THINGS TO COME - Corona-wise

Peering Through the Corona Looking Glass

The coronavirus will catalyze changes in society. It will cause future suspicion, caution, and fear of contagion. (We do not yet know if there are carriers of this disease. Compare Typhoid Mary.) There is more, mostly about life-style and government operations. The use of masks and gowns will become widespread, at least for a while. The elderly will be more careful; nursing homes will require medical tests prior to admission. Hospital will require tests as well, with new patients possibly quarantined on their day of admission. These provisions you would expect. There are more, and they apply to all.

Many students, now forced to stay at home to study, may never return, preferring another career direction for their lives.
New employees will be given thorough medical exams.
Many companies will discover that many of their functions are better served by workers at home, thus saving office costs. Supervision issues will be solved.
A new emphasis on households having a rainy day fund will enjoy a new popularity.
Many people will learn nose-to-nose dependency on social contact is critically important.
At least one country has learned that a virus infusion combined with military aggression is a possible operational strategy. This gives biological warfare a new slant.
National borders may return.
Family vacations will be planned far more cautiously.
Frequent TV ads for hand washing, brushing teeth, daily showers, and general proper hygiene will become common. (This was popular decades ago.)
Schools and employers will re-emphasize proper cleanliness.
Every municipality will have an active health officer issuing frequent health alerts. Restaurants will be monitored more closely than ever with newer and more stringent health requirements.
We may see a de-emphasis of political ideologies in favor of health and safety of citizens.

Comments

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1. Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty. This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...

Where is AI (Artificial Intelligence) Going?

How to view Artificial Intelligence (AI). Imagine you go to the store to buy a TV, but all they have are 1950s models, black and white, circular screens, picture rolls, and picture imperfect, no remote. You’d say no thanks. Back in the day, they sold wildly. The TV was a must-have for everyone with $250 to spend* (about $3000 today). Compared to where AI is today, this is more or less where TVs were 70 years ago. In only a few decades AI will be advanced beyond comprehension, just like TVs today are from the 50s viewpoint. Just like we could not imagine where the video concept was going back then, we cannot really imagine where AI is going. Buckle up. But it will be spectacular. *Back then minimum wage was $0.75/hr. Thus, a TV cost more than eight weeks' wages. -------------------------

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

The principles we use but don't know it. 1. Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...

First Blog

Search This Blog