A modern day Tom and Barbara Good, attempting self sufficiency during trying times.
"Magic" Beans
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From all appearances, we're predicting a pretty small crop of beans from our mid-August planting.
That said, I have every confidence that if we walk around with them in our pocket, and see some random punk leading a cow, we can make a trade. We'll just tell him that they're "magic" beans, and he'll go for it.
Toho's Mechagodzilla While the cluster of technologies captured under the marketing term “ artificial intelligence ” has positive, legitimate uses, it is vitally important that we also consider its limitations and the - in many cases - unacceptable consequences of its proliferation into every aspect of our lives. Today, “AI” is in desperate need of regulation to contain its toxic effects on the environment - including energy use, carbon emissions and water use - the spread of misinformation, its vulnerability to censorship, and the ways in which it damages human intelligence (which are just now coming to light). This is not a Luddite tract claiming that the technology needs to be completely eliminated. It is an argument for getting beyond the hype about its supposed capabilities, and for creating reasonable rules around its use. Terminology: “Artificial Intelligence” is an umbrella term for a series of technologies that automate decision making, classification, recommendation, t...
It is harvest time. One thing the illustration above does not show is the large number of football-sized zucchini that are making their appearance. While I love a purple pole bean, I won't exactly be heartbroken when they slow down. This week's harvest newcomers are tomatoes. We've just pulled in the first few. The vines are laden with many more to come. This has necessitated some innovations on the "how will we eat all of this" front. Made a double batch of zucchini bread yesterday. Made more refrigerator pickles. Gave away more cucumbers. Vacuum-sealed more pole beans and tossed them in the freezer. It is time consuming. But this is what it is all about. All that work raising the seedlings, the planting, the weeding. Time to reap what was sown. And we are getting some delicious stuff. The weather has been wet, hot, and humid. Over the past few days we've had about three inches of rain, and more storms are on their way tonight. It doesn't really rain, so...
It isn't a very kindhearted name for what is a pretty astounding little single cell critter...who occasionally sends out a chemical signal to other slime molds and then they become a giant single cell full of nuclei or a temporary multicellular critter. I think they are fascinating and as a budding mycologist, I welcome them! They have intelligence without having a pesky brain or even nervous system. Studies have shown they can solve complex transportation problems - they know how to find the most efficient way through a maze to get to the food on the other side. They also have some way to mark the passage of time and can anticipate routine events ...and they can learn to like stuff they don't normally like . But even more cool than that? Once they are habituated to something and then become hooked up with other single cell slime molds? They share that knowledge and all of them behave the way the wise one does. We have been lucky enough to host TWO slime ...
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