her offer. He glances at his now wide-eyed wife and blithers "Uh - well - erm - th - well aaaahhhh y-y-y-yes". By now even the previously relaxed contented dog is bolt upright. Cue big awkwardness.

They had the most hurried possible look around the house and left with some relief, no doubt leaving the couple and their dog to a rather tense afternoon.

Right there, that's the opening of a drama series. The rest practically writes itself.

Quote from Backdrifter

A friend had an offer on a house accepted. She then went with 2 family members to the house, having arranged this with the agent, so they could see it too. It rapidly became obvious none of the seller's family, who were there, knew he'd put it on sale or accepted an offer.

On arriving, the seller's son was just leaving. My friend introduced herself as the buyer. The conversation went:

SON: Buyer? Buyer of what?

CAROL: Well... er... the house.

SON: Which house? Which number?

CAROL: (points) This one. Number 1.

(SON looks aghast and shocked as though slapped in the face. Stammers, gets into car, drives off)

Carol is then greeted at the door by the seller, who looks confused and mutters something about the house 'not being show ready' and 'those damn agents never tell me anything'. Carol's relatives are now visibly shrinking with embarrassment. The seller takes them through to the living room where his wife is reclining on the couch with their dog, looking utterly baffled at the sudden arrival of 3 complete strangers who seem to want to have a nose around her house.

Carol, now sensing the purchase might not be as much in the bag as she thought, asks the seller if he has definitely accepted her offer. He glances at his now wide-eyed wife and blithers "Uh - well - erm - th - well aaaahhhh y-y-y-yes". By now even the previously relaxed contented dog is bolt upright. Cue big awkwardness.

They had the most hurried possible look around the house and left with some relief, no doubt leaving the couple and their dog to a rather tense afternoon.

Right there, that's the opening of a drama series. The rest practically writes itself.

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😆 If this is real, it makes me feel *so* much better about my non-existent communication skills when it comes to relaying information about critical issues to my wife. It's not out of malice, I'm just really unobservant.

Quote from thewatcher

I saw this a day or two ago. It is, in my mind, beyond extraordinary if true.

Researchers have done an experiment where they showed images to individuals who had a special type of MRI scan called "functional" MRI. It shows up which neurons are active at any given time. They then fed the MRI data to an AI algorithm and the AI algorithm recreated the images the person had seen. They were eerily close.

This is by far the closest thing to mind reading there has ever been as far as I know, and much closer than I would have thought was *ever* possible.

Imagine this becoming a tool of investigating crimes? Some sort of continuous MRI scan during interrogation where an image might pop into a person's head and gets tagged as evidence.

Between this, chatGPT, VR and that scientist in China who genetically edited a baby I can't help but feel like the future is starting to become present in a disconcertingly rapid manner. Think of how analog the world felt in the late 1980s (the earliest reference I have in my personal experience) compared to this shit.

https://twitter.com/heykahn/st…yP5_p7BRFRdm2rwCcgCQ&s=19

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To continue the steady drip-drip of slightly alarming new things happening, check this more music-related one out:

https://twitter.com/rpnickson/…/1639813074176679938?s=20

Maybe if one of us is determined enough we can generate "new" Genesis music.

I was in a twitter thread discussing what colours numbers are. My take:

0 - grey

1 - white

2 - pale blue

3 - pale green

4 - pale pink

5 - yellow

6 - darker (olive) green

7 - dark purple with a hint of slate

8 - magenta

9 - orange

From 10 upwards it gets complex as it's not just straight combinations of the above colours.

Also in the thread, debating which is best out of 5 and 6 - not colour-wise, just generally. I think it varies, but 5 certainly can be a bit full of itself. Largely I think due to our tendency to lazily invoke it when referring to times - we default to times ending in 5 or 0. I think 0 plays it pretty cool and aloof about it all, whereas 5 preens a bit.

Do jaffa cakes, chocolate digestives and maltesers contain crack?

Tomorrow we take possession of our 'forever' home (at least forever until such time as we need to go into assisted accommodation or something). The saga that started with a failed attempt to sell our London flat in late 2020 finally reaches completion tomorrow. That flat has enabled us to buy a nice house in the Scottish Highlands outright and still leave a great big pile of change. No more rent, no more mortgage. It's a lovely, fortunate position to be in.

I still think back to the flat with sad fondness and will always miss it but every second we're in the new home the flat is there in spirit, working for us. Plus we still have a number of items, furniture etc from it which will always be associated with it.

We have an overlap month while various work is done on the house then we'll start moving stuff in bit by bit - it's less than 2 miles up the road from our rental.

Phew. Cracking some wine open tonight and a takeaway from the excellent local Chinese must and will be had.

Quote from Backdrifter

Tomorrow we take possession of our 'forever' home (at least forever until such time as we need to go into assisted accommodation or something). The saga that started with a failed attempt to sell our London flat in late 2020 finally reaches completion tomorrow. That flat has enabled us to buy a nice house in the Scottish Highlands outright and still leave a great big pile of change. No more rent, no more mortgage. It's a lovely, fortunate position to be in.

I still think back to the flat with sad fondness and will always miss it but every second we're in the new home the flat is there in spirit, working for us. Plus we still have a number of items, furniture etc from it which will always be associated with it.

We have an overlap month while various work is done on the house then we'll start moving stuff in bit by bit - it's less than 2 miles up the road from our rental.

Phew. Cracking some wine open tonight and a takeaway from the excellent local Chinese must and will be had.

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Congratulations, sounds bittersweet to be parting with the old place but a great new place to live in a wonderful location. Lots to enjoy, starting with the vino and delicious takeaway!

Just watched Leeds play their last game in the Premier League before being relegated. Let's hope it is not another 16 years before they go back up again.

Quote from genesis1964

Just watched Leeds play their last game in the Premier League before being relegated. Let's hope it is not another 16 years before they go back up again.

I feel for them and the fans. I've enjoyed some of their football and feel sad seeing them relegated. They're my brother's team too which adds to it. As does the fact they lost today to my team (for whom I have great concerns regarding the coming season - no top-class manager wants to work with our owner).

Some LUFC fans think it was a mistake to sack Bielsa given what he'd achieved.

Quote from Backdrifter

Some LUFC fans think it was a mistake to sack Bielsa given what he'd achieved.

Had his faults but was a great manager and Leeds owe him a lot. I would happily have him back

On Thursday just gone I became a proper father in law. My step son finally married the girl he's been witb for the past ten years . Should have happened two years ago but for some reason or other it got put off!!!

As they say here, patience etc