Link to Friday's Philosophy Club for paid subscribers

Plus, an amusing story of a broken smoke detector

The topic of tomorrow’s (Friday November 24) Philosophy Club for paid subscribers is dealing with friends and family whose opinions are very different from ours. We’ll share stories, Thanksgiving experiences, perhaps, and learn from each other, inspiring each other’s intellects and hearts.

As usual, if you want to participate in the Philosophy Club calls but can’t afford a paid subscription, or if you have supported me in the past, please send me an email, and I’ll comp you. The link to the zoom is behind the paywall. If you are a paid or comped subscriber, you’ll see it. If you don’t see it and you think you should, please send me a note!

The story of a broken smoke detector

Here’s what to me is a low-tech preview of the great reset. A couple of weeks ago, a smoke detector in my building (right outside my door) started beeping, asking to have its battery replaced. You know how they beep, right? They emit a high-pitched, loud sound every 30-40 seconds, and they keeps doing that 24/7.

Days went by. Then more days. One would think that the human landlord would rush to get the battery replaced. Yes? No. Instead, a second smoke detector started going off. Then a third one joined the choir. Currently, each of the three smoke detectors are emitting a loud beep every 30-40 secs. That’s all they do. Today, in the hallway, my nose detected smoke (not the dangerous kind but at the intensity that usually sets alarms off). My nose detected it, the smoke detector did not. And that is what the great reset will be like, if it comes to be.

Speaking of the great reset, OpenAI: laughing though tears

Hooray, the scientific community is concerned about the speed at which they are developing the almighty AI! The entire drama at Microsoft-babysat OpenAI is proof of their concern! The extremely conscientious developers of AI are worried that their brain child will surpass the state of being a superfast calculator and begin to “comprehend”!

This particular peasant can’t help but laugh extremely loudly at this fantastical news spin. I am laughing at it because it suggests at least two fictional “facts.” One, that AI is capable of being anything but a fast calculator (it is not, and it will never be), and two, that the Microsoft-babysat scientific community cares about the mankind.

They, the they, and whoever believes them, are trying to sell us a bridge the idea of a shiny future run by smart machines. In reality, if it comes to be, it will be more like a screechy, glitchy, irrational Soviet experience, minus the warmth of the peasant Soviet soul.

Sure, they can make things painful by inserting the merciless Digital Cerberus between us and the world. Sure, they can try to robo-enforce the most nonsensical rules, and make things even worse. But it will still be not a shiny anything—but a screechy, glitchy, irrational Soviet machine.

(This is one of the weirdest Soviet sci-fi movies that have ever been made. It is truly bizarre. Please watch it only if you are in the mood for very strange Soviet sci-fi. The link to the call is below the film.)