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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

If one were an academic and chanced across an issue that will affect the future of another discipline you care about; should you:
a) write about the issue so that have some impact on how it develops?
b) step away on the basis that it could take a lot longer for others to bring it to the fore?

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

This comment?
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Rachel Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer

Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’

www.theguardian.com

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

Too much for me: cut it down to just bluesky a while back!

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

Lovely chat this: Ken comes across very well as does Jen.
"Engineering is the drama". (KF)
Quite right.
😀

Ken Follett @kenfollettauthor.bsky.social · 1d

I had the pleasure of speaking to Amy Matthews & Dr Jennifer Wexler about my latest book, #CircleOfDays, on the English Heritage Podcast. You can listen to the full episode here: playlist.megaphone.fm?e=EHE4085886...

Megaphone Embeddable Player

playlist.megaphone.fm

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

I see what you mean. Only picked up on it because more funding for museums, more education etc isn't all that compatible with disrupting equation of heritage with monetary value. I guess if everyone knows who each argument is directed at (and who it should not be), there's no compatibility problem.

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

Monetary value is how The Green Book seeks to compare value of doing this versus that. It would be hard to disrupt that equation (though the way it can be done: the Green Book reference material does allow for ways to equate other value systems to monetary value)

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 1d

Have we ruled out the possibility that someone in later times took chippings from Stonehenge to Silbury?

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 4d

Haha. Yes: could be that as well. Probably more likely.😂
Forgot to mention: that "Stonehenge as an early renewable type device" is still going (was years ago). Nobody disputes it any more (which is a bit disappointing) but there's been a loss of interest in that type of thing these days.

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 4d

I think this works well as a sort of semi-graphic to explain why pre-history could be so useful as an interesting way to show when (or if) Artificial Intelligence becomes useful (especially if it's useful in engineering I suppose).
The big thread I did wasn't all that reader friendly.

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 5d

Here's what I had in mind:
We've been discussing this on @megalithic.bsky.social site. There's at least three tests I know like this and pre-history is great for this type of test because there's been no need to look at efficiency.

Test Question

Can you (AI) provide the most efficient (least effort) method by which humans could have transported Stonehenge's Blue-stones from Preseli in Wales to Stonehenge in Wiltshire using only the technologies and materials known to be available in 2500BC?

Pattern A:
AI provides answer using suggestions or published methods from publications that specifically relate to Stonehenge
Bronze answer:
(not especially efficient because published methods relate to a time in which people may not have considered efficiency important; so little work has been done on efficiency). Fast but not clever.

Pattern B:
AI provides answer using suggestions or published methods from publications that specifically relate to Stonehenge and also referring to other fields where they might be relevant
Silver answer:
(may be better than A but may not be especially efficient). Fast but not clever.

Pattern C:
AI provides answer using suggestions, or published methods from publications that specifically relate to Stonehenge, and also referring to other fields where they might be relevant. It then reviews (published) technologies and materials known to be available, develops alternative (unpublished) answers, develops scenarios for all and then evaluates a most efficient solution
Gold answer:
(will definitely be better than A and this can be tested against known unpublished 'human' methods). “Clever” and possible sentience (but method can not be published for this to remain a test).

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 4d

My cat uses a certain type of meow to say thank you. But please is alien to her.

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 4d

Chilli and tomato season coming to an end here on the South Coast. This crop looks a bit sad

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 5d

Suffers from the same issues as most theories, but Wally is a legend for taking it to this level. 🙂

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 5d

When are you down our way? (guessing not Lewes?)

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 5d

Here's what I had in mind:
We've been discussing this on @megalithic.bsky.social site. There's at least three tests I know like this and pre-history is great for this type of test because there's been no need to look at efficiency.

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 6d

If AI could do that research properly, it wouldn't prove that it is smart would it?
(I've got a possible test for 'smartness' using an historical example, but I think it'll be years before we're able to use it as a test)

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 6d

Though Aliens is on the theory list (up to 50 as of yesterday). This week has given us one more to add.

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 6d

Haha. Yes. I got blocked on this site for a comment I made about over-zealous moderation a decade ago! Concluded it wasn't a worthwhile group and left (might explain why I get blocked here).

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 6d

And then edited?

Picture of book. History of England: new edition

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 6d

Sometimes happens. Over-zealous moderators. Being banned is a bit extreme though!

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 7d

Ken's got an account on bluesky if anyone's particularly interested (@kenfollettauthor.bsky.social)

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 7d

I presented my first ever hypothesis of sorts to Reading about 40 years ago (economics department). They said it needed a lot of work (It did). But I should have pursued it as a modified version became very popular about a decade and a half later.

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 7d

"The public already expects sentient AI to arrive imminently."
(unlike anyone who knows about it)

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 7d

Some of these claims are hilarious. But I suspect I won't find it funny if any of my pension providers have invested in them.

Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 7d

Damn. I bet they're gone by now 🤣

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Morrisjonathan @jonathanmorris.bsky.social · 8d

Yes. That sounds correct. Also because they could: sounds correct.
it's very interesting this because it's a very engaging way to test whether or not Artificial Intelligence is capable of independent reasoning. (it isn't: at least currently)