The world is so different than it was just 25, 50 years ago

[Calm]

22 minutes ago, rodheadlee said:

I read a lot of spy novels and some of the authors actually go to each place these novels take place in and the restaurants are real places and so forth. Anyways, I love the map function on my phone and I turn on the satellite and follow along to all the hotels and all the restaurants and all the tourist spots. I have visited Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Monaco, Germany,  Russia and numerous other places with this method. I'm learning about Ghana right now.

That is a great idea.

[Stargazer]

On 6/30/2025 at 8:45 PM, Calm said:

I hate having to think about punctuation as it ruins my train of thought.  It’s automatic when writing.  There is also something odd about hearing myself talk…not like I don’t talk to myself all the time.  I assume that odd feeling disappears quite quickly though.

Still dictation is tons better than it used to be.

I've used Microsoft Word's dictation mode to transcribe talks in our stake conferences. It works pretty well, but of course doesn't paragraph at all, and it's punctuating isn't very good, either, but still it makes the impossible possible.  When Microsoft had a phone operating system (Windows Phone) it had a great transcriber. I would receive texts while driving my car, and Cortana would say, "You've received a text from X. Would you like to listen to it?" I would say "Yes" and Cortana would then read the text to me. After finishing, Cortana would ask if I wanted to hear it again, respond, or was I finished? I could say "Respond," and then Cortana would listen to me speak. When I paused for a long enough time, she would ask if I was done, wanted to hear the transcription, or add to it. Anyway, I could do all that while driving and then ask Cortana to send it. It was great!

I miss Cortana.

I asked Alexa if she knew Cortana, and she said "Only by reputation." Sigh.

 

[blackstrap]

12 hours ago, Stargazer said:

it's punctuating isn't very good,

Maybe this would help. 😊

Youtube , see Victor Borga punctuation.

[sunstoned]

The internet has changed everything. Its impact is comparable to the invention of the wheel. IMHO, it is really that significant. Most of us live connected to the grid, which means we have direct and immediate access to the vast recorded knowledge of humanity.  It is a beautiful time to be alive.  I hope AI doesn't screw it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stargazer]

17 hours ago, sunstoned said:

The internet has changed everything. Its impact is comparable to the invention of the wheel. IMHO, it is really that significant. Most of us live connected to the grid, which means we have direct and immediate access to the vast recorded knowledge of humanity.  It is a beautiful time to be alive.  I hope AI doesn't screw it up.

AI isn't the only threat. There is also nuclear war (Electromagnetic pulses) and the sun (See Carrington Event on Wikipedia). Here's the summary of the article:

The Carrington Event was the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, peaking on 1–2 September 1859 during solar cycle 10. It created strong auroral displays that were reported globally and caused sparking and even fires in telegraph stations. The geomagnetic storm was most likely the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun colliding with Earth's magnetosphere.

The geomagnetic storm was associated with a very bright solar flare on 1 September 1859. It was observed and recorded independently by British astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson—the first records of a solar flare. A geomagnetic storm of this magnitude occurring today has the potential to cause widespread electrical disruptions, blackouts, and damage to the electrical power grid.

If this were to happen today, such an event might take out all our communications satellites, and we'd have to say goodbye to the Internet.

[longview]

18 hours ago, sunstoned said:

The internet has changed everything. Its impact is comparable to the invention of the wheel. IMHO, it is really that significant. Most of us live connected to the grid, which means we have direct and immediate access to the vast recorded knowledge of humanity.  It is a beautiful time to be alive.  I hope AI doesn't screw it up.

Mankind is steadily evolving towards the singularity of the HIVE mind. Read the books of Orson Scott Card (the difference is we are humanoids, NOT insects). Will AI want to co-exist with us or try to destroy us?

[Tacenda]

Everything feels off to me and I'm very worried. But it's probably the attention I'm giving to YouTube's and Instagram posts. Wake me when it's all over!

 

[Tony uk]

AI, like all forms of technology. If it is served for greater good of people, then I think that is fine, as long as overseen by human intelligence. However if left to its own devices, and allowed to take control over people, especially with regards to military weapons, then that could create an entirely different issue altogether.

[Calm]

51 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Everything feels off to me and I'm very worried. But it's probably the attention I'm giving to YouTube's and Instagram posts. Wake me when it's all over!

 

I get disoriented if I spend too much time on FB even though I mostly watch/read medical and science stuff.  I think it may be the jumping from one subject to another without really processing the information.  At the end of the session, it’s like having a bag of jumbled up puzzle pieces from different puzzles I need to separate out to use.

It also happens though in a different way if I binge watch some series, usually a mystery or fantasy.  I think my mind is stuck back in the make believe world and my daily routine therefore doesn’t feel quite normal, lol.  My sister and I have both noticed we tend to pick up mannerisms of the actors for a bit after watching a show we were very interested in, speaking rhythms and maybe gestures or at least it feels that way from the inside, maybe not to others watching/hearing us.  I know for me I can lose track of my surroundings and just be thoroughly absorbed into even a less than great drama as long as there are some interesting characters or beautiful settings.  I assume something similar happens to her.

Edited July 12, 2025 by Calm

[Tony uk]

I have started to watch more things on the internet than the television. Documentaries, and also news from different parts of the world.