First Blog

  A.     It seems that at least one country is spiking the data scene with falsified information, which all the AI (Artificial Intelligence) learning engines absorb and then propagate it as truth. One day the data swamp will exceed the political swamp in both importance and devastation. B.     In a normal court trial errors are always made , including logical fallacies, unproven facts, misquoting statutes, conflicting testimony, and more. Include the attorneys, jurors, and even judges. In a future appeal, if such errors are not observed in the appeal documents, they will likely be missed entirely even if noting them would have caused a reversed outcome. C.     " Nonsense is nonsense, no matter who nor how loud it is spoken with intensity and commitment.” A.  

  RANDOM THOUGHT ON A FRIDAY (3/7/25) A.   The best teachers are not Uber delivery drivers, bringing a quickie order of knowledge to your door. They help you find something deeper and of greater value within you. The best teachers delight in helping you see further than you thought possible. B.    The  Stability-Instability Paradox , in the classical sense, applies to nuclear warfare.  The nuclear threat thwarts an actual major conflict with atomic bombs but tends to allow or even encourage local small-ish wars. With the Ukraine and Hamas wars, and even frequent India-China border skirmishes, this is confirmed. C.     Just a few years ago, the stockbrokers used trading algorithms to help them make decisions. Now, it’s certain that the algorithms tell the brokers what to do.

This is a newer type of paradox based on an old idea. One part is about whether we exist in a computer simulated environment. You may recognize this concept from the film Matrix . However, previously there were science fiction novels along these lines. This type of paradox can easily be searched online, and we will not take it up at present. Every resolution establishes the simulated universe concept is erroneous or even ridiculous. In the appendix, we include some of the simulated universe paradoxes. Our intent is to discuss an alternative paradox of simulations for our own simulations of realistic situations. As discussed earlier, computer simulations, such as for the Monte Hall Paradox (#16) can be used to resolve it. They are also used to study other contingency possibilities. Even war games can be computer simulated. Currently, computer simulations have become a useful tool for the mathematical modeling of many natural systems in physics (computational physics), astrophysics, cl...

 This list comes from the Mayo Clinic .  Sorted by the amount per serving in grams (rounded to the nearest 0.5 grams). Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release

  D espite all the memory devices we have at hand, computers, phones, auto-reminders, and calendars, we still need to remember a variety of information. Few of us have the memory recall we wish we had. Therefore, it is of some value to know memory techniques. Improving memory is our common goal, and there are several well-established techniques that can help. Which one to select is a personal matter. Here are some of the most common and effective memory techniques. 1. Mnemonics:  This broad category involves creating associations to help remember information. ·         Acronyms:  Using the first letter of each word in a list to create a new word (e.g., ROY G BIV for the colors of the rainbow). ·         Acrostics:  Creating a sentence where the first letter of each word represents an item in a list (e.g., "Every Good Boy Does Fine" for the notes on a musical staff). ·    ...

Problem Solving – Paradoxes   1.      Introduction . Paradoxes have long been a true source of problems for professionals and the laity alike. They are often set as puzzlers. They demonstrate traps of logic, science, and life itself. Some are even linguistic, having to do with meaning. They can occur almost anywhere aside from books on them. They can be embedded within wicked problems, a home for vague language and conflicting values, uncertainty, and multiple solutions. Even logical fallacies can counted as paradoxes until they are identified. Oftentimes, paradoxes signal a major revision to the meanings of terms and even to the logical foundations of how we think.  Let’s begin with a definition. Definition: A paradox is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true. In many cases, it helps refine logic and understanding. They push the bou...

The Character of Wicked Problems.  Introduction. How to cure cancer? How to repair climate problems [i] ? How to fix the educational establishment? How to resolve medical healthcare issues? How can I solve the problems of my country? All of these are among the monumental problems of our day. All are highly complex, with hundreds or thousands of factors, and with no clear solutions. All are even hard to define in precise terms. To make matters worse, all depend on one’s point of view. This is the world of wicked problems. We put aside all these problems except those about our country since the others involve rather technical analyses, because the problems of the country are familiar to us all, and we know many of the issues. Moreover, we agree these problems are long unsolved but have differing views on how to solve them. And this is exactly the point! The diagram below illustrates the variegated nature of wicked problems with just three factors among many. Wicked Problems W...