If you've been following the Curious Voyager and tried to comment,
you may have noticed a glitch with the comment email. After Google moved my
domains to Square Space last year, I changed some email addresses and only
recently realized that the one receiving comments was removed. This issue is
now fixed.
It's also been a while since I've posted—sometimes even Tech Support needs support. 😁
I recently discovered "Rufus AI" on Amazon. After typing "how to keep the iPhone cool" into the search bar at Amazon, a window appeared on the lower left side of the screen a with a response similar to ChatGPT or Copilot. The information was informative and after reading about keeping the iPhone cool there were ads for devices that would be of interest.
Search has become more incredible using the various AI forms. In some ways I find I am not using search engines in the way that I had become accustomed to for the last 20 plus years (30?). I had a difficult time stopping the use of Web Crawler in the late 90's, I had gotten so used to the web links one could chase down. Now it's Microsoft Edge and Copilot.
In my post yesterday I meant to add some recent links that I found of great interest.
The first one, "How Everyone Can Feel Empowered to Ride the AI Wave" by Scott A. Snyder. In the article from Knowledge at Wharton, the author talks about the "AI Divide" and how is growing and it may not be in everyone's best interest to let it pass. I suspect there are some who have tried to write off AI with numerous reasons of which many are not valid. The writing goes into "5 AI Trends Everyone Should Know About" and they may be worth reading for your own thoughts and knowledge, there is information you could pass along to others.
The later part of the writing that deals with "Making AI Personal" and this is more along the lines of what I am attempting to do. Having spent a great number of years teaching software, and although basically retired, I still get asked about technology and AI is at the front of many questions. So, I have had to learn and make it personal. It has been fun using AI for research on many subjects away from Technology including Health, Lifestyle, hobbies, and many other personal areas. Great read.
From the same place, Knowledge at Wharton, there is a link to "Does AI Limit Our Creativity?" by Seb Murray. The writing may focus on ChatGPT; however, I believe one could easily use other sources of AI such as Microsoft's Copilot, or Google Gemini, and others. At the beginning I mentioned Rufus AI at Amazon and I began to use prompts there as well.
There are so many resources I actually asked Copilot for thoughts on AI writing tools for both fiction and non-fiction. So many options. I have also used Sudowrite and Grammarly.
Enjoy. ow Everyone Can Feel Empowered to Ride the AI Wave
I've been learning to use Copilot and ChatGPT, and I find them promising tools for now and as we keep going into the future AI will become even more effective. As Ray Kurzweil suggests, AI will likely enhance human capabilities rather than replace us, potentially deepening our pursuit of wisdom—which is more than just facts, but real understanding, and discovering the truth. However, I've noticed many people use AI-generated responses that feel impersonal and lack their usual tone or warmth, which stands out in written communication.
If I feel the communication is just the result of turning over the job to AI, then do I feel I have a responsibility to read it? Respond to it? If I ask, will I get a defensive response? Since this has happened recently, I find this is a serious problem.
It made me reflect on what is lost when our words are
filtered through circuits and algorithms instead of the warmth of our own
intent. There’s an unmistakable gap—a subtle hollowness—when a message, however
articulate, lacks the unique rhythm and idiosyncrasies of its true author. The
color and texture of genuine communication fade, leaving something that may be
technically correct but emotionally empty.
Of course, I see the practical advantages—efficiency,
clarity, and even a kind of polished professionalism. Yet, as we integrate
these tools more deeply into our daily lives, it becomes essential to remember
the value of authenticity. Our connections thrive on the quirks, hesitations,
and moments of vulnerability that only we can provide. Perhaps the real
challenge, as AI grows in capability, is not just to wield it skillfully, but
to ensure we do not lose the thread of our own voices in the process.
I asked Copilot for an analogy of AI based on the writing above
and here was the response.
“Think of AI as a sous-chef in the kitchen of life. It can
chop, dice, and sauté with precision, but it’s the head chef—you—who adds the
secret ingredient that makes the dish truly special.”
I’ve watched enough cooking shows to appreciate this
analogy. 😊
Enjoy your Life, Keep it real.
I will say at the beginning I wish I had Copilot in high school as well as in college and can understand how this could benefit the students of today in so many ways.
Terminology can often be a drawback to any independent studies
and was a problem for me in my early years in school. I am currently taking an
online class and attempting to learn about Cognitive Psychology. In my reading I
came across the use of the word” temporal” and, following what I had been
taught in high school, I went to the dictionary and looked up the definition.
The same problem began to occur, as it did when I was in
college. There were 3 definitions, and I would have asked a classmate, and possibly
a professor, how the word was to be interpreted and how research would use this: denotatively, connotatively, and perhaps even philosophically.
There would be a discussion and I would become wiser.
In this case I am learning at home, in a field of study in which
I am a neophyte, and no one to talk to. I have no place to turn.
And then I thought “what about
Copilot?” I have been using Copilot to get better search results but not
quite in the same way.
So, I asked Copilot the following
question: “What does the term "temporal" mean to a brain
scientist?”
And what to my wondering eyes did appear?
An answer which was quick and quite clear,
The answer also included resource links at the bottom to go deeper. The following is the answer from Copilot in Microsoft Edge.
---------------------
“To a brain scientist, the term “temporal” often relates to the temporal lobe, which is one of the four main lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain. The temporal lobe plays a crucial role in various functions such as:
Additionally, brain scientists study
“time cells” in the hippocampus that encode the flow of time, which are thought
to be crucial for sequencing events in our memories2. The concept of temporality also extends to the subjective
experience of time, known as time perception or chronoception, which is the
sense of the duration and unfolding of events3.
Overall,
the temporal aspect of brain science encompasses both the physical structure of
the temporal lobe and the abstract concept of time as it relates to memory,
perception, and cognition.
Learn
more.
1 thebehavioralscientist.com, 2 sciencealert.com, 3 en.wikipedia.org, 4 newscientist.com, 5 overtimephilosophy.com, 6 merriam-webster.com,+2 more”
---------------------
I followed up on a couple of the links provided and found
information which was also quite interesting and made this learning experience much
more valuable. This will not make me a brain scientist however it will allow me
to understand both the term, and how it is meant to be used in the paper I am
reading.
In my quest to make my Valentine’s card for my wonderful Wife I always must do some research – isn’t that what the techie people do? Or the deep thinkers? Hmmm….
Q: What does “Be my Valentine” mean
And my answer was (with links to follow up on).
“Be my Valentine” is a phrase that people use
to ask someone to be their romantic partner for Valentine’s Day, which is a
holiday celebrated on February 14th. It usually implies that the person wants
to express their love or affection for the other person, and maybe give them
some gifts, such as flowers, chocolates, or cards. The phrase comes from the
tradition of sending valentines, which are love notes or tokens, to someone you
admire or care for. The origin of the phrase is not very clear, but it may be related
to the legend of Saint Valentine, who was a Christian martyr in ancient Rome. Some stories say
that he healed the daughter of his jailer and wrote her a letter signed “your
Valentine” before he was executed12
1:
Why We Ask Someone To Be Our “Valentine” | Dictionary.com
2: ‘Be My
Valentine?’ What Does That Even Mean These Days - 101 Sex+Relationships The
Notebook
Now the links were to; 1) Dictionary.com and 2) 101 Magazine and I
checked out those links. The reading was fun and interesting.
I hoping this helps me in my endeavor to
product the card of wonder and Love.
Happy Valentine’s Day
This was ultimately followed by downloading Netscape at midnight - or sometime there after due to the crush.
From there to building webpages for Netscape using the famous "Hot Dog Web Editor". What do you mean you have never heard of "Hot Dog"? "Hot Dog" was created by "Sausage Software" I think from Australia.
I was led to "Hot Dog" by a disc in a book by "Que", "Creating Your Own Netscape Web Pages". Pages created all in code and so much fun.
I wasn't the first, but we were right there. Many, many stories to tell
I was laughed at for buying the computer in the early 80's and no one wil ever use the Internet, what a waste. :) I LOVE IT! How far we have come since these days.
I remember the first night we downloaded a picture of a map from a library in France. Working with a 300 baud modem it took quite some time, but with each line we became more fascinated with the World Wide Web.
And today I am still impressed with what we can do.
I know, I need to take a better picture.
We recently purchased a product from Costco online and it was a big UX – User Experience.
We were looking at a specific trash can for our kitchen. We
found one at Costco, which we thought looked good and would function for our
needs. We debated and finally made the decision and the Warehouse we go to did
not have anymore. It must have been a good seller as they had a bunch the week
before, so, we went online at Costco.
Online, at Costco, we discovered a $20 increase in price, so
we did a little search and found the same price at Amazon, where we normally
shop, but being the customer’s we are, we bought from Costco. Product arrived
and just what we wanted.
We were back at the Costco Warehouse not long after and what
to my wandering eyes should appear, the Step can is back in stock but at $20
less – priced same as before.
I was going to write Costco, however, like many online businesses it is difficult to write and explain the issue, Customer Service has options, but this kind of feedback is not one of them. In their Warehouses there is someone to talk to but not online.
I could have asked for a Price Adjustment, however,
all I wanted to say was “Love your store but I just won’t buy from you online
anymore.” I felt lucky this lesson only cost $20, much less than the one I
learned from the Plumbing and Heating organization we recently used.
We shop at the Big Box Store, Costco, because it’s fun to go out and walk, look at all the ‘stuff’ and it is interesting and informational. Not sure how many times we have gone there and bought something we did not plan on buying because we saw it, became intrigued, and eventually purchased it.
Not
so sure with their online business.
