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best of 2015

How Smart is Artificial Intelligence?

Cyberspace isn’t much like space at all. It’s crammed full of bytes of information, churning and frothing with intelligence agents who gnash and dissect the data in search of new knowledge, or at least something else to sell us. This is big data and at least one embodiment of artificial intelligence. Recently, I heard an elegant explanation¹ of machine learning,… Read More »How Smart is Artificial Intelligence?

Is it really in your DNA?

Corporations might be legal persons but they don’t have DNA. This expression ‘in our DNA’ is a thorn in the eye of my scientist’s sensibilities when it’s used to describe organizations. I know, it’s just an expression that means something fundamental to behaviour, beliefs or actions. Fair enough as a metaphor. But, I don’t like it. Because of my propensity… Read More »Is it really in your DNA?

A Romp* through Science Fiction, Theory and Fact.

Wonderful stories about a new theory on menopause appeared in the media yesterday. I first saw it here. Menopause, as a topic, is about as socially awkward as puberty with saggier skin, but at least the drinking is legal. When faced with this topic, I do what writers do when they wouldn’t be caught dead admitting something directly effects them, I… Read More »A Romp* through Science Fiction, Theory and Fact.