Bill MacKenty
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When it comes to questions concerning the nature of Reality, philosophers and theologians have the answers. Philosophers have the answers that can't be proven right. Theologians have the answers that can't be proven wrong. Whatever the natures of Reality and the human condition may be, our understanding can only be improved by thinking about them. I therefore invite you to do so.
Automation Has Made Programming Less Fun.
I still remember the flicker of excitement I felt when I wrote my first line of code at 14...
That musical thing
The flow, once entered, is a delightful space; a trance-like transcendence...
AI Is a Language Microwave
An article in The Atlantic adds to our important conversation about chatGPT and education. My (non-chatGPT generated) reaction below...
ASW school use of AI
My school (American School of Warsaw) has developed an excellent guide for use of AI in education
The changing nature of conflict in an era of drones
I am an amateur historian, and have found a thoughtful analysis entitled "UKRAINE AND THE PROBLEM OF
RESTORING MANEUVER IN CONTEMPORARY WAR". I have been quite curious how drones have been used to the east...
Another substantiative treatment of AI in education
Today and in the future, a growing array of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and capabilities will be incorporated into the products that specifically serve educational settings. The U.S. Department of Education is committed to encouraging innovative advances in educational technology improve teaching and learning across the nation’s education systems and to supporting developers as they create products and services using AI for the educational market (source).
The future of NATO
An excellent opinion piece in the NYT by Farah Stockman on the future of the NATO alliance...
Some questions and answers
Czuję się bardzo szczęśliwy, że grupa polskich studentów, którzy uczą się o Ameryce, zadała mi kilka pytań. Ich pytania i moje odpowiedzi znajdują się poniżej.
I feel very fortunate to be asked some questions by a group of Polish students who are learning about America. Their questions, and my answers, are below.
How much is a place?
The Quantara Nexus lay within a very interesting intersection which isn't really an intersection...
Exciting changes in IB computer science
A new IB computer science curriculum is being released! Read more about it here....
The making…
The making, the building of a thing...
As things go….
Far and away the easiest thing to do is be lazy and not give a shit. a retreat into the nothing...
Primitive us, God-like tech. Part 3
The Rise of God-Like Technology includes tools which significantly enhance or surpass our scope...
Primitive us, God-like tech. Part 2
The primary evolutionary purpose of the reptilian brain is to ensure survival through basic mechanisms, but that part of our brain isn't everything we are only part of who we are.
Primitive us, God-like tech. Part 1
As we evolve, everything that comes before stays. There are no "clean breaks" in human growth. That is the fucking problem...
Genres of science fiction
I've been re-reading "Microworlds" by Stanislaw Lem. He has a very opinionated perspective about science fiction...
Archetypes
Helpful list of archetypes, courtesy of chatGPT
A lot of writing lately
I've been doing a ton of writing for an interesting project. I can't wait to share it with you. I've also been developing setting for a far-future science fiction...
The volume of the fringe…more science fiction
Regular technology users are easier to sequester, easier to understand. Control? Maybe not. But if you are a heavy technology user, you can be nudged...
Transcend and Include - the future will have part of the past in it….
When we think about science fiction, or our futures, we should include Ken Wilber's ideas that evolution and growth transcend and include that which came before...
What about the future, what about science fiction?
What is our future in 100 years? 1000 years?
Sabbatical update 2
More people should do this...
Sabbatical update 1
I'm currently on sabbatical and have been deeply immersed in professional development and research. I intend to post these updates about once a month, sharing interesting learnings.
The future of high school computing
Large language models like ChatGPT mandate we change the way we approach high school computing.
Project management tools
What a mess. Pricing models are all wrong. Trello seems to have the most common sense...
Sabbatical planning
A rare and welcome opportunity to deeply recharge, learn and reflect...
A mostly terrible time
On being a parent to a teenager...
Regular Update
The latest curiosities, projects, and workings. This is a semi-regular update of things I am currently working on / learning about / curious about...
on postfix…
Setting up a dedicated email server, capable of sending and receiving email on behalf of other domains is not easy for those not accustomed to such matters...
The faltering
Steady and true. Steady and true?