June 8, 2022
some of the pictures could only be described as “disastrous”
In A Guide To Asking Robots To Design Stained Glass Windows, Scott Alexander has a desire to make some very specific images. But, as he finds out, "the artists I’ve asked to design this all balk. I need an artist who works for free and isn’t allowed to say no. Enter DALL-E-2, the new art-generating AI." [more inside]
He was told he held “too much influence” in the prison.
Samantha Melamed writes about the invention of solitary confinement in US prisons for the Phildelphia Inquirer.
Something there is that doesn't love an unstuck bowl
It all started with a tweet from artist Chi Nguyen on Monday. "Twitter, I need your help." Two bowls had become stuck together while doing the dishes, and they would not come apart! [more inside]
No time to cut trees? How about a nice fire
Prescribed Burn Associations are increasing in number across the US. Prairie has been maintained by fire for thousands of years. Over the last thirty years though, cedar has increased by 600%, and trees in general are one of the larger threats to unmaintained prairie. [more inside]
The History of Modern Linguistics
History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences or hiphilangsci to its friends, is a podcast about linguistics, from its earliest stirrings as a science. It is hosted and produced by James McElvenny, and tries to cover all major intellectual currents in linguistics, from a historical perspective. The associated blog is co-edited by Chloé Laplantine, and has evolved to feature long video interviews and a book series.
"informal and entertaining introduction to [lambda calculus]"
To Dissect a Mockingbird: A Graphical Notation for the Lambda Calculus An attempt to place the lambda calculus on an even deeper foundation. Personally, I think people have found way better visualisations for lambda calculus (https://github.com/prathyvsh/lambda-calculus-visualizations) but what I find remarkable here is not the visualisation itself but the metaconcept being used. [more inside]
“Art is the only place you can do what you like. That’s freedom.”
Neil Young & Paul McCartney -- A Day In The Life -- Live -- June 2009
Literature review masquerading as D-Day anniversary post
"Beyond the triumph of the landings and the enemy defeated, the D-Day literature has never found complacency easy to come by. The tactical performance of allied troops was inferior. The advance from the bridgeheads was disappointingly slow. Allied forces were halted on the German border over the winter of 1944-45 and did not breach the Rhine until March 1945. Meanwhile, Stalin’s Red Army surged across Eastern Europe towards Berlin. The frontline of the Cold War was defined by the sluggish advance that followed D-Day." Adam Tooze: For the anniversary of D-Day - Blitzkrieg manquée? Or, a new mode of "firepower war"?
Finding a Path in a Broken System
Thailand is a top destination for gender affirming surgery. Low costs are only the tip of the iceberg.
"Since the first operation in 1975, Thailand has gained a reputation as the global expert in this niche field: Foreigners made up 90% of GCS patients between 2010 and 2012. But what is driving this thriving industry in the country goes well beyond the comparatively low cost of care. Over a period of six months, I spoke to a group of trans women* to better understand why many would rather fly halfway across the world than receive GCS at home. Coming from the U.S., the U.K., Norway, Bulgaria, Israel, Canada, and Australia, and facing different personal and social circumstances, they were united in their conviction that their home countries had not presented them with good options and that they had to take matters into their own hands."This article goes into great depth regarding the gatekeeping, bureaucracy, and bigotry that many trans people who seek surgery often face, and how Thailand has long been a beacon of hope for many of these people. (CW for depression, suicide, graphic details of surgery)
amiyes acids
Amino acids found in asteroid samples collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 probe. More than 20 types of amino acids have been detected in samples Japan's Hayabusa2 space probe brought to Earth from an asteroid in late 2020, a government official said Monday, showing for the first time the organic compounds exist on asteroids in space. [more inside]
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