hkl @hkl@qoto.org

(video, 2012) Shinsuke Shimojo: Sensory Substitution, and the Third Kind of Qualia https://zkm.de/en/media/video/shinsuke-shimojo-sensory-substitution-and-the-third-kind-of-qualia

Debate: Why not scientism?

Science is not the only form of knowledge but it is the best, being the most successful epistemic enterprise in history.

Philosophy is dead,’ Stephen Hawking once declared, because it ‘has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics.’
The response from some philosophers was to accuse Hawking of ‘scientism'

https://aeon.co/essays/science-is-not-the-only-form-of-knowledge-but-it-is-the-best

#science #epistemology @sociology @philosophy #Philosophy #scientism #scientists #philosopher

"..Mark Carrigan argues that the dynamic of ChatGPT and generative AIs as efficiency tools opens the door to further growth and acceleration in research outputs, but also raises questions about the value of these products of academic labour." https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2023/03/14/generative-ai-and-the-unceasing-acceleration-of-academic-writing/
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #Academia #Writing

Source: https://twitter.com/LSEImpactBlog/status/1657687447197696001

There was a paper pinned on the wall in the lift at work today. I tapped my #Envision glasses to detect text on the paper. Turned out to be a concert ad, in Estonian. Since the Envision glasses do have GPT4, I told them to translate it into english, which they did. Asked the glasses for details about the venue and it described where the concert takes place, however was unable to tell me the address, since it wasn’t featured on the ad. Felt quite empowering. I know I can do most of those things via different apps on my phone, but it feels somewhat magical to just do it all by tapping and talking to your glasses.

Rare footage of the glass octopus (Vitreledonella richardi), its translucent appearance helps it hide from predators.

Video credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute
Further reading: https://www.livescience.com/rare-glass-octopus-sighting.html

Nature Human Behaviour

Sensory perception relies on fitness-maximizing codes
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01584-y

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

I took this in the winter when I used to occasionally see one. don't think there are any of these around here anymore, they've likely moved north.

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #birds #birdsofmastodon #birdwatching #NorthernFlicker

"Studying hundreds of older patients, researchers in Germany found that those who reported using two languages daily from a young age scored higher on tests of learning, memory, language and self-control than patients who spoke only one language." https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/health/bilingualism-memory-dementia.html #Science #Language

Source: https://twitter.com/NYTScience/status/1652518857427279873

The coot chicks have hatched! I love them so much, they look so different than the adults!

#bird #birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #birdwatching #wildlifephotography #wildlife #naturephotography #photography

Microglia enable cross-modal plasticity by removing inhibitory synapses (in mice) https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(23)00394-7 "Visual deprivation increases visual cortex (V2L) excitability during whisker stimulation", "Microglia phagocytose local inhibitory synapses to unmask cross-modal plasticity" #microglia #crossmodal #plasticity #neuroscience

When planned obsolescence meets #cochlear #implants https://www.sapiens.org/culture/planned-obsolescence-cochlear-implants/ Similar concerns apply to retinal implants, brain implants; #BCI #NeuroTech #Neuralink ...

When you stand out in a crowd.

I can't recognize all of the pigeons that visit the feeder in the backyard. But I can say with confidence that this morning is the first time this pigeon has visited. Most of the pigeons are blue gray. A few have some white markings that help me recognize them. But this is the only brown pigeon I've seen around here ... so far. Interesting.

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #birds #birdsofmastodon #birdwatching #pigeon #RockPigeon #dove #RockDove

Here is the first of a few Green woodpecker photos I will be sharing with you

Having spend ages following the song, I finally caught up with it high up in a tree

#nature #NaturePhotography #birds #Wildlife #naturecommunity #photography #BirdsOfMastodon #birdphotography #Woodpecker

The beautiful glasswing butterfly is known for its unique transparent wings that allow it to camouflage without coloration.

Video credit: Brandon Price / CC-BY-2.0
Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_oto

Saccadic modulation of neural excitability in auditory areas of the neocortex https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00157-4 visual "saccades modulate excitability in numerous auditory cortical areas with a temporal pattern complementary to that seen in visual areas" #multisensory #crossmodal #neuroscience

Activation of human visual area #V6 during egocentric navigation with and without visual experience https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00165-3 "V6 responds to both #visual and #auditory cues for navigation", "V6 is selective to egocentric navigation via #sound, without any visual experience"; #neuroscience #blindness

7 problems facing Bing, Bard, and the future of AI search

Microsoft and Google say a new era of AI-assisted search is coming. But as with any new era in tech, it comes with plenty of problems, from bullshit generation to culture wars and the end of ad revenue.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/9/23592647/ai-search-bing-bard-chatgpt-microsoft-google-problems-challenges

At first glance, this image may appear to be a view of stars. Rather, almost all these different colored dots are black holes or entire galaxies. When we add sound, we can hear the data. Music represents the full range of X-ray frequencies collected by @chandraxray.
#NASAExoplanets