Random Thoughts 7

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The discussion in the "Random Thoughts 7" thread begins with a user expressing a desire to have the first civilian post. Participants reminisce about a missing member, Evo, and share their hopes for her well-being. The conversation shifts to humorous musings about chatbots and the origins of the term "robot," followed by reflections on pop culture, including reactions to Matthew Perry's passing. There are also light-hearted anecdotes about close encounters with deer while driving and observations on the challenges of transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies. Overall, the thread captures a mix of nostalgia, humor, and personal experiences.
  • #101
fresh_42 said:
I have an expensive Pelikan set and it works perfectly.
Thanks, will give it a try. Were you Ian or Joseph ;).
 
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  • #102
In my incredibly boring quest for better coffee, I microwave ready-made coffee and milk separately. Now I'm considering putting the sugar in the milk before heating the milk
I tried putting sugar on the coffee before heating the coffee, but the combination of warmed up coffee+ sugar ended up bitter.

I won't try Stevia , it's had some, erm uncomfortable side effects.
 
  • #103
I recently read an article in the Oct. issue of Scientific American that talks about how researchers are training Large Language Models on animal sounds (birds, whales, etc.). The expectation is that they'll eventually be able to communicate with them in their own language.

I think that this is great. We'll finally know the answer to "Who's a good boy?". :oldtongue:
 
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  • #104
Singing Lessons ad:
Immanuel Kant but Chakha Khan, and so can you.
 
  • #105
Borg said:
I recently read an article in the Oct. issue of Scientific American that talks about how researchers are training Large Language Models on animal sounds (birds, whales, etc.). The expectation is that they'll eventually be able to communicate with them in their own language.

I think that this is great. We'll finally know the answer to "Who's a good boy?". :oldtongue:
Is Willy free? Put out an APB.
 
  • #106
ChatGPT maker OpenAI ousts CEO Sam Altman
https://www.reuters.com/technology/openai-ceo-sam-altman-step-down-2023-11-17/

Nov 17 (Reuters) - The board of the company behind ChatGPT on Friday fired OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - to many, the human face of generative AI - sending shock waves across the tech industry.

OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati will serve as interim CEO, the company said, adding that it will conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO.

"Altman's departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities," OpenAI said in the blog without elaborating.

So how candid has OpenAI been to the public?

Greg Brockman, OpenAI president and co-founder, who stepped down from the board as chairman as part of the management shuffle, quit the company, he announced on messaging platform X late on Friday. "Based on today's news, i quit," he wrote.

The departures blindsided many employees who discovered the abrupt management change from an internal message and the company's public facing blog. It came as a surprise to Altman and Brockman as well, who learned the board's decision within minutes of the announcement, Brockman said.

Despite investing billions of $ in non-profit OpenAI, Microsoft does not have a seat on the board. So, who is making the decisions about the direction of OpenAI and more importantly about ChatGPT and AI products?

The now four-person board consists of three independent directors holding no equity in OpenAI and its Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever.
The company said its board consists of OpenAI's chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, and three non-employees: Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
https://www.npr.org/2023/11/17/1213892587/chatgpt-open-ai-ceo-sam-altman-ousted
 
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  • #107
Fun and games in the coding world - trying to run a code example that uses the latest and greatest python version but a very old version of the software that I'm trying to understand. It's using python tricks that aren't supported by my version and the examples for their software are no longer supported in the current version. Add to this the numerous examples that I managed to get working right up to the last step and then find out that one package doesn't support my OS.
 
  • #108
Astronuc said:
ChatGPT maker OpenAI ousts CEO Sam Altman
https://www.reuters.com/technology/openai-ceo-sam-altman-step-down-2023-11-17/

OpenAI investors push to bring Altman back as CEO one day after he was ousted by board
Microsoft, Tiger Global and venture firm Thrive Capital are among several of OpenAI’s top backers that are part of an effort to reinstate Altman, said a source, who asked not to be named because discussions are confidential.

EDIT: I guess he won't be back:
Sam Altman joins Microsoft to lead new AI project after OpenAI ouster
 
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  • #109
I just received a message: "Hello Dad! This is my new number ... Can you save the number and send me a message on WhatsApp?"

Heck. I didn't even know I am a father!
 
  • #110
fresh_42 said:
I just received a message: "Hello Dad! This is my new number ... Can you save the number and send me a message on WhatsApp?"

Heck. I didn't even know I am a father!
It's a scam, if that wasn't obvious. The followup is "hey dad, I'm short for the rent - can you lend me some money?"
 
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  • #111
Ibix said:
It's a scam, if that wasn't obvious. The followup is "hey dad, I'm short for the rent - can you lend me some money?"
I always tend to see the best in people. I thought it was just a case of a mistyped number.

Reminds me of the "I love you" virus. We had an internal competition who had the most such emails.
 
  • #112
fresh_42 said:
I always tend to see the best in people. I thought it was just a case of a mistyped number.

Reminds me of the "I love you" virus. We had an internal competition who had the most such emails.
I've received my 10th or so blackmail attempt email. They used to use somewhat-random email addresses. Not anymore, last one was by dcheek@hoflink.com
More bizarre, the email gave me the option of unsubscribing.
 
  • #114
Borg said:
OpenAI investors push to bring Altman back as CEO one day after he was ousted by boardEDIT: I guess he won't be back:
Sam Altman joins Microsoft to lead new AI project after OpenAI ouster

OpenAI appoints new boss as Sam Altman joins Microsoft in Silicon Valley twist
https://www.reuters.com/technology/...adquarters-sunday-the-information-2023-11-19/
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - OpenAI named ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear as interim CEO, while outgoing chief Sam Altman is set to join backer Microsoft (MSFT.O) in a surprise turn of events for the startup at the heart of an artificial intelligence boom.

The appointments, settled late at night on Sunday, followed Altman's abrupt departure just days earlier as CEO of the ChatGPT maker, and ended speculation that he could return.
Apparently Brockman will being joining Altman at Microsoft to lead their AI development.

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said in posts on X that Altman would become CEO of a new research group inside the software maker, along with other departing OpenAI colleagues such as outgoing President Greg Brockman who quit following Altman's ouster.

"We've got here is failure to communicate" - Captain in Cool Hand Luke
 
  • #115
Makes you wonder if Altman will eventually end up holding the purse strings for OpenAI since Microsoft has been backing them for some time now.
 
  • #117
  • #118
OpenAI’s venture capital investors keeping legal action on the table if Sam Altman isn’t reinstated, sources say
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-venture-capital-investors-keeping-223926019.html

Venture capital firms that have backed OpenAI are still fighting to reinstate Sam Altman as the CEO, hoping to preserve investments in the startup that may become worthless with Altman's move to Microsoft. And as the day wears on and no more board members seem to be budging on reversing course, investors are looking at all their options.

Some of the VC firms continue to explore legal action against OpenAI’s board of directors, following Microsoft’s surprise move to hire Altman and former President Greg Brockman on Sunday night, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Fortune on Monday.

Looks like OpenAI will become a textbook case.

OpenAI made 5 huge governance missteps—here’s what boards can learn from its error
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-made-5-huge-governance-200942348.html

The board structure was weird to begin with :oldlaugh:

A small board with little or no experience, that didn't bother to inform key investors.

. . . . The Altman implosion has proven to be a “massive wake-up call” about the importance of corporate governance in the tech world, according to Evan Epstein, executive director of the Center for Business Law and an adjunct professor of law at UC Law San Francisco.

“In Silicon Valley, people don't tend to focus on governance,” he told Fortune. But “bad governance can destroy a company.” . . . .
 
  • #119
What a mess!

Altman isn't coming back after that, so I guess it's lawsuit time?
 
  • #120
If auto( inco)rrect is part of AI, I won't be investing in AI.( There, AI, a full $5 you won't be getting from me!).
 
  • #121
fresh_42 said:
I just received a message: "Hello Dad! This is my new number ... Can you save the number and send me a message on WhatsApp?"

Heck. I didn't even know I am a father!
Luke?
 
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  • #123
WWGD said:
If auto( inco)rrect is part of AI, I won't be investing in AI.( There, AI, a full $5 you won't be getting from me!).
"It is never a duck! Never!"
 
  • #124
Astronuc said:
After being blindsided by Sam Altman firing, Satya Nadella vows OpenAI governance changes: ‘Surprises are bad’
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/being-blindsided-sam-altman-firing-012222168.html

Maybe the OpenAI board should have consulted ChatGPT first. :oldlaugh:
And now he's back! Wow, what a week at Open AI.
Sam Altman returns as OpenAI CEO after days of infighting at AI startup

Sam Altman is back as the chief executive of OpenAI.

OpenAI, the hot tech startup behind ChatGPT, said late Tuesday that Altman and the board of the nonprofit group that oversees the company came to an agreement in principle for Altman to return as CEO with a new board to replace the one that ousted him Friday.
 
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  • #125
It's 11/22/23. But not quite 11/22/33
Last in century will be 12/24/36

Though anniversary of Kennedy's shooting.
 
  • #127
Anyone been getting e-mails from Amazon "Technical Support/other" over the past couple months? I've been s54tcanning them un-opened, but they're starting to "bug" me.
 
  • #128
Bystander said:
Anyone been getting e-mails from Amazon "Technical Support/other" over the past couple months? I've been s54tcanning them un-opened, but they're starting to "bug" me.
I've received a few myself. Same for some other innexistent Amazon account .
 
  • #129
_nc_ohc=NeDLvd-IehEAX8GFb3m&_nc_ht=scontent-fra3-2.jpg
 
  • #130
Bathtub-curve is actually quite universal.

Just noticed, that both new and 'old enough' hardware comes with high price, while all the rest in the middle available lot cheaper...

Ps.: I should have stocked up some C64 when the neighbours got rid of them... o0)
 
  • #131
It's snowing like crazy here. We're forecast to get over 10 inches. This is the first winter in several years that we've gotten snow in my little town here in Kansas.

edit: The snow is still coming down like crazy. I'm thinking we may have another 10 to 12 inches by morning.
 
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  • #132
What is the secret of female, British hairdressers?

1700962653346.jpeg
1700962910710.jpeg
 
  • #133
Lucky break to have randomly found out a stretch for sciatic just when I needed it. Worked out perfectly.
 
  • #134
WWGD said:
Lucky break to have randomly found out a stretch for sciatic just when I needed it. Worked out perfectly.
Details, Please!
 
  • #135
Tom.G said:
Details, Please!
Sure.
Sit straight. Then put one foot on top of the ( obviously )opposite knee. While in that position, place both hands below the calf . Then pull your two hands upwards, as if intending to move your calf upward, while moving your head in the direction of the calf.
Repeat with the opposite foot.
Repeat a few times.
Please let me know if my explanation wasn't clear .
Hope it works for you.
 
  • #136
WWGD said:
place both hands below the calf
Which calf?
The horizontal or the vertical one?
 
  • #137
Tom.G said:
Which calf?
The horizontal or the vertical one?
Not sure what you mean. My understanding is the calf is in the back of the leg, behind the shin .
Just put one foot in the opposite knee, then put both your hands behind/below your shin ( I guess as if to offset their weight) and pull upward, while moving and stretching your torso towards it.
 
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  • #138
I think he's asking, if you have your right foot on the floor and your left foot on your right knee, do you pull on your left or right calf?

I'm guessing the right one, the one with the foot on the floor. Then the folding forward motion you're doing with your upper body is stretching your lower back with your hips kept open by the position of the left leg over your knee.
 
  • #139
Ibix said:
I think he's asking, if you have your right foot on the floor and your left foot on your right knee, do you pull on your left or right calf?

I'm guessing the right one, the one with the foot on the floor. Then the folding forward motion you're doing with your upper body is stretching your lower back with your hips kept open by the position of the left leg over your knee.
Ah, no, the calf of the leg bent over the knee, not the one with the foot on the floor. Good catch. Edit::aka the vertical one.
 
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  • #140
Or , equivalent, the calf that includes on its lower end, the foot that's up in the air, and not the calf that includes the foot touching the floor.

Phew, include that in the list of things much easier to show visually rather than in words.
Hope this clarified things.
 
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  • #143
Are they, Australian critters,in cahoots with the Travel Insurance crowd? ;).
 
  • #144
berkeman said:
Venomous platypuses? Holy cannoli Batman! :oops:
Only the males!
 
  • #145
WWGD said:
Or , equivalent, the calf that includes on its lower end, the foot that's up in the air, and not the calf that includes the foot touching the floor.

Phew, include that in the list of things much easier to show visually rather than in words.
Hope this clarified things.
In case you're interested, @Tom G , there are exercises to prevent issues with the sciatic nerve. Essentially, they come down to tightening every muscle in your body for a few seconds, then releasing. Doing some 10 reps , or more if you need.
 
  • #146
WWGD said:
In case you're interested, @Tom G , there are exercises to prevent issues with the sciatic nerve. Essentially, they come down to tightening every muscle in your body for a few seconds, then releasing. Doing some 10 reps , or more if you need.
This is when I start looking for the kids at the family dinner in order to escape diseases, illness, and death, and have some fun making stupid things instead!
 
  • #147
fresh_42 said:
This is when I start looking for the kids at the family dinner in order to escape diseases, illness, and death, and have some fun making stupid things instead!
Not sure I get your point.
 
  • #148
How do you decide, given daily temperature data in two cities, which you would consider better? Max? Min? Median?
 
  • #149
WWGD said:
How do you decide, given daily temperature data in two cities, which you would consider better? Max? Min? Median?
Ocean temperature? :wink:
 
  • #150
WWGD said:
How do you decide, given daily temperature data in two cities, which you would consider better? Max? Min? Median?
For snow boarding? Waterskiing?
 

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