CONTRARY BRIN: Updates: science & robotics
As you know by now, I’ve been roped into speaking a lot about the Great Big AI crisis of 2024. I’ll touch on some aspects here. Plus some light on other areas of fast-emerging science! But first […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Yet more Space News! And reasons for us to have some confidence.
There are so many reasons why we ought to refuse and reject the propaganda-against-confidence, out there. A better-than-expected economy? Dropping crime rates? A working vaccine against malaria and looming extinction for both the Guinea worm […]
CONTRARY BRIN: News from SPAAAAACE! Oh, and Fermi Paradox & Comets & Uplift!
Some of you are crazy about space colonization now! I can dig it; it’s always been a dream for me, as well. Still, elsewhere I talk about the harm this mindset may be wreaking, upon […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Human origins – and evolution. Patterns of cooperation and competition
I’m avoiding politics once again this time, in order to dive into the endlessly fascinating topic of human origins. And hence first, for your holiday shopping…. Can you hunt and gather and woo and connive […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Space resources and advances… plus aliens & UFOs, oh my!
Okay SPAAAACE-time. To the chagrin of those trying to destroy our confidence, we keep doing fine and wonderful things! Let’s begin with my own milestone… after 12 years in the funnest gig ever, I just attended (in […]
CONTRARY BRIN: More ‘prophetic'(?) extracts from Earth…
I just finished re-editing (and hence re-reading) EARTH for the first time in 20 years. (Dang that young feller could write…) I did tidy up errors in the not-so-great file sent to me by Penguin, […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Anticipating Artificial Intelligence – the Problems the Promises
Doug Rushkoff’s Team Human podcast dives into an hour with me, discussing a vital Big Picture Question — perhaps the biggest – that’s applicable to the current ‘crisis’ over artificial Intelligence: What methods did people […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Prepper-Lords intend to leave us in the lurch… then dominate the wasteland aftermath. Worse – they want it!
In fact, far greater fractions of today’s world oligarchy are old money inheritance brats, or hedge parasites, or casino mafiosi, petro-princes and the like – elites who are all considerably more discreet and secretive than […]
CONTRARY BRIN: More space updates… And yeah, the ongoing UFO silliness
I am a co-author of this paper, “Science opportunities with solar sailing smallsats,” announcing “Project Sundiver”… offering a wide suite of potential fast interplanetary missions that could accelerate far faster than today’s rockets can manage, by swooping […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Space updates – mostly great science… and a bit of UFOs
Is this worth pondering as another worry on our plate? A year or so ago astronomers were saying “Don’t worry (much) about Betelgeuse going supernova any time soon,” despite the earlier nerves set off by […]
CONTRARY BRIN: What’s really up with UAPs / UFOs?
(The SETI Institute has issued a carefully evasive position paper on the topic, essentially saying “we’ll stay in our lane.”) Sure, a majority have already been explained by careful analyses of receding jet engine exhausts […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Ah, the Unabomber… And Why Almost Every Maven in Artificial Intelligence gets the Big Picture All Wrong
I have a major piece about Artificial Intelligence under submission to some zines. It details the many simplistic stances about AI – either pessimistic or pollyanna – now pushed by some of the smartest folks on Earth… all […]
CONTRARY BRIN: The AI saga continues
Following up on my last posting on advances – and worries – about Artificial General Intelligence…. Peter Diamandis’s latest tech blog is regarding AI and ethics. As you know, it’s a topic I’ve long been engaged […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Galactic matters & supermassive black holes!
Been taking a break from the tsunami of “AI stuff” – pokes and pods about the Chat GPT and the absurd “moratorium petition” and such… and also from the USA’s insane political meltdown. At a time when […]
AI SciFi — Physicist and AI Expert David Brin on ChatGPT and Whether AI Poses an Existential Threat
Shermer and Brin discuss: AI and AGI • are they existential threats? • the alignment problem • Large Language Models • ChatGPT, GPT-4, GPT-5, and beyond • the Future of Life Institute’s Open Letter calling […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Science Fiction roundup – and predictive milestones! And the worst timing for a movie release ever!
Let’s start with a pair of eerily almost-exact predictions. First here’s a prophetic image from my graphic novel, Tinkerers. (published circa 2008.) The slogan was: “New for 2024: The Apple/Honda iCar!” Check the rumors about an announcement next […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Isaac Asimov, Karl Marx & the Hari Seldon Paradox
Let’s try looking back at the Foundation universe… which some of you have read… considering Isaac Asimov’s sci fi classic in light of his acknowledged influences – Edward Gibbon, Adam Smith and Karl Marx… which I […]
Aficionado by David Brin – an excerpt from EXISTENCE – FREE STORY
David Brin’s bold novel EXISTENCE explores the ultimate question: Billions of planets may be ripe for life, even intelligence. So where is Everybody? Do civilizations make the same fatal mistakes, over and over? Might we […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Gaining perspective: imaging Earth – and deep space
Modeling this planet. Having cut my teeth long ago on the Whole Earth Catalogue, and later having written a novel called Earth, I’m a bit of a sucker for macro planet modeling projects. Here’s one […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Science advances for a new year – We are (or can be) amazing!
Looking back at 2022: a roundup of scientific achievements… from asteroids to AI and (possibly) fusion. Science journal calls the initial data and images from the James Webb Space Telescope the 2022 Breakthrough of the year. In light of […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Lifting our gaze to… the Moon? And beyond?
Lifting our gaze to… the Moon? And beyond? I have some way cool space news to report below. But first a familiar rant. While I disagree with this White House white paper on USA […]
CONTRARY BRIN: Science fictional scenarios – From recent news to GATTACA and much more!
Science fictional scenarios – From recent news to GATTACA and much more! A PLUS-SIZED POSTING FOR THOSE OF YOU STUCK WITH METERS OF ARCTIC SNOW OUTSIDE YOUR FRONT DOOR… I try to vary my postings […]
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