in #TodaysReads, AI, China, Russia, Twitter

#TodaysReads: AI, Twitter, Lost Legends & More (22.5.14)

“It works like the brain.” So? Because I’m so into artificial intelligence, I’ll start with a post on it. Here we’re reminded that just because something is described as being like the brain doesn’t mean that it is important or even revolutionary.

But here’s the thing: this “like the brain” label usually isn’t a lie — it’s just not very informative. There are many ways a system can be like the brain, but only a fraction of these will prove important. We know so much that is true about the brain, but the defining issue in theoretical neuroscience today is, simply put, we don’t know what matters when it comes to understanding how the brain computes. The debate is wide open, with plausible guesses about the fundamental unit, ranging from quantum phenomena all the way to regions spanning millimeters of brain tissue.

Twitter’s selective censorship of tweets may be the best option, but it’s still censorship A good point while this is so far one of the best implementations of the various requests government sends you have to wonder just what the effects of this may be.

For me, the troubling thing about Twitter’s selective content-blocking tool is that, like Google’s selective adjusting of the borders between countries based on where the user is located, it almost makes censorship too easy — just another feature box that can be checked — and that encourages governments like those in Turkey and Pakistan to use it for anything that seems even remotely offensive or irritating, a list that seems to grow by the day.

One hit wonders An extremely short post by Seth Godin, and this is saying something given that his post are usually a couple of hundred words.

These are artists who gave up too soon, or lost their nerve when it came to making another leap.
A one-hit wonder is a legend who stopped early.

Russia signs 30-year gas deal with China Yeah, those sanctions while have a massive effect on Russia :D. The West needs to realise that this world is so interconnected that there’ll always be another way, even if it may not be so ideal.

China president speaks out on security ties in Asia Another funny story on world politics. China has been bullying it’s neighbours with border disputes as they continue to reclaimed some of the disputed land in the South China seas. The problem here is that China is so big it badly tips the scales in anything. You can’t blame these countries for running to the USA for protection.

China’s President Xi Jinping has called on Asian countries to avoid strengthening military alliances with “third party” powers.
Addressing neighbouring countries at a summit, Mr Xi also said that issues and problems in the region should be resolved by Asians themselves.
His comments come as the United States seeks to increase its presence in Asia.
China is locked in disputes with several neighbours over claims in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, which has accused China of building an airstrip on a disputed reef, recently hosted President Barack Obama, who pledged “ironclad” support for the US ally.
Mr Obama also made stops in Malaysia, South Korea and Japan on his tour last month.