Imbolc
eob@social.coop
<p>I work in tech, working on <a href="https://social.coop/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>AI</span></a> <a href="https://social.coop/tags/alignment" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>alignment</span></a> of <a href="https://social.coop/tags/personalized" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>personalized</span></a> applications to make sure they avoid <a href="https://social.coop/tags/privacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>privacy</span></a> and <a href="https://social.coop/tags/safety" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>safety</span></a> harms</p><p>Opinions here are strictly my own — I’m not speaking for my employer</p>
Posts
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Post #3213088
My favorite #weather app is #Ventusky, both for local weather and to see global patterns And today I discovered this interesting map layer which shows what altitude is at freezing temperature Note the pattern in Europe of the zero line, where the maritime effect, including of the Gulf Stream, is very clear
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Post #3213087
A quite astounding revelation from a surprisingly modern-looking infographic from 165 years ago It shows the fraction of people enslaved in each county in the 1860 census In some counties 9 in 10 people were human chattel The Mississippi River oozed a dark stain of human suffering
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Post #3213086
It&#39;s true that AI alignment is a double-edged sword, but not doesn&#39;t mean we should be &quot;against&quot; it Rather we need to make sure, as consumers of AI, and as citizens of democracies that are regulating AI, that alignment is to the benefit of the people using it https://ibrahimcesar.cloud/blog/grok-and-the-naked-king/
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Post #3213085
Meanwhile Ireland recognizes the key to sustainable long-term economic health is ENCOURAGING immigrants, and actually competing with other aging societies for them (From an influential advisory council that includes employers, unions, and community organizations) https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2025/12/29/ireland-must-encourage-larger-families-and-higher-migration-as-birth-rates-fall-report-warns/
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Post #3213084
American exceptionalism: pay twice as much for health care and still die 5 years sooner Life expectancy vs. health expenditure before, during, and after COVID for selected countries https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy-vs-health-expenditure?zoomToSelection=true&amp;time=2019..latest&amp;country=AUS~USA~NZL~GBR~CAN~IRL
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Post #3213083
Happy Imbolc, the celebration of the day halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox It marks the beginning of Spring in Ireland The ancient Celts were a bit pedantic about their solar astronomy, and didn&#39;t take account of thermal inertia which actually delays seasons by a month
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Post #3213082
It&#39;s depressing to consider that Gramsci&#39;s analysis from his time applies to ours &quot;the old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters&quot; But he also called for optimistic acts in the face of this reality &quot;Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will&quot;
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Post #3213081
Kid nap Snooze time for the new baby goats nextdoor
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Post #3213080
How increased transparency can protect from mass surveillance https://www.wltx.com/article/news/nation-world/everett-shuts-down-flock-cameras-judge-rules-footage-public-record/281-53d8693e-77a4-42ad-86e4-3426a30d25ae
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Post #3213079
The US wants to pull the whole world down to its low level (often non-existent) protections of #privacy and #AI #safety https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-orders-diplomats-fight-data-sovereignty-initiatives-2026-02-25/