Death by Ignorance

Death by Ignorance Episode 17 - AI and the Universal Basic Income Recommended reading: 1) Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom 2) Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark 3) The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil 4) Artificial Intelligence by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig 5) Machine Learning by Tom Mitchell 6) The Emotion Machine by Marvin Minsky Support Death by Ignorance by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance [https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance] Find out more at https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co [https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co] This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

Hello All, This week I decided to take a break from the heavy and controversial topics we've been tackling lately. This episode a brief history of heavy metal toxicity, with a lot of interesting facts about the elements and their relationship with humans over the last 2000 years or so. Hope you enjoy listening. Support Death by Ignorance by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance [https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance] Find out more at https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co [https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co] This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

Death by Ignorance Program notes – Episode 15 – The Assassination of Truth References 1) An article from Chris Cillizza on truth in the 2016 US electionhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-campaign-republican-us-election-2016-what-it-says-about-a7022276.html [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-campaign-republican-us-election-2016-what-it-says-about-a7022276.html]2) Michael Deacon, writing in the Daily Telegraph (UK) on post-truth politicshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/09/in-a-world-of-post-truth-politics-andrea-leadsom-will-make-the-p/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/09/in-a-world-of-post-truth-politics-andrea-leadsom-will-make-the-p/]3) Gay Alcorn’s article on post-truth politics and the irrelevance of facts from 2014http://www.theage.com.au/comment/facts-are-futile-in-an-era-of-posttruth-politics-20140227-33m70.html [http://www.theage.com.au/comment/facts-are-futile-in-an-era-of-posttruth-politics-20140227-33m70.html]4) Richard Kreitner of The Nation giving some historical perspective on post-truth politicshttps://www.thenation.com/article/post-truth-and-its-consequences-what-a-25-year-old-essay-tells-us-about-the-current-moment/ [https://www.thenation.com/article/post-truth-and-its-consequences-what-a-25-year-old-essay-tells-us-about-the-current-moment/]5) Sam Harris’ short book, “Lying” was a valuable background resource and is well worth your time to read – highly recommended 6) Paul Krugman’s article “The Post-Truth Campaign” from the New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/opinion/krugman-the-post-truth-campaign.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/opinion/krugman-the-post-truth-campaign.html] and a quote from the piece (that I didn’t include but is worth reading) … "[I]f past experience is any guide, most of the news media will feel as though their reporting must be 'balanced,' which means that every time they point out that a Republican lied they have to match it with a comparable accusation against a Democrat — even if what the Democrat said was actually true or, at worst, a minor misstatement." 7) Ralph Keyes (2004). “The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life”, A highly recommended read. The pages I referred to are 127 and 128. If you would be interested in looking cooler and smarter than everyone else in the world, consider snagging yourself a Death by Ignorance tee shirt, coffee mug, or Bugatti Veyron (only 10 Bugatti’s left – don’t be left out! Order now) * Sorry guys... I was unable to attach a photograph of the tee shirt design. If you go to the Death by Ignorance webpage, you will see it there! https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co [https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co] Tee shirt - $30 Coffee mug - $10 Bugatti Veyron - $1,795,000 My oblique reference to Kant’s stability came from Bruce’s Song, written by Eric Idle of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Do yourself a favor and watch Eric performing the piece in his living room – it’s on YouTube. Also, find the footage of the song being sung by the great Christopher Hitchens. He is sorely missed. Bruce’s Song Immanuel Kant was a real pissant Who was very rarely stable Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar Who could think you under the table David Hume could out-consume Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel And Wittgenstein was a beery swine Who was just as sloshed as Schlegel There's nothing Nietzche couldn't teach ya 'Bout the raising of the wrist Socrates, himself, was permanently pissed John Stuart Mill, of his own free will On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill Plato, they say, could stick it away Half a crate of whiskey every day Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle Hobbes was fond of his dram And René Descartes was a drunken fart "I drink, therefore I am" Yes, Socrates, himself, is particularly missed A lovely little thinker But a bugger when he's pissed Support Death by Ignorance by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance [https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance] Find out more at https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co [https://death-by-ignorance.pinecast.co] This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

An analysis of the US opioid crisis, with particular attention to the rapid recent increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths.

Race to the Bottom - the sellout of National Geographic Bored to death with 130 years of scientific reportage, National Geographic takes a hard left turn into fantasy-land with the publication of six do-it-yourself guides to home remedies. I recommend the article by Dr. Victor Benson in the September edition of the Skeptical Inquirer Magazine (Vol. 43 No. 5). Our opinions are much the same, but he is less offensive than me in the delivery. I strongly recommend that you don't buy the offending books described in the article, but if you decide you just have to have them, you can have mine. I'll sell them for their actual value, 5 cents each, as long as you pay the postage. Support Death by Ignorance by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance [https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/death-by-ignorance] This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].