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I miss scarcity

This is not a complaint. Or, if it is a complaint, it's half-aimed at me. Mostly this is a reflection.

In the old days, I got to know music really well -- in great detail, sonically, musically, reading all the credits, the liner notes, etc. A friend would have an album I didn't, so I'd go to his house to listen. We'd talk about the music. We'd talk about how album sides hung together or didn't. We were thrilled by double albums.

Now, a torrent of information is everywhere. I listen alone, often to a single song, often not listening to anything over and over again.

You will tell me, "That's your choice." I'd half agree. It's like agreeing that "It's my choice not to live off the electrical grid." 

As I read and teach about AI, I am learning that our tools often prioritize speed and information glut. It seems, initially, like a cornucopia but it becomes a wash of "content." I must admit, I'm losing my talent for managing all this content, and I'm losing my love for it. And it's making me into a different person, somewhat, and I am not so sure I want to be that person. End of reflection.

Wizard Conjuring Cosmic Chaos Art Print featuring the drawing Let There be Content by Benjamin Schwartz

hilde45
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kevemaher's avatar
kevemaher
427 posts
 

Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:

 

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

 

These were created by Isaac Asimov, a polymath from the mid-late 20th century.

He crafted a series of novels about robots. There were numerous instances where his robots were conflicted because any action would violate the these laws.

Model for today? Or just Sci-Fi babble?

wswright20
86 posts
 

Omg, Skynet has become self-aware!!!  I vote for more music and fewer movies...

soix
11,253 posts
 

" just about every recording is at your finger tip" -- absolutely and I've benefited enormously. But something is different. Not trying to weigh it all out, just giving some air to the losing side.

I think there might be a bit of nostalgia/rose-colored glasses involved here.  I for one could never imagine going back to just listening to the CDs I own.  No way — that ship has sailed, and whatever fond memories I have of staring at album art, etc. have been greatly eclipsed by all the worlds of awesome new music I get to discover and listen to every week.  Not even close. 

ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,504 posts
 

@kevemaher 

The Three Laws. A great glimpse into the future from before the technology existed. Like all things, so greatly oversimplified as not to be useful in the real world. 

Blade Runner good to... although AI went from trying to pass Turing Test... to blowing by it in a flash. It's now far in the rear view mirror. 

 

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