I have 99 problems

This is cultural appropriation

It does depend what we’re talking about. The geology of Himalaya or computer technology? One of these things didn’t change much in the last forty years.

By the time it came to writing my thesis at age 37 I had already dedicated twenty years learning the vagueries of MS Word and ten debugging compilation errors of MATLAB. There was no way I was going to take on another language at that point.

This was short sighted because all it meant is that I didn’t have any control over compilation errors because Word does it for you, badly.

I feel blessed that I like my current job. Good manager, interesting work, limited amounts of bureaucracy. Most of this is a lucky coincidence but there are some things we can do. I had to explain many times to people which tasks I’m good at and which ones they should ask other people to do. I regularly defend this position. I set aside the morning for creative work only, no meetings, no admin, just thinking and solving. In the afternoon I down tools and do something physical, outside in daylight. A regular sleep cycle is absolutely critical for the maintenance of health and mood. Fresh food and companionship. Regular meditation. Do the basics well. These are the things that have made me happy.

Beautiful. We are just one of many instruments that express the music.

Thank you and funny you should say that because Watts is an inspiration. From a scientific point of view some of his ideas were a little tenuous but as a teacher on the subject of the ineffable he was quite peerless.

I imagine a physicist would invoke entropy to describe the diffusion of pressure waves and vibration into other forms of energy. Neuroscience might explain the propagation of signals from the cochlea into the brain. A psychologist could hypothesise on the influence of music on our mood and ideas. A philosopher might talk about the influence of music on the way we build our society and how that feeds back into our music. In this way, the music never stops, it continues on as echos rippling through through the universe.

Loving the clouds painted on the ceiling. Did a five year old design this house?

It’s sad and touching. Feels like this is a good person in a bad place. An ideal candidate for rehabilitation. Some people just need a little compassion and a helping hand.

We don’t know who we’ll be attracted to until we meet them. This question is impossible to answer accurately, especially by an incel.

Based and redpilled scientists

From the outside it’s not obvious how many variables influence scientific research that have absolutely nothing to do with science or the pursuit of knowledge and truth.

Being scientifically literate is insufficient. We must also be highly sceptical and apply critical thinking to the work of other scientists, particularly when large sums of money are involved and the inevitable conflicts of interest that entails.

People with money are able to fund research but they will never be scientists because they are only interested in what is true to the extent it will make money.

The EU is generally a positive influence in the tech sector but I can’t understand supporting mass surveillance. Isn’t this the exact opposite of what they were trying to achieve with GDPR? Are they only opposed to spying when someone else is doing it?

There is a huge overlap between the two conditions. Probably far more behaviours in common than exclusive. We think of them as separate as a matter of convenience e.g. to administer healthcare, etc, but there is no precise scientifically reliable definition for either. It’s like saying someone is white or black, superficially the difference is obvious but when we look closely we cannot define what we mean by those words with universally repeatable measurements.

LED technology has progressed massively and is now at the state where you can carry a device with the lighting power of a car headlamp but it only consumes 10W, weighs 200g and fits in the palm of your hand. I can ride my bike through the woods at night, as if it were daytime. All we need now is some technology that makes the woods less creepy after sundown and we’ll be all set.

Another big one for me is Wikipedia and the information sphere in general. I forgot what it’s like to have to physically go to a library to look something up or learn a new skill, amazing power at our fingertips. Showing my age a bit here.

What else? Computer aided engineering tools, cordless power tools, phones and computers in general, lithium ion batteries, my automated coffee maker kills it, drug technology, I like it all.

How come we dedicate so many resources to rescuing one thrill seeker in the mountains but virtually no resources to people having other types of medical emergencies? Not saying we shouldn’t do that, all life is precious, but some is more precious than others it seems.

Windows has become the Facebook of operating systems. Now watch this drive.

We spend more in healthcare in our last year of life than we do in our the rest of our lives combined.

Why are we spending a fortune proping up these old wrecks when their quality of life is already shit?

It’s the topic nobody wants to talk about. We want to live in the fantasy land where we can keep going forever.

In the UK if you need an anti depressant, they will be prescribed after a ten minute conversation. On the other hand if you want to treat the underlying condition that is causing the depression you have a very steep hill to climb. For example, it is estimated that around 30% of male prisoners have ADHD. Lately I have stopped thinking of the UK as an ethical society.