More than Moore's
April 20, 2007 11:43 AM Subscribe
Shift happens. Thought-provoking, powerpoint-ish, reference-free, Friday Fun.
I received this in an email a few weeks back, and I'll replicate my response here:
Your favourite powerpoint sucks.
No, seriously... 'The World is Flat' is much better than this.
posted by chuckdarwin at 11:53 AM on April 20, 2007
Your favourite powerpoint sucks.
No, seriously... 'The World is Flat' is much better than this.
posted by chuckdarwin at 11:53 AM on April 20, 2007
Interesting, but I'd prefer it as a text document with references.
posted by Manjusri at 11:54 AM on April 20, 2007
posted by Manjusri at 11:54 AM on April 20, 2007
Turgid music! That, my friend, is from the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans - one of my favorite soundtracks ever. I watched the link all the way through just for the pleasure of hearing it at work. Meh on the link though.
posted by widdershins at 12:01 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by widdershins at 12:01 PM on April 20, 2007
Yeah...but did you guys check out the hungry two-headed snake devouring a rat video? Cool!
Almost made the other thing worth sitting through.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:04 PM on April 20, 2007
Almost made the other thing worth sitting through.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:04 PM on April 20, 2007
some of the "facts" were more like "fictions" or "myths"
posted by Megafly at 12:06 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by Megafly at 12:06 PM on April 20, 2007
"predictions are that e-paper will be cheaper than real paper"
...and so on. No context. The FOX News of futurism. Guh. It's like Harper's Index minus the footnotes and smarts. Go read Gleick's Faster instead.
Your mother will be emailing this to you and everyone else in her address book.
posted by cortex at 12:06 PM on April 20, 2007
...and so on. No context. The FOX News of futurism. Guh. It's like Harper's Index minus the footnotes and smarts. Go read Gleick's Faster instead.
Your mother will be emailing this to you and everyone else in her address book.
posted by cortex at 12:06 PM on April 20, 2007
turgid music!
Wow, I've learned something new. Until today I had only seen the word "turgid" used in reference to romance-novel penises. I knew that it meant "swollen," but I never bothered to look up its other definitions until now. What a great word!
posted by amyms at 12:09 PM on April 20, 2007
Wow, I've learned something new. Until today I had only seen the word "turgid" used in reference to romance-novel penises. I knew that it meant "swollen," but I never bothered to look up its other definitions until now. What a great word!
posted by amyms at 12:09 PM on April 20, 2007
Oh man, I'm using "turgid" wrong! That one kind of applies too, but wasn't what I meant. What's a word (hopefully that sounds a little like "turgid") that means "like marching music, only slower and more boring"? Tedious?
posted by DU at 12:13 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by DU at 12:13 PM on April 20, 2007
Oddly depressing.
posted by IronLizard at 12:13 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by IronLizard at 12:13 PM on April 20, 2007
"like marching music, only slower and more boring"?
The word you're looking for is "dirge." But this music really is more turgid than dirge-like.
posted by Faze at 12:17 PM on April 20, 2007
The word you're looking for is "dirge." But this music really is more turgid than dirge-like.
posted by Faze at 12:17 PM on April 20, 2007
I got a few minutes in and quit it. I decided to wait for my mother to send me the link in a few weeks' time.
posted by humblepigeon at 12:19 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by humblepigeon at 12:19 PM on April 20, 2007
But this music really is more turgid than dirge-like.
Like it was once a slender Irish reel that one day discovered cake and just couldn't stop eating.
posted by cortex at 12:21 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
Like it was once a slender Irish reel that one day discovered cake and just couldn't stop eating.
posted by cortex at 12:21 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
It's a factoid version of We Didn't Start The Fire. Bleagh.
posted by peeedro at 12:30 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by peeedro at 12:30 PM on April 20, 2007
I doubt that in 2049 a $1000 computer exceeding the information-processing power of the human race could posit word "durgid".
posted by DenOfSizer at 12:39 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by DenOfSizer at 12:39 PM on April 20, 2007
Okay, so this is all kinds of dumb - "they have more honors kids than we have kids," did you include the 40% of the population of India that can't read in that cocktail-napkin calculation, o wise one? - but there's simply no call for blasphemy such as this:
No, seriously... 'The World is Flat' is much better than this.
The World Is Flat is not much better than anything. It is not much better than reading tax forms, and it is not much more insightful than my two-year-old's monologues on the Cookie Monster. You've forced me to drag out yet again my stock anti-stache links:
The Incomparable Matt Taibbi Takedown
The Column That Birthed The Book (which contains the single most inaccurate thing I've ever read about India: "a country with few natural resources and a terrible climate")
By all means, hate the linked slideshow, but don't let it so corrode your soul as to make Thomas L. Friedman seem worthwhile. Think of the children etc.
posted by gompa at 12:46 PM on April 20, 2007 [2 favorites]
No, seriously... 'The World is Flat' is much better than this.
The World Is Flat is not much better than anything. It is not much better than reading tax forms, and it is not much more insightful than my two-year-old's monologues on the Cookie Monster. You've forced me to drag out yet again my stock anti-stache links:
The Incomparable Matt Taibbi Takedown
The Column That Birthed The Book (which contains the single most inaccurate thing I've ever read about India: "a country with few natural resources and a terrible climate")
By all means, hate the linked slideshow, but don't let it so corrode your soul as to make Thomas L. Friedman seem worthwhile. Think of the children etc.
posted by gompa at 12:46 PM on April 20, 2007 [2 favorites]
Did you know?
Fading text in and out doesn't make the content more meaningful.
Did you know?
posted by katillathehun at 12:51 PM on April 20, 2007 [3 favorites]
Fading text in and out doesn't make the content more meaningful.
Did you know?
posted by katillathehun at 12:51 PM on April 20, 2007 [3 favorites]
Here's some backstory. It apparently started as a powerpoint for a school faculty meeting.
posted by carter at 1:01 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by carter at 1:01 PM on April 20, 2007
In 2049 a $1000 computer will exceed the information-processing power of the human race
We'll still have the monopoly on starting thinly-veiled racial wars on the pretext of preserving freedom and baking apple crumb pies, right? Because we're really good at those things right now.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 1:02 PM on April 20, 2007
We'll still have the monopoly on starting thinly-veiled racial wars on the pretext of preserving freedom and baking apple crumb pies, right? Because we're really good at those things right now.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 1:02 PM on April 20, 2007
Maybe you meant 'turbid'?
This video was very reminiscent of that old ad for Crystal Pepsi, I thought. The Van Halen one.
posted by Flashman at 1:05 PM on April 20, 2007
This video was very reminiscent of that old ad for Crystal Pepsi, I thought. The Van Halen one.
posted by Flashman at 1:05 PM on April 20, 2007
Okay, so let's say I read all of the presentation, believed every word, and was moved to tears by the soundtrack. Now what do I do with this information? Adopt one of those really smart Indian kids so he can help me figure out that $1000 computer I'm going to buy in 2013 that's smarter than I am?
I think I'm going to get more out of the cheap e-paper version that is apparently coming soon.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 1:12 PM on April 20, 2007
I think I'm going to get more out of the cheap e-paper version that is apparently coming soon.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 1:12 PM on April 20, 2007
Well it is kind of an ad, but its primary audience isn't Metafilter, but rather school administrators and school district administrators who can make technology very hard to use in schools, and technology access almost non-existent.
posted by carter at 1:16 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by carter at 1:16 PM on April 20, 2007
By 2015 there will be more than 15,000 definitions of the word "Turgid."
(Put music behind it and it'll sound important - try it!)
posted by QuietDesperation at 1:29 PM on April 20, 2007 [3 favorites]
(Put music behind it and it'll sound important - try it!)
posted by QuietDesperation at 1:29 PM on April 20, 2007 [3 favorites]
By 2020 the technology to read these Metafilter archives will exist only in museums.
Only five people in the world will know how to use it.
By mutual pact, they wil take this knowledge to the grave.
posted by CynicalKnight at 1:34 PM on April 20, 2007 [4 favorites]
Only five people in the world will know how to use it.
By mutual pact, they wil take this knowledge to the grave.
posted by CynicalKnight at 1:34 PM on April 20, 2007 [4 favorites]
Did you know...
that the penis all ejaculated up in her brain
and her brain is no good?
The internet is full of wisdoms.
posted by yeloson at 1:36 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
that the penis all ejaculated up in her brain
and her brain is no good?
The internet is full of wisdoms.
posted by yeloson at 1:36 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
Thank god I am not the only one that watched that and thought about what a retard Thomas Friedman is.
omg technology is rapidly changing the world and the us won't monopolize all the power and money! whatever will we do!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:36 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
omg technology is rapidly changing the world and the us won't monopolize all the power and money! whatever will we do!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:36 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]
The Incomparable Matt Taibbi Takedown
Wow, I hadn't seen that before. I think it constitutes a headshot to the entire body of Friedman's writing.
(Oh, see what I did there? That was a Friedmanism...think about it.)
posted by voltairemodern at 1:45 PM on April 20, 2007
Wow, I hadn't seen that before. I think it constitutes a headshot to the entire body of Friedman's writing.
(Oh, see what I did there? That was a Friedmanism...think about it.)
posted by voltairemodern at 1:45 PM on April 20, 2007
I am so gullible.
But thanks to MeFi, I can once again feel the shame of being such a geek that I met my S.O. online -- Everybody (1:8) isn't doing it.
posted by idiotfactory at 1:46 PM on April 20, 2007
But thanks to MeFi, I can once again feel the shame of being such a geek that I met my S.O. online -- Everybody (1:8) isn't doing it.
posted by idiotfactory at 1:46 PM on April 20, 2007
Pretty much lost me on the "China--Country of the Future!" part. Our ability to predict the 'country of the future' has been, and will probably remain, very poor. Remember when it was Germany (1930s)? Then it was the Soviet Union (1950s). Then Japan (1980s). Now China. Next up...Uzbekistan!
posted by MarshallPoe at 1:50 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by MarshallPoe at 1:50 PM on April 20, 2007
The birth statistics were depressing. Like we don't already have way more people than we can handle.
Soylent Green sounds better and better. Hope they make it in BBQ flavor.
posted by maxwelton at 2:04 PM on April 20, 2007
Soylent Green sounds better and better. Hope they make it in BBQ flavor.
posted by maxwelton at 2:04 PM on April 20, 2007
(Voice of Lisa Simpson): What does that even mean??
posted by Bokononist at 3:08 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by Bokononist at 3:08 PM on April 20, 2007
Shift Happens -- Secure Your Space. Earthquake readiness from the Southern California Earthquake Center.
Perhaps more interesting: A map of the last week's earthquakes in California and Nevada
posted by beerbajay at 3:13 PM on April 20, 2007
Perhaps more interesting: A map of the last week's earthquakes in California and Nevada
posted by beerbajay at 3:13 PM on April 20, 2007
You know what? The 25% of the population with the lowest IQs...
is greater than the total population of North America.
In other words there are more really stupid Chinese people than there are people in North America. Sure, very soon more people in China will speak English than in the US but China has a huge stupid person problem. What the hell are they going to do about that?
posted by birdherder at 3:44 PM on April 20, 2007
is greater than the total population of North America.
In other words there are more really stupid Chinese people than there are people in North America. Sure, very soon more people in China will speak English than in the US but China has a huge stupid person problem. What the hell are they going to do about that?
posted by birdherder at 3:44 PM on April 20, 2007
The computer predictions are what we technically call "full of shit".
The point is that access to sheer processing power is NOT going to make a computer "have more intelligence than the human brain" let alone the human race.
I have access to teraflops of computational power at this very instant but this doesn't help my intelligence quotient any. The machines allow people perform certain classes of computation very well, but I basically have no idea how to organize it into any sort of "intelligence" at all -- in fact, all the ideas I have or have heard as to how to simulate intelligence don't use particularly large amounts of processing except for very special purpose things like playing chess.
It's going to be a long time before we have artificial intelligence. I don't think it's quite as bad as Craig Silverstein says, I think there will be breakthroughs that will shorten the process considerably.
It is however a sobering thought that a very bright man, Douglas Lenat, started working on just an ontology, a computerized "what is there", and he's still only got partial results 30 years later.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 4:15 PM on April 20, 2007
The point is that access to sheer processing power is NOT going to make a computer "have more intelligence than the human brain" let alone the human race.
I have access to teraflops of computational power at this very instant but this doesn't help my intelligence quotient any. The machines allow people perform certain classes of computation very well, but I basically have no idea how to organize it into any sort of "intelligence" at all -- in fact, all the ideas I have or have heard as to how to simulate intelligence don't use particularly large amounts of processing except for very special purpose things like playing chess.
It's going to be a long time before we have artificial intelligence. I don't think it's quite as bad as Craig Silverstein says, I think there will be breakthroughs that will shorten the process considerably.
It is however a sobering thought that a very bright man, Douglas Lenat, started working on just an ontology, a computerized "what is there", and he's still only got partial results 30 years later.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 4:15 PM on April 20, 2007
Unsubstantiated hogwash.
posted by oxford blue at 8:24 PM on April 20, 2007
posted by oxford blue at 8:24 PM on April 20, 2007
Did you know?
I LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SAMMICHES!!!
posted by ZachsMind at 8:35 PM on April 20, 2007
I LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SAMMICHES!!!
posted by ZachsMind at 8:35 PM on April 20, 2007
Torpid?
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:16 AM on April 21, 2007
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:16 AM on April 21, 2007
Like a short torpedo.
posted by oxford blue at 1:45 AM on April 21, 2007
posted by oxford blue at 1:45 AM on April 21, 2007
gompa wrote: By all means, hate the linked slideshow, but don't let it so corrode your soul as to make Thomas L. Friedman seem worthwhile. Think of the children etc.
You know how other people upthread said that they'd wait for their mom to send it to them? My mom actually sent me this ppt, and I recommended that Friedman book to her. She hasn't emailed me since. Do you think that reading Friedman has sapped her will to live?
*wink*
Thanks for the reply - fucking hilarious.
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:14 AM on April 21, 2007
You know how other people upthread said that they'd wait for their mom to send it to them? My mom actually sent me this ppt, and I recommended that Friedman book to her. She hasn't emailed me since. Do you think that reading Friedman has sapped her will to live?
*wink*
Thanks for the reply - fucking hilarious.
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:14 AM on April 21, 2007
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posted by DU at 11:52 AM on April 20, 2007