Best of Thought Shrapnel 2023
Hello hello. I hope you're well đ
According to my stats, the following posts, all published in the last 12 months, were the most accessed on Thought Shrapnel.
What were your favourites? Is it one on this list? The archives can be found here.
1. The burnout curve
Published: 11th September
I stumbled across this on LinkedIn. There doesnât seem to be an authoritative source yet other than the authorâs (Nick Petrie) social media posts, which is a shame. So Iâm quoting most of it here so I can find and refer to it in future.
2. AI writing detectors don't work
Published: 9th September
This article discusses OpenAIâs recent admission that AI writing detectors are ineffective, often yielding false positives and failing to reliably distinguish between human and AI-generated content. They advise against the use of automated AI detection tools, something that educational institutions will inevitably ignore.
3. Oh great, another skills passport
Published: 25th September
This not only is the wrong metaphor, but it diverts money and attention from fixing some of the real issues in the system.
4. Good news on Covid treatments
Published: 16th September
Well this is promising. Researchers have identified a critical weakness in COVID-19 in its reliance on specific human proteins for replication. The virus has an âN proteinâ which needs human cells to properly package its genome and propagate. Apparently, blocking this interaction could prevent the virus from infecting human cells.
5. The punishment for being authentic is becoming someone else's content
Published: 9th September
What I think is interesting is how online and offline used to be seen as completely separate. Then we realised the impact that offline life had on online life, and now weâre seeing the reverse: Instagram, TikTok, etc. having a huge impact on the spaces in which we exist offline.
6. Using AI to aid with banning books is another level of dystopia
Published: 17th August
However, what Iâm concerned about is AI decision-making. In this case, a crazy law is being implemented by people who havenât read the books in questions who outsource the decision to a language model that doesnât really understand whatâs being asked of it.
7. A philosophy of travel
Published: 30th August
This article critically examines the concept of travel, questioning its oft-claimed benefits of âenlightenmentâ and âpersonal growthâ. It cites various thinkers who have critiqued travel (including one of my favourites, Fernando Pessoa) suggesting that it can actually distance us from genuine human connection and meaningful experiences.
8. We need to talk about AI porn
Published: 25th August
As this article details, a lot of porn has already been generated. Again, prudishness aside relating to peopleâs kinks, there are all kind of philosophical, political, legal, and issues at play here. Child pornography is abhorrent; how is our legal system going to deal with AI generated versions? What about the inevitable âshamingâ of people via AI generated sex acts?
9. Update your profile photo at least every three years
Published: 11th January
I think this is good advice. I try to update mine regularly, although I did realise that last year I chose a photo that was five years old! I prefer ânaturalâ photos that are taken in family situations which I then edit, rather than headshots these days.
10. Britain is screwed
Published: 8th February
I followed a link from this article to some OECD data which, as shown in the chart below, the UK has even lower welfare payments that the US. The economy of our country is absolutely broken, mainly due to Brexit, but also due to the chasm between everyday people and the elites.
Have a happy new year when it arrives!
PS I've given up on Substack and, because I'm tired of moving platforms, I think I'll just send out emails via this site for now. More news on that soon.