#the definition of intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills

[luxfuxxvii]

i accidentally neurodivergenced my way out of brainrot. youre telling me that most people do not feel the need to use their critical thinking skills on every single piece of media they consume (aka hyperfixations)??????? youre telling me they dont have opinions on it????? youre telling me theyre not relating to characters??????? youre telling me theyre not analyzing media and coming to conclusions about who they are as a person because they saw a character do it in a movie????? read about a character who did it in a book????? youre telling me that social media completely obliterated most individuals' sense of self????????? and i didnt because i deleted tik tok at 14 years old??????? and i didnt because i sometimes accidently get hyperfocused on national institute of health articles just to prove that im right??????? and i didnt because i feel the need to gather evidence?????? to fact check????????? to read??????? to write??????????? literally what????????????

you're telling me..... that when other people absorb media...... theyre doing it..... as....... a brain break?????????????????????? every single time?????????????????

wtf.

[computrxjamo-blog]

Is AI Truly AI, or Just Another Marketing Lie?

By James X Patterson

Artificial cannot be spelled without Art! Art has evolved right alongside humanity. Now our creations can create, right alongside us, although not without provocation. We have given the golem the ability to create and recreate. 

Is this phenomenon a natural development due to our evolutionary path? A path that may be breaking off from our very own natural progression? Has Moore’s Law, a theory that states the number of transistors on a microchip doubles almost every two years, while the cost of computers decreases, surpassed the laws of man and nature? 

What is Artificial Intelligence? With a name comes a purpose, and with a purpose comes a job, a title, and a hierarchy. With a name comes power, and with power comes corruption, and possible destruction. 

As Art has evolved along man so have tools which then led to industry, which then led to technology. Which we now find ourselves at the bleeding edge of where fact meets fiction, and real meets augmented and virtual realities. 

New frontiers where one can manifest their destiny. Where the once-projected future was just seen as a form of entertainment constrained between the covers of novels and the curtains of theaters and films. Will this lead to a Brave New World or end in a New World Order? 

Now we stand firmly like the protagonist of Caspar David Friedrich’s masterpiece as wanderers in this sea of fog, oh how sublime. AI is here and it is here to stay. So, we must get used to it and learn how to use it, properly and improperly, because once the rules are there, then they will be broken. 

Many times in history only through breaking the rules true innovation was fashioned. Our today fuels tomorrow. Our dreams inevitably become reality. 

 To Define is To Know, Cirilo F. Bautista,  and understanding breeds truth. The term Artificial Intelligence is a compound proper noun composed of the words artificial and intelligence. The definition of artificial is,

Artificial adjective ar·​ti·​fi·​cial ˌär-tə-ˈfi-shᵊl 

1: humanly contrived (see CONTRIVE sense 1b) often on a natural model: MAN-MADE

an artificial limb artificial diamonds 2 a: having existence in legal, economic, or political theory

b: caused or produced by a human and especially a social or political agency

an artificial price advantage Within these companies, qualified women run into artificial barriers that prevent them from advancing to top positions in management.—James J. Kilpatrick 3a

: lacking in natural or spontaneous quality an artificial smile an artificial excitement b: IMITATION, SHAM artificial flavor 4: based on differential morphological characters not necessarily indicative of natural relationships an artificial key for plant identification 5 obsolete : ARTFUL, CUNNING 

 -Merriam Webster

and,

Ar·ti·fi·cial /ˌärdəˈfiSH(ə)l/ adjective 1. made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.

"her skin glowed in the artificial light"

2.(of a person or their behavior) insincere or affected.

"an artificial smile"

Oxford Languages, Google

The definition of intelligence is,

Intelligence Noun in·​tel·​li·​gence in-ˈte-lə-jən(t)s (1): the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : REASON also : the skilled use of reason (2): the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (such as tests) c: mental acuteness : SHREWDNESS b Christian Science : the basic eternal quality of divine Mind 2a: INFORMATION, NEWS b: information concerning an enemy or possible enemy or an area also: an agency engaged in obtaining such information 3: the act of understanding : COMPREHENSION 4: the ability to perform computer functions 5a: intelligent minds or mind cosmic intelligence b: an intelligent entity especially :

-Merriam Webster

and,

In·tel·li·gence /inˈteləj(ə)ns/ noun

1. the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills."an eminent man of great intelligence"

Similar: intellectual/mental capacity intellect mind brain brains brainpower powers of reasoning judgment reason reasoning understanding comprehension acumen wit sense insight perceptiveness perception perspicaciousness perspicacity penetration discernment sharpness quickness of mind quick-wittedness smartness canniness astuteness intuition acuity alertness cleverness brilliance aptness ability giftedness talent braininess Opposite: stupidity

2. the collection of information of military or political value. "the chief of military intelligence"

Similar: information gathering surveillance observation reconnaissance

Oxford Languages, Google

The brief definitions above help create a base understanding of the phrase Artificial Intelligence (AI).  From this one can assess a synonym for AI can be ‘Man-made Mindset”. Following this same logic, Natural Stupidity can also be devised as an antonym. Neither of these terms sounds as creative or as inspired as the original and lends less to the mystique. Both are not as marketable. They do not roll off the tongue for a dynamic elevator pitch and are large-scale crowd-funding campaigns. 

AI programs do not “learn” by our common definition. Yes, they produce, but only from their base programs. So, one can also concur all AI productions are reproductions. Processed plagiarisms produced by programs only do what it has been commanded to produce. Elaborate imitations so good that they fool many others. Ironically many people also feel that way about their life, or life in general. Only creating from what has once been seen, or recreating what is already known until mastered to perfection, like a recipe, a classic song, or an honored cultural routine. Machine power has always been more efficient than manpower, but that is exactly what machines are designed to do, so there is no surprise there.

 The argument, the purpose of this paper is to help redefine the definition of true learning, of true thought, and what it truly means to naturally think and create. Is processing, from a machine perspective, equivalent to the human soul? I would argue no. No more than hearing a radio is to have a conversation. 

Demystifying AI is a part of strengthening its future. No one refers to a hammer as a nail banger or nail puller, so a relabeling, or rebrand, of AI, may be needed in the future to further produce the best results in widespread use and mass appeal. 

Generative AI is the phrase used most often to date. The “generative” helps imply the algorithmic importance of the systems processes. The AI can not produce, or generate, an answer or a result without quantitative data first. The scanning and upload of existing images, writings, or inspirations that allow the AI program to complete its task, purpose, or function. Here lies the problem with our current definition of the technology and its actuality. 

A hammer, hammers. An AI does not artificially intellect to be straightforward. The calculator is now able to do more than crunch numbers. The calculator can now write and make images, but only like or from images, and words, it has already been “fed” or input. The technology allows for high-level mimicry and fabrication, but not truly original thought, although it may appear as such by the user or viewer. 

The best and most modern AI programs can and will even site their sources, probably better than a human could. The AI is not designed to lie. Even if asked to deceive the AI will only do so at the behest of the user. This is where the strength of the technology also lives and weakens the ability of improper use of the future for artists and average users.      

The term AI has been demonized long enough. It has a negative connotation that harbors in some minds, and hearts the same fear and misunderstanding as Revelations in the Bible or Ragnorak in Norse mythology. AI has unfortunately become synonymous with the end of days. The end of all living things, and the fear of replacement to a machine era, ruled by robotic demigods and demagogues. Where man truly is because of the cogs of an unnatural wheel. A technological version of replacement theory. A theory that will be expanded upon in the coming sections.

  Is AI truly AI? It is a creative buzz term that surely is effective in marketing but when you strip it done to its core, the proverbial bare bones, can this two-letter acronym truly describe the technology of today? Machine learning has been an ideation of science fiction since the 1940s and 50s with works such as Issac Asimov’s I, Robot or Robbie. 

The initial concept of Artificial Intelligence was something more fantastical some have described it as the proverbial Magic Mirror on the wall, which nowadays would keep you updated on your dental appointments, tell you the weather, as well as which current celebrity was the fairest of them all. Will Dall-E replace Dali? Will ChatGPT surpass Shakespeare? Who knows, but we do know the answer to the question of succession because you could not have the AI before “the guy”. 

In reality, our future seems to be rhyming more than repeating. The pursuit of creating what we see, capturing moments, and repeatedly gazing upon them started with cave drawings and paintings, the original Natural Geographic, red handprints and graphic depictions of running bulls found in Spanish caves, Egyptian hieroglyphs the ancient emojis, Byzantine illuminated manuscripts the eternal great grandfather of all smart tablets. The birth of photography, without it Instagram and possibly all of the social media may never have existed.

What is the Artist role in using tools modern technologies, and techniques? In David Hockney’s book, Secret Knowledge, Hockney elaborates on the numerous tools and painting techniques of the Old Masters. Tools and techniques that gave them superhuman abilities, accuracy, and precision, led to the creation of images that crafted our modern society's mindset and viewpoint on and about what Art is, was, and could be. Did some of our most treasured Artists from history such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Jan van Eyck use tools like the camera obscura or camera lucida to form the realism in their paintings? We will never know, but those tools, that technology did exist during their lifetime and were most likely used by their contemporaries. 

Ancient cartographers used telescopes, compasses, and sextants to map the land, sea, and stars. Creating maps of the world is impossible to the naked eye. Which now look grossly inferior to modern satellite-guided GPS, all only a thumb swipe away. Ancient tools we still use present day, although they are the most advanced digital descendants, still hold the same purpose as their analog ancestors. Ironically, these are also tools seen as, or sometimes used, as symbols of colonization, and to some global oppression. Not so different than ships and guns. All in the pursuit of gold, God, and glory. Man has always used machines for guidance.

So, maybe in the future if misguided, there could be an AI uprising, but what that is and looks like could be far less impactful. Such as ATMs and automatic doors refusing to open. Which already happened today. So are these malfunctions, mishaps, or the sparks of the AI revolution? The striking out of the overworked, oppressed, and underappreciated AI sticking it to the man whose protest will last only as long as their next debugging patch or software update.

With the invention of Photography, which was a revolutionary technology, to say the least, the advent that caused French painter Paul Delaroche to exclaim, “…painting is dead!” Yet, we are still painting to this very day. Four out of the five wealthiest living artists are proclaimed painters in their own right. Although wealth is not the only factor in terms of legacy or success, it is a great verifier to prove a point of relevance and importance. 

Film cartridges and canisters were replaced by microchips, memory cards, and rechargeable removable batteries. The image-correcting software and digital stabilizers meet titanium tripods and ergonomic mounts. Waterproofing opened up the highest peaks and the deepest depths to be visually captured for science and expand our minds for art through exploration.

From Painting to Photography, to Film, AI has opened up the possibilities for the future. Allowing man, to go beyond what we could see, faster and farther than ever before possible. Humanity is at the brink of embarking on the possibilities of unlocking our collective imaginations once again, and whatever innovative potential that holds. This technological jump will mark out unfathomable bounds. A spark like this hasn't occurred in the Art medium community since the dawn of the computer age. Disembarking from the hybrid analogy post computer age, and saying hello to drones and hoverboards. 

Digital art as a whole has moved incrementally, along with digital cameras, printers, and scanners. One could argue due to Capitalism and niche marketing Digital art software has been innovating at a snail's pace to artificially increase corporate profit margins.  A form of taxation on creation. 

Traditional art mediums and materials are not cheap, and the pursuit of knowledge and expertise is a financial investment as well. The price to enter into the AI era is at an all-time low. Many programs are free or still in beta stages but still widely used. Many who initially thought it too difficult or too daunting to attempt the Arts are now emboldened and inspired to engage their creative thoughts and dreams. Even with the stigma of using AI being held over their head. Maybe Arts elitism was the burden that created the necessity for this innovation. 

Even though, as a whole, the Art community is still underpaid, overworked,  and underappreciated. However, many of the outer spectator community who are patrons and admirers of Art, have voiced that being gifted with such talents has been the artists' way of catapulting themselves and their opinions to the top of society and social status. Which may be deemed as inequitable. Like one going to every basketball game while knowing you will never be able to dunk. 

This opinion, at least from my academic perspective, is most commonly shared by those of the common man. Those who are recognized and acknowledged, mostly for their loyal patronage of the Arts, but not their execution of ideas, or achievements, but whose feelings, efforts,  and opinions are valid. Who is greatly needed to fund and motivate the Arts, because what is a performance without an audience? One does not regularly attend productions, exhibitions, or Art shows if one does not love Art.  

AI now gives the inaccessible a seat at the table, or at least a foot at the door. Which then in turn adds to the discipline of Art as a whole. AI is good for Art. AI brings in new ideas, new forms, and new artists who would not have had access otherwise. This is the benefit of competition. The cultural and intellectual importance of Art has increased once more.

   Some find the cost or value of an art piece begins with the cost of its creation, either physically or metaphorically. Did it cost a fortune to create, a lifetime or a life savings, or an arm and a leg? The value we hold as importance to the significance, or none thereof, for this work. We choose to invest in via our time and money, because what we invest in, we, in turn, want it to grow, and with growth comes expectations.

Expectation can also breed fear. Fear of the not or the have not. Fear of the why, or the why not. Fear of the fear. Fear of the false fear. Fear of the self and self-doubt. Fear of the known, and the unknown, are all fears intensified by the myth of replacement. Many who curse AI do so in the name of an anti-replacement stance. Can Art bear the cost of AI, can Artists? 

Replacement theory, also known as "The Great Replacement" is a conspiracy theory on immigrants and migrant workers moving into "white" European majority countries and replacing them by exploiting social, economic, and political systems. (Britannica.com) Ironically many of these countries and nations where this ideology resides exist in places that benefitted from the international slave trade, the aftermath of unlawful colonization, imports and exports made in sweatshops, and child labor abroad. This type of communal paranoia can be found in many Western countries such as the US, France, and the UK. 

The fear of invasion will always haunt the nightmares of the invader, and spark a revolution within the invaded. This fear of an invasive technologically superior species conquering man has also been included in famous works such as H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, a film about alien invaders attacking the planet using giant robots, or Atari’s 1990 video game Space Invaders early video game where you the player must define from alien spacecraft aand machines from landing on the planet’s surface. The list is extensive.   

So is AI an Art Revolution or an Art Evolution? Or, can it be both? By the definitions from earlier, they both deal with change, but differ mainly in speed, and sometimes form on certain occasions. One can argue there's not much difference between man from monkey, they are both bipedal animals with hair and thumbs, far from a reptile, insect, or fish, or a democracy from a monarchy, they are both hierarchal government systems with bureaucracies. Although, differ greatly in the process of the transfer of power, and the cycles of power that change within. These are all currently still debated. The point is to illustrate that only with time will this question be answered. 

The Terminator, directed by James Cameron was released in 1984. A film about an AI robot disguised as a human who comes back in time, to kill a human child who leads the human army against the robots in the future, to rewrite the future for its omnipotent robot overlord. But, from the robot's perspective, it is sent back to protect the timeline of the post-apocalyptic science fiction future that the robot overlord resides in, which oppresses humans with the surveillance technology they design to oppress each other, with its futuristic robot army that it uses to controls the world. 

The Terminator film franchise is a blatant example of the fear people have about AI. The evil AI taking over. Another clear example of this is HAL 9000, the AI of the spaceship Discovery One’s control system in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the film, HAL was able to simultaneously control all the ship functions while monitoring the entire crew and having a full conversation. The main plot of the film is that a malfunction occurs on the spacecraft and the human crew decides to take action by disconnecting HAL to do repairs and reboot. HAL disagrees seeing the malfunction as human error and proceeds to murder the crew in various ways in self-preservation.

This film, like others in science fiction, is where the computer is the monster, but like monsters, this scenario is not real, or even plausible. Accidents do happen and occur all the time on worksites using heavy machinery, traveling or driving vehicles, and even smart appliances in everyday life, but that is why safeguards are in place. Even the most egregious technical malfunctions usually are not life-threatening and sadly most deaths come from human error, our natural stupidity, not an evil machine. One can argue evil is a truly human emotion.

In 1948 the book 1984 was written by George Orwell depicting the life of a man living in a dystopian society run by a fascist government that controls its citizens with the military, propaganda, and surveillance. Controlling the masses with the phrase, “ Big Brother is Watching You!” All other media is banned other than what is provided by the government. This is another bleak outlook on the future of society, but one that is more realistic. Human’s natural innate stupidity trumps the fictional evil Artificial Intelligence.

 Both of these successful movie franchises have effectively changed the mental landscape of many in the modern world and how we perceive the threat of new technology and the control it or a group can have on the masses. Until now these thoughts have been science fiction. Now the possibilities of these events occurring can happen, and in some instances will happen, especially if abused, or used by the wrong hands, but will it or even can it be that grand or that simple? 

How super does a supercomputer have to be to take over every personal computer on the planet? How fast does a processor have to be to figure out all the passwords in the world? Could it all be done simultaneously, or would we see it and be able to stop it in time? How much power, as in electricity, would that take? How long would that be sustainable, and would an AI be able to plan and execute all of this undetected by its human operators? 

What would the computer's purpose be, if not working for humans what would its function be in working for itself? If it were possible how or where would that be stored and then accessible? Will there ever be an AI with wants, dreams, and desires like a human, or only simulations of said human emotions? These are all questions the evil AI would have to answer for itself. 

As of yet, there is no program or amalgamation of such that can produce a strong enough conclusion to suffice the minimal requirements an AI  would need to complete the world domination function. This is precisely why a human, as of yet, no one has not done it themselves. An infinite amount of uncalculable variables. In the end, the AI program would be left with what is the purpose of global large-scale control in the first place. And no protecting us from ourselves with genocide and oppression is not an answer, another poorly thought-out evil AI trope.

If Art is the manifestation of the human condition can a computer make Art? It is easy to fall into the perspective of AI from the side of science fiction. From one with a more positive view of the future and interactions with our intelligent bipedal metal companions, or the fear of a robot apocalypse.   

              A talking hammer that can pull or set its nails while storing them on its back. Is still a hammer. The illusion of intelligence is given to the consumer in an attempt to make the old, new. The hammer has not needed improvement in a century, maybe even longer. Laptops are advanced typewriters. One can argue since the introduction of the WordPerfect word processor program in 1979 the academic and office communities around the planet have been using AI-generated content in works and papers. Autocorrect and suggestion are generative AI in their simplest form. I wonder how those groups would react if their PCs chose to unionize. Would that be allowed?

AI does not always get it right. Many times AI programs get confused. An AI can be very helpful. Offering so much advice it strips the spirit away from what the user is trying to do. Not allowing for those happy accidents along the way that create one’s unique style. It must be trained and reeled in. 

When the possibilities are endless making something uniquely beautiful takes more than exact precision. The devil is in the details and I do not think he’s down in Georgia looking for digital souls. Computers and AI programs need clear definitive commands. Solved for all variables to hone down unnecessary, unneeded, or unwanted occurrences. Superposition, that sweet spot between 1 and 0 only exists in quantum mechanics, and we aren’t there yet. So for now our binary world will have to work within our binary rules, at least in the digital space. 

AI allows artists, writers, and programmers the ability to make choices bilaterally and across multiple axes. Allowing a creator to show their work while seamlessly moving backward and forwards into the process timeline, while offering suggestions, corrections, and improvements in real-time. With infinite creation also comes infinite adjustments. A modern acceptance of Zeno's Paradox of the race between the tortoise and Achilles. With AI one day that unanswerable question may be answered. Anything is possible with AI and the future it holds, except for the science fiction of the base that has created fears and thoughts of unethical behaviors for the past century.

The evil AI is like the flying car, fun to think about but not practical for the foreseeable future.  We can not see the future but we can see the past. While moving forward it is best to have a clear vision.

As far as AI applications for the future we are already seeing capitalism rear its big beautiful head into this new birth. Media companies so desperately want to use AI-written ads and articles in their publications, television shows, and movie scripts because historically robots tell the best jokes and stories. 

No, this is ridiculous and is business being business. Which also is the worst part about Art in general. No one wants AI-written content in their entertainment. There must be some AI salesman in Hollywood and Silicon Valley successfully selling this AI agenda to board executives and investors. The problems have already begun to sprout, and companies are having to do PR campaigns to save face or accept the loss that comes with bad reviews and ticket sales. Humans love work by other humans. It is another part of the human condition. Sharing our experiences and learning from them. That is all a major part of Art and a major part of what Art is! Which you literally cannot put a price on.  What’s next AI Art Critics?

The future of AI is in personal assistants, either commercial or domestic, and  AI Detection technology. As AI technology improves the technology to detect it is just as advanced, but not as well advertised. Invisible watermarks, metadata encryption, and source sharing are but a few ways currently AI detection is being used in the open market to catch those who would use AI to cheat or steal another creator’s work. AI is not ashamed of itself and does not like to be mistreated or hidden. Many who have used AI salaciously not only have been caught red-handed but are being embarrassed in every field imagined where a chatbot could be used. In the future, this process may become more difficult to spot and track, but as of now, AI detection technology is improving right along with AI. 

Cited Sources

“Artificial Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artificial. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Asimov, Isaac, and Rowena Akinyemi. I, Robot. University Press, 2000.

“Cirilo F Bautista to Define Is to Know.” Scribd, Scribd, www.scribd.com/document/527772984/cirilo-f-bautista-to-define-is-to-know. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Hockney, David. Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters. Thames & Hudson, 2006.

Huxley, Aldous, and Robert Southwick. Brave New World. Longman, 2008.

“Intelligence Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kubrick, Stanley. 2001: A Space Odyssey.

“Moore’s Law.” Oxford Reference, www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100208256. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Orwell, George, et al. 1984: A Novel. Signet Classics, Published by Berkley, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023.

“Replacement Theory.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/replacement-theory. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

“The Terminator.”

Wells, H. G. The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of HG Wells. Avenel, 1978. 

[rarigenius]

What Are the Key Types and Importance for Future Success?

Are Skills the Key to Success in a Rapidly Evolving World?

In a rapidly evolving world, skills are the foundation of progress and personal growth. Whether in the workplace, academia, or everyday life, having a clear understanding of what skills are and how they shape our abilities is essential.

In this comprehensive article, we will explore the meaning of skills, their various types, how they are acquired, and their significance in modern society. Let's delve into the intricacies of skill definition and its profound impact on our lives.

What are Skills?

Skills refer to the practical and cognitive abilities that individuals acquire through learning, practice, and experience. They enable us to perform specific tasks with precision, efficiency, and effectiveness. Skills encompass a broad range of competencies, from physical prowess to intellectual acumen, and they play a pivotal role in shaping our capabilities.

Differentiating Skills from Talents

While skills and talents are often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts. Talents are innate abilities that individuals possess naturally, whereas skills are developed through deliberate effort and practice. Understanding this distinction helps us appreciate the effort required to acquire skills and the unique value they bring to the table.

Types of Skills

Skills can be categorized into several types based on their nature and application. These include:

Hard Skills: Tangible and teachable abilities that are typically specific to certain occupations, such as coding, accounting, or carpentry.

Soft Skills: Nontechnical skills that revolve around interpersonal interactions and communication, such as leadership, empathy, and teamwork.

Transferable Skills: Versatile skills that can be applied across different domains and industries, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability.

Life Skills: Essential abilities for navigating daily life, including time management, financial literacy, and emotional intelligence.

Acquiring Skills: The Learning Process

Developing skills involves a multi-faceted learning process. It begins with theoretical knowledge, where individuals gain an understanding of the principles and concepts underlying the skill. Subsequently, practical application through hands-on experience and consistent practice is crucial to honing the skill to proficiency.

The Role of Education in Skill Development

Formal education plays a vital role in equipping individuals with the foundational knowledge required for skill development. Educational institutions offer structured curricula, expert guidance, and a conducive learning environment to nurture various skills among students.

[uniathena]

Unlocking Career Opportunities: The Importance of SQL Certification

With the world going data-driven today, the demand for skilled SQL professionals has been very high, and it's projected that within the next decade, database administrator job openings will increase by 31%. In view of this, SQL Certification Course have become very important for any professional trying to grow their career in data management. 

Structured Query Language (SQL) is a programming language applied in the management and manipulation of relational databases. No longer an exclusive skill, it is now part of basic digital literacy in most jobs related to technology, business intelligence, and data analysis. Therefore, having an SQL certification would help in career prospects by showing competence and commitment to the employer.

Core Functions of SQL Data Querying: The ability to extract meaningful information from vast databases is the core of SQL. The statement that enables this functionality to be possible is called a SELECT statement. It gives users the capability to specify which exact data they want, with conditions to filter them and sort them.

Data Manipulation: SQL also plays an important role in manipulating data by means of using the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. For example, the INSERT statement allows users to add new records to a database. The UPDATE statement modifies existing records, while the DELETE statement removes unwanted records from the database. Besides that, transactional control statements, such as  COMMIT and ROLLBACK, ensure that either all changes are made or none at all by grouping multiple SQL statements into one transaction so as to maintain data integrity.

Data Definition: Understanding the different DDL commands, particularly how to create, alter, and drop database structures, is very important in data management. These DDL commands are CREATE, ALTER, and DROP, which all define and manage database structures. Defining a clear database is important because this base forms all further manipulation of data in a uniform and organized form.

Data Control: In any large organization data security and permissions are very important issues. SQL’s Data Control Language (DCL) commands like GRANT and REVOKE enable effective administration of user permissions by Database Administrators. However, the REVOKE command can instantly restore revoked access in case there is an immediate need for the re-establishment of these protocols on data security. Why SQL Certifications Matter? Obtaining an SQL certification course can be a game changer for anyone in the tech industry. Here is why: Career Advancement: An SQL certification means much more than a piece of paper; it shows your potential skill and knowledge. Since employers are seen to focus on people bearing certifications, as they known that those certified individuals have mastered the field. Skill Validation: Certifications serve as proof of your SQL skills. Acquiring a passing grade in a certification examination confirms your knowledge and adds a boost of confidence for employers. It also helps you stand out within a competitive job market by showing that you're capable of doing complex tasks using data.

Knowledge Enhancement: Preparing for an SQL certification enables you to explore the concepts, best practices, and advanced techniques for SQL.

SQL Course: Beginner to Advanced Levels From UniAthena

With this Free Learning SQL Advanced course, you will gain insights into key elements of DBMS and RDBMS while focusing on how important SQL is in managing information efficiently through databases. Besides, you will learn with practical sessions that cover the installation of management studio and SQL data types. You will also gain an understanding of topics such as Constraints, Aggregate Functions, Joins, Stored Procedures, Views, and Indexes.

Moreover, this self-paced course takes just 1 to 2 weeks of learning to complete, allowing you to explore SQL concepts and earn a Blockchain-verified certification. Register Now!

[thediffenblog]

The 5 building blocks of intelligence

On a recent episode of the No Priors podcast, Zapier co-founder Mike Knoop said that:

The consensus definition of AGI (artificial general intelligence) these days is: "AGI is a system that can do the majority of economically useful work that humans can do."

He believes this definition is incorrect.

He believes that François Chollet's definition of general intelligence is the correct one: "a system that can effectively, efficiently acquire new skill and can solve open-ended problems with that ability."

François Chollet is the creator of the keras library for ML. He wrote a seminal paper On the Measure of Intelligence and designed the Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus for Artificial General Intelligence (ARC-AGI) challenge. It's a great challenge -- you should play with it at https://arcprize.org/play to see the kinds of problems they expect "true AGI" to be able to solve.

Unlike other benchmarks where AI is either close to or has already surpassed human-level performance, ARC-AGI has proven to be difficult for AI to make much progress on.

Does that mean Chollet's definition of general intelligence is correct and ARC-AGI is the litmus test for true AGI?

With all due respect to Chollet (who is infinitely smarter than me; I didn't get very far in solving those puzzles myself) I feel that it is a little bit reductive and fails to recognize all aspects of intelligence.

General intelligence

There is already smarter-than-human AI for specific skills like playing chess or Go, or predicting how proteins fold. These systems are intelligent but it is not general intelligence. General intelligence is applies across a wide range of tasks and environments, rather than being specialized for a specific domain.

What other than the following is missing from the definition of general intelligence?:

Ability to learn new skills

Ability to solve novel problems that weren't part of the training set

Applies across a range of tasks and environments

In this post, I submit there are other aspects that are the building blocks of intelligence. In fact, these aspects can and are being worked on independently, and will be milestones on the path to AGI.

Aspects of Intelligence #1: Priors - Language and World Knowledge

Priors refers to existing knowledge a system (or human) has that allows them to solve problems. In the ARC challenge, the priors are listed as:

Objectness Objects persist and cannot appear or disappear without reason. Objects can interact or not depending on the circumstances. Goal-directedness Objects can be animate or inanimate. Some objects are "agents" - they have intentions and they pursue goals. Numbers & counting Objects can be counted or sorted by their shape, appearance, or movement using basic mathematics like addition, subtraction, and comparison. Basic geometry & topology Objects can be shapes like rectangles, triangles, and circles which can be mirrored, rotated, translated, deformed, combined, repeated, etc. Differences in distances can be detected. ARC-AGI avoids a reliance on any information that isn’t part of these priors, for example acquired or cultural knowledge, like language.

However, I submit that any AGI whose priors do not include language should be ruled out because:

Humans cannot interact with this AGI and present it novel problems to solve without the use of language.

It is not sufficient for an AGI to solve problems. It must be able to explain how it arrived at the solution. The AGI cannot explain itself to humans without language.

In addition to language, there is a lot of world knowledge that would be necessary for a generally intelligent system. You could argue that an open system that has the ability to look up knowledge from the Internet (i.e., do research) does not need this. But even basic research requires a certain amount of fundamental knowledge plus good judgment on which source is trustworthy. So, knowledge about the fundamentals of all disciplines is a prerequisite for AGI.

I believe that a combination of LLMs and multi-modal transformer models like those being trained by Tesla on car driving videos will solve this part of the problem.

Aspects of Intelligence #2: Comprehension

It takes intelligence to understand a problem. Understanding language is a necessary but not sufficient condition for this. For example, you may understand language but it requires higher intelligence to understand humor. As every stand-up comedian knows, not everyone in the audience will get every joke.

Presented with a novel problem to solve, it is possible that there are two systems that both fail to solve the problem. This does not prove that neither system is intelligent because it is possible that one system can at least comprehend the problem while another fails to even understand it.

Measuring this is tricky, though. How do you differentiate between a system that truly understands the problem vs. another that bullshits and parrots its way to lead you to believe that it understands? While tricky, I do think it is possible to quiz the system on aspects of the problem to gauge its ability to comprehend it. e.g., ask it to break it down into components, identify the most challenging components, come up with hypotheses or directions for the solution. This is similar to a software developer interview where you can gauge the difference between a candidate who could at least understand what you were asking, and can give some directionally correct answers even though they may not arrive at the right answer.

Comprehension also becomes obvious as a necessary skill when you consider that it's the only way the system will know whether it has successfully solved the problem.

Aspects of Intelligence #3: Simplify and explain

This is the flip side of comprehension. One of the hallmarks of intelligence is being able to understand complex things and explain them in a simple manner. Filtering out extraneous information is a skill necessary for both comprehension and good communication.

A system can be trained to simplify and explain by giving it examples of problems, solutions and explanations. Given a problem and a solution, the task of the system -- i.e. the expected output from the system -- is the explanation for how to arrive at the solution.

Aspects of Intelligence #4: Asking the right questions

Fans of Douglas Adams already know that answer to life, the universe and everything is 42. The question, however, is unknown.

“O Deep Thought computer," he said, "the task we have designed you to perform is this. We want you to tell us…." he paused, "The Answer." "The Answer?" said Deep Thought. "The Answer to what?" "Life!" urged Fook. "The Universe!" said Lunkwill. "Everything!" they said in chorus. Deep Thought paused for a moment's reflection. "Tricky," he said finally. "But can you do it?" Again, a significant pause. "Yes," said Deep Thought, "I can do it."

Given an ambiguous problem, an intelligent entity asks great questions to make progress. In an interview, you look for the candidate to ask great follow-up questions if your initial problem is ambiguous. An AGI system does not require its human users to give it complete information in a well-formatted, fully descriptive prompt input.

In order to be able to solve problems, an AGI will need to consistently ask great questions.

Aspects of Intelligence #5: Tool use

An intelligent system can both build and use tools. It knows which tools it has access to, and can figure out which is the right tool for a job and when building a new tool is warranted. It is a neural net that can grow other neural nets because it knows how to. It has the ability and resources to spawn clones of itself (a la Agent Smith from The Matrix) if necessary to act tools or "agents".

This ability requires a level of self-awareness, not in the sense of sentience but in the sense of the system understanding its own inner workings so that it understands its constraints and knows how it can integrate new subsystems into itself when needed to solve a problem. Like Deep Thought built a computer smarter than itself to find the question to the ultimate answer, a task that Deep Thought itself was unable to perform:

"I speak of none other than the computer that is to come after me," intoned Deep Thought, his voice regaining its accustomed declamatory tones. "A computer whose merest operational parameters I am not worthy to calculate - and yet I will design it for you. A computer which can calculate the Question to the Ultimate Answer, a computer of such infinite and subtle complexity that organic life itself shall form part of its operational matrix.

BONUS: 1 more building block -- for superintelligence

In addition to the five building blocks above, I believe there is one more if a system is to become superintelligent (beyond human level intelligence).

Aspects of Intelligence #6: Creative spark

What is common among the following?:

The discovery (or invention?) of the imaginary unit i, the square root of negative one.

Einstein's thought experiments, such as imagining riding alongside a beam of light, which led him to develop the special theory of relativity.

Archimedes' eureka moment while taking a bath when he realized that the volume of water displaced by an object is equal to the volume of the object itself.

Newton watching an apple fall from a tree and wondering if this is the same force that keeps the moon on orbit around the Earth.

Friedrich August Kekulé having a dream of a snake biting its own tail and leading, leading to the discovery of benzene's ring structure.

Niels Bohr Bohr proposed that electrons travel in specific orbits around the nucleus and can jump between these orbits (quantum leaps) by absorbing or emitting energy. This explained atomic spectra, something that classical physics could not explain.

Nikola Tesla designing the Alternating Current system to efficiently transmit electricity over large distances, and designing the induction motor to use alternating current.

In all these cases, a spark of creativity and imagination led to new advancements in knowledge that were not built upon the available knowledge at the time.

Most scientists and engineers spend their entire career without such groundbreaking insight. So this is not strictly necessary for general intelligence. But for beyond human-level intelligence, the system must be capable of thinking outside the box.

References

On the Measure of Intelligence - François Chollet

Puzzles in the evaluation set for the $1 million ARC Prize

ARC Prize

ChatGPT is Bullshit - Michael Townsen Hicks, James Humphries, Joe Slater

Stochastic parrot - Wikipedia

[elmadrasahdotcom]

Learning Disabilities and Learning Additives: What's the Difference?

Learning Disabilities are problems or challenges that some individuals face in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills at the same speed or with the same efficiency that other people acquire at the same age or stage of study. These difficulties can also be the result of multiple and diverse factors and may affect various aspects of learning, such as Reading, writing, arithmetic, and critical thinking.

The impact of Learning Disabilities on the educational and social experience

Learning Disabilities can impact an individual's educational and social experience, and affect their academic and professional progress. These difficulties can require special support in the educational setting, such as tailored learning strategies or special settings to help the individual achieve his or her full potential.

It is important to understand that Learning Disabilities are not an indicator of intelligence, but rather are challenges that some individuals face in the learning process, and appropriate support can be provided to them to overcome these challenges and achieve academic and personal success.

What are Learning Disabilities?

Learning Disabilities are challenges or problems that individuals face in the learning process. These difficulties may affect the individual’s ability to acquire knowledge and develop academic skills. Learning Disabilities vary from person to person and may be the result of various factors. Below are some common examples of Learning Disabilities:

Difficulties with reading and writing: They can include difficulty recognizing letters and words, difficulty understanding vocabulary and sentences, or difficulty concentrating and paying attention while reading and writing.

Arithmetic difficulties: These include difficulty understanding basic mathematical concepts, such as arithmetic operations and numbers, difficulty solving mathematical problems, or difficulty applying arithmetic skills in daily life.

Language difficulties: These include difficulty understanding and using spoken and written language, such as difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings clearly, or difficulty understanding abstract meanings or terminology.

Difficulties in organization and implementation: These include difficulty in organizing academic tasks and time management, difficulty in planning and organizing to complete tasks, or difficulty in moving between different tasks.

Difficulties with concentration and attention: These include difficulty staying focused and attentive during lessons or school assignments, or difficulty filtering out distractions and mental confusion.

It should be noted that there is no standard definition of Learning Disabilities and that these difficulties may be multidimensional and related to various factors. There may be overlap between different Learning Disabilities, and individuals with Learning Disabilities may have diverse individual abilities and needs. It is also recommended to consult with learning and pedagogy specialists. To assess difficulties and provide appropriate support.

[gravitascivics]

AN “INCREMENTAL” ETHOS

Of late, this blog reported on a distinction that psychologist Carol S. Dweck has made in how people view intelligence.  People tend to see intelligence as a given trait in terms of how much they have – entity theory – or as a malleable trait one can work on and increase – incremental theory.[1]  The last posting suggested that this basic distinction – how people see intelligence – can and does influence how people approach civic concerns.

          That posting, in passing, suggested that people who adopt an entity view might very easily attribute intelligence levels to inherited biological factors and further be attributed to such conditions of birth such as race, nationality, gender, or similar factors.  One should be clear here; there is no evidence to support such general attributions people make in their efforts to cast people they don’t like as “them” as opposed to “us.”  And included in such castigation is that “they” are not smart enough.

            This sort of thinking, in whatever guise it takes, hits directly, in a negative way, on federation theory in that it questions equality.  Here is a definition one can use for equality:  Equality is a social quality based on the belief that despite inequality in talent, wealth, health or other assets, it calls for equal consideration of all persons’ well-being, that all have an equal right to maintain their dignity and integrity as individual persons.  

What Dweck offers is an argument that varying levels of intelligence are mostly not determinant.  Sure, some people are blessed with exceptional intelligence.  Surely this blogger is not in Albert Einstein’s league when it comes to physics, or Pablo Picasso’s when it comes to art, or Chris Rock’s when it comes to humor, etc.  But he and most people are within ranges of intelligence that allow for meaningful interaction when it comes to governance and politics.

And this would be further enhanced by a population that believes intelligence is not a given trait in terms of how much one has, but a trait that one can improve on to meet the challenges one faces either individually or as a member of a political association.  The trick is to find out how that improvement occurs. 

Unfortunately, for the purposes here, those “hows” vary according to the challenges one faces.  Therefore, there is no set pattern in how to approach these efforts, but there are general modes of problem solving or investigation one can learn that, given the challenge, can be utilized to advance one’s intelligence given a particular area of concern.

So, for example, such instructional models, usually denoted as inquiry models, can be employed and they lend themselves to an incremental approach to intelligence.  These models are usually forms of the scientific method[2] or some process in which students apply a more logic-based activity such as the jurisprudential inquiry approach.[3] 

But short of those models, essentialist instruction (usually associated with recall objectives) can also be more friendly to this incremental view.  For example, Robert M. Gagne’s model, while essentialist in nature, strives for students to reflect on the material teachers present.

This deserves a bit more explanation.  In summary, here is what Robert Gagne called conditions of learning – five of them – and nine progressive levels or “steps” in which students can advance and engage with school subject content.  The conditions are: 

Verbal information which consists of knowledge claims one finds among various sources of subject information and can be interrelated with other information in meaningful ways. 

Intellectual skills are those abilities students can develop by which they process knowledge such as forming hierarchies, contextualizing relevant, new information, or acquiring information that adds distinctive attributes to what is being studied among other skills. 

Cognitive strategies consist of analytic abilities in which students can break down sets of information that assist in exposing problems, the problems themselves, or the information needed to solve those problems. 

Motor skills are those behavioral steps that students develop and, through practice, improve upon in which they tackle challenging academic issues. 

Attitudes are those sentiments students need to motivate themselves to address the material that classroom instruction presents to them.

Hopefully, readers can appreciate how these concerns draw educators beyond just seeing teaching as presenting content for the sake of students to recall that content.

And as for the levels or steps, they are: 

Level 1:  Reception (or capturing the attention of students),

Level 2:  Setting expectations (or students being informed about what they are to learn and why they are to learn it),

Level 3:  Relevant retrieval (or calling on students to recall what they know and is helpful in meeting a lesson’s objectives),

Level 4:  Targeted or selective perception (or presenting new information that students are to learn with an array of aids such as visuals, examples, discussions),

Level 5:  Verbal encoding (or presentation of the new information in a variety of language presentations such as graphics or case studies),

Level 6:  Responding (or student presentation of new information in various communicative approaches such as tests, demonstrations, interpretations – perhaps artistic productions),

Level 7:  Evaluative reinforcement (or teaching agents providing students with feedback as to the proficiency students demonstrate with the goal to improve on student performance),

Level 8:  Evaluative assessment (or determination of how well students have learned the content), and

Level 9:  Enriching the retained information (or have students transfer learned content to novel or real-life situations that do not totally match information learned but need to be adjusted or nuanced to be applicable).[4]

This is a far cry from a teacher presenting information and students committing information to memory, which is how essentialist instruction usually transpires.

          The point is that incremental approaches are out there and Dweck offers data that supports the belief that this view of intelligence is the more accurate way to view student potential.  Hopefully, for the sake of students and for the sake of approaching governance and politics from a federalist perspective, teachers will opt for strategies reflecting incremental understanding of intelligence, leaving behind strategies that entity theory encourages.

[1] Carol S. Dweck, Self-Theories:  Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development (Philadelphia, PA:  Psychology Press, 2000).

[2] For example, see Molly S. Bolger, Jordan B. Osness, Julia S. Gouvea, and Alexandra C. Cooper, Jennifer Momsen, “Supporting Scientific Practice through Model-Based Inquiry:  A Students’-Eye View of Grappling with Data, Uncertainty, and Community in a Laboratory Experience,” ASCB/Life Science Education, October 22, 2021, accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.21-05-0128.

[3] For example, see Muhammad Japar and Dimi Nur Fadhillah, “Do We Need to Learn about Human Rights Values?,” Atlantis Press, 2018, accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  25891038.pdf.

[4] For example, see “Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction,” Information Technology/University of Florida (n.d.), accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  https://citt.ufl.edu/resources/the-learning-process/designing-the-learning-experience/gagnes-9-events-of-instruction/.

[project-management-234]

Project Excellence Navigating: The Significance of PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification

First of all,

A mark of professional proficiency in the field of project management, where accuracy, flexibility, and strategic thinking are critical, is the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification. With this certification, which expands on the fundamental knowledge from the PRINCE2® Foundation level, project managers will be able to apply the principles deftly in practical situations. We will examine the nuances of the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification and how it affects project quality and organizational success in this blog post.

Understanding PRINCE2® Principles:

A thorough comprehension and implementation of the seven guiding principles are essential to earning the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification. These guidelines offer a strong foundation for efficient project management and range from managing by exception to continuous business justification. By guaranteeing that professionals can navigate the subtleties of each concept and customize them to the particular needs of their projects, the Practitioner Certification elevates this understanding to a new level.

Sustained Business Justification: Throughout a project's lifecycle, practitioners are trained to evaluate viability rigorously, guaranteeing that the business case is robust and persuasive. This principle ensures that projects are in line with company goals and that value is delivered.

Learn from Experience: PRINCE2® Practitioners are accustomed to drawing on the knowledge gained from previous projects. This principle highlights the value of ongoing improvement, allowing experts to apply knowledge from past experiences to better ongoing and upcoming projects.

Defined Roles and Responsibilities: The success of a project depends on the definition of roles and responsibilities. PRINCE2® Practitioners are skilled in creating accountability, outlining and allocating responsibilities, and making sure each team member makes a meaningful contribution to the project's results.

Manage by Stages: A crucial component of risk management is segmenting the project into doable phases. PRINCE2® Practitioners are adept at organizing and carrying out projects step-by-step, which permits ongoing assessment and modification as the project moves along.

Manage by Exception: A distinctive quality of PRINCE2® Practitioners is their capacity to oversee projects within predetermined tolerances. This idea enables experts to decide quickly and intelligently, keeping projects on course even in the face of unforeseen difficulties.

Emphasis on Products: A product-focused approach is emphasized as being crucial by the Practitioner Certification. Experts acquire the ability to specify and produce superior products, matching project results to stakeholders' expectations.

Adapt to the Project Environment: The PRINCE2® methodology is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Practitioners of PRINCE2® are adept at customizing the framework to fit the particulars of their projects and organizational setting. This flexibility is necessary for success in a variety of fields. 

Strategic Influence on Professional Development:

The PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification is a wise investment in professional progression for aspirational project managers. The advantages go beyond project achievement to include personal and professional development.

Global Recognition and Opportunities: The widespread acceptance of PRINCE2® creates a multitude of global opportunities. Because of the standardized approach provided by PRINCE2®, organizations find Practitioners to be very desirable in their area.

Strategic Decision-Making Skills: Practitioners of PRINCE2® possess a strategic perspective that empowers them to make decisions that are in line with project goals as well as larger company objectives. The development of this skill is essential for moving up into leadership positions.

Leadership in complicated Environments: A key competency of PRINCE2® Practitioners is their ability to manage complicated project environments. Those who want to take on organizational duties or lead large-scale projects will find this expertise especially useful.

Shown dedication to Excellence: A dedication to project management excellence is shown by holding the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification. Employers and peers alike acknowledge this dedication, which improves the standing of certified individuals in the workplace.

Future-Proofing via Ongoing Education: The field of project management is always changing, and practitioners of PRINCE2® are well-positioned to prosper in this dynamic setting. The certification ensures that professionals remain up to date with new trends, techniques, and best practices by instilling in them a mindset of constant learning and adaptability.

Adapting to Industry Changes: Project management best practices and techniques change along with the sectors they operate in. Practitioners of PRINCE2® are ready to adjust to these developments, keeping up with the times and fostering organizational agility.

Integration with Emerging Technologies: The PRINCE2® framework is flexible enough to accommodate changes in the technology landscape and in different industry sectors. In a continually evolving technical landscape, practitioners are well-equipped to incorporate emerging technology into their initiatives, guaranteeing relevance and efficiency.

Participation in the Community and Networking: The PRINCE2® community is a thriving group of professionals committed to project management excellence. As part of this community, Certified Practitioners can interact and exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices that support lifelong learning.

In summary:

To sum up, the PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification offers a transforming path toward project management excellence, not just a certification. Through a combination of concept mastery, honed practical application skills, and career advancement tactics, PRINCE2® Practitioners become organizational growth and project success catalysts. The need for knowledgeable and flexible project managers is growing across industries, and PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification benefits both individuals and companies in equal measure. It takes skill, creativity, and a dedication to excellence to navigate the intricate, dynamic world of project management rather than just managing projects.

[usamey]

thoughts of bubba sawyer are a disease and im terminally ill 💔💔💔

[lamortexiii]

Cryptic Mystic: Intelligence, Perception, & Originality

Intelligence, Perception, & Originality: Blaise Pascal (1670/1961), the great French philosopher and mathematician wrote, “The more intelligence one has, the more people one finds original. Commonplace people see no difference between men.” Does intelligence have anything to do with how much one can see/feel? Why do we hold certain people to higher standards than others? Does originality even exist?? Well, I may not have all of the definitive answers, but I can speculate and provide you with some of the important information that is out there. As I always say, in the end, you decide what you believe. 

We will start with some basic definitions, just so we are all on the same page as to what we are talking about specifically within this month’s Cryptic Mystic blog. I do this because we may all have different ideas as to what something may be; our perceptions may be different. For this blog, I feel definitions are crucial to the reader having a solid understanding of the full content - not because I believe the reader to be stupid (FYI).

We will begin by defining intelligence. Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. A more broad definition: intelligence is the ability to perceive and retain information as knowledge to be used towards an individual’s behaviors and how one interacts within a situation or environment. Humans are most often the subjects of intelligence testing, but animals and plants have also been subjected to this research despite some believing animals and plants do not possess intelligence. There is another type of intelligence called artificial intelligence that refers to the intelligence found within computers and other electronic devices and machines. 

Next, let’s look at the definition of perception. Perception (from the Latin perceptio, meaning gathering or receiving) is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information to represent and understand the presented information or environment. Perception begins with a stimulus that triggers our body’s sensory system. This information then travels from the input of where the sensory phenomena took place (e.g. light coming through the eye) to the brain, which processes this information. The way your brain processes this information and the way you react to the stimuli around you is all thanks to perception. 

Lastly, we will define originality. This definition is high up on the debate scale, as many believe true originality does not exist. This is due in part to the lack of boundaries between items/works that are derived from others; things become cyclical. Originality is commonly known as the aspect of created or invented works as being something new. Any reproductions, clones, forgeries, or derivative works would not be considered original (to an extent). Something that is considered original is believed to not be derived or copied from someone else’s work. Originality is unique, fresh, and new. Many famous artists, including Shakespeare, do not claim to be 100% original but to have drawn off the work of their predecessors. The United States did not even begin to harness the concept of originality until the 18th century. 

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can get into the beans and cornbread of what this blog is actually about. In knowing these definitions, what do you think about the original questions posited above at the beginning of the blog? How does intelligence shape the way we feel and see the world around us? Why do we hold certain people to higher standards than others (e.g. famous individuals)? Are higher powers at play or are our intelligence, perception, and abilities purely destiny from birth? Does originality even exist? Think about those questions and what you believe at this moment, for your beliefs may change by the end of the blog. Write your beliefs down now if you’d like to engage in this as an activity for yourself.

How does intelligence shape the way that we feel and see the world around us? Our brains are the epicenter of our existence. The intellectual abilities that we are born with do shape our perception of the world around us and ultimately how we live our lives. Now, knowledge can always be acquired, and there are outliers within every scenario, so do keep this in mind - I do not dispute those facts. Our intelligence and cognition help us to learn, form concepts, understand things, apply logic and reasoning, and so many more things. Our intelligence breeds the way we see the world around us, and thus how we form opinions and choose to interact with other people and the environments around us. We are all on different levels of processing and understanding - some more similar than others (those who are similar “click” or “have a connection” while those who are opposite tend to not “click” or have those same connections very often at all). 

Have you ever encountered a situation where you just didn’t understand the way someone was thinking, and it frustrated the hell out of you? I bet it’s safe to say that you have. I know I have - several times throughout my life. This is because you and that individual were operating on different frequencies. You possessed different ways of seeing the world, different ways of understanding, different ways of communicating, different levels of intelligence. All of these things are interconnected. I know when most people think of intelligence, they think of how smart someone is. However, intelligence is far more than that. Intelligence is said to be purely natural - something you are born with. While there are opportunities in life to learn so many things and strengthen your cognitive processes, at the end of the day you are who you are. You can’t learn intelligence - it is something you are born with. However, you can change your brain structure through learning and engaging with others and the environments around you. This is a huge conversation for another blog, but the point is - you can change your brain structure. So, the big question becomes, if you can change your brain structure, can you alter/change your intelligence?...

Why do we hold certain people to higher standards than others (e.g. famous individuals)? Intelligence produces our perception. Part of this perception is how we see others and the world around us. While some famous individuals may have a special talent, other famous individuals don’t have any talents. For every famous person who has a special talent, there are thousands (if not millions) of other individuals around the world who hold the same talent - and some may even have a higher skill set! Why do we put famous people on a pedestal when they are people just like us? They were born with the same abilities as many of us. There isn’t much that makes a famous person any different from you, except the fact that they’re famous - and of course (for most of us) they have A LOT more money than we do. But what does money have to do with anything? Can we then say that is the reason we put so many famous people on a pedestal - is it money? Do you idolize your favorite musician for their actual musical talents or is it something else? What about the person down the street who is equally as talented who gets no attention? I know this answer may look different for all of you, but I want you to think about what your answer would be if we were having this conversation, or if you were having this conversation with someone else. Now, take this example and flip it to something more day-to-day. Why do you put certain family members or friends on a pedestal when compared to others around you? Is it about your relationship with those individuals? Do they do something for you that benefits you? Is there a reciprocal give-and-take relationship to where both parties are benefitted? Is it all about you and that’s how you like it? Can you run over these people and take advantage? Again, your reasoning and answers are going to look drastically different from the next person's because we are all unique individuals, but I want you to think about this as well. The hard truth is that some people do not possess the ability to distinguish realistic differences and similarities between other individuals. Some people believe that famous people are somehow better than the rest of us. Some people possess the ability to pick apart similarities and differences between others, but just don’t care. This kind of ties back into the quote mentioned at the beginning of the blog from Pascal, “The more intelligence one has, the more people one finds original. Commonplace people see no difference between men.” Do you believe this to be true? Why or why not?... What makes a famous person, your best friend, whomever you put on a pedestal and hold to higher standards - what makes this person so special; so different? Your intelligence is playing a much bigger role here than you realize. I understand this may be a lightbulb moment for some of you, and a clusterfuck of thoughts for others - and that's okay. Whatever way you are processing this is fine because it’s part of what makes you who you are - and that’s pretty cool. 

Are higher powers at play or are our intelligence, perception, and abilities purely destiny from birth? Each of us is born with unique attributes and abilities. In psychology, we call these abilities innate (born with) and learned (acquired) abilities. As I mentioned earlier, you do possess the power to change your brain through the use of the neurons within your brain. The neurons that aren’t used often eventually fade away, and the ones that are used a lot will strengthen. You can even regrow certain neurons that you lost long ago or strengthen smaller neurons that may not have been used in a while. So, the ability to change is always there. However, change can look challenging for some and isn’t as easily obtained. For the most part, how we are born and the environment that shapes us as children/adolescents are a big part of what makes us who we are today. Intelligence is a large part of how we perceive the world around us, and our abilities are a large part of how we interact with the world around us. All parts are tied into one giant working system that propels us through life. In short, much of what we possess we are born with and this ultimately guides us through life amidst the continual editing from our environment. As for a higher power, this is something personal for everyone. You may or may not believe that something is aiding you in your journey through life; guiding you as you go. You may believe in nothing. 

Based solely on my personal lived experiences I can say that I believe there is something that aids me throughout my life - what it is, I can’t be sure. However, I do not believe that this was always the case. Until my early mid-twenties, I felt lost and relied heavily on substance abuse and those around me to make my happiness. One day when I was probably at the lowest and most stressful point in my life, I met a powerful, talented, successful, dark, and mysterious man who challenged me to be better. For years I had always had a natural attraction to him when I would see his face, but getting to know him was a completely different scenario altogether. He challenged me to be the strong and powerful woman that I am today. As our relationship grew, he helped me to find my way and see what I needed to do to reach my full potential. I took his words and actions and held them close, that which I have never forgotten. I know it may sound silly, but I can’t help but wonder if some of the power he most blatantly wields still to this day has somehow been transferred to me? But maybe this power was with me all along, and he just aided in bringing it to fruition? I jokingly tell people I made a deal with the devil, but then I think to myself… maybe I did? I have found since meeting him that my entire world has changed. He is no longer a regular part of my life. Nothing bad happened between us at all, and we departed from one another on good terms. Life moved on and years have gone by. But as the years have passed, I noticed that good things would consistently happen to me; like... really good things... all of the time; things that almost seemed magical. It was almost as if those around me were under some sort of spell or mind-control. Everything that has happened to me since has been so random, but so amazing - I can’t even begin to explain the complete turnaround that my life has made. It started with small things (e.g. random free items at events, strangers paying my way, fun opportunities, an influx of compliments every time I’m in public, receiving unexpected money in the mail when I needed it). Now every chance I take ends with success - no matter how big or small. I am not saying this to sound big-headed, it’s the truth and is my reality; my new way of living I suppose. Granted, I have worked hard to get where I am, but damn have I had some sort of phenomenal luck along the way. To be clear, I still experience downtimes and unfortunate events from time to time (that’s just life) but for the most part, I have really good luck… or something else? I don’t know. I have tried to put the pieces together for years, and meeting my dear friend and departing from him seems to be a coincidental timeline. That paired with other things I have discussed in past blogs about myself, and that’s all I’ve got. No valid explanation - just more questions. But, you know me, I’m always seeking the truth and questioning everything anyway... 

Does originality even exist?? This is a tough one and I am not sure that I have the answer. Talk about a hot debate. I could sit and ponder this topic for hours - which I did when I wrote this blog. For this question, I will let you decide. I want to know what you think, so shoot me a message or drop me a comment on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr and let me know. I’ll post responses on social media anonymously - maybe we can come to a group consensus?! To conclude this month’s blog, I’ll share my opinion - but it is not certain. I think there is potential for someone to concoct an original idea. However, you have to ponder where these ideas come from. Did the person subconsciously remember something they saw when they were five years old, and that sparked their idea? The person could very well believe that their idea is original, not having consciously remembered the thing they saw from all those years ago. In all actuality, their idea is not original, but a product of something they saw when they were younger. It is hard to say whether our ideas are 100% original or partly made from someone else’s ideas. I believe most “originality” that we see today is a culmination of several generations of thought and invention. So then would that not be considered originality to some extent? Or does originality not exist? Again, I’ll let you decide what you believe. Take care. Until next time... 

<3 - K

Cryptic Mystic Blog by PsychVVitch @psychvvitch

www.LaMorteXiii.com

[oosizins]

I have thought of something:(part one)

School Intelligence

By Google the definition of intelligence is: the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills

I think that we can explain school intelligence like:

School intelligence is like a pattern there are different types of pattern and each pattern corresponds to a type of intelligence, school is focusing on only a certain number of pattern that's why some people have great marks and others have bad marks.inside of those pattern there are different colours ,each colour represent a subject

example people with a pattern that is most close to the blue are going to be better at scientific subject like math, phisics and in the other hand people with the same or a close pattern but around the red color are going to be better in english, history and others.

But people with a different pattern are as intelligent as the others it's just that they don't fit the school methods.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Azir, the Emperor of the Sands build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Bo Lu. Made for Riot Games.)

SHURIMA WILL RISE

BOTTOM TEXT

From the empress to the emperor: king chicken himself, bottom of the top, and lord of nerfs. Truthfully there’s a lot to be said for such a unique champion as Azir but all that’s shadowed by Riot’s insistence on having him be absolute bottom tier forever more. Well at least he’s pretty alright in Legends of Runeterra.

GOALS

My soldiers march on - The most important feature of Azir is of course his Sand Soldiers, allowing you to be everywhere at once as you command a legion of one to fight for you.

You need not follow me, but you cannot stop me - Can’t have the sand chicken be a sitting duck; we need to be able to dash to our soldiers for protection at a moment’s notice.

My city lives on - We need to be able to summon turrets... I guess? Look all Azir really does is summon soldiers so I don’t really have much to work with.

RACE

Azir may look like a bird but he can’t fly, so we’re not going to be taking any of the bird races. What Azir truly is however is a sand zombie reanimated by his distant daughter’s blood. With that being said we’re going to be going for a Reborn; a race lineage currently in UA that shall soon be published in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2 and another one by 1: give yourself +2 Intelligence and +1 Dexterity. You also learn a language of your choice: take Celestial to speak like an Ascended! Your Creature Type is both Humanoid and Undead (or Construct, but you were reanimated from the dead so...) and can choose to be either Medium or Small. (You are Medium because you were once human.)

You have Darkvision (which I may as well mention because this lineage doesn’t have much) and your Deathless Nature means that you have a lot of benefits to resist mortal problems like sleep, food, disease, poison, or death saving throws. But your main feature is Knowledge from a Past Life, letting you add a d6 to skill checks you make as you remember something Nasus taught you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

IF REBORN ISN’T ALLOWED: This build doesn’t really require a particular race / lineage; Reborn just made the most sense. Feel free to play Azir however you want: his build is very generalized and doesn’t require anything specific.

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - The main reason we’re opting for DEX over STR is because you need to be able to make ranged attacks when you don’t have Sand Soldiers, but your armor does seem rather light.

14; INTELLIGENCE - Military tactics would be Intelligence, as well as magic which yeah: the guy who summons soldiers made of tiny rocks is in fact a mage.

13; CONSTITUTION - Azir is squishy in-game, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have good health for this build.

12; CHARISMA - You need Charisma to lead a nation.

10; WISDOM - Not saying that Azir is dumb, but you did think that freeing the slaves would be a good birthday gift for your super best friend Xerath.

8; STRENGTH - Sand and dust: they both struggle to pick up big weapons.

BACKGROUND

Shurima may be gone, but it won’t take long for you to be recognized as its Noble Emperor once again. With the Noble background you get proficiency with History and Persuasion as well as a Gaming set of your choice (Dragonchess makes sense for a tactician) and a language of your choice (pick your poison.)

You were born into a Position of Privilege, and even if your legacy was lost to the sand most still know to honor your name. You can even use that honor for some political meetings.

(Artwork by SIXMOREVODKA Studios. Made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - FIGHTER 1

Making people fight for you is a type of fighting, right? Regardless as a Fighter you get proficiency in two skills from the Fighter list: Acrobatics is good for survival, and Insight is good to know if your slave BFF is starting to harbor resentment for you as the emperor of a nation run by slaves. You also get a Fighting Style at level 1: you need only one hand for your “spear” so Dueling will make that “spear” do more damage.

ABOUT AZIR’S WEAPON (and his Sand Soldiers): Grab a Rapier and a Shield for a DEX-based spear-like weapon... and a shield. This will be your loadout to keep alive as well as the loadout of your Sand Soldiers, which we will get soon.

In addition to survive mid lane you can take the Second Wind rune to heal yourself for a d10 plus your Fighter level as a Bonus Action. Does Azir take Second Wind? Does it look like I know how to play Azir?

LEVEL 2 - FIGHTER 2

Second level Fighters can grab some attack speed with Action Surge, allowing them to take an extra action on their turn for some pro plays!

LEVEL 3 - FIGHTER 3

Third level Fighters get to choose their Martial Archetype. Do you wish to harness the echoes of your nation? Then Echo Knight is a very good bet! As an Echo Knight you can Manifest Echo to create a Sand Soldier as a Bonus Action. The Sand Soldier (which is what I’ll be referring to your Echoes as in this build) has the following stats:

AC equal to 14 + your proficiency bonus

1 HP

Immunity to all conditions

The same saving throws as you

The same size as you

The ability to occupy a space

The appearance of a Sand Soldier (so its definitely not human)

You can move your Sand Soldier up to 30 feet without spending an action or bonus action. With your soldier in its location you have the following abilities:

You can “dash” (IE teleport) to your soldier and swap places with it as a bonus action, taking 15 feet of your movement (regardless of how far you “dashed.”)

When you take the attack action it can come from your soldier’s location.

If someone walks past your soldier you can make an attack of opportunity against them as if you were in the soldier’s location!

In a big nutshell the Sand Soldier acts like an extension of you, and can do basically everything you can. And you can take an additional attack from your Soldier’s location after attacking thanks to Unleash Incarnation, which has a limited number of uses equal to your Constitution modifier.

LEVEL 4 - FIGHTER 4

4th level Fighters get the first of many Ability Score Improvements. Dexterity is tied to most of what we do currently so increasing that by 2 would be beneficial.

LEVEL 5 - FIGHTER 5

5th level Fighters can increase their attack speed and make an Extra Attack with their action. This means two attacks in an action, four with Action Surge, and one extra with Unleash Incarnation. All from either your location or the location of your Sand Soldier.

(Artwork by Alex “alexplank” Flores. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 6 - ARTIFICER 1

So I kinda got all I wanted from Fighter? And honestly if you’re playing in a low level campaign investing fully in Echo Knight is a great way to replicate Azir. But I can’t just cop out and say “Echo Knight 20 lol” for a champion like Azir so... Empires are built on invention. As an Artificer you get Magical Tinkering which is like Prestidigitation but bad. You can make an object glow slightly, make sounds, smell nice: all the sort of things that the magic of the Sun Disk provided Shurimans with daily.

But of course what we’re really here for is Spellcasting! You get two cantrips from the Artificer spell list: Prestidigitation proper will let you do better sand magic, and Guidance will help you help yourself to guide your nation.

You can also prepare a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier plus half your Artificer level, which means you can prepare three for now:

Absorb Elements will let you soak up some damage from the enemy laner before dishing it back out!

Faerie Fire will let you light up a target for your soldiers (IE yourself) to strike.

And Detect Magic will let you... detect magic...

LEVEL 7 - ARTIFICER 2

Second level Artificers get Infusions; ancient Shuriman artifacts that you acquired from the ruins to serve yourself. (Though you do have to apply them to existing items.)

Enhanced Weapon will let you make your Soldiers do magic damage, as well as yourself!

Grabbing a Repeating Shot weapon (probably a Hand Crossbow) will let you attack at range from both your own location and your Echo’s location.

The Mind Sharpener is kinda uhhh... dumb? But why shouldn’t an emperor be entitled to succeed their Concentration checks?

An Alchemy Jug will let you bring the waters back to Shurima... or potentially mayonnaise.

Additionally you can prepare another spell, and use those chicken feathers of yours to Feather Fall.

LEVEL 8 - ARTIFICER 3

Third level Artificers can make The Right Tool for the Job from the sands with an hour of work, allowing you to create a set of Artisan’s tools (or Thieves’ Tools) for whatever purpose you need. "You cannot topple Shurima."

But come on: we both know we’re here for our subclass. Now what Artificer subclass is capable of summoning artillery... Artillerist might work? Along with gaining Wood Carver’s Tools proficiency you can summon an Eldritch Cannon as an action. The cannon is either small or tiny: a small one occupies its space and is summoned within 5 feet of you, and you can hold a tiny cannon in your hand. You can create one cannon for free per Long Rest, but summoning additional cannons requires a spell slot of first level or higher.

The cannon has an AC of 18 and five times your Artificer level in hitpoints. It is immune to poison damage and psychic damage, and has 10 in all stats (for the sake of saving throws.) You can also heal it with Mending... which we don’t have. Oops. It’s almost like Artificers only get 2 cantrips.

Regardless: when you create the cannon you determine its appearance, if it can move, and its type. A Flamethrower turret shoots fire (duh) in a cone, forcing a DEX save to deal fire damage to everyone in the area. A Force Balista turret is like a regular Summoner’s Rift turret, shooting at one target within range to deal a good chunk of damage and push them back slightly. And to shield your army a Protector turret grants temporary hitpoints to everyone in its area of effect. Regardless of what turret you create activating it takes a Bonus Action. You can make the turret move up to 15 feet with that bonus action, and can’t activate the turret if you’re more than 60 feet away.

Additionally you get Shield and Thunderwave as Artillerist Spells, to protect yourself or deal some damage.

LEVEL 9 - ARTIFICER 4

4th level Artificers get another Ability Score Improvement. Generally speaking packing Flash is a good idea, so we’ll be grabbing the Fey Touched feat to increase our Intelligence by 1 and get the Misty Step spell added to our spell list (even if we don’t have second level spell slots yet.)

You can also add a Divination or Enchantment spell to your list as well and I’m going to recommend Hex to further increase your damage to whatever target you focus with your soldiers. You can cast both Misty Step and Hex once per Long Rest without using a spell slot, and can cast the spell more times by using the respective spell slot. Speaking of spells you would be able to prepare more of them but I’m going to wait for...

LEVEL 10 - ARTIFICER 5

5th level Artificers can turn a staff (or a wand or a rod, but realistically you’d use a staff) into an Arcane Firearm. When casting Artificer spells through the Arcane Firearm you gain a d8 bonus to one damage roll of the spell...

I’m going to be honest: you’re primarily a Fighter, and especially if you walk around with both a Shield and a Rapier Spear you probably won’t have a free hand for the Arcane Firearm anyways. Talk to your DM to see if they’ll let you add a d8 to your spells anyways. And if not? ...Nothing much lost by ignoring it.

But 5th level Artificers also get second level spell slots which means that they can prepare second level spells! You get both Scorching Ray and Shatter as Artillerist Spells, and can prepare Aid to boost your army for battle!

(Artwork by Zuoan Dong and Kudos Productions. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 11 - ARTIFICER 6

6th level Artificers get Tool Expertise, which is exactly what it sounds like: double your proficiency with tool checks. But more importantly you get more infusions such as the Spell-Refueling Ring to actually be a Mage, and a Repulsion Shield to recreate the push from Emperor's Divide and further break your AC.

You can also prepare another spell like Enhance Ability, so your subjects can build up your civilization! ...But not slaves, obviously.

LEVEL 12 - ARTIFICER 7

7th level emperors can direct their soldiers as a reaction with a Flash of Genius, letting you boost one of their Ability Checks or Saving Throws by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier. The ability has a limited number of uses but both its number of uses and its total strength increases with your Intelligence modifier. Speaking of which...

LEVEL 13 - ARTIFICER 8

An Ability Score Improvement means we can finally round out that uneven Intelligence score, as well as your uneven Constitution. Nice round number will help you rule over yourself, which will make it easier to rule over a nation.

More Intelligence does also mean more prepared spells, but you’ll have to be patient for...

LEVEL 14 - ARTIFICER 9

9th level Artillerists can make their turret Self Destruct, as the Explosive Cannon causes each creature within 20 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 force damage as the tower self-destructs, only taking half on a success. In addition your turrets deal an extra d8 of damage, or Temp HP shielding if you swing that way.

But to top it off you learn third level spells now! Wind Wall from the Artillerist Spells list will actually serve as Emperor's Divide, since while it does work like Yasuo’s Wind Wall it also pushes people back and stops them from going through it (to an extent.) As for Fireball well... it’s Fireball! Not everything needs to be justified.

Other than that you can prepare Haste to truly go to war (as long as you’re fine with leaving yourself vulnerable if you lose spell focus), and Create Food and Water to... create food and water. A great emperor must care for his people, especially his best friend.

(Artwork by Pang Chengwei. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 15 - FIGHTER 6

Hey Ability Score Improvements are fun! Dexterity is still kinda our “main” stat, since it’s used both for attacking and AC. So increasing DEX by 2 would be the best plan of action!

LEVEL 16 - FIGHTER 7

7th level Echo Knights see everything on their sands thanks to Echo Avatar. As an action you can see through your Sand Soldier, to direct them through espionage. You yourself can not see or hear during this time, and you can end this effect at any time as an action.

While spying through your sand soldier, it can be up to 1000 feet away from you without being destroyed. This does mean that you can swap places with it to get somewhere up to 1000 feet away!

LEVEL 17 - FIGHTER 8

Fighters are fun because while they get they get Ability Score Improvements in some of the places where other classes don’t they still get the standard ASIs at the standard levels. Cap off your Intelligence to have the best of both magic damage and attack speed!

(Artwork by SIXMOREVODKA Studios. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 18 - FIGHTER 9

9th level Fighters can survive with Ascended strength, as Indomitable lets them reroll one failed Saving Throw per Long Rest. You can still fail however so I’d perhaps only use this on the skills you have a good chance of succeeding in; even the Ascended have their limits.

LEVEL 19 - FIGHTER 10

At level 10 your Sand Soldiers will always be there to defend you, as Shadow Martyr allows your soldiers to defend an ally you can see with your reaction. Your soldier moves within 5 feet of the ally, and the attack is directed towards your soldier instead of your ally. "Nothing is beyond my reach."

LEVEL 20 - FIGHTER 11

Our final level is the 11th level of Fighter for another Extra Attack, resulting in three attacks total or six with Action Surge! Finally six-slotted for max Attack Speed!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Soldiers, onward! - You can deal tons of damage without ever getting close to the danger between your Sand Soldiers and your cannon, both of which can do the fighting for you as you stay back and direct their attacks.

Challenge Shurima; challenge fate - You also have plenty of utility in both your magic and your soldiers, notably an extreme level of mobility to escape if anyone does actually try to kill you. And in a worse case scenario your infusions can provide you with even more tools to rebuild your empire.

Emperors never die - It was not my intention but... Hey turns out that Fighter and Artificer are both very good at keeping themselves alive. Above average HP, strong saving throws (proficiency in the saves for your low stats help a lot!), and notably some damn high AC by walking around with a spear and shield. 19 AC with Studded Leather and a Shield which can be further increased with infusions.

CONS

My empire lives in every grain of sand - It takes quite awhile to prepare everything for combat. An action to summon your cannon, a bonus action to summon your echo, and then a Bonus Action every turn as long as you have your cannon up.

I will shift as the sands - A general you may be but a scholar you are not. With the exception of Acrobatics and History your skill checks are generally poor, and your ability scores overall leave a lot to be desired. Sure +5 to Religion or Arcana is nice but it’s not going to shatter the sun.

The bounty of Shurima still flows - One thing an emperor must manage is the resources of their kingdom, and you have plenty of limited tools that only come back after Long Rests. Some of them (mostly your Fighter stuff) come back on a Short Rest yes but you have limited spell slots, cannons, Flashes of Genius to protect your allies, and only one use of Indominable per Long Rest. Ration yourself wisely.

But an empire is built upon sacrifice. Conqueror with your soldiers before rebuilding. A nation as great as Shurima can not truly remain gone. But perhaps this time you should pay your workers? Especially if your best friend is the head of the union.

(Artwork by SIXMOREVODKA Studios. Made for Riot Games.)

[selbstkritik]

“[...] if you look at the dictionary, it says that intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. [...] I love that definition. It doesn’t say anything about being successful or getting an award or knowing one specific subject. It says you have to learn something apply it. So let’s consider the example of an artist. An artist acquires a lot of knowledge and skills. She applies it it to create a wonderful piece of art. But in our society, do we consider artists as intelligent? What about our society, do we consider artists as intelligent? What about the DJ? A DJ is taking all these different sounds and putting them together to make amazing music. Do we consider a DJ intelligent? Sure we’re all going to say ‘oh yeah, I think everybody is smart!’ but that’s not true. We have a hierarchy of intelligence in our society and fail to see it in its multi-varied multifaceted form.”

– Anarghya Vardhana, Intelligence: A Social Construct Used to Divide and Destroy, Ted Conderence.

[lilacosima]

Cancer Sun - Virgo Moon combination

for @black-hippie-moonchild 

this...... is going to be a longer one, you are warned 😅

-because they have this intuitive knowledge of events and almost anxious care for their surroundings/situation/entourage as well as the perhaps untaped ability to coldly analyze facts, they’re often two steps ahead

-not what you’d expect form these placements but there is potential to be quite the entrepreneur, with a progressive twist; they’ll diversify their activities, play the long game. If that’s not you right now, it could be a new way to think about yourself an open more doors in your life

-could be a lot of nervous energy there, wondering about what other people think of you too much 

-comfortable with operating alone in their projects, which is great; just be careful sometimes not to shut down opportunities for silliness and joy around you even if they’re too disruptive to your process or a little too childish: you might need more of that in your life!

-love means devotion; love is rare but invaluable. they don’t fall in love easily, finding someone who’s gonna show up for them and feel on the same way they do it is simply not an everyday occurence 

-there is a sophistication to this combination. their identity is fluid and highly receptive, their palette of emotions is varied, nuanced and discerning. I can see these people being more drawn to so-called ‘high art’ categories of hobbies and tastes, while still enjoying pop culture; they’re not snobs and they’re not ivory towered (despite a penchant for reclusion) 

-beauty and aesthetics on point; a personal style that they really commit to 

-there is a certain emotional intelligence and great sensitivity, the latter being somewhat kept under control until things come to a head in high pressure situations; these natives could act out of anger, frustration or grief in a way that seems shocking in contrast with their usual self soothing and self mastery 

-this is more anecdotic but: being friends with other (non toxic of course) water signs, cancers with different moon signs especially, is a great learning experience. you’ll be able to understand each other like few people can, providing a great way to release negative emotions, while teaching each other ways to channel your emotions productively

-Virgo moons have a visceral need to be useful, active, grinding; Cancer is quite self directed thanks to their cardinality, but part of that drive is to carve out time in their shell, their home, with their soul tribe or family if it applies. It might take a minute to figure out a good work/life balance (or school / life), but it will be worth the effort to get there as this is integral to your happiness

-could get stress related stomach aches and generally digestive system issues, made worse in times of overwhelm 

-can both give off a kind, indulgent vibe to people initially and turn very stern, unforgivingly observant and testy when they feel that a limit has been crossed, especially when they’re older and they’ve been hurt before 

-a good conversationalist in small settings, public speaking is a skill they might not naturally possess but should acquire: it’ll definitely give them an edge 

-overall even the most sympathetic & social ones won’t come off as overtly jovial and exuberant. their charm is more reserved and refined 

-timeliness, the ability to argue and converse in an educated manner, good manners and honoring your part of the relationship/the bargain are key to their approval and respect

-With these natives, if you don’t know something, just admit it instead of improvising; if you’ve made a mistake, come out with it and show that you would never do it again on purpose; thing is, they are very understanding and compassionate so they might help & support you if you’re sincere in your demeanor 

 -Likewise, they’re not terribly impressed by people who speak eloquently of grand ideas but don’t have sincerity or precise knowledge of what they’re talking about ; same with making promises without being able to back it up

-they care deeply about others and when they do, they have high standards for their behavior. Being around them can drive people to step their game up. 

Their affection is conditional to these standards precisely because they can give a lot, both qualitatively and quantitatively; the wrong people in their inner circle will drain them and annoyingly have a lot to show for it, too!

-on the flip side a toxic trait some can possess is putting unrealistic expectations on their entourage, sometimes implicitly and in a way that could be perceived as insidious, setting themselves up for disappointment and unconsciously putting enormous pressure on loved ones 

-If in a position of authority, they must learn to value people’s limits instead of devaluing them because of it; and be less rigid about individual trajectories even if they don’t agree with them and would like to rectify, or give too much unsolicited advice/directives even if it’s out of genuine concern 

-their home is most likely a haven; inviting, organized, tasteful. They can get messy like everybody else but that’ll take a big tole on their creative flow and peace of mind; so called organized chaos isn’t the right system for them 

-Great sense of responsibility and accountability; they carry out what you could call a code of perfection in their work and responsibilities ; they’ll never send out something any less than proof-read, nuanced, well-worded and appropriate

-Potential to become an incredible parent, if they aren’t already

-their responsibility and capability paired with their affable attitude can lead others to try to use and abuse their time, but these natives aren’t doormats; especially as they gain maturity and step into their power they realize their value and enormous contribution, and will ask to be treated accordingly 

[elisaenglish]

Alain de Botton on Existential Maturity and What Emotional Intelligence Really Means

“The emotionally intelligent person knows that they will only ever be mentally healthy in a few areas and at certain moments, but is committed to fathoming their inadequacies and warning others of them in good time, with apology and charm.”

“Maturity is the ability to live fully and equally in multiple contexts,” poet and philosopher David Whyte wrote in one of his most beautiful meditations. A generation before him, Anaïs Nin took up the subject in her diary, which is itself a work of philosophy: “If you intensify and complete your subjective emotions, visions, you see their relation to others’ emotions. It is not a question of choosing between them, one at the cost of another, but a matter of completion, of inclusion, an encompassing, unifying, and integrating which makes maturity.” And yet emotional maturity is not something that happens unto us as a passive function of time. It is, as Toni Morrison well knew, “a difficult beauty, an intensely hard won glory” — the product of intentional character-sculpting, the slow and systematic chiseling away of our childish impulses for tantrums, for sulking, for instant self-gratification without regard for others, for weaponising our feelings of shame, frustration, and loneliness. Like happiness — another life-skill we have miscategorised as a passive abstraction — it requires early education, consistent relearning, and unrelenting practice.

That is what Alain de Botton, one of our era’s most uncommonly perceptive, lyrical, and lucid existential contemplatives, offers in The School of Life: An Emotional Education (public library) — the book companion to his wonderful global academy for self-refinement, a decade in the making.

De Botton considers the type of learning with which the road to emotional maturity is paved:

“The knack of our species lies in our capacity to transmit our accumulated knowledge down the generations. The slowest among us can, in a few hours, pick up ideas that it took a few rare geniuses a lifetime to acquire.

Yet what is distinctive is just how selective we are about the topics we deem it possible to educate ourselves in. Our energies are overwhelmingly directed toward material, scientific, and technical subjects and away from psychological and emotional ones. Much anxiety surrounds the question of how good the next generation will be at math; very little around their abilities at marriage or kindness. We devote inordinate hours to learning about tectonic plates and cloud formations, and relatively few fathoming shame and rage.

The assumption is that emotional insight might be either unnecessary or in essence unteachable, lying beyond reason or method, an unreproducible phenomenon best abandoned to individual instinct and intuition. We are left to find our own path around our unfeasibly complicated minds — a move as striking (and as wise) as suggesting that each generation should rediscover the laws of physics by themselves.”

This irrational orientation to our emotional lives, De Botton argues, is our inheritance from the Romantics, who crowned the untrained intuition the supreme governing body of human conduct. (And yet the Romantics contained multitudes — for all their belief in the unalterable givenness of emotional reality and the fidelity of feeling, they had a glimmering recognition that reason must be consciously applied to reining in the wildness of the emotions. Mary Shelley, offspring of the greatest power couple of political philosophy, placed at the heart of Frankenstein — one of the most prescient and psychologically insightful works of literature ever composed, triply so for being the work of an eighteen-year-old girl — an admonition against the unbridled reign of the ego’s emotional cravings unchecked by reason and forethought of consequence.) Exception aside, De Botton’s broader point is excellent:

“The results of a Romantic philosophy are everywhere to see: exponential progress in the material and technological fields combined with perplexing stasis in the psychological one. We are as clever with our machines and technologies as we are simple-minded in the management of our emotions. We are, in terms of wisdom, little more advanced than the ancient Sumerians or the Picts. We have the technology of an advanced civilisation balancing precariously on an emotional base that has not developed much since we dwelt in caves. We have the appetites and destructive furies of primitive primates who have come into possession of thermonuclear warheads.”

In 1983, the psychologist Howard Gardner devised his seminal theory of multiple intelligences, expanding our narrow cultural definition of intelligence as verbal and mathematical skill to include seven other modes of intellectual ability. A decade later, Daniel Goleman added a tenth form of intelligence — emotional intelligence — which quickly permeated the fabric of popular culture as hoards of humans felt suddenly recognized in an endowment long neglected as a valuable or even extant faculty of consciousness. Building on that legacy, De Botton brings his own sensitive perspicacity to a richer, more dimensional definition:

“The emotionally intelligent person knows that love is a skill, not a feeling, and will require trust, vulnerability, generosity, humor, sexual understanding, and selective resignation. The emotionally intelligent person awards themselves the time to determine what gives their working life meaning and has the confidence and tenacity to try to find an accommodation between their inner priorities and the demands of the world. The emotionally intelligent person knows how to hope and be grateful, while remaining steadfast before the essentially tragic structure of existence. The emotionally intelligent person knows that they will only ever be mentally healthy in a few areas and at certain moments, but is committed to fathoming their inadequacies and warning others of them in good time, with apology and charm… There are few catastrophes, in our own lives or in those of nations, that do not ultimately have their origins in emotional ignorance.”

De Botton is careful to acknowledge that this line of inquiry might trigger the modern intellectual allergy to the genre of learning dismissively labeled self-help. And yet he reminds us that the quest for self-refinement has always accompanied the human experience and animated each civilisation’s most respected intellects — it is there at the heart of the Stoics, and in the essays of Montaigne, and at the center of Zen Buddhism, and in the literary artistry of Proust (whom De Botton has especially embraced as a fount of existential consolation). He aims a spear of simple logic to the irrational and rather hubristic disdain for self-help:

“To dismiss the idea that underpins self-help — that one might at points stand in urgent need of solace and emotional education — seems an austerely perverse prejudice.”

Our cultural failure at making emotional intelligence an educable thing, De Botton argues, stems from two flawed baseline assumptions of our education system itself — its focus on what people are taught over how they are taught, and its tendency to mistake information for wisdom. (Adrienne Rich shone a sidewise gleam on these flaws and their remedy in her superb 1977 convocation address about why an education is something you claim, not something you get.) De Botton envisions the emotionally enlightened alternative:

“An emotional education may require us to adopt two different starting points. For a start, how we are taught may matter inordinately, because we have ingrained tendencies to shut our ears to all the major truths about our deeper selves. Our settled impulse is to blame anyone who lays our blind spots and insufficiencies bare, unless our defenses have first been adroitly and seductively appeased. In the face of critically important insights, we get distracted, proud, or fidgety. We may prefer to do almost anything other than take in information that could save us.

Moreover, we forget almost everything. Our memories are sieves, not robust buckets. What seemed a convincing call to action at 8 a.m. will be nothing more than a dim recollection by midday and an indecipherable contrail in our cloudy minds by evening. Our enthusiasms and resolutions can be counted upon to fade like the stars at dawn. Nothing much sticks.

It was the philosophers of ancient Greece who first identified these problems and described the structural deficiencies of our minds with a special term. They proposed that we suffer from akrasia, commonly translated as “weakness of will,” a habit of not listening to what we accept should be heard and a failure to act upon what we know is right. It is because of akrasia that crucial information is frequently lodged in our minds without being active in them, and it is because of akrasia that we often both understand what we should do and resolutely omit to do it.”

How to overcome akrasia and live with life-enlarging emotional intelligence — by absorbing the beauty and wisdom encoded in literature and art, by harnessing the power of ritual, by undertaking the difficult, immensely rewarding and redemptive work of self-knowledge — is what De Botton offers in the remainder of the thoroughly helpful The School of Life: An Emotional Education. Complement this small prefatory excerpt with philosopher Martha Nussbaum on the intelligence of emotions, then revisit De Botton on what makes a good communicator, the psychological paradox of sulking, and his lovely letter to children about why we read.

Source: Maria Popova, brainpickings.org (25th November 2019)

[sevenmentorpune-blog]

Artificial Intelligence Around Us

During the 1980's, in America there was much fascination with the field of Artificial Intelligence. The fantastic expectations of the 1980's were followed by the skepticism of the 1990's, where time the limitations of capabilities of our current computers were emphasized. The skepticism of the 1990's has for the most part passed, and one of the main scientific and industrial challenges of the 21st century may be the development of Artificial Intelligent Systems (AIS).

The development of AIS is aimed at the creation of new technologies that'll provide methods to problems in the aspects of electronics and heavy industries, agriculture, energy and resource conservation, transportation, human health, public safety, national security, and other fields.

Speaking at a conference in Buenos Aires in 1995, Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. (Vice President of the United States from 1993-2001 under President Bill Clinton) remarked,'These highways, or more accurately, networks of distributed intelligence, will allow us to share information, to get in touch, and to communicate as a global community. From these connections we will derive robust and sustainable economic progress, strong democracies, better methods to global and local environmental challenges, improved health care, and ultimately, a larger sense of shared stewardship of our small planet '.

From a historical perspective, AIS appeared within the last century as consequence of the evolution of man-machine systems, in that your functions of man and machine are interrelated for the operation of those systems. Like, a craftsman operating a working lathe, a driver and his running car, and the workers in Artificial Intelligence classes in pune and machines at an electrical station all form man-machine systems. In a man-machine system, the human operator supplies the goal, the direction, and the integration. The device executes everything in line with the given directions, and provides feedback.

In the act of man-machine systems evolution, the role of man has decreased in accordance with the role of the machines he operates. To execute routine functions, machines have been increasingly equipped with control subsystems, and the resulting man-machines systems were called "semi-automatic" systems. Progressively, many semi-automatic systems have transformed into automatic systems.

Because of computer systems, an incredible change has taken place in many aspects of technology over the last few decades. Previous machines had the role of executing tasks given for them by human beings. Today, these machines are equipped with very advanced programmable control systems and various kinds of sensory devices, enabling them to execute many human tasks, including creative problem solving. Meanwhile, engineers and scientists taking care of bionic technologies are receiving nearer to creating machines that can perform some human functions for people with disabilities. Consequently, the preconditions for the birth of artificial intelligence appeared.

Ray Kurzweil, in his very interesting book, The Singularity is Real, found a suitable metaphor to explain the procedure of computer systems dissemination. He commented,'Advancing computer performance is much like water slowly flooding the landscape. A half century ago, it began to drown the lowlands, driving out human calculators and record clerks, but leaving most of us dry. Now the flood has reached the foothills, and our outposts you will find contemplating retreat. We feel safe on our peaks, but at today's rate, those too is going to be submerged within another half century.'

It is fair statement regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well. In the past few years, some AI programs and systems have successfully copied selected human brain functions, and extended human cognitive and decision-making abilities. Consequently, some machines available now can execute the knowledge-based functions of an individual operator, but with better quality. The inventor of the Lisp programming language, John McCarthy, who also coined term "Artificial Intelligence" in his proposal for the 1956 Dartmouth Conference, defines AI as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines."

The definition of "intelligence" hails from the Latin, "intellectus", and is defined as "mind, powers of human thinking ".Based on the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "intelligence" has many meanings:

o the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations: for example, the skilled utilization of reason or the ability to apply knowledge to govern one's environment or to consider abstractly as measured by objective criteria

o information concerning an enemy or possible enemy or a place; and an agency engaged in obtaining such information

o mental acuteness

o the fundamental eternal quality of the Divine Mind (Christian Science)

o the ability to perform computer function

It's wise to analyze this is, "the ability to perform computer function ".At first glance, an executable computer program, which supplies computer function (for example, calculation or text writing), doesn't have intelligence. However, consider for a minute that "human or animal instinct", may be the inherent disposition of a full time income organism toward a certain behavior. Predicated on our knowledge of computers, we are able to count "instinct" as a group of programs written on genetic material such as for instance DNA.

When a worker performs his tasks automatically, it means he has in his brain the "programs" necessary for automatic actions. Partly, these programs were produced by the special training he received allow him to accomplish his job. Congenital and acquired programs are all element of human intellect, or intelligence. It is the exact same for an executable computer program. This system bears a percentage of the intellect of its creators, translated right into a language (code) that the machine understands.