Today marks my last Friday, for now.

I am dreading not having a steady paycheck. I looked over my budget and I should be fine for a short while, however I was on track to meet all of my financial goals this year and now that will be disrupted. Today was my last complete paycheck. It is unfortunate that instability may soon be my reality especially after how hard I have worked to build financial stability and independence.

It is not all bad though. I am excited to focus on my writing more seriously than I ever have before, spending extra time on hobbies that could turn into more, and keeping myself relevant in my community through volunteering. Honestly, all the things I already love but simply don’t pay the bills.

I daydream about time off work all the time, and I genuinely find it exciting. Maybe this is a sign to dedicate this unprecedented time on something that could be more successful than I realize.

I suppose we will find out soon enough…

Here's a CC game I won this morning. Though I seldom post about them anymore, I still play club, rated CC (Correspondence Chess) games practically every day, winning a few, losing more, but still having at it.

The position of pieces at game's end in the image at the top of this post, show me, as White, checkmating the Black King on my 23rd move. Our moves, briefly annotated in PGN form, are: 1. d4 d5 { D00 Queen's Pawn Game } 2. h3 Nc6 3. Nf3 h6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e3 e6 6. a3 a6 7. b4 Ne7 8. Bd3 g6 9. O-O Bg7 10. Re1 g5 11. g4 O-O 12. e4 c6 13. exd5 Nfxd5 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. c4 Be6 16. a4 Qd7 17. Qb3 f5 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 f4 20. Bb1 d4 21. Bb2 Bxg4 22. Qd3 Bxh3 23. Qh7# { White wins by checkmate. } 1-0

And the adventure continues.

Im Jahr 1947 hielt Dorothy L. Sayers vor der Oxford University Society einen Vortrag, der unter dem Titel The Lost Tools of Learning in die Bildungsgeschichte eingegangen ist. Auf den ersten Blick wirkt er wie ein gelehrtes Relikt: Die Autorin, bekannt vor allem als Schöpferin des Detektivs Lord Peter Wimsey, plädiert für eine Wiederbelebung des mittelalterlichen Triviums – jener Trias aus Grammatik, Dialektik und Rhetorik, die im Mittelalter die Grundlage jeder höheren Bildung bildete. Bildungskonservative Nostalgie, könnte man meinen, und zur Tagesordnung übergehen.

Doch dann stösst man auf einen Satz, der beinahe prophetisch wirkt: „They learn everything, except the art of learning.“ Sie lernen alles, ausser der Kunst des Lernens. Sayers schrieb diese Worte zu einer Zeit, in der Radio und Zeitungen die Öffentlichkeit prägten. Ihre Sorge galt der Anfälligkeit einer formal alphabetisierten, aber intellektuell ungeschulten Bevölkerung für Propaganda und Manipulation. Was sie beschrieb, war kein Mangel an Wissen, sondern ein Defizit an geistigen Werkzeugen: an der Fähigkeit, Argumente zu prüfen, Begriffe zu definieren, Schlüsse zu ziehen.

Diese Diagnose ist heute aktueller denn je.

Sayers' Kerngedanke ist leicht misszuverstehen. Sie lehnte neue Wissensinhalte nicht ab. Was sie kritisierte, war die Verwechslung von Wissen und Können: Schülerinnen und Schüler akkumulierten Fakten, ohne je gelernt zu haben, wie man mit Fakten umgeht. Das Trivium, das sie als Gegenmittel vorschlug, war deshalb kein Lehrplan für bestimmte Inhalte, sondern eine Schulung in Methode. Grammatik lehrte, Sprache präzise zu verstehen; Dialektik schulte das logische Argumentieren; #Rhetorik lehrte, Gedanken überzeugend zu formulieren. Die drei Stufen bauten aufeinander auf – und ihr Ziel war, wie Sayers am Ende ihres Essays formuliert, ein einziges: „to teach men how to learn for themselves“.

Selbstständigkeit als Ergebnis von #Bildung, nicht als ihr Ausgangspunkt. Diese Unterscheidung, die in vielen aktuellen Debatten über selbstorganisiertes #Lernen erstaunlich selten gemacht wird, ist der eigentliche Kern ihres Arguments.

Das Neue an der künstlichen Intelligenz

Was hätte Sayers wohl gesagt, wäre sie heute Zeugin der Debatte über künstliche Intelligenz in Schulen? Vermutlich hätte sie die Frage nach dem Ob wenig interessiert. Sie hätte nach dem Wie und dem Wozu gefragt. Und vor allem hätte sie eine Frage gestellt, die in den meisten bildungspolitischen Diskussionen heute kaum aufkommt: Sind die Lernenden überhaupt in der Lage zu beurteilen, was KI-Systeme produzieren?

Denn hier liegt der entscheidende qualitative Unterschied zu früheren technologischen Umbrüchen. Ein Taschenrechner automatisiert eine Rechenoperation. Eine Suchmaschine liefert Informationen. Beides erfordert vom Nutzer noch eine eigenständige Leistung: das Verstehen des Rechenwegs, das Bewerten und Einordnen des Gefundenen. Ein grosses Sprachmodell wie ChatGPT hingegen übernimmt etwas anderes: Es simuliert Denkprozesse. Es formuliert Argumente, strukturiert Texte, zieht Schlussfolgerungen, nimmt Positionen ein. Es ahmt nach, was bisher als sichtbares Zeichen geistiger Arbeit galt.

Das ist neu. Und es verändert die Bedingungen des Lernens auf eine Weise, für die wir noch keine verlässlichen Antworten haben.

Werkzeuge beherrschen oder beherrscht werden

Die naheliegende Reaktion, KI-Werkzeuge und Bildschirme aus dem Unterricht fernzuhalten, verkennt das Problem. Sayers selbst war keine Technikfeindin, und ihr Anliegen war auch kein nostalgisches. Sie fragte nicht nach den Werkzeugen, sondern nach dem Verhältnis des Menschen zu ihnen: Beherrscht er sie, oder wird er von ihnen beherrscht? Diese Frage stellt sich heute mit neuer Dringlichkeit.

Wer schreiben kann, wird mit KI-Unterstützung oft klarer schreiben. Wer argumentieren kann, wird Gegenargumente schneller prüfen. Wer dialektisch geschult ist, wird die Grenzen eines KI-generierten Texts erkennen – seine blinden Flecken, seine Scheinlogiken, seine Glätte, hinter der zuweilen Ungenauigkeit oder gar Halbwahrheit steckt. Diese Fähigkeiten sind kein Selbstzweck. Sie sind Voraussetzungen dafür, dass technische Hilfsmittel tatsächlich nützen, statt bloss zu entlasten.

Wer sie nie erworben hat, erhält durch #KI keine Verstärkung seiner Kompetenz, sondern die Illusion davon.

Sayers beschrieb das Bildungsproblem ihrer Zeit mit dem Bild des verlorenen Handwerkszeugs: „We have lost the tools of learning – the axe and the wedge, the hammer and the saw, the chisel and the plane.“ Stattdessen, so ihre Diagnose, besässen die Menschen bloss spezialisierte Schablonen, mit denen je eine einzige Aufgabe erledigt werden könne, ohne dass Hand und Auge dabei trainierten und ohne dass je das Ganze in den Blick käme.

Das Bild ist präzise auch auf unsere Gegenwart anwendbar. Die Fähigkeit, einen langen argumentativen Text aufmerksam zu lesen – nicht zu überfliegen, nicht zusammenzufassen, sondern ihm Schritt für Schritt zu folgen –, ist eine solche Grundfertigkeit, die durch KI nicht ersetzt, wohl aber verdrängt werden kann. Dasselbe gilt für das Verfassen eines kohärenten Texts aus dem eigenen Denken heraus, der länger ist als ein Post auf Social Media, und für das Erkennen von Widersprüchen, für das geduldige Durcharbeiten eines schwierigen Arguments.

Diese Fähigkeiten sind keine Relikte humanistischer Bildung. Sie sind die Voraussetzungen dafür, dass Dialektik – also kritisches Denken in Sayers' Sinn – überhaupt stattfinden kann.

Die eigentliche Frage lautet deshalb nicht, ob Schülerinnen und Schüler KI verwenden dürfen. Sie lautet, ob sie gelernt haben, Argumente zu prüfen, Texte zu bewerten und Schlussfolgerungen nachzuvollziehen – bevor sie ein Werkzeug nutzen, das dies für sie zu tun scheint.

Sayers' Befund aus dem Jahr 1947 bleibt in seiner Nüchternheit unübertroffen: „To learn six subjects without remembering how they were learnt does nothing to ease the approach to a seventh; to have learnt and remembered the art of learning makes the approach to every subject an open door.“

Die Werkzeuge des Lernens gehen nicht verloren, weil wir aufhören, sie zu kennen. Sie gehen verloren, weil wir aufhören, sie zu nutzen. Und wenn das geschieht, werden die Werkzeuge nicht zu Hilfsmitteln des Denkens – sondern zu seinem Ersatz.

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Bildquelle Mosaik aus der Villa des T. Siminius Stephanus: Platons Akademie, Pompeji, Public Domain.

Disclaimer Teile dieses Texts wurden mit Deepl Write (Korrektorat und Lektorat) überarbeitet. Für die Recherche in den erwähnten Werken/Quellen und in meinen Notizen wurde NotebookLM von Google verwendet.

Topic #Maschinenwelten | #Philosophie

我其實不太會認車，常常上錯車，尤其學開車之前。我一直記得那個瞬間，覺得哪裡怪怪的，卻還是說服自己不要多想。後來發現，人生裡很多搭錯車的時刻，都是這樣開始的。

爸爸、親友開車來載我，我也可以上錯車，弄錯車型就算了，有一次記錯朋友車子顏色，上了別人的車，讓陌生車主傻眼貓咪😳

最扯的是研究所有一次去東華大學參加研討會，本來是要從花蓮車站搭預定的遊覽車，我卻坐到另一台遊覽車還沒發現，直到車子開到一間飯店，所有乘客下車我驚覺自己坐錯，問了別人才知道自己坐到某公司的員工專車，簡直快嚇尿，還好有好心人幫忙叫計程車，但我也多花了快一千塊錢才回到原本的目的地。

計程車上我也接到了研討會那邊打來的電話，我說是坐錯車了，電話那頭忍俊不禁安慰我注意安全，回到東華大學研討會場一瞬間我就爆紅被同學學長姐還有教授們認識了，因為我一個人搭錯遊覽車大遲到🤦🏻‍♀️

#夏の思い出

Our Father Who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil

Amen

Jesus is Lord! Come Lord Jesus!

Come Lord Jesus! Christ is Lord!

The voice that uproots also calls the broken heart home.

Jeremiah 1–3 opens with Jehovah appointing Jeremiah as a prophet, even though Jeremiah feels too young and inadequate for the task. Jehovah reassures him that the message is not Jeremiah’s own—Jehovah has put the words in his mouth—and warns him that he will face resistance, but not defeat. From there, the reading turns into a powerful accusation against Israel and Judah: Jehovah remembers their early devotion, like the love of a young bride, but they have abandoned him for worthless gods. The central image is heartbreakingly direct: they have left “the source of living water” and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Their idolatry is described as spiritual adultery, not just rule-breaking but betrayal of a relationship. Yet even after exposing their guilt, Jehovah keeps calling them back. The reading ends with an invitation to return, a promise of healing, better shepherds, restoration to Zion, and a future in which Jehovah’s people acknowledge their shame and come back to him as their true God.

Chapter 1

These are the words of Jeremiah the son of Hil·kiʹah, one of the priests in Anʹa·thoth in the land of Benjamin. The word of Jehovah came to him in the days of Jo·siʹah the son of Aʹmon, the king of Judah, in the 13th year of his reign. It came also in the days of Je·hoiʹa·kim the son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah, until the completion of the 11th year of Zed·e·kiʹah the son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah, until Jerusalem went into exile in the fifth month.

The word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I sanctified you. I made you a prophet to the nations.”

But I said: “Alas, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I do not know how to speak, for I am just a boy.”

Jehovah then said to me:

“Do not say, ‘I am just a boy.’ For you must go to all those to whom I send you, And you should say everything that I command you. Do not be afraid because of their appearance, For ‘I am with you to save you,’ declares Jehovah.”

Then Jehovah stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. And Jehovah said to me: “I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have commissioned you this day to be over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to tear down, to build and to plant.”

The word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” So I said: “I see the branch of an almond tree.”

Jehovah said to me: “You have seen correctly, for I am wide awake concerning my word to carry it out.”

The word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying: “What do you see?” So I said: “I see a boiling pot, and its mouth is tilted away from the north.” Then Jehovah said to me:

“Out of the north the calamity will break loose Against all the inhabitants of the land. For ‘I am summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north,’ declares Jehovah, ‘And they will come; each one will set up his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against her walls all around And against all the cities of Judah. And I will declare my judgments against them over all their wickedness, Because they have abandoned me, And they are making sacrificial smoke to other gods And bowing down to the works of their own hands.’

But you should prepare for action, And you must stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be terrified of them, So that I do not terrify you before them. For today I have made you a fortified city, An iron pillar, and copper walls against all the land, Toward the kings of Judah and her princes, Toward her priests and the people of the land. And they will certainly fight against you, But they will not prevail against you, For ‘I am with you,’ declares Jehovah, ‘to save you.’”

Chapter 2

The word of Jehovah came to me, saying: “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, ‘This is what Jehovah says:

“I well remember the devotion of your youth, The love you showed when you were engaged to marry, How you followed me in the wilderness, In a land not sown with seed. Israel was holy to Jehovah, the firstfruits of his harvest.”’

‘Anyone devouring him would become guilty. Disaster would come upon them,’ declares Jehovah.”

Hear the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all you families of the house of Israel. This is what Jehovah says:

“What fault did your forefathers find in me, So that they strayed so far from me, And they walked after worthless idols and became worthless themselves? They did not ask, ‘Where is Jehovah, One who brought us out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and of deep shadow, Through a land where no man travels And where no humans dwell?’ I then brought you to a land of orchards, To eat its fruitage and its good things. But you came in and defiled my land; You made my inheritance something detestable. The priests did not ask, ‘Where is Jehovah?’ Those handling the Law did not know me, The shepherds rebelled against me, The prophets prophesied by Baʹal, And they followed those who could bring no benefit. ‘So I will contend further with you,’ declares Jehovah, ‘And I will contend with the sons of your sons.’

‘But cross over to the coastlands of the Kitʹtim and see. Yes, send to Keʹdar and consider carefully; See whether anything like this has happened. Has a nation ever changed its gods for those that are not gods? But my own people have exchanged my glory for what is useless. Stare in amazement at this, you heavens; Shudder in absolute horror,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Because my people have done two bad things: They have abandoned me, the source of living water, And dug for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.’

‘Is Israel a servant or a slave born in the household? Then why has he been given over to plunder? Against him young lions roar; They have raised their voice. They made his land an object of horror. His cities have been set on fire, so that there is no inhabitant. The people of Noph and Tahʹpan·es feed on the crown of your head. Have you not brought this on yourself By abandoning Jehovah your God While he was leading you in the way? Now why do you wish for the way to Egypt To drink the waters of Shiʹhor? Why do you wish for the way to As·syrʹi·a To drink the waters of the River? Your wickedness should correct you, And your own unfaithfulness should reprove you. Know and realize how bad and bitter it is To abandon Jehovah your God; You have shown no fear of me,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies.

‘For long ago I smashed your yoke And tore off your shackles. But you said: “I am not going to serve,” For on every high hill and under every luxuriant tree You were lying sprawled out, prostituting yourself. I planted you as a choice red vine, all of it pure seed; So how have you turned into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine before me?’

‘Though you should wash with soda and use much lye, Your guilt would still be a stain before me,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.

How can you say, ‘I have not defiled myself. I have not followed the Baʹals’? Look at your way in the valley. Consider what you have done. You are like a swift, young she-camel, Aimlessly running back and forth in her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, Sniffing the wind in her lust. Who can restrain her when she is in heat? None of those looking for her will need to weary themselves. In her season they will find her. Keep your feet from going bare And your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! I have fallen in love with strangers, And I will follow them.’

Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, So the house of Israel has been put to shame, They, their kings and their princes, Their priests and their prophets. They say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ But to me they turn their back and not their face. And in the time of their calamity they will say, ‘Rise up and save us!’ Now where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them rise up if they can save you in your time of calamity, For your gods have become as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

‘Why do you keep contending against me? Why have all of you rebelled against me?’ declares Jehovah. I have struck your sons in vain. They would accept no discipline; Your own sword devoured your prophets, Like a marauding lion. O generation, consider for yourselves the word of Jehovah. Have I become like a wilderness to Israel Or a land of oppressive darkness? Why have these, my people, said, ‘We roam freely. We will come to you no more’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, A bride her breastbands? And yet my own people have forgotten me for countless days. How skillfully, O woman, you set your course to seek love! You have trained yourself in the ways of wickedness. Even your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor ones, Though I did not find them in the act of breaking in; It is on all your skirts. But you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely his anger has turned back from me.’ Now I am bringing judgment against you Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ Why do you treat so lightly your unstable course? You will become ashamed of Egypt too, Just as you became ashamed of As·syrʹi·a. For this reason also you will go out with your hands on your head, For Jehovah has rejected those in whom you put confidence; They will not bring you success.”

Chapter 3

People ask: “If a man sends his wife away and she leaves him and becomes another man’s, should he return to her anymore?”

Has that land not been utterly polluted?

“You have committed prostitution with many companions, And should you now return to me?” declares Jehovah. “Raise your eyes to the bare hills and see. Where have you not been raped? You sat along the roadways for them, Like a nomad in the wilderness. You keep polluting the land With your prostitution and your wickedness. So showers of rain are withheld, And there is no rain in the spring. You have the brazen look of a wife who commits prostitution; You refuse to feel shame. But now you call out to me, ‘My Father, you are the companion of my youth! Should one stay resentful forever, Or always hold a grudge?’ This is what you say, But you keep doing all the evil you are capable of doing.”

In the days of King Jo·siʹah, Jehovah said to me: “‘Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and underneath every luxuriant tree to commit prostitution. Even after she did all these things, I kept telling her to return to me, but she did not return; and Judah kept watching her treacherous sister. When I saw that, I sent unfaithful Israel away with a full certificate of divorce because of her adultery. But her treacherous sister Judah did not become afraid; she too went out and committed prostitution. She took her prostitution lightly, and she kept polluting the land and committing adultery with stones and with trees. Despite all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, only in pretense,’ declares Jehovah.”

Jehovah then said to me: “Unfaithful Israel has shown herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words to the north:

“‘“Return, O renegade Israel,” declares Jehovah.’ ‘“I will not look down angrily on you, for I am loyal,” declares Jehovah.’ ‘“I will not stay resentful forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, for you have rebelled against Jehovah your God. You continued scattering your favors to strangers under every luxuriant tree, but you would not obey my voice,” declares Jehovah.’”

“Return, you renegade sons,” declares Jehovah. “For I have become your true master; and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and insight. You will become many and will bear fruit in the land in those days,” declares Jehovah. “No more will they say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Jehovah!’ It will not come up into the heart, nor will they remember it or miss it, and it will not be made again. At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations will be brought together to the name of Jehovah at Jerusalem, and they will no longer stubbornly follow their own wicked heart.”

“In those days they will walk together, the house of Judah alongside the house of Israel, and together they will come from the land of the north into the land that I gave to your forefathers as an inheritance. And I thought, ‘How I placed you among the sons and gave you the desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance among the nations!’ I also thought that you would call me, ‘My Father!’ and that you would not turn away from following me. ‘Truly as a wife treacherously leaves her husband, so also you, O house of Israel, have dealt treacherously with me,’ declares Jehovah.”

On the bare hills a sound is heard, The weeping and the pleading of the people of Israel, For they have distorted their way; They have forgotten Jehovah their God.

“Return, you renegade sons. I will heal your renegade condition.”

“Here we are! We have come to you, For you, O Jehovah, are our God. Truly the hills and the turmoil on the mountains are a delusion. Truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel. But the shameful thing has consumed the toil of our forefathers since our youth, Their flocks and their herds, Their sons and their daughters. Let us lie down in our shame, And let our disgrace cover us, For we have sinned against Jehovah our God, We and our fathers since our youth until this day, And we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.”

#BIBLE #JEREMIAH #reading

At last year's Open Hardware Summit in Edinburgh, during a panel on environmental monitoring I came across a data logger I'd not come across before. Shannon Hicks at the Stroud Water Research Center introduced us to the Mayfly open-source data logger they developed as part of their EnviroDIY toolkit. What makes this data logger special is its support for commercial sensor probes. By using calibrated off-the-shelf probes there's no need for upfront sensor characterization and calibration. As someone who's spent more time than I'd like characterising the current-intensity curve of a homemade probe, the appeal of calibrated off-the-shelf sensors is obvious.

The Mayfly has an add-on socket for accessories like 4G/LTE, WiFi/Bluetooth or an OLED display, and includes Grove ports, Qwiic/Stemma-QT ports, SD card sockets and a real-time clock powered by a coin cell battery. It can be powered using LiPo batteries and a solar panel, and can be programmed using the Arduino IDE or PlatformIO.

EnviroDIY has a river quality monitoring project that covers four US states and 13,000 square miles. They monitor the tributaries of the Delaware River Basin using the Mayfly, as governmental monitoring stations only cover the main river. This monitoring includes CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) and turbidity measurements, and all the data is transmitted in real-time to their online portal.

After the panel I had a short chat with Shannon and discovered that they are looking for distributors outside the US, and I mentioned that we would be interested in stocking their products at LabCrafter for the UK and EU markets. Fast-forward a year and we're about to start selling the Mayfly data logger (as a stand-alone board), a starter kit (which includes the board, an enclosure and a solar panel) and a 4G/LTE cellular module called the LTE Bee. Before committing to stock these, I wanted to confirm the cellular module works on UK networks, and it does; using a Soracom SIM card I had one reporting over EE.

If you're running a river monitoring group, a citizen-science project or teaching environmental monitoring here in the UK or EU, the Mayfly is a rare thing: a logger that's genuinely open, well-documented and field-proven over years of real deployments. Until now it was only sold in the US, so getting hold of one over here meant either knowing someone or going without. This is exactly the gap we wanted to close. The board, starter kit and LTE Bee will be listed at LabCrafter shortly; I'll add the link here once they're live.

Imagine there's no Project 2025,

It's easy if you try.

No toxic mercury in our air,

Above us only sky.

Imagine all the climate scientists,

Keeping their funds today...

Imagine there's no tariffs,

It isn't hard to do.

No twenty-five percent tax on Canada,

And no CUSMA blackmail too.

Imagine all the neighbors,

Trading in total peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer,

But I'm not the only one.

I hope someday you'll join us,

And the world will be as one.

Imagine no ICE raids,

I wonder if you can.

No children torn from families,

No innocent detained man.

Imagine all the LGBTQ+ youth,

Keeping their basic rights...

Imagine no Iran War,

No airstrikes in the night.

No blockades in the ocean,

Or petrol price-hike fright.

Imagine all the people,

Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,

But I'm not the only one.

I hope some day you'll join us,

And the world will live as one.

I have a confession to make: I love watching Ashton Hall daily routine videos. Every time he posts a new “Daily Routine” video, I watch it. I don’t seek them out but the algorithm ensures I cannot escape them. The algorithm on my fake Facebook account has determined, probably with great accuracy, that I like watching extremely fit men dip their face in bottled water, drive fancy cars, and wear fancy clothes.

If you don’t know about Ashton Hall, good; you’re doing better than a lot of folks. Nevertheless, in order to understand what Ashton Hall is trying to tell us through his videos, it’s important to first describe a typical video of his.

The type of video he is most well known for are his “Daily Routine” videos—a minute by minute accounting of everything he does in a day from waking up in the morning until bedtime. The videos show every little mundane/ridiculous thing he does in a day from brushing his teeth, putting on his shoes, getting manicures and yes, dipping his face in a bowl of iced bottled water. The videos typically start with him waking up at 3:00 am. He pours bottles of Saratoga brand spring water into a bowl of ice, and dips his face in it. He brushes his teeth, he rubs his face with a banana peel, he does some sort of vague “studying.” Then by 4:00 am he is doing some kind of intense workout. He comes back to his lavish apartment in Miami where he undertakes a long, exquisite grooming routine to get ready for his daily activity. He gets in and out of Bentleys, Ferraris and Mercedes vehicles, he is followed by an entourage of assistants that bring him clothes and food who are no doubt paid for by brands. By 7:00 pm he’s had dinner in some fancy restaurant in downtown Miami, he “reads” his Bible, and goes to sleep so he can do it all over again the next day.

The first thing one notices about Ashton Hall is that he is visually immaculate. He’s tall, extremely fit, and perfectly groomed. His face and body are symmetrical, he’s muscular, and wears bespoke, perfectly pressed clothes. In short, he’s camera-ready at all times. Ashton Hall, is attempting to, and some would say, has achieved and perfected the paradigm of aesthetic beauty that gets the maximal amount of views in an algorithmic world. Let’s face it: humans like to look at beautiful people. Presumably because of his outlandish daily routine he’s moulded himself into somebody that deserves your attention. The routine he undertakes every day is elaborate, expensive, and unattainable for the average person who doesn’t have boat loads of money and brand deals. But that’s not the point. The point is that he does it everyday—it’s the price he pays to be him.

Is Ashton Hall vain? If there is one thing Ashton Hall cares about, it’s how he looks on camera. Indeed, it takes an enormous amount of vanity to subject oneself to this agonizing lifestyle of filming yourself the way he does and churning out content at the pace he does. But in fairness to Ashton Hall, it also takes a tremendous amount of drive and perseverance to build the brand he has on social media. I know more than most people what it takes to make videos. It involves organizing people with cameras and lights. It takes direction and vision. Editing videos and putting them out requires outsize time and effort, though he no doubt has a team dedicated to that. What you don’t see in his routine is all the work he puts into building his brand. That takes a special kind of hustle that most people lack. What would your life look like if you put even half the effort he does in doing what he does?

One of the most fascinating features of Ashton Hall videos is that he appears to also be a godly man. A man who reads and contemplates the Bible — a devout Christian. In all his daily routine videos, he sets aside time to read and reflect on the Bible. There’s not a lot of talking in his videos, but when he does speak it’s usually him making some generic motivational statement or biblical reference. The religious offerings of Ashton Hall videos are thin, but seem to suggest that his success is not only just a cultivation of outward appearance and physical prowess but also spiritual development and religiosity. His faith is just as important as paddling his muscles with a stick.

So what are we to make of Ashton Hall videos? What is Ashton Hall trying to sell us? Ashton Hall is telling us that it’s not the individual components of the routine that matter. I think he knows that most of us can’t afford the nice clothes, the fancy cars, the entourage, or the subscription to Saratoga water bottles. It’s that having a routine, whatever it may be, is what brings success. He’s telling us that having a routine, something you do every day, followed rigorously is what brings material and spiritual prosperity. Ashton hall’s success is a matter of dedication to a set of actions that improve his life. Every body’s routine is different. What separates the winners and the losers is how dedicated you are to following your routine. Ashton Hall has no off-days.

A lot of people will dismiss Ashton Hall as just another attention-grabbing influencer who seeks fame, money, and power, that he’s just another lifestyle influencer commanding our attention through social media with gimmicks. This is all true. Indeed to command the attention he does in an already crowded environment of lifestyle influencers requires all these things. But the mistake that people make in understanding Ashton Hall is thinking that if you dip your face in spring water, and rub your eyebrows with a banana peel, you too will achieve fame and fortune. The real message is that if you too follow a routine and do it diligently everyday, your routine might one day look like his.

Ashton Hall probably understands that what drives our attention on social media is rage bait. His videos are meant to fill us with jealousy, and with a feeling of moral superiority. We’re meant to watch them and say to ourselves, “I’m not as vain as that guy is.” But Ashton Hall doesn’t care. He’s making money off of your righteous indignation. It’s your outrage at his antics that fund his lavish lifestyle. To understand his message, however recycled and trite it may be, is to also free yourself from the attention his videos demand. Ashton Hall is saying nothing new. It’s how he says it that makes his videos appealing.

Nevertheless, routines matter. What you do every day is who you are. What or who you do your routine for matters. Ashton Hall’s routine is dedicated to the algorithm. Everything he does, all his antics are for the purpose of being maximally attractive to the algorithm that then brings him viewers. Downstream of that are the brand deals, the money, the clothes, and the cars. Ashton Hall has correctly identified that sacrificing time, and effort, and molding his life and physical appearance to the algorithm has paid off. Which is why his appeals to faith feel hollow because a life dedicated to God wouldn’t look like his. No, Ashton Hall believes in the algorithm. All his workouts, his arduous grooming routine, his bible-study, and his dedication and effort has been for the algorithm, not God. It is the algorithm that has blessed him. So long as the camera is trained on him, the algorithm will continue to bless him.

Everyone is devoted to something. Everyone is religious about something whether it’s physical fitness, longevity, or government to name a few. One might not think of themselves as religious or an adherent to any one religion, but everyone makes a sacrifice to one thing or another believing that if they do, they will receive its blessings. However, all of these gods have no real power over us. Work will bless your life so long as you’re not fired or the company you work for doesn’t go under. Physical fitness will bless your life until the day you injure yourself or are immobilized by disease or old-age. Devoting your life to the government will bless you until the day the government collapses. In the case of Ashton Hall, he will continue to be blessed by the algorithm so long as there are computers and AWS data centers to house them all. If you’re going to devote your life to something why not to devote it to something that will outlast everything—something that has no beginning and no end?

All to say, that Ashton Hall, if anything is a vehicle for us to really think about what it is we dedicate our lives too. Ashton Hall is not the great harbinger of religious wisdom, but pondering his videos, however shallow they may be, causes us to reflect on what we do things for.What or who are we devoting our every actions too? What or who has the power to bless us, to forgive us, to sustain us on a daily basis? I will probably keep watching his daily routine videos because they’re entertaining but I will also keep a close watch on what I do things for and continue to question who or what really has power over me.

I’m showering in my nice shower, and My phone is really low, So nothing really today. I also apologize for all random capitalization, that is a quirk of how I type with voice to text and I’m honestly too easy to correct it.

The way some people drive these days is appalling. It is true that there have always been bad drivers on the roads. There are a lot more cars on the road now though I guess. Part of the problem is too many gadgets distracting drivers from driving. Even the dashboard of most new cars is a big distracting gadget.

It makes me think back many years ago playing car racing video games, back when video game graphics were just starting to become more realistic. One time a friend of mine and I were out in my (real) car going to get some fast (fake) food, taking a break from the games. I said that I felt like I was resisting the urge to drive like I was in the game. We laughed and talked about how ridiculous that would be. We made up stories about how that could turn out.

It is interesting to think back to then from now. The thought of driving like that was ludicrous. We would laugh about it. These days though it is not so funny when a lot of people on the roads actually drive as though they are playing a video game. They really are a minority of drivers on the roads, but my guess would be that they are the cause of a very large percentage of traffic crashes and fatalities.

My first instinct when thinking about this was to conclude how impatient, unsafe and careless a lot of drivers are these days. Pondering it further though, that does not quite feel right. Saying that drivers are impatient, unsafe and careless implies that they possess knowledge about safe driving, and they are failing to use that knowledge. True to a some degree, with some drivers, but at the same time is not entirely accurate.

A more accurate word to describe some drivers would be oblivious. So many drivers truly don't know that safe driving is an option, or that the way they are driving is blatantly stupid, and is putting themselves and everyone around them in danger.

They don't possess knowledge that could be classified as safe driving skills. They just get in, point the vehicle in the general direction of their destination using the steering wheel, and step on pedals to make the vehicle move and stop. Sometimes they luck out and make it from point A to point B without causing a crash. Sometimes they don't.

They are completely oblivious of everything. As though other vehicles on the roads, pedestrians, general safety, and traffic laws are just inconvenient annoyances that they have to pay attention to when they are forced into it.

They act surprised when something requires them to take their foot off the gas, or (the horror) if they have to brake, or if they cause a crash. They don't know what to do with the unforeseen outcomes of their own incompetence. They blow the horn and sometimes yell out the window. If there is stopping involved, or a collision, they might get out of the vehicle and make a bad situation worse with threats and accusations or even physical violence.

I have to walk across a busy intersection, and cross a right turn lane, on my way home from work at rush hour. I learned a very long time ago that if I make eye contact with drivers at the right turn lane they interpret that as permission for them to not stop to let me cross. Like 9 times out of 10 they will keep going. Even though there is a huge sign right at the crosswalk to accompany the lines painted on the pavement. YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS, it says. Pretty straightforward basic driving instruction.

For that reason I rarely make eye contact with drivers there. Sometimes they notice me, and they think I'm not looking so they stop, or, they actually know basic things about driving, and they stop because that is what they are supposed to do. I act like I'm not paying attention, when really I am.

A few times when I noticed a car hurtling into the right turn lane I made it my mission to take a step off the curb at the crosswalk onto the pavement. Not like right out in front of a speeding car or anything, but enough that I made it appear as though I would walk out in front of them, and if they didn't slam on the brakes they would run me over. Some would slam on the brakes and glare at me like I did something wrong. I looked at them and acted surprised as though I just noticed they were there. No one said anything to me. Not even a horn blow, or obscenities yelled. I was likely at risk of wearing a Tim Horton's double double tossed from a car window, or some other kind of juvenile rage. Other drivers didn't even slow, and went flying right on through. They were either pretending not to notice me there, or, more scary, they actually didn't notice.

I only did that a few times. Maybe I had a bad day, or I was in a bad mood from work. More often than not lately, I avoid eye contact with drivers and I try not to do anything that might make them have to make a decision. Nine out of ten drivers turning right at that intersection make the wrong decision anyway. So I figure why interact with them at all if I don't have to? I usually choose to spare ten or fifteen seconds extra to wait for a gap rather than make drivers have to think, or make them stop for the three or four seconds it would take to let me cross in front of them.

## A Systemic and Poetic Analysis of Large-Scale Bioengineering Interventions

**Scientific & Poetic Analysis Note (v4.0)** • *Ecosystemic Perspectives and Entropy Flows*

-—

L'algorithme écrit

Sur l'aile fine du moustique

Un code éphémère.

Data shapes the wind,

Yet the ancient forest hums,

Deaf to corporate math.

Lignes de calcul

Face au tumulte vivant,

L'ordre se dissout.

Silicon and cell,

A fragile bridge over chaos,

Where wild currents meet.

Le miroir se brise

Quand l'orgueil veut corriger

Le flux infini.

Wings in the dark night,

We count every structured step,

Lost in the vast sky.

-—

**Abstract —** The deployment of bioengineering technologies applied to vector control (notably the release of mosquitoes infected with *Wolbachia*) raises fundamental questions regarding ecosystem modeling. This note integrates recent clinical data demonstrating the short-term prophylactic efficacy of these methods, while maintaining a critical focus on long-term systemic risks. We will use the term *entropic pendulum swing* to describe the mechanisms by which a complex system reacts to an external perturbation by seeking to restore its equilibrium, often through unpredictable adaptive reactions. By intersecting computational complexity theory, ecological niche analysis, and the study of hybrid socio-economic models, we explore the adaptive dynamics underlying this emerging paradigm.

-—

## 1. Factual Framework, Clinical Efficacy, and Methodology

*Project Debug* (and related initiatives) is part of a public health effort targeting the *Aedes aegypti* vector. The methodology relies on the introduction of the endosymbiotic bacterium *Wolbachia*, creating a cytoplasmic incompatibility that hinders reproduction. On an industrial level, automation via artificial intelligence allows for massive larval sex sorting.

It is imperative to acknowledge the substantial clinical benefits already measured. As demonstrated by randomized trials published in the *New England Journal of Medicine* (2021), a 40 to 60% reduction in dengue cases has been observed in Indonesia and Australia. Furthermore, *Wolbachia* exerts a positive collateral effect by blocking the replication of other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and yellow fever. These successes fully justify the interest of public health authorities.

Nevertheless, the validity of these results on a decadal scale remains uncertain. These studies, limited to periods of 2 to 3 years, do not allow for the evaluation of long-term effects, notably the possible emergence of resistance (*PNAS*, 2020). The absence of longitudinal studies exceeding 20 years, coupled with a publication bias where adaptive failures are statistically underrepresented, dictates the need to maintain systemic vigilance.

Succès mesuré,

La fièvre recule un temps,

Demain reste aveugle.

A brief, quiet shield,

Sickness fades inside the grid,

Time watches and waits.

-—

## 2. Architectural Analysis: Linear Logic and NP-Hard Complexity

The fundamental asymmetry of this project lies in the application of a deterministic technical solution (linear, assimilable to the **P** complexity class) to an inherently non-linear ecosystemic architecture (assimilable to the **NP** class).

**Theoretical Perspective:** The natural ecosystem is a self-regulated complex system. The injection of replicating autonomous biological agents amounts to introducing variables that force unpredictable dynamics. Unlike binary code, one cannot delete a line from the ecosystemic database without altering the overall coherence.

Règles de métal

Sur la jungle aux mille nœuds,

L'équation dévie.

Linear commands

Fail to bind the fractal web,

Chaos claims its tax.

-—

## 3. Adaptive Dynamics: Ecological Risks and Nuances

The application of selective stress on a biological population inevitably induces an adaptive response. The following scenarios model these reactions.

### 3.1. Niche Dynamics and Replacement Probability

The competitive exclusion principle postulates that a vacant ecological niche is rapidly colonized, but this premise requires contextualization. Eradication campaigns targeting the malaria vector (*Anopheles*) in China between 2000 and 2010 (WHO data) proved that an ecological space could remain empty if the niche is extremely specific (strict wetlands).

However, *Aedes aegypti* evolves in a highly anthropized and generalist urban environment. A study published in *Parasites & Vectors* (2018) estimates an 85% probability that *Aedes albopictus* (the tiger mosquito) will colonize the urban niches left vacant in less than 5 years.

### 3.2. Meteorological Perturbations (Black Swans)

An extreme climatic event (hurricane, prolonged flooding) would exponentially multiply the residual wild population, instantly diluting the proportion of modified males. To maintain its efficacy rate, the project manager would be forced into a cumulative feedback loop, drastically increasing release volumes.

### 3.3. Reproductive Bypassing and Parthenogenesis

Faced with a reproductive dead end, selective pressure can force the non-linear ecosystem to reuse alternative genetic pathways. Although parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) has never been observed in mosquitoes, it exists in other insects under environmental stress (e.g., the *Apis mellifera capensis* bee or aphids).

Knowing that the *Wolbachia* bacterium has the proven ability to modify the genetic expression and cellular processes of its host (*PNAS*, 2020), the hypothesis of an inadvertent activation of alternative reproductive pathways constitutes a low but non-zero risk, which must be included in monitoring protocols.

Le vide appelle,

Une autre ombre prend la place,

La vie se recode.

The niche never sleeps,

If one lineage is erased,

A sharper tooth wakes.

-—

## 4. Economic Ecosystem: Beyond the Corporate Monopoly

To understand the underlying economic dynamics, it is necessary to distinguish three financing models, each with its structural implications:

| Financing Model | Dynamics and Actors | Structural Implications |

| :—– | :—– | :—– |

| **Public Subsidies** | Sovereign states (e.g., Brazil) directly funding targeted releases. | Emergency response to a health crisis, partial independence from the strict subscription model. |

| **Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)** | Collaboration between technological firms (Verily) and NGOs (*World Mosquito Program*). | Mutualization of industrial R&D costs and social acceptability on the ground. |

| **Recurring “Firewall” Model** | Long-term corporate technological contracts. | Structural dependence of public health infrastructures on proprietary technology. |

Regardless of the funding source, these models share a common characteristic: they outsource the management of ecological risk to actors whose incentives are not always aligned with the long-term resilience of ecosystems. For example, in Brazil, the partnership between the NGO *World Mosquito Program* and local municipalities allows for the mutualization of R&D costs, but retains a centralized approach where decisions are made by external experts, without direct involvement of the affected communities.

Calculer le risque,

Abonner le flux vivant,

Le profit s'isole.

Gold buys solutions,

But who pays the ecosystem

For its broken spine?

-—

## 5. Conclusion: Lucidity in the Face of Entropy

Vector bioengineering initiatives show tangible and valuable epidemiological successes in the short term. However, scientific lucidity dictates not confusing temporary local efficacy with absolute mastery of a complex system. The real challenge is not to demonize these technologies, but to demand an engineering approach that integrates its own fallibility in the face of the capacity of living systems to generate non-linear and unpredictable responses (mutations, niche shifts, parthenogenesis).

This could involve the adoption of adaptive monitoring protocols, where release parameters are adjusted in real-time based on ecological data, rather than through rigid plans based on theoretical models.

-—

Pas de haine ici,

Juste un grand balancier noir

Qui cherche son centre.

Listen to the swarm,

Not with fear, but lucid eyes,

Nature always speaks.

L'humilité pure

Vaut mieux que les pare-feux froids,

La boucle s'achève.

The digital dream

Melts into the open loam,

Life returns to earth.

Yesterday was a lot to take. from taking my cousins to school, to heading to therapy, to absolutely dropping a massive rant that it took me a second to realise she looked odd, I was sure she was mentally writing her resignation letter, considering how strong she tried to look with her little notebook and pen, like she’ll figure out a new element i haven’t seen yet. I’ll still go there anyway. its fun to see therapists struggle and eventually quit, or i quit. i got dragged into a long, long shopping spree with my housemate, he likes shopping more than anything, which i talked about before in the matter of how disturbing it is to me so i wont repeat it. i came home at nine and for someone in a relationship with his mattress, that was life-threatening. i slept as soon as i got home. and even though i slept for ten hours and woke up at seven AM i never felt so tired that my housemate woke me up around eight times and my sleep- talking self decided it was a great time to tell him that “i dont have to wake up” “im free today,” and other cuss words that were so unneeded, thanks sleep-talker. That was awesome. that he had to pour cold water on me out of frustration because “why did you cuss me out?”. i was confused and tired so I got back to sleep. Don’t ask me about the shock that i had when i woke up by myself. like i was in a cold-water pond, if he didn’t discuss with me that topic, I would’ve thought i pissed my bed. and im 100% sick. itchy throat and a running nose.

Whether it was because i made fun of him or because he poured cold water with my freezing AC on, I’ll never be sure.

Sincerely, Ahmed is sick (physically)

De Wolkenpartij voor een dik bedekte toekomst. We leven, u en wij, van de partij in een moeilijk werkzame samenleving, overal rondom ons is onrust en afkeer en dat heeft zijn weerslag op het goede leven. Dit zijn de globale kringloop problemen waarmee we kampen. Wij zijn juist daarom op een zeker moment samen gaan pakken en hebben besloten een partij te beginnen voor om de hele aarde. In elk land op aarde willen we deelnemen aan de democratie en zelfs indien nodig mee doen met de dictatuur als de verdreven oppositie.

De wolkenpartij zet zich vooral in voor complete dekking, verstrekkende vervolgen, werpen van schaduw, een nattig heden, hoge en lage druk belasting en stevige rukwinden der verandering. We dekken onaangenaam actieve oververhitte en licht reflecterende te invloedrijke lichamen, de grote organisaties boven u, de hele deep state. We gaan tussen u en deze samengebalde organisaties zitten, drijven naar daar waar men ons nodig heeft voor onze hoge noden oplossende tussenkomst, Interventie via overdrijving is ons sterkste eigenschap, daarop richten we dan ook ons partij beleid. We zeggen u nu dat we zullen gaan cumuleren in de stratosfeer en gaan trekken om te dekken, stem overal op de Wolkenpartij. U zult zien dat het scheelt.

De Wolkenpartij staat voor

Dagelijkse Overdrijving

Zinvolle vergrijzing

Distrubutie van elektrische lading met veel gedonder

Blussen van heter vuur

Complete dekking met maximaal bereik

Golven, rimpelingen, ritselen en wiegen

Overwaaiende beslommeringen

Snel drogende was

Verplaatsing van Lucht

Natuurlijke distributie van de Drukte

Stormachtige relaties

en vanzelfsprekend voor diepgaande verstrekking van Nattigheid

Wolkenpartij Smægmå nu al bezig met de komende verkiezingen voor als het kabinet inenen onverhoeds omwipt in de stevige woei van het druk verkeer of als de lopende gezetelde reageer verkeer periode alweer in het volgende niets is opgelost. Wolkenpartij wij zijn er over u, dus stem luchtig en vluchtig.