“More human than human”

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That’s the motto of the corporation in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic, Blade Runner. The film was released 42 years ago and has stood the test of time. I watched it again last night. For the tenth time? The twentieth? And every time I discover some perfect new visual detail or bit of dialog. Like this from Rachael:

“I’m not in the business. I am the business.”

As I watched the movie again last night I was aware of the phone by my hand and the AI chatbots within. I asked ChatGPT about the “More human than human” line.

The line “More human than human” from Blade Runner is quite intriguing. In the context of the film, it refers to the replicants created by the Tyrell Corporation, which are designed to be almost indistinguishable from humans but are often superior in physical and mental capabilities. Philosophically, it can be interpreted in several ways:

    • Creation and Perfection: It suggests that the replicants are engineered to be better than humans, embodying idealized qualities that surpass natural human limitations.
    • Identity and Humanity: It raises questions about what it means to be human. If replicants can think, feel, and even surpass human abilities, what distinguishes them from humans? It blurs the lines between creator and creation.
    • Irony and Critique: There’s an irony in the phrase, as the replicants, despite being “more human,” are denied human rights and treated as mere property. It critiques the ethical implications of creating life and the responsibilities that come with it.

Overall, the phrase encapsulates the film’s exploration of humanity, identity, and the ethical dilemmas of advanced technology.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Scott called AI a “technical hydrogen bomb” and warned about its potential dangers.

“Can you put the president on the Internet?”

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It was 28 years ago, most likely the spring of 1996, when I was plundering around our newly obtain Apple Power Macintosh 9600 in my tiny office at the center of Learfield Communications, the operator of Radio Iowa, the Missourinet, and numerous collegiate sports radio networks based in Jefferson City, Missouri.  My little company, Echo Communications and jointly formed a partnership with the regional radio giant called Straylight and we had set about to build websites and streaming audio programming around Learfield’s properties using the recently invented Progressive Networks Real Audio player, later dubbed simply Real Audio.

The room, probably not more than about 10′ x 10′, had a rack of low-end Compaq desktop computers in one corner, a high-end Compaq Proliant Server running Windows NT 4.0, and my desk in the other.  On my desk was this beautiful new machinery from Apple Computers, the last of its generation it turned out that I had first seen Steve Jobs announce in person at the Moscone Center only a few years before to a crowded room full of hypnotized zealots. I was one of those zealots.

This PowerMac on my desk was the crown jewel of our little high tech setup, as we had outfitted it with a special graphics card that had to be purchased separately (a first for a Mac).  I had waited for the graphics card for weeks; without it the computer was useless and could not even show a boot screen. But properly configured with the card and a beautiful 17″ Sony Triniton monitor and the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, it was truly a bicycle of the mind.  With this machine and some rudimentary HTML skills, we created the marvels of the New Media age: websites.

What was special about the websites that we produced with Learfield’s award winning news and sports programming content is that ours had something that almost no other had: live streaming audio. Through our partnership with Learfield, we wired in audio feeds from our satellite connections just on the other side of the wall where I was hacking out the little Netscape and Internet Explorer buttons that told our visitors which browsers our pages could best be “surfed” on.

We had built RadioIowa.com as a place to feature the award-winning news programming created under the leadership of O. Kay Henderson, whom we just called Kay.  I had had the pleasure of meeting Kay and her team of journalists at their offices in Des Moines.  We were already publishing her stories on the website and we had been able to use our new Real Audio technology to include features from the recent Iowa Caucuses.

While I can’t remember exactly which website project I was working on that day — I had driven to Jefferson City from Columbia where I was still a Computer Science student at the University of Missouri — I will never forget the day or the precise moment when O. Kay Henderson and I made history.

I think actually from a news perspective it was a pretty routine day.  Apparently — I knew little of these things at the time — President Clinton had signed a very significant piece of agricultural legislation known as the Freedom to Farm Act which was a big shift in how farmers would receive subsidies from the U.S. Government.  Big news in Iowa and for the nation, but for me, I was completely clueless.

But as a 23 year old who had experienced the Presidential Election of 1992, the appearances of then Governor Clinton on Arsenio Hall Show, the live saxophone performances and the momentous energy among his supporters, I knew something of Mr. Bill Clinton.

When I picked up the phone, it was Kay asking me in an excited voice, “Allen, can you put the President live on the Internet right now?  I’ve got him on the line.  He’s just become the first president to digitally sign legislation.  We can make him the first President live streamed on the web.”

I was speechless, nervous, and nearly fell out of my chair.  “Of coursee!  Give me two minutes.” (In radio, you have about 10 seconds before the moment has passed.)

I fired up the Real Audio service and hoped that our T-1 connection would not be giving us any problems today.  We needed that ultra-high bandwidth connection (it cost us a few thousand dollars a month to lease the line) to support up to 100 (one hundred!) live listeners at the time.

Of course I had no time to get the word out that we would be live streaming.  No Google existed.  No social media.

The radio listeners wouldn’t know we were online and they would already be hearing the interview anyways.

But we DID IT!  “Mr. President, can you hear me?”  Yes I heard him say.  Then I muted and Kay did her magic, as she had done with Mr. Clinton many times before and as she would continue to do with other powerful leaders the rest of her career.

I never streamed a President again after that.  I did stream Margaret Thatcher as she spoke on the anniversary of Winston Churchill’s speak in Fulton, Missouri in the website we built called “Words On the War”.

But I’ll never forget that day we put the President online.  A blip for him and perhaps not even a memory for Kay, but it’s etched in my mind forever.

— Allen Hammock, July 4, 2024

More on Learfield’s online adventures: Learfield and the Internet (1995-2005)

1961 Ford F100 pickup

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One-minute walk-around of a vintage pickup. Waiting on official word and story (if any) from Paul. Here’s ChatGPT’s best guess:

The Ford F-100 pickup truck in your photo appears to be from the early 1960s, likely between 1961 and 1966. The distinctive styling, particularly the hood and grille design, matches the second-generation F-Series trucks produced during those years.

15,500 emails. Poof!

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I’ve previously posted about creating a Gmail account in 2004. Google launched the service on April 1st of that year and I created my account (invite-only at the time) on April 21, 2004. In those 20+ years I accumulated more than fifteen thousand emails. Google’s pitch was their search was so good you could just keep all of your emails and they’d help you find it. And it worked pretty much as advertised. But I rarely needed to find an old email. And my ALL MAIL folder just got bigger and bigger. If memory serves, I downloaded all/most of my Google stuff a couple of times during those 20 years but never had a need to use those backups.

Most of my computing these days happens on my iPhone and my MacBook. But given my lengthy history with Google (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar), I’ve never migrated over to Apple for these tools. Until now.

I was very impressed with Apple’s approach to AI (“Apple Intelligence”) and to get the full benefit I’ve decided to go all-in. Starting tomorrow I’ll be using Apple Mail and Calendar. Not sure yet about switching from Google Drive to iCloud. I have a lot of files in Google Drive (850 GB).

As for deleting 20+ years of emails? Felt great. If I experience any regrets, I promise to update this post.

“I Wish I Knew How to Force Quit You”

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My friend John called this morning and there was an urgency in his tone. “I want you to listen to a segment of This American Life and call me back.” John is not one to get excited about… well, about anything. So I stopped what was doing (okay, I wasn’t doing anything) and found the audio he wanted me to hear. From the This American Life web page:

I Wish I Knew How to Force Quit You. Writer Simon Rich grapples with an A.I. chatbot that threatens to make him obsolete. Excerpts from the audiobook edition of I am Code, written by code-davinci-002, edited by Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthau, and Simon Rich; read by Werner Herzog, Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthau, and Simon Rich, used with permission from Hachette Audio.

The segment is 21 minutes long and is probably the most amazing thing I’ve heard in… well, I don’t remember when I’ve heard anything more amazing. Your mileage may vary.

I asked ChatGPT to review my tags

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I uploaded my tag cloud to ChatGPT and asked what, if anything, could be surmised about someone with these interests.

Based on the tags you’ve shared from your blog, it’s clear you have a wide range of interests. Here’s a snapshot of what I gather about someone with your array of interests:

  1. Technology and Gadgets: You seem to have a keen interest in tech, particularly anything Apple-related, like iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks. Your tags suggest you follow developments in mobile technology, autonomous vehicles, and virtual reality. This indicates you’re probably quite tech-savvy and enjoy staying updated on the latest advancements.
  2. Communication and Media: With extensive tags related to radio, podcasting, and social media, it appears you have a strong background in communication. Your past work in communications and at a radio station aligns with this. Your interest in podcasting and blogging shows you’re still active in sharing ideas and engaging with others through modern platforms.
  3. Speculative and Dystopian Fiction: Authors and works like Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson, and “Snow Crash” suggest you enjoy speculative and dystopian fiction. This fits well with your love for speculative fiction, crime fiction, and spy fiction, highlighting your penchant for imaginative and thought-provoking narratives.
  4. Philosophy and Mindfulness: Tags like Buddhism, Tao, meditation, Eckhart Tolle, and Alan Watts point to a deep interest in philosophy and mindfulness. Your commitment to daily meditation and your identification as a “half-assed, wannabe Taoist” underscore a pursuit of inner peace and understanding of the self.
  5. Humor and Entertainment: You have a notable appreciation for humor, with tags related to funny songs, The Daily Show, and comedians like George Carlin. This shows you value wit and humor, likely enjoying content that makes you laugh while often reflecting on deeper societal issues.
  6. Science and Futurism: Tags such as consciousness, free will, evolution, quantum theory, and figures like Ray Kurzweil and Yuval Noah Harari indicate a strong interest in science and futurism. You’re probably fascinated by the mysteries of the universe, human potential, and the future of humanity.
  7. Political and Social Commentary: Your tags related to politics, social media, and figures like Trump and Obama suggest you keep abreast of current events and societal trends. This fits with your view that politics and religion are inherently bad for humanity, implying a critical stance towards these institutions.
  8. Creative Expression and Arts: Tags like photography, poetry, music, and animation reveal a creative side. You likely enjoy expressing yourself through various art forms and appreciate the artistic endeavors of others.
  9. Personal Interests and Hobbies: Your collection of tags about old vehicles, hiking trails, and specific interests like chainsaws and ukuleles suggest you have diverse hobbies that keep you engaged and entertained in your personal life.
  10. Community and Relationships: The numerous references to individuals like Ben Brogdon, Bob Priddy, and many others indicate a strong sense of community and personal relationships. You value your connections and likely enjoy engaging with a wide network of friends and acquaintances.

Overall, someone with these interests is a well-rounded, curious individual who values technology, philosophy, creative expression, and community. You have a mix of intellectual pursuits and hobbies that keep your life both stimulating and balanced.