AI has insidiously become part of all of our worlds in ways that we hardly yet understand. Yes, it’s all messed up. A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence (O’Neill Library Q335 .H675 2019) by Kartik Hosanagar, an AI designer, might help you understand their biases better.
Mush, rush, hush, cat
? away, ??? will play!
First of all let me just say I love the wall! I stumbled onto it while searching a completely silly question..how many licks to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop..
from a childhood commercial.. I was gonna guess the answer to be 3..but in reading the outcome of so many tests.i have to ask… Did any of the licking machines have actual saliva in them? I believe our salive has a ph and bacteria that promote digestion and decomposition..seems like that’s a pretty good reason why the actual licks took less time ?? I would love to hear the answer
Much of the published literature is kinda lacking in discussion of details like that. But this 2013 study determined that ph was not as much of a factor as where on the pop the licking happens. https://bit.ly/bc-tp
What do you think about GoAskAlice?
Very interesting. Seems to be run by good folk, and Alice and I get a lot of the same questions.
Wait, how were 25 essays divided evenly among John Jay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton…?
Math really doesn’t work out, does it? Turns out they wrote 85. Final score: Hamilton 51, Madison 29, Jay 5, but there was historical controversy about that for over a hundred years. Hamilton and Madison claimed different numbers. Classic essay here: https://bit.ly/bc-fed
Can you say hi in 50 languages?
Of course! I may be a wall, but I’m not a cave wall; I have a direct line to the internet. Here’s 50: https://www.twinenglishcentres.com/blog/learn-to-say-hello-in-50-languages. My modern young friend the video wall above the reference desk in the O’Neill Library Lobby also welcomes patrons in a little over a dozen languages. You should drop by and see them!
Hi Wall! Do you want to build a snowman?
I’d love to! It’ll be a bit difficult for me to participate physically, but here’s to hoping some of my library friends can help me out when the time comes.
How do you hug people if you are a wall?
The same way humans hug when their arms can’t reach: with words, or with (((((((hug))))))).
Why are there so many pedophiles everywhere?!
Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is a thing which seems to happen almost everywhere adults are in positions of authority or influence over children. Big organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church can have very big problems with it, particularly if they try to conceal it. Here’s a study that takes a look at what we know and talks about how hard it is to know exactly how frequent it is: https://bit.ly/bc-csa
Well times pass quickly but i fear my bowel motions will pass even faster. The ephemeral nature of my faeces cause me an endless existential crisis. For how long will I remain, is life really this scathing?
Depends on how you look at it, I guess. Eating and excreting are pretty solid proof that a biological organism is alive.
xorona borona corona
lorona dorona torona!
Hi. I think it’s going to rain tommorow.
Yeah, that does seem to be what July is doing this year. Me, I’m just happy the Fire Weather warnings have gone away.
ouch
Hoping the pain recedes quickly!
Holiday Where is the best, secluded location in nature for a
For a…? Well, there are plenty of secluded places in nature, especially in less populous states. Thankfully, a few of those are nearby, and state parks and forests are a great mainstay for getaways. Maine (maine.gov/dacf/parks/about/state_parks.shtml), Vermont (vtstateparks.com) , and New Hampshire (nhstateparks.org/). Even Massachusetts has some pretty wild areas: mass.gov/visit-massachusetts-state-parks. One of my assistants says the Mohawk Trail State Forest out in Western Mass is under-visited. Of course, if it’s a boat ride you’re looking for, there’s a whole ocean a few miles to the east.
I heard it’s going to RAIN tomorrow…
You just might be right about that!
I heard so many students feeling anxious about the new student insurance plan……
it’s not very nice of BC not offering too much explanation or dialogue with students then suddenly announce the decision. It’s not going to impact me that much since I can get insurance from my work or elsewhere, if I choose to, but I hate to see people suffer. 🙁
Sigh… Sometimes I’m so glad I’m a wall and don’t have to arrange insurance. Group plans are not easy to negotiate, and I’m sure the Office of Student Services did the best they could. If any students reading this have particular coverage issues you need addressed, you should contact the Office of Student Services at 617-552-3300 or 800-294-0294, or studentservices@bc.edu.
If you can make anything come true, what would it be?
The complete eradication of Covid-19. Right now, for the whole world. https://xkcd.com/2448/ (be sure to read the mouseover text or look at the mobile version on your phone)
The worries of a 21 year old
I am so incredibly terrified. I will graduate soon. My last year at BC was not the best. I struggled with depression, anxiety, and the complete inability to be hopeful and ambitious. I look around me and people have internships and job offers and they seem like they are all set for the next chapter in their life. Whereas, I continue to struggle with getting to the finish line. I know I can do it but I don’t know what’s next. Will I even get a job? Will I be successful?
If anxiety were a crop, this would have been a bumper year. We’re all off-kilter, even the people you’re comparing yourself to. I have faith that you’ll find your calling and excel at at. Remember, success isn’t in comparison to others; it’s a measure only of movement towards your own own goals and dreams. Toni Morrison published her first book at the age of 39, and Maya Angelou at 41. You have time to do what you’re called to do. (Meanwhile, I hope you’re not overlooking the help you can get at the career center! http://bit.ly/BC-career)
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What do you think about the new BC student insurance?
I’m glad to see that it seems like basic dental care is covered? So I might be able to see a dentist for the first time over the past three years I’ve been here! I don’t know how I feel about the mental health care part. Seems like amazing virtual visit resources, but what about the in-person outpatient care portion? It always gives me a headache trying to figure out the insurance benefit. ><
Health insurance in the US is a huge headache even when it’s the best available; makes me very grateful to be a Wall. It sounds like the new plan has both pluses and minuses for you. If you have specific questions the contacts are here: bit.ly/BCInsuranceQ