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5 votes
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UK and Norway have failed to reach a fishing deal for this year, with the industry warning that hundreds of crew members will be left out of work
8 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
14 votes -
Recommendation: Person of Interest (2011-2016)
I want to talk about Person of Interest. A CBS series created by Jonathan Nolan, more famously known for his work on Westworld (and brother of "that" Christopher Nolan, talent runs in the family)....
I want to talk about Person of Interest. A CBS series created by Jonathan Nolan, more famously known for his work on Westworld (and brother of "that" Christopher Nolan, talent runs in the family). This is a spoiler-free post.
Premise: An ex-military badass is hired by a rich ex-usgov genius who built an AI that is plugged into the NSA's spying supernetwork, and can predict crime based on all the datapoints.
Strong similarities with: Westworld, Mr. Robot.
Person of Interest is a series that really took me by surprise. I didn't really care for Season 1, which I left running in the background after it was apparent to me that this was a very run-of-the-mill CBS police procedural. I gave it a chance based on a friend's recommendation, and because IT/sec references were accurate and didn't make me cringe. It also had an interesting premise which was written pre-snowden and raised some interesting philosophical questions on privacy and crime prevention.
Then towards the Season 1 finale, the music got pretty good, the scenes were very action-packed and the series started feeling like it was getting very entertaining. So I kept watching.
Without spoiling: throughout Season 2, the series actually completely shifts genre almost unnoticeably, from "generic police procedural" to "long-arc Westworld-style tech scifi".
I was stunned by how smooth the genre transition was. Of all the series I watched, it's something truly unique to that one, which is one of the reasons I rate it as one of the best TV series in my catalogue. It's also, from what I heard, Nolan's strategy from the get-go in order to get a very unique show greenlit on a "safe" network like CBS.
By the end of the series, Person of Interest had inspired me. Made me extremely interested in AI and data. It affected my work and the way I think about the world. POI really toes the scifi line by taking concepts which are possible, but not there yet and explores the possibilities (again, Westworld); unlike most other Sci-Fi shows which take abstract ideas of what we may want to see in the future, regardless of how possible/reasonable they are.
POI does require some suspension of disbelief. You have to accept the trope of a "supergenius" who can build an AI like this all on his own, for example. I think that's fine, and I found that the show was very rigorous at taking only practical shortcuts with very little fridge logic.
I keep mentioning Westworld and that's no accident. POI predates WW and it feels that WW was a continuation of Nolan's ideas about the implications of AI, in a much higher budget setting. (And as an aside, if you haven't watched Westworld, you should)
Tag spoilers in comments :)
21 votes -
Turns out, Spock is kinda bad at logic
14 votes -
Why your next rental car might cost more than a plane ticket
8 votes -
Still Woozy - Kenny (2021)
4 votes -
The power of video game HUDs
8 votes -
Raj Kapoor - Mera Joota Hai Japani (1955)
6 votes -
Disclosure of a vulnerability in AI Dungeon that enabled accessing all users' private adventures, scenarios, and posts via its GraphQL API
16 votes -
Boris Brejcha at Grand Palais in Paris, France (2019)
7 votes -
Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
7 votes -
Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has died at age 90
19 votes -
The record label bringing Iranian music to the world
5 votes -
What creative projects have you been working on?
This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...
This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.
Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.
If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.
6 votes -
An update on the UMN affair
10 votes -
James Carville on the state of Democratic politics
12 votes -
AeroPress accessories and upgrades (Episode #4)
4 votes -
The grim secret of Nordic happiness – it's not hygge, the welfare state, or drinking. It's reasonable expectations.
19 votes -
What are some examples of times when sanctions "worked"?
The US, EU and assorted allies have gradually gotten into the habit, in recent decades, of using targeted sanctions (a lot) against both individuals and govts when the targets do something the...
The US, EU and assorted allies have gradually gotten into the habit, in recent decades, of using targeted sanctions (a lot) against both individuals and govts when the targets do something the West does not approve of.
Do they work? Do they help?
I think Obama-era sanctions on Iran played a part in getting Iran to at least consider the nuclear accord that Trump promptly renigged on ... but I also think Rouhani also wanted to develop a better relationship w/the US (and I'm sure he had at least grudging support from the Ayatollah), and gladly used the sanctions as the justification for speaking to the Great Satan.
Details aside, I think sanctions helped in that case. I can't think of any other examples where they were effective in helping achieve their intended effects.
OTOH, I think aggressive sanctions against North Korea have, at best, done no good at all, and have probably made the situation worse.
Any other successes come to mind?
11 votes -
Human Rights Watch: Israel commits crime of apartheid, UN must apply sanctions
5 votes -
A rising actor, fake HBO deals and one of Hollywood’s most audacious Ponzi schemes
5 votes -
NES Tetris players call it 'rolling', and they're setting new world records
19 votes -
What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
7 votes -
How blackouts, fires, and a pandemic are driving shortages of pipette tips — and hobbling science
5 votes -
Alleged $366M Bitcoin mixer busted after analysis of ten years of blockchain data
10 votes -
The history of NYC restaurant inspections: That letter grade in the window is a lot more effective than you might think
8 votes -
The clockwork universe: A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist
11 votes -
Practical SQL for data analysis
13 votes -
Juan Joya Borja, known as 'El Risitas' or the 'Spanish Laughing Guy' meme, has died
12 votes -
Digital Foundry analysis of the upcoming Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, the first major game release to require ray-tracing capable graphics hardware
7 votes -
3 Discos Down - Funktonite (2021)
3 votes -
Video game giant EA steering players into loot-box option in popular soccer game, insider says
13 votes -
Beavers chewed through a cable and knocked out internet service to hundreds in a Canadian town
6 votes -
What did you do this weekend?
As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their weekend. Did you make any plans? Take a trip? Do nothing at...
As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their weekend. Did you make any plans? Take a trip? Do nothing at all? Tell us about it!
12 votes -
Bee population steady in Dutch cities thanks to pollinator strategy
6 votes -
With a budget cut of 95%, the already-delayed 2021 Census in Brazil is being canceled entirely
8 votes -
The ugly, dangerous, and inefficient stroads found all over the US and Canada
17 votes -
The big business of manifesting money
3 votes -
What is the bullshit economy?
7 votes -
HBO Max is getting live hockey, thanks to a new NHL deal
8 votes -
BBC crime drama Hidden commissioned for third series
7 votes -
Amsterdam’s ‘doughnut economy’ puts climate ahead of GDP
16 votes -
What have you been listening to this week?
What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as...
What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)
Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.
You can make a chart if you use last.fm:
http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/
Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.
9 votes -
How “MobileAid” and machine learning-based targeting can complement existing social protection programs
4 votes -
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will be released in English on July 27, 2021 for PC, Switch, and PS4
15 votes -
Can Sohla make a meal out of Oreos? | Mystery Menu
10 votes -
How do I hire a CG artist to sculpt a 3D model from an old portrait?
The goal is to bring the subject of a painting to animated life, so I would want the model to be rigged as well as photo-realistic. I don't use Facebook products, and have been searching in all...
The goal is to bring the subject of a painting to animated life, so I would want the model to be rigged as well as photo-realistic. I don't use Facebook products, and have been searching in all the wrong places so far, so why not here, too?
15 votes -
Extremists find a financial lifeline on Twitch
7 votes -
Supply bottlenecks leave dozens of container ships anchored off California coast
7 votes