FIRST WEEK OF APRIL - - OUR FINAL INVENTION (thoughts)

Day after day now more and more snow sinks into the water table or runs off in small streams. We will start the warming seasons with water tables topped off, wells full of precious fresh, drinkable water naturally filtered through layers of sand, soil and rock. 

Spring clean-up started and even though I notice a little bit picked up, swept up and less clutter in a few areas in the garage, there is along way to go. But it has started and each day is a little more motivating from the work done the day before. 

Our little birds are back picking up where they left off. Hit and fly, hit and fly from the feeder. Quail are back scouring new uncovered ground. There is order in the world. Bears waking up according to the news reports, they are thin and hungry. 

Mid-week I would have enjoyed my first sitting in the warm sun outside. But there was just enough breeze to kill that first perfect moment. Soon!

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PAY BY WRIST WATCH

I witnessed new technology at work this past week. The gentlemen ahead of me at the store today paid his $90 grocery bill by holding his watch over the credit card gizmo. The first time he tried it did not work. The check out gal re-set something and the second time holding his wrist upside down with watch face over the credit card gizmo, it "binged" his payment. 

I am dating myself here. I bet it is obvious to most. But to me it is Dick Tracy come true. I outwardly admitted that the technology is cool. I do think that. But I cannot wrap my mind around all of it and fear that this new technology is something I could screw up a hundred fold. 

Getting my chipped debit card into the gizmo slot and having it work is achievement for me. Remembering my pin, too. I know better to never say never, but in this case I doubt seriously I will ever be using this method of making payments. 

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PANSIES are on display and ready for sale. I could not pass up this simple photo going into WallyWorld earlier this week. Another sign that winter left overs are about gone.

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POISON IVY

The urge to get into the yard and surrounding gardens comes with these first dry warm days. And the urge to plant something has to be ignored as cold, rain and frost still have to work their way out in favor of warmer consistent weather. 

A close neighbor friend was doing just that, some yard spring clean-up and, by accident, was hit above his eyes by a bending sticker bush near poison ivy. With in a few minutes his face and eyes started to swell. An immediate helping of Benedryl, but the picture he sent me of half his face swollen with one eye completely shut was proof enough for me to reinforce having Benedryl close at hand in home/car first aid kits and in bug-out bags. These kinds of encounters can happen quickly and when we least expect it. 

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ICE OUT usually happens mid to late April. Once passage between major ports on larger lakes of water can be traveled to and from, without encountered ice, "ice out" is called. Another official box checked off of winter past.

The photo above is from one our local smaller lakes (ponds) taken last week. Late night rain storm had passed and skies clearing mid morning. A few back to back warm days and this lake will be ice free.

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TREES BUDDING 

Fuzz that protects new growth did not happen last spring. We look every season at our trees and plants that winter over. Last year, our trees did not bud like they are this early spring. Last year was also a year of little to no acorns. Makes sense.

But as temperatures played over sixty degrees this past mid-week, I could not help to notice that  trees closest to the driveway are filled to the brim with fuzzy buds. If I am reading this correctly, there should be an abundance of acorns for forest critters this year.  Cycles of life.

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OUR FINAL INVENTION Artificial intelligence and the end of the human era.

A book written by James Barrat. Published February 2015.

I started reading this book awhile back and just finished. 

"..What then is the Singularity? It is a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed....."  "Computing speeds double every two years...Two years after Artificial Intelligence  reaches human equivalence, their speed doubles....One year later their speed doubles again....six months....three months....1.5 months....Singularity."

Although this book is about 5 years old, I noticed skimming through his research data that discussions and predictions in this book were based 5 year old (or more) data . Generally speaking, today, much of the material covered in his book, is already a decade old. I am sure some of what is talked about in this book is very close to reality, and sooner rather than later. 

There are astounding advancements in the news weekly now from AI, Robotics and how close we are to welcoming these advanced machines into our homes, into our lives. 

(MARCH 28, 2019  2:30pm       1 Billion times 1 Billion calculations per second. Coming in 2021.  A ten second read but this is worth knowing current advancements in computer power.)

If you read daily blogs and news stories, you will continually run across headlines on current advancements in computing, robotics and having digital assistants,  Siri, Alexa or Hey Google at your voice command. They are all vying for you to invite them in. They will continue to increase their powers to answer questions and offer solutions to everyday living. 

Our Final Invention, is worth the time to read and learn. 

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Thanks for the visit this week.