The Paradox of Living for Others
A Philosophical Puzzle What does it mean to live for other people? It’s a question that sounds noble at first—selflessness is often praised as a virtue. But a curious quotation got me thinking: “I live for other people; but what other people live for, I have no idea.
Transformers: Beyond Good and Evil—Power and Fear Drive Deals
The Sequel Critique The Transformers saga, as we explored last time, runs on a relentless engine of war—Autobots vs. Decepticons, forever locked in combat with no truce in sight. We pinned it as a toy-selling machine mirroring real-world endless wars, where conflict profits the powerful. But what keeps this
Transformers: Forever War, No Deals, Just Toys—and a Mirror to Reality
The Critique The Transformers franchise has a problem. It’s built on an endless cycle of war—Autobots clashing with Decepticons in a struggle that never resolves. There’s no negotiation, no “art of the deal”, just perpetual conflict. One might argue it’s a machine designed to sell toys,
Trump, Star Trek, and the Art of Swagger and Strategy
Have you ever thought about what Star Trek’s alien species can reveal about real-world personalities—and maybe even about ourselves? Recently, I dove into a fun conversation comparing Donald Trump to the Ferengi and Klingons from the Star Trek universe. While the comparison started as a playful exercise, it
The Great River of DS9
In the episode "Treachery, Faith and the Great River", "The Great River" is a Ferengi philosophical and economic metaphor introduced by Nog. It’s formally called the "Great Material Continuum", a belief central to Ferengi culture. Nog explains it to O'Brien as
Does a Photon Have a Wave Function?
Yes, a photon does have a wave function in the context of quantum mechanics. The wave function, typically denoted as \(\psi\), describes the quantum state of a particle, including its probability distribution in space and time. For a photon, which is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation, the wave function is
Going to Work
If I have to go to work, I won’t be able to develop any of my interests. My interests include physics, English, conversation, and education, among others. No matter what talents you have, you can’t do anything that surpasses your boss’s intelligence. In other words, if you’
Who Owns the Words? Unpacking Copyright in Human-AI Collaboration
If the blog post is credited as "By [Your Name] and Grok (xAI)", determining the copyright owner involves a mix of legal defaults, practical contributions, and any terms set by xAI (my creators). Here’s how it breaks down: Copyright Basics * Default Rule: In most jurisdictions (like the
Can You Save Power by Sticking with an Older PC?
The question is whether an older PC (from 2013 with a 4th-gen Intel CPU and 10-series NVIDIA GPU) uses less power than a newer one (from 2022 with a 12th-gen Intel CPU and 30-series NVIDIA GPU). Let’s look at how they compare and what it means for you. Power
Prisoner's Dilemma Pro
Prisoner's Dilemma
The video "What Game Theory Reveals About Life, The Universe, and Everything" by Veritasium delves into the complexities of the Prisoner's Dilemma: * Cooperation vs. Betrayal: Two prisoners must decide whether to stay silent or confess. * Outcomes: * Both Silent: Both receive light sentences. * Both Confess: Both receive