When you see someone wearing headphones and tapping away at a laptop it means that they don’t want to be disturbed. The wearers are trying to ignore the world and grab a bit of peace. Not everyone recognises the signs however and insist on trying to engage the person in conversation. If you are one … Continue reading Noise cancelling
Artificial stupidity
There is a thought that humans were more intelligent when we were hunter gatherers than we are today. Not as individuals but on average. The need to be able to retain huge amounts of information about what was edible and what was poisonous, what would make you feel better and what would make you sick, … Continue reading Artificial stupidity
Tech enabled care
Tech enabled care is very much in vogue in the social care sector. With slashed budgets and a seemingly never ending increase in demand, technology is seen as the panacea to all the sectors troubles, but is it? Technological change has been huge. We can all accept that our lives are very different now than … Continue reading Tech enabled care
A storm in a measuring cup
In all my years on Twitter, I have never been involved in such a storm. Yes, I have had spats over politics, who hasn’t? Most of the time these have been short yet intense, usually resulting in people getting abusive and giving up. I try never to be abusive or rude on Twitter. In my … Continue reading A storm in a measuring cup
The Drowned and the Saved
I don’t wish to invoke the memories of Primo Levi, a survivor of Auschwitz, in anything as banal as my blog yet this is how I feel about the plight of humanity sometimes. We are caught in a bind, trapped between the amazing, exciting world ahead of us and the very real threat of extinction … Continue reading The Drowned and the Saved
Swarm!
Sabine Hauert is a swarm engineer. She is also a lecturer in robotics at Bristol University and spends a lot of her time designing swarming nanobots for biomed applications. I heard her give a fascinating presentation at Thinking Digital this year, another one to add to the ever growing list of reasons to have gone … Continue reading Swarm!
Humans discover fire
What’s this, another blog from Thinking Digital 2019? Yes, my fourth from this year’s event. I am sure I will squeeze one or two more. The thing is that there is so much to cover. It would be easy to write about what the speakers are saying but I find it more interesting to blog … Continue reading Humans discover fire
Both sides of the crime
Doesn’t time go fast when you are enjoying yourself. I can’t believe that Thinking Digital has come and gone again for another year. It is such a good event that I end up buying my tickets for next year the day they go on sale. I always get a few blogs out of it as … Continue reading Both sides of the crime
AI and social sciences
A few months ago, Ed, a colleague of mine from Durham University, asked if I would chair a panel session on artificial intelligence and social sciences at Proto in Gateshead. These are not subjects that I had any real experience in though this has never stopped me before from having opinions nor contributing to a … Continue reading AI and social sciences
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the biggest machine that mankind has ever built. It is designed to collide sub-atomic particles at speeds close to that of light and watch what happens after the impact. It is hoped that in this way we can get a better understanding of how the universe was formed. I am … Continue reading Large Hadron Collider
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 