dis-disgruntled (11. 623)

Via Slashdot we learn that the investment holding company Softbank, after a three year study into the feasibility of “emotion cancelling” technology, it has introduced a trial of AI-powered voice-conversion routines into its call-centre operations in aims to reduce the psychological stress incurred by those phone-bank employees worn down by hostile clients, transforming angry tones into more pleasant and calming ones. What do you think? This one-sided conversation wouldn’t seem to de-escalate matters—like a troll that didn’t realise they were muted rather than blocked and I have wanted to disengage from plenty of calls and do funny voices in my head sometimes to take the edge off and things rarely get confrontational—but the software supposedly maintains a restrained level of dissatisfaction and urgency to ensure that the operator takes the cues. The system will also terminate calls that go on for too long or become overly abusive.

labyrinth (11. 622)

Earthmoving equipment for the construction of a new airport in northwest Crete, to replace the current second largest one in Heraklion, has revealed a monumental ancient circular structure from the Minoan Era (see previously here and here), consisting of eight concentric stone rings with a vault in the centre, reminiscent of a conical, beehive tomb, and radial walls that cross the rings. Excavations continue on the multicursal, branching Bronze Age site—and designated in the building plans as the location of the new airport’s radar array, a new place will be found.

counting crows (11. 621)

Previously we’ve visited general corvid intelligence (see previously here and here) and numeracy in bees—and given the recent discoveries of a whale language (not forgetting the Plant Kingdom, ibīdem) and elephantine endonymy—it is no wonder that we learn, via Clive Thompson’s latest Linkfest, that our cawing friends too understand the concept of numbers, according to preliminary studies undertaken at the University of Tübingen. Crows furthermore have been shown to vocalise actual numerals, corresponding to values from one to four consistently and have sophisticated maths skills. More at the links above.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting

two years ago: the precursor to the bicycle, Cleopatra (1957) plus good wine needs no bush

three years ago: Clash of the Titans (1981), shutter sounds, Russia Day, Deep Throat (1972), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) plus the tripartite devil

four years ago: Loving Day, more concatenation plus a unique geometrical construct

five years ago: Canada decriminalises abortion and homosexuality (1969), Volkswagen tries to clean up its reputation, vintage Kellogg’s advertising plus a horse of a different colour

solvitur ambulando (11. 620)

The paradoxes of ancient Greek philosopher Zeno, as recorded by Aristotle’s Physics, argues motion is illusionary with the dichotomy that a traveler must arrive at the half-way point before reaching the goal, and before getting to the mid-stage, must necessarily travel a quarter and before that an eighth, a sixteenth, a thirty-second, a sixty-fourth and so on. Not finding the sum that all these fractional steps forwards didn’t complete the journey wasn’t Zeno’s objection but rather how to finish an infinite—though infinitesimal—number of tasks. Fellow philosopher and noted Cynic Diogenes, simply got up and left the conversation to demonstrate the contrary after hearing this line of reasoning. Attributed later to Saint Augustine, the Latin phrase “it is solved by walking” from this account, has become a catch-all directing one to answer practical problems with practical rejoiners—to walk it off as the sovereign remedy for every travail.

hyperpleasures (11. 619)

Via tmn, we are introduced to the rising scaffolding in part underpinning the architecture of choice in off-the-scale experiences by default—and not just the dopamine of accelerated gratification—and how if a nice stroll spoilt by accompanying it with the yammer of a podcast, for example, it is not only the product of immersive and unrelenting technology as a vehicle to deliver constant entertainment and distraction and a means to avoid interaction with one’s immediate environment, but rather a decision informed by our minds and evolved reward-system, absent real dangers or discomforts that turn towards the cheaper easier and higher ranking pleasures. Whereas a quiet walk in nature might rate a reliable 10/10, it cannot hope to compete with a exponentially higher experience of listening to whatever one care to or doomscrolling, and it’s not an unexacting feat to claw oneself away from, coming down from giddy heights and back to the solid but small and ordinary, especially when a genuine social experience demands the responsibility and focus that might be marks against it. Cushioning ourselves from those attendant discomforts, moreover, helps us delude ourselves into thinking that our connected activities are a way of making and maintaining social connections when their real function is quite the opposite, it seems.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit plus the US supreme court on self-incrimination

two years ago: ET (1982), more on Magnus Hirschfeld plus Nordhein vor dem Rhön

three years ago: your daily demon: Botis, more links to enjoy, a Surrealist exhibition plus the Geometry of Circles

four years ago: a papal decree, slow adoption of US constitutional amendments, more links worth the revisit, Nordic flags, Juneteenth, the Los Angeles Free Press plus more Bardcore

five years ago: even more links to enjoy plus beyond the pale

7x7 (11. 618)

bernhard modern: pre- and proscriptions in font choice in legal briefs  

mind the gap: a huge collection of historic London Underground maps and posters—see previously 

in search of…: the Dogon culture and ancient astronomy

homebrewed: following his felony conviction, Trump’s licenses to sell liquor under scrutiny 

pay wall: you’ve read your last fee article, such is the nature of mortality

and peace and justice for all: Tweet of the Day re-litigates and exonerates all of Trump’s misdeeds  

poster child: the auction expertise of Nicho Lowry  

show bible: a reprinting of the DC Comics Style Guide from 1982

europawahl (11. 617)

Spanning twenty-seven countries and as many languages, the newly elected cadre of European parliamentarians in one of the world’s largest exercises in democracy will set the political tone for the next five year term, with veto-power over legislation but not the ability to introduce laws, determining budget and approving funding allocation and senior leadership of the European Commission, election results are seen as a proxy for national sentiment and policy mandates. Centrist coalitions retain influence but far-right parties are seeing significant gains, placing pressure on Germany and France, the latter which dissolved its government in response by Emmanuel Macron and his Renaissance party and called for snap elections, owing that one cannot pretend that these results mean nothing. Austria and Italy also saw solidification towards a more conservative stance. This reconfiguration comes at the expense of progressive and environmental champions whose direction proved unpopular with some and perceived as over-reach (with the help of propaganda and contrary platforms), particularly in the agricultural and building sectors. Consequential nonetheless for the EU, only about half of the eligible (expanded to sixteen-year-olds for the first time) cast ballots.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Archives of Castaways plus assorted links to revisit

two years ago: a duet from Grease, more links to enjoy plus McDonald’s leaves Russia

three years ago: an all puppy cable channel, more from the Kiffness, World Art Nouveau Day plus Tristan und Isolde

four years ago: sloganising Dr Seuss

five years ago: a re-enactment of the Berlin Airlift 

stack overflow (11. 616)

Courtesy of Waxy, we are directed to the flashy showroom of Terminal Text Effects, a collection of customisable coding scripts to apply to one’s website to create looping pages to assemble, decrypt and crumble content. There are quite a few to choose from and can be configured to match one’s themes and schemes. We especially liked the Burn, Black Hole and Rain routines and will one day learn how incorporate such pre-installs ourself although right now a bit too intermediate for us.