Blog #0173: 52+ Things I Learned in 2024

A big list of 52+ things that I learned each week in 2024

Tags: braingasm, things, learned, til, twil, 2024

kajetan-sumila-mis7syjThUU-unsplash Source: Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

2-out-of-5-hats.png [ED: Happy 2025! This post covers a range of topics from deep tech to philosophy and economics and back again. Some links are not that technical, but some might require further explanation if you are not deeply into the topic. Overall: 2/5 hats.]

Over the year, I try to find something interesting to read and digest each week related to or at least adjacent to what I am currently working on. Sometimes, the links are helpful; sometimes, they are whimsical or amusing; other times, they are totally random. Initially inspired by this, I have managed to do this for the last few years (2023, 2022).

What follows is a list of things that I could say “This week I learned…“ to for each week in 2024. Some weeks were busier than others, so they have a couple of extra links at no extra cost. Enjoy!

1: Coca-Cola’s accidentally terrifying Christmas card AI image generator: Coca-Cola’s use of an AI-powered image generator for Christmas cards led to unexpected and often bizarre results. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #CocaColaAI #ChristmasCardChaos #AIBranding #HolidayMarketing #TechSurprises

2: Foundations by Greg Egan: Foundations is a series of articles initially published in “Eidolon” magazine, focusing on key twentieth-century physics theories that have significantly influenced science fiction. These articles, aimed at the lay reader, explain how the theories lead to precise predictions of physical effects. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #ScienceFictionPhysics #EidolonMagazine #ModernPhysics #LaymanScience #TheoreticalPhysicsExplained

3: Mouse secretly filmed tidying man’s shed every night: A Welsh wildlife photographer discovered a mouse tidying up his shed almost every night for two months. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #WelshTidyMouse #RodneyHolbrook #MouseHousekeeper #NightVisionDiscovery #AnimalAntics

4: All the types of science fiction: This article humorously categorises various tropes and themes found in science fiction literature. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #SciFiGenres #ScienceFictionSatire #LiteraryHumor #SciFiTropes #Humour

5: Brains Are Not Required When It Comes to Thinking and Solving Problems—Simple Cells Can Do It: This article discusses how simple cells, like slime moulds, exhibit cognitive abilities traditionally associated with more complex organisms. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #CognitiveCells #SlimeMoldIntelligence #ProblemSolving #BrainlessBrains #ScientificAmerican

Google Is 2 Billion Lines of Code—And It’s All in One Place: The article compares Google’s codebase complexity to other major software systems. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #Google #Codebase #SoftwareEngineering #TechInnovation #Programming

A Parliament of Owls and a Murder of Crows: The article reveals the origins of collective nouns for birds, complemented by Brian Wildsmith’s illustrations. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Birds #CollectiveNouns #Language #Illustration #Wildlife

6: Ancient Herculaneum scroll piece revealed by AI: Artificial intelligence has unlocked the contents of a papyrus scroll from Herculaneum. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #AncientTexts #AI #HerculaneumScrolls #Philosophy #VesuviusChallenge

7: Air Canada’s chatbot gave a B.C. man the wrong information. Now, the airline has to pay for the mistake: Air Canada must compensate a B.C. man after its chatbot provided incorrect information about bereavement fares. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #AirCanada #CustomerServiceFail #ChatbotError #BereavementFare #TravelRights

8: GoPro Ride Through an Electron Beam Irradiator at Full Beam Power: A GoPro, shielded by lead, survives a trip through an electron beam irradiator. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #ElectronBeam #GoProAdventure #RadiationShielding #ScienceExperiment #TechSurvival

The Age of Average: The article explores the homogenisation of culture and creativity, leading to widespread uniformity. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #AgeOfAverage #CreativityCrisis #CulturalHomogenisation #UniformityInDesign #LackOfOriginality #TyrannyOfTheBanal

BT Tower is to be turned into a hotel: The BT Tower, a London landmark, will be converted into a hotel while preserving its iconic status. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #BTTower #LondonHotel #IconicLandmarks #HotelConversion #TravelUK

9: There is a Billionaire-Fueled Lobbying Group Behind the State Bills to Ban Basic Income Experiments: The “Foundation for Government Accountability” is pushing for laws to prohibit basic income experiments in the US, countering evidence of their positive outcomes. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #UBI #BasicIncome #Lobbying #EconomicEquality #PolicyChange

10: There is an Antarctica Accent: Scientists in Antarctica developed a unique accent after extended isolation, blending international accents into a new way of speaking. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #AntarcticAccent #Linguistics #IsolationPhenomenon #LanguageEvolution #SocialDynamics

11: The strange world of crocodile hairballs and the Queenslanders who collect them: A group of Queenslanders collect crocodile hairballs, also known as bezoars, for scientific and personal reasons. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #CrocodileBezoars #QueenslandCollectors #WildlifeCuriosities #NaturalOddities #BezoarCollection

12: Brighter Than a Cloud: The article explores the vivid and complex experiences of migraine sufferers, focusing on the visual phenomena known as scintillating scotoma and their impact on perception and creativity. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #MigraineAwareness #ScintillatingScotoma #ArtAndScience #HistoricalPerspectives #CreativeInspiration

Insight 💡 I get these kinds of aura regularly. Luckily they don’t go on to be actual migraines. Drs have referred to this phenomenon as “pre-migraine”. I’m glad that they don’t go on to full migraines as other members in my family have experienced debilitating episodes over the years. I have tried to explain what I see to others but never had much luck. The best example I could come up with was this: imagine sitting in a cinema where the screen is what you see out of your eyes (an obviously bad metaphor). Then imagine that someone behind the screen has stabbed thru with a knife and slashed a portion of the screen so that there is a flap that no longer holds any image. That’s kinda what I see when I get one of these.

13: Autotab is a digital robot you can hire starting at $1/hour. It works 24/7/365 and does not need lunch breaks.: Autotab offers 24/7 automation solutions for repetitive tasks, trained through demonstration and priced at $1 per hour. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #Automation #Productivity #AIAssistant #Robots

14: Parrots love playing tablet games. That’s helping researchers understand them: This article discusses how parrot interaction with tablet games aids researchers in understanding their cognitive abilities and designing technology for animal use. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #Parrots #AnimalCognition #PetTech #BehavioralResearch #CognitiveEnrichment

15: The expression “hermeneutic of suspicion”: This term underpins much of modern (post-Enlightenment) thinking, emphasising that words may not always mean what they seem to mean. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #Hermeneutics #CriticalThinking #TextualAnalysis #CulturalBias #Skepticism

16: The Death of the Big 4: AI-Enabled Services Are Opening a Whole New Market: AI-enabled services threaten traditional service models dominated by firms like the Big 4 by offering AI-powered solutions that present significant challenges to established players that rely on human labour and traditional business models. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #AIRevolution #ServiceDisruption #FutureOfWork #TechInnovation #StartupOpportunities

17: Baby Penguins Jump Off 50-Foot Cliff in First-of-Its-Kind Drone Footage: This footage captures emperor penguin chicks jumping from a 50-foot cliff into the ocean as part of their maturation process. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #EmperorPenguins #DroneFootage #Antarctica #WildlifePhotography #NatureDocumentary

18: Crows Are Self-Aware Just Like Humans, And They May Be as Smart as Gorillas: A study reveals that crows possess a type of self-awareness similar to humans, demonstrating advanced cognitive abilities. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #Crows #AnimalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #CognitiveScience #BirdBrains

19: Here are 10 mind hacks to use with Gen X: As a GenX-er myself, I started reading this tweet with faux outrage primed and ready to go. As it turns out, the list is surprisingly accurate and I simply can’t understand why everyone isn’t in 100% agreement. It outlines ten strategies for effectively engaging Generation X, emphasising autonomy, concise communication, mission-driven work, life balance, and straightforward feedback. Which is, obviously, the 100% correct answer. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #GenX #LeadershipTips #WorkCulture #GenerationalDifferences #CommunicationSkills #GetOffMyLawn

20: Why Are Men More Vulnerable to Depression in Fatherhood?: Fathers face an increased risk of depression during the perinatal period, influenced by economic stress, lack of paternal leave, and infant care challenges. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #Fatherhood #MentalHealth #PerinatalDepression #FamilyDynamics #PaternalLeave

21: AI headphones let wearer listen to a single person in a crowd, by looking at them just once: Researchers at the University of Washington have developed AI-powered headphones that let users focus on a single speaker in a noisy environment by looking at them for a few seconds, enhancing auditory clarity significantly. #AI #Headphones #NoiseCancelling #SpeechRecognition #TechInnovation

22: Dunbar’s number: Dunbar’s number, proposed by anthropologist Robin Dunbar, suggests that humans can maintain stable social relationships with approximately 150 individuals, a limit influenced by cognitive capacity and observed in various social organisations. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #DunbarsNumber #SocialNetworks #Anthropology #HumanRelationships #CognitiveLimit

23: Systemanitcs: The Underground Text of Systems Lore: “Systemantics: The Underground Text of Systems Lore” by John Gall explores how complex systems operate and often fail, offering insights into systemic behaviours and the pitfalls of large-scale organisational structures. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #Systemantics #JohnGall #SystemsTheory #ComplexSystems #OrganizationalBehavior

24: Borges on Chaos Theory: This article examines Borges’ “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote,” exploring its connections to chaos theory and the evolution of meanings over time. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #Borges #ChaosTheory #ShortStories #LiteraryCritique #DonQuixote

25: How Actors Remember Their Lines: The article explores how actors use elaborative rehearsal and deep understanding of context to memorise lines, a method applicable to anyone. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #Memory #Acting #Psychology #Cognition #Learning

26: Tricking AI Models into Harmful Responses: Research highlights vulnerabilities in LLMs that allow for exploitation, such as producing harmful responses through attacks like format mismatch. 5-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #LLM #CyberSecurity #Research #TechNews

27: Goldman Sachs thinks that there is too much being spent on generative AI with too little benefit to show for it: Goldman Sachs questions the economic returns on generative AI investments, contrasting sceptical and optimistic perspectives. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #GenerativeAI #Productivity #AIInvestment #TechEconomy #Innovation

28: A Few Notes on The Culture by Ian M Banks: Ian M Banks provides insights into the inspirations behind his Culture series, exploring its economic and cultural concepts. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #TheCulture #IanMBanks #SciFi #SpaceOpera #Novel

29: ‘New El Nino’ discovered south of equator: Researchers discovered a new climate pattern, the “Southern Hemisphere Circumpolar Wavenumber-4 Pattern,” significantly affecting global weather systems. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #ClimateChange #WeatherPatterns #ElNino #PacificOcean #ClimateResearch

30: AI achieves silver-medal standard solving International Mathematical Olympiad problems: DeepMind’s AI models, AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2, achieved silver medal-level performance in solving complex mathematical problems. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #Mathematics #DeepMind #IMO #AlphaProof

31: The Infinity Machine: Simon Tatham speculates on a theoretical computer capable of infinite processing speed, examining its implications for computing and cryptography. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #InfinityMachine #Computing #TechSpeculation #Programming #Cryptography

32: The bizarre secrets I found investigating corrupt Winamp skins: Jordan Eldredge uncovered hidden files, encrypted archives, and personal messages while investigating corrupt Winamp skins, revealing unexpected digital curiosities. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Winamp #DigitalForensics #HiddenFiles #TechExploration #CyberMysteries

33: The enemies within: How the pandemic radicalised Britain: This article explores how the pandemic intensified far-right radicalisation in Britain, fueled by lockdowns and vaccine opposition. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Radicalization #FarRight #PandemicImpact #SocialUnrest #UKPolitics

34: Tech Leadership Maxims: Aviv Ben-Yosef shares strategic advice for tech leaders, focusing on innovation, growth mindsets, and avoiding managerial pitfalls. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #TechLeadership #Innovation #GrowthMindset #ManagementTips #LeadershipAdvice

35: In Leak, Facebook Partner Brags About Listening to Your Phone’s Microphone to Serve Ads for Stuff You Mention: The article raises concerns about claims of Facebook partners using smartphone microphones for ad targeting, despite denials from the company. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #PrivacyConcerns #DataSecurity #BigTech #Facebook #AdTargeting

36: Why do the British drive on the left?: This article explores the historical and cultural reasons behind the UK’s left-side driving tradition, tracing it back to Roman times. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #BritishHistory #DrivingOnTheLeft #Napoleon #HenryFord #Tradition

37: Solar will get too cheap to connect to the power grid: As solar power becomes cheaper, off-grid solutions and battery storage may replace reliance on traditional power grids. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #SolarEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #CleanTech #FutureOfEnergy

38: The Hindenburg’s Interior: Vintage Photos Reveal What Luxury Air Travel Was Like in the 1930s: Vintage photos showcase the luxurious interior of the Hindenburg airship, a marvel of 1930s transatlantic travel before its tragic demise. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Hindenburg #LuxuryTravel #AviationHistory #Zeppelin #1930s

39: Dropped Cheetos Could Have Triggered Ecosystem Chaos In Largest US Cave Chamber: A bag of Cheetos disrupted the delicate ecosystem of Carlsbad Caverns, highlighting the environmental impact of human actions. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Ecosystem #Pollution #Conservation #CarlsbadCaverns #Environment

40: Can Space-Time Be Saved?: Physicist Latham Boyle explores the possibility of preserving space-time in physics by leveraging its underlying symmetries, offering solutions to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #Physics #QuantumGravity #SpaceTime #Symmetry #TheoryOfEverything

41: Physicists Reveal a Quantum Geometry That Exists Outside of Space and Time: This article discusses a groundbreaking quantum geometry that could reshape our understanding of the universe beyond conventional space-time frameworks. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #QuantumPhysics #QuantumGeometry #SpaceTime #Physics #ScienceResearch

42: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Joyful Life: The article explores the concept of ikigai, or “reason for being,” as a means to achieve a fulfilling and joyful life, with insights into its benefits for mental and physical health. 0-out-of-5-hats.png #Ikigai #Purpose #MentalHealth #JapaneseCulture #Wellbeing

43: Quit Social Media: Cal Newport advocates quitting social media to regain control over attention and focus on valuable, high-quality work. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Focus #Productivity #SocialMedia #AttentionEconomy #CalNewport

44: Mitochondria Are Alive: This article explores the theory that mitochondria, often regarded as cellular organelles, may be considered living entities with independent biological roles. 5-out-of-5-hats.png #Mitochondria #Biology #Endosymbiosis #Evolution #LifeScience

45: Somebody moved UK’s oldest satellite, and no-one knows who or why: Skynet-1A, the UK’s oldest satellite, has mysteriously shifted to a new orbit, raising concerns about space sustainability. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Skynet1A #SpaceJunk #Satellite #SpaceSustainability #UKSpace

46: Ticker-tape synesthesia: Ticker-tape synesthesia is a phenomenon where individuals see spoken words as subtitles or text, providing unique insights into perception and cognition. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #TickerTapeSynesthesia #Synesthesia #MentalImages #Perception #Cognition

47: How AI Could Break the Career Ladder: The rise of AI risks automating entry-level jobs, disrupting traditional pathways for career development and skill acquisition. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #Automation #Jobs #CareerLadder #FutureOfWork

48: The Tech Utopia Fantasy is Over: This article critiques the idealised vision of technology solving global issues, exploring its unintended societal and environmental consequences. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #TechUtopia #TechCritique #SocialImpact #FutureOfTech #InnovationChallenge

49: The Fiat factory has a track on its roof: The Lingotto building in Turin, Italy, featured a rooftop test track for Fiat cars, now repurposed as a public space and hanging garden. 1-out-of-5-hats.png #Fiat #Lingotto #Turin #LaPista500 #UrbanRenewal

50: AI Is the Black Mirror: Philosopher Shannon Vallor critiques the framing of AI as human-like intelligence, warning against undervaluing human agency and wisdom. 3-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #HumanCognition #ShannonVallor #TechnologyEthics #ArtificialIntelligence

51: Being human in the age of AI: Evgeny Shadchnev argues that humans should embrace other aspects of humanity beyond intelligence as AI becomes more ubiquitous. 2-out-of-5-hats.png #AI #HumanIdentity #Adaptation #Technology #Philosophy

52: The number Pi has an evil twin!: The article explores the “conjugate of Pi,” an intriguing mathematical constant with unique properties. 4-out-of-5-hats.png #Mathematics #Pi #NumberTheory #Conjugate #MathFacts

Finally, here’s a word cloud based on the titles and summaries of each of the articles. It’s pretty obvious the role that AI has played in the global consciousness (at least it is channelled through my head) for 2024:

12-27-0173-52-things-i-learned-in-2024-word-cloud

For comparison, here are the word clouds for 2023 and 2022.

Regards,

M@

Originally posted on matthewsinclair.com and cross-posted on Medium.

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