#Data Futures

[yellowmanula]

popatrz algorytmie, wychodzę ci naprzeciw, karm się moimi reakcjami, szerami, moimi bańkami, moimi afektami, wciąż jest język który ja też mogę podpatrywać u ciebie.

[scipunk]

Scanners (1981)

[nostalgebraist]

Someone asked me about that "Utility Engineering" AI safety paper a few days ago and I impulse-deleted the ask because I didn't feel like answering it at the time, but more recently I got nerd-sniped and ended up reproducing/extending the paper, ending up pretty skeptical of it.

If you're curious, here's the resulting effortpost

[goldensunset]

more out of context khux

[yardsards]

think of a character that isn't canonically trans that you headcanon as being trans-masculine. (if you have multiple, just choose one arbitrarily or pick your favourite)

trans-feminine headcanon poll

[i-j0s]

[asgardian--angels]

yknow on that note, there's been so many theories about 'in all timelines, in all possibilities' with regards to how many Jayces have visited mage Viktor, whether his words imply all but our Jayce have failed or whether it's Jayce in all timelines that succeed.

And I just want to put this tidbit out there - if many Jayces have met mage Viktor atop the hexgates and received his instructions, and tried & failed to kill Viktor in the commune, you'd need a lot of hammers.

Now, true, we don't know if our Jayce is the only one who fell into the ravine and dismantled his own hammer, hence why he had to take husk Jayce's. As many have speculated, that could have been why he ultimately succeeded - he was hardened and enlightened by the experience of having to walk a literal mile in Viktor's footsteps, retracing his hardships through life. Maybe it was a test, mage Viktor closely monitoring him to make sure he didn't die but understanding this was necessary to prepare Jayce for what lay ahead. But there's only one corrupted mercury hammer, and given that we see husk Jayce's fingers literally break off and get stuck to the hammer when he releases it, it's clear this hammer has never left his grip since he knelt down there ages ago.

I've recently seen this screencap going around:

One of many of Jayce's potential 'divergence point' moments - but is it really? I love the idea, especially given the following moment of his face splitting into many screaming thrashing versions of himself. It's certainly set up visually to invoke divergence points. But idk it just doesn't add up to me!! We can't see the hammer design on these Jayces, and also, why would they all look exactly like our Jayce who was stuck in the ravine for weeks/months? If many Jayces spent time in the cavern there'd be evidence, and they'd have an equal chance of succeeding. Would mage Viktor let so many Jayces die, after the grief and pain of losing just one - his own, after going through the trouble of saving young Jayce when he could easily avoid all of this by just, not rescuing him?

It comes back to 'in all timelines, in all possibilities, only you can show me this.' Many have pointed out the wording is very specific here, vs something like 'out of all timelines and possibilities' which would imply our Jayce is the only version of Jayce that can succeed. This is such a big sticking point for me because the fandom really cannot seem to agree on or even figure out what the hell's going on. The wording we got implies that in all timelines it's always Jayce who brings him back from the brink, and Viktor sets it up that way because he always saves young Jayce and gives him a rune to start his journey. And yet, we get radically different interpretations of this scene that are basically opposites - either Jayce always fails or he always succeeds. You'd think that if Jayce can't do it by attempt number five hundred Viktor would start rethinking his strategy. The romanticism of it stems from Jayce succeeding in other timelines - so why is the more common interpretation that he usually fails? And I'm not pinning this on the fandom - I think the show could have given us something just a tad more explicit (about literally all of this) to let viewers know what was really going on here.

It also feeds into the separate but connected ongoing speculation about Mage Viktor's existence in general. I've seen it postulated that our Jayce succeeding broke a cycle and somehow erased the ruined timeline from existence (and I've heard this one often enough that a fair amount of people must believe it). I just don't see why that would happen. From what I've heard, it comes from the fan idea that all anomalies are connected or are the same anomaly, thus destroying one destroys them all, which, we have no evidence that's the case in any way. Even if so, destroying the anomaly wouldn't destroy the timeline. Mage Viktor now exists in the arcane, he is outside of time and space. Even, even, if his timeline ceased to exist, he's basically immortal. I think this all stemmed from the shot where the corrupted hammer crumbles into dust atop the hexgates, having served its purpose. And yes, I do think it's symbolic of breaking the cycle, but I don't think we can take that and say that timeline doesn't exist anymore (esp when Swain's raven takes the hexgem from it whoops).

these are just some disorganized thoughts. I really like analyzing these things but most of the fandom's on twitter and not only do I have zero footprint on there to help my posts get any traction, but it's not exactly the best platform for long-form meta. anyway.

[glitterynebulas]

soriku kh4 reunion angst thoughts

[insertsona]

AND THERE'S NO WAY IM STOPPING, IT'S LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING

iiilove set it off

other doodles from today under the cut!

[walkingstackofbooks]

My vision for endgame Data/Julian which has consumed me ever since I watched Picard 😅

1.DS9

A few months after the Dominion war, the Enterprise docks at DS9 for a short while allowing Data to meet his long-time pen-friend, Julian, again. Julian's not doing well, but since he seems to enjoy Data's company, Data decides to take a couple more weeks of leave to spend some more time with his friend.

However, Julian starts becoming more and more withdrawn and anxious, and after an incident one evening where he becomes agitated to the point of storming out, Data reaches out to Deanna to see if she can give him any insight into his friend's behaviour. She has some ideas, but also suggests that Data ask Keiko, and after talking with the O'Briens, Data believes he understands what's wrong.

When he asks Julian if he's correct in thinking that his impending departure is what's upsetting the doctor, Julian's surprise at the question is enough that he answers truthfully - yes. To Data, the solution is obvious: if Julian is distressed by the idea of someone else leaving him, then Data will not leave. (Julian begs him not to make promises he cannot keep, and has a minor breakdown when he realises that Data is deadly serious.)

After a lot of conversation, some favour-cashing, and the fortunate coincidence that one of Beverly's doctors was beginning to look for a promotion to CMO, Julian ends up transferred to the Enterprise: technically a demotion, but after so long having so much on his shoulders, it's actually a relief.

2. Enterprise

While on Enterprise, Data and Julian get closer and closer. Their relationship brings some difficulties when it becomes public, though: some see the fact Julian's dating an android as proof that he's not really human; others wonder how Data's affection can be real, and feel that if he were as human as he wants to be, then he wouldn't be dating an augment. Julian's parents definitely berate him for wasting all the gifts they gave him by marrying an android - if only he'd talked to them before the wedding, they could have adbised him against it! - making him a zillion times more grateful Data talked him out of inviting them every time he started to feel guilty about it.

But that's by the by. They're together, happily married, endgame Julian/Data achieved, right?

3. ...

Wrong. I hate Nemesis, but imagine Julian following Data down before he throws himself into space, knowing he could probably stop Data from doing this if he asks. Data saying, "I know I promised never to leave you," and Julian shaking his head and barely being able to choke out the words "It's okay," and then Data's gone.

And Geordi's trying to reassure Julian (Geordi's trying to convince himself...) that Data will be alright, he's got the emergency tranport unit, and they get back to the bridge, and Picard transports in, and Data's still on the ship that's blowing up, and Deanna's asking what happened and Julian's sliding down against a wall, horarsely whispering "I let him go..."

4. Picard: s1

20 years later... I haven't quite decided when I want Julian to appear, because the idea of Julian fighting for android rights is everything to me, but also I kind of like the premise of changing as little as possible in canon...

(Maybe Julian had tried to be part of the movement for android rights, bu the media had really latched onto his augment status and used it as another reason to discredit the movement, and so he'd withdrawn from it, as it seemed his presence was doing more harm than good….)

So the Picard crew all return to the Riker-Troi household after the final showdown and Deanna welcomes them in with a "Guess who we finally managed to get in contact with" and bring them into the lounge where Julian' anxiously waiting.

And of course the initial introduction is awkward and Julian's talking a million words a minute until Will pokes him and then over the next few days he's trying to keep his distance so that Soji doesn't feel that she needs to let him into her life...

And meanwhile Soji is still, you know, coping with ALL the feelings and trauma that the last - what, week? - have given her and so she has no idea what to do with this man, who was apparently her father's husband, especially as she has no clue how he feels about the whole suddenly-having-an-android-stepdaughter thing.

But eventually they do manage to have a conversation (/are forced to talk it out) and they get on so well and Soji realises how much Julian genuinely wants to get to know her for her sake and while Julian's terrified at the prospect of having a daughter, he's also delighted (and Will and Deanna make them both stick around for a whole while, 1. because they do enjoy having them both around, 2. because Kestra adores Soji, and the two are pretty good for each other, and 3. because, while they have kept in contact with Julian over the years, they also know how long he's been on his own for, and they want to make sure he's got a solid base and people to lean on. As much as Julian wants to be a good father, Soji deserves more than one traumatised, lonely man doing a best that would quite possibly not be good enough...)

5. Picard: s3

Julian and Soji are visiting Geordi at the museum when the Picard crew come along, and are swept into the action...

Julian learning that Data's alive - kind of... Julian tenderly kissing Data before they take down the partition, telling him he has to win so he can meet their daughter... The two of them barely having time to reunite before having to rush off to their respective duties in saving the ship...

(I have VISIONS of Soji and Julian working desperately together to find a cure for the transporter virus, while Julian's augment physiology has done something weird to make it that he's turning, but very, very slowly. Julian making sure that Soji is armed, and making her promise to shoot him if he turns too quickly. Soji telling him he has to keep fighting it and refusing to think about what it might come to. Julian realising he's about to lose control and getting Soji to restrain him. Soji despairing that she won't be able to find a cure by herself - she's not a doctor doctor like he is - and Julian reassuring her that he believes in her, she just needs to do her best... but most importantly, if she doesn't find it, it's alright, it's not her fault, and he loves her. Resistance is futile. A phaser shot.)

And afterwards, when Soji's found the cure and it's been distributed, Julian wakes up to find Data sitting next to him and Soji hovering nearby. He tries to scramble up and leave to help the rest of the crew, but Soji informs him that just as he took longer to turn, he took longer to get better, and he's the last one to wake up from it. And then she makes to leave, to give the two of them some time alone, and Julian tells her that's nonsense, she needs to meet Data, and Soji says that it's fine, they've been talking while he was asleep, and Julian replies that now he feels left out, so she definitely can't leave, come here, sit by me, I'm not letting either of you out of my sight.

[scipunk]

Armitage III: Dual Matrix (2001)

[turns-out-its-adhd]

AI exists and there's nothing any of us can do to change that.

If you have concerns about how AI is being/will be used the solution is not to abstain - it's to get involved.

Learn about it, practice utilising AI tools, understand it. Ignorance will not protect you, and putting your fingers in your ears going 'lalalala AI doesn't exist I don't acknowledge it' won't stop it from affecting your life.

The more the general population fears and misunderstands this technology, the less equipped they will be to resist its influence.

[hellyrossum]

a thought that came to mind from watching s2 eps 3&4 back-to-back with some friends yesterday, plus reading posts about how the sterile, white environment of episode 4 mirrors the interiors of the severed floor:

after milchick gets Those Paintings that remind him of what lumon (the world) will always see him as first and foremost, and he stores them away (under white wax paper, as one friend pointed out),

he spends the next episode, in a place of (supposedly) great historical/spiritual significance to the eagans, dressed in all white. blending perfectly into the snowy, lumon-esque landscape.* Except, of course. for the way in which he doesn't blend in. and never will.**

*(if it's milchick who chose that outfit for himself, that's likely what he was counting on.) **(if it was someone else at lumon who chose/asked for him to wear that, perhaps that's what they were counting on.)

[jointhefediverse]

💫 Join the Fediverse! 💫

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The Fediverse, or Federation Universe, refers to a collective of online platforms that utilize the web protocol known as ActivityPub, which has set a standard of excellence in regards to both protecting and respecting users' online privacies.

There's a good chance in the past few years that you've caught wind of the fedi family's critically acclaimed Mastodon; however, there are many other unique platforms worth your consideration...

✨ Where To Begin?

Conveniently enough, from the minds of brilliant independent developers, there already likely exists a Fediverse equivalent to your favorite socials. Whether it's an opinion from the critics, or from the community alike—the following popular websites are commonly associated with one another:

Friendica 🐰 = Facebook Mastodon 🐘 = Twitter Pixelfed 🐼 = Instagram PeerTube 🐙 = YouTube Lemmy 🐭 = Reddit

It's worth mentioning, too, a few other sites and forks thereof that are worthy counterparts, which be: Pleroma 🦊 & Misskey 🐱, microblogs also similar to Twitter/Mastodon. Funkwhale 🐋 is a self-hosting audio streamer, which pays homage to the once-popular GrooveShark. For power users, Hubzilla 🐨 makes a great choice (alongside Friendica) when choosing macroblogging alternatives.

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To address the technicalities: aside from the "definitive" Fediverse clients, we will also be incorporating any platforms that utilize ActivityPub-adjacent protocols as well. These include, but are not limited to: diaspora*; AT Protocol (Bluesky 🦋); Nostr; OStatus; Matrix; Zot; etc. We will NOT be incorporating any decentralized sites that are either questionably or proven to be unethical. (AKA: Gab has been exiled.)

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You may ask yourself, as we once did, "Why does protecting my online privacy truly matter?" While it may seem innocent enough on the surface, would it change your mind that it's been officially shared by former corporate media employees that data is more valuable than money to these companies? Outside of the ethical concerns surrounding these concepts, there are many other reasons why protecting your data is critical, be it: security breaches which jeopardize your financial info and risk identity theft; continuing to feed algorithms which use psychological manipulation in attempts to sell you products; the risk of spyware hacking your webcams and microphones when you least expect it; amongst countless other possibilities that can and do happen to individuals on a constant basis. We wish it could all just be written off as a conspiracy... but, with a little research, you'll swiftly realize the validity of these claims are not to be ignored any longer. The solution? Taking the decentralized route.

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[grayrazor]

So if 70s and 80s sci-fi like Alien and Blade Runner are “cassette futurism,” can we call 90s and 00s stuff like Marathon and Doom 3 “PDA futurism”?

[klaxonsynth]

sum tidbits from recently