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[malloc]

Long ago, I read a travel book by someone who had, among other places, visited the Canadian Arctic. He wrote that mosquitos were a really serious problem there. Then, he wrote that people there advised him to cover himself in musk oil, which would have the effect that the mosquitos wouldn't like him any more. Finally, he wrote that that trick worked well, but the downside was that he could understand the mosquitos' position on musk oil perfectly well.

I sometimes think of that story when I hear the latest news about Elon Musk.

I see then. Judging by the satellite photos, the region seems covered in numerous small lakes and ponds where mosquitos could presumably breed in large numbers.

Speaking of Musk, I remember reading that raccoons have been known to mistake cybertrucks for garbage dumpsters and try to break into them.

[rotting bones]

It says mosquitos like warm and humid climates: https://mosquitonix.com/blogs/news/weather-mosquitoes

[rotting bones]

Oh yeah, I remember that now. Looks like I have my answer finally and it came from within.

Stealing butter also symbolizes removing your material goods to teach you unselfishness.

Gaudiya Vaishnavism has been against inherited caste since the beginning. (It's a newer sect.)

Personally, I like Krishna stories. This is one of my favorite songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBQHgoCKEc8

Google Translate says:

Shyam came disguised as a glass blower to sell bangles.

Shyam came disguised as a cheat to sell bangles.

He carried a bag on his shoulder and filled it with bangles.

He created a ruckus in the streets, Shyam came to sell bangles.

Radha heard it and told Lalita.

She called Mohan immediately, Shyam came to sell bangles.

I will not wear red bangles, I will not wear green bangles.

I like the black colour, Shyam came to sell bangles.

Radha started wearing it, Shyam started making her wear it.
Radha extended her hand, Shyam came to sell bangles.

Radhe started saying, you are a cheater, come forward.
He pressed the hand gently, Shyam came to sell bangles.

If you still don't like it, it's the fitra of the Lord. lol

Incidentally, it occurs to me that the Maya glyph for /ni/ looks like Nietzsche in profile.

Ni...yarlathotep?

Edit: The translation has issues. Eg. I would say "filled the streets with his tune" instead of "created a ruckus in the streets".

Edit 2: "Alley" is a better word than "street".

[linguistcat]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do I get this right that mosquitos are very prevalent in polar and tropic climates, but relatively somewhat less prevalent in temperate climates?

Is that so? I always assumed that mosquitos, like most insects and ectotherms more generally, avoided the arctic because it was too cold.

It's too cold during the winter, but I know from experience they come out as soon as there's a couple days above freezing. The long hours of sunlight is very good for them and large animals like moose and bears make good sources of blood.

[zompist]

Since protein folding AI has come up a few times, I think this article is of interest:

No, AlphaFold has not completely solved protein folding

[malloc]

Since protein folding AI has come up a few times, I think this article is of interest:

No, AlphaFold has not completely solved protein folding

Finally some good news on the AI front. Unfortunately, I did read somewhere that an entirely AI-generated music group has gained a million listeners on Spottify. That bodes quite poorly for the future of music.

[keenir]

Since protein folding AI has come up a few times, I think this article is of interest:

No, AlphaFold has not completely solved protein folding

Finally some good news on the AI front. Unfortunately, I did read somewhere that an entirely AI-generated music group has gained a million listeners on Spottify. That bodes quite poorly for the future of music.

not really; for one, sheer novelty probably accounts for some of their fame. for two, that AI band rakes in a whopping 6-7 USDollars a year for their songs.

[bradrn]

Since protein folding AI has come up a few times, I think this article is of interest:

No, AlphaFold has not completely solved protein folding

Finally some good news on the AI front.

It’s not ‘news’ at all to those of us who actually know anything about the area, and/or don’t get hyperfixated on every piece of bad news we see.

[bradrn]

A short, but good, article: https://tomrenner.com/posts/llm-inevitabilism/

[alice]

Unfortunately, I did read somewhere that an entirely AI-generated music group has gained a million listeners on Spottify. That bodes quite poorly for the future of music.

not really; for one, sheer novelty probably accounts for some of their fame. for two, that AI band rakes in a whopping 6-7 USDollars a year for their songs.

I remember seeing something, back in 1995, produced by a certain very large software company which would compose music in a user-specified genre with user-specified instruments and with a user-specified mood (e.g. "demented bluegrass"). I wonder why it didn't catch on.

OTOH, a "band" which needs no funding aside from the original creation effort? Record companies must be falling over themselves to sign them.

[bradrn]

Today in ‘weird AI stuff thrust upon me’; this automated poem analysis. In its complete lack of humour, it somehow manages to be funnier than the poem itself.

[Travis B.]

Today in ‘weird AI stuff thrust upon me’; this automated poem analysis. In its complete lack of humour, it somehow manages to be funnier than the poem itself.

That automated poem analysis just screams 'AI!' to me.

[malloc]

OTOH, a "band" which needs no funding aside from the original creation effort? Record companies must be falling over themselves to sign them.

Precisely my concern. Human musicians will face intense competitive pressure for that reason alone.

[Travis B.]

OTOH, a "band" which needs no funding aside from the original creation effort? Record companies must be falling over themselves to sign them.

Precisely my concern. Human musicians will face intense competitive pressure for that reason alone.

The thing, though, is people don't want AI content. The reactions I have seen to AI-generated content across the web have been substantially negative. And this kind of thing is particularly acute for something like music, where popular reactions to the content are everything. Sure, they may not have to pay the band, but that won't get them any money if they are universally panned after the novelty has worn off.

[WeepingElf]

OTOH, a "band" which needs no funding aside from the original creation effort? Record companies must be falling over themselves to sign them.

Precisely my concern. Human musicians will face intense competitive pressure for that reason alone.

The thing, though, is people don't want AI content. The reactions I have seen to AI-generated content across the web have been substantially negative. And this kind of thing is particularly acute for something like music, where popular reactions to the content are everything. Sure, they may not have to pay the band, but that won't get them any money if they are universally panned after the novelty has worn off.

Yep. Authenticity is the currency in the music business. Remember the Milli Vanilli scandal? People may to some degree get used to such manipulation, but only to some degree. An AI-generated music act can just not play live. This is already a problem with current mainstream pop acts where everything except the voice is put together on a computer, and even the voice is often manipulated by digital effects. There will be a market for AI-generated commercial jingles and such, but to sell a record, or concert tickets, you need something authentic.

[keenir]

OTOH, a "band" which needs no funding aside from the original creation effort? Record companies must be falling over themselves to sign them.

Precisely my concern. Human musicians will face intense competitive pressure for that reason alone.

how long has that AI band been around now, earning a grand total of 7 bucks per year?

pretty sure that the 7$ includes any money that would go to the record company. and in music - like so much else - thats what we used to call "chump change"...its the broken pennies you find under your sofa.

[malloc]

Incidentally, it occurs to me that the Maya glyph for /ni/ looks like Nietzsche in profile.

When you look Long Count into the abyss, the abyss looks Long Count into you.

Yes. Well a recent PhilosophyTube video has rekindled my decades old beef with that walrus-mustached reactionary.

[Travis B.]

Precisely my concern. Human musicians will face intense competitive pressure for that reason alone.

The thing, though, is people don't want AI content. The reactions I have seen to AI-generated content across the web have been substantially negative. And this kind of thing is particularly acute for something like music, where popular reactions to the content are everything. Sure, they may not have to pay the band, but that won't get them any money if they are universally panned after the novelty has worn off.

Yep. Authenticity is the currency in the music business. Remember the Milli Vanilli scandal? People may to some degree get used to such manipulation, but only to some degree. An AI-generated music act can just not play live. This is already a problem with current mainstream pop acts where everything except the voice is put together on a computer, and even the voice is often manipulated by digital effects. There will be a market for AI-generated commercial jingles and such, but to sell a record, or concert tickets, you need something authentic.

And other people too are thinking about Milli Vanilli when it comes to AI, as shown by if you google 'milli vanilli ai'.

[Raphael]

<wide-eyed conspiracy theory mode>"Milli Vanilli" was clearly a cleverly disguised early AI project!</wide-eyed conspiracy theory mode>

[Raphael]

I had a question that I wanted to ask the Random Thread. Not, I think, related to any of the recent topics here. But by the time I had gotten around to logging into the ZBB, I had forgotten what the question was. Where are trashy dystopian sci-fi brain scanners when you need them?